The Abyss: Extended Version(1996) [0896885] LBX/AC3/THX

signofzeta · Posted: 17 Dec 2019, 01:00

9954tony wrote:

signofzeta wrote:

For the LD some of the elements used to make the Extended version were pretty rough. It’ll be interesting to see if the Blu-ray will be Extended at all and if so what they manage to pull off. I guess these days one can pretty much restore anything from anything.

Pretty sure that applies to the UK extended cut only. They censored out part of the film, and replaced it with lower grade cuts (the rat scene). I have the version being reviewed here, and the quality looks pretty consistent throughout.

I’ve never seen a UK cut so either I imagined it or I’m confusing it with another movie. I thought there was an explanation for it somewhere online. That is, an explanation for why the new footage doesn’t look as good as the standard cut despite it all being relatively new footage, only a few years old when the Extended LDs came out.

9954tony · Posted: 17 Dec 2019, 02:01

signofzeta wrote:

I’ve never seen a UK cut so either I imagined it or I’m confusing it with another movie. I thought there was an explanation for it somewhere online. That is, an explanation for why the new footage doesn’t look as good as the standard cut despite it all being relatively new footage, only a few years old when the Extended LDs came out.

Interesting, i guess it is time for me to take another look!

signofzeta · Posted: 17 Dec 2019, 02:45

I spent some time searching and the only thing I could find was me mentioning the issue which is...not a good sign.

I’ll fire it up and watch it again myself. I seem to remember it being evident early on in the movie.

substance · Posted: 17 Dec 2019, 04:24

takeshi666 wrote:

9954tony wrote:

The dvd is non-anamorphic widescreen, and looks worse than the LD imho. "the abyss" is the entire reason i pulled my LDs and player out of the basement about 5 years ago, and led me to find this site (surprise, it wasn't "Star Wars"). My original player from ~1995 (504) broke as soon as i tried to use it.

According to a note for this disc "disclord" commented that it is superntsc. I would bet that this one is too: Abyss, The: Extended Version (1989) [0896880]

What is interesting with this movie, is that some scenes of the P&S show *more* picture, not less. Instead of cropping the 2.35:1 to 4:3, they use the entire 35mm image.

Attachment:

1440xcombined2.jpg.jpg

left=LB, right=PS

Yeah, that's Super 35. Other movies like Terminator 2 and True Lies are like that too - coincidentally, also made by James Cameron. Top Gun is probably one of the few that isn't.

I think this is due Jameron coming from Roger Corman productions. I bet the early movies he worked on were mainly targeted for home VHS market as with the rest of the Roger Corman films. He made special directors pan and scan cuts available on all films up to Avatar. Super35 was probably chosen to blend CGI effects better as other film types would be way too sharp. On the original Terminator film, he simply didn’t have the money to work with better cameras. He couldn’t even afford Stereo audio

Top Gun used Super35 for the size of the cameras being suitable to shoot actors in small fighter jet cockpits. Also fit cameras in other jet airplane to shoot dog fight screens.

substance · Posted: 17 Dec 2019, 04:27

Deep Star Six and Leviathan are the complimentary films btw.

9954tony · Posted: 17 Dec 2019, 04:42

signofzeta wrote:

I spent some time searching and the only thing I could find was me mentioning the issue which is...not a good sign.

I’ll fire it up and watch it again myself. I seem to remember it being evident early on in the movie.

To be honest, I've never seen the UK version either, I was just going off the last comment posted on the lddb entry:
Abyss, The: Special Edition (1989) [EE 1041]

I did find this about the DVD, and the screenshots look equally well and framed right. Of course the UK LD could still be off...
https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=465781

sonicboom · Posted: 17 Dec 2019, 17:49

I love this movie. It certainly has some odd moments but on the whole it has a great message and the performances and production were great. I have both box sets now but the WS CLV AC3 version was included with my initial lot of movies and player from my friend at work. Between the novelty of LD at the time and the experience of the movie (which I had never seen before) I was hooked on LD. The making of featurette is also fun especially since I'm in film production. Technically, this was not an easy film to make and the dedication that went into it deserves another viewing. Every LD enthusiast should own some version of this IMO.

signofzeta · Posted: 17 Dec 2019, 18:04

Yeah, I was blown away by the Making Of stuff. The dedication to authenticity was extreme.

kingpin · Posted: 19 Dec 2019, 21:02

I can't wait to see it in 4K like T2 back in 2017, that was amazing!
This movie has to be released on Blu-ray disc next year!

admin · Posted: 29 Sep 2023, 14:48

jakeheke wrote:

I might wait for that to drop to view.

Sorry the wait was 14 years, but... admin @ THE ABYSS to be released on 4K and Laserdisc boxset (the 4K part is now real, the LD was an April's Fool)

Julien

The Abyss: Extended Version(1996) [0896885] LBX/AC3/THX

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