From: AR402004@BROWNVM.BROWN.EDU (Steven Feldman)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.movies
Subject: Restored THE ABYSS coming out on LD!
Date: 17 Nov 92 01:30:37 GMT

People,
     A friend of mine with a laserdisk player told me the other night
that the long-awaited *full* version of James Cameron's THE ABYSS will be
coming out letterboxed on LD in CAV with 37 minutes of restored footage,
and a batch of behind-the-scenes stuff.  Thank God!
     Can a videotape (and theatrical?) release--letterboxing or no--be
that far behind?
     At any rate, here's an old post of mine that explains why this is
something to be celebrated:

                          -- Steven Feldman <ar402004@brownvm.brown.edu>
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Date:         Fri, 31 May 91 15:57:33 EDT
From:         Steven Feldman <AR402004@BROWNVM>
Subject:      THE ABYSS's original ending/DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL
To:           CINEMA-L@AUVM

>Abyss(mal) Ending
>Date:         Thu, 30 May 91 09:00:55 PDT
>From:         3501P@NAVPGS.BITNET
>   As to the ending of the Abyss:
>   I had no idea there was more than one ending.  I was appalled
>with the last 10 minutes of the movie.  It really took the easy
>way out; i.e. "the aliens save the day".  What tripe.  I saw the
>movie on video yesterday.  Maybe they changed the ending for video.

     According to the 2-issue mini-series from Dark Horse Comics (which
was adapted from a working script prior to the final cut and release of
the film), the hurricane in the second half of the film was only one of
many, producing gargantuan tsunamis all over the world.  This turbulence
was artificially created by the underwater critters, who were so pissed
off at the human race that they were using the elements wind and water
to scourge the Earth of them.  When they see the Ed Harris character
selflessly endanger himself (in his suicidally dangerous descent,) and
key in "Love you, wife," they decide that we are not all the hopeless
scum they thought we were.
     We find out the above once Ed Harris is taken inside the critters'
ship and his helmet is removed.  Across the surface of the parted waters
is superimposed an image of advancing waters all over the world, as the
critter near Harris telepathically communicates the situation.  Thus,
water is used as a viewscreen, just as a rolled-up piece of plastic is
by Bowie's alien wife and child in THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH.
     If any of this sounds interesting . . . *please* go out and rent THE
DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL.  In this classic (it really is one, you know),
an alien ambassador from a confederacy of planets comes to offer Earth a
choice: stop nuclear testing and join the rest of the galaxy in peace, or
be obliterated by a hulking robotic policeman equipped with an immensely
powerful death ray capable of incinerating the entire planet.  The title
of the movie is taken from the sequence where the alien ambassador, Klaatu
(played by Michael Rennie), demonstrates the power of his alliance's tech-
nology: he stops all power sources on Earth (including hydroelectric power
and thermo-dynamics) with the exception of interruptions that would prove
to be life-endangering (hospital power still functions, airplanes still
fly) for the span of one hour.  Resultingly, an important scientist
believes Klaautu and forms a conclave of scientists.  Unfortunately, the
US military is paranoid and they set up a manhunt for Klaatu, who hides
out by renting a room in a radiantly beautiful Patricia Neal's house.
Towards the end, Klaatu is shot and the robot policeman starts to gear up
for destroying the Earth.  With his dying breath, Klaatu tells Neal (who
has fallen in love with him) the command to halt the robot Gort's impending
wave of destruction.  The words are "Klaatu barada nikto."
     THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL is not some cheesy B-movie.  It was
directed by Robert Wise (editor on CITIZEN KANE and director of WEST SIDE
STORY and THE SOUND OF MUSIC), and features an astounding musical score by
Bernard Herrman which utilizes a theremin to ingenious effect.  The lighting
is noirish and the sets are remarkably subtle.  I personally prefer this
film to 2001.

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P.S.:  THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL is on Cinemax this month.