Changes to DVD Version - Detailed w/ Images

[DM Corleone]

As the VHS copies of the original deteriorate over time, those who have the laserdisc will find they have a valuable piece of memorabilia. Maybe we'll see some black market copies onto DVD disseminated.

I think there are some DVD copies out there.  I remember that before the actual release date of the new DVD was announced, someone would have a link over to amazon or ebay where an obviously VHS to DVD copy was available.

Maybe those will become more valuable than we thought!

-Don

[JimSkipper]

The biggest problem with GL's changes is that he has totally distorted the orginal concept of the film. Compare a couple of shots shown above. In some scenes, you have people moving down corridors so tightly packed together that they can hardly move. Now he has added a scene that makes the city look like a large mall with plenty of space. If he needed to make changes, he should have created less space and more people throughout. The contrast between the overcrowded cities (though admittedly with a few back corridor locations where THX was all by himself, with the prison area that consisted of stark white emptiness gave the movie impact.

Now the city looks more like something out of the ruined Star Wars franchise.

[Julien Dupire]

I don't agree. For me the city shows that you can be oppressed by something gigantic as well as closed.

[APPL61420]

HELLO EVERYONE !
ISNT THIS AN EXCITING DAY ??  :lol: :

Personally, I dont care how GL re-designed the dvd--its still a classic , thought provoking ,sci-fi masterpiece , on par with Farenheit 451.

I saw the original theatrical release ..and WOW did GL ever predict  our current mass-market, big brother  society. The automated Jesus is just waaay to possible ..with all the media tools we have today. .. I can see one of those kiosks being in every shopping mall in the next 10 years, cant you? (it would probalbly run with windows media player !)

The TV channels specified for each type of consumer "taste" (violence, sex) to keep the masses calm .. yep. thats cable !

and the drugs ? there were senate hearings yesterday regarding giving anti-depressant drugs to children . ! yeah , we got the big drug companies marketing drugs to people through direct advertising on TV.

The only difference between us and the future world of THX is that we  buy these things willingly or they are Prescribed by a doctor..

but its not so far away a concept that one day... we just may wake up and find a talking voice inside our bathroom cabinet door !

I would rather tell everyone I know about the concepts in this movie..
rather than argue over what the film looks like !

[alcaldemb]

Apparantly Lucas hasn't completely forsaken his original because while the two disc set is THX 1138 Director's Cut, the one disc version is THX 1138 the original version

[SMB1913]

Whatâ??s up everyone?

I just joined the forums and must say Iâ??m surprised at how many people have been posting. I was only about four years old when THX 1138 came out in theaters, but I remember the first time seeing it on TV about 15 years ago. Something about it just fascinated me. Though Iâ??m not a die-hard fan (I just found out that they were re-releasing it about two weeks ago), I have longed to own it on DVD.

Like most, I was disappointed when I heard that G. Lucas isnâ??t going to release the original on DVD, or is he? After reading alcaldembâ??s post, I started to look at the descriptions of both the one disc and two disc sets. It reads to me that the two disc is the â??directorâ??s cutâ?� and the one disc is the â??originalâ?�, just re-mastered. But they are both â??directorâ??s cutsâ?�, right? Itâ??s very confusing. Anyway, I just bought the two disc set, but wanted to know if anyone can tell me, what the heck is the difference between them? If possible, I wouldnâ??t mind having both copies on DVD. Unfortunately, I donâ??t think itâ??s going to happen too soon. Though I think if G. Lucas starts to see large numbers of the new DVDs selling, maybe heâ??ll realize that thereâ??s more THX fans out there then originally thought.

Anyway, Iâ??m going to go watch my new DVD. Iâ??ll check back in with you guys later.

Okay, I guess I should have looked at all the threads before posting. I just read in another thread that my original thought was correct. They are both â??directorâ??s cutsâ?�. Now Iâ??m really disappointed. Well, I guess Iâ??ll have to watch it now and see what I think about it.

[Jedi2016]

There's not a damn thing wrong with the new version as far as I can see.  Some of the new shots don't blend in that well, but that's a minor point that has zero impact on the story.  There's also dozens of shots with very minor changes that I don't see anyone complaining about.

Let me ask this:  How do you folks know what was going through Lucas's head back in '69 when they shot this?  Do think that if he had the ability to shoot in larger areas with a larger cast, that he would have?  I'm not sure where you're getting the "claustrophobic" thing from.. that was merely a side-effect of the limited budget and shooting locations, I see nothing in the story to indicate that was the reason THX was trying to escape.  In light of that, the added space means nothing in the context of the story, it simply demonstrates the size of the colony.. rather than mere hundreds or thousands of workers, there could easily be millions.  It changes nothing.

I also don't see where the complaint about the re-integrated scenes comes from.. when Lucas was finished editing the film back in '70, Warner Bros. took the film away from him and edited out those scenes.  If you ask me, I'd much rather see a film edited the way it was meant to be, rather than watching a version that's been butchered by a bunch of businessmen in a Hollywood high-rise.

[IJT-7992]

Mmm, but that's not entirely true. Yes, WB did edit the movie before releasing it. But after the success of American Graffiti, George went right back and re-cut THX1138. The version we've been watching on video all these years was the 'Director's Cut'. Now, what we have on dvd could be more accurately described as a 'Special Edition'. Better? Worse? That's up to you. But it's important to note that only the people who watched THX in the cinema back in '71 ever got to see the edited, WB version.

[TUX8527]

Mmm, but that's not entirely true. Yes, WB did edit the movie before releasing it. But after the success of American Graffiti, George went right back and re-cut THX1138. The version we've been watching on video all these years was the 'Director's Cut'. Now, what we have on dvd could be more accurately described as a 'Special Edition'. Better? Worse? That's up to you. But it's important to note that only the people who watched THX in the cinema back in '71 ever got to see the edited, WB version.

Really? I did'nt realise that what was shown in the Theatres in 1971 was different to what I have on VHS.

How was it different? Anyone here know?

I would love to get my hands on this version!

[IJT-7992]

Yeah, I'm not sure what was cut, either. THX doesn't really have any 'fluffy' scenes... maybe they just cut all the bits with the various citizens just doin' their thing!  :?

[crs1022]

I believe that most of the edits removed some of the nudity from the film. They also trimed the "white prison" scene so there wasn't a lot of talking amongst the inmates.

[TUX8527]

I believe that most of the edits removed some of the nudity from the film. They also trimed the "white prison" scene so there wasn't a lot of talking amongst the inmates.

Can you site a source for this info?

[Jedi2016]

Now I'm a bit confused.. if there were no re-edits done to the film for the DVD, why have I heard people complaining about "useless" scenes that were added?  The only real "addition" I can think of offhand is the CGI car-chase, everything else amounts to a shot here, a shot there, not really worth complaining about.

[TUX8527]

Hi Jedi2016,

The reason for the complaints here is that us purists (even though we are glad that a version of THX is coming out on DVD for us all to treasure) we also want the original Print. Or atleast the Print we all know and love that is on our VHS Video's, and in some peoples cases, Laser Discs.

I am over the moon that this great Film is getting shown in Cinema's in America (even though I can't see them here in the UK). Due to this and the recent Subcity Central ARG that was hosted by virtuquest.com, new fans have been created and this Film has become a slight more widely known.

All I ask for is to also be able to buy a DVD of the original VHS Print that I know and love. Then I would be really happy.

Just imagine your favourite Musician or group Re-Releases an Album as a Musicians Cut, and in doing so, deletes the original recording. And say, (for arguments sake) this Album has never before seen a CD Release, you only own it on Vinyl, Cassette or 8 Track. So the only CD version that is available is this newly recorded version. Would'nt this annoy you? It would me.

I am so glad that every Album by my favourite Group already exists on CD and I know that the Leader of said group would never re-record their Albums in this way.

[SG]

if there were no re-edits done to the film for the DVD, why have I heard people complaining about "useless" scenes that were added?  

Without doubt, the "mindblock" scene was greatly improved.   Also the scene during which there is an explosion in an adjacent factory was reworked very nicely.

In the original film, after he tells LUH that "no one knows. Nobody can see us.", - cut to THX going into a room and those people are staring at him.  The backround score: bang... B-   bang... B-   bang... B-   bang...
It was a beautiful metaphoric scene addressing his true paranoia in contrast to what he told LUH.  It brings the viewer crashing back to this nightmare reality.  Deep stuff.
NOW those same staring people are literally watching him and LUH have sex on a monitor.

When he crashes his car into the scafolding, a man makes a tremendous (and I mean tremendous) leap off the scafolding to safety.
Of course the whole car scene is disrupted and does not look very real to me.  so it breaks the style of the film.
Many of the grandious shots depicting the depth of THXs world seem out of place when compared to the constricting tight filming style of the rest of the film.  In the commentary, Lucas even talks about how he originally intended the film to appear documentary-like.

Those wings and antenae on the lizard?
The "scorpion" at SEN's feet?  Those awful fake-looking monkey things?  Useless changes - absolutely.
The key word being USELESS.
If he only did things to IMPROVE his films I would love it.  But he doesn't he mangles the character developement, detracts the audiences attention, and screws up the pace of his own work.  I just don't get it.

There is a big difference between "oh, how cool" and "oh, how skillful".