Those who only knowthe George Lucas of Wookies and Skywalkers probably would not recognizethe George Lucas of THX 1138, a futuristic vision of dystopia that goesbeyond 1984 to...well, who's counting anymore? Television sees all in anairless underground world: society is fully monitored by a central videosystem operated by robots and human technoids who are barelydistinguishable from their creations. Sex is illegal now; so is "drugevasion." Robert Duvall, as the eponymous hero, is guilty of both."They're watching us!" "They know," THX and his roommate (Maggie McOmie)moan furtively. As a post-apocalyptic human drone tormented by vestigialemotions and also despairing of a desire to do the right thing, Duvallis a hauntingly moving image in a static universe, a kind of Woyzeck ofthe technological era. Lucas's vision of television's many and ingenioususes is a terrifying one, but it is also an ironic one; in his firstfeature he flips-off The Tube, reclaiming for his generation a world ofpure cinema. An expansion of his award-winning USC graduate film, THX1138 is visually brilliant sci-fi that depends not on hardware but onmood-light, color and a clever use of locations that scream out "we arenowhere." (In fact he shot in the tunnels and control panels of theyet-to-be opened BART system.) (JB)

• Directed byGeorge Lucas. Written by Lucas, Walter Murch. Photographed by DaveMeyers, Albert Kihn. Music by Lalo Schifrin. With Robert Duvall, DonaldPleasence, Don Pedro Colley, Maggie McOmie. (1971, 88 mins, Color, 35mm,Print from Warner Brothers Classics)