The Abyss (1989)

Living for the Cinema

Throughout the illustrious career of Oscar-winning director James Cameron (Titanic, Avatar), this remains his ONLY film which can be considered a financial failure. It was his very much his first "blank check" project following the mega one-two punch of The Terminator and Aliens which were his previous two films. Like those two beloved hits, he was once again crafting a sci-fi thriller but this time around.....this particular story didn't take place on land nor in space.
THIS harrowing action thriller - about a marooned deep sea-drilling team lead by the estranged couple of Bud (Ed Harris) and Lindsey (Mary Elizabeth) who all find themselves marooned more than two miles under the surface of the Pacific Ocean - takes place almost entirely underwater but beyond that, more than 60% of the production was filmed UNDER water. For Cameron, this was not only his first big budget production but he was attempting to film extensive underwater sequences on a scale never done before. As a result, the troubled shoot not only went well beyond its planned production schedule but also significantly over budget.
Many cast and crew were miserable, often submerged under water for longer periods than they were comfortable - fortunately no lives were lost but a couple came close. In the middle of a record-breaking summer at the box office lead by the likes of Batman or Indiana Jones, this film opened to middling reviews and disappointing box office. It ended up winning an Oscar for Best Visual Effects and its legacy eventually grew as one of Cameron's most personal films. So now thirty-five years after it was first released, the time has come to revisit.....The Abyss.
Host: Geoff Gershon
Edited By Ella Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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