▁the ▁film ." ▁ ▁Post - production ▁The ▁shooting ▁wrapped ▁on ▁October ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁both ▁on - time ▁and ▁on - bud get . ▁No ▁one ▁on ▁the ▁team , ▁however , ▁liked ▁the ▁rough ▁cut ▁that ▁was ▁put ▁together , ▁and ▁V est ron ▁execut ives ▁were ▁convinced ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁going ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁f lop . ▁Th irty - n ine ▁percent ▁of ▁people ▁who ▁viewed ▁the ▁film ▁did ▁not ▁realize ▁abort ion ▁was ▁the ▁sub plot . ▁In ▁May ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁screen ed ▁for ▁producer ▁A aron ▁Rus so . ▁According ▁to ▁V est ron ▁executive ▁Mitchell ▁C ann old , ▁Rus so ' s ▁reaction ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁was ▁to ▁say ▁simply , ▁" B urn ▁the ▁negative , ▁and ▁collect ▁the ▁ins urance ." ▁ ▁Further ▁disput es ▁arose ▁over ▁whether ▁a ▁corpor ate ▁spons or ▁could ▁be ▁found ▁to ▁promote ▁the ▁film . ▁Mark eters ▁of ▁the ▁Clear as il ▁ac ne ▁product ▁liked ▁the ▁film , ▁seeing ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁vehicle ▁to ▁reach ▁a ▁te en ▁target ▁audience . ▁However , ▁when ▁they ▁learned ▁the ▁film ▁contained ▁an ▁abort ion ▁scene , ▁they ▁asked ▁for ▁that ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁plot ▁to ▁be ▁cut . ▁As ▁Berg stein ▁refused , ▁the ▁Clear as il ▁promotion ▁was ▁dropped . ▁Con sequently , ▁V est ron ▁promoted ▁the ▁film ▁themselves ▁and ▁set ▁the ▁premi ere ▁on ▁August ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 1