Latest news with #EdHarris
Daily Mail
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Award-winning director's forgotten film hailed as 'brilliance on a whole new level' as it finally lands on Netflix - with viewers raving 'it's the most intense movie I've ever seen!'
An award-winning director's forgotten film has been hailed as 'brilliance on a whole new level' as it finally lands on Netflix. James Cameron is known for his involvement with movie classics like Titanic, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Directing as well as Avatar, which earned him a Global Globe Award. Another film directed by Cameron, which isn't as well known, is 1989 sci-fi thriller The Abyss. The adventure movie follows a diving team, made of civilians, who are roped into helping with a search for a lost submarine. Ed Harris, Mary Mastrantonia, Micahel Biehn and Dick Warlock are amongst some of the talented cast members. The Abyss received an Academy Award for the Best Visual Effects and James was presented with a Saturn Award for Best Director. The awards were well deserved as creating the movie involved cast members and crew to be under water for long periods of time in tanks inside an unused power plant in South Carolina, America, during filming. The film is available to stream on Netflix and fans have raved about it as 'the most intense movie'. Many have taken to Rotten Tomatoes, where the film has an impressive 89% score, to leave their verdicts and posted: 'One of Cameron's best films. Amazing use of practical effects as well as ground breaking CGI that still (mostly) holds up today.'; 'Move over Avatar and Aliens—The Abyss is James Cameron's unsung action adventure masterpiece. 'Complete with the archetypal characters typical of a Cameron film, this submersible tale of aliens and the deep blue ocean is an unforgettable thrill ride. 'Packaged with relatable and interesting people, the stakes are always high and the action never stops, as Cameron takes you deep underwater in this claustrophobic epic. This is a blockbuster film and a classic, mark my words!'; 'James Cameron's best film IMO. A work of art that was very difficult to make, but it was worth it. 'The performances, set design, storyline and special effects are beyond amazing. This is top of the line film at the highest level of all time. Perfection!!' The Abyss received an Academy Award for the Best Visual Effects and James was presented with a Saturn Award for Best Director According to the Express, someone else raved: 'After all these years, James Cameron's The Abyss remains the most intense movie I have ever seen.' While another added: 'Audience: Back in the 90's, I had the pleasure of experiencing this mind-blowing sci-fi film, and even to this day, it continues to captivate me. 'Undoubtedly, it has secured its place as one of my all-time favourites in the genre. However, let me tell you, the uncut version takes the brilliance to a whole new level.' Though not everyone has enjoyed the film and someone penned: 'Very bad honestly. It would have worked much better as a sci-fi horror movie. Wasted potential for a plot.' The Abyss is available to stream on Netflix.
Edinburgh Live
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
James Cameron's little-known 'best film' is now on Netflix but nearly killed him
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info James Cameron, the mastermind behind some of the biggest blockbusters like Avatar and its sequel, the first two Terminator movies, Titanic, and Aliens, has another gem that's now streaming on Netflix. The Abyss, a film that might not be as well-known but is packed with some of the most harrowing (read: near fatal) production tales - many shared by the cast and crew themselves over time. The 1989 sci-fi epic was shot in massive water tanks built inside a disused power station in Gaffney, South Carolina, marking Cameron's initial foray into certain techniques and technologies he would later refine and use in Titanic and Avatar. The Abyss' filming demanded that the cast and crew spend long hours submerged in water, clad in diving gear, which proved to be not just demanding but also led to some sharp remarks from the actors afterwards, particularly Ed Harris who infamously referred to his experience as "a bitch." The shoot even almost claimed the life of James Cameron himself. One critic hailed the movie as "colossally ambitious", saying: "This logistically boggling and technically brilliant film from writer-director James Cameron is a visual tour de force, featuring overall, the greatest underwater sequences ever seen on film." Featuring Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn, Leo Burmester, Todd Graff, and John Bedford Lloyd, James Cameron's deep-sea saga 'The Abyss' was initially deemed a box-office letdown, raking in just $90 million against its $42 million budget, reports the Express. (Image: (Image: AP)) Despite the lukewarm financial reception, the movie scooped up an array of awards, bagging an Oscar for visual effects and earning nods for art direction, sound, and cinematography. Reflecting on the gruelling production process, James Cameron told Variety: "The Abyss was tough on everybody. "I used to be underwater eight to 10 hours a day, six days a week for 10 straight weeks. If you're a scuba diver, you know that a two-dive day is a heavy day as a diver. "I used to fall asleep at night with my dinner plate on my chest and I'd wake up in the morning and it's still there - I hadn't moved all night. So it was physically taxing for me and for them [the cast]. "It was a tough shoot. There was no way for me to make it easier on everybody than what it was, other than to just not do it. And that's not my style. "I mean, I did try to make it as easy as possible. But you see the work." A critic said: "Anyone looking for a discouraging word about this stupendously exciting and emotionally engulfing film should read no further. The Abyss confirms James Cameron as a world-class filmmaker." (Image: (Image: Channel 4)) One reviewer, completely taken by the film, added: "Blew my mind way back when it came out, and it blew it again in my recent revisit. James Cameron had already left his mark in water-related films, even before Titanic and Avatar," while another shared: "After all these years, James Cameron's The Abyss remains the most intense movie I have ever seen." A fan of the film praised it, saying: "James Cameron's best film imo (in my opinion). A work of art that was very difficult to make, but it was worth it. "The performances, set design, storyline and special effects are beyond amazing. This is top of the line film at the highest level of all time. Perfection! !". Another enthusiast said: "Audience: Back in the 90's, I had the pleasure of experiencing this mind-blowing sci-fi film, and even to this day, it continues to captivate me. Undoubtedly, it has secured its place as one of my all-time favorites in the genre. However, let me tell you, the uncut version takes the brilliance to a whole new level. "James Cameron had to make some tough decisions for the theatrical release, resulting in some brutal cuts. Yet, the impact of this film remains undeniable. The special effects showcased in this cinematic wonder left me in awe. It's astonishing how they have stood the test of time, retaining their power and allure even years later."
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Big screen talent announced for Glasgow Film Festival 2025
A raft of big screen stars and famous favourites are set to tread the red carpet for the 21st edition of Glasgow Film Festival (GFF). Pulp Fiction star Tim Roth, Japanese model, musician and actor Kōki, Shogun star Takehiro Hira and Edinburgh director John Maclean will attend the World premiere of their hotly-anticipated survival thriller Tornado, which will open Glasgow Film Festival 2025 on February 26. Hollywood legends Ed Harris and Jessica Lange will also attend the UK premiere of Long Day's Journey Into Night, the new big screen adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's seminal American play, on February 28. Jessica Lange will also appear in a special In Conversation event on March 1, reflecting on her six decade-long screen career, from King Kong and Tootsie to Rob Roy and American Horror Story. READ MORE: Glasgow Film Festival unveils programme for its 21st edition 'Huge new feature film' to shoot in the Highlands this summer Homegrown film star James McAvoy will introduce a special screening of his breakthrough role in Kevin McDonald's compelling fiction debut The Last King of Scotland (2006), following his sold out In Conversation event (March 2). Scottish stars Martin Compston, James Cosmo and Solly McLeod will attend the World premiere of the first episode of new Amazon Studios-produced thriller Fear (February 27), shot in Glasgow's West End; and Glasgow-born actor James McArdle will attend the Scottish premiere of his new rom-com Four Mothers (3 March). GFF favourite George MacKay returns with the Scottish premiere of the post-apocalyptic musical The End (March 4) and Icelandic singer-songwriter Emiliana Torrini along with directors Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard will attend the Scottish premiere of the vibrant performance film The Extraordinary Miss Flower (March 1), based on a real-life treasure trove of hidden love letters. Hollywood legends Ed Harris and Jessica Lange will also attend the UK premiere of Long Day's Journey Into Night (Image: GFF) Behind-the-camera talent visiting the festival includes Athina Rachel Tsangari with the Scottish premiere of her Scottish folk horror Harvest (March 2), shot entirely on location in Argyllshire, The Greasy Strangler auteur Jim Hosking at the UK premiere of his new feature Ebony & Ivory (March 5), Edinburgh-based filmmaker Laura Carreira at the Scottish premiere of her Edinburgh and Glasgow-shot drama On Falling (February 28) and The Return director Uberto Pasolini (March 9). This year's country focus - Austria - is represented by director Bernhard Wenger, who will attend the UK premiere of his absurdist comedy Peacock (March 2) and filmmakers Daniel Hoesl and Julia Niemann will attend the UK premiere of their bloodthirsty social satire Veni Vedi Vici (March 8). Glasgow Film Festival will run at Glasgow Film Theatre and venues across the city from February 26 to March 9, with a programme boasting 13 World and European premieres, 66 UK premieres and 12 Scottish premieres from 38 countries.
