Page 1 of the abyss - quick question

is there a version of this film out there that includes the rat breathing that liquid? I remember seeing it at the flicks all those years ago, but they haven`t even included it in the SE

It was cut by the BBFC, so I suppose every other region has it (better check with others just to be sure though!).

Found this, R2 - Includes both Theatrical and SE Cuts: 0m 45s - at the request of the British Veterinary Association. The scene where the rat is put into liquid oxygen was reframed and trimmed, as it appears to show an animal in distress, but the r1 version appears to be uncut

Typical. Mind you, all it would take would be for some dumbass kids trying to make their pet rats breathe vimto after seeing the film...

I thought you would have asked the standard Abyss question, on how common could alien civilisations be?

Carl Sagan believed that there might be perhaps be up to one million other advanced civilisations in our Galaxy at any one time . It was felt that should simple life arise on a planet, evolution would drive it towards increasing intelligence.

However, this may not necessarily be the case, and if the time scale for the development of our own advanced civilisation is a guide, there may not be many planets where conditions remain temperate for a sufficient length of time. Few doubt that simple life forms will be very common within the Galaxy but it may not be often that they get the chance to develop into an advanced civilisation such as we have. Advanced so much that we can now ask the question does a rat breathe vimto.

The original Uk theatrical release and subsequent VHS release showed the rat scene in it`s entirety, this version was also screened on television (C4 I think). It was subsequently cut, as stated above, at the request of the British Vetinary Association. The shot in question was re-framed so that the rat is not shown whilst submerged.

The Region 1 edition is uncut and shows the scene as per the original release.

This scene is raised repeatedly by interviewers when talking to the film`s makers - the rat was in fact submerged and was unharmed, it died of natural causes soem time later.

Heah, i heard that, which makes the decision by the BBFC all the more irritating

This scene is definitely on the R1, but it wasn`t in the original UK theatrical release that I saw, I`m sure I`d have remembered. Likewise it wasn`t on any UK VHS release afterwards.

Lots of people did say it was screened on C4 though, but I didn`t see that.

It really does spend a long time under that liquid (which is liquid oxygen apparently), and as Chris says it was perfectly all right afterwards.


Editor
DVD REVIEWER

Liquid oxygen would be a tad cold doncha think?

I remember reading (or misreading) in the Abyss novel that is was
superoxygenated CFC fluid or something like that.

===========================
Jitendar Canth

"Bored now"

Site Reviewer at DVD Reviewer

Except for the one instance on Ch4 it`s always been cut in the UK. The R1 is uncut plus it has a load more easter eggs than the R2. The downside is that both regions are 4:3 widescreen and not 16x9 enhanced.

Shenk.