The Abyss - Page 3

Hi Van,
  Big fan of your work on these discs over the years! I haven't read everything in this thread, but a dedicated 5.1 music track would be awesome. The CD of the soundtrack isn't as extensive as it could have been. Keep up the awesome work!

How about not so much loading stuff,I can't stand the T2 disc ,and hope to get the Japanese 2 Blue Ray set

Thanks for the feedback, Peter.  The challenge is dealing with the fact that there is a wide gap between the capabilities of low-end players versus high-end players, so the same disc has to play in both types.  The simplest solution is to minimize the menus and graphics, which will probably be the thinking from this point forward.  Sadly, the age of menus as a creative artform on disc may be over with the advent of the "service" menu style of most BDs.

V

PS: I did the menus for the Japanese one, too... but they are a version of the simpler menus I did for the first US T2 BD release in 2006.

As we have to wait for The Abyss on Blu-Ray, here is something interesting in the mean time.

I'm actually rather pleased with this trend.  If one purchases a DVD or Blu-ray disc, it's generally because he wants to watch the movie that it contains, and every aspect of the disc's design--the menus especially--ought to cater to that desire.  Elaborate menus that force the viewer to sit through extensive animated transitions and give meaningless, cutesy names to important options don't help.  Simple, functional menus do.  

 I am so happy to see static menus. Moving menus are cute the first time, but, especially on TV shows, can be a pain in the back. No menu, static, or otherwise should take longer than 30 seconds. Less is better.
True, the ones that talk, tell you to pick something are cute. But those dont have to pre-load for 2 minutes BEFORE allowing you to select something.
I hate to say it, but i loath my T2 Blu-ray because it takes 3 or 4 minutes BEFORE i can hit play...hate it! I have a Sony 350, and a PS3 that is better, but still a damn slow menu.


Just my 2 cents, for what its worth, and yes i do appreciate your work Van. Thanks for being a member here, and listening to us!

Abyss on Blu-ray at the end of 2010. At least in 16X9

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=3801

very interesting news. thanks for the update.

Jacob

excellent news about the Blu-Ray


I watched "The Abyss : Special Edition: Director's Cut" on DVD the night before last

and then all the special features on the second disc, last night


seeing Mr. Van Ling's name on the credits for the "making of" documentary was very cool, after participating in this forum

the documentary gave me a great sense of the nightmare that was the production, and a completely different understanding of the film itself

The Directors Cut was very involving, with all the extra elements that fleshed out the characters and details in a way that the theatrical release did not (due to time constraints, as I understood whilst watching the documentary)

great work to all involved!

Awesome news indeed.

can't wait.

Always thought that the 60 minute docu on the Abyss set the benchmark for making of documentaries

I love Under Pressure: the making of Abyss But I hope there will other new documentaries about the special effects, maybe a featurette about the Special Edition or the editing of both versions

Van, with the news swirling about of next year's Blu-ray, I take it that the A/V assets are now in place?

I ask because there's a new R6 Chinese DVD out there which is reported to feature anamorphic video and remixed DD EX/dts-es audio. Have you heard anything about this?

Still no official word from the US side, but of course it is to be expected to see Abyss hit Blu-Ray at around the same time as Avatar and Aliens -- these will make a nice A box set ! All the movies are owned by Fox too. My guess is once Avatar is out, the value of both Abyss and Aliens (which Avatar seems to be drawing of lot of both) will raise dramatically on the home market sales potential.

In the meantime, I bought the Abyss on director's pan & scan DVD, the copy is so much better looking at this size than the widescreen version. It's nice it was issued thought with little fanfare. The encoding is quite good for a master that I think probably dates from the laserdisc days.

Can't really say anything about the A/V assets, Geoff.  To be honest, no one has approached me at all about "The Abyss".  But I do know that any anamorphic transfer or remix that may be out there now would not be official.

V

Thanks Van. It's a false alarm anyways. The R6 is technically anamorphic, but it's been upscaled from the existing 4:3 master. Damn.

The Film 4 channel in the UK had an animorphic version on this weekend with a JC intro, so there is hope !

As soon as I saw this post I was taken back in time about 2 years ago to a very similar post and discusion afterwards.

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/forum/thread/228473/the-abyss-anamorphic-release-merged-thread/90#post_3318167

announced for June by Fox in Holland
http://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=373370&postcount=1

Heh. I remember that thread all too well. Paul S just didn't quite get it.

 There's a recent region 6 DVD that just came out in anamorphic and DTS -- However, as Mr Van Ling suggested, the anamorphic is home made, they just upscaled digitally the regular master, which looks bad with lots of jaggies, according to a forum post I read. I'm wondering if the DTS isn't just a re-encode upscale of the DD tracks also. Don't bother, a little patience, is all we need...

Just caught the theatrical version on HBO-HD.  In one word...TERRIBLE.

4:3, SD Upconvert.  Even though I was expecting bad all of the VFX scenes were atrocious.

An alarming amount of print damage and video anomalies cover the entire frame during these scenes.

A proper restoration of this film is going to be quite the undertaking.

 Well as said earlier in the thread, the new transfert just awaits approval :) I do like the 4/3 DVD thought (the Pan & Scan edition), right now I prefer to see the movie this way than in the old, letterbox but non-anamorphic version.

I hope very much that an anamorphic transfer of THE ABYSS happens soon, and it should definitely be released on DVD as well as Blu.

I was lucky enough to see the extended version of THE ABYSS at the now-gone Plitt/Cineplex Odeon/. . .Whatever theater in Century City back in '93 and as much as I loved the original cut, the longer version just packed more of a whallup.  For me, it is Cameron's best film, closely followed by ALIENS (Extended version), T2 (Extended version) and TITANIC.  I still have not seen AVATAR (sorry, when we try to go the shows in IMAX are sold out and we haven't had much free time for the past month) but I expect that to join this group.  I also had the good fortune to be invited to a screening back in '89 on the Fox lot that Cameron introduced (the film had been out for a week so I am not sure who it was intended for) with the concluding remark "Hope you enjoy it-we almost died making it."  Is that SC facility still being used?  I don't recall any other credits for it since. . .

My only quibble with the film is one mentioned earlier-the raising of the alien craft from the depths.  After seeing the film onopening night at the Avco's big screen (also long gone) many of us were talking about this, and I said if only the ending had taken place toward dusk, the ship would not have looked so much like lawn furniture that just came up from the bottom of the swimming pool.  Van Ling mentioned something earlier in this thread about the possibility of that being rectified and I was wondering if that was still a possibility for any remastering?  I mean, might as well do that if you are going to spend the time and cash to do the rest.

Also, does Mary Elizabeth Mastrontonio still hold a grudge or hatred towards this film and JC?  With the exception of appearing on the series "Without A Trace" (and also disappearing from that show without so much as an explanation) she has not done much in the past few years and I think this is her best work, IMHO.

I'm breathlessly awaiting an announcement of this on Blu-ray...hopefully sometime soon now that the Avatar hoopla is starting to pass?

http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_url?doit=done&tt=url&intl=1&fr=bf-home&trurl=http%3A%2F%2Fera-hd.ru%2Fblu-ray%2Fthe-abyss%2F&lp=ru_en&btnTrUrl=Translate
March release in Russia

Double post

Did the scheduled March Russian release occur?

I certainly hope that a true anamorphic DVD will be released in the US at some point.

Mary Elizabeth Mastrontonio joining the tv series: law and order: CI with jeff goldblum. its airs on USAnetwork. her first episode is this tuesday. she will will be playing the new captain.
http://www.usanetwork.com/series/criminalintent/theshow/characterprofiles/callas/bio.html
Jacob

interesting casting news