Changes

Changes Between the 'Original' LaserDisc and The George Lucas Director's Cut (2004) DVD

THX 1138 has from the outset been hacked apart. Warner Brothers made cuts from the original print George Lucas gave them before it entered the theatres. The version Warner Brothers released to theatres in 1971 is the fullest version there is (the BBFC lists this at being 95m 7s long). Further releases have also had various cuts made to them.

For this comparison I have watched both the original U.S. 88 minute LaserDisc version and U.K. original 83 minute LaserDisc version and I could not see a single difference so I can only conclude they are exactly the same. This discrepancy could be down to PAL Speedup when NTSC media is transferred to PAL media.

Here are most of the changes made between the U.K. Director's Cut DVD (85 Mins) compared to the U.K. Tartan Video, TVL 002, LaserDisc (83 Mins). As there are very many recomposed, reordered, added and removed shots/scenes it is not possible to list all of the changes.

Note: All comparative images between the LaserDisc & DVD versions are side by side.

Spoilers Warning!

Colour has been changed and scan lines have been added to the bank of monitors, this makes it look more consistent with the other views of monitors throughout the movie.

A shot of workers making police robots has been added, this creates a larger scale to the operations and magnifies the fact that THX is just a drone in the operations and the system.

A close-up shot added of presumably THX working on a robot.

Many changes to the scene of SEN and LUH in the surveillance control room. The order of shots on the DVD version makes it look more apparent that SEN is observing his co-worker LUH than it does on the LaserDisc.

A broadened shot of the robot manufacturing operations added.

Illegal sexual activity is apparently being watched by SEN on the LaserDisc version whereas on the DVD it is apparently LUH who is watching these same scenes. The SEN shot is moved on the DVD later to where THX and LUH are making love.

Added and enhanced shots of the factory explosion on the DVD, parts have been removed or changed compared to the LaserDisc version.

Original shot and an enhanced one of a vehicle highway, this has been expanded and given additional structures.

The walkway, it has been recomposed, given additional structure and recolored, the door to the left has been removed and more pedestrians added.

A lizard in the wires, the lizard now has antennae and wings.

LUH calling "Thex" when he has just returned to the apartment, comes later on in the LaserDisc version.

Enhancements to the hologram and an additional pleasure device added.

More images of DVD hologram enhancements and LaserDisc comparative images.

These four images are taken from a scene that on the LaserDisc is just after when THX and LUH have made love, and after THX says "No one knows. Nobody can see us". Much of this scene does not appear on the DVD, the 2nd image is a part that still remains. (1)

Another example of shots moving, this is the order on the DVD whilst on the LaserDisc the shots are in reverse order and in slightly different places within the movie.

This vehicle highway shot has been expanded and given additional structures.

Three new shots added to the DVD.

Wall structures and workers added.

Added wall structure.

Changes to robot manufacturing scenes, the coloration of all the robot manufacturing operations have been made more golden throughout and many elements have been added or completely redone.

THX's eyes now roll back on the DVD when being given a mindlock.

In the mindlock blunder scene quite a few changes have been made to all his accidental movements.

New shot added of the workers running away as the mindlock blunder makes the area dangerous.

This shot where THX and SEN are looking for an escape from the white void prison, on the LaserDisc version they walk on to the frame from the right and then crouch because THX has spotted SRT, this is reversed on the DVD version.

The pedestrian walkway has been enhanced to broaden the look and make negotiating the crowds more formidable.

Recomposed shots to give the appearance of looking through a metal grate looking down onto the crowd.

SEN gets lost in the crowd, which looks more believable in the DVD version.

A completely new CGI scene of a rapid transit system station.

Added, SEN exiting the rapid transit vehicle whilst on his half-hearted escape attempt. I couldn't find this on the LaserDisc version.

Recomposed shot of the rapid transit vehicle stopping and SEN exiting the vehicle.

SEN looks down into the bowels of the underground complex then sees a rat/creature. The DVD shot is new CGI. (2)

The DVD now gives the appearance of THX looking down a hole above the two pursuing police robots.

Two screenshots of completely new CGI of a rapid transit system station.

Three screenshots of a camera panning down through three levels of the complex. The first two look like CGI whilst the third looks recomposed from two sections of footage (new or unused original material), one flipped and joined in the middle along the pillar.

Enhanced backgrounds to the motor vehicle parking bays.

Four screenshots of completely new CGI of THX racing through traffic. (3)

Two screenshots of a section that is not on the DVD version.

Added to the DVD, THX's motor vehicle stationary.

Changed, almost the same shot as the LaserDisc but without the lights on.

Barriers added to crash through. I believe the barriers and car are CGI as I found no comparative footage on the LaserDisc.

Smashed barrier debris added on a flipped section of footage.

A shot of the gantry before THX smashes through it. On the LaserDisc version this looks as if taken through the windscreen of a stationary car, this is incorrect as THX at this time is speeding toward this part of the tunnel and there is no other car in the area. In the DVD version a new shot has been added or the original one has been edited to rectify this mistake.

Larger gantry added for THX to crash through, also there is more debris when the structure has collapsed making it more apparent why the police motorcyclist comes off in a spectacular fashion.

Enhanced shots of the superstructure with gravity defying mutant monkeys added. (4)

Enhanced sky as THX climbs out of the shaft, this ties in with the end scene of THX standing looking at the sunset.

1. The scene where THX enters a room of people and they all look at him, should have been left in, in it's entirety, it was a great scene and a metaphor of the paranoia that exists for THX. What has been left seemingly changes the scene from metaphoric to literal, as the DVD now makes you think that this group of people are watching THX and LUH on monitors.

2. The shot where SEN sees a badly rendered plastic looking scorpion thing is pretty awful. It wouldn't scare gran if you dangled it in front of her just as she awakens from an afternoon nap! The real rat was fine and adequately relayed the message that SEN wasn't able to face leaving the illusion of safety and order.

3. THX's CGI vehicle speeding through the traffic looked out of place with the claustrophobic nature of the rest of the movie, also it seemed to be hurtling around like a dodgem car on speed, which looked false.

4. The gravity defying mutant monkeys look badly rendered (obvious CGI animation) and so are out of place with the rest of the film.

Although the story stays pretty much the same the movie has been extensively changed. I'm sure George Lucas would claim that he couldn't accomplish his original vision back in 1970 due to the technology of the time and budget, so changes and additions could be seen as reasonable. The thing is though, George Lucas doesn't mention on the DVD that there has been any changes made at all, in the interviews, commentary, packaging, anywhere, the only mention is that the movie has been restored, this all seems very strange indeed...

As you can see George Lucas and ILM have done a wonderful job (except for the ones I have mentioned) in updating and widening the scope of THX's world for the masses to enjoy. This is a testament to the original movie that it can still be viewed today without looking too 70s. Some people may not like the changes, preferring instead the original, however, in my opinion they are both excellent. The George Lucas Director's Cut should have been released with the restored original theatrical cut rather than the way it has been released.