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THX-1138: The (Digitally Enhanced) Director's Cut

Posted by michael on from the bouncy-bubble-beverage dept.

StefanJ writes "This is either a marvelous Photoshop hoax or something really . . . cool? Sacreligious? Unnecessary? Reportedly, George Lucas has given his first commercially released movie, THX1138, a digital workover, enhancing backgrounds and altering scenes for more eye-appeal. Here are some comparisons of original and altered scenes. For those who haven't seen the film: Without giving too much away, it's about a working stiff living in a repressive underground bomb-shelter society. Emotion-suppressing drugs are mandatory; people shuffle from work to home, pausing to buy consumer goods along the way. (The goods aren't used for anything; you just feed them into a disposal unit after you get home. Making them keeps people busy . . .) If the drugs don't work, you can vent your spleen in a confession booth manned by a really bad A.I. It's really bleak, and sometimes ugly, but worth seeing. I hope the enhancements don't add too much color: The drab, sterile, white-on-white environment of the underground city is an important mood-setter. Consume more; be happy!"

6 of 275 comments (clear)

  1. It's real. by omega9 · · Score: 4, Informative

    I saw the enhanced trailer for it not to long ago.

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    I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it.
  2. South park by yootje · · Score: 3, Informative

    This reminds me very strong of an episode from South Park: Free Hat...

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    My photo's.
  3. Comparison page slashdoted by omega9 · · Score: 5, Informative

    There's a second comparison page here

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    I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it.
  4. The Oblig Wiki link. by CGP314 · · Score: 4, Informative

    THX 1138

  5. More info.. by omega9 · · Score: 5, Informative

    The DVD is being released on Sept. 14 of this year. Here's the cover art.

    It has it's own homepage

    Direct link to the trailer (quicktime).

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    I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it.
  6. Re:Relation to THX sound? Old version? by ElectricPoppy · · Score: 3, Informative
    1) I guess because it was his first feature film? There is a reference to THX-1138 in all of his movies. A license plate in American Graffiti is "THX-1138". When Luke is looking through his binoculars searching for R2-D2 the numbers along the bottom contain "THX-1138" at one point. In Phantom Menace, one of the droids is numbered 1138. etc.

    2) One of the most annoying things to me about the "enhanced" special editions was the music. In some spots, where he extended scenes, he just replayed the last few moments of music in the original scene, so it sounds like a CD skip. What an idiot.