THX 1138 (The George Lucas Director's Cut)

Starring:Robert Duvall, Donald Pleasence, Don Pedro Colley, Maggie McOmie, Ian Wolfe, Marshall Efron, Sid Haig, John Pearce, Irene Forrest, Gary Alan Marsh, John Seaton, Eugene I. Stillman, Raymond Walsh, Mark Lawhead, Robert Feero, Johnny Weissmuller Jr., Claudette Bessing, Susan Baldwin, James Wheaton, Henry Jacobs
Director: George Lucas
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Description

Two-Disc Special Edition:
* Digitally remastered with THX certified sound
* Commentary by George Lucas and co-writer/sound effects editor Walter Murch
* Theatre of Noise sound-effects track with branching segments to 13 master sessions with Walter Murch
* 2 New documentaries: "A Legacy of Filmmakers: The Early Years of American Zoetrope" and "Artifacts from the Future: The Making of THX 1138"
* George Lucas's original student film "THX-11384EB"
* "Bald": 1971 production featurette
* Five new trailers from the 2004 theatrical release
* Original theatrical trailer

Customer Reviews:

A futuristic view of a sexually repressed society.......2007-04-08

This movie is a very odd movie about a futuristic society that is sexually and emotionally repressed. The movie made back in 1971 is about what happens when "big brother" is allowed into our lives and what happens when it is. What is told, is about a man THX 1138 and his "roommate" LUH 3417 that have a sexual encounter together. Both are punished for this "act" of emotion and "punished" and jailed for feeling emotion. In this movie, there is no "just retribution" because this is the norm of this society. But there is "freedom" within the soul of the THX 1138. To me, this is a very well done movie with great actors in the movie. Why I say it is a very weird movie, because I think this is the only movie of it's kind in this genre. I am not sure, but I think that this statement holds correct. If you like science fiction the originally the way it was portrayed, then you will love this movie. I do recommend everyone in seeing this movie just for it's story line and theatrical effect.

The only good film Lucas ever directed (the original theatrical version only)..........2007-03-09

This is a great film. It's reminiscent of 2001, Tarkovsky's Solaris, Blade Runner, and Stalker. Eerie, cerebral, chilling, and mesmerizing are words that aptly describe it. I've always like science fiction films in this vein. The performances (especially for a George Lucas film, who is notoriously bad at directing) are very good here, and, to me, this is the only George Lucas film I really like. I never understood why he didn't make more films like this after Star Wars made him some decent cash. He could have afforded it. This review only applies to the original theatrical cut. I have not seen the "director's cut", and from reading most of the reviews here, Lucas screwed up again. Try and see the original cut if you can. I know Lucas doesn't want you to (more than likely), but try anyway.

thx1138.......2007-03-09

the movie had a good story line and i love science fiction. i have become spoiled by modern science fiction and this movie was a little too dated for me.

Lucas, The Destroyer.......2007-01-31

I wish people would forget that George Lucas (who would eventually be famous) made this movie. At the time he was an unknown director. Maybe the director credit should deleted from all databases.

The original THX-1138 (which I own on laserdisc) is a masterpiece. It is an art film about the future and is disturbingly realistic. The claustrophobic feel, perfect soundtrack and visual effects are brilliant.

What we have on DVD is another story. As others have pointed out, the few CGI additions destroy the film. The new scenes that show vast, open areas conflict with the original filmmaker's intent. The replacement of the shell-dwellers (portrayed by midgets in the original) with vicious ewoks is downright laughable and totally obvious.

Why can't we simply get a cleaned up version of this former masterpiece?

[DW]

A classic.......2007-01-19

I wish George Lukas will someday go back to make other movies like that. A must have in any SF collection.

THX 1138 (The George Lucas Director's Cut)

Average customer rating:

Lucas' Premier Movie (Meaning his First)
Great Movie Buy
George Lucas is a Fool
How it just seems so relevant today
Different, but not terribly thought provoking, OK "classic"

THX 1138 (The George Lucas Director's Cut)
Starring: Robert Duvall , Donald Pleasence , Don Pedro Colley , Maggie McOmie , and Ian Wolfe
Director: George Lucas
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002CHIJC
Release Date: 2004-09-14

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George Lucas's enigmatic feature film debut expands on a student film he made at USC. Created under the wing of producer Francis Ford Coppola, this movie is a bleak vision of a world in which technology, not man, is the ultimate dictator. Efficiency overrides every other aspect of human life, as people are reduced to code names and their lives are contained, monitored, and manipulated for the sake of the system. Featuring unsettling performances by Robert Duvall, Donald Pleasance, and Maggie McOmie, THX 1138 does not attempt to explain how things became this way; rather, it utilizes the alienation of its characters, the stifling white-on-white imagery of its sterilized society, and the claustrophobic, droning sound design to emphasize the dangers of a world reliant on soulless technology. Even though this is not a film one will want to take in repeatedly, THX 1138 merits attention because it is that rare film that uses images and sounds--rather than relying heavily on dialogue--to communicate its dark prophecy. --Bryan Reesman

Description

* Digitally remastered with THX certified sound
* Commentary by George Lucas and co-writer/sound effects editor Walter Murch

Customer Reviews:

Lucas' Premier Movie (Meaning his First).......2007-05-13

This is a really fantastic movie!! And I mean that literally as well as figuratively. The society it portrays is of a different world-- but which is an extension of ours. Any movie which pits the protagonist against society for falling in love with his roommate (because she substitued his daily drug dosage with placebos) is worth a look to begin with, but this one is particularly fascinating -- one of the major characters is a hologram.

I'll bet this film helped Lucas on his way to his wonderful career in movies.

Definately well worth seeing, but you have to buy it (I did on line for peanuts) in order to see it because it is totally overlooked in the film biz.

Nowadays when you go to a movie theater it often begins with a sound system credit for THX. hmmmmmm

Great Movie Buy.......2007-01-04

The movie is in great condition and couldn't believe I would find it but I did and at a great value. This is one of George Lucas, as a young director and I am happy that I have it.

George Lucas is a Fool.......2006-10-02

Yes, he is you know... George Lucas is a fool. I used to really like this film, regardless of what some boneheads might think. Yeah, sure it's dull, it's dull and confusing and excruciating to watch almost, just like life. In fact, that what it does, THX 1138 shows us one vision of how more and more of life is being drained of its meaninging and people are reduced to automatons. Of course, as relevant as this seems today in many ways (this film is what the world of Office Space becomes in the future - you like Office Space, right? well get those two rusty gears in your poor excuse for a brain working once in a while and maybe you can figure something out for yourself one day) this vision of the future was more relevant back when THX was made. If not more relevant, then a bit more immediate. Today, people actually WANT to be automatons - either that or soulless extreme thrill seeking animals. Anyway, the reason I say George Lucas is a fool is that he really thinks he knows what's best for his films and mistakenly believes that shoving all the fancy effects he dreamed of when he made his films into them years and years after the fact, simply because the technology is there and he has the money to do it, will somehow make them better, "truer to his original vision", like he was making movies only for himself? Hey, you filmmakers out there, listen up! Your "original vision" means nothing. If you can't get it into your films then that's it, you had your chance, because once a film is released to the public it becomes THEIRS. Would you like it if Van Gogh came back as a zombie and started repainting all of his works because what he was going for originally was pictures of big eyed waifs but he just could not get them right so he settled on chairs and flowers and stuff? This new version of THX, the one on DVD SUCKS in comparrison to the original. You'd be much better off buying a used VHS, cropped though it may be. The cropping is MUCH LESS DAMAGING THAN LUCAS' ADD-INS! I wish George was reading this right now, so I could ask him how he'd feel if the director or producer of the original King Kong was still alive and actively involved in film and decided to remove all the Willis O'Brien stop-motion animation and replace it with CGI because that kind of stuff is what they were dreaming of when they originally made the film, and to top it off decided that since he still owned rights to it that we was going to replace all older versions still bearing the old effects with the new one, forcing everyone from here on out to watch only his new, reworked version? That'd be GREAT, right? I mean, didn't you see how hokey that monkey was, jerking around like a Rankin & Bass Xmas special puppet?! And who could POSSIBLY believe that Empire State building scene? In fact, maybe we could CGI in Britney Spears in place of Fay Wray! Basically, what George did here was cram in a few superfluous scenes, jam in some effects, like more going on above and behind the workers on the assembly line, and replace elements like the midgets in the mutant zone with really CHEESY space monkeys. I mean, we're talkin' SPACE MONKEYS, FOLKS, SPACE MONEYS!!! Aren't space monkeys just ever so much better than mere midgets? Hey George, if I was you I'd get to work on figuring out some way I could CGI out that ridiculously swollen fat neck of yours, dude, whenever you are interviewed. I mean, does everything you eat go to your neck or what? Is it a thyroid condition? What gives??!! Anyway, THX 1138 is in many ways a great movie, and even in the current screwed up version it's still pretty good. But after just ONE viewing I was DONE with it and gave it away.

How it just seems so relevant today.......2006-08-30

However, it should I guess as this is a science fiction movie. This takes place in the future as a society where everything goes except for love. I tried to watch this twenty-three years ago when I was almost 16, and didn't understand it then, and only got through 15 minutes of it, but it wouldn't go away. I feel that it's a bit heavy handed, but shows what George Lucas would do six years later with"Star Wars" even with the sound effects of the sticks that the police would use to subdue the violators they sound so much like the light sabers. Robert Duval stars as the main character THX who falls in love with his roommate which is strictly forbidden in this society, and he wants out of it bad. Understandable I know with me if I was in that situation I'd want out too. I know that showing any signs of that in the workplace is rather a dangerous thing these days where you can't give hugs too often, or to the so-called wrong people for fear that you will be sent to employee relations, and according to them it's rehabiliation, but to the person accussed it's bullying. Mind you some do try to make improper moves, but others are just doing it out of kindness, concern, compassion whatever you want to call it, and then they're reported, so that's when it's bullying in my book. THX is the hero of this movie as well as the namesake for the sound quality program that's infamous today. He escapes into the new world, but we never find out what was going on out there, and that's perfect because it's in his hands now to do with as he pleases. Hollywood has a knack of trying to put in happily ever afters too much where something's done to show life after the hardship, but here they do the right thing by leaving it to our imagination. There were a few slow moments in this otherwise good outing for Lucas's first movie.

Different, but not terribly thought provoking, OK "classic".......2006-07-29

I had never seen this movie completely before, so the DVD gave me the chance to. I must say the DVD remaster and Sound quality were excellent. Now, the movie is based again on a world controlled and druged to keep emotions at bay, a genre that was very popular at that time, All with that 1984 feel, as well as fahrenheit 451. Also can't forget Zardoz around the same time. This movie also marked George Lucas's major film debut, executive producer francis ford copolla. THX 1138, played by Robert Duvall, is a drone in a society based on commerce and credits, not time. Everything is about efficency and cost controll. Life essentially is a drugged up non existence. Unfortunately, a few people tend to rebel, as human nature tends to do, and they stop taking their medication. This was forced on THX 1138 by his mate. The movie then revolves around THX 1138 and his withdrawel from the meds, and eventual arrest for Drug violation. He gets sent to Conditioning. In the meantime, he finds out his mate is pregnant, and act which was forbidden but performed when both had stopped meds. Eventually, the movie comes down to THX 1138 leaving, trying to search for his mate, but ultimately just escaping, not able to truely figure out what happend to her, fetus in a bottle? is it the baby and they killed her, or did they shrink her? I guess you have to be a big Lucus fan if you love this movie, but I just didn't seem pulled in to the plot. Ok movie just to see a "classic", but just not as thought provoking or action packed as others of the period. I give Lucas credit, its not a bad start.

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose (May 19, 2005)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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60 Minutes - The Last Star Wars (March 13, 2005)
Star Wars Trilogy (Widescreen Edition with Bonus Disc)

ASIN: B000GAKTR8
Release Date: 2006-12-21

Description

A rebroadcast of a conversation with filmmaker George Lucas, which originally aired September 9, 2004. He spoke to Charlie Rose in September of 2004 about the re-release of "THX-1138", the "Star Wars" legacy, and the future of Lucasfilm.

Average customer rating:

Lucas' Premier Movie (Meaning his First)
Great Movie Buy
George Lucas is a Fool
How it just seems so relevant today
Different, but not terribly thought provoking, OK "classic"

THX 1138 [Region 2]
Starring: Robert Duvall , Donald Pleasence , Don Pedro Colley , Maggie McOmie , and Ian Wolfe
Director: George Lucas
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Soylent Green
THX 1138 - The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition)
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ASIN: B0002IBJQE

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Customer Reviews:

Lucas' Premier Movie (Meaning his First).......2007-05-13

Great Movie Buy.......2007-01-04

The movie is in great condition and couldn't believe I would find it but I did and at a great value. This is one of George Lucas, as a young director and I am happy that I have it.

George Lucas is a Fool.......2006-10-02

How it just seems so relevant today.......2006-08-30

Different, but not terribly thought provoking, OK "classic".......2006-07-29

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose (January 12, 2005)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Description

In this rebroadcast, which originally aired September 9, 2004, George Lucas, filmmaker and founder of Lucasfilm Ltd., talks with Charlie Rose in New York about his career, approach to filmmaking, and the status of production on Star Wars: Episode III, Rev

Average customer rating:

THX 1138
Starring: Warner 2pak
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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