THX 1138 (1971)

It's the 25th century and an autocratic regime presides over a population of shaven-headed, drugged, robot-like humans. Someone is bound to rebel against such conditions. 

Following an illegal love affair with his female room-mate, THX 1138 is imprisoned (for "Drug Evasion and Sexual Perversion") but manages to escape - in a very, very cool car. 

In a Project Manager's worst nightmare, the pursuit of THX is called off because the project is over budget!

This early sci-fi effort by director George Lucas (Star Wars) is surprisingly mature. 

The cold, eerie Orwellian setting (actors dressed in white filmed against white backgrounds) is impressive, as is the cast, headed by Robert Duvall and Donald Pleasence.

A brilliant but stark look at an underground city of the future where life is so de-humanised that the inhabitants take drugs in order to work efficiently. Effective cutting (by director George Lucas) and voice-over are used to great effect.

This superb movie was an expanded version of a prize-winning film which Lucas made as a student in the 60's.

George Lucas has consistently paid homage to his directorial debut with references in many of his subsequent films to THX 1138, including; The number plate of Paul Le Mat's Deuce Coupe in American Graffiti is 'THX 1138'; Han Solo and Luke Skywalker transfer Chewbacca from Cell Block 1138 in Star Wars; in Attack Of The Clones the tiny LED on the back of clone trooper helmets reads '1138'; and in The Phantom Menace '1138' appears on the back of a battle droid destroyed by Jar Jar Binks.