Viewing this director's cut of George Lucas' 1971 sci-fi, it's hard to reconcile his unsettling vision of a state-controlled future with the attention-deficit infantilism of his more recent output. Though crammed with Star Wars signifiers - robots, holograms and a rebel hero with an odd name (THX 1138 was George's phone number in college) - it's a cerebral affair, albeit one so cold you could catch a chill from it.
DVD Extras:
Lucas joins sound designer Walter Murch for a diffuse flannel-track that rarely addresses what's actually on screen. Of better value is an all-new Making Of, a doc on American Zoetrope and a vintage featurette. Lucas' original THX short also makes for interesting viewing.
