James Cameron's First Ocean Movie Was a Disaster Behind-the-Scenes

The Big Picture James Cameron has always prided himself on being a filmmaking trailblazer. His breakout hit The Terminator and widely successful movies like Aliens show he's always tinkering with the newest technology and movie effects. He was looking to continue with that pioneering attitude when he took on the 1989 maritime thriller The Abyss starring Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio.

Only days into the production, Cameron was working with his leading lady, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, when he took a breath and got no air. He immediately checked his pressure gauge and saw that it read "zero," meaning he was completely out of oxygen. Cameron recalls telling the head of the diving safety crew, Al Giddings, "Al...Al...I’m in trouble.

He quickly performed what is known as a "blow and go," which is the process of dropping your heavy diving gear and making a mad dash for the surface. He was on his way when he was stopped by a diving safety member who did as he was trained to do, which was hold Cameron and insert a breather into the panicked director's mouth. The dramatic pressure variation could also have been deadly if Cameron ascended too quickly. But there was a problem.

Ed Harris Also Almost Drowned While Shooting ‘The Abyss’ It wasn't just Cameron who stared death in the face during the dangerous filming of The Abyss. Leading man Ed Harris also had a near-death experience during the shoot as well. For those familiar with the film, Harris's character "Bud" makes a dangerous descent to the bottom of the ocean toward the end of The Abyss to make contact with the alien species.

Source: Entertainment Trends (entertainmenttrends.net)

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‘The Abyss’ Is James Cameron’s New Hollywood MomentJay Liu is a writer and critic of film and culture from the embattled city of Hong Kong. He was chosen twice to lead the official Cannes Classics x USC School of Cinematic Arts partnership, reporting on the Cannes Film Festival. He has also written for nonprofit website Cinema Escapist, and he&039;s excited to write for Collider.
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