The Abyss 4K UHD (1989)

[mar3o]

Originally Posted by Trekkie313

The UK was a mistake.

It's not like the US gets things much better. We have a long way to go.

[mar3o]

Originally Posted by Patton27

*Checks notes to see if Apocalypse Now is still untouched in the UK*

BBFC, you inconsistent tossers.

Again, it was explained what the difference is between the two. I don't agree with cutting the film but there are differences between the two.

[By_His_Strypes]

Originally Posted by The Hornets

If you read the article by Bill Hunt on DigitalBits, Disney were perfectly happy to abide by the BBFC and produce a U.K. only cut version just for here. It was Lightstorm i.e. Cameron who said he wasn’t prepared to see it cut in the U.K. again as with the VHS and DVD and who has the clout with Disney to refuse a cut U.K. release and so bar a release.

I hope Cameron scores some brownie points for doing the right thing here.

[Zechs Merquise]

Originally Posted by Ben_UK

To be honest I can perhaps foresee a situation in the future a bit like what’s happening in Oz, where the only place these things are still released is in the US, so it will be imports or nothing.

If you're any kind of film enthusiast you should probably be into importing anyway

[figrin_dan]

Originally Posted by By_His_Strypes

I hope Cameron scores some brownie points for doing the right thing here.

I've always searched out the uncut versions of films and avoided the UK dvd for this reason. But at this time I've seen that distressed rat so many times I wouldn't be fussed about missing it just for the convenience of not importing. This new version seems much more controversial anyway 😉

[ghostof82]

But what happens with digital download or rental here in UK? Presume the film has to be cut to be shown/sold in UK? Likewise on standard Blu-ray or DVD?

[Ben_UK]

Originally Posted by Zechs Merquise

If you're any kind of film enthusiast you should probably be into importing anyway

Oh I am, but it just means paying a premium to do so. Due to a variety of reasons importing to the UK now has become increasingly expensive.

[The Hornets]

Originally Posted by ghostof82

But what happens with digital download or rental here in UK? Presume the film has to be cut to be shown/sold in UK? Likewise on standard Blu-ray or DVD?

Not for TV as they have different censorship rules. C4 / Film4 have shown The Abyss uncut in the past.

Streaming is theoretically exempt so could show uncut. Know though Netflix and Amazon get BBFC ratings so they would need to cut. Don’t know if Disney+ bother with U.K. ratings. Currently they are legally required to do so.

DVD already out in U.K. from many years ago is cut.

For now there isn’t a standalone BD coming. If you want BD you have to buy the UHD / BD combi pack coming in February, but not the U.K.

[Markgway]

Originally Posted by mar3o

Again, it was explained what the difference is between the two. I don't agree with cutting the film but there are differences between the two.

The BBFC's interpretation of the law is flawed to say the least.

They've passed some repugnant murder shit, but made cuts to non-graphic scenes where the animals have clearly survived unharmed.

I'm not saying the rat was comfortable in The Abyss, but it was safe.

You can't compare that to the horror the water buffalo suffered as it was viciously butchered in Apocalypse Now (and if you believe that wasn't set up for the camera you'll believe anything...).

[Esox50]

I'll never understand this. As someone who loves animals (I'm the guy who stops his car to help animals on the road get to safety), the scene doesn't bother me. In addition, cutting (or now not allowing release) doesnt change the fact of what happened to the rat on set.

Why can't there be a compromise. Let the movie stand as is (again, UK ratings agency cant change what happened on set almost 40 years ago. BTW, I'm guessing the rat is probably deceased and thus he/she cannot be offended ), and just put a disclaimer at the front of the movie like:
"This movie contains a scene where an animal was put into a distressful situation, and may be uncomfortable to some viewers. As such, the movie stands as filmed, but please understand that movies are a product of their time and such a scene wouldn't be filmed today per Law XYZ. Viewer discretion is advised."

I'll give Lightstorm credit for sticking to the principle of letting the movie stand on its own.

[t-mel]

Originally Posted by Zechs Merquise

Being from the UK I would sadly have to agree
Eh, ever since the pandemic ordering from Amazon US has become a pain in the ass

It's only going downhill because it's trying to replicate the US...

[Jabbitt]

I don't know where I got this from, it most of been something I read years ago, but wasn't the original complaint made by the RSPCA and that's why the BBFC made the cut to the rat scene?

I do remember watching the broadcast on Channel 4 which was uncut (I think that was by mistake) and then purchasing the Special Edition VHS which had the worst editing I'd ever seen.

The picture quality changed dramatically, the lighting didn't even match the previous shots and I can't say for sure, but I think the aspect ratio changed as well. It was incredibly jarring. That's why I was happy to import my US DVD when it was released.

[RCRochester]

Originally Posted by Markgway

The BBFC's interpretation of the law is flawed to say the least.

They've passed some repugnant murder shit, but made cuts to non-graphic scenes where the animals have clearly survived unharmed.

I'm not saying the rat was comfortable in The Abyss, but it was safe.

You can't compare that to the horror the water buffalo suffered as it was viciously butchered in Apocalypse Now (and if you believe that wasn't set up for the camera you'll believe anything...).

Yeah, I'm sure the water buffalo's distress was assuaged by the notion that "This was going to happen to me anyway, so it's all right then"... but that is probably one of the most brutal pieces of animal harm I've ever seen in a film, I still recoil at it and I'm not typically a person who is bothered by stuff like that.

The law also seems ridiculously selective when it comes to certain "cute and cuddly" animals, because IIRC the scene of the snake being chopped in half in Friday the 13th, and the scene of a scorpion and ants being burned alive in The Wild Bunch have escaped unscathed.

[stvn1974]

Cameron probably told Disney that he already ruined the film with AI upscaling and he didn't feel like going back and ruining it more by cutting out the rat scene.

[Giga_Force]

Originally Posted by RCRochester

Yeah, I'm sure the water buffalo's distress was assuaged by the notion that "This was going to happen to me anyway, so it's all right then"... but that is probably one of the most brutal pieces of animal harm I've ever seen in a film, I still recoil at it and I'm not typically a person who is bothered by stuff like that.

The law also seems ridiculously selective when it comes to certain "cute and cuddly" animals, because IIRC the scene of the snake being chopped in half in Friday the 13th, and the scene of a scorpion and ants being burned alive in The Wild Bunch have escaped unscathed.

I’m probably going to get blasted for saying this but I ended up hating Apocalypse Now specifically because of the water buffalo scene. Same thing with Cannibal Holocaust with the turtle, pig, and monkey. I never get offended for things, but actually killing an animal just to for a movie scene is garbage. Makes me wonder about many westerns where horses probably died or hurt to where they had to be put down.

[Indiana Jones]

Originally Posted by figrin_dan

I've always searched out the uncut versions of films and avoided the UK dvd for this reason. But at this time I've seen that distressed rat so many times I wouldn't be fussed about missing it just for the convenience of not importing. This new version seems much more controversial anyway 😉

Ordering from the likes of WowHD makes the whole import experience no different than buying from a U.K. retailer, takes about as long to arrive too lol

[KMFDMvsEnya]

The new special features for The Abyss uses footage repurposed from the Under Pressure documentary in different forms.

They either use it at its correct aspect ratio or they crop it to 16x9.

All the footage that has been cropped has been AI processed with varying results in quality in the final output.

The deinterlacing is adequate but not phenomenal.

Without being able to do a direct comparison the OAR repurposed footage looks better than the stand alone original documentary.

Unfortunately, the stand alone version of Under Pressure documentary has not received an updated transfer, and it is potentially a reencode from the DVD.

[fitprod]

Originally Posted by Ben_UK

I respect their stance to not issue a cut version, I wouldn’t have wanted a cut version anyway, so I just blame the UK regulator. I’ll import.

I just find it funny, because they re-framed the sketching scene from Titanic for China's DVD/BD release. (The again, it's not a full edit of the film changing the context, as it would be with The Abyss.)

fitprod

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by Dr. T

PTSD from the complaints about the CAV LD box set.

Well...um...that release is a bit infamous for a lot of reasons. A telecine fella threw shade about notorious projects he worked on to WideScreen Review back in the early 90's, didn't specifically name people and projects in particular, but everybody knew what he was talking about...from a certain 1955 animated feature shot twice, once in CinemaScope and the other version protected for non-widescreen theaters and the studio chose instead to pan-and-scan the CinemaScope version because they were unaware there was an alternative (true story, speaking of course about Lady and the Tramp), and the other story the guy told was about a major sci-fi action film directed by a hothead, who instead of going by the recommendations of the telecine artists and their equipment, brought his home TV into the bay, and demanded they use his TV settings as the basis for their master.

Result? Yikes. Now that could theoretically could have been anybody, but it sure sounds like what happened to that Aliens: SE CAV laserdisc to me.

[Cook]

Originally Posted by Wtdk

It’s been cancelled in the UK. A scene UK censors insisted be cut.

https://thedigitalbits.com/columns/m...ts/122623-1600

Imagine worrying about a rat thats been dead for at least 30 years.

I bet the BBFC use mouse and rat traps in their building. Maybe they will cancel themselves and save Britain from their mollycoddling.