The Abyss • The Next Reel

When the extended trailer for James Cameron's 1989 undersea scifi spectacular, "The Abyss," was released, detailing everything from the production on sets built in an unfinished power plant to the intense action and character moments throughout the film, all set to Michael Stearns' powerful score from the IMAX film "Chronos," it set the stage for an epic film that promised to deliver "Aliens" underwater. When the film was released, it received good reviews and earned its money back, but wasn't what people expected. Plus, it had an ending that left audiences scratching their heads a bit. But 3 years later, Cameron was able to return to it and release an extended version with nearly 30 minutes of new material, including an extended ending that answered a lot of questions, even if it did add an element to the story that feels heavy handed. His new version was received very positively and showed that going back and meddling with a film could result in a better product, and it's definitely a film worth rewatching. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue our Original SciFi series with "The Abyss." We talk about what works for us and what doesn't in this film, and how much that really matters in the end. We talk about the amazing cast that really sell the story — even the cheesy lines and heavy-handed plot elements — and why some of them refuse to talk about production of this film to this day. We chat about the effects and where this film fits in the context of the history of special effects development. We discuss Cameron and his ability to make films as well as his passion for technologies and undersea exploration, and how those two passions came together perfectly here. And we discuss the nature of film worlds versus the real world, and how accurate a film needs to be when depicting real things. It's a great film with some problematic elements that we're perfectly willing to overlook, and we have a great time talking about it. Tune in! Hey! You know what would be awesome? If you would drop us a positive rating on iTunes! If you like what we’re doing here on TNR, it really is the best way to make sure that this show appears when others search for it, plus, it’s just a nice thing to do. Thanks!! The Next Reel on iTunesThe Next Reel on FacebookThe Next Reel on TwitterThe Next Reel on FlickchartThe Next Reel on LetterboxdGuess the Movie with The Next Reel on InstagramCheck out the Posters with The Next Reel on Pinterest And for anyone interested in our fine bouquet of show hosts: Follow Andy Nelson on TwitterFollow Pete Wright on TwitterFollow Steve Sarmento on TwitterCheck out Tom Metz on IMDBFollow Mike Evans on TwitterFollow Chadd Stoops on TwitterSupport The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Become a member for just $5/month or $55/yearJoin our Discord community of movie loversThe Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and MovementsThe Film BoardMovies We LikeThe Next Reel Film PodcastSitting in the DarkConnect With Us:Main Site: WebMovie Platforms: Letterboxd | FlickchartSocial Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | PinterestYour Hosts: Andy | PeteShop & Stream:Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & moreWatch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussedOriginals: Source material from our episodesSpecial offers: Letterboxd Pro/Patron discount | Audible