I was working at a movie theater when this came out. It was in so much demand, we had it on three screens, and all three auditoriums were filled up for every showing.
That reminds me of trying to explain to my son how different things were when the original Star Wars was released. In my area we only had two theaters, both with a single screen, and they only had two showing on weekdays, and one extra on Saturday & Sunday. There were lines down the block for SW, and it was held over for more than 6 months, and even then was selling out virtually every showing. Ironically I think this helped the other theater in town, which was a larger old school movie theater that had become run down, survive much longer, as the theater that was showing Star Wars was a nicer, fairly new theater and it had first option for all releases. I remember after talking to him I got online and looked up what was released the six months following the release of SW, and it included many of the biggest movies during that time, if I remember correctly it included Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The run down theater actually made enough money during that time that, for the first time in years, the cheapskate that owned the place put a little money into fixing the place up, although not by much. To show you the owner of the run down place also owned the local drive inn, and he tore out all the wired speakers, but replaced them with a radio system from a closed drive inn. Sadly the reason the other place closed was they had tired out there old wired speakers and replaced it with the radio system in question, but it never worked well, so the place died. Anyone who remembers the old wired speakers can testify just how bad a radio system would have to be for people to prefer the old window cracking wired speakers. 🤣
@@johnpatz8395 I remember E.T. stayed in my local theatre for easily 6 months. My kids and grandkids will never have the experience of waiting on a line that wraps around the theatre.
That's interesting since the theater I went to on opening night had almost no one in it. There were no lines at all and no one talked about the film. It was a pretty big theater,one of Marcus big ones,and it was dead after a week. They pulled it soon after.
Are you kidding me this has been 1 of my favorite movies since I was a kid. This did break alot of ground for cinema in general and it's definitely under appreciated
I love this movie. The tech was so real - because its real! The performances were fantastic. Story was engaging. Effects were top notch. Needs way more recognition especially considering what everyone went through to make it!!
@@chichiboypumpi That's only because CGI was still in its infancy at the time. All CG is is a tool, most of the concepts behind the usage of CG are the exact same as those used before. It still requires though, talent, and vision to make happen and just like practical effects, there's good CG and there's bad CG, it's all about the studio hired to do the effects , along with the time and money spent on it. You go cheap or rush it, you get bad effects, the same thing applies with old school practical like we saw in the OT Star Wars.
Minor point: The aliens don't spare humanity because of Bud's "loving messages to his wife." They spare humanity because of Bud's self-sacrifice to disarm the nuclear warhead.
That was my understanding as well, having just seen the movie today. But i think his self sacrifice to save his friends also played a role in the softening of their view of humanity. I think it's the whole enchilada
One of the og reasons why it doesn't get talked about as much Minty is due to the fact that the film has been out of print for basically 30 years. The 2001 DVD is nothing more than a scan of the laserdisc and that's been out of print since then. It's been on the top 5 most wanted Blu Rays ever since Blu Ray came out but has always been delayed. Finally March 12 it comes out on Blu Ray and 4K. After 31 years it gets a chance to make new fans. I've always said that the hard work for this film should never be forgotten and hopefully the rerelease brings new life to it. I remember seeing it opening night back in 89'. There was almost no one in the theater. It was great but when the special box set of the film came out on laserdisc in 93' we picked it up and I was blown away. The extended cut is far better than the theater version. In fact I remember Siskel and Ebert actually going out of their way to review the laserdisc and they really liked it far better. The extra character moments helped and the ending really gave the film some stakes. The book by Orson Scott Card was great as well and went into detail about the aliens. There's actually a lot more that Minty didn't talk about such as Cameron almost dying on set when he had to come up for air after filming. One thing you can say for him is that he also suffered with everyone else while making the film. He didn't ask anyone to do anything he wasn't willing to do himself.
Fear not, Minty. The power plant was abandoned during the construction phase. It was never used, so there was no (additional) risk to the cast and crew. South Carolina resident here.
@sternwheeler if you were, you'd have some great stories of the outsiders getting their butts handed to them for talking smack about the locals and suffering the consequences...😂
The cast refused to do promos for this film or go to any premieres either,plus they didn't want to have anything more to do with Cameron,at all. Yet,years later Cameron did another under-water film: Avatar-the Way of Water. I wonder if he had any flash backs from this movie.
@@scandelez yeah, but that's how it goes. None of them regretted it, they got paid, made a classic.. suffering isn't always a bad thing. Weight lifters "suffer". no pain, no gain. But the payoff is always worth it.
This film has one of the most hauntingly beautiful scores ever written. It's a hugely underrated movie that was released in the same year as a couple of other underwater action movies, Leviathan and Deep Star Six, so that probably didn't help it get better noticed. Also it fell foul of the UK film censors who objected to the scenes of the rat being immersed in the breathable liquid. That scene was heavily trimmed for the UK release and the cuts are still there. When Cameron released a 4K version of it in cinemas last year and then on dvd this year he insisted on the film being released unadulterated. When the British censor insisted the rat scene cuts still stand (as it's deemed as a scene of animal cruelty) Cameron refused to budge and this meant the 4k version was never shown there or released on DVD
Oh heck yeah, I love this movie especially the special edition where most of the cut footage was put back in. The making of this movie was absolutely insane though!
I was a P.A. on this film and 2 of my uncle's got some summer jobs at our aunt's house down in Gaffney SC and I was in charge of the big tank black balls covering it up to hide the sunlight from the filming and my uncle's were safety divers - they weren't the ones who FUBAR to Ed or James or a few others. But this was fun times at DUKE POWER PLANT! R.I.P. CAPTAIN KIDD!!!
Yes actually more than a few cast and crew were actually hospitalized for some of the actual rig being dragged and Billy aka Captain Kidd drowns from door Ed is saying cut the hose - those actors were actually safe, but watch the RING DOOR AND SEE THE OTHER ACTOR GETS SLAMMED INTO ONE OF THE VALVE SYSTEM AND HE ACTUALLY DISLOCATED HIS LEFT SHOULDER AND BROKE 4 RIBS!!! THE ACTOR WAS CALLING MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY THIS IS DEEP CORE EXPLORE! YOU ACTUALLY SEE HIM TALK TO ED ALL F-ED UP AND HE SITS FOR THE REST OF THE FILM BUT GOT SCREWED OVER BY THE STUDIO AND THE STUDIO'S INSURANCE COMPANIES POLICIES!!! SO...@@ct6852
This is a small detail of your channel, but I like how you are side-lit with natural light in your videos. Gives it a warm, cheery vibe. And kind of like you could be a clerk at a video rental store, just chatting with your customers about movies you like. 😊
I saw the original cut in the theatre. I was confused by the ending at the time, and found the special edition filled in some gaps for me. So my vote would be for the SE. One thing that has been pointed out is that during the giant wave scene one of the extras got "pantsed". Some how it was missed by the editors and it's still in the final cut of the SE.
I prefer the non tidalwave version because it hints at the aliens being "higher" beings. It debasses them with the idea that they'd think about wiping out another sentient species. Whereas the other ending made them more magnanimous; warning us about ourselves.
I think, on the whole, I prefer the theatrical version -- but when I first saw it in the cinema, I had actually read the novelisation before seeing it, and the novelisation was based on Cameron's original vision, wave 'n all, so I originally felt a little let down by the version they finally released.
The ironic thing about the SE version is that in a way Lt. Caffey character iis right about the aliens. Their original intentions are hostile. Either way. Great movie with a great cast and acting
Got it in DVD and yep, still a damn good movie. May watch it again as it has been ages. But yes, the special features explained pretty well what nightmare the crew endured to make this all happen.
For anyone who likes Alan Silvestri, his score for Disney's UFO/alien movie _Flight of the Navigator_ is really good. (ETA: And I forgot to mention _Contact!_ That movie is in a very similar vein to the first. It's really great as well.)
he's one of my all-time favorite composers, along with John Williams and the late-great Jerry Goldsmith!!!! and yeah, Silvestri's score for "Flight of the Navigator" is indeed very good and is a childhood favorite
I love these videos - I get to see behind the scenes of films I know, have seen and enjoyed, plus I get an insight into films that I've never seen and qquite often want to see as a result of your videos. My film collecton just gets bigger and more varied. Thanks, Minty. without you I'd miss out on so much good stuff! Don't ever stop. Excellent channel.
That is one of those movies, like Starship Troopers and Évent Horizon , who did not got well in theaters but became absolute wonders . That movie is really great , James Cameron was indeed a genius. And knowing that the shooting was such a nigjtmare makes me love that movie even more
True, but any movie that did well spawned endless copycats, hell it still happens, although back then I think more copycats at least tried to make good movies, which I don’t think can really be said anymore
I got a chance to meet and chat with Michael Biehn at a Comic Con, and he will talk about The Abyss. He enjoyed his time on the movie, for the most-part, and respects that a lot of the other actors don’t like to talk about it. He was so good at playing Coffey!
The Ed Harris Mike Biehn fight scene was legit thrilling. You knew he had little to chance to defeat a Navy seal in a straight up fight but he went in there anyway. When his big burly friend nearly knocks him out with one punch and he decides to book for the mini sub, I felt that.
Knocked it out of the park with this one! love this movie, and have incredible memories of it. Never knew about the Special Edition, so a little curious about it. Well done!
18:27 Minty hit the nail on the head right here. Despite me being such a movie buff and fan, especially of giant blockbusters, I’d never seen this film. Hardly even heard of it really with none of my friends or family ever talking about it. Well when this video released 2 weeks ago, my wife and I watched the movie itself, and WOW were we blown away! Familiar story beats of sci-fi thrillers, sure, but that didn’t take away from the fun characters and amazing action sequences in a thrilling adventure! Thanks Minty for bringing it to OUR attention, and it’s a shame it’s not talked about in comparison to Cameron’s other works.
Sorry, Minty; they weren't Truckers (kudos for that, btw) but ROUGHNECKS. Deepcore was a drilling rig. Also, that breathing liquid is real - when Ed Harris is upchucking it, he REALLY was expelling it for real. It ain't Virgil there at all; it's pure Ed. The initial VHS edit in the UK had several of the tidal wave scenes in, too... and we're still waiting for the BluRay version of it.
@jpofgwynedd3878 I hate to break it to you, but the breathable liquid oxygen (that was still experimental at the time of filming The Abyss) was never able to be successfully used by humans, they tried modifying over the years, but it only ever worked on smaller animals. So Ed Harris DID actually have to hold his breath and pretend he was breathing it, which shows how good an actor he is. Sadly we will not be getting the 4K release here in the UK, as the BBFC wanted Cameron to edit out the scene of the rat breathing the water, citing animal cruelty (even though that rat would not be alive today!) and Cameron refused to do so. Therefore we will not be seeing a 4K or Blu Ray release here anytime soon, you will have to buy a copy from the US or maybe Australia, since we share the same Blu Ray region code. From what I gather, the 4K release is the Theatrical Cut anyway, not the Special Edition for some reason. Regards from North Anglesey. 😎
James Cameron had an exhibition in Sydney a few years ago focusing on his oceanic endeavors, & there were some models used in The Abyss which was pretty cool. I also got to see him speak at the Q&A which was fantastic. He came off pretty humble & cool. While I was on my way home from London in November 2022, one of my flights had a selection of James Cameron films to watch (as Avatar 2 was about to be released). The Abyss was one of them. I decided to watch it as I hadn't seen it in years (the DVD is non-anamorphic). Even though I was watching it on a tiny screen, I enjoyed it a lot. It is very good. The love story is honestly better in The Abyss than it is in Titanic.
Hope the new 4K of this , Aliens and True Lies are worth the long wait! Great video, it's weird how some movies have such a hell production and turn out to be great and others....not so much. Cheers Minty!
Thanks for this one Minty ❤ The Abyss is one of my absolute favorites by Cameron. I knew they had a hard time making the film, but never imagined such horrible working conditions 😢 😱.
Good video!!! Out of ALL the movies I had seen the year this movie came out, "The Abyss" & "Indiana Jones" were my favorites. Still watch this movie more than all the others of that year combined.
Grossly underrated film. Effects that still stand up to this day, and arguably were more important to the progress of CGI than Terminator 2 and Jurassic Park. This movie was their Grand Daddy.
This was a great movie I got choked up a few times. Some of the best movies the actors go thru hell but you wouldn't know it! The professionalism was on point, They all worked well together cause they pulled it off. Even the music wanna my classics😃😃
Thank you for the video. This movie will always have a special place in my heart, watching this with my grandparents when I was a child and we had just stumbled upon it while channel surfing. There is something about movies that take place under water that I've always liked such as this and Das Boot.
When my friend and I were 10 years old we walked to the theater, used the $20 bill we found on the way, and watched the movie back to back four times in a row eating tons of candy with the leftover money. I think we saw The Abyss 15 times that summer. Love the movie and that summer vacation! Thanks MInty, you 'da man bringing us these awesome vids!
Great timing. I love this film, have the Special Edition DVD and just ordered the new 4k blu ray. Also, I think the power plant was an unfinished construction and not a decomissioned reactor.
I was talking with a friend about The Abyss. Told him there was a failed sequel, though. It would have been called, "Son of Abyss." Yeah, he groaned as well.
Thanks for sharing this, grew up with this movie and had no idea there was a special edition. I also just learned the 4K collectors edition Blu-Ray is releasing with both theatrical and special editions on March 12, 2024 in the US. This coverage here made me go looking for it and now I'm excited to see it all over again once I receive it. Thanks. I'm curious if I will feel same way about the special edition after seeing it in its entirety.
Terminator and Aliens are both beloved by action fans. Titanic and Avatar are both beloved by general movie fans. The Abyss is Cameron's best movie. Best plot, best characters, best performances, and best use of social commentary (I'm talking the 3 hour extended version). It's 2001: A Space Odyssey on Earth. Missed out on seeing it in theaters last month and I'm hoping some other theaters play it so I don't miss my chance.
I'm was always wary of sci-fi movies & not typically a fan but this one was outstanding. Had some of my favorite actors of that time. Harris, Biehn & Masterantonio were top notch & the supporting cast gave a stellar performance of the blue collar workers who do that kind of work. I personally liked the deleted scenes & thought it explained the aliens & motives better. Another home run Minty!!
the special edition is my favourite and one I've watched multiple times. the tidal waves are an excellent way of getting everyone's attention which is how Elizabeth's character explains her conversation with Bud to those one the ship.
This is one of my Favorite scifi movies next to Lifeforce my favorite scene is Edward Harris saves his exwife from drowning such Raw emotion Harris is a magnificent Actor 😎💜
I caught this on HBO shortly after it was made available. Still one of my favorites and I never knew how much chaos went into the making. I love that Chris Elliott, early in his career, plays Bendix on the rescue ship at the end of the film.
I've got to see this one again-- definitely the special edition. I don't think I've seen the theatrical cut more than once, back when it first came out, even though it's such a great movie. Also the logo with the bottom of the Y is just perfect. Thanks as always, Minty!
Yeah, I loved this, I watched it in the theater. It sucks that the actors had to live through hell to make it, but to know the nightmare they had, and see the end product came out so well, is pretty amazing in it's self. People will continue to watch this forever though, because it's worth watching. Unlike most things made in the last 20 years.
I do recall seeing this in the theater and many times on VHS and as well as HBO. I did record the TV broadcast with my mom. We unfortunately lost that recording with many others. The last time I saw the film was on DVD and it was a special feature. I did enjoy the special feature more than the theatrical release. I thought the theatrical release was something as well when I first saw it. I miss when Hollywood was releasing one movie after another like this and the musical scores were to die for. Now, I have the theme song stuck in my head, thanks Minty. :)
You said it "brilliant " & I am in the club of those who love this movie! Stinks they had to go through enough to make it. Great review & showing how great this movie is.
My husband and I love you, Minty! We wish we could meet you to just shake your hand and thank you for all the work you do researching and putting your videos together! You're just wonderful! ❤❤❤
This is one of my all-time favorites! I prefer the longer version. That resuscitaion scene is so damn realistic, Ed Harris ate his Wheaties that morning.
Minty Comedic Arts: I absolutely loved The Abyss! I don't know if you can call me selfish or not, but I'm glad that all the actors and the actresses stuck with it (even in the harsh working conditions), because they created a masterpiece. When Lindsey came back to life after Bud tried so hard to resuscitate her I absolutely lost it! I was bawling like a baby. I have the movie here on VHS, and I have watched it more than twice. My copy has the ocean wave scenes that you said was cut out in some. I'm not sure if you know this but the most expensive films to make are underwater, and space-type science fiction.
Born 12-11-1983... The Abyss was awesome. Some parts gave me nightmares, but woke up happy. RESPECT for the actors, actresses and film crews. You and your team try to have a good day/night. : )
I cannot praise the cgi to this film enough! That watery face...GOSH DOES THAT HOLD UP!!!!!! It really was a true movement forward to that of the T-1000, and I'd even say the Navi in AVATAR. It's THAT GOOD!!!!! Like Dr. Manhattan in 2009's WATCHMEN...I dont even consider it CGI anymore to look at visual effects like the one in THE ABYSS anymore but rather it's to the point of PRACTICAL!!!! A TRUE WELL DESERVED OSCAR FOR THIS FILM'S VISUAL EFFECTS INDEED!!!! Super underrated. I effing love this film. :D
Thank you for doing this movie. One of my top 5 favorite films of all time! I've had the DVD forever and the fact that Cameron FINALLY got a 4k transfer done after about a horrendously long 15 year wait has me squealing like a 15 year old London girl at a Michael Jackson concert. I may have waited forever but a good 4k transfer I'll be HONORED to own on March 12th!
I'm kinda surprised you didn't bring up the other two deep sea movies that came out around the same time, Deep Star Six and Leviathan. Me and the family saw all three at the drive inn (luckily for us we still had one in our town) and by far The Abyss was the best!
Very much enjoyed this movie and have good memories of the year it was released. There were remakes of movies that came out that surpassed the original and there were a lot of creative new things we hadn't seen, effects we hadn't seen. Seeing it on the big screen was an experience, far and few between now, Godzilla was an awesome experience, great story telling, fantastic character development, legit connection and interest in everyone on the screen, felt fun and told a good coherent story.
Ugh, I'm so sorry they had to deal with ALL those awful conditions. That being said, this movie is one of my favorites. It is truly phenomenal. Thank you to all the stars!!!
Would you really call "The abyss" forgotten? Something of a box office disappointment for its time, sure, but at this point I would say it's long since established as a certified super classic.
The Special Edition was the first one I saw as a kid and it's the one I think is best. But I was a hard core environmentalist even as a child and I loved the concept of higher beings showing up to give us a slap upside the head to get us in line!
Surprised you didn't mention the effects they used for underwater vehicles - where you could see the pilot in through the glass front. It was done stop-motion, with film from (separate) filming of actors, and then each frame of the actors shown into the front of the model. Move one frame's worth of model-movement, advance a frame of film and expose it, advance a frame of the character being shown in the nose, and voila! Smooth motion. Looked great. You'd never know they didn't have room in the tank for them vehicles.
I absolutely loved this movie when I was a kid. It ranks up there with some of the best sci-fi movies of all time. I think I'm going to find and watch the special edition. Sounds interesting.
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I was working at a movie theater when this came out. It was in so much demand, we had it on three screens, and all three auditoriums were filled up for every showing.
That reminds me of trying to explain to my son how different things were when the original Star Wars was released. In my area we only had two theaters, both with a single screen, and they only had two showing on weekdays, and one extra on Saturday & Sunday. There were lines down the block for SW, and it was held over for more than 6 months, and even then was selling out virtually every showing.
Ironically I think this helped the other theater in town, which was a larger old school movie theater that had become run down, survive much longer, as the theater that was showing Star Wars was a nicer, fairly new theater and it had first option for all releases. I remember after talking to him I got online and looked up what was released the six months following the release of SW, and it included many of the biggest movies during that time, if I remember correctly it included Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The run down theater actually made enough money during that time that, for the first time in years, the cheapskate that owned the place put a little money into fixing the place up, although not by much.
To show you the owner of the run down place also owned the local drive inn, and he tore out all the wired speakers, but replaced them with a radio system from a closed drive inn. Sadly the reason the other place closed was they had tired out there old wired speakers and replaced it with the radio system in question, but it never worked well, so the place died. Anyone who remembers the old wired speakers can testify just how bad a radio system would have to be for people to prefer the old window cracking wired speakers. 🤣
It was a damn good movie.
@@johnpatz8395
I remember E.T. stayed in my local theatre for easily 6 months.
My kids and grandkids will never have the experience of waiting on a line that wraps around the theatre.
That's interesting since the theater I went to on opening night had almost no one in it. There were no lines at all and no one talked about the film. It was a pretty big theater,one of Marcus big ones,and it was dead after a week. They pulled it soon after.
That was probably back in the day when 50-100 people could fit in one theater. Who ever came first got the best seats haha 😅
Are you kidding me this has been 1 of my favorite movies since I was a kid. This did break alot of ground for cinema in general and it's definitely under appreciated
ya but people hated working on it. Cant say much about that since we werent there when it was made.
I love this movie. The tech was so real - because its real! The performances were fantastic. Story was engaging. Effects were top notch. Needs way more recognition especially considering what everyone went through to make it!!
Don't say that, if it got more recognition they'd probably be wanting to make a remake and that'd be a disaster.
Still can't believe they pulled off the CGI water stuff so well. '88 was early for such a major homerun.
I love this movie its well done and in my opinion holds up nicely to this day. The behind the scenes are crazy.
because most of today's lean heavily on the cgi vfx and not on the storytelling. This film is a perfect example of smoke and mirrors art.
@@chichiboypumpi That's only because CGI was still in its infancy at the time. All CG is is a tool, most of the concepts behind the usage of CG are the exact same as those used before. It still requires though, talent, and vision to make happen and just like practical effects, there's good CG and there's bad CG, it's all about the studio hired to do the effects , along with the time and money spent on it. You go cheap or rush it, you get bad effects, the same thing applies with old school practical like we saw in the OT Star Wars.
Minor point: The aliens don't spare humanity because of Bud's "loving messages to his wife." They spare humanity because of Bud's self-sacrifice to disarm the nuclear warhead.
Who told you this? The aliens??
@@scandelez It's called "paying attention to the movie."
That was my understanding as well, having just seen the movie today. But i think his self sacrifice to save his friends also played a role in the softening of their view of humanity. I think it's the whole enchilada
One of the og reasons why it doesn't get talked about as much Minty is due to the fact that the film has been out of print for basically 30 years. The 2001 DVD is nothing more than a scan of the laserdisc and that's been out of print since then. It's been on the top 5 most wanted Blu Rays ever since Blu Ray came out but has always been delayed. Finally March 12 it comes out on Blu Ray and 4K. After 31 years it gets a chance to make new fans. I've always said that the hard work for this film should never be forgotten and hopefully the rerelease brings new life to it.
I remember seeing it opening night back in 89'. There was almost no one in the theater. It was great but when the special box set of the film came out on laserdisc in 93' we picked it up and I was blown away. The extended cut is far better than the theater version. In fact I remember Siskel and Ebert actually going out of their way to review the laserdisc and they really liked it far better. The extra character moments helped and the ending really gave the film some stakes.
The book by Orson Scott Card was great as well and went into detail about the aliens. There's actually a lot more that Minty didn't talk about such as Cameron almost dying on set when he had to come up for air after filming. One thing you can say for him is that he also suffered with everyone else while making the film. He didn't ask anyone to do anything he wasn't willing to do himself.
Fear not, Minty. The power plant was abandoned during the construction phase. It was never used, so there was no (additional) risk to the cast and crew. South Carolina resident here.
You are the voice of reason :)
Beat me to the punch
so, i take it, your not from Gaffney/Cherokee County?
@@KardboardKenny, you are correct.
@sternwheeler if you were, you'd have some great stories of the outsiders getting their butts handed to them for talking smack about the locals and suffering the consequences...😂
One of my favorites. and when I hear what the crew eent through, it makes me like it even more...
Yes! Same here!
The cast refused to do promos for this film or go to any premieres either,plus they didn't want to have anything more to do with Cameron,at all. Yet,years later Cameron did another under-water film: Avatar-the Way of Water. I wonder if he had any flash backs from this movie.
How many actors today can say they went through hell to make a movie?😂 First movie I saw Ed Harris and Elizabeth Mastrantonio fine actors
That’s a weird thing to say considering the suffering they went through….
@@scandelez yeah, but that's how it goes. None of them regretted it, they got paid, made a classic.. suffering isn't always a bad thing. Weight lifters "suffer". no pain, no gain. But the payoff is always worth it.
This film has one of the most hauntingly beautiful scores ever written. It's a hugely underrated movie that was released in the same year as a couple of other underwater action movies, Leviathan and Deep Star Six, so that probably didn't help it get better noticed. Also it fell foul of the UK film censors who objected to the scenes of the rat being immersed in the breathable liquid. That scene was heavily trimmed for the UK release and the cuts are still there. When Cameron released a 4K version of it in cinemas last year and then on dvd this year he insisted on the film being released unadulterated. When the British censor insisted the rat scene cuts still stand (as it's deemed as a scene of animal cruelty) Cameron refused to budge and this meant the 4k version was never shown there or released on DVD
The score is great -- but it definitely has strong traces of the Predator score peeking out of it in places... 🙂
Oh heck yeah, I love this movie especially the special edition where most of the cut footage was put back in. The making of this movie was absolutely insane though!
I was a P.A. on this film and 2 of my uncle's got some summer jobs at our aunt's house down in Gaffney SC and I was in charge of the big tank black balls covering it up to hide the sunlight from the filming and my uncle's were safety divers - they weren't the ones who FUBAR to Ed or James or a few others. But this was fun times at DUKE POWER PLANT! R.I.P. CAPTAIN KIDD!!!
Is it true that Ed Harris almost died on set?
Yes actually more than a few cast and crew were actually hospitalized for some of the actual rig being dragged and Billy aka Captain Kidd drowns from door Ed is saying cut the hose - those actors were actually safe, but watch the RING DOOR AND SEE THE OTHER ACTOR GETS SLAMMED INTO ONE OF THE VALVE SYSTEM AND HE ACTUALLY DISLOCATED HIS LEFT SHOULDER AND BROKE 4 RIBS!!! THE ACTOR WAS CALLING MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY THIS IS DEEP CORE EXPLORE! YOU ACTUALLY SEE HIM TALK TO ED ALL F-ED UP AND HE SITS FOR THE REST OF THE FILM BUT GOT SCREWED OVER BY THE STUDIO AND THE STUDIO'S INSURANCE COMPANIES POLICIES!!! SO...@@ct6852
This is a small detail of your channel, but I like how you are side-lit with natural light in your videos. Gives it a warm, cheery vibe. And kind of like you could be a clerk at a video rental store, just chatting with your customers about movies you like. 😊
I saw the original cut in the theatre. I was confused by the ending at the time, and found the special edition filled in some gaps for me. So my vote would be for the SE. One thing that has been pointed out is that during the giant wave scene one of the extras got "pantsed". Some how it was missed by the editors and it's still in the final cut of the SE.
I prefer the non tidalwave version because it hints at the aliens being "higher" beings. It debasses them with the idea that they'd think about wiping out another sentient species. Whereas the other ending made them more magnanimous; warning us about ourselves.
I think, on the whole, I prefer the theatrical version -- but when I first saw it in the cinema, I had actually read the novelisation before seeing it, and the novelisation was based on Cameron's original vision, wave 'n all, so I originally felt a little let down by the version they finally released.
The ironic thing about the SE version is that in a way Lt. Caffey character iis right about the aliens. Their original intentions are hostile. Either way. Great movie with a great cast and acting
I love the Abyss and it's special effects and underwater photography! It's very peaceful and relaxing to watch the underwater scenes.
Got it in DVD and yep, still a damn good movie. May watch it again as it has been ages.
But yes, the special features explained pretty well what nightmare the crew endured to make this all happen.
I actually wouldn't mind having a shirt that says "The Abuse" in the style of the title, like the graphic they have on the DVD.
Go make it
You might trigger some of the more left-leaning members of our society
@@Spinal_Pap Left or right, if they don't get the reference, I'm not gonna care.
For anyone who likes Alan Silvestri, his score for Disney's UFO/alien movie _Flight of the Navigator_ is really good. (ETA: And I forgot to mention _Contact!_ That movie is in a very similar vein to the first. It's really great as well.)
he's one of my all-time favorite composers, along with John Williams and the late-great Jerry Goldsmith!!!! and yeah, Silvestri's score for "Flight of the Navigator" is indeed very good and is a childhood favorite
That's flight of the navigator
@@stephaniearnold6856 Whoops! You're right, can't believe I got that wrong seeing as it's one of my favorite movies. I'll correct the OP.
That was my little brother s FAVORITE movie
Growing up!
@@cherylmaden5989 He has good taste! Did he see it when it first came out or is he younger?
I love The Abyss. My gratitude goes out to the cast and crew for all the difficult times they endured making this impactful film.
I love these videos - I get to see behind the scenes of films I know, have seen and enjoyed, plus I get an insight into films that I've never seen and qquite often want to see as a result of your videos. My film collecton just gets bigger and more varied. Thanks, Minty. without you I'd miss out on so much good stuff! Don't ever stop. Excellent channel.
That is one of those movies, like Starship Troopers and Évent Horizon , who did not got well in theaters but became absolute wonders . That movie is really great , James Cameron was indeed a genius. And knowing that the shooting was such a nigjtmare makes me love that movie even more
The movie that launched several "Abyss meets Aliens" horror movies of the late 80s/early 90s.
Leviathan was great
I remember Deep Star 6 came out right around the same time as the Abyss.
True, but any movie that did well spawned endless copycats, hell it still happens, although back then I think more copycats at least tried to make good movies, which I don’t think can really be said anymore
Ghost Ship 💀 came out later but it has some + moments, good CGI.
I love this movie so much. My mom and I used to watch it all the time. We love One Night!
The scene where Mary Eliz. drowns in the sub gets me every time, still.
I got a chance to meet and chat with Michael Biehn at a Comic Con, and he will talk about The Abyss. He enjoyed his time on the movie, for the most-part, and respects that a lot of the other actors don’t like to talk about it. He was so good at playing Coffey!
One of my top favorite three movies of all time!!!!!!
The Ed Harris Mike Biehn fight scene was legit thrilling. You knew he had little to chance to defeat a Navy seal in a straight up fight but he went in there anyway. When his big burly friend nearly knocks him out with one punch and he decides to book for the mini sub, I felt that.
Knocked it out of the park with this one! love this movie, and have incredible memories of it. Never knew about the Special Edition, so a little curious about it. Well done!
Love this movie. One of my fav's.
I love all your reviews. Thank you for what you do.
One of my all-time favorite movies
18:27 Minty hit the nail on the head right here. Despite me being such a movie buff and fan, especially of giant blockbusters, I’d never seen this film. Hardly even heard of it really with none of my friends or family ever talking about it. Well when this video released 2 weeks ago, my wife and I watched the movie itself, and WOW were we blown away! Familiar story beats of sci-fi thrillers, sure, but that didn’t take away from the fun characters and amazing action sequences in a thrilling adventure! Thanks Minty for bringing it to OUR attention, and it’s a shame it’s not talked about in comparison to Cameron’s other works.
Sorry, Minty; they weren't Truckers (kudos for that, btw) but ROUGHNECKS. Deepcore was a drilling rig. Also, that breathing liquid is real - when Ed Harris is upchucking it, he REALLY was expelling it for real. It ain't Virgil there at all; it's pure Ed.
The initial VHS edit in the UK had several of the tidal wave scenes in, too... and we're still waiting for the BluRay version of it.
@jpofgwynedd3878 I hate to break it to you, but the breathable liquid oxygen (that was still experimental at the time of filming The Abyss) was never able to be successfully used by humans, they tried modifying over the years, but it only ever worked on smaller animals. So Ed Harris DID actually have to hold his breath and pretend he was breathing it, which shows how good an actor he is.
Sadly we will not be getting the 4K release here in the UK, as the BBFC wanted Cameron to edit out the scene of the rat breathing the water, citing animal cruelty (even though that rat would not be alive today!) and Cameron refused to do so. Therefore we will not be seeing a 4K or Blu Ray release here anytime soon, you will have to buy a copy from the US or maybe Australia, since we share the same Blu Ray region code. From what I gather, the 4K release is the Theatrical Cut anyway, not the Special Edition for some reason.
Regards from North Anglesey. 😎
Brother I'm glad you got your inspiration back on doing these videos and things on some of the old school series and love your videos
James Cameron had an exhibition in Sydney a few years ago focusing on his oceanic endeavors, & there were some models used in The Abyss which was pretty cool. I also got to see him speak at the Q&A which was fantastic. He came off pretty humble & cool.
While I was on my way home from London in November 2022, one of my flights had a selection of James Cameron films to watch (as Avatar 2 was about to be released). The Abyss was one of them. I decided to watch it as I hadn't seen it in years (the DVD is non-anamorphic). Even though I was watching it on a tiny screen, I enjoyed it a lot. It is very good. The love story is honestly better in The Abyss than it is in Titanic.
Awesome Vid Minty, great to see your vids again from a break, looking good there's no one quite like you!
Hope the new 4K of this , Aliens and True Lies are worth the long wait! Great video, it's weird how some movies have such a hell production and turn out to be great and others....not so much. Cheers Minty!
The 4K HDR release is on Hulu right now in the US.
I've always loved this movie and I'm so glad to see it's finally out in 4K for us to go back and watch.
I was obsessed with this move as a teenager and it was one of many 90s films that inspired me to go to film school.
Thanks for this one Minty ❤ The Abyss is one of my absolute favorites by Cameron. I knew they had a hard time making the film, but never imagined such horrible working conditions 😢 😱.
Good video!!! Out of ALL the movies I had seen the year this movie came out, "The Abyss" & "Indiana Jones" were my favorites. Still watch this movie more than all the others of that year combined.
Really enjoy these 10 things series! Always learn something new! One of my favs from back in the 80's that I would love you to do is "Deepstar Six"
The reactor was never finished so no radioactive material was used in the tank. Large parts of the set were still there 20 years later.
Grossly underrated film. Effects that still stand up to this day, and arguably were more important to the progress of CGI than Terminator 2 and Jurassic Park. This movie was their Grand Daddy.
This was a great movie I got choked up a few times. Some of the best movies the actors go thru hell but you wouldn't know it! The professionalism was on point, They all worked well together cause they pulled it off. Even the music wanna my classics😃😃
Thank you for the video. This movie will always have a special place in my heart, watching this with my grandparents when I was a child and we had just stumbled upon it while channel surfing. There is something about movies that take place under water that I've always liked such as this and Das Boot.
When my friend and I were 10 years old we walked to the theater, used the $20 bill we found on the way, and watched the movie back to back four times in a row eating tons of candy with the leftover money. I think we saw The Abyss 15 times that summer. Love the movie and that summer vacation! Thanks MInty, you 'da man bringing us these awesome vids!
Great timing. I love this film, have the Special Edition DVD and just ordered the new 4k blu ray.
Also, I think the power plant was an unfinished construction and not a decomissioned reactor.
I was talking with a friend about The Abyss. Told him there was a failed sequel, though. It would have been called, "Son of Abyss." Yeah, he groaned as well.
What a cast, and level of acting. Ed Harris is so next level!
Thanks for sharing this, grew up with this movie and had no idea there was a special edition. I also just learned the 4K collectors edition Blu-Ray is releasing with both theatrical and special editions on March 12, 2024 in the US. This coverage here made me go looking for it and now I'm excited to see it all over again once I receive it. Thanks. I'm curious if I will feel same way about the special edition after seeing it in its entirety.
Terminator and Aliens are both beloved by action fans. Titanic and Avatar are both beloved by general movie fans. The Abyss is Cameron's best movie. Best plot, best characters, best performances, and best use of social commentary (I'm talking the 3 hour extended version). It's 2001: A Space Odyssey on Earth. Missed out on seeing it in theaters last month and I'm hoping some other theaters play it so I don't miss my chance.
I'm was always wary of sci-fi movies & not typically a fan but this one was outstanding. Had some of my favorite actors of that time. Harris, Biehn & Masterantonio were top notch & the supporting cast gave a stellar performance of the blue collar workers who do that kind of work. I personally liked the deleted scenes & thought it explained the aliens & motives better. Another home run Minty!!
the special edition is my favourite and one I've watched multiple times. the tidal waves are an excellent way of getting everyone's attention which is how Elizabeth's character explains her conversation with Bud to those one the ship.
This is one of my Favorite scifi movies next to Lifeforce my favorite scene is Edward Harris saves his exwife from drowning such Raw emotion Harris is a magnificent Actor 😎💜
One of my favorites movies of all times, so much that I became a PADI Divemaster after watching this movie.
Still haven't found the Aliens yet 😊
Actually some stuff I didn't know yet! Thank You. First watched this on a Blockbuster VHS!
This movie is so amazing -- if you love science fiction, and missed this movie, you're in for a real treat.
I caught this on HBO shortly after it was made available. Still one of my favorites and I never knew how much chaos went into the making. I love that Chris Elliott, early in his career, plays Bendix on the rescue ship at the end of the film.
I've got to see this one again-- definitely the special edition. I don't think I've seen the theatrical cut more than once, back when it first came out, even though it's such a great movie. Also the logo with the bottom of the Y is just perfect. Thanks as always, Minty!
Yeah, I loved this, I watched it in the theater. It sucks that the actors had to live through hell to make it, but to know the nightmare they had, and see the end product came out so well, is pretty amazing in it's self.
People will continue to watch this forever though, because it's worth watching. Unlike most things made in the last 20 years.
One of my all time favorites. I often refer to this movie when discussing dramatic differences between theatrical and director's cuts.
It's one of my favorite movies. Well done to the cast.
Wow, I was genuinely sad, surprised and, above all, laughed my way through this one! Cheers Minty, much appreciated!
I do recall seeing this in the theater and many times on VHS and as well as HBO. I did record the TV broadcast with my mom. We unfortunately lost that recording with many others. The last time I saw the film was on DVD and it was a special feature. I did enjoy the special feature more than the theatrical release. I thought the theatrical release was something as well when I first saw it. I miss when Hollywood was releasing one movie after another like this and the musical scores were to die for. Now, I have the theme song stuck in my head, thanks Minty. :)
Absolutely love this movie! Blew my mind at the time + still does… yes the making-of is crazy!! Thanks minty
Always loved this one... ranks #4 on my Cameron best-of list right after Aliens, T1 & T2
still one of my top 10 of all time. Thanks!
You said it "brilliant " & I am in the club of those who love this movie! Stinks they had to go through enough to make it. Great review & showing how great this movie is.
My husband and I love you, Minty! We wish we could meet you to just shake your hand and thank you for all the work you do researching and putting your videos together! You're just wonderful! ❤❤❤
Lovely video indeed mate! With this director it’s always going to be something special! That poor actors! They deserve extra money for this film!
At the intro of your video was a proper ‘I talked to bahzini’ moment 😂
I actually prefer this to Cameron's more recent works. It's a slow builder for sure but it's captivating and extremely well written.
🥰🥰🥰
Brilliant movie ...thank you mint meister !!!
This is one of my all-time favorites! I prefer the longer version. That resuscitaion scene is so damn realistic, Ed Harris ate his Wheaties that morning.
Dear Minty great video 👍. I would like to ask you to please make a video for the POWDER movie. 🙏
Minty Comedic Arts: I absolutely loved The Abyss! I don't know if you can call me selfish or not, but I'm glad that all the actors and the actresses stuck with it (even in the harsh working conditions), because they created a masterpiece. When Lindsey came back to life after Bud tried so hard to resuscitate her I absolutely lost it! I was bawling like a baby. I have the movie here on VHS, and I have watched it more than twice. My copy has the ocean wave scenes that you said was cut out in some.
I'm not sure if you know this but the most expensive films to make are underwater, and space-type science fiction.
Amazing film, Good Morning Minty, cool video as always, you take care and have a nice day sir
I like your over dubs of where you originally mispronounced a name or word.....smooth.... : )
Born 12-11-1983... The Abyss was awesome. Some parts gave me nightmares, but woke up happy. RESPECT for the actors, actresses and film crews.
You and your team try to have a good day/night. : )
I just want the 4k blu ray already.
Abyss is epic movie. One of the best movies ever made. I rate it 10 out of 10, and I only have 35 movies at this rating out of 3500 that I watched.
This is an amazing movie. Fantastic and gritty at the same time. There were some on-set issue but the performances on screen were beyond beyond words
One of my all time favorite movies.
Good one, Minty. I think I’ll watch the Abyss with a pint of Rocky Road. The good life, indeed. See ya.
I cannot praise the cgi to this film enough! That watery face...GOSH DOES THAT HOLD UP!!!!!! It really was a true movement forward to that of the T-1000, and I'd even say the Navi in AVATAR. It's THAT GOOD!!!!! Like Dr. Manhattan in 2009's WATCHMEN...I dont even consider it CGI anymore to look at visual effects like the one in THE ABYSS anymore but rather it's to the point of PRACTICAL!!!! A TRUE WELL DESERVED OSCAR FOR THIS FILM'S VISUAL EFFECTS INDEED!!!!
Super underrated. I effing love this film. :D
Thank you for doing this movie. One of my top 5 favorite films of all time! I've had the DVD forever and the fact that Cameron FINALLY got a 4k transfer done after about a horrendously long 15 year wait has me squealing like a 15 year old London girl at a Michael Jackson concert. I may have waited forever but a good 4k transfer I'll be HONORED to own on March 12th!
I'm kinda surprised you didn't bring up the other two deep sea movies that came out around the same time, Deep Star Six and Leviathan.
Me and the family saw all three at the drive inn (luckily for us we still had one in our town) and by far The Abyss was the best!
Very much enjoyed this movie and have good memories of the year it was released. There were remakes of movies that came out that surpassed the original and there were a lot of creative new things we hadn't seen, effects we hadn't seen. Seeing it on the big screen was an experience, far and few between now, Godzilla was an awesome experience, great story telling, fantastic character development, legit connection and interest in everyone on the screen, felt fun and told a good coherent story.
Ugh, I'm so sorry they had to deal with ALL those awful conditions. That being said, this movie is one of my favorites. It is truly phenomenal. Thank you to all the stars!!!
I absolutely love The Abyss and it is one of my favourite Cameron movies. I even love the special edition!
Waited for a long time for Minty to review this movie. Thank you 😊
I can see The Abyss as being one of those movies that Minty does a “10 MORE things you didn’t know about The Abyss.”
Bring it on! 👍🏻
Honestly one of Cameron's best.
Ed Harris always struck me as kind of grumpy. Now we know why! 😂
Many don’t agree, but I think this is one of Cameron’s best films. It has its faults, but for what it’s worth it’s a great ride.
Would you really call "The abyss" forgotten? Something of a box office disappointment for its time, sure, but at this point I would say it's long since established as a certified super classic.
One of my favorites and I like the theatrical version better too thx for this fun to watch
The Special Edition was the first one I saw as a kid and it's the one I think is best. But I was a hard core environmentalist even as a child and I loved the concept of higher beings showing up to give us a slap upside the head to get us in line!
Surprised you didn't mention the effects they used for underwater vehicles - where you could see the pilot in through the glass front. It was done stop-motion, with film from (separate) filming of actors, and then each frame of the actors shown into the front of the model. Move one frame's worth of model-movement, advance a frame of film and expose it, advance a frame of the character being shown in the nose, and voila! Smooth motion. Looked great. You'd never know they didn't have room in the tank for them vehicles.
I absolutely loved this movie when I was a kid. It ranks up there with some of the best sci-fi movies of all time. I think I'm going to find and watch the special edition. Sounds interesting.