Ghosts Of The Abyss [DVD]

ON THE REGION CODE:The fact there is such a difference between the 2 regions is a prime example of why I have unlocked my player. It is ludicrous that on the region 2 edition you have only a 60 minute feature and less extra's. If you are like me the reason you want to see this is of course for the wreck documentary footage, why Europe is denied this and some extra features is beyond me.ON THE FEATURE:The 90 minute film is one of my favourite documentaries of all time. Though some have complained about the amount of time spent with Bill Paxton, especially in the first half hour. I have to disagree though; Bill does a wonderful job of bringing some humanity and a sense of wonder to the clinical and mechanical process of dive preparation. During the first dive you can feel his apprehension as the tiny sub descends into the crushing depth, reminding the audience of the danger to the individuals involved in such an expedition. Something other documentaries only briefly glance over.The visuals during the exploration of the wreck are absolutely stunning; the best I have ever seen. For this expedition a specially created light rig was constructed to shine onto sections of the site, the added visibility allowing us to see much more of the ship than the standard submersible lights of the past. You get a better sense of the sheer size of Titanic and her majesty, even in death, is still present as she sits upright on the ocean floor.The Ghosts of the title refer to unique comparison tool used in the feature. With overlaying specially reconstructed shots of passengers and areas of the ship as she was in 1912, we get to see the passage of nearly 90 years in seconds before our eyes; seeing the before and after instantaneously. This not only allows the viewer to distinguish particular features in the decaying ship, but also with the addition of people provides a more human connection to the tragedy that took place on those exact decks.There are lighter moments too between the crew of the expedition, as well as tension and sadness during the events at sea. All in all while this documentary is not an entirely academic pursuit and does have things presented for entrainment also, I do feel it is a well rounded presentation, at least in its 90 minute form, though the 60 minute edit is also available on the region one disk too if you are interested. I myself have not watched the 60 minute version because why would I want to watch an inferior cut of a fantastic 90 minute movie.Special features include making of feaurettes which include interviews and technical information. There is another interesting interactive extra included called "The MIR Experience"; In this you get to view some extended shots of one of the dives with the option to switch between the cameras filming at the time; between the internal sub cameras, to the external and from the point of view of the ROV's.Final Words: For anyone with an interest into the Titanic and/or deep sea exploration this is a must have.5 STARS!

Going from the reviews previous purchasers have left, there is mixed feelings as to whether or not this DVD shows enough of the wreck itself.It's a DVD i have wanted, produced by James Cameron, i was looking forward to his return to Titanic. This is however a slightly different angle. Cameron seems to want to show the story of how they dive to the wreck, and those envolved.I enjoyed the way it was presented, Bill Paxon shows that he's human in his casual and sometimes overcome presentation. He dives down in one of the MIR submersibles, showing all the signs of someone not used to the surroundings he finds himself in.All in all the dvd was very enjoyable, at rounghly 60mins long, it could have been longer. However this doesnt distract, you get to see images never before seen of the Titanic, and in the risky world hey dive in, it is good to see how it all works on the main boat (Keldysh) and whats involved with the dives. . . . even seeing Bill Paxon flush white after being hurled around the inside of a submersible...its all interesting and sometimes funny.

Just to confirm, the blu ray 2d and 3d disks are both multi-region 1080/24 resolution/frame rate, however the dvd is for region 1 (USA/Canada) only and is in NTSC. Good 3D demo, although bear in mind that the condition of the Titanic has deteriorated since this documentary was filmed in August/September 2001

Filming at its best

It's a wee bit of a documentary not a film, and it should be marked clearly as this. You see Walt Disney and Bill Paxton and you expect a dramatisation!

Downsides first: this film would be significantly better if it maintained its focus better. As it is, Cameron has a habit of digressing from the meat of the film - in a film about the wreck of the Titanic, it feels like there was too much chit-chat and, well, 'stuff that wasn't Titanic'. It's also off-putting for the film to talk about the many fatalities one moment, and switch the next moment to "Dude, this is awesome" and "So that's where the captain had his baths... his little pink butt right there." You can respect the dead or not, but mixing the two comes off feeling insincere.But then there's the footage itself, and it's astonishing. It's surprising that the Titanic is still in such (relatively) good condition; there are even decanters standing upright on shelves and a bowler hat still intact. I was sceptical about the "ghosts" - the superimposed actors - at first, and they certainly have moments when there's more wood in the acting than left in the carvings on the Titanic. But ultimately I was surprised at how well it works; it lends an air of life to things and really works well to put things into context.The highlight for me, though, is the rescue of Elwood, one of the remotely operated vehicles. The film suddenly shifts from being a historical documentary and becomes an impromptu adventure movie - a fascinating sequence in its own right.All in all, a very worthwhile film. Rather twee in places, and occasionally a bit aimless, but definitely one to watch nevertheless. Do make sure you get the region 1 version, though; it has several features the region 2 edition lacks.

Had seen this many years ago on an imax screen and in 3D.Thought at the time that this was awesome and the nearest the public were going to get to the wreckage.Only lately did I search for it again, and found it in 3D. Had to get it to watch again in 3D .Excellent, still enjoyed it second time around, and a fantastic documentary keepsake.With the overlay of people on the wreckage, you got to recognise the various wreck parts. Cleverly done.

Es un documental excelente y en 3D pues la mayoría, el problema es que No tiene AUDIO NI ESPAÑOL LATINO 🥹

Big Titanic fan so well pleased.I wasn't aware of the information so happy.😊

Documental en 3D espectacular. Lástima que no esté disponible el audio y subtítulos en castellano.

I really like these movies...

Articolo acquistato e non regalato.Spedizione: La spedizione Prime non ha bisogno di commenti sempre ottima, l'imballo ha mantenuto integro il prodotto.Prodotto: Il Documentario è bellissimo, la qualità è molto buona; Lo consiglio a tutti gli amanti della storia del Titanic e degli abissi.