This film is probably well known to movie and/or George Lucas geeks, but sometimes I stumbles into stuff and has to talk about it. Sorry if I'm late to the party.
Anyway, I'd read a few articles about THX 1138, Lucas' first film, based on a project he did in college. He recently did what Lucas will do -- upgraded the special effects and re-released the sucker. My curiosity was stoked enough to put it on Netflix. I needed a break from all the MST 3K and cheerleader dance movies.
After seeing it, I can say interesting, but not good. (Jeremy once referred to a shower he took at the old Hico farm cabin -- no pressure, ice cold -- as "Interesting.")
The plot: Humanity has sunk into a corporate-owned dystopia that forces people to take sedatives and not have sex. Our hero falls in love and tries to get out.
It's the kind of movie only a beginning director would be allowed to make. The studios, in the search for someone hip, give money to someone who shows promise. They don't notice the film is attempting to marry the aesthetics of Stanley Kubrick with "Speed Racer."
And it can be an ugly marriage. It's often a dull film that doesn't bother with making a great deal of sense. Only Lucas could figure out a world that makes everyone a poor slave, yet allows for the existence of awesome rocket cars.
The most interesting thing to do in the movie is notice the stylings that later show up in Star Wars. Lucas really likes his shots of button pressing. And the bad guys in THX wear masks and wield these long baton things that sting.
Here are three reasons to watch:
-- Robert Duval stars.
-- The Turbo Spankamonkey 2000.
-- They use the word "Wookiee". (If you don't have subtitles on, you'll miss it.)
And that's it. Watch if you feel a jones to be mildly diverted.
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