MovieChat Forums > Altered States (1980) Discussion > Importance of the soundtrack

Importance of the soundtrack


John Corigliano's score was awesome! It was perfect for this film. It made the stuff, that normally would be weird, absolutely terrifying and fascinating.

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I've just seen the movie and you're right. I loved it!

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The Oscar nominations for AS's sound and score were well deserved. If you have never seen this film in a movie theater with a proper sound system, you haven't fully experienced it. I'm glad I went several times during 1981.

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The score has been re-issued and available at:
http://www.lalalandrecords.com/AlteredStates.html

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Watched it at home with a decent sound system and was very impressed. Seeing it in 1980/1981 would have been much better though.

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AFI nominated this for the top 250 movie scores of all time. That and it's Oscar nomination very well deserved. That soundtrack in the Mexico hallucination gets to me so much.

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100% same scene/score captured me too. Perfect score to scene.

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My music theory professor in college was so impressed with me when I brought him this score after I picked it up. It just grabbed me and would not let me go. So much so that I wrote a dissertation on it. It also explains why I'm such a huge fan of Elliot Goldenthal. Both men are brilliant.

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Honestly it's astonishing. Am a fan of avant-garde music, among a zillion other genres, but own few film scores. This one I spent money on, as well as Corigliano's other works. Recommend his first symphony, and don't miss the chance to see it played live.

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Everything about this movie's amazing. Everything. And the Mexican cave/hallucinations scene sounds were fantastic!! Have watched this movie countless times. Haven't been able to though since Bill's passing. Haven't been able to watch any of his movies for 2 1/2 months now. But I hope to be able to again. Just don't know when. 😞💔

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