THX 1138 (Director's Cut)

Advantages: Good bonus material on the DVD
Disadvantages: Storyline of the film needs patience to follow it fully.

...experience you get from the THX 1138 Directors Cut DVD is certainly a good insight to the mind-set and creativity of George Lucas. This futuristic film is one of the "must have" films around - even if you watch it just once. The film itself is set in a stark, white-washed, micro-managed land - where everything done is watched and scrutinised: what is watched on the entertainment system; what medicine you use and how much; who you make love to - ...
...routines, with the lead character, THX 1138 - yes, they have an insignia as their name - shown as working as a handler of radioactive materials, carefully monitored by Big Brother-esq controllers. Within the environment these people inhabit, there are numerous "confessional" booths, which are automated - obviously showing that someone has the great idea of caring for people - but not too much. The "prison" where THX end's up can only really be ... Read review

Advantages: Light years ahead of the usual 1970s rubbish
Disadvantages: What was the point - it is 1984

...Lucas University film submission of THX 1138 - al waffling intentionally warped picture of 15 minutes of movie. 3) An hour of documentary on Zoetrope - watch this before you watch the movie - you will at least understand the concepts and the context of the movie. 4) Effects pieces, etc HMV price £19.99 for 2 discs - probably not really worth it, but it is a bit of cinema history although please someone do a true to the book re-make of 1984 instead. ... Read review

Advantages: Dark, Gripping, Thought-Provoking
Disadvantages: Need to sit down and watch it - Only disadvantage I could think of!

...to mediate the film's impact. THX 1138 simply shows us a world. Take from it whatever moral you deem fit. This is a dimension with no unemployment and no pollution, but also no sun, no sky, no grass, no hope, no love. Industrial accidents that shred human bodies flash by in sound-bite form. The carnage is unfortunate, but if it does not affect us directly, who cares? Policemen are courteous robots with the personality of ATM machines. Every individual ...
...The awfulness of THX 1138 is so realistic, and so spared of temporal ideologies, that the movie is beautiful, even inspiring in the sheer purity of its horror. Some say that THX is risibly obscure, but consider that the password THX 1138 is used by millions today for their log-in names. An advanced calculator's brand name is based on it, along with, of course, Lucas' own "THX" sound system in countless movie theatres. One of Lucas' own cars even ... Read review

Advantages: Interesting story line and revolutionary (for the time) Special Effects
Disadvantages: Sort of artsy not for everyone

While many others have not seen this film I myself would rank it within some of my top movies. It is not something for everyone with a fairly artistic and sometimes confusing story line.For those trying to compare it to Star Wars I emplore you to simply forget that this is a George Lucas film, you really cannot compare the two or feel like one should be as good as another. I have always enjoyed early Sci fi films and looking at older special effects ...
...and Lucas's views for the future are quite intense and revolutionary. Some of his predictions are quite breathtaking as we have come to own and use some of the items which he describes in his film. The characters Lucas creates are excellent in their development and you can truly see who they are as people. ... Read review