Scanners & Altered States (1981) movie reviews - Sneak Previews with Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel
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- Опубліковано 22 сер 2024
- These are the original reviews of Scanners & Altered States by Siskel & Ebert on "Sneak Previews" in 1981. All of the segments pertaining to the movies have been included.
Alot of these old Siskel and ebert reviews were thought to be lost. Thank you for posting these! 👍
thank IMDB and their sceret donors.Still hooping for 76-78 reviews.
There's no such word as 'alot'. Dunce...lol
@@diaz5292 Bad form!
@@diaz5292 Dude....Why can’t one use the words “a lot.” Duh? I guess we are not as smart as you! The point is the early Siskel and Ebert shows are priceless for movie fans but you probably are too smart to understand that point. Duh!
I saw it on Showtime in the early 80s when I was about age 11 or 12. I barely remember it. Mostly, I just remember that it was very unsettling, and that Thaao Penghlis is in it. He's a longtime cast member of "Days of Our Lives," which my maternal grandmother watched zealously.
I love Scanners. Those early Cronenberg movies wow. Gritty, grey and cheap are still amazing movies. Scanners, Rabid, the Brood, Shivers. He later on made one of my favourite movies, the dead zone.
I get Ebert's point somewhat, there are slow boring parts. Still a good movie though.
Fuckin Godhead...
I enjoyed Scanners but Cronenbergs next movie Videodrome is a masterpiece to me
@@LordMarlle Yeah Videodrome was amazing 👍🏻
Watched ALTERED STATES earlier today. Such a good film.
I have seen that movie before and it was one of the most strangest films that I have ever seen. Its one of those movies that you're only going to want to watch once.
I watched altered states last week. One of my favorite movies
I saw it for the first time a month or so ago, and it blew me away. I thought it was as good as any movie today. Really great performances in that film. Can't believe it's so under the radar
@Funk O'Matic It's on Vudu (with ads).
Does it still hold up?
BOTH of these flicks are classics and both should be recommended...
The climax of Altered States was stupid. Scientifically I didn't buy it.
Scanners and Altered States in the same week? Man, so many good movies came out in the 80's and 90's.
@Noble Failures Truly. good times had by all.
I loved Altered States. It had some of the most psychedelic and duality behind it, combined with groundbreaking special effects, much like the first Matrix movie.
I think scanners is the one where they made a guy's head explode by thinking at him? That was a great scene!
Michael Ironside not only blew up the guy's head. he wiped out the team of Feds who tried to take him.
its on the restricted movie preview....
@@Mdebacle Yeah Ironside was awesome as Revick in the film
Did these guys even mention the name "Ken Russell" in their talk of Altered States? I seem to have missed it if they did.
Ken Russell was a mad genius. Altered States is a reflection of that mad genius.
Not to mention it was written by 3 time Oscar winner Paddy Chayefsky.
@@ZIALANDER63 - Funny that Chayefsky disassociated himself from the production, crediting his given name Sidney Aaron. I read his script... it's practically verbatim. His issue was with how Russell used the actor's to deliver the dialogue and thought the material should have been taken more seriously. He was a genius but Russell was the perfect director for the material. The story was way too outrageous to be told straightforward.
Agreed. My favorite filmmaker.
Both classic movies from the early 1980s. Made me miss Roger and Gene and William Hurt, RIP.
Loved Scanners, Loved Altered States... Loved Siskel & Ebert.
Remember seeing Altered States on the theater. I was blown away.
1981-1982 probably had the largest number of classic greats than all years combined up till today.
❤😊
I don't know what it is about this show of theirs, but every time I start watching their classic eps, I feel they are still alive. I have to remind myself that they have both sadly passed away. I always loved their shows and them.
Two of my all time favorite movies!
I LOVE old Ebert reviews! Thanks for posting.
S&E were both right and wrong: BOTH films were great! Both movies were so unlike anything anybody had ever really seen before, that even if only for their originality they should be applauded.
When I was 15, I saw both these films in a theater when they came out. I'd forgotten it was the same week.
I remember watching this review as a kid. It made me want to see these movies (although I didn’t until a couple of years later, I was 9 when they came out). I miss this show.
I remember seeing this episode on PBS when I was a kid! Great stuff!
Altered States in 70-millimeter on the widest cinema screen in town in 1981 was quite a spectacular and memorable experience. It launched careers for two then-unknowns, William Hurt and Blair Brown.
One of my favorite movies on the original big screen.
Loved it.
It was the actual screen début of a young actress. She wasn't credited her first role till she was 12.
Mind you she was three in this movie.
Drew Barrymore. She the toddler at the dinner party.
Scanners is a classic.
Bittersweet memories of when going to the movies was a real event. Now with covid social distancing, live streaming and torrent downloads people mostly watch at home alone. Sad.
I agree. It's a shame the movie-going experience is dead, because it was a brilliant way to get a really thrilling experience on a giant screen, and be out in a social environment. A real social environment, not a virtual one. Unfortunately, many theatres turned into slums in many communities, and the experience of seeing a movie was not a pleasant one toward the end of the decade anyway. It will be interesting to see if theatres can survive after covid, and if people will still be interested in going. Even before covid, it was starting to become very, very expensive for an experience that might not have been as fun as it once was. There are some movies though that would shine that much more if you see it on a huge screen, but I see people perfectly happy watching a movie on their iphones now, which is idiotic to me.
And everything is propaganda now not worth seeing so might as well stay home!
Thanks for uploading this old gem! I enjoy listening to those two guys talking back in 1981 about one of my favorite horror franchises Scanners and reviewing it. Little they know that "a young director" David Cronenberg would become one of the best and well known in the horror movie genre, alongside with big names like Wes Craven and John Carpenter.
Altered States was one of the first DVD’s I ever bought, 20 years ago. Along with Yellow Submarine, Austin Powers The Spy Who Shagged me, and I think The Entire series of Spawn the Animated Series. Was BLOWN AWAY when I saw AS!!!!!
That is one strange mix of DVDs right there - are you sure you didn't also buy 'Citizen Kane', 'Beaches' and 'Deep Throat' at the same time?
Yeaaaaaaah!!!!!!! I’m a STRANGE MIX KIND OF GUY!!!!!!!🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗
Siskel and Ebert were right about how a great director Cronenberg would become.
Siskel was wrong about William Hurt, though. He was made to be the leading man in a Cronenberg movie, and I'm amazed it took so long for them to do a movie together.
Scanners fun! Altered States Smart!
Seriously altered states has segments that you can tell were written by scientists. The author actually studied sensory deprivation. Mainly the scenes where the scientists interact together. They speak and exist at a much higher intelligence level and thats obvious even when they're at parties making chit chat. Then 3/4 of the way through it becomes an all out 80s horror style movie with the early man escape scene. Then at the end it's basically 2001 a space odyssey
Scanners is one of the underrated films of the 80's
Scanners and Altered States are two sci fi movies that are overlooked when sci fi movies are discussed .That's pathetic
Gene liked it. Woaw. I'm always amazed by these guys.
Saw Altered States with my friends in high school, wow what a trip. Very 1960s premise that doing drugs and sensory deprivation can alter reality. Scanners was awesome, although admittedly Stephen Lack's acting was wooden. Loved the final mind duel between Vale and Revok at the end! "We're gonna do this the scanner way. I'm going to suck your brain dry!"
Yeah Lack had a great face but his acting was atrocious.
This was the first episode of their show I ever saw.
Neither of them mentions that Altered States is a Paddy Chayefsky script, the same writer as Network. The dialog sparkles in Altered States. Wish our horror movies were that intellectual now.
Two brilliant films, two brilliant filmmakers. David Cronenberg (Scanners) and Ken Russell (Altered States).
Cronenberg is so frickin' good, a true master. Cheers!
So is Ken Russell.
I always enjoyed when Linda Hamilton in her SNL monologue showed how things tended to blow up in her life (cut to the clip of the bald guy blowing up in Scanners as her manager).
Those 1970s soda machines I remember. I hated those machines. Not only do they tend to tilt and unable to fill your soda, they don’t fill it all the way up.
I saw Altered States at the theater and thought it was good movie , you never see that on tv nowadays , William Hurt always great
William Hurt always great unless you're dating him.. fantastic performance in Altered States though
Ebert didn't believe in they idea that these humans can scan other humans? its a sci-fi movie Roger. "The Scanner's" only exist in the picture! The same would apply to The Terminator, Blade Runner or Alien, how is it possible that there was aliens with acid for blood and androids with super strength and robots that travel though time.
I don't think he liked those films either.
Maybe he thought they were based on real events 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Both great movies!
Thanks so much for this upload!
Scanners was a pretty good movie but Altered States was so much better. The premise of a scientist using psychedelics and sensory deprivation to unlock an ancient dormant gene in his body which causes his regression into a quasi simian being (Hence the theory of evolution) is imo far more fascinating than people with telekinetic powers.
Both were very good films- they took chances and risks that modern sci-fi/horror won't.
This is a funny episode. Ebert totally missed the point of the first movie, and Siskel totally missed the point of the second movie.
Scanners is genius. Stephen Lack & Michael Ironside are fascinating in their acting choices.
Best practical effects of any film, especially the finale.
Oh man Stephen Lacks acting was terrible; if you could even call his flat robotic performance acting.
@@sonnyblack0870 I feel like his disaffected cold acting was on purpose. He could have been boring, but his character is supposed to be disconnected with people. I think he works perfectly for what Scanners is going for honestly.
@@SleepFan771 Yeah I dunno. I initially speculated he was giving a stiff lifeless performance on purpose because he’s a scanner, but then I realized he’s probably just a bad actor since his weak performance sticks out compared to the rest of the cast, to the point I found it a bit distracting throughout the film tbh. I think he gets away with it a little bit here tho because of, as you say, the overall tone of Scanners, but really I think he’s just a bad actor.
@@sonnyblack0870 agree to disagree then
@@SleepFan771 NO IM RIGHT AND YOU’RE WRONG
Just kidding, agree to disagree.
I saw it in 1980 and I never saw it as a special effects film. It's actually a love story
They were both right and wrong. What a good week in movies!
I remember all these, thanks for posting them. I also remember that in Summer of 1980 Sneak Previews was briefly off the air thus we didn't get reviews of Airplane, Caddyshack, The Shining and Bronco Billy to name a few. Are these available?
Ebert reviewed at least some of these in his old books. He did a movie review book every year.
Altered states is a Hulk of a film
I'm agreeing with Gene on this one.
Loved Scanners, never seen Altered States, but now I want to. It looks good from what I seen here.
What an interesting side by side comparison. "Scanners" was too slow for me, but has some terrific gross out scenes. "Altered States" is the better film..
Gene was totally wrong on Altered States.How could he not get it ? Awesome movie! Come on Gene!
This was recorded back in a time when people respected rule number one of a fight club.
Scanners is one of the best early movies of Cronenberg
RIP William Hurt.
Altered States was great!
Anyone else notice in this episode Siskel's right eye is very swollen? Like as if he were punched a few hours earlier?
They used to use way way longer clips in the earlier shows...it’s a pity American tv shows get shorter the more popular they are because it means more commercials during the half hour...
Toby B This originally aired on public television and didn’t have commercials.
I love early Cronenberg.
RIP William Hurt
What fun. Ty!!!
I saw both these films in the theater as a teen, what a great time in film I feel lucky that I lived in those times as compared to now where you can what any kinda movie you want as long as it’s a superhero movie 👎🏻
I am so sick of superhero movies.
@@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017 my sentiments exactly
I’m destined to see both of these movies, but I’m really looking forward to seeing Altered States, since it is gruesome and disturbing, but then again, it’s not like Scanners where it feels that way, even though I’d like to see that one, too.
It was actually a lot of fun seeing that both of these guys defended each of these movies together, in their own ways, possible.
Altered States does have some fantastic and events scary hallucination scenes. One sequence even conveys perhaps a convincing and relentless "bad trip".
The actual premise and some of the events that occur are... I'm much less of a fan.
Back when you could show four minutes of a movie you're reviewing. Now we have UA-cam, where reviewers live in fear of showing stills from the trailers.
it was public TV so no commercials they could show longer clips....
Altered States was such a commercial failure that it essentially ended Russel's feature film career. TV movies and docs was his destiny moving forward..R.I.P
1981 was a great year for movies
Wow. I didn't know that there was any havOK in Scanners. I'll have to check it out.
Love scanners great movie 😊
10:25 I believe Dick Smith did the FX on ALTERED STATES
Yes, he did the makeup effects. They still look impressive after all these years.
And SCANNERS.
R.i.p. Gene Siskel
And Roger Ebert 🙏🏻😥
Both good movies. I thought Altered states was a more interesting premise.
03:05 Pure comedy gold 😂
I’ll have what she’s having. Maybe this scene inspired the one in When Harry Met Sally?
How could Roger be so wrong yet again with Scanners thats another classic he really didn't get what the films were going for but hey because he didn't like them made others see it to find out what the controversy was all about why exactly he hated it and then they found out he was totally wrong and the movie was great after all so well done Roger
I'm with Gene on this - absolutely loved Scanners because of the premise of the film and because of the action and Christ that soundtrack was wonderful but I just couldn't get into Altered States at all. Great light effects and definitely some good scenes but I just felt that it felt a little too hokey for my liking. Ultimately they are two cult films for a reason and I wouldn't argue against either.
Not shocked that Siskel liked Scanners and did not like Altered States. Such a cold fish. :D BTW Cronenberg made Scanners and will make The Fly in the late 80s which was sort of his version of Altered States.
I agree much more with Roger on "Altered States", but honestly they both miss the point about the film: It's a love story. Dr. Jessup is so obsessed with his research that he can't fully comprehend how much Emily loves him: even his proposal to her was more about logic than emotion. It was her love for him that brought him back from the edge, it was his realizing his love for her that rescued her. That the last words of the film are "I love you" is telling.
Altered States is a great sci fi film! The film manages to steer away from the standard mad scientist formula.
Scanners had the still hot Jennifer O'Neil.
David Cronenberg’s films aren’t for everyone. Especially Roger with his early work.
Why does Siskel look older here than he does in like 1997?
He had an allergic reaction. He mentioned it at the beginning of the video. Well, Ebert mentioned it, and Siskel explained why he looked like shit.
Siskel is about 45 going on 95 here
There were several episodes where he had swollen eyes or a sore throat and couldn't talk well. He seemed to have a weak body that got ill very easily.
7:00 if he said that about highlander or something like bodysnatchers id buy it
Hurt's character takes shrooms and sits in an isolation tank and physically reverts to ab earlier hominid? Then breaks into a zoo and eats an animal?
That's the writing of a 15 year old stoner.
The hallucinations are actually spectacular though.
Saw both of these at the theater and both were infinitely better on drugs.
I'm curious about "Altered States" now.
It’s clear you’re either a Scanners fan, or an Altered States fan. Very much the latter for me.
I get Ebert's point somewhat, there are slow boring parts. Still a good movie though.
What happened to the old woman who got scanned? Did she survive that? Cronenberg used to be really good .
I thought Altererd States came out in 1980.
It did, in December of that year.
They must have ahead Christmas break off.
The film opened in New York and Los Angeles on Christmas of that year and the next year went into much wider release. According to newspapers.com, its premiere in Chicago, where each of the two critics were from, was on January 23, 1981. By March, it was playing in all fifty states.
Siskel & Ebert: Agree to disagree :)
I liked galaxina and they both hated it but I Love it
I guess Gene was more on the pulse than Ebert because scanners is more remembered than Altered state.
13:15 considering stuff like his thing review kinda weird he says that
Altered States had an amazing first half- very cerebral, bizarre. The end was a letdown.
And I love better off Dead and they both hated it it's a great movie
Looks like someone punched Gene in his left eye.
What's up with Gene's face? Does he have a black eye?
Sounds like Ebert dug Cronenberg just didn’t like the plot of Scanners
Guys, guys!! I'm from the future and both these movies are now cult classics!
Agree to disagree
Altered States is the better film.
Body horror