Lucas didn't do THX 1138?

I am in L.A and I just took a tour at Warner bros studios and I met a writer for SNL,who also wrote for a bunch of tv shows. who went to USC. He told me that Lucas stole the film from another student. I have reasons to believe that is true. Can anyone confirm this?

 

I doubt it, sounds like someone is trying to perpetuate the Lucas-as-talentless-idea-thief persona. Plagiarism on such a scale would have been noticed, if not by staff then by students. Where's Mulder when you need him?

Also sounds a bit like the plot to (appropriately enough) Urban Legends: Final Cut.

 

sithlord85, you are going to have to substantiate precisely why you think that this claim may have validity if you expect some sort of detailed response. Otherwise, I really don't know what to say about this. As Jon said, it seems pretty absurd.

 

ON the DVD this is touched on. There was a group of friends who decided to shoot a student film about an underground society (Walter Munch the eventual editor of the feature film was among them.) These guys went on to do other 'better' projects. As their buddy, Lucas asked if he could shoot the film and expand on what the society was like. They told him it was fine.

It was not stolen ideas and Lucas defined and created the details of THX. As I understand, they just created the idea that it was underground and oppressive.

-Seldon

 

A writer for SNL?
Who also went to USC.
I wonder what HIS motivation is.
Not hard to figure out.

You know, people in the entertainment business
are so notoriously egotistical and jealous,
it doesn't surprise me that nearly 35 years later
some idiot is walking around trying to claim
Lucas "stole" something. Sounds like the DVD
addresses the issue.

 

He didn't sound jealous. I told him I wanted to attend USC film school and how I wanted to be a filmmaker. I brought up George Lucas in the conversation and he went on to tell me about how george had a dispute with some other student, or something where George had more money over him and he got the rights to say the film was his. He told me many people don't know that. I forget the guys name but he worked with warner bros. But the thoughts in my head now. What if george has covered up something that he does not want the fans to know. He told me that when he went there their were a few less zeros to the tuition. He gave me a great insight on the school. I am out here mainly to tour the campus and get away from the holiday weather. I don't mean to sound like im putting down George at all. He's one of the main reasons why I wish to be a filmmaker in the first place. I was inspired by how movies give you the ability to enter other worlds that only our imaginations can take us. I don't mean to follow in George's footsteps but I am in way. Part of me really wants to go to USC because of George Lucas.

 

Actually that description sounds lie George Lucas in Love ;-).

There are a few points that make it doubtful. First Lucas didn't exactly have a lot of money back then. Second what does having more money have anything to do with getting the credit. Third those films are screened to students and faculty (since it was his final project) so if it was "stolen" you would think someone would know (the other supposed student must at least have submitted a scrip to a professor or a proposal or something).

 

They discuss the origins on the DVD. This sounds like a growing rumor to tarnish a good film maker's reputation. I don't see it as anything more. If this were real, there would be word about it. Books and news programs would discuss the dispute. A scandal like this would have been heard about.

-Seldon

 

The guy who came up with the original story idea for some of the short and pretty much the last ten minutes of the feature (and I believe that pretty much covers what he came up with) is Matthew Robbins, director of films like "Dragonslayer", "*batteries not included" and "The Legend of Billie Jean".

Basically, Robbins wrote a short treatment about a guy who escapes a generically vague underground society. His idea pretty much centered around the idea of a guy running around-- those might be his exact words, I think, from some interview that came out around the DVD's release. As was said previously, he gave up the idea to do something else, and Lucas adopted it and created the characters, aesthetics and style of the short film. For the feature Lucas collaborated with Murch on the script, and further developed the film's dense visual atmosphere. Robbins contributed the bare amounts of the seed for the film's idea-- Lucas did everything else.

Furthermore, I don't believe Robbins ever held anything against Lucas. He participated in the making of the film, playing THX in the final shot as he climbs out onto the sunset flooded surface. If there is a disagreement, it's one they certainly don't talk about now.

 

THX was such a amaturish film to watch I thought. What was that car chase where the block policeman runs into some giant blue toys? And what about the stare point in the middle of the film about sexual ideas THX-1138 had? And then there's the reverse roll up at the end of an incomprehensible unentertaining film.....which was very low-budget and had no special effects.

 

Hope it didn't have any invisible psychological effects on me.....

 

HEY Slimeball, how's that masterpiece coming along?

 

LOL

 

slimeball just keeps getting funnier and funnier.
Guess he would hate "Citizen Kane","Lawrence of Arabia" and "The Godfather" because they have no fancy special effects.....
And throw "American Graffiti" into the mix.

 

Actually I remember getting the video of it - it was hard to find - I attached some deep cool ideas on it like I respected it as a meaningful movie from an intelligent filmmaker who was elusive. It was only us that knew about these ideas of relevance..... like after I was wlaking back to the videostore I had these ideas... I thought, yeah man, this is meaningful even though I had no clue about the ideas.... hahaha.... I just remember being proud to be a viewer of the idea movie THX-1138 from GL... but I had no clue what it was (what was I thinking?) but I liked beleiving in it.... It seemed like I was now secretly in-the-know from the movie because its not popular but it has meaningful effects.

 

I know... as I was walking back to the videostore I was thinking ' this movie has set me free' and it was a melancholy bittersweet idea but I appreciated it because of its affect because at the time I was also having some strange thoughts about society and stuff...

 

As for 'Citizen Kane' - it was like less meaning - over rewarded. Watching it was like waiting to go to the bathroom.


'Lawrence Of Arabia' - what's that guy think he's doing? Good acting - worthy of rewards. I never watched it all.


'The Godfather' - oh great, I saw it on television. I liked the first one but the rest now I think the second actor over did it.



All these meaningful films somehow don't live up to the expectations. They're like over-celebrated for the sake of rewards....


I like THX-1138 better than all 'meaningful' films since it's from GL. He's intelligent, elusive and created the new-age blockbuster fun special effects movies. He's smarter really. Elusive new-age is the concept.

 

Bang! 'Oops, I ran into some giant blue toys.'....

 

Don't stare at me like that...

 

I'm your big black friend. I will rescue you. Let's go to the place where's it's all white and there's nothing at all placed there. What do you think of this white area? It has meaning if you only think about it clearly. It's an intelligent idea that I keep.

 

Now lets get nude and hang out with block policeman in the white area. Stop abusing me block policeman. Can't you see that I'm nude...

 

Climb the ladder and then you will see where you will end up... A jungle and a setting sun to stare at.... You will remeber your mistake, but there's nothing you can do about it now....

 

Jawas appear in the carpark, where THX is making his escape....

 

THX drives a rocket car. But the block policeman is driving a motorcycle, and as he bangs into giant toys in the tunnel and flips over, the rocket car escapes....

 

The block policeman is too slow up the ladder, which means THX didn't need his mind effecting medication...