Resuscitation scene Got to the actors too. Cameron kept pushing for more and more takes. After 8 hours the actress got up, screamed in Camerons face that they weren't fucking animals and said she would walk off the movie if he made them do it again
One of the few Special Editions / Director's Cuts that TRULY changes a film drastically - and for the better. After all the suspense and conflict involving the nukes, the soldiers, and the fear of the unknown, the SE finale brings all those thematic threads together in a perfectly-balanced way. Glad you two enjoyed it! :)
And only a few months after this summer blockbuster, the Berlin Wall fell ... coincidence?? ... yes, yes, just a coincidence ... (Of course, on a downer note, a couple months before this movie was released was the Tiananmen Square massacre) The special edition's "message" that American militarism was just as much of a problem as communist autocracy is a tad annoying ... that's liberal Hollywood dunking on Ronald Reagan.
@@secularmonk5176and yet that is a warming originally given to us by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. We should always be careful in avoiding an out of control military. That's not liberal, that's common sense.
@@danielpopp1526 Last I'll say on this: Eisenhower was warning against a military whose priorities are controlled by capitalism, beyond simply a military protecting capitalism (the pursuit of happiness). The movie's message, as I see it, is a naively "Christian" message of "offer love, not threats" ... see how that would go over with Xi or Putin. Granted, at the time, Gorbachev was making gestures toward less confrontational attitudes with the West, so you could argue that it was "our turn" to dial it down a notch ... but only if you think Eastern Bloc authoritarianism was a system of control on par with Western representative democracy, and we should all just "get along".
"Why are we waiting?" "Mabey she will struggle less?" Correct. When a person is in the early process of drowning, their natural instinct is always to go to the surface or to land... in the direction of known air... safety... no matter the circumstances (even if impossible). Mid stage is full panic, convulsions and spasms, the patient will lash out in a random and constant manor. Late stage drowning is unconsciousness and the body tries to preserve it's life span by shutting down none essential system functions. Final stage is the shutdown of the heart and brain... otherwise known as death. They will end up going the wrong direction should she start to drown enroute... not only delaying the journey but risking both lives.
Indeed. This exact problem is why the Thai cave rescue required the divers to literally anaesthetize the children in order to dive them out without adequate time to train them in use of the diving equipment.
29:25 The "cut the wire" scene is my favourite disarming a bomb sequence of all time. The wires' colours looking identical in the green/yellow light of the chemlight, combined with Bud's "I'm usually wrong so I'm going to cut the other wire" second thought- absolutely brilliant!
As someone else posted, the liquid the rat was breathing was real. Also, as Achara guessed, many of the scenes were practically shot. You should watch the making of. The actors went through a grueling ordeal.
Yeah, the technology works... kind of. You would need some mechanical device to pump the water through the lungs though. At least that's my understanding of it.
@@INSTRUMENTALILLNESS but he's not a household name. That's my point. I know he's a great character actor, but he's not done a big block buster in ages. Granted...the age of the blockbuster is over to some extent.
40 years later, the CPR is still the most insane idea/concept/execution I have ever seen!!! In the midst of all the intensity, to be able to ratchet it up to a next level; Cameron is a SAVANT!!! 🤲🏻😳🫨😬
"Very few scenes involved stunt people. When Bud drags Lindsey back to the rig, that's really Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio holding her breath. When the rig is being flooded and characters are running from water, drowning behind closed doors, and dodging exploding parts of the rig, those are all actors, not stunt people."
The hypothermia plan is solid. There is a saying in rescue teams around sub-freezing conditions. "You're not dead until you are warm and dead." Now CPR doesn't work in real life as often as it does in movies and TV, but's it's better than nothing. There's also a hypothesis for trauma patients to help. Submit the patient to hypothermia, it slows the metabolism enough to give the surgeons the most valuable asset in medicine: time. In trials with pigs, the rate of survival in patients that otherwise would have died was about 50%. Last I knew, there was a hospital in Michigan getting permission to run human trials. I haven't heard any developments from that.
If they started swiming before she drowned then there is more of a chance of things going wrong. Such as her innate desire to swim up or if while she was spasaming she could break loose and sink beyond his reach. the few seconds or a min they wasted wouldn't make much difference in water that cold. People have survived over an hour in such conditions with little or no damage to the brain.
I get that everone's different, but i'll never understand when people watching a movie nag at the characters to hurry up or get a move on when the situation doesn't call for it. Ive seen this movie a bazillion times and never once thought of nagging at Ed harris to hurry up during the drowning scene lol.
One of my favorite endings of all time. I love that the NTI’s really were about to hit the reset button on humanity, but it was Bud and Lindsey’s love for each other that convinced them that humans are worth preserving. Even better, all of the worlds militaries are practically out of the job because if they do start more wars then the NTI’s will literally wipe them out.
"During underwater filming, Ed Harris almost drowned. While filming a scene where he had to hold his own breath at the bottom of the submerged set, Harris ran out of air and gave the signal for oxygen. Harris' safety diver got hung up on a cable and could not get to him. Another crew member gave Harris a regulator, but it was upside down and caused him to suck in water. A camera man came over, ripped the upside down regulator, and gave him one in the correct orientation. Later that evening, Ed broke down and cried."
It actually took me a long time to realize it was Kyle Reese in this movie. He did such a great job playing the character, I didn't recognize him. I only realized it when his voice hit just the right tone. Man is a great actor.
"During the rigorous and problematic shoot, the cast and crew began calling the film by various derogatory names such as "Son Of Abyss", "The Abuse" and "Life's Abyss And Then You Dive". Director James Cameron said that he got so tired from working 6 days a week, 10 hours a day (sometimes more) that he would sometimes fall asleep during dinner in bed, waking up in the morning with a half-eaten plate on his chest and clenching a fork in his hand. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio reportedly suffered a physical and emotional breakdown because she was pushed so hard on the set, and Ed Harris had to pull over his car at one time while driving home, because he burst into spontaneous crying."
"Real oxygenated fluorocarbon fluid was used in the rat fluid breathing scene. Dr. Johannes Kylstra and Dr. Peter Bennett of Duke University pioneered this technique and consulted on the film, giving detailed instructions on how to prepare the fluid. The only reason for cutting to the actors' faces was to avoid showing the rats defecating from momentary panic as they began breathing the fluid."
The novelization for the Abyss was written from the original script and was written by the amazing scifi writer, Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game). Something the novel explains a lot better is that the aliens were watching the humans the whole time and chose to help bring back Lyndsey and to help Bud because of their actions (and interactions) and chose not to help Coffee because of his. As in they brought Lyndsay back and helped Bud regain function and choose the correct wire, that sort of thing. And they spared humanity because Bud was willing to die to save them.
There is a documentary about the making of The Abyss that is incredible. They found an unfinished nuclear power plant and filled the enormous bowl of the containment structure with water and built huge underwater sets. It was plagued with problems and was probably one of the most difficult film shoots of all time. Also, that shot of Bud carrying Lindsay back after she drowned was really her just holding her breath playing dead.
some of the team nearly died on this film. Mary Mastrantonio vowed never to work again. Ed Harris was classed as a professional deep sea diver after this and he also punched James Cameron out, and Cameron apologized after he nearly drowned
The music by Alan Silvestri is just brilliant, especially the last 20 minutes or so, it's just so stirring. The longer ending between Bud & the aliens just proves the point James Cameron was trying make better.
Those slaps that actress Mary Elizabeth took from Ed Harris during the scene where she's being revived were real and hard. At one point, she said, "We are not animals," and walked off the set. "They were going to let me just keep slapping her around," she said.
Hi girls! Firstly, the liquid in the movie, the one he and the rat breath, is in fact a real liquid that was developed for diving in the deep sea. In the movie, when the rat is put into it, he/ she is, in fact, put into the real substance. When Brigman breaths the fluid in the movie, its a bit of a trick. Imagine two sheets of glass with a gap between them as the glass for the helmet. The gap is filled with the liquid, giving the impression its the helmet being filled while he is free to breathe as normal behind it. As a fun little easter egg so to speak, if you look at the scene where the wave is being held still close to the beach, there is a shot where you see everyone on the beach looking at it. If you keep looking at a group on the left, specifically two guys, one of them pulls the others trousers down, lol! 😂 Such a great movie for so many reasons. A great reaction ladies. Have a fantastic day, take care!
@@nemesisnick66 In fact, one of the girls did ask how it was done. I believe she also mentioned it in the first video. Secondly, I shall explain whatever I wish, I don't need your permission. Thirdly, which part do you feel I mentioned incorrectly?
Yes. That fluid is perfluorocarbon, we can survive with it but not without a pump to recirculate it. Liquid is much denser and it will break your diaphragm.
@juansanchezvilla-lobosrami5404 , I didn't realise a pump was needed but makes sense as it's a denser substance than water. It's a great invention, it must be so helpful.
One of the things I loved about this film, is the scene when Lindsey and Bud are chasing the Navy SEAL guy, and he's about to fall over the edge. And you have that moment of silence as they just look at each other across the bubble domes. And then, he starts to drop, and they BOTH reach out for each other. Even Lindsey, who was willing to risk her life to stop him, still had that instinctive, social animal drive that we all share, to try and save one of our own when they are in danger. She didn't want him to DIE, she just didn't want him to kill the aliens and them as well. I thought it was a really wonderful, and beautiful moment of pure humanity. I hate you, I am directly opposed to everything you are doing....but I don't want you to die, I just want you to STOP. One of my favorite moments in that film
@@INSTRUMENTALILLNESS yeah, i'd love to know if that was scripted, or improvised by the actors. either way I think it's a really beautiful, if also sad moment.
I had always felt bad for Coffey, as he was simply a victim of sickness induced psychosis, and the nature of the NTIs and their havoc caused (unintentional and intentional) only Fed into his paranoia. The way he reacted to everything was result if his training. Fight, win, survive… That very last moment of lucidity when he reached out for help at the very end was always so tragic.
@@Beuwen_The_Dragon Yeah, I think he did a great job showing us the increasing psychosis, but also how he didn't really want to do it. The bit right before he fights Bud in the water, when he's about to launch the nuke, he's sitting there just....rattling that chain. Because he KNOWS what he's doing is out there, he doesn't really want to do it, but he feels he has to. You can see it as he squints his eyes, and takes deep breaths, like he's having a panic attack, or simply trying to keep from breaking down into a full crying session. He's doubting, and it's possible that if Bud hadn't attacked him, he might've decided to stop. Very risky, and not something they could rely on to save them, but that moment in the launch bay felt like his moment of doubt, but then the fight/flight response kicks in when Bud jumps him, and now the adrenaline is fueling his mania again, and off we go with the Worst Choice Possible. It's so well done.
The light and Little Geek imploded because they had some air within them or/and was made of material that could not survive the pressure. Bud is breathing fluid, not air, which is why he can go so deep. I would imagine his helmet is also made of materials to survive the pressure.
Babies don't breathe in the womb. Their blood is oxygenated by the mother and fed through the placenta. When I heard that line in the movie I was like "what?" Carbon dioxide also returns through the placenta to be processed out by the mother. A truly fascinating system. The baby is essentially treated like a new organ by the body.
In the novelization the alien at the beginning was fatally injured when it was inspecting a spy satellite or space weapon, so it was just trying to make it home and report before it died. It did not intend to sink the submarine. GREAT reaction, thank you.
I remember going to the movies to watch this as a teenager back in '89, it was the theatrical cut. But years later, I watched this Special Edition and I was like 'why wasn't this the original release? The restored footage completely changes the movie, it's meaning and makes it so much better!'. I'll never understand why they cut it so much then released it.
Studios did it a lot back in the 80s. Sergio Leone's last movie, "Once Upon a Time in America," was simultaneously rated by critics as both the best and worst movie of 1984, depending upon whether they watched the longer original released in Europe or the cut-up Hollywood version that was 48 minutes shorter.
IMHO the story is more complete, but the editing in this cut isn't as fluid, and the score certainly doesn't fit properly as it is clear that they didn't have Alan Silvestri around to make it flow properly at the end with all the extra scenes. The theatrical edition while less complete as a story still feels complete if you didn't know about the greater political tensions in the full script. I didn't see this version until over a decade after first watching the VHS of the theatrical and I never felt short changed - it's so well put together.
It's still one of my fave Cameron movies to this day. The tension & the drowning by proxy, the sheer claustrophobia during the whole movie... I was never meant to visit the depths of the ocean, that's for sure.
There was an entire documentary about the making of this movie called 'Under Pressure: Making 'The Abyss' ' which was released as part of the original special edition DVD, and LaserDisc set. I don't know if it was included as part of the new Blu-Ray release, but it's worth seeking out, and watching...
Nuclear weapons have a very specific firing sequence. If the explosives surrounding the primary's core don't detonate with correct and precise timing, the core won't reach critical mass. A greater danger is that the explosives will detonate, cause a lot of damage in a limited area, and the plutonium or enriched uranium will contaminate the immediate area and anyone in it.
Nuclear weapons are actually really safe to handle and can't be set off without a very specific chain of triggers. Shooting one won't set it off, but it could damage the trigger and potentially render it even more safe.
it's unfortunate it was such a traumatic experience for the actors but I love this move so much, one of my all time favorites. Everything from the performances, the set pieces, the action, the tension, the themes it's all top fucking notch.
22:40... We don't breathe liquid for 9 mths, our lungs are sealed off & don't open until we're born. Don't know why they put this line. I still love the movie. Thx for getting part 2 out so quick.
@Lynn7015hb Not sure who told you this lie, but the womb and lungs are filled with amniotic fluid during gestation. We don't "breathe" the liquid, but it is there.
I have seen both versions and you DEFINITELY chose the BEST version to watch!! Absolutely!! The theatrical version is much shorter and far less meaningful!! I HIGHLY recommend that you also watch and react to the Behind the Scenes on the making of this film. It is MIND-BLOWING!! A VERY rough shoot!!
The theatrical version was missing the entire subplot of the military tensions between world powers and the entire wave sequence. Both versions were unchanged for the recent digital and physical media releases, except for some clean-up of the images and sound. It took a long time for both versions to reach Cameron's high standards before he would approve them for release. Cameron used an unfinished nuclear reactor housing in Gaffney, South Carolina to film the underwater sequences. The reactor was filled with water and black plastic balls were floated on the surface to block out the light. It was safer to use the balls on the surface rather than a tarp or some other solid light blocking method because if someone had to surface quickly, breaking through unconnected balls would be easier than trying to find a break in a tarp (for example). "Sphere" was a frightening movie, but it far less frightening than the book. Michael Crichton wrote "Sphere". He also wrote "Jurassic Park", "The Lost World", "Disclosure", "Congo", "Twister", "Rising Sun", and so many other books that later became movies. The books are always better. I have a pre-production proof printing of "Sphere". I'm not sure if any further edits were done after the proof, but what I read was truly scary.
The coloring of the wires is fine and correct when viewed under white light. The first light Bud used should have been saved for last instead of the yellow chemical light.
Love the film, particularly this cut. It always amused me that the B movie cash-ins that year (Leviathan, Deep Star 6) had evidently heard enough that they knew Cameron was doing a movie with a blue collar diving team encountering alien life and just assumed that because he directed Aliens, The Abyss would be an Alien-like movie
Back in the day, it took a while for the special edition of this movie to come out on VHS. After a small but increasing number of us realized how superior it was to the theatrical cut, it was quite frustrating. There were so many people walking around, thinking they knew what the Abyss was all about, and many weren't super impressed. I remember working hard for years, trying to get people to watch this edition. I'd tell them, if you haven't seen the special edition, you haven't seen The Abyss. I wish they could have released this special edition cut in the theaters. The theatrical version surgically removes some of the main moral themes of the entire film, not to mention some incredibly impressive visuals. This really is a spectacular film, and I LOVE your reaction to it. It's great to be here with so many fans who appreciate it, and all the wild and difficult work and suffering that went into it.
The theatrical cut was way better. This is just liberals preaching about the evils of war, as always. No one likes war, but you need a military to defend yourself against enemies of the state. There are a lot of people out there who seem to think they have the high moral ground because they talk about the evils of war. It's actually pretty pathetic. You enjoy the freedoms that were paid for by our soldiers, but then you don't support the soldiers and in fact talk about how evil they are for defending this nation. Makes me sick.
Fun fact: Ed Harris punched James Cameron, because he almost let Ed drown "to get a better shot". And Ed doesn't want to talk about the movie in interviews because the experience was traumatizing for him.... okay maybe not a "fun" fact
Vastly underrated and IMO one of Cameron's finest hours. I saw this opening day in NYC (this was the original cut not the extended that you viewed; I never understood why the studio excised all that vital footage!) at the late-great Ziegfeld Theatre (one of the city's last movie palaces) and it was truly awesome. The resuscitation scene always reduces me to tears - excellent chemistry between Ed Harris & the lovely Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. And yep that water induced tech was real and they shot it just as you saw it - all practical. Great reaction ladies - glad you got to this and enjoyed it :D
This is one of my 15 favorite science-fiction movies. It also has sentimental value to me because it was the last movie that my parents, brother, and I saw together, in the theater, when the Director’s Cut was released. The cold-water drowning effect, called the “mammalian diving reflex,” is true. It was announced to the public by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in a 1974 press release (I have an original copy), but weirdly it is still little known by the public. Many people have survived up to half an hour after “drowning,” and I think the record is nearly one hour. The rule is you are not necessarily dead until you are warm and dead.
I always like to think they are not aliens but a just another intelligent highly advanced life form from this planet. Something much, much older than us that developed in the sea. Sea life was hear long before land life so it's not that far fetched...
Always felt so bad for Coffey. He is slowly losing his mind through no fault of his own, and is only falling back on his training just to keep going. His misconception of the NTIs being a threat, from all the chaos that they inadvertently cause as well as the sudden storm, is only feeding his sickness induced paranoia. It is always so sad when he finally gains that little moment of lucidity at the end…
Ed had a double face plate so the fluid was in front of his face. The fluid is real and the rat really did the cage scene. Naval SEALs used it for who knows what but it is real. Also this is James Cameron's first film. It was done in a decomissioned nuclear reactor! Glad you two liked it and you watched the special edition. You might like Moon. Good film.
CinaPals - so the rat breathing Fluid was a Practical effect. but the Dive suit was a Special Effect, the Helmet has a Double pane of glass , which filled w/ Fluid. ED breathed normal oxygen , for the Fluid breathing scenes.
This movie is one of my favorites! It would be interesting how it would have played out if Micheal Biehn had not experienced the "bends" and had remained stable. Essentially there wouldn't have been an antagonist so the addition of his psychosis played into humanity's weakness, fears and hate, pretty much the basis of the escalation of war. Also the one SEAL Team member broke ranks, showing how they can still have self-determination. Humanity will never change, but the cycle of peace/love (if allowed) will balance the cycle of war and death.
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is really good during the emotional scenes in this film, especially during the scene when she's talking to Bud on the mic, but does anyone else notice that when she cries, she produces absolutely no tears?
Now will James Cameron ever find his hundred million year evolution beings at the bottom of the ocean? Can only guess this is what he's truly looking for with his deep sea explorations.
You should check out a behind the scenes, making of this movie. If you search "The making of the abyss was a sh*t show", you'll find it (on YT). It was dangerous. The actors WERE miserable - very tough conditions. They had ALL kinds of technical problems. I think they practically drowned Ed Harris (and maybe some of the support divers). I haven't watched that video in a while, but I think he actually did have his head (for a short time) completely in water IN the helmet and he had to ACT like he was inhaling it! OMG, nightmare fuel. I have to go back and watch that again. I can't even imagine doing that, if I'm remembering correctly. Really enjoyed your reaction. Really love this movie. 🙌🏽
Cameron was kinda dangerous to work for back in the day "Ed Harris has spoken publicly about the grueling and challenging experience of filming The Abyss. He has mentioned that James Cameron’s demanding directing style and the physical demands of the film’s underwater scenes took a toll on the cast and crew. Harris has said that he was required to do takes for up to 70 hours a week for six months, which was a grueling experience." look into it, if you like, interesting stuff from all angles edit: ok, you asked for it, so I'll post some quotes
Bud waited for her to drown because it was easier to move her through the water, otherwise she would automatically started fighting the drowning which could've jeopardize bud.
10:33 Nuclear weapons are not like conventional ordinance, which can be set off with a simple fuse or a spark. The bomb's components require a very precise mechanical process in order to split the atom and for a detonation to occur, which cannot be accomplished unless all of the weapon's components are completely functional and intact. Therefore, shooting nuclear warheads, banging them into metallic surfaces, or even peppering them with grenades would not trigger a nuclear explosion. In fact, damaging the bomb could easily disable its critical components, at which point an atomic detonation becomes impossible. If it were that easy for warheads to go off, then transporting them anywhere would be far too dangerous. And we would have likely experienced at least a hundred "accidental" nuclear explosions by now.
We had tons of truly badass women characters in movies, it never felt forced or needed to be a separate line item from the overall movie. Wish we could get back to just making great films without all the focus on politics.
@@msbest9830 the part i find funny is young actresses today will act like “its about time” and think they’re leading some charge. Sigourney Weaver in Alien is maybe one of the baddest characters ever of any gender and that was over 40 years ago, with tons of examples post and prior. Talk about beating a dead horse.
@@superthrustjon you know that they only can come up with imaginary/made up 'problems' that were solved decades ago.... disgrace and fake af.... tis all
@@msbest9830 Yup. They love to say “you hate black people, you hate gays, you hate trans, etc”… No, we don’t give a crap. We don’t like that you took a story we love and made a terrible version of it to pander to idiots. Create your own intellectual properties. Create black stories, trans stories, etc. We hate when you remake any great films regardless of color or gender, but making it political is just rubbing salt in it.
I recommend the feature-length documentary "Under Pressure" about the making of this what can still be considered "the most technically challenging (not complex) CHALLENGING" movies ever made. It's just as compelling as the movie.
Most modern nuclear weapons are almost immune to detonation from impacts or jarring. They use a highly specialized detonation process that initiates the fission. It's not like there's explosives rattling around in there. If the process is not initiated they can be literally dropped from a plane onto the ground and they just go "thud."
The Rat scene with the liquid was the main reason a 4K version of the film was not released in the UK as Censors wanted the scene cut citing animal cruelty. Cameron refused. Apparently UK censors were fine with the scene for 30 years during its DVD And SE releases and its theatrical release. I wonder if the UK censors ever banned a scene from "Hobo with a Shotgun" (2011) which included a scene where children on a school bus were fatally attacked with a flamethrower?
"'Ed Harris' has publicly refused to speak about his experiences working on the film, saying "I'm not talking about The Abyss and I never will". The only register with Harris speaking about his experiences doing the movie is in the documentary Under Pressure: Making 'The Abyss' (1993). Similarly, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio said "The Abyss was a lot of things. Fun to make was not one of them.""
You should absolutely NOT hyperventilate before diving underwater. It can extend your breath holding time which is why they do it here, but it also risks a condition called shallow water blackout. Hyperventilating expels co2 from your blood and the buildup of co2 is the main trigger for needing to breathe. If you start off with very low co2 you can actually use up your oxygen before the co2 accumulates to the point that you feel the need to breathe. This means you are happily underwater one instant, and then totally blacked out the next. You then unconsciously take a lungful of water and likely drown unless someone with you is a lifeguard is paying really close attention.
First time I saw this, during the scene where the NTI tows Bud over the ridge and the NTI ship/city appears, my feet felt like the lifted off the floor. Outstanding FX shot. Also: For the classic "aliens send humanity a message" experience, check out the original, 1951 "The Day the Earth Stood Still." Fantastic film which still holds up.
Fun facts: the rat really breathed liquid (courtesy of the navy) Ed Harris didn´t. Ed Harris and Elizabeth Mastrantonio almost drawn twice. James Cameron almost died too. They filmed in a huge tank that was going to be used as a nuclear reactor but wasn´t finished. This production was a nightmare. I nearly drawn over 12 times in my life. So this was a hard watch for me, but great film.
Never saw this version before, took me by surprise that scene with the high waves. Also, you should watch "Underwater" with Kiristen Stewart, a mix of Alien and The Abyss.
Stating first that I love this movie. One thing you may not know about the water tentacle effect is this, but it is spoilery for Terminator 2, fair warning... This movie was made a year or two before Terminator 2. If the tech for the T1000 wasn't properly tested and mixed into live action footage and tested with test audiences, Jim Cameron might be left making the most expensive movie ever made with a critical effect for his crucial T1000 Terminator that didn't work. The water tentacle scene is a dry run (wet run?!) of the tech for the T1000 in Terminator 2. If Cameron had to go back to the drawing board and improve his tech, the water tentacle could be removed from the Abyss. But it worked great, and this might be the earliest example of CGI use blended into a primarily live action scene. No doubt paid for primarily by the T2 budget. There's earlier use of CGI sure. In Tron for example, they went the other way, computer shots with people inserted. Don't be too hard on Coffey! He's out of his depth, cut off from command, and has a raging case of HPNS driving him paranoid and crazy! A villain who is simple and complex at the same time.
I am really happy that you choose to watch the special edition of The Abyss. It is so good it is a masterpiece, and few movies can even come close to it. The story and message in the Abyss are just wow.
The scenes of Lindsey being resuscitated and Bud saying goodbye to Lindsey always get to me.
Resuscitation scene Got to the actors too. Cameron kept pushing for more and more takes. After 8 hours the actress got up, screamed in Camerons face that they weren't fucking animals and said she would walk off the movie if he made them do it again
One of the few Special Editions / Director's Cuts that TRULY changes a film drastically - and for the better. After all the suspense and conflict involving the nukes, the soldiers, and the fear of the unknown, the SE finale brings all those thematic threads together in a perfectly-balanced way. Glad you two enjoyed it! :)
Aliens: Special Edition as well. In Cameron I trust.
And only a few months after this summer blockbuster, the Berlin Wall fell ... coincidence??
... yes, yes, just a coincidence ...
(Of course, on a downer note, a couple months before this movie was released was the Tiananmen Square massacre)
The special edition's "message" that American militarism was just as much of a problem as communist autocracy is a tad annoying ... that's liberal Hollywood dunking on Ronald Reagan.
I love the Abyss special edition
@@secularmonk5176and yet that is a warming originally given to us by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. We should always be careful in avoiding an out of control military. That's not liberal, that's common sense.
@@danielpopp1526
Last I'll say on this: Eisenhower was warning against a military whose priorities are controlled by capitalism, beyond simply a military protecting capitalism (the pursuit of happiness).
The movie's message, as I see it, is a naively "Christian" message of "offer love, not threats" ... see how that would go over with Xi or Putin.
Granted, at the time, Gorbachev was making gestures toward less confrontational attitudes with the West, so you could argue that it was "our turn" to dial it down a notch ... but only if you think Eastern Bloc authoritarianism was a system of control on par with Western representative democracy, and we should all just "get along".
Michael Biehn's acting was gold in this movie.
I know Cameron tried to get him an Oscar nod for it.
Always thought he was underappreciated.
Always felt bad for Coffee, he is as much a victim of his psychosis as anyone else. That short moment of lucidity at the end is so sad.
"Why are we waiting?"
"Mabey she will struggle less?"
Correct. When a person is in the early process of drowning, their natural instinct is always to go to the surface or to land... in the direction of known air... safety... no matter the circumstances (even if impossible). Mid stage is full panic, convulsions and spasms, the patient will lash out in a random and constant manor. Late stage drowning is unconsciousness and the body tries to preserve it's life span by shutting down none essential system functions. Final stage is the shutdown of the heart and brain... otherwise known as death.
They will end up going the wrong direction should she start to drown enroute... not only delaying the journey but risking both lives.
Hope they read these responses.
Indeed.
This exact problem is why the Thai cave rescue required the divers to literally anaesthetize the children in order to dive them out without adequate time to train them in use of the diving equipment.
@@mnomadvfx Drowning is a horrid thing.
It's also terrifying. I have had a near miss... i have knocked on the door of the late stage drowning myself.
Wauv. Never thought about this. Always felt like it was stupid to waste time in the sub before going for the rig.
29:25 The "cut the wire" scene is my favourite disarming a bomb sequence of all time. The wires' colours looking identical in the green/yellow light of the chemlight, combined with Bud's "I'm usually wrong so I'm going to cut the other wire" second thought- absolutely brilliant!
As someone else posted, the liquid the rat was breathing was real. Also, as Achara guessed, many of the scenes were practically shot. You should watch the making of. The actors went through a grueling ordeal.
Yeah, the technology works... kind of. You would need some mechanical device to pump the water through the lungs though. At least that's my understanding of it.
I'm so disappointed that Michael Biehn didn't have a bigger career in the 90s and onwards.
For real. He was pretty darn versatile. He played a great bad guy in this and Tombstone. And was great as a good guy in aliens and terminator.
I will never Unserstand. He is an awesome Actor!
Never heard either way...was he denied roles, or did he simply not seek them out?
think he had a drinking problem....dont know if it affected his career.........
@@INSTRUMENTALILLNESS but he's not a household name. That's my point. I know he's a great character actor, but he's not done a big block buster in ages. Granted...the age of the blockbuster is over to some extent.
40 years later, the CPR is still the most insane idea/concept/execution I have ever seen!!! In the midst of all the intensity, to be able to ratchet it up to a next level; Cameron is a SAVANT!!! 🤲🏻😳🫨😬
"Very few scenes involved stunt people. When Bud drags Lindsey back to the rig, that's really Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio holding her breath. When the rig is being flooded and characters are running from water, drowning behind closed doors, and dodging exploding parts of the rig, those are all actors, not stunt people."
The hypothermia plan is solid. There is a saying in rescue teams around sub-freezing conditions. "You're not dead until you are warm and dead." Now CPR doesn't work in real life as often as it does in movies and TV, but's it's better than nothing.
There's also a hypothesis for trauma patients to help. Submit the patient to hypothermia, it slows the metabolism enough to give the surgeons the most valuable asset in medicine: time. In trials with pigs, the rate of survival in patients that otherwise would have died was about 50%. Last I knew, there was a hospital in Michigan getting permission to run human trials. I haven't heard any developments from that.
If they started swiming before she drowned then there is more of a chance of things going wrong. Such as her innate desire to swim up or if while she was spasaming she could break loose and sink beyond his reach. the few seconds or a min they wasted wouldn't make much difference in water that cold. People have survived over an hour in such conditions with little or no damage to the brain.
I get that everone's different, but i'll never understand when people watching a movie nag at the characters to hurry up or get a move on when the situation doesn't call for it. Ive seen this movie a bazillion times and never once thought of nagging at Ed harris to hurry up during the drowning scene lol.
Hope they read these responses.
They are reacting while trying to pay attention. Not everything is going to be perfect.
I love the line "God damn it, you b*tch. You never backed away from anything in your life. Now fight."
I can never not think of that line in South Park anymore.
That whole scene is why this is easily in my opinion his best film by far.
One of my favorite endings of all time. I love that the NTI’s really were about to hit the reset button on humanity, but it was Bud and Lindsey’s love for each other that convinced them that humans are worth preserving.
Even better, all of the worlds militaries are practically out of the job because if they do start more wars then the NTI’s will literally wipe them out.
"During underwater filming, Ed Harris almost drowned. While filming a scene where he had to hold his own breath at the bottom of the submerged set, Harris ran out of air and gave the signal for oxygen. Harris' safety diver got hung up on a cable and could not get to him. Another crew member gave Harris a regulator, but it was upside down and caused him to suck in water. A camera man came over, ripped the upside down regulator, and gave him one in the correct orientation. Later that evening, Ed broke down and cried."
Michael Biehn ❤ Always dying in his movies. He makes a great good guy and an even better bad guy.
It actually took me a long time to realize it was Kyle Reese in this movie. He did such a great job playing the character, I didn't recognize him. I only realized it when his voice hit just the right tone. Man is a great actor.
He was good in "The Seventh Sign" (1988), with Demi Moore. That film got mixed reviews, but I liked it a lot.
@@Stogie2112 I saw that one many years ago. I'll give it a rewatch.
@@StCerberusEngel And Tombstone
Some top-notch acting from Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio in that "going for a swim together" scene.
This is one of my favorite reactions from this channel. It fills me with joy that Achara and Vivian enjoyed this movie so much
I 100% agree.
"During the rigorous and problematic shoot, the cast and crew began calling the film by various derogatory names such as "Son Of Abyss", "The Abuse" and "Life's Abyss And Then You Dive". Director James Cameron said that he got so tired from working 6 days a week, 10 hours a day (sometimes more) that he would sometimes fall asleep during dinner in bed, waking up in the morning with a half-eaten plate on his chest and clenching a fork in his hand. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio reportedly suffered a physical and emotional breakdown because she was pushed so hard on the set, and Ed Harris had to pull over his car at one time while driving home, because he burst into spontaneous crying."
Harris also punched Cameron at one point because he had almost drowned in a scene, and Cameron had just kept shooting.
"Real oxygenated fluorocarbon fluid was used in the rat fluid breathing scene. Dr. Johannes Kylstra and Dr. Peter Bennett of Duke University pioneered this technique and consulted on the film, giving detailed instructions on how to prepare the fluid. The only reason for cutting to the actors' faces was to avoid showing the rats defecating from momentary panic as they began breathing the fluid."
The novelization for the Abyss was written from the original script and was written by the amazing scifi writer, Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game). Something the novel explains a lot better is that the aliens were watching the humans the whole time and chose to help bring back Lyndsey and to help Bud because of their actions (and interactions) and chose not to help Coffee because of his. As in they brought Lyndsay back and helped Bud regain function and choose the correct wire, that sort of thing. And they spared humanity because Bud was willing to die to save them.
There is a documentary about the making of The Abyss that is incredible. They found an unfinished nuclear power plant and filled the enormous bowl of the containment structure with water and built huge underwater sets. It was plagued with problems and was probably one of the most difficult film shoots of all time. Also, that shot of Bud carrying Lindsay back after she drowned was really her just holding her breath playing dead.
This is one of my favorite movies since I was a kid. Glad you both reacted to this!
some of the team nearly died on this film. Mary Mastrantonio vowed never to work again. Ed Harris was classed as a professional deep sea diver after this and he also punched James Cameron out, and Cameron apologized after he nearly drowned
The music by Alan Silvestri is just brilliant, especially the last 20 minutes or so, it's just so stirring. The longer ending between Bud & the aliens just proves the point James Cameron was trying make better.
Those slaps that actress Mary Elizabeth took from Ed Harris during the scene where she's being revived were real and hard. At one point, she said, "We are not animals," and walked off the set. "They were going to let me just keep slapping her around," she said.
That was where Cameron kept going even though they'd run out of film, wasn't it? Or am I thinking of a different movie?
Hi girls!
Firstly, the liquid in the movie, the one he and the rat breath, is in fact a real liquid that was developed for diving in the deep sea.
In the movie, when the rat is put into it, he/ she is, in fact, put into the real substance.
When Brigman breaths the fluid in the movie, its a bit of a trick.
Imagine two sheets of glass with a gap between them as the glass for the helmet.
The gap is filled with the liquid, giving the impression its the helmet being filled while he is free to breathe as normal behind it.
As a fun little easter egg so to speak, if you look at the scene where the wave is being held still close to the beach, there is a shot where you see everyone on the beach looking at it.
If you keep looking at a group on the left, specifically two guys, one of them pulls the others trousers down, lol! 😂
Such a great movie for so many reasons.
A great reaction ladies.
Have a fantastic day, take care!
if your gonna mansplain a scene in the movie when no one asked at least get it right
@@nemesisnick66 In fact, one of the girls did ask how it was done.
I believe she also mentioned it in the first video.
Secondly, I shall explain whatever I wish, I don't need your permission.
Thirdly, which part do you feel I mentioned incorrectly?
@@nemesisnick66 Are you stupid?
Yes. That fluid is perfluorocarbon, we can survive with it but not without a pump to recirculate it. Liquid is much denser and it will break your diaphragm.
@juansanchezvilla-lobosrami5404 , I didn't realise a pump was needed but makes sense as it's a denser substance than water.
It's a great invention, it must be so helpful.
One of the things I loved about this film, is the scene when Lindsey and Bud are chasing the Navy SEAL guy, and he's about to fall over the edge. And you have that moment of silence as they just look at each other across the bubble domes. And then, he starts to drop, and they BOTH reach out for each other. Even Lindsey, who was willing to risk her life to stop him, still had that instinctive, social animal drive that we all share, to try and save one of our own when they are in danger. She didn't want him to DIE, she just didn't want him to kill the aliens and them as well. I thought it was a really wonderful, and beautiful moment of pure humanity. I hate you, I am directly opposed to everything you are doing....but I don't want you to die, I just want you to STOP. One of my favorite moments in that film
Beautifully put. Thank you.
@@INSTRUMENTALILLNESS yeah, i'd love to know if that was scripted, or improvised by the actors. either way I think it's a really beautiful, if also sad moment.
Very well said happyninja42. Spot on.
I had always felt bad for Coffey, as he was simply a victim of sickness induced psychosis, and the nature of the NTIs and their havoc caused (unintentional and intentional) only Fed into his paranoia. The way he reacted to everything was result if his training. Fight, win, survive…
That very last moment of lucidity when he reached out for help at the very end was always so tragic.
@@Beuwen_The_Dragon Yeah, I think he did a great job showing us the increasing psychosis, but also how he didn't really want to do it. The bit right before he fights Bud in the water, when he's about to launch the nuke, he's sitting there just....rattling that chain. Because he KNOWS what he's doing is out there, he doesn't really want to do it, but he feels he has to. You can see it as he squints his eyes, and takes deep breaths, like he's having a panic attack, or simply trying to keep from breaking down into a full crying session. He's doubting, and it's possible that if Bud hadn't attacked him, he might've decided to stop. Very risky, and not something they could rely on to save them, but that moment in the launch bay felt like his moment of doubt, but then the fight/flight response kicks in when Bud jumps him, and now the adrenaline is fueling his mania again, and off we go with the Worst Choice Possible. It's so well done.
The light and Little Geek imploded because they had some air within them or/and was made of material that could not survive the pressure. Bud is breathing fluid, not air, which is why he can go so deep. I would imagine his helmet is also made of materials to survive the pressure.
Man, I knew she’d be ok, but I still cried again when Lindsey “died”.
Babies don't breathe in the womb. Their blood is oxygenated by the mother and fed through the placenta. When I heard that line in the movie I was like "what?" Carbon dioxide also returns through the placenta to be processed out by the mother. A truly fascinating system. The baby is essentially treated like a new organ by the body.
Correct, the human body is an amazing bit of hardware.
In the novelization the alien at the beginning was fatally injured when it was inspecting a spy satellite or space weapon, so it was just trying to make it home and report before it died. It did not intend to sink the submarine. GREAT reaction, thank you.
I always figured it was just curious.
The novelization was done by Orson Scott Card (Enders Game). It was fantastic and took my love of this movie to a new level.
James Cameron knows how to write complex, compelling characters, and he’s also a great storyteller. The underwater scenes are incredible.
I remember going to the movies to watch this as a teenager back in '89, it was the theatrical cut. But years later, I watched this Special Edition and I was like 'why wasn't this the original release? The restored footage completely changes the movie, it's meaning and makes it so much better!'. I'll never understand why they cut it so much then released it.
Studio demands - shorter movie = more shows per day. Cameron had to do it with Aliens as well and the cuts probably cost Weaver her Oscar.
Studios did it a lot back in the 80s. Sergio Leone's last movie, "Once Upon a Time in America," was simultaneously rated by critics as both the best and worst movie of 1984, depending upon whether they watched the longer original released in Europe or the cut-up Hollywood version that was 48 minutes shorter.
Exactly.
No cuts needed to this version.
And then there is Rebel Moon and Dune.
IMHO the story is more complete, but the editing in this cut isn't as fluid, and the score certainly doesn't fit properly as it is clear that they didn't have Alan Silvestri around to make it flow properly at the end with all the extra scenes.
The theatrical edition while less complete as a story still feels complete if you didn't know about the greater political tensions in the full script.
I didn't see this version until over a decade after first watching the VHS of the theatrical and I never felt short changed - it's so well put together.
It's still one of my fave Cameron movies to this day. The tension & the drowning by proxy, the sheer claustrophobia during the whole movie...
I was never meant to visit the depths of the ocean, that's for sure.
There was an entire documentary about the making of this movie called 'Under Pressure: Making 'The Abyss' ' which was released as part of the original special edition DVD, and LaserDisc set. I don't know if it was included as part of the new Blu-Ray release, but it's worth seeking out, and watching...
The most intense defib/CPR scene in the history of cinema
Nuclear weapons have a very specific firing sequence. If the explosives surrounding the primary's core don't detonate with correct and precise timing, the core won't reach critical mass. A greater danger is that the explosives will detonate, cause a lot of damage in a limited area, and the plutonium or enriched uranium will contaminate the immediate area and anyone in it.
Nuclear weapons are actually really safe to handle and can't be set off without a very specific chain of triggers. Shooting one won't set it off, but it could damage the trigger and potentially render it even more safe.
I can't help but remember a fun line from _Broken Arrow_. "Do you mind not firing at the thermonuclear weapons?"
If you put enough holes in it and actually damage the fissile material, there is the risk of giving everyone nearby radiation poisoning.
OTOH it could damage the mechanism needed to disarm one that is already armed.
it's unfortunate it was such a traumatic experience for the actors but I love this move so much, one of my all time favorites. Everything from the performances, the set pieces, the action, the tension, the themes it's all top fucking notch.
That drum roll right as he jumps into the Abyss tho...
Such an underrated movie.
If I ever meet any of the cast members, I want to tell them, "I know that movie was hell to shoot, but I'm so glad you stuck with it."
The drowning scene and buds sacrifice devastate me every time. 😢
22:40... We don't breathe liquid for 9 mths, our lungs are sealed off & don't open until we're born. Don't know why they put this line. I still love the movie. Thx for getting part 2 out so quick.
@Lynn7015hb
Not sure who told you this lie, but the womb and lungs are filled with amniotic fluid during gestation. We don't "breathe" the liquid, but it is there.
Such an underrated movie
I have seen both versions and you DEFINITELY chose the BEST version to watch!! Absolutely!! The theatrical version is much shorter and far less meaningful!! I HIGHLY recommend that you also watch and react to the Behind the Scenes on the making of this film. It is MIND-BLOWING!! A VERY rough shoot!!
The theatrical version was missing the entire subplot of the military tensions between world powers and the entire wave sequence. Both versions were unchanged for the recent digital and physical media releases, except for some clean-up of the images and sound. It took a long time for both versions to reach Cameron's high standards before he would approve them for release.
Cameron used an unfinished nuclear reactor housing in Gaffney, South Carolina to film the underwater sequences. The reactor was filled with water and black plastic balls were floated on the surface to block out the light. It was safer to use the balls on the surface rather than a tarp or some other solid light blocking method because if someone had to surface quickly, breaking through unconnected balls would be easier than trying to find a break in a tarp (for example).
"Sphere" was a frightening movie, but it far less frightening than the book. Michael Crichton wrote "Sphere". He also wrote "Jurassic Park", "The Lost World", "Disclosure", "Congo", "Twister", "Rising Sun", and so many other books that later became movies. The books are always better. I have a pre-production proof printing of "Sphere". I'm not sure if any further edits were done after the proof, but what I read was truly scary.
I remember we had this on vcr when I was a kid, it was the first “grown up” movie I ever saw.
"I don't know... do a handstand." LOL! Hilarious.
The coloring of the wires is fine and correct when viewed under white light. The first light Bud used should have been saved for last instead of the yellow chemical light.
Love the film, particularly this cut. It always amused me that the B movie cash-ins that year (Leviathan, Deep Star 6) had evidently heard enough that they knew Cameron was doing a movie with a blue collar diving team encountering alien life and just assumed that because he directed Aliens, The Abyss would be an Alien-like movie
Funny how both coffey and Burt were in The Rock facing off yet again 🙂
Back in the day, it took a while for the special edition of this movie to come out on VHS. After a small but increasing number of us realized how superior it was to the theatrical cut, it was quite frustrating. There were so many people walking around, thinking they knew what the Abyss was all about, and many weren't super impressed. I remember working hard for years, trying to get people to watch this edition. I'd tell them, if you haven't seen the special edition, you haven't seen The Abyss. I wish they could have released this special edition cut in the theaters. The theatrical version surgically removes some of the main moral themes of the entire film, not to mention some incredibly impressive visuals.
This really is a spectacular film, and I LOVE your reaction to it. It's great to be here with so many fans who appreciate it, and all the wild and difficult work and suffering that went into it.
The theatrical cut was way better. This is just liberals preaching about the evils of war, as always. No one likes war, but you need a military to defend yourself against enemies of the state. There are a lot of people out there who seem to think they have the high moral ground because they talk about the evils of war. It's actually pretty pathetic. You enjoy the freedoms that were paid for by our soldiers, but then you don't support the soldiers and in fact talk about how evil they are for defending this nation. Makes me sick.
Cameron’s movies usually deal with the sub theme of the threat of humanity’s self-destruction. The Abyss was a great send off to Reagan’s 80s.
Fun fact: Ed Harris punched James Cameron, because he almost let Ed drown "to get a better shot". And Ed doesn't want to talk about the movie in interviews because the experience was traumatizing for him.... okay maybe not a "fun" fact
i knew about this...but has he ever made another movie with cameron?
Vastly underrated and IMO one of Cameron's finest hours. I saw this opening day in NYC (this was the original cut not the extended that you viewed; I never understood why the studio excised all that vital footage!) at the late-great Ziegfeld Theatre (one of the city's last movie palaces) and it was truly awesome. The resuscitation scene always reduces me to tears - excellent chemistry between Ed Harris & the lovely Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. And yep that water induced tech was real and they shot it just as you saw it - all practical. Great reaction ladies - glad you got to this and enjoyed it :D
James Cameron on his choices during filming: “I lost perspective.”
Bud willing Lindsey to back to life in one of my favorite all time moments in a movie.
Seemed more like he was screaming her back to life kinda like Hulk did to tony in Avengers.
This is one of my 15 favorite science-fiction movies. It also has sentimental value to me because it was the last movie that my parents, brother, and I saw together, in the theater, when the Director’s Cut was released. The cold-water drowning effect, called the “mammalian diving reflex,” is true. It was announced to the public by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in a 1974 press release (I have an original copy), but weirdly it is still little known by the public. Many people have survived up to half an hour after “drowning,” and I think the record is nearly one hour. The rule is you are not necessarily dead until you are warm and dead.
I always like to think they are not aliens but a just another intelligent highly advanced life form from this planet. Something much, much older than us that developed in the sea. Sea life was hear long before land life so it's not that far fetched...
Always felt so bad for Coffey. He is slowly losing his mind through no fault of his own, and is only falling back on his training just to keep going. His misconception of the NTIs being a threat, from all the chaos that they inadvertently cause as well as the sudden storm, is only feeding his sickness induced paranoia.
It is always so sad when he finally gains that little moment of lucidity at the end…
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN THE BEAUTIFUL MASTERPIECE THAT IS ABYSS!!!!🥲😊👽👾❤👏🙌🙏👍🎉
Such a shame they all had such a tough time. They have all pretty much disowned this film due to trauma.
These FX are soooo ahead of their time!
The soundtrack in this is so effing good.
Ed had a double face plate so the fluid was in front of his face. The fluid is real and the rat really did the cage scene. Naval SEALs used it for who knows what but it is real. Also this is James Cameron's first film. It was done in a decomissioned nuclear reactor! Glad you two liked it and you watched the special edition. You might like Moon. Good film.
CinaPals - so the rat breathing Fluid was a Practical effect.
but the Dive suit was a Special Effect, the Helmet has a Double pane of glass , which filled w/ Fluid.
ED breathed normal oxygen , for the Fluid breathing scenes.
This movie holds up surprisingly well. It looks great.
I know there's a lot of love for Titanic, Aliens, T2...but this Special Edition is my personal favorite Cameron movie.
This movie is one of my favorites! It would be interesting how it would have played out if Micheal Biehn had not experienced the "bends" and had remained stable. Essentially there wouldn't have been an antagonist so the addition of his psychosis played into humanity's weakness, fears and hate, pretty much the basis of the escalation of war. Also the one SEAL Team member broke ranks, showing how they can still have self-determination. Humanity will never change, but the cycle of peace/love (if allowed) will balance the cycle of war and death.
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is really good during the emotional scenes in this film, especially during the scene when she's talking to Bud on the mic, but does anyone else notice that when she cries, she produces absolutely no tears?
She can't afford to cry. Her cast iron skin would rust!
Now will James Cameron ever find his hundred million year evolution beings at the bottom of the ocean? Can only guess this is what he's truly looking for with his deep sea explorations.
You should check out a behind the scenes, making of this movie. If you search "The making of the abyss was a sh*t show", you'll find it (on YT). It was dangerous. The actors WERE miserable - very tough conditions. They had ALL kinds of technical problems. I think they practically drowned Ed Harris (and maybe some of the support divers). I haven't watched that video in a while, but I think he actually did have his head (for a short time) completely in water IN the helmet and he had to ACT like he was inhaling it! OMG, nightmare fuel. I have to go back and watch that again. I can't even imagine doing that, if I'm remembering correctly. Really enjoyed your reaction. Really love this movie. 🙌🏽
Cameron was kinda dangerous to work for back in the day
"Ed Harris has spoken publicly about the grueling and challenging experience of filming The Abyss. He has mentioned that James Cameron’s demanding directing style and the physical demands of the film’s underwater scenes took a toll on the cast and crew. Harris has said that he was required to do takes for up to 70 hours a week for six months, which was a grueling experience."
look into it, if you like, interesting stuff from all angles
edit: ok, you asked for it, so I'll post some quotes
They really did drown the rat in liquid oxygen and it kept breathing but the actor scene was faked.
I named that bright alien Lamp. I love Lamp.
Absolute underrated James Cameron's classic The Abyss 🤘🏻🎞🎬🎥
Bud waited for her to drown because it was easier to move her through the water, otherwise she would automatically started fighting the drowning which could've jeopardize bud.
Great second part reaction ladies to this sci fi masterpiece that takes me back to my childhood
10:33 Nuclear weapons are not like conventional ordinance, which can be set off with a simple fuse or a spark. The bomb's components require a very precise mechanical process in order to split the atom and for a detonation to occur, which cannot be accomplished unless all of the weapon's components are completely functional and intact.
Therefore, shooting nuclear warheads, banging them into metallic surfaces, or even peppering them with grenades would not trigger a nuclear explosion. In fact, damaging the bomb could easily disable its critical components, at which point an atomic detonation becomes impossible.
If it were that easy for warheads to go off, then transporting them anywhere would be far too dangerous. And we would have likely experienced at least a hundred "accidental" nuclear explosions by now.
I thought it was really cool that they bowed to Bud.
We had tons of truly badass women characters in movies, it never felt forced or needed to be a separate line item from the overall movie. Wish we could get back to just making great films without all the focus on politics.
seems they can't help themselves but following their programming...
@@msbest9830 the part i find funny is young actresses today will act like “its about time” and think they’re leading some charge. Sigourney Weaver in Alien is maybe one of the baddest characters ever of any gender and that was over 40 years ago, with tons of examples post and prior. Talk about beating a dead horse.
@@superthrustjon you know that they only can come up with imaginary/made up 'problems' that were solved decades ago.... disgrace and fake af.... tis all
@@superthrustjon not to talk about all these poor poor jokes of gender-swapped versions of really good & successful movies and franchises...
@@msbest9830 Yup. They love to say “you hate black people, you hate gays, you hate trans, etc”… No, we don’t give a crap. We don’t like that you took a story we love and made a terrible version of it to pander to idiots. Create your own intellectual properties. Create black stories, trans stories, etc. We hate when you remake any great films regardless of color or gender, but making it political is just rubbing salt in it.
Yes, the liquid flurocarbon is real, yes the rats in the movie actually did breathe it in the movie, no Ed Harris did not in the suit.
I recommend the feature-length documentary "Under Pressure" about the making of this what can still be considered "the most technically challenging (not complex) CHALLENGING" movies ever made. It's just as compelling as the movie.
You two will love watching Enemy at the Gates!
Since i've been watching you, I've waited for you to do this. Im 1min in. Don't even need to watch it... I know you'll love it.
You guys gotta watch The Right Stuff. Ed Harris is in that, also a great ensemble.
YOU ARE ABOUT
TO WATCH 1 OF THE
BEST SCIFI EVER ...
Congratulations
Most modern nuclear weapons are almost immune to detonation from impacts or jarring. They use a highly specialized detonation process that initiates the fission. It's not like there's explosives rattling around in there. If the process is not initiated they can be literally dropped from a plane onto the ground and they just go "thud."
The Rat scene with the liquid was the main reason a 4K version of the film was not released in the UK as Censors wanted the scene cut citing animal cruelty. Cameron refused. Apparently UK censors were fine with the scene for 30 years during its DVD And SE releases and its theatrical release. I wonder if the UK censors ever banned a scene from "Hobo with a Shotgun" (2011) which included a scene where children on a school bus were fatally attacked with a flamethrower?
You have to just push the “I Believe button” on this section. Where they swim in the water this far down. The temperature and pressure etc. 😅
"'Ed Harris' has publicly refused to speak about his experiences working on the film, saying "I'm not talking about The Abyss and I never will". The only register with Harris speaking about his experiences doing the movie is in the documentary Under Pressure: Making 'The Abyss' (1993). Similarly, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio said "The Abyss was a lot of things. Fun to make was not one of them.""
You should absolutely NOT hyperventilate before diving underwater. It can extend your breath holding time which is why they do it here, but it also risks a condition called shallow water blackout. Hyperventilating expels co2 from your blood and the buildup of co2 is the main trigger for needing to breathe. If you start off with very low co2 you can actually use up your oxygen before the co2 accumulates to the point that you feel the need to breathe. This means you are happily underwater one instant, and then totally blacked out the next. You then unconsciously take a lungful of water and likely drown unless someone with you is a lifeguard is paying really close attention.
First time I saw this, during the scene where the NTI tows Bud over the ridge and the NTI ship/city appears, my feet felt like the lifted off the floor. Outstanding FX shot.
Also: For the classic "aliens send humanity a message" experience, check out the original, 1951 "The Day the Earth Stood Still." Fantastic film which still holds up.
Fun facts: the rat really breathed liquid (courtesy of the navy) Ed Harris didn´t. Ed Harris and Elizabeth Mastrantonio almost drawn twice. James Cameron almost died too. They filmed in a huge tank that was going to be used as a nuclear reactor but wasn´t finished. This production was a nightmare. I nearly drawn over 12 times in my life. So this was a hard watch for me, but great film.
Never saw this version before, took me by surprise that scene with the high waves. Also, you should watch "Underwater" with Kiristen Stewart, a mix of Alien and The Abyss.
Stating first that I love this movie. One thing you may not know about the water tentacle effect is this, but it is spoilery for Terminator 2, fair warning...
This movie was made a year or two before Terminator 2. If the tech for the T1000 wasn't properly tested and mixed into live action footage and tested with test audiences, Jim Cameron might be left making the most expensive movie ever made with a critical effect for his crucial T1000 Terminator that didn't work. The water tentacle scene is a dry run (wet run?!) of the tech for the T1000 in Terminator 2. If Cameron had to go back to the drawing board and improve his tech, the water tentacle could be removed from the Abyss. But it worked great, and this might be the earliest example of CGI use blended into a primarily live action scene. No doubt paid for primarily by the T2 budget.
There's earlier use of CGI sure. In Tron for example, they went the other way, computer shots with people inserted.
Don't be too hard on Coffey! He's out of his depth, cut off from command, and has a raging case of HPNS driving him paranoid and crazy! A villain who is simple and complex at the same time.
I am really happy that you choose to watch the special edition of The Abyss. It is so good it is a masterpiece, and few movies can even come close to it. The story and message in the Abyss are just wow.
Leviathan was another good movie in this genre from this period. Deep Rising was another one but that's more of a sea monster movie... on a ship.
Best duo, very good reaction, you guys are really good at reading the movie 👍