Theory on disappointing box office.

Hate when people label the movie a box office flop. It was far from that. It definitely made less than what was hoped for.

I had two thoughts about why that was the case (excluding the superior Special Edition).I felt this way in 1989 and still do now.

1) The poster. It may seem lame but the one sheet was as dull as they come. Just the title with a blue background. The theatrical trailer and tv spots were great. But if you just showed up at a multiplex blind and looked at the poster it wouldn't inspire to spend your bucks on seeing it. Just bland, relying on Cameron's two-picture track record. Maybe some would scoff at the power of a good poster if the media ads are strong but I think it's essential - especially for an original story.

2) The release date. This one I think might be more debatable. June and July had some strong summer releases, headlined by Batman and Lethal Weapon 2. You could argue that if The Abyss were released closer to these two it could have been buried. That spring Batman ads were all over the place - the hype was in overdrive. Weapon had a following being a sequel to a popular film. But I think the earlier releases wore out the action/fantasy audience. By August, they'd had enough. I understand The Abyss was intended for a July 4th release but pushed back due to post-production issues. I think it would've been better served to have more summer weeks.

Regardless, I still think it's Cameron's best film and certainly the most admirable, courageous, ambitious and dangerous film shoot in history. And with that is this sidenote: Orson Scott Card's novel based on Cameron's script is a superb read. Highly recommended.