THE ABYSS (1989) Breakdown | Ending Explained, Making Of, Special Edition, Analysis & Hidden Details

[@heavyspoilers]

Go to sponsr.is/tld_heavyspoilers and use code HEAVYSPOILERS24 to get $1 off your next desired domain name at Porkbun!

[@skepticalmagos_101]

Hey could you do Virus (1999) or Below (2002 )? 😊

[@elodvezer1790]

do you have some kind of Phishing impersonator PHising here or do you ask for PM for everyone ...LOL cause it doesn't make me wanna keep the sub

[@miloddvoranak8900]

May i ask about that what you said 17:04. Babies do nothing like that in the womb, they do not breath at all while inside the womb.

[@JEMurl]

I see, it’s like poetry, so that they rhyme?

[@WarmFusion]

Wa​@@miloddvoranak8900

[@Skiller131]

I feel like this is Cameron's most underrated movie. Absolutely loved this gem. I'm ecstatic that you're covering it. The scene with Virgil doing the deep dive, the keypad and the alien ship was absolutely mesmerizing. Definitely gonna rewatch it for the 30th time tonight. Good job, New Rockstars!

[@unropednope4644]

It's his best movie

[@IamGroot786]

It is underrated.

[@i.b.640]

When this was in theatres, my father smuggled me in, because he thought it was so good and didn't want me to miss this, just because I was a year too young. (He knew I could take it, especially since he talked about it afterwards with me) I wholeheartedly agree!

[@joshwhite9954]

This is heavy spoilers not new Rockstar lol

[@eins2001]

​@@unropednope4644 lol no

[@MrFunkster]

I was born in '81, and I remember watching this when it came out on home video. Even at that young of an age, I was mesmerized with how good of a movie I thought it was and how realistic all the effects were. Still one of my favorite James Cameron movies.

[@s1gne]

I used to work for Silicon Graphics back in the day (after the movie was made, right at the time of the filming of Terminator 2 (who used a similare effect)). Those CGI scenes where rendered on computers the size of a refrigerator and a whole serverpark of them where needed. These day you can do that real time.... on your phone... Those effects where groundbreaking and for the time looked convincing. It was at a time normal home computers where still 16bit (windows 3.11), SGI made 64bit computers. The also helped develop the Nintendo 64 at that time.

[@antimatterhorn]

25:40 coffee gave the seal with the broken leg that same gun when he was imprisoning the crew and told him to shoot anyone that moved. the broken-legged seal suggested this was insane and that they were acting without orders. this is when he likely took the clip out of the gun because he was never going to shoot anyone. we see him emptying the clip later because coffee, in his nervous state, took the gun back but never looked to see that the clip had been removed. you can actually see the gun has no clip when bud tries to steal it.

[@ItsNuxFury]

28:29 Gotta hand it to Cameron, as rough as he was with the crew, that scene with Ed Harris trying to resuscitate Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio was f'ing great; the emotion and intensity was through the roof. I think I literally held my breath the whole time the first time I watched it.

[@daddystackde]

Such an incredible movie. Showed someone the 4K version who has never seen or heard of the film before and they couldn’t believe it when i said it was released in 1989. What a master of his craft…

[@jerometruitt2731]

Best sci fi director of all time

[@russwaddel08]

I met Michael Biehn (sp) on the streets of Auckland, New Zealand in 2010. I asked him what movie he would go back in time and tell himself not to make, and he said, "The Abyss." When I asked why, he told me that they would be under water for 8 hours at a time, and that he would come home feeling clammy and wet all the time. He really put the method acting to work, as his antagonist is one of the best.

[@Laarye]

American science fiction author Orson Scott Card was hired to write a novelization of the film based on the screenplay and discussions with Cameron. He wrote back-stories for Bud, Lindsey, and Coffey as a means not only of helping the actors define their roles, but also to justify some of their behavior and mannerisms in the film. Card also wrote the aliens as a colonizing species which preferentially sought high-pressure deep-water worlds to build their ships as they traveled further into the galaxy (their mothership was in orbit on the far side of the Moon). The NTIs' knowledge of neuroanatomy and nanoscale manipulation of biochemistry was responsible for many aspects of the film.

[@mark.J6708]

Love his books!

[@jaysongundlach6193]

I just put up another post about this book. I loved the movie and think it is highly underrated. But I think the book, I know it is cliche, is better. But Card was a great writer.

[@unropednope4644]

Copy and pasted rhe Wikipedia article😂

[@skepticalmagos_101]

Wait... there was a book?..

[@stonewolf1980]

Card WAS a great writer. Then he turned all homophobic and his work slipped into deserved obscurity.

[@JohnSaysHi]

Ill never get tired of the Arnold "why?" transitions, lol

[@sebswede9005]

Why?

[@Yantryman]

​@@sebswede9005😂😂😂😂

[@FreeFinca]

👏🏻🤣​@@sebswede9005

[@juangalton999]

The way James Cameron treated his cast and crew is unforgivable. Yes, it's a beautiful film. But Cameron's ego almost killed Ed Harris.

[@60weHoodsta]

People sometimes almost dies during a movie. Still happens today. It's forgivable because he is still making movies. This is not RUST

[@juangalton999]

@@60weHoodsta Except when directors ignore the warnings of their safety consultants. James Cameron is a narcissist.

[@60weHoodsta]

@@juangalton999 Maybe. But I wonder why people still work with him...

[@juangalton999]

@@60weHoodsta Because his movies earn a lot of money. Like I said, Abyss is a beautiful film. So he knows what he's doing there. But the ends do not justify the means.

[@Grinnar]

I first saw this movie when I was 7, and it blew my damn mind.

[@EEEEEEEEEK]

I saw this movie in a theater when I was 21. Your speculation about the sensation of seeing the tentacle forming a face is refreshing. I sigh at a lot of movie reviewers who sniff at special effects from early CGI and say they're so bad. At the time, we didn't have anything to compare it to and it was awe-inspiring. Like, the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park made me cry.

[@tuttt99]

I love all of those "Hey James, tell is how you *really* feel about your wife" moments. 🤣🤣🤣

[@clearcutter74]

Michael Biehn's character was a great villain. From his point of view he was saving the world. I'd love to see breakdowns of eXistenZ and Sunshine, two excellent movies that deserve more attention than they get.

[@Szokynyovics]

I was like "Wait, WHAT, same guy?!" Crap, I gotta rewatch this movie, he gave me nightmares as a kid, such a scary villain... probabl

[@P5kr]

Literally 2 days ago I was looking for a Heavy Spoilers video on this film, not knowing you hadn't covered it. This video is almost an answer to my prayers

[@heavyspoilers]

Ey glad we had it for you nice timing

[@JC041174]

Utterly love this breakdown. The Abyss is one of my all time fav films

[@kog8952]

I was looking over movies recently on Amazon to watch and this one turned up, I remember watching it a long time ago but this was a special edition so I bought it and really enjoyed watching it again after so many years, after watching it I had the urge to watch many more movies that take place in the ocean, Underwater and Sphere as two examples.

[@heavyspoilers]

Yeah Cameron don’t miss. Underwater is great too. Way way underrated. Film looks incredible and is so atmospheric.

[@furiousapplesack]

@@heavyspoilers Underwater was awesome. Jumped right into the action in like 30 seconds.

[@dominicellison4804]

This movie has been one of my favorites ever since I was a small child, and I recently got to see it for the first time in theaters for the 4k re-release and it was one of the most amazing experiences because I got to see it with my dad.

[@carbine090909]

That Mastroantonio-Harris scene - you know the one - broke me. 😭

[@keithbieberly6445]

It's been probably 30 years for me, but I recommend the novelization. As i recall, it made a lot of things in the movie much clearer, especially how the "aliens" were manipulating things, and maybe the characters, through control of water

[@LikeTheBuffalo]

Saw the 4k restoration at my local indie theater the other week, and it really did make a difference. The detail in the jelly aliens was much clearer, and the effects where people were superimposed onto the cockpits of their underwater vehicles was seamless

[@KingJojoB]

If you didn’t come from tiktok raise your hand 🤚🏽

[@goldenskeptic6309]

🖖

[@tokyosmash]

Don’t even have one 🤘🏼

[@christchex91]

🤙🏼

[@AbdulAlim-of3tr]

As a 80s kids we dont give a damn to tiktok

[@shiddy.]

👉🤛

[@cozyburrito686]

I always loved this movie, it was one of my first sci-fi movies I saw when I was a kid. Ed Harris shined in this role to me. Thanks for this! I'm loving your classic movie breakdowns! Could you do a breakdown of the first Poltergeist??

[@magnolia1984]

Knocked it out of the park once again, thank you for the detailed analysis

[@chadkent1241]

The cast and crew affectionately call that film "The Abuse" Fantastic Cameron film!

[@lukesleven1900]

Not watched this since the 90s. This breakdowns got me wanting to revisit it. Banger of a breakdown, every time!

[@heavyspoilers]

Thank you

[@KismetBP]

I watched the movie in theaters when it came out and had The Abyss on Laser Disk back in the day. Still love the movie and watch it again from time to time. ❤🤘

[@ThatOtherMikeyGuy]

First two-thirds of this movie: Solid gold. Final act: Oh no.

[@eloquentsarcasm]

The movie and book versions are a perfect pair, each contributing to a fuller understanding of it all. Those early chapters for Coffee/Lindsey/Bud setup each characters mindset and beliefs that come out during the film.

[@mariusmarius4832]

I saw the original when released and still have fond memories of it till this day

[@GuitarLessonsBobbyCrispy]

So much like Titanic! Especially the beginning; both movies start with vocal music, views of underwater, submarines, the insides of submarines, radars and bright lights moving through the ocean.

[@joshh535]

Every time I hear someone mention James Cameron, the South Park song starts playing in my head. “His name is Jaaaaames Cameron, the bravest pioneer, no budget too steep no sea too deep, who is that it’s him, James Cameron!”

[@ksea6565]

I had the extended version, and this was one of my most favorite movies. My oldest daughter was 3 when the video came out, and she would tell me every single day 'Mommy, i wanna watch the Buuddd movie, can we please watch the Buuddd movie?' 😅🥰

[@alexp601]

This was one of the first really epic films I remember watching when I was younger. It felt like a really important, big film, even if I could hardly comprehend why exactly. An all-time classic!

[@histguy101]

I love this channel. I should really sub

[@tonitoasty3199]

“Hippy” is the real MVP of this movie! Big Geek, Little Geek, his rat 😅 I said what I said. Thanks so much for doing a breakdown of this movie. I grew up watching this on LaserDisc when my dad splurged on his first surround sound set up in the downstairs family room lol. I still say quotes from this movie and NO ONE ever gets my references.

[@heavyspoilers]

Ah nice, glad you liked it, lol I never owned a laserdisc but heard they were massive

[@thebrowneyesofmandalore]

One of my favorite aspects of this movie is Ed Hariss’s acting. He’s known for roles that portray toughness and sternness. Movies such as The Rock, Appaloosa, even The Right Stuff, and more. While I love his acting in those roles, here in The Abyss he has a lot more of an a emotional role and I really like that. I would’ve loved to see him in more movies like that. Nowadays he pretty much sticks with the tough roles.

[@ettico0513]

Fun fact Michael Beach voiced Black Manta in Justice League unlimited. That's probably why he was in aquaman. He also voiced Mr Terrific.

[@S1L3NTG4M3R]

I always liked the movie, never knew it didn't do well... Great job as always!

[@strangerthanfiction4014]

Its such a strangely unique film, love it

[@spinmoto180]

Saw This At The Movies When it Came Out, And it Was Absolutely Breathtaking & Epic! One Of The Best Of The Era, And Still One Of The Best Of All-Time!

[@newcastleman86]

Michael Rosenbaum interviews are great! That’s awesome you mentioned that interview.

[@miller-joel]

If only he let the guests TALK without interrupting them every 0.5 seconds.

[@newcastleman86]

@@miller-joel that’s a little bit of exaggeration. You ok?

[@miller-joel]

@@newcastleman86 Have you seen any of them?

[@newcastleman86]

Yes. Can you answer my question first? Are you ok? Second question, how old are you? Third question, Are you last of us guy or girl?

[@NoxAnexayi]

1:25 I had to rewind. "First person to breathe oxygen through his lungs". Don't we all do that?

[@heavyspoilers]

Breathe water fml

[@lu-gr4ug]

@@heavyspoilers just letting you know when you talk about godzilla x kong the letter x is silent the titan ( Shimo ) is pronounced ( shi-mo ) not ( shi-mu ) there is no letter u in the name a simple google search for the movie it explains it all look at the merchandise like the toys it will tell you its shimo

[@jimmicks8185]

@@lu-gr4ug agreed the other guy m.t kept saying the wrong thing and give misinformation to everyone

[@NoxAnexayi]

@@heavyspoilers Hope you know I was just messing about. Not being mean. Love your uploads.

[@featherelfstrom8405]

@@lu-gr4ug Just letting you know that if you Google "sentence punctuation", you might find some hints as to why no one can understand your comment, nor take it seriously. Also, the text on toy packaging is not really something you should be looking at as 'canon' source material for spelling or punctuation - there are PLENTY of mistakes on packaging. Also, also the person who made this video is speaking with a very interesting mixed accent, so please don't mock their pronunciation of anything - I'm sure they would find plenty of things to make fun of in the way >you< speak, given then opportunity to hear your voice ;-)

[@docweidner]

I didn't waych the original version, but first saw the Director's cut at The Ohio SciFi Marathon. It is so much better than the theatrical release.

[@cheekster777]

Thank you Paul.

[@curtd2741]

One of my favorite movies! So glad the cast worked through it, all for my enjoyment.

[@randellosburn5105]

In Orson Scott Card's novelization of his screenplay written as the movie was shot goes into much more detail of many of the issues and themes of the movie.

[@dr.jonathanlangleydc7411]

I'm smashing the like button just because you have the funniest and wittiest ways of incorporating that request into your scripts

[@NutmegRose]

Great book adaptation by Orson Scott Card!

[@OldTime--Gamer]

so glad you chose the extended version ! :)

[@kevthepoet]

Massively underrated but still a classic mobvie if only for starting Cameron's obsession for water.

[@jasonotoole1822]

I always enjoyed this movie and I am so glad it has finally gotten a 4K release after having the DVD as the only option for so many years. Cannot wait to see it in Hi Def finally after all this time.

[@goheen1701]

There's a scene, plain as day, where Monk is holding the magazine to Coffee's pistol and emptying the rounds onto the deck of the rig.. Maybe it's 'regional deletion' like Lindsey's 'death scene'. I've got the theatrical and director's cut versions of this movie and each has this scene in it.

[@jamesmorton9389]

This movie was and still is amazing

[@svenllr]

I was in high school when this movie came out and listened to all my friends who said it wasn't worth watching in the theater. I rented it when it came to VHS and I was blown away. To this day, I still think it's one of his best films ever only being outdone by T2.

[@jerometruitt2731]

I saw this in theaters as a kid....I was 5. Your friends were idiots. Lol

[@orangejjay]

I remember I was always fascinated with the box art of the two disc DVD of this. Had I not been, I'm not sure I ever would've picked it up. I miss having special features in an easily accessible package like a DVD. I wish streaming services did a better job of this. Imagine how cool it would be to switch from the Netflix description of The Abuse and then switching to a menu to pick chapters, language, commentary, special features, different endings, deleted scenes, trailers, teasers, making of, etc. 😢😢❤

[@jeffreycarman2185]

Thanks for the video. I need to see this movie again.

[@scoopydaniels8908]

Amazing that Michael Biehn took that look onto Tombstone.. Johnny Ringo..

[@mortem-tyrannis]

The white flash is used in mad max when they headbutt someone.

[@FigmentForever]

Also a huge fan of the Inside of You Podcast. Growing up on Smallville & being a huge fan of Michael Rosenbaum, it’s such a great podcast & never missed an episode on KZbin

[@heavyspoilers]

Yeah inside of you is awesome, Michael is a don

[@lycanthrope9760]

I love rosey. Talkville is great too

[@FigmentForever]

@@lycanthrope9760 love TalkVille so much!

[@TheFantasticFox822]

I so loved this movie when it was released. Pretty sure I saw it 3 or 4 times at the cinema. Such a great flick, thank you for covering it ❤❤❤

[@eliwooden2162]

Been hoping you would cover this one

[@kalrandom7387]

You should have used the special edition for this. I fell in love with it the first time I watched it. It was ground breaking and gorgeous when it came out.

[@getdrippy4416]

I just watched this for the first time as an adult. I watched this as a kid, very young. And because it wasn't scary like Aliens or spectacle like T2, I didn't get it. Now though, I am so glad I watched this. I haven't ever seen a movie quite like this. Hands down the best underwater movie. The end of this one really takes you on a journey. I love how the villain is resolved and the movie has so much more to put you through. An absolute 10/10 master class.

[@jekw23]

I adored this movie as a 15 year old and watched it almost constantly. I read up on it voraciously. I am going to be super impressed if there’s something in this video I didn’t know.

[@jekw23]

Update: I’m less than 90 seconds in and I’ve learned something.

[@heavyspoilers]

Haha thank you

[@hitchville1]

Been waiting patiently for this one mate Cheers 💪🏼🏆

[@13thravenpurple94]

Excellent video 👍 Thank you 💜

[@CJSBOXOFFICE]

Benthic Petroleum also features in Twister. The gas tanker that gets picked up in the finale has that logo on it - James Cameron was a producer on that movie.

[@gregoryrome2751]

Finally …. One of my favorites getting some love. So hard to find this one anywhere. Not on streaming services can’t even buy a DVD.

[@ASTMA193]

Another great video. Cheers.

[@heavyspoilers]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@warpdriveby]

It sucks to hear this was so troubled, it is a fantastic movie and an amazing cast.

[@stayawayunited3744]

Is it a coincidence I just watched the abyss this morning, for the first time in 5 years !?❤

[@histguy101]

The algorithm knows your algorithms. Or perhaps the algorithm is already controlling us

[@jerometruitt2731]

No its not actually. Your phone heard you watching the movie and put this in your algorithm as a result.

[@jollypeeno]

Where can we watch it?

[@HerveGuerrier-nu2ss]

For some reason Schwarzenegger is saying “why” was way too 😂

[@christineweaver3090]

I've always liked Michael biehn.he should have had more appearances in popular movies &/or tv.i read the book where michael biehns character growing up what he experienced,what he was thinking up until his death

[@PaulLoh]

My family is friends with the Biehn family because I've worked with Jennifer on a film. That's Michael's wife. They live in Arizona like we do. First time I met him, I asked if he'd sign a copy of the novelization of this film. That book is proudly displayed on my shelf. This is one of my favorite movies ever.

[@DJT-2024]

He emptied the magazine. 25:56. Not the clip. There's a big difference between magazines and clips. Love your channel. Keep up the good work!

[@heavyspoilers]

My bad, I genuinely thought it was the same thing

[@skepticalmagos_101]

​@@heavyspoilersClips are the ones used in guns like the M1 Garand and older guns. Mags are the ones seen on somerhing like ARs or Aks.

[@CosmicCrimes]

I think Ed Harris’s blue dyed could be a reference to Hunter S. Thompson’s Curse Of Lono. In the first chapter, a lawyer was aboard an airplane en-route to Hawaii. While in the bathroom, he accidentally dropped his drugs in the toilet. After leaving the bathroom, his arm was covered with blue dye.

[@heavyspoilers]

Great catch, had no idea about that

[@EEEEEEEEEK]

Fun fact: I drowned as a kid, but it never really made me afraid of water or anything. But when Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio drowns herself, I started to have a panic attack.

[@danmang923]

Greatest underwater movie ever made.

[@R3troZone]

I think one factor that people forget that may have contributed to Abyss's dismal box office is that it was the third deep sea thriller that year. Deep Star Six and Leviathan had already come out just a few months before, both films also about a crew trapped on the sea floor in a mining base. Audiences were kinda getting sick of it by the time Abyss came out.

[@Torment92121]

I saw this in theaters in the original release and thought that water alien/probe affect was amazing. All my friends felt like we were seeing something that would change film forever. I'm bummed that the actors had a bad experience because I have a very fond memories of it.

[@ericb8888]

HPNS gives “ helium tremors “ when HELIOX gas mix is breathed between 200-300m generally. To combat it Helium is pulled and Hydrogen, the lightest of all gases , is introduced. The resulting mix , HYDRELIOX , has only one small drawback …. hallucinations……. it affects the lipids in the brain . Great vid ;)

[@eddysandland58]

Great Breakdown Theories & film that goes under the radar! The FX still Holds up in the Water Face scene! But I like n remember the one when Harris, puts the Suit on that he has to Breathe Water to go in the Abyss! Cheers

[@TheTraumaKing]

Such a great movie

[@chadcognac5626]

Saw this for the first time a few months ago in theaters. Lots of fun

[@sophiaisabelle027]

We appreciate your dedication and consistency. Keep up the good work.

[@willwetherington]

Bud is wearing a Seiko "Captain Willard" watch. It's the same watch that Martin Sheen wore on the movie "Apocalypse Now" as Captain Willard.

[@davidr1431]

Great movie. Worth reading the novel which was written alongside it. Really sheds some light on the characters.

[@Carver94]

FANTASTIC breakdown. I remember seeing it as a kid and not really liking it, but after watching your breakdown I rewatched the movie and found it extremely poignant on a number of levels.

[@BIGSTANK1983]

My uncle Jeff was the marine coordinator for this movie. It was made in Wilmington NC

[@nm985]

I love this movie and watch it often. ❤🎬

[@brodykossler239]

One if my all time favorite movies

[@johnturner6063]

This was my favorite movie when it came out. Such an amazing movie!!

[@ThatOtherMikeyGuy]

I've definitely seen the 'rat drowning' scene in the UK. I saw the Abyss when it came out in cinemas, and caught it again on VHS. Yes, I'm that old.

[@slytheringingerwitch]

I'm sure I saw that too.

[@flickaclit6997]

Man I loved this movie absolutely amazing

[@teamrenadastudios9868]

Quite possibly my favorite movie of all time. Love it. It still holds up to this day ❤. Great work thank you for bringing this movie out of the "Abyss" 😊

[@BushRoostersMX]

You can see in a shot of the seal with the hand gun, he lifts it up and before he puts his hand over the bottom, you can see the magazine is missing... he then empties the bullets from it later. I noticed that the 2nd time i watched the movie, because i had wondered how accurate they had been.

[@Trevsrandomstuff]

What about the guy getting pants pulled down in the tidal wave scene. You can still see the upper body of the people. Was it a real thing? Great work! Great videos!

[@michaelcleary9463]

The looking glass gets the idea across easier, also scrying before mirrors were perfected, does anyone else remember "puddle lane" crappy 80s BBC kids show? Weird, I'm off to look it up