THX 1138 (1971).  Director: George Lucas.  Starring: Robert Duvall, Donald Pleasance, Maggie McOmie.

Is there anyone out there who takes more shit than George Lucas?

Fans of the original trilogy of Star Wars films were curious, perhaps even cautiously optimistic, when he announced new "updated" versions of these beloved films.  Then they were aghast when Lucas not only changed the effects, he also made some rather curious changes to the films themselves (Han doesn't fire first!).

Then, when the announcement was made that a new trilogy of Star Wars films was being made, a prequel of the original trilogy featuring the rise of the villainous Darth Vadar, the fans were once again enthralled and, just like old times, made long lines at the local theatres.   Their fervent, nostalgic hope was to relive magical moments of days past.  That is, until they actually saw the films (Their problems were numerous, from rather lackluster plots to continuity glitches to...Jar Jar.  'Nuff said).  With each new movie's release, the outrage from some quarters grew to an almost fever pitch.  However, now that a few years have passed and tempers and emotions have settled, the general consensus seems to be that while this new trilogy had its moments, on a whole the films simply didn't live up to the original three.

Me?  I'm not as emotionally invested.  The fact of the matter is that George Lucas can do whatever he wants with his films.  And that's what they are, folks: His films.  The one and only caveat I would express is this: Do whatever you want with your films, but when it comes time to release the biggest, most popular ones, please, please give your fans access to them in as cleaned up/remastered (but not reworked) a format as possible.  I'm fascinated by Alternate Takes of films, but there are some films that should always be available as they were originally released.  Perhaps the best example of a filmmaker taking this tract is Francis Ford Coppola with Apocalypse Now: The Complete Dossier.  In one nice package we have the original and extended cuts of the film and even additional scenes not found in either cut.

But the reality is that there was such a big fuss about the Star Wars films because the series remains a uniquely successful franchise and its fans have developed a passion for the work that they simply don't have for many other things.

Like, for instance, Lucas' first major theatrical work, THX 1138.  Released some six years before Star Wars, this movie focused on a futuristic dystopia much in the vein of Brave New World and 1984.  A young Robert Duvall plays THX 1138, a worker drone in this world where the rulers control the his and the other workers' emotions by state administered sedatives.  THX's girl roommate decides not to continue taking her drugs and, unknown to THX, she gives him inactive pills.  Without the drugs, THX awakens from his emotionless stupor and becomes more "human".  He also yearns to free himself of this dreary world.  THX's newfound emotional freedom, a crime to the state, is discovered and he and his girl roommate are imprisoned.  In the movie's last act, THX seeks escape from this dystopia.  The movie culminates in an exciting chase between THX and his robotic pursuers.

In 2004 Lucas, as he did with the Star Wars films, returned to THX 1138 and added new effects to the film.  An early sequence involving an accident in the robot creation plant where THX works therefore became much more spectacular.  The crowd scenes throughout the film became much larger.  Even the final car/motorcycle chase featured a few computer enhanced effects and sequences.  (The new effects in this part, more than any other in the film, are bothersome: I always liked the spare look of the tunnels during that chase.  Now we have some added city effects and many -too many- more cars on the road.  These add ons look like they belong in a flashy video game, not this sober and subtle movie). (A quick aside: The chase sequence was likely a big inspiration for Mad Max in particular and The Road Warrior afterwards.  For that matter, I urge the viewer to savor all the major visual elements in this film, from that chase to the dystopian world to that glorious final shot...Say what you will about Lucas the storyteller, but Lucas the visual artist was in a league of his own).

Still, despite it all, I don't think this new version of the film is all that different from what I remember of the "original" version.  And memory of the original version is all I can go by, as to this day George Lucas has not made that version available on DVD.  Indeed, while sniffing around You Tube, the only sequence of any worth I could find was the original, non-CGI enhanced final car chase.  I would dearly love to see a more direct comparison, but I wonder if I ever will.

Now, had THX 1138 been as successful as the Star Wars films, I suppose there would be a good deal of talk, both pro and con, about the reworking of that film and the fact that the original version remains unavailable.  Just what Mr. Lucas needs, more complaints.

So, my dear friends, its hard for me to judge the original and the new version side by side.  Maybe someday...