Over/Under Movies Episode 43: The Abyss (Special Edition)/Avatar

Hi everyone, here's a new episode of Over/Under Movies, where three Pacific Northwest-based film critics talk about one overrated and one underrated film within the same genre, style, or tone. If you enjoy our show, please write us a review on iTunes (You can find us if you search for Over/Under Movies). We're on Twitter @overundermovies. You can also like our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/overundermovies so you can be kept up to date on new episodes. If you enjoy our podcast, or find things that we can improve, or even have your own suggestions for overrated or underrated films, please comment so we can make the show better. In this episode, we discuss the career of one of the most creative and influential blockbuster directors of all time, James Cameron. Erik's picks for this episode highlights the ups and downs of the seemingly indestructible box-office titan. First, we dive into (Pun totally intended) the Special Edition cut of The Abyss, which seems to do a better job of explaining the sci-fi elements of its story than the theatrical version does. We also don't forget to bitch and moan about the terrible home video options we currently have for this gem while praying for a decent Blu-ray release in the future. That being said, here's a Cameron movie that doesn't need a new Blu-ray since it already has a demo quality one: Avatar. Still the #1 highest grossing film of all time, despite the recent efforts of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Avatar was a cultural juggernaut during its 3D IMAX release. Of course that doesn't mean it's devoid of any glaring faults, and we're here to dive into them (There isn't a pun this time around, since Avatar doesn't take place in water) as Cameron's Blue Man Group remake of Dances With Wolves serves as Erik's overrated pick for the episode. Erik McClanahan is the lead film critic at Oregon Arts Watch, co-host of the Adjust Your Tracking podcast (Also available on iTunes), and a contributor at The Playlist. Ryan Oliver is the co-host of the Unspooled Reel podcast and the author of the blog Wellness in 24 Frames. Oktay Ege Kozak is a film critic for The Playlist, DVD Talk, The Oregon Herald, and Beyazperde.