THX 1138: The Hybrid Cut (by TM2YC)

[SilverWook]

I'm going with the CGI "Enhanced" lizard, it was a subtle change IMO. Unlike the CGI goblins and the CGI "Whateverthef**kthatis" that SEN sees in the tunnel instead of a rat.

By the way, movie-censorship.com has a very detailed and I think accurate list of the changes here, if anybody is interested in asking what has been changed, and what hasn't.



I'm probably going to go with what I have, the full shots from the trailer were the last parts I wanted but I'll PM msycamore over at OT.com and see if I can take a look at it to double check... errrmmm, can you PM over on OT.com now??? ;-)

PM's are working.
Funny, the lizard is the most hated change to me, next to the mangy CGI baboons. George just had to make it half insect for no logical reason. :-?

 

[TM2YC]

PM's are working.

I'm sure I'll figure it out.

Funny, the lizard is the most hated change to me, next to the mangy CGI baboons. George just had to make it half insect for no logical reason. :-?

I was toying with the idea of doing a "Purist" version, with all changes removed but there would be a heck of a lot more standard-definition footage because George changed damn near everything in some way or another :-D.

 

[SilverWook]

What you have to do over at OT is click on a user's name, and then click on the big "start a private topic" button. The improvement over the old PM system is you can invite others into a private topic too.

I appreciate what a nightmare it would be to try and undo everything George has done to the movie. Hopefully, we'll have the 16mm color corrected and out there before the decade is out. ;-)

 

[TM2YC]

Hopefully, we'll have the 16mm color corrected and out there before the decade is out. ;-)

Yes, that trailer is presumably taken from 16mm? and it looks fantastic, wonky colours aside. Not everybody would like the heavy grain but I loved it.

 

[SilverWook]

No idea what the trailer is sourced from. It's a poke in the eye that they even included it.

 

[THX1138]

Any updates on the project?

 

[Neglify]

Any updates on the project?

Check the front page, it's been released.

 

[TM2YC]

Check the front page, it's been released.

Yes I probably should have mentioned that in this thread . IFDB article is here.

 

[Zarquon]

Okay, this is awesome. I haven't had time to watch it in full, but this looks to be truly great. The color grading is spot on. The transitions from LD footage to Bluray are great and as seamless as possible, and the entire thing looks really professional. This is probably how I will watch THX for the foreseeable future.

 

[TM2YC]

Okay, this is awesome. I haven't had time to watch it in full, but this looks to be truly great. The color grading is spot on. The transitions from LD footage to Bluray are great and as seamless as possible, and the entire thing looks really professional. This is probably how I will watch THX for the foreseeable future.

Glad you are enjoying it and welcome to the website. It's quite an honour to have a visit from the mighty prophet himself.

 

[Aquabat]

I'm excited to watch this. As a fan of film preservation, I would love to see a purist cut with no new footage or CGI used (like the Star Wars Despecialized Editions). But for now this will work quite well. Haven't watched it yet.

 

[TM2YC]

I'm excited to watch this. As a fan of film preservation, I would love to see a purist cut with no new footage or CGI used (like the Star Wars Despecialized Editions). But for now this will work quite well. Haven't watched it yet.

I OT.com fans are working on a total purist cut I believe, but as you say, this is intended as a stop-gap until whenever that cut is finished. Hope you enjoy it and leave a review on ifdb letting me know what you thought.

 

[A Sled in Flames]

A very good release, particularly for what you term a stop gap one. It's atrocious that Lucas insists on transforming and changing all his movies, and this fixes the most egregious effects in the Special Edition. Your encode for such a small file size maintains a great level of quality, and the LD footage doesn't stick out too much. I remember the old LDrip I used to watch back in the day... until we get a 35mm IB Transfer of THX-1138 or that total purist cut reconstruction, this is my definitive version! I would highly recommend it, even if it's your first time seeing the movie.

By the way, I'm on ot.com too, and it's simply fascinating what we've found out about THX-1138 in the past few years. The notion that the 1971 theatrical cut was not so different from the one on the LD certainly contradicts all Lucas's statements about a horrible amount of meddling by the studio. I actually prefer the 1971 slight restructure but honestly the 1971 and 1978 versions are overall equal, compared to the cut first seen on the 2004 DVD.

 

[TM2YC]

A very good release... this fixes the most egregious effects in the Special Edition. Your encode for such a small file size maintains a great level of quality, and the LD footage doesn't stick out too much... until we get a 35mm IB Transfer of THX-1138 or that total purist cut reconstruction, this is my definitive version!

Sorry to take so long to reply... and I'm very glad you enjoyed this version.

I would highly recommend it, even if it's your first time seeing the movie.

Watching this fanedit back, after I finished editing it, was the first time I've watched THX-1138 in many years myself . Such a fantastic movie so hopefully this is a good version for a first-time watch, for those who can't abide watching a version compromised by resolution/quality, or a version compromised by CGI additions.

 

[impossiblefunky]

Trying to find this (not seeing it in the usual places). Would really like to discuss it on an upcoming Projection Booth podcast. If the editor is willing, I'd also like to do an interview.

 

[Neglify]

Trying to find this (not seeing it in the usual places).

Don't know what your "usual places" are, but it's on .info currently. Read the FAQ if you don't know what I'm talking about.

 

[thecuddlyninja]

Just left a pretty long-winded review on IFDB but wanted to drop here and say awesome job and thank you for making this. A lot of painstaking work clearly went into making this version as the best possible way to currently experience the movie, and it succeeds in that respect.

 

[Vultural]

Just left a pretty long-winded review on IFDB but wanted to drop here and say awesome job and thank you for making this. A lot of painstaking work clearly went into making this version as the best possible way to currently experience the movie, and it succeeds in that respect.

Personally, I get more from detailed reviews than the one line, "Attaboy!" posts.

This is especially true when the reviewer is an editor himself and can point out technical aspects.

 

[thecuddlyninja]

Personally, I get more from detailed reviews than the one line, "Attaboy!" posts.

This is especially true when the reviewer is an editor himself and can point out technical aspects.

Are you suggesting I put the full review in the thread? I used to do that but wasn't sure if it was excessive.

Also TM2YC, I was so caught up with the CGI undoing that I neglected to mention how the colors were great. Watching the BD with all the sickly blue tints drove me crazy.

 

[TM2YC]

Just left a pretty long-winded review on IFDB but wanted to drop here and say awesome job and thank you for making this.

Thanks for the super detailed review! It makes me very sad when nobody writes reviews :sad: even though I know many people have watched this edit and PMd/posted to say how much they enjoyed it (I enjoy reading negative reviews more than no reviews ). So getting a first review is much appreciated. I'll discuss a few points if I may...

I had never seen this film before. I meant to for a long time but just never got to it. When all you can watch is a version everybody seems to hate, it's harder to want to watch it.

^ The very reason I did this edit for myself. Much success!

After watching the edit, I watched the blu-ray for the first time and holy mother of science was there a lot of weird bullshit added. All the cars added, the bizarre monitor clearly added above the timecard thing, ALL of the text changes, everything in the monitors (the explosion viewed in the two monitors is so weird), the INSECT WINGS (WTF?!?), the giant, massive factory-type shot which looked 50 years newer than the rest of the movie, everything going on around the car taking the curve, just so many weird things.

Yep, compared to the Star Wars special-additions this stuff was pretty subtle but still often stood out like a sore thumb. I did leave the insect-wings in though, just to be clear.

I intended to just watch a bit but I became so bizarrely fascinated with all of the very odd CGI additions that I watched it all. Which then made me go back and appreciate your editing work exponentially more.

It surprised me too working on this, just how much was altered for the "Director's Cut" version. Stuff was changed for seemingly no reason e.g. The colour of the text on a few titlecards. "The text is now green! My original vision is complete!!!".

The shot at 24:13 where the man bends over seems slowed down for a second. I assume it was to match the LD but it stood out.

Yes. I hoped nobody would notice that in a "Looped Tusken Raider" sorta way ;-). I slowed the first few frames down by half and reversed it. Far from perfect but it was do that for a few frames or lose the whole shot. Given that it was the opening establishing shot for the scene, I wanted it to be HD. Maybe I should have just bit the bullet on that and used the heavily cropped low res Laserdisc shot. Oh well, it's done now.

Great job and thanks for making this. I'm extremely glad I watched this as my first exposure.

Fantastic. It really is a wonderful film. So sad that George choose to mangle what is arguably his Directorial masterpiece.

Are you suggesting I put the full review in the thread? I used to do that but wasn't sure if it was excessive.

Feel free. I think most editors enjoy discussing their projects.

I was so caught up with the CGI undoing that I neglected to mention how the colors were great. Watching the BD with all the sickly blue tints drove me crazy.

That tint made it unwatchable for me, even more than the CGI additions. My colours are still probably nowhere near as saturated and rich as the film would have looked on the original 35mm run but at least they are now improved and hopefully balanced more like reality.