Must-see movies are futuristic classics that shouldn’t be missed. Of course, not every must-see is perfect. That’s why we’ve rated them 1-5 on the patented “crunchy goodness” scale. Written by James Rocchi.
Title: THX 1138
Date: 1971
Vitals: George Lucas’s first film (expanded from his USC Film School project) is a cold, cruel dystopia where one drone (Robert Duvall) goes off his state-sanctioned meds and starts asking too many questions. A pure blast of Phillip K. Dick-style counterculture sci-fi satire, it’s much a much bleaker — and much better — vision of a ruined tomorrow than you’d think the man who created the Ewoks could be capable of.
Famous Names: George Lucas (Writer/Director); Robert Duvall, Donald Pleasance (Cast).
Crunchy Goodness: 4
Life Lesson: When the fascist state of tomorrow tells you to take your meds, just start swallowing.
Sight You’ll Never Unsee: The silver-faced law enforcement droids — which are somehow both cheesy and creepy.
Deadliest Spoiler: THX gets away — not because he’s faster or tougher than his pursuers, but because his pursuit has gone over-budget.
