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THX 1138

  • 19711971
  • GPGP
  • 1h 26m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
52K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,032
1,297
THX 1138 (1971)
Theatrical Trailer from Warner Bros. Pictures
Play trailer1:50
2 Videos
99+ Photos
DramaSci-FiThriller
In the 25th century, a time when people have designations instead of names, a man, THX 1138, and a woman, LUH 3417, rebel against their rigidly-controlled society.In the 25th century, a time when people have designations instead of names, a man, THX 1138, and a woman, LUH 3417, rebel against their rigidly-controlled society.In the 25th century, a time when people have designations instead of names, a man, THX 1138, and a woman, LUH 3417, rebel against their rigidly-controlled society.
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
52K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,032
1,297
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • George Lucas
    • Writers
      • George Lucas(story by)
      • Walter Murch(screenplay by)
    • Stars
      • Robert Duvall
      • Donald Pleasence
      • Don Pedro Colley
    Top credits
    • Director
      • George Lucas
    • Writers
      • George Lucas(story by)
      • Walter Murch(screenplay by)
    • Stars
      • Robert Duvall
      • Donald Pleasence
      • Don Pedro Colley
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 257User reviews
    • 100Critic reviews
    • 75Metascore
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 3 nominations

    Videos2

    THX 1138
    Trailer 1:50
    THX 1138
    THX 1138
    Trailer 2:37
    THX 1138

    Photos129

    Robert Duvall, Donald Pleasence, and Don Pedro Colley in THX 1138 (1971)
    Robert Duvall in THX 1138 (1971)
    THX 1138 (1971)
    Sid Haig in THX 1138 (1971)
    Robert Duvall in THX 1138 (1971)
    THX 1138 (1971)
    THX 1138 (1971)
    THX 1138 (1971)
    THX 1138 (1971)
    George Lucas in THX 1138 (1971)
    Robert Duvall in THX 1138 (1971)
    Robert Duvall and Maggie McOmie in THX 1138 (1971)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Robert Duvall
    Robert Duvall
    • THX
    Donald Pleasence
    Donald Pleasence
    • SEN
    Don Pedro Colley
    Don Pedro Colley
    • SRT
    Maggie McOmie
    Maggie McOmie
    • LUH
    Ian Wolfe
    Ian Wolfe
    • PTO
    Marshall Efron
    Marshall Efron
    • TWA
    Sid Haig
    Sid Haig
    • NCH
    John Pearce
    John Pearce
    • DWY
    Irene Cagen
    • IMM
    • (as Irene Forrest)
    Gary Alan Marsh
    • CAM
    John Seaton
    • OUE
    Eugene I. Stillman
    • JOT
    Jack Walsh
    • TRG
    • (as Raymond J. Walsh)
    Mark Lawhead
    • Shell Dweller
    Robert Feero
    Robert Feero
    • Chrome Robot
    Johnny Weissmuller Jr.
    Johnny Weissmuller Jr.
    • Chrome Robot
    Claudette Bessing
    • ELC
    Susan Stroh
    • Control Officer
    • (as Susan Baldwin)
    • Director
      • George Lucas
    • Writers
      • George Lucas(story by) (screenplay by)
      • Walter Murch(screenplay by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      George Lucas apparently named the film after his San Francisco telephone number, 849-1138, the letters THX correspond to letters found on the buttons 8, 4, and 9.
    • Goofs
      During the chase scene at the end, it is shown on one monitor that the THX budget is 3,410 units over the budget of 14,000 units (24%). A voice had stated earlier that accounts are to be terminated when they exceed their original budget by 5%. When the account/chase is terminated, we hear a voice say that the THX project is 6% over budget, which would be 840 units, not 3,410.
    • Quotes

      OMM: Let us be thankful we have commerce. Buy more. Buy more now. Buy. And be happy.

    • Crazy credits
      The Warner Bros. logo is preceded by a trailer for a Buck Rogers serial (or in early versions, a one-minute scene from Things to Come (1936)).
    • Alternate versions
      There are technically three versions of this movie: 1. The 1971 Warner Bros. Studio Theatrical Cut. Warner Bros in house cut 4 minutes from the film. This version has not been released on any home media. 2. The 1970/1977 Restored Version which is the version originally cut by the director prior to Warner Bros. cutting it for its 1971 theatrical release. This was finally released in 1977 following the success of "Star Wars" and later released on VHS and laserdisc releases. 3. The 2004 George Lucas Director's Cut with many scenes improved using CGI and some new shots added in following extensive work done by George Lucas and THX in 2003/2004. This was later released on all DVD and Blu-ray releases.
    • Connections
      Featured in Bald: The Making of 'THX 1138' (1971)
    • Soundtracks
      Elevator Music
      (uncredited)

      from the Miracle in the Rain (1956) score

      Composed by Franz Waxman

    User reviews257

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    Was loving it... was loving it... hated it.
    ===EDIT: The following review was written before I knew the extent of the cgi doctoring that Lucas added recently. These are the "cheap action scenes" I'm talking about below. If you can find a copy of the original undoctored THX-1138, that's the one to watch.===

    Aw man. This film had so much promise. It starts out abstract, minimalist, challenging and poetic. It gets deeper, more bizarre and artistic. But then it suddenly degenerates into a cheap action flick with hi-tech car chases, and it ends with the most simplistic, meaningless resolution. Total letdown.

    It's as if Hamlet's famous soliloquy went:

    "To be, or not to be: that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows... and CARS! and MOTORCYCLES! and fast whizzy things BAM!! The End!!!!"

    I suspect that Lucas began this film with a fantastic premise & with artistic intent, but then he suddenly realized "hey wait, I don't know what I'm doing. How do I end this damn thing?" True, it's an interesting dystopian drama. George must've been reading a lot of Kurt Vonnegut when he filmed this. Yes, it's very much in the style of 2001: A Space Odyssey. George must've been watching a lot of Kubrick. But that's where it ends. George fails to present anything original. And as it unravels into a simplistic action flick in the last 20 minutes, you realize that George has been fooling you for the last hour and a half. Literally, it ended, and I said out loud, "Uh... is this where Lucas got bored and stopped filming?"

    Still, I have to give him an "A" for effort. Like most of the other reviewers, I was blown away by the fact that George Lucas was capable of this type of abstract poetry. With the exception of those cheezy action scenes (which I'm sure Lucas added ex post facto, like he did with Star Wars + CGI) it is reminiscent of the old Michael Crichton films (Andromeda Strain, Westworld) with maybe a dash of Rollerball.

    The early 70s was a wonderful time for scifi, because all the directors were scrambling to emulate Kubrick's masterpiece. But like this film, the effort ran out of gas and eventually slumped into plot-driven cheese. What is so frustrating is that Lucas could have made something truly great if he had just followed up on Donald Pleasence's cryptic ramblings midway. Unfortunately, he chose to go in the other direction, and the film ends with no dialogue for the last 20 minutes. Instead we get a lot of (ex post facto CGI) special effects and chase scenes. What a shame. We literally see before our eyes the unfortunate turning point of Lucas' career.

    In space, sometimes a nebula--for all its swirling promise--never quite consolidates itself into a star. This movie, like Lucas, like the failed nebula, is the big one that got away.

    P.S. George, if you're listening, please stop adding "new" special effects to the old films! You're not impressing anyone. You & Ted Turner both...
    helpful•38
    22
    • rooprect
    • Aug 6, 2007

    FAQ1

    • What are the differences between the Original Version and the Director's Cut?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 11, 1971 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Lucasfilm Ltd. (United States)
      • Warner Bros. (United States)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • THX-1138
    • Filming locations
      • BART Operations Control Center - 101 Eighth Street, Oakland, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • American Zoetrope
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $777,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $2,437,000
    • Gross worldwide
      • $2,437,000
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 26 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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