While everybody else marvels that after all this time WB is giving us a widescreen Christmas Story (which should have been a no brainer with the first release!), I noticed that the same digitalbits article mentions that THX-1138 is coming to DVD soon as well!!!! I know it's not the greatest movie of all time, but man, this rocks. But how did WB get rights to this thing? Why isn't this coming out from Lucasfilm?

This is the GREATEST news I've heard all day!!! It's about time.

Uh, does anyone have a fresh pair of underwear I can borrow--I'm afraid I've soiled mine...

calhoun07, Warner was the original studio that funded and distributed THX-1138, and the home video rights have been retained by them from VHS to LaserDisc on through to DVD. I'm sure Lucasfilm could probably purchase the rights to the film from Warner (it's never been a profit stream for them, and isn't likely to become one this far down the road), but as much pride as Lucas obviously still rightfully takes in the film (the designation "THX-1138" appears in very nearly all his films), there wouldn't be much profit in such a move, and if there is any concern that ranks above all others at Lucasfilm, it appears to be earning beaucoup profit...

this film is so essential for me....that I'll buy 2 copies and keep 1 sealed back-up!!!!!!

Yeah, I figured that must be the case, even after posting the question. I guess I just thought that Lucas always had Fox as the distributor for his movies, then I remembered Radioland Murders was a Universal release, thus negating the notion.

American Graffiti was Universal

and Indiana Jones is Paramount.

George Lucas washed his hands of THX-1138 decades ago after Warner Brothers took it away from him and performed a radical re-edit.

Too bad George would never get involved for a director's cut.

No, but it is a great film, and this is great news.

Gerry is correct. This was one of the films Lucas did, and I believe Coppola produced under their American Zoetrope studio. The story goes that Warner execs didn't like it, and made edits to the film without Lucas' approval. This infuriated Lucas and Coppola to no end. Coppola even cussed them out.

Now you know why Lucas pays for his own movies. That experience, plus another experience where Universal also made a change like this to American Graffiti, also soured Lucas on Hollywood. After Star Wars, Lucas made Warner Bros. put it back the way it was.

This is still good news nonetheless.

Shame George doesn’t feel the same way about re-editing and tinkering with his own movies after the fact.

Next year? &nbsp &nbsp I'm happy that we're finally getting this film on DVD, but why is it taking so long??

No kidding, makes ole Georgy look like a hypocrite.

Not really. As much as I abhor the infamous "Greedo shoots first" crap that Lucas pulls in his re-edits, I see a fundamental difference in changes made by a studio and changes made by the work's creator.

will it be a 10-15$ or a 25-30$ movie?

I have never seen that movie?? (xcuse for my ignorance) but I always wanted to see it!

Will it be a good blind buy?

What year was it made?

what's the story line?

The Freak, THX-1138 is a fabulous film, with bizarre imagery, unorthodox story-telling, and possibly the most astonishing, inventive sound design I've ever heard in a film. Having said all of that, this film is so off-kilter, left-of-center, and "Lynchian" before there was a David Lynch, I could never recommend this as a blind purchase...I certainly encourage you to rent it, and maybe you'll find it to be as compelling and deliciously experimental as the rest of us here have, but it's about as similar to STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES as my left nad, so consider yourself warned...

As far as your movie-specific questions are concerned, see here:

http://us.imdb.com/Title?0066434

I'm not sure where you are getting this, but it isn't really correct...

Warner did cut 5 minutes from the film for its theatrical release against Lucas' wishes, but they allowed Lucas to edit the footage back into the film six years later (after the success of Star Wars). The version that was released on VHS and Laserdisc is the "director's cut".

(Note that a similar situation also happened with American Grafitti... Universal made a few cuts that were re-instated later by Lucas for home video.)

And Lucas has always been proud of the film (even though it wasn't a hit). I've never seen any evidence of him "washing his hands" of the film... other than the complaints about the 5 minutes cut out initially in 1971. In fact, when he is asked about what he plans to do after Episode III, his answers are often like "I plan on doing more stuff like my first film, THX-1138."

Thank you. It's stupid to say that there's no difference between an unapproved changed by the studio, and a change made by the creator and owner of the film. It sure as hell doesn't make him a hypocrite. He can make a a change as he created and owns the films. Big difference.

This movie actually goes well along with "Zardoz" and "Logan's Run"

I'll wait 25 years when Lucas buys the rights back and comes out wiht the super special titanium edition.

oh yeah.... the movie completely rocks. If you squint, you could almost see Ewan in his shaven Trainspotting days somewhere in here, couldn't you?

Though I'd resurrect this old thread to add some new details on the impending release of THX-1138.

I was checking out http://www.filmratings.com and noticed that Lucas has apparantly submitted the film to the MPAA:


Thx - 1138: The George Lucas Director's Cut (2004)
Warner Bros. Pictures Inc.
R Rated R for some sexuality/nudity.
Previously rated (GP) in (71).

To me, they're both examples of suits over 50 primarily concerned with money polishing the edges off of a work by a younger more artistically-driven person.

But there's a slight difference, I'll grant you that.

Since Lucas believes the making of a film is a continuos, lifelong, never-ending process, I'm sure we're see more variations of THX-1138 in time.

Wait so now he has Tinkered with 1138? And the changes were so extreme that it re-certified from a virtual PG rating, to an R rating? I dont like this..What could he have changed? I mean I know the WB edited it upon its theatrical release, are these those changes re-instated?

Keep in mind, MPAA ratings usually vary with the times. Amadeus DC is rated R, and I can only see that reason being the nude scene in the DC (since the language isn't so much to give it an R).

I know Lucas and revisiting old work raises alarms, but I thought I'd point that out.

1138 had quite a bit of nudity in it, even a little full-frontal I think. Indistinct and at distance, but still. Back then they may have gotten away with a PG but they were alot more lenient on nudity back then than they are now, so I don't think he would have had to change anything to get the MPAA to give it an R rating today.