Cheap The Abyss (Double Digipack) (DVD) (Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) (James Cameron) Price

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Customer Reviews of The Abyss (Double Digipack)

What Special Edition DVDs are all about
You know how DVDs claim to have special features, and the special features end up being chapter selections and the original trailers - and that's it? Well, The Abyss Special Edition is a model for what special editions should be. When the movie was originally released, the studio thought it was too long and wanted it cut. So Cameron cut a whole subplot of the movie, but it turns out to be the most important subplot. So the disc not only includes the original theatrical release, but the directors cut, which lengthens the movie to almost three hours, but fills in a lot of holes in the plot. The movie, in both versions, is an above average science fiction thriller. Cameron, for all his vision and movie-making skills, is still only an above-average writer. But the DVD includes scores of information that makes the technical achievement of the film very fascinating. There are two "making of" documentaries, one 10 minutes and one 60 minutes. There are storyboards, drawings, and pages of technical information on deep sea diving. Want to know more about if the liquid breathing apparatus used in the critical section of the film is science fiction or science fact? There is a ton of information on the history of experiments in liquid breathing and the possibilities for the future. There is even a copy of the 20 minute special effects video sent to Motion Picture Academy voters to vote on Oscars for the movie.

If you like science fiction movies, you will probably like The Abyss. If you also like to know how movies are made, you will love this DVD. Any studio that calls their disc a special edition without this level of production is guilty of false advertising. The only negative is there is no audio commentary by the director or cast included.

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DVD the way it should be!
James Cameron is a great writer and director, and The Abyss is one of his best works. I could tell you all about the story, the cast, the performances, the special effects but there plenty of reviews here that cover that stuff and I am in agreement with the majority. The reason I am adding my opinion to this is that I want to point out why this DVD edition is superior to all others. The 1st disk offers you a viewing choice of either theatrical release or special addition (go with the latter). While this is standard fare, the menu is exquisite! Before watching the movie I went straight to the extra materials and I was amazed. In exploring the 2nd disk of extra material I found more information than I could have imagined. Behind the scenes footage, documentaries, stills and storyboards are just the tip of the iceberg! I really enjoyed the 7 minute time-lapse construction of the underwater set (uniuon work never went so fast before... lol). There are hidden movie trailers for other Cameron works (True Lies, Aliens and Strange Days) and it can become a fun obsession trying to find them all. The DVD has an amazing interactive menu that begs to be explored, and the additional content goes beyond any other DVD I have seen or purchased! In my opinion, this is why the format is superior to all others and The Abyss has finally received the treatment it deserves. This one is a keeper!

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What is this digipak version?
This digipak edition DVD does NOT have a 5.1 soundtrack. The picture remains letterboxed, not anamorphic, and it still carries the THX certification, though it is not marked so on the box. If you can, obtain the original Special Edition release in plastic case with black cover, it has the 5.1 soundtrack. If, like me, you are still waiting for the proper anamorphic release of The Abyss, this is NOT IT, it is simply an inferior repackaging.