oh why not....THE ABYSS (1 Viewer)

[TroyH4]

This is one movie I will definately go out and buy it once it is put on either BR or UHD BR. This is such a great movie.

 

[Dick]

If you're a director, I don't know how you go that long without directing.

Well, then there are Kubrick...and, until recently, Malick.

 

[YanMan]

Hopefully someone attending the Aliens reunion at Comic-Con will ask Cameron about The Abyss on Blu-ray from orb... er, the audience. It's the only way to be sure...

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Hopefully someone attending the Aliens reunion at Comic-Con will ask Cameron about The Abyss on Blu-ray from orb... er, the audience. It's the only way to be sure...

It'll probably be like the last time such a question was posed at a convention - Cameron deferred all blame to Fox. However, many of us are skeptical of Cameron's claim that Fox is the cause of the delay.

 

[George_W_K]

I just hope if The Abyss is ever released, that we get the Special Edition version and not theatrical only. Although I haven't seen it in ages, I remember the movie being much improved.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I just hope if The Abyss is ever released, that we get the Special Edition version and not theatrical only. Although I haven't seen it in ages, I remember the movie being much improved.

I agree, hopefully the disc would include both. Both versions are on the laserdisc I believe, both are on the DVD, and the longer one was also made available on VHS. I believe they actually went and finished the longer version on 35mm, so it exists as more than just a VHS-era master.

 

[Joel Fontenot]

I agree, hopefully the disc would include both. Both versions are on the laserdisc I believe, both are on the DVD, and the longer one was also made available on VHS. I believe they actually went and finished the longer version on 35mm, so it exists as more than just a VHS-era master.

There was the initial laserdisc/vhs release that was the theatrical cut. The '93 THX Special Edition Directors Cut box set laserdisc was only the longer directors cut. However, they release two versions of that cut - widescreen and pan-and-scan. While people fuss at Cameron for "preferring" the pan-and-scan, his reason had more to do with the resolution of NTSC that it was bound to at the time. Being filmed in Super 35, opening up the frame on low res of TV seemed reasonable. Luckily, he understood the enthusiast and did the widescreen too.

It was finished on film - jump cuts and all where scenes were extended.

The DVD has both cuts. Any Blu-ray should have both cuts too.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

FYI, for NYC-area residents, the IFC Center will be showing the theatrical version of The Abyss on August 12th and August 13th at midnight:
http://www.ifccenter.com/films/the-abyss/

They have not yet announced the screening format (35mm or digital). I'm going to try to go.

 

[YanMan]

It'll probably be like the last time such a question was posed at a convention - Cameron deferred all blame to Fox. However, many of us are skeptical of Cameron's claim that Fox is the cause of the delay.

Yes, I am aware of the time he was asked about it (30th Anniversary screening of The Terminator, I believe).

I think at this point our only chance is to pester him into releasing it.

 

[Lord Dalek]

On top of all that, there was a 35mm print of the longer version struck for theatrical screenings in 1993.

 

[WillG]

While people fuss at Cameron for "preferring" the pan-and-scan, his reason had more to do with the resolution of NTSC that it was bound to at the time.

Just for the record, and maybe I'm remembering wrong, but I thought Cameron's wording wasn't so much that he preferred the pan-and-scan version, it was more that he was saying he was happy with it.

 

[Joseph Bolus]

It's true that the DVD has both cuts of the movie. The problem is, the DVD is non-anamorphic and looks horrible zoomed on my HD front projector system. It wasn't even up to (then) state-of-the-art DVD specs when it was released at the turn of the century.

 

[Tony Bensley]

It's true that the DVD has both cuts of the movie. The problem is, the DVD is non-anamorphic and looks horrible zoomed on my HD front projector system. It wasn't even up to (then) state-of-the-art DVD specs when it was released at the turn of the century.

My current thinking on this is that ironically, it could be the shoddiness of this very DVD release of THE ABYSS (1989) that prompted the any future home video release requires James Cameron's approval?

CHEERS!

 

[TonyD]

Someone did ask



http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/44257/cameron-talks-avatar-sequels-abyss-blu

No mention of which version.

 

[YanMan]

Someone did ask



http://www.darkhorizons.com/news/44257/cameron-talks-avatar-sequels-abyss-blu

No mention of which version.

Thanks for the link, Tony!

From the article:

Fans have long been clamoring for a Blu-ray release and Cameron has good news - the disc should be coming out early next year. On top of that, it's getting a very high quality remastering process - making it ready for a 4K/HDR release as well: "We've done a wet-gate 4K scan of the original negative, and it's going to look insanely good. We're going to do an authoring pass in the DI for Blu-ray and HDR at the same time."

Oh man... I never expected any relevant news at all out of this Aliens reunion panel.

 

[Tony Bensley]

Thanks for the link, Tony!

From the article:

Fans have long been clamoring for a Blu-ray release and Cameron has good news - the disc should be coming out early next year. On top of that, it's getting a very high quality remastering process - making it ready for a 4K/HDR release as well: "We've done a wet-gate 4K scan of the original negative, and it's going to look insanely good. We're going to do an authoring pass in the DI for Blu-ray and HDR at the same time."

Oh man... I never expected any relevant news at all out of this Aliens reunion panel.

It appears that it's time to change the "oh why not...." portion of the topic name!

Fantastic news, indeed!

CHEERS!

 

[George_W_K]

Until I see Ron post one of his Press Release or Preorder threads, I'm going to remain skeptical. But I'd love if this were true.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

"We've done a wet-gate 4K scan of the original negative, and it's going to look insanely good. We're going to do an authoring pass in the DI for Blu-ray and HDR at the same time."

I hate to be the voice of doom and gloom, but I think the operative word here is "going" - as in "we're going to do an authoring pass," not, "we're working on it now." I don't think there's a chance we see this until the next Avatar hits theaters, and possibly not until that one comes out on disc. That said, I'd love to be wrong.

 

[RJ992]

Cameron also dropped some other tidbits. Apparently the 3D conversion of TERMINATOR 2 is complete. It will hit theaters in October, with a 3D Blu to presumably follow...perhaps for the holidays. If the rumored STAR WARS four-movie 3D package is released then also, it will be one gleeful (and expensive) season. (Don't know if it's the theatrical or extended version for the T2 3D.) Personally, I'd rather have THE ABYSS in 3D over T2 but I'll take it.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Cameron also dropped some other tidbits. Apparently the 3D conversion of TERMINATOR 2 is complete. It will hit theaters in October, with a 3D Blu to presumably follow...perhaps for the holidays. If the rumored STAR WARS four-movie 3D package is released then also, it will be one gleeful (and expensive) season. (Don't know if it's the theatrical or extended version for the T2 3D.) Personally, I'd rather have THE ABYSS in 3D over T2 but I'll take it.

October of this year? That seems awfully soon for there not to have been any official announcements of anything. Of course, I would absolutely love to see it on the big screen again and especially in 3D. The Titanic conversion is probably the best conversion of a 2D to 3D movie ever, so I'm excited to see how they do with T2.