The original version of THX was both brilliant, thoughtful sci-fi and a prime example of young filmmakers with vision and creativity making the most of a small budget (under $1 million according to IMDB). Thirty years later, Lucas felt compelled to muck it up with a lot of unnecessary CGI and extra scenes that obstruct the dramatic flow and detract rather than add to the austere, doleful beauty of the original. What was a great, 5-star sci-fi film is now... not. But it's still awfully good, and much better, much smarter, and much more mature sci-fi than Star Wars (don't get me started).

This is an old Film but in many ways it as contemporary as any film made in the last couple of decades.

The premise sounds like the continuation of the Big Brother Universe and in some ways it is. The Government control everything, but it is not the Government that is in control, it is billionaire corporate owner who have made it law that A) you must purchase so many dendrites*, B) you must immediately destroy them C) you must take your drug (it is crime not to take the special drugs that control you nervous system and brain) D) you do not get a choice on how your room or live with, E) you must view so many hours of television a week. There is a channel for everything, Sex, Drugs, Violence, music.

The whole story is about one man who stops taking his drugs because his room mate substituted something else for them. It took some time for them to wear off, but because of that he no longer has to instantly obey the frequencies they send over the networks to make the obeisant.

One of the better scenes that truley sets the mode of the movie is when there is an accident in the radioactive processing plant, and the news people are telling them 'not to abandon your posts', followed shortly by 'the accident in red sector L destroyed another 63 personnel, giving them a total of 242 lost, to our 195. Keep up the good work and prevent accidents. This shift is concluded."

It is in many ways, far more frightening than 1984, if for on other reason than with Big Brother, the Proles were left to their own and had pretty much had a free society. In THX1138, there is none for anyone. The Corporation is God and it only wants to consume us.

This the future we are headed for unless we stop, look, and listen around us. The Effects are minimal, the acting is dead pan to support the

*1 Dendrites are made for the explicit purpose of being destroyed upon reaching home using up your "credits' to keep you the worker from having too much. This keeps the 'Corporations' working and the corporate owners rich.

I don’t love the idea of giving George Lucas money and Jeff Bezos money to watch a dystopian future movie, but that’s the dystopian future we live in.

Blessings of the state, blessings of the masses. Thou art a subject of the divine. Created in the image of man, by the masses, for the masses.

Let us be thankful we have commerce. Buy more. Buy more now. Buy more and be happy.

Six years before Star Wars there was THX 1138, George Lucas' masterpiece about an apocalyptic future where an entire underground society is ruled by a central computer. This film was so influential that its prefix "THX" was used when Lucasfilm developed THX Surroundsound for theaters. It is mentioned in Star Wars, and the word "wookiee" is first mentioned in this film (although it is seems to be in reference to either a dog or rodent). The story is still solid and memorable, even in this day and age.

Now the details...

I've always wanted to own this movie, and I felt owning the bluray version would be best. I was not disappointed. At a phenomenal price, this bluray does not disappoint. The packaging is solid, and the bluray disc itself is sturdy. There is an easily navigable menu. I do, however, have to reduce one point for the quality. Overall, it is as best as can be expected. This film is from 1971, when high-def was completely unimaginable. In a digital format, the film quality is still outstanding, but there is definitely some granularity. Again, to be expected. Just don't be expecting crystal clear imagery.

One note: this Director's Cut does mix in some new versions of the creatures who exist down in the underground catacomb scene, which is kind of goofy. You can tell they are CG, which pulls you out of the story for just a moment, but only for a moment.

All in all... it's five bucks. You really can't go wrong. Owning this timeless classic is a must for any true Lucas fan.

This product arrived quickly Via Amazon prime.

The picture quality of this Blu-ray is excellent. Fine detail is plentiful and the overall image is quite clear. The audio presentation is equally excellent. The film is littered with an incredible cacophony of sound effects. Given the age and nature of the film, the dialogue can sometimes appear slightly fuzzy, but is never indecipherable. There are a multitude of special features included on the Blu-ray, including several lengthy documentaries and the original short film that the movie was based on.

The film itself is incredibly slow-moving. This coupled with the somewhat strange and abstract nature of the plot can leave some viewers confused. While I can definitely notice the influence this film had on the sci-fi genre as a whole, it just seemed a tad too eccentric for my tastes. For sci-fi fans, it's worth seeing at least once, but only at a reasonable price. At $9, I still feel like I paid a bit too much.

George Lucas' feature debut is a minimalist tech-noir dystopia that integrates elements of 1984 and Brave New World into a highly distinctive cinematic statement on the terrifying possibilities the future might hold. Very prescient in some regards. Displays a keen sense of atmosphere, mood, and visual design. Characterized by sterile environments, brutalist architecture, and a dehumanized--almost robotic--humanity. This is the type of film that gets one christened a "visionary." While Lucas would go on to bigger, better things, this is certainly one of the high points of his career, and a definite inflection point in sci-fi cinema generally.

[Regarding the director's cut, the only part that stood out in a bad way was towards the end, with some obviously CGI primate creatures.]

Being Lucas' first endeavor, I had to watch it. The premise of a future inground world ruled by a computer, nuh! Did not entice me but I followed through. It is a sllloooowww developing plot with some interesting hooks from time to time like: the computer generates a Christ-like image to the citizens who pray to it, and the computer responds with slogans such as "be good, consume often". There are some visual effects that I doubt are GCI generated but they are ok. Duval's role is almost a catatonic, except for the small scenes where he engages in sex (forbidden by society). Pleasance's is a little more dramatic. Frankly, I nodded back and forth the first 45 mins or longer, but I refused to stop the flick. Glad I finished it, so I knew what it is about.
Considering it is a 1971 film, I feel it is quite good, but the plot, storyline, rhythm, editing (Lucas'), performance and the rest, looks outdated right away. Definitely, this is not a timeless piece as his next films.
I feel this is a good movie to watch with friends while snacking, drinking and having a good time because otherwise, you may crash before the conclusion. Nevertheless, if you are an admirer of Lucas, as I am, this is a most for you.

George what were you thinking. Ruined just like SW 3-6. The original film is stark, jarring, disturbing, brilliant. Too bad it's not included. Pleasence and Duvall and McOmie shine. Also a guided tour of the as yet unopened BART system of San Francisco. The cgi here like in Star Wars is too distracting. And the robocops redubbed. I think. Back in the 90's the dvd made the rounds at work and for months we all walked around saying Please don't run we only want to help you. 3 stars because this is as close as you will get unless you find an original on ebay.