Trivia
Movies
• 21-87 (1964)
It is regarded that this short avant-garde film by Arthur Lipsett was a strong influence on George Lucas and on THX 1138.
There is a reference in Star Wars when Han Solo says "We gotta find out which cell this princess of yours is in; here it is: 2187".
At the beginning of THX 1138 4EB there's a reference stating that the date it takes place is 05/14/2187.
THX finds out that LUH 3417 was consumed on 21/87.
• 1984 (1956)
Donald Pleasence (SEN 5241) played the character Parsons in the movie of 1984 and Syme in the TV series of 1984, both are similar to THX 1138, parallels can be drawn between the two parts he plays in 1984 and in THX 1138.
• American Graffiti (1973)
The license plate on John Milner's (Paul Le Mat) car is "THX-138".
• Star Wars (1977)
In the detention area with Chewbacca and Han Solo, Luke Skywalker states, "prisoner transfer from cellblock one one three eight".
The name Wookiee came from THX 1138 where in the film one of the voice-overs states, "I think I ran over a wookiee back there".
There was a scene where THX falls into a garbage compactor and fights off a mutated rodent; this scene was cut because the monster didn't look realistic enough but the idea was recycled for use in Star Wars on the Death Star.
• Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
General Riekkian says, "send rogues 10 and 11 to sector 38".
• Star Wars - The Phantom Menace (1999)
The droid knocked over by Jar Jar Binks has the serial number 1138 on its back.
When the princess and others are arrested a droid walks past with the serial number 1138 on its back.
• Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
When Indiana Jones is fighting a bald guy the number on the wing of the plane is THX 1138.
• Spaceballs (1987)
On one of the walls when the princess is being recruited in has 8311 on it.
• Dark Star (1974)
One of the pieces of debris after the ship blows up reads "Toilet Tank THX 1138". Maybe this is a dig at George Lucas by fellow USC student John Carpenter.
• The Lawnmower Man (1992)
The experimental chimp is named Rosco 1138.
• Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
The number on Dr. Walter Jennings' door is 1138.
• Repo Man (1984)
There is a scene that looks very much like a parody of THX 1138, this is where Otto is being tortured by two people sitting at monitors and equipment and a close up shot of him on a monitor complete with scanlines.
It is regarded that this short avant-garde film by Arthur Lipsett was a strong influence on George Lucas and on THX 1138.
There is a reference in Star Wars when Han Solo says "We gotta find out which cell this princess of yours is in; here it is: 2187".
At the beginning of THX 1138 4EB there's a reference stating that the date it takes place is 05/14/2187.
THX finds out that LUH 3417 was consumed on 21/87.
• 1984 (1956)
Donald Pleasence (SEN 5241) played the character Parsons in the movie of 1984 and Syme in the TV series of 1984, both are similar to THX 1138, parallels can be drawn between the two parts he plays in 1984 and in THX 1138.
• American Graffiti (1973)
The license plate on John Milner's (Paul Le Mat) car is "THX-138".
• Star Wars (1977)
In the detention area with Chewbacca and Han Solo, Luke Skywalker states, "prisoner transfer from cellblock one one three eight".
The name Wookiee came from THX 1138 where in the film one of the voice-overs states, "I think I ran over a wookiee back there".
There was a scene where THX falls into a garbage compactor and fights off a mutated rodent; this scene was cut because the monster didn't look realistic enough but the idea was recycled for use in Star Wars on the Death Star.
• Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
General Riekkian says, "send rogues 10 and 11 to sector 38".
• Star Wars - The Phantom Menace (1999)
The droid knocked over by Jar Jar Binks has the serial number 1138 on its back.
When the princess and others are arrested a droid walks past with the serial number 1138 on its back.
• Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
When Indiana Jones is fighting a bald guy the number on the wing of the plane is THX 1138.
• Spaceballs (1987)
On one of the walls when the princess is being recruited in has 8311 on it.
• Dark Star (1974)
One of the pieces of debris after the ship blows up reads "Toilet Tank THX 1138". Maybe this is a dig at George Lucas by fellow USC student John Carpenter.
• The Lawnmower Man (1992)
The experimental chimp is named Rosco 1138.
• Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
The number on Dr. Walter Jennings' door is 1138.
• Repo Man (1984)
There is a scene that looks very much like a parody of THX 1138, this is where Otto is being tortured by two people sitting at monitors and equipment and a close up shot of him on a monitor complete with scanlines.
Music
• Alien Sex Fiend - Curse (1990) - Blessings of the State (extended mix) & Blessing in Disguise
Samples used, "my time is yours" "could you be more specific?" "blessings of the state, blessings of the masses, by the masses, for the masses".
• Clock DVA - Man Amplified (1992) - Memories of Sound
Samples used, "Performance perfect is perfect performance" "I was so afraid" "I wanted to touch you so many times".
• Clock DVA - Man Amplified (1992) - Man Amplifiers
Sample used, "combining with economic advantages of the linking structure far surpasses any disadvantages in increased perversions, a final note, an infinite translated mathematics, tolerance and charity among artificial memory devices is ultimately binary. Stimulating rhetoric, absolute. The theatre of noise is proof of our potential".
• Nine Inch Nails (NIN) - The Downward Spiral (1994) - Mr Self Destruct
Sample used, The beating of a prisoner with a baton by one of the police robots.
NIN 1969 is a character in the script that didn't make it to the final movie, also there are nine prisoners mentioned. "The policeman turns and walks into the whiteness, leaving THX sitting on his bed. The other nine men are: SEN 5241, PTO 0340; NIN 1969; TWA 7070; DWY 1519; NCH 0066; IMM 9472; JOT1288; and TRG 3442." This could be a coincidence.
• Kraftwerk - THX 1138 (1975)
A rare bootleg recorded from a Cologne FM radio show of Kraftwerk in concert.
• Smashing Pumpkins - Adore (1998) - Ava Adore
There is a take-off of the white void prison in the video for Ava Adore.
• The Misfits - Evil Live (1997) - We Are 138
This song is a reference to THX 1138, part of the lyrics are, "Do you think we're robot clean" "Does this face look almost mean" "Is it time to be an android not a man" "The pleasantries are gone" "We're stripped of all we were".
• Queen - Hot Space (1982) - Calling All Girls
The video for Calling All Girls was based on THX 1138. Freddie Mercury performs the song on a completely white set, guards come in and perform tests on him and then later the band come in and rescue him from a cell.
• Jeff Beck - Who Else! (1999) - THX138
• Column One - THX 1138 (1997)
12" picture disc released on German label Tochnit Aleph.
Samples used, "my time is yours" "could you be more specific?" "blessings of the state, blessings of the masses, by the masses, for the masses".
• Clock DVA - Man Amplified (1992) - Memories of Sound
Samples used, "Performance perfect is perfect performance" "I was so afraid" "I wanted to touch you so many times".
• Clock DVA - Man Amplified (1992) - Man Amplifiers
Sample used, "combining with economic advantages of the linking structure far surpasses any disadvantages in increased perversions, a final note, an infinite translated mathematics, tolerance and charity among artificial memory devices is ultimately binary. Stimulating rhetoric, absolute. The theatre of noise is proof of our potential".
• Nine Inch Nails (NIN) - The Downward Spiral (1994) - Mr Self Destruct
Sample used, The beating of a prisoner with a baton by one of the police robots.
NIN 1969 is a character in the script that didn't make it to the final movie, also there are nine prisoners mentioned. "The policeman turns and walks into the whiteness, leaving THX sitting on his bed. The other nine men are: SEN 5241, PTO 0340; NIN 1969; TWA 7070; DWY 1519; NCH 0066; IMM 9472; JOT1288; and TRG 3442." This could be a coincidence.
• Kraftwerk - THX 1138 (1975)
A rare bootleg recorded from a Cologne FM radio show of Kraftwerk in concert.
• Smashing Pumpkins - Adore (1998) - Ava Adore
There is a take-off of the white void prison in the video for Ava Adore.
• The Misfits - Evil Live (1997) - We Are 138
This song is a reference to THX 1138, part of the lyrics are, "Do you think we're robot clean" "Does this face look almost mean" "Is it time to be an android not a man" "The pleasantries are gone" "We're stripped of all we were".
• Queen - Hot Space (1982) - Calling All Girls
The video for Calling All Girls was based on THX 1138. Freddie Mercury performs the song on a completely white set, guards come in and perform tests on him and then later the band come in and rescue him from a cell.
• Jeff Beck - Who Else! (1999) - THX138
• Column One - THX 1138 (1997)
12" picture disc released on German label Tochnit Aleph.
Miscellaneous
• 50 extras used in THX 1138 came from Synanon, a 'cultish' drug rehabilitation commune founded by Charles Dederich. The members shaved their heads for a $30 fee, Charles Dederich said "nobody's hair is worth $30". Ironically certain parallels can be drawn between THX's world and Synanon.
• 849 (THX) 1138 was allegedly George Lucas' telephone number as a college student in San Francisco but the numerical title is more likely a reference to Arthur Lipsett's or James Joyce's work.
"Lucas' use of the number 1138 can be seen as a tinkered allusion to the numerology employed by James Joyce, who used the number 1132 throughout Ulysses and Finnegan's Wake. According to Joseph Campbell, the number 1132, which repeats throughout Joyce's works in addresses and times of day among other things, can be best seen as a number symbolizing the fall of man ("32 feet per second per second," Leopold Bloom's manta of the rate of falling objects) and rebirth/redemption ("11" being the first new number in a cycle.)" Wikipedia.
• THX stands for 'Tomlinson Holman's eXperiment' Tomlinson Holman is the inventor of the THX sound system used by home users and within the film industry.
• In the book version of Star Wars THX is mentioned . "THX-1138, why aren't you at your post? THX-1138, do you copy?" The speaker gave back only static. "THX-1138, why don't you reply?".
• A reference to THX 1138 is made by Steven Spielberg (a good friend of George Lucas) in the TV Series Pinky and the Brain (1995-1998) where the mouse called Brain writes THX=1138 on a blackboard at the beginning.
• THX 1138 started off as a short 15 minute student film made by George Lucas called Electronic Labyrinth THX 1138 4EB. It can be found on a DVD, Short 10 - Chaos (2000) (Region 1) or the THX 1138 (The George Lucas Director's Cut) DVD two disk version.
• The image used for OMM in THX 1138 4EB and in the confessional booths in THX 1138 is of Hans Memling's painting 'Christ Giving His Blessing' (1478). View it here
• The car that THX drives in the chase scene is a modified Lola T-70 MkIII Coupe. Don Pedro Colley mentioned in an interview that the cars were "Chapperell race cars" but I think he must have been mistaken as I've checked and none of the Chapperell cars are the same as those in the movie. There may also be a reference to the make in the movie where THX's radio reports "Felon vehicle is a 3 T support" after the crash of fellow escapee.
• The Broadway tunnel, San Francisco, and the Alameda tunnel, Oakland were used for the car and motorcycle chase scenes.
• The Marin County Civic Center, was used in THX 1138 for some shots, it was also used in the movie Gattaca (1997).
• The end title music is from Bach's St. Matthew Passion 'Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen' - BWV 244.
• THX 1138 (The George Lucas Director's Cut) (Region 1) DVD Easter Eggs:
Disc 1:
Choose Special Features
Highlight Main Menu
Press Right arrow key
This will highlight a small Zoetrope icon
Press Enter
Disc 2:
In Main Menu
Highlight the arrow in the bottom right corner
Press Enter
You will get to a credits page
Press right arrow key
A face will appear on your screen
Press Enter
• 849 (THX) 1138 was allegedly George Lucas' telephone number as a college student in San Francisco but the numerical title is more likely a reference to Arthur Lipsett's or James Joyce's work.
"Lucas' use of the number 1138 can be seen as a tinkered allusion to the numerology employed by James Joyce, who used the number 1132 throughout Ulysses and Finnegan's Wake. According to Joseph Campbell, the number 1132, which repeats throughout Joyce's works in addresses and times of day among other things, can be best seen as a number symbolizing the fall of man ("32 feet per second per second," Leopold Bloom's manta of the rate of falling objects) and rebirth/redemption ("11" being the first new number in a cycle.)" Wikipedia.
• THX stands for 'Tomlinson Holman's eXperiment' Tomlinson Holman is the inventor of the THX sound system used by home users and within the film industry.
• In the book version of Star Wars THX is mentioned . "THX-1138, why aren't you at your post? THX-1138, do you copy?" The speaker gave back only static. "THX-1138, why don't you reply?".
• A reference to THX 1138 is made by Steven Spielberg (a good friend of George Lucas) in the TV Series Pinky and the Brain (1995-1998) where the mouse called Brain writes THX=1138 on a blackboard at the beginning.
• THX 1138 started off as a short 15 minute student film made by George Lucas called Electronic Labyrinth THX 1138 4EB. It can be found on a DVD, Short 10 - Chaos (2000) (Region 1) or the THX 1138 (The George Lucas Director's Cut) DVD two disk version.
• The image used for OMM in THX 1138 4EB and in the confessional booths in THX 1138 is of Hans Memling's painting 'Christ Giving His Blessing' (1478). View it here
• The car that THX drives in the chase scene is a modified Lola T-70 MkIII Coupe. Don Pedro Colley mentioned in an interview that the cars were "Chapperell race cars" but I think he must have been mistaken as I've checked and none of the Chapperell cars are the same as those in the movie. There may also be a reference to the make in the movie where THX's radio reports "Felon vehicle is a 3 T support" after the crash of fellow escapee.
• The Broadway tunnel, San Francisco, and the Alameda tunnel, Oakland were used for the car and motorcycle chase scenes.
• The Marin County Civic Center, was used in THX 1138 for some shots, it was also used in the movie Gattaca (1997).
• The end title music is from Bach's St. Matthew Passion 'Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen' - BWV 244.
• THX 1138 (The George Lucas Director's Cut) (Region 1) DVD Easter Eggs:
Disc 1:
Choose Special Features
Highlight Main Menu
Press Right arrow key
This will highlight a small Zoetrope icon
Press Enter
Disc 2:
In Main Menu
Highlight the arrow in the bottom right corner
Press Enter
You will get to a credits page
Press right arrow key
A face will appear on your screen
Press Enter
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