Making an underwater movie is hard. Let’s talk about how difficult it was to make The Abyss, from the logistical nightmare of all involved during filming to dealing with James Cameron’s perfectionism.

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In the entertainment world, there are millions of dollars on the line and troubled productions are bound to happen. And we are going to talk about these disastrous, never ending, and sometimes dangerous productions. From the creators of WTF Happened To This Movie?, It Was A Sh*t Show is a video essay/documentary/podcast series looking at some of your favorite films and tv shows, and why they were such a nightmare to make.

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:32 - James Cameron’s Love of the Ocean
01:06 - Terminator and Aliens Lead to The Abyss
01:40 - An Underwater Idea
02:29 - Building a Set Inside a Nuclear Power Plant
03:28 - Inventing Ways to Make the Film
04:58 - An Unready Set, Cast and Crew
06:21 - The Logistical Horror Show
08:00 - From Joy to Panic: The Actors’ Journey
09:29 - Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio’s Humiliation
10:11 - Ed Harris Attempts Breathing Underwater
11:59 - More Disasters During a Cold Fall
13:21 - James Cameron: Architect of Misery
15:50 - ILM Revolutionizes Computer Graphics
17:12 - Cutting Subplots and Finishing VFX
18:43 - The Abyss Releases August 9, 1989
19:44 - Special Edition Restoration
20:53 - Cameron’s Full Commitment
21:21 - Unrelenting Pressure of Hollywood

Sources:
Box Office Mojo: https://bit.ly/3Wo8yBV
Entertainment Weekly: https://bit.ly/3isbwqj
James Cameron: Interviews: https://bit.ly/3ineBYK
LA Times: https://lat.ms/3hBHy2v
New York Times: https://nyti.ms/3hEpdly
Rotten Tomatoes: https://bit.ly/3IV8IfY
Starlog #146, September 1989
Starlog #150, January 1990
Titanic and the Making of James Cameron: https://bit.ly/3WNlYXE

Featured Footage:
The Abyss (1989)*
Aliens (1986)
Arrested Development (2003-2019)
Avatar (2009)
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)*
Deepsea Challenge (2014)
DeepStar Six (1989)
Jaws (1975)*
Leviathan (1989)
Piranha II: The Spawning (1981)
South Park (1997- )
The Terminator (1984)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Titanic (1997)
True Lies (1994)
*and special features

Entertainment Tonight
GQ:    • James Cameron Breaks Down His Most Ic...  
IGN:    • Avatar: The Way of Water - How Long D...  
James Cameron: Voyage to the Bottom of the Earth (2012)
Light & Magic (2022)
Today:    • James Cameron Talks ‘Avatar’ Sequels,...  
Under Pressure: Making The Abyss (1993)

Music:
Alan Silvestri - The Abyss (Original Soundtrack)
Ryan Hudson - Sh*t Show Theme

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