The ABYSS


The story:
An American nuclear submarine is attacked (during the cold war) and crashes underwater. The navy asks the workers of a nearby underwater oil rig who are joined by a number of navy SEALS to locate and investigate the cause of the crash. As the crew embark on their mission, they encounter a number of difficulties and discover that they may not be alone. There is something else down there.
Directed and written by James Cameron
USA 1989

Most of the underwater filming took place in a half-completed nuclear reactor cooling tank in Gaffney, South Carolina. The cast and crew frequently spent enough time underwater to force them to undergo decompression before surfacing. The tank was filled to a depth of 40 feet, but there was still too much light from the surface, so billions of tiny black plastic beads were floated on the surface to block the light.


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