From /tmp/sf.12867 Mon May 3 13:07:46 1993 Xref: lysator.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:314 rec.arts.sf.reviews:82 Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Path: lysator.liu.se!isy!liuida!sunic!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!linac!att!att-out!cbnewsj!ecl From: anthony@xymox.apana.org.au (Anthony Horan) Subject: REVIEW: THE ABYSS: THE SPECIAL EDITION Reply-To: anthony@xymox.apana.org.au (Anthony Horan) Organization: Disorganized... Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1993 13:56:56 GMT Approved: ecl@cbnewsj.att.com Message-ID: Followup-To: rec.arts.sf.movies Summary: r.a.m.r. #01870 Keywords: author=Horan Sender: ecl@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Lines: 209 [Followups directed to rec.arts.sf.movies. -Moderator] THE ABYSS: THE SPECIAL EDITION A film review by Anthony Horan Copyright 1993 Anthony Horan The long-awaited release of the Special Edition laserdisc sets of James Cameron's 1989 film THE ABYSS has finally happened, and for once all the anticipation has been worth it. This review attempts to cover the different aspects of this landmark release in a half-critical, half-informational light, and though some things here have been noted by others on rec.video.releases, I'm putting my two cents' worth in anyway :-) OVERVIEW ~~~~~~~ THE ABYSS: SPECIAL EDITION comprises an extended version of the 1989 film, containing, by the director's count, twenty-eight minutes of new footage and three minutes of expanded credits. The total running time of the feature film is 171 minutes versus the original version's 140. This release is available in either an original aspect ratio "letterbox" version at 2.2:1 aspect ratio, or a "Director's Pan And Scan" version presented full-frame. The set also includes an extensive supplement disc containing a new one hour documentary about the making of the film, and an exhaustive CAV supplement containing a wealth of information about the production. The release is the first to be mastered to the new THX LaserDisc standard. Also included is a colour tri-fold brochure containing full restoration notes and a short essay by Cameron about the restoration and his views on the Widescreen Vs Pan-and-scan debate. The recommended retail price in the US is $99.95, and as this reviewer lives in Australia, the set cost $190 in Australian currency, or about US$140. The version reviewed is the Widescreen edition. THE FILM ~~~~~~~ I should point out first and foremost that I am an unashamed fan of this film, not only for its incredible visuals but also for the two amazing performances put in by Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Cameron's naively romantic script. So watching an expanded "Special Edition" of the film I have grown to count as one of my favorites was a strange experience. The trouble with being so familiar with the pace and structure of a film is that when scenes are added, there's the possibility that they may jar with what is expected and take the viewer out of the world of the film for an instant as they notice, "hey, that's new" and often give a small restored scene more attention than it should be given in the context of the film. The restored scenes are many and varied, the longest sequences appearing at the film's climax, when the legendary wave sequence finally makes its appearance. But the scenes added earlier are of a far more personal nature; the relationship between Bud and Lindsey is far more clearly defined and coloured, as is that of the crew amongst each other. I could have done without the "camaraderie" shot of One Night and the gang all singing along to Linda Ronstadt as they tow their rig along the ocean floor, but hey, Jim's always had a redneck streak appear somewhere in his movies. Hell, the man was a trucker once, after all :-) Technically the inserts vary. Most of the cast returned for additional ADR and the one notable exception, as throughout the whole three discs, was Mastrantonio. Her dialogue has been restored from secondary audio sources, easily identifiable due to the mains hum and hiss in the background. Visually a few of the new scenes are noticeable immediately due to the shift in colour balance and less careful negative storage procedures, and there's an editing mark or two visible in there. Having said that, the new shots still look fine, and the added footage for the Wave sequence and Bud's extra dialogue with the NTIs looks sharp, crisp, and perfect. A curious thing is Cameron's assertion that in the release version of the film, he ran the end credits in tiny text lightning-fast to save time, and that he has now re-shot them with new info, bigger text and a slower crawl. Certainly, if you check the VHS release of the film, there are those pesky fast credits. But on the original LD of the original cut of the film, the credits had been mysteriously re-composited and slowed down, making them slow, big, and legible. They ran for exactly 9.5 minutes. The new credits run for slightly less than that, and faster! So why did Cameron have to re-score the end credits using some of Robert Garrett's music, when a full 9.5 minute Alan Silvestri end credit score was available? Hmmm.... All in all, and as Cameron himself says, this is in some ways a very different film to the original release. The mood of the film has noticeably changed, and there's more *character* in the characters. I'll reserve judgement until I've seen it a few more times, but I like the way it's turned out. A lot. THE DOCUMENTARY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Titled "Under Pressure: Making The Abyss" this one-hour presentation, completed in 1993 by Ed Marsh, is entertaining, informative, and thankfully almost hype-free. It contains contemporary interviews with the cast who retuned for new ADR (sorry, Mastrantonio isn't interviewed) and old ones shot by Fox's promo crew back in 88/89 (strangely, not one word from Mary here either, unfortunately). There's a wealth of behind-the-scenes footage, some humour, Gale Anne Hurd and Jim Cameron in separate rooms, anecdotes, drama, and a truly massive water-filled nuclear reactor. If you like the film, you'll find this fascinating. As you also will if you don't. However good the documentary is, though, in matters of pure information it pales in comparison to... THE SUPPLEMENT ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A 23-minute CAV side packed to the rafters with everything you could possibly want to know about the film and its production. There's a complete early script treatment, the complete final shooting script, the full storyboard collection, detailed info on the creation of the individual effects including copious stills and raw video footage, costume design info and stills, casting, Cameron's actual epic memo to SFX houses saying what he wants and how he wants it, and more. Sequences such as the pseudopod scene are explained from conception to execution; there are loads more archival photos of the cast, posters, the old LD sleeve (!), crew t-shirts, promotional stuff, restoration info; there are three trailers including Ed Marsh's terrific theatrical trailer which was never seen outside the US. This, simply, is unbelievable--there's enough here to fill a large glossy colour book, and it's only after viewing this supplement that you'll really realise how much of a bargain the set is. I have spent a good hour reading over it thoroughly and still haven't seen a quarter of it in detail. Unprecedented access to materials has helped of course, and the closet in these terms seen before this would be Terry Gilliam's "Fisher King" supplement--in terms of co-operation, not content. This supplement out-contents them all. Period. DISC TECHNICAL ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The only word that can be used is PHENOMENAL. For starters, I don't know which Japanese plant Fox got these discs manufactured at, but these three platters are the cleanest, most dropout-free discs I have ever seen. Then there's the mastering. A D1/D2 digital video transfer, the image has been immeasurably aided by the THX program, which as it turns out is essentially a reference test signal inserted in the vertical blanking interval at the telecine stage and referenced during all stages of mastering, the image quality surpasses just about any other disc I've seen. I compared this with the original Fox LD of the film, and the difference is astounding. The original, which I'd always considered to look fairly good, is in comparison with the new disc grainy, contrasty and lacks definition. I recorded a section of the new disc onto VHS tape and played it back whole a/B comparing with the old disc. Guess which looked better? Yep, the *tape*! This new transfer from interpositives struck from the origianl negatives, conveys more detail, colour, and outright resolution than the original. The transfer was, according to the packaging, supervised by Cameron, and the restoration, unlike the "Aliens" Special Edition, was completed not on videotape but on film. The wide-screen edition is letterboxed at 2.2:1, which is probably as close as we're ever going to get to the original theatrical 2.35:1 aspect ratio (I finally had the theater aspect confirmed by a friend who's actually projected the thing!). The original version of the film on LD was presented at 1.85:1, and A/B comparison reveals some extra image, usually, strangely enough, at the bottom of the frame, and some side information missing. Cameron's philosophy on Super 35mm -> anamorphic presentation is (and this is even noted in his notes to the SFX crew before production began, as seen on the supplement side) "You get *more* on the pan-and-scan version than you did in the cinema". Look Jim, if that's so desirable, why not just present the thing in Academy ratio to begin with? The wide-screen edition contains the film as seen in the cinema, and if you're used to letterboxing already you won't have it any other way. Cameron's worries about the resolution of NTSC video have been offset by the wonders the THX mastering process has done for the image. Sound is superb, mastered with dynamic range to spare--and it's used--with the exception of the final credit music, which has obviously suffered master tape damage, as dropouts of the analogue variety that don't appear on the original film's soundtrack are present. And the THX chord is there at the start of the disc, sounding amazing but regrettably shortened for video, missing out on the surround channel effects that accompany the "Audience Is Listening" text in the cinema. Side changes are well-placed at the end of key sections of the story, and notably the film has been spread over four sides despite the fact that it would have fit on three. The last side is CAV, and it includes the wave sequence. The discs are well-packaged in plastic-lined paper sleeves sitting in a perfectly-sized box that doesn't allow the disks to move around when closed. SUMMARY ~~~~~~ A bargain, if you love the film. Still worthwhile if you have an interest in the technology of film-making and/or presentation. Fox have outdone themselves here, and presented a worthy opening salvo for the THX disc program to boot. Lets hope this technology filters down from collector's sets to standard LD releases--as in time it no doubt will. But what could simply have been a very good LD edition of the film turns out to be beyond anyone's wildest dreams--the correct aspect ratio, the startling image and sound quality, and the comprehensive supplement make this set not only a benchmark for future reference and a stunning showpiece for your home theater, but also the entire "Abyss" story and the film itself, all wrapped up in a neat box. Congratulations, James Cameron, Van Ling and crew, and Fox. You've come up with a masterpiece. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anthony Horan, Melbourne Australia - anthony@xymox.apana.org.au From rec.arts.sf.reviews Tue May 6 13:29:40 1997 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lth.se!solace!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!feed1.news.erols.com!worldnet.att.net!cbgw2.lucent.com!nntphub.cb.lucent.com!not-for-mail From: mgwatson@fan.net.au (Mike Watson) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: RETROSPECTIVE: THE ABYSS: THE DIRECTOR'S CUT (1992) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.past-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 28 Apr 1997 16:09:18 GMT Organization: Fast Access Network, Australia Lines: 82 Sender: eleeper@lucent.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Approved: eleeper@lucent.com Message-ID: <5k2i3e$16d@nntpb.cb.lucent.com> Reply-To: mgwatson@fan.net.au (Mike Watson) NNTP-Posting-Host: mtvoyager.mt.lucent.com Summary: r.a.m.r. #07410 Keywords: author=Watson Originator: ecl@mtvoyager Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:6807 rec.arts.sf.reviews:1260 THE ABYSS: THE DIRECTOR'S CUT A film review by Mike Watson Copyright 1997 Mike Watson DIRECTED BY: James Cameron SCREENPLAY: James Cameron STARRING: Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn. RUNTIME: 164 minutes RATING: 4 out of 5 ****WARNING: SPOILERS**** This reviewer is ignorant of what hands were responsible for delivering the original version of THE ABYSS in 1989. Whether it was the meddling of studio executives, or the work of writer/director James Cameron himself, the original cut of this underwater sci-fi thriller was entertaining enough but also quite seriously flawed. The main problem was fairly simple: the film's climax was unworthy of its build-up. Someone at 20th Century Fox - and no doubt Cameron himself - must have agreed, because in 1993 came the theatrical release of THE ABYSS: THE DIRECTOR'S CUT. Now available on video, it seems timely to re-evaluate what, in its newly revamped state, is now a near-masterpiece despite its borrowings from films like 2010: ODYSSEY TWO, ALIEN and CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THIRD KIND. The plot is thus. We meet the crew of an experimental underwater mobile oil rig designed by the hard-nosed Lindsay (Mastrantonio) and captained by her soon-to-be-divorced husband Bud (Ed Harris). The rig and its crew are diverted from their normal duties when the Navy seeks their help in investigating the mysterious sinking of a U.S. nuclear submarine. Requiring a dive part-way down a three mile deep trench, three Navy divers arrive to command the operation, led by the edgy Lieutenant Coffey (Biehn). But a series of strange sightings soon convinces at least one member of the civilian crew that whoever or whatever they're dealing with, as she memorably puts it, "aren't speaking Russian". Meanwhile on the surface a hurricane is brewing and, even worse, a series of incidents around Cuba involving Russians ships and an increasingly nervous U.S. Navy sets off an international crisis of possible catastrophic proportions. This crisis is mirrored in the confines of the now isolated underwater rig, with the trigger-happy and increasingly paranoid Lieutenant Coffey at odds with the crew about how do deal with the mysterious goings-on around them. The human drama is often riveting, with the principal players performing with an intensity that recalls the fine ensemble acting in Cameron's ALIENS. The stunts, hardware, special effects and underwater cinematography are all outstanding. And so they should be: Cameron's technical credentials are well established. But what ultimately makes the film so gripping is three intersecting plot strands: 1) the tension between old sparring partners Lindsay and ex-hubby Bud; 2) the war of wills between the civilian crew and the Navy divers as a series of escalating crisis' befall them; and 3) the slowly unfolding revelation of what lies at the bottom of the three mile deep abyss. THE ABYSS: THE DIRECTOR'S CUT is an improvement on the original film in two major respects. One is that it further fleshes out the relationship between Bud and Lindsay, a relationship at times touching, at others incredibly intense and volatile. The second improvement is the restoration of some absolutely crucial scenes towards the film's end, when the aliens demonstrate their control over water with a terrifying and extraordinary display of power to a world on the brink of nuclear war. With the inclusion of these startling scenes, the story's climax is now given real weight. Why on earth were they left out of the original? This reviewer finds it utterly incomprehensible. So then, we have 25 minutes of additional footage that's turned a decent underwater thriller into something quite magnificent. I say "quite" because some flaws do remain. The most grating is several moments of corny Hollywood schmaltz - some new, some old - that may well have you reaching for the barf bag. Nonetheless, THE ABYSS: THE DIRECTOR'S CUT now stands this somewhat maligned film among James Cameron's greatest achievements, alongside ALIENS and TERMINATOR 2. See it and be moved, gripped and spellbound.