THX: Difference between revisions

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'''Trailer''': We start with a black screen before the following white text fades in: "'''For the past 35 years, motion picture loudspeaker systems have not changed...'''" Later it fades out and new white text appears reading "'''Lucasfilm Ltd. and this theatre are pleased to introduce a new motion picture sound system.'''" That text fades out and we wait for a while and the letters "THX", underlined and which have the slightly taller "T" stem extend over the other two letters, appear in a glassy sky blue color. The color fades in majestically with "LUCASFILM LTD." above it and "SOUND SYSTEM" below it, both in small text. It stays on screen for about 10 seconds, then slowly fades out with the text above and below the logo.

*2010 A: "The Audience is Listening" text is replaced with "Digitally mastered for superior sound and picture quality," in the same Arial font (a la 1995 B). Debuted on home entertainment releases starting with ''Star Wars: The Original Trilogy'' Blu-ray.

** Some copies of ''Stargate'' and ''Species'' contain the theatrical Deep Note even on the analog tracks, though others use the +2 pitch version instead.<!--To be verified-->

** DTS-encoded THX-certified LaserDiscs normally default to the +2 pitch version as well, though the DTS release of ''Apollo 13'' instead uses the -1.5 pitch DVD/Tex version. (On the 1998 Japanese DTS LaserDisc of said film, the analog stereo track uses the E note)

*The 1995 variant is arguably the most common THX trailer made. It appears on THX-certified DVDs and VHS tapes from various distributors from 1995 to 2006, most notably Disney, Fox, Universal, Sony, Paramount, mini-majors such as MGM, and even on some releases from Anchor Bay, Republic Pictures and Pioneer/Geneon, as well as the Lucasfilm THX Theatrical Trailers: The Audience is Listening on DVD disc and the DVD that came with the first edition of the book ''DVD Demystified'' by Jim Taylor.

**Most Pixar DVDs use Tex trailers but this appears on the 2000/2001 DVD of Toy Story 2.

*The high-pitched PAL variant is extremely rare; it can be found on the UK and Australian VHS releases of ''Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace'' and the 2000 releases of the ''Indiana Jones'' trilogy, as well as the 2004 Indonesian VCD of ''Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: Special Edition''. It may have appeared on other PAL tapes and/or VCDs as well but these are unconfirmed.

*1988-1990: The appearance of the box is accompanied by the sound of an orchestra warming up, which fades out as the conductor's hand appears. Once it flicks the baton, a booming, descending synth note accompanies the hyperspeed boost, overlapped by an orchestra crescendo as it reaches its peak. When the THX logo appears in the abyss, the descending synth is played again with less distortion. An ascending string note slowly becomes prominent as the THX logo appears before it replaces the synth note entirely as it reaches its peak, representing the Deep Note. Twinkling sounds play as the "'''The Audience is Listening'''" text appears, and echo until the end of the trailer. This early audio was recalled due to its potential to break theater speakers and thus replaced with what can be read below.

'''Editor's Note''': This is one of two logos that used a theme other than the original Deep Note, the other being "Grand" (the 4th logo). It proved to be unpopular among viewers. Andy Moorer, in an interview with Twenty Thousand Hertz, recalled that "Nobody liked [the sounds], nobody remembered them".<ref>Twenty Thousand Hertz, June 2018 (part 1 and part 2)</ref> The original version is infamous for both the reason it was recalled and for its extreme rarity. Various reconstructions have been made, and some audio had resurfaced, but no one was exactly sure what the original version sounded like beyond a general idea until video footage of the logo was uploaded in mid-February 2022. Nonetheless, this logo boasts some very impressive CGI for the time, and it's otherwise a very nicely-done effort.

*A prototype version exists, in which the text is set in a different font written in all capital letters. "The Audience is Listening" is also punctuated with an ellipsis, unlike the final version. The cloudy background appears very choppy and incomplete and the THX logo at the end appears to be the print version of the time in silver, likely a placeholder until the CGI animation of the logo was complete. This version can be also briefly glimpsed in the ''THX Story'' featurette seen on the aforementioned demo disc.

'''Availability''': This was originally a gag scene from ''The Simpsons'' episode "Burns' Heir", but THX themselves liked the parody so much that the scene was reanimated into a legitimate trailer. Debuted in theaters starting in 1994 and it also appeared on demo discs of the time. (remixed in the three major digital audio formats no less!) The variant can be found as a special feature on ''The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season'' DVD boxset (since "Burns' Heir" is a season five episode) and ''The THX Ultimate Demo Disc''. This trailer was originally released in Dolby A, but it was later released as a single inventory print with Dolby Digital, DTS and SDDS in 1996.

'''Music/Sounds''': Same as the previous trailer, except the Deep Note is replaced by cows mooing it (if you really listen carefully, a high pitched voice is heard towards the end of the mooing, which sounds like someone yelling "STOP!" before the sound of rumbling and cracking). The sound design is by Gary Rydstrom and Marco d'Ambrosio (who did the cow chord) according to ''The THX Ultimate Demo Disc''. A variant of the Monster THX logo (website intro only) uses some electrical sounds from the ''Terminator 2'' THX trailer, of which Gary Rydstrom also did the sound design. Like the previous two logos, prints existed in all three digital sound formats.

'''Editor's Note''': Like the last logo, this is another funny and nicely-animated THX effort.

'''Trailer''': We see a pitch-black screen (a la the 1983 "Broadway" trailer), then we see the text "Let's see it in" appearing in separate words zooming in the center of the screen. Then we see the THX logo with the Lucasfilm Ltd. notice at the top of THX. The logo shines and we fade-out.

'''Availability''': Rare. Seen in THX theaters of the time. Although the THX Ultimate Demo Disc claims the trailer debuted in late 1999, this trailer did indeed debut on ''Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace'' in May 1999. This also appears on ''The Adventures of Indiana Jones'' (on the 2003 release only), ''The THX Ultimate Demo Disc'' and the ''Lucasfilm THX Surround EX Demonstration Disc''. Don't expect this to be seen on any Disney DVDs, however.

File:THX Terminator 2 (Blu-Ray).png|Blu ray

*On the DVD release of ''Terminator 2'', a metallic rectangle with the T2 logo carved out appears from the Time Sphere, zooming toward us. Then, the rectangle gets shot into pieces by the T-800 with the shotgun, as seen on the reflection. The pieces then turn into liquid metal like the T-1000 and form the THX logo. After that, the THX logo fades out, and then it contains a message reading "The Best Sound, The Best Picture. You're Watching a THX Certified Feature" appears one by one as each text fades out before the other. Also, the Deep Note in this variant (the ''Terminator 2'' variant) is the same as the Broadway 2000 version. This is also on the Blu-ray releases with some differences: the THX logo fades into the standard logo, the "DIGITALLY" and "MASTERED" (a la Broadway '95) are replaced with "CERTIFIED," and the www.thx.com URL with a copyright notice appears; which served as the basis of Cavalcade. It appears on the Ultimate, eXtreme, initial Blu-ray, and Skynet editions of this film, but not the 2015 remastered or 4K Blu-ray releases.

'''Trailer''': On a black background we see out-of-focus movie clips on a THX logo. Some of these clips include ''Star Wars: Episode I'', ''Alien'' and ''Jurassic Park''. The logo then starts to shine as the blue outline from the Broadway trailer appears around the screen and the words "CERTIFIED CINEMA" appear under the THX logo. Everything except the blue outline fades out and is replaced by the THX website URL on the top, copyright notices on the bottom and the phrase "20 Years of Making Great Movies Come Alive."

*''Lord of The Rings'' trilogy *1

'''Editor's Note''': Even if it didn't last for more then a year, this trailer was quite unique compared to other THX trailers, featuring clips and sound effects from various movies.

*On [[THX_Certified_Games#3rd_Trailer_(October_18,_2005-September_25,_2006)|some select certified games]], the logo begins with the Deep Note already building up, and with the phrase "Experience THX" fading in instead. When the THX logo fades in, there is no whooshing sound effects and no lens flare on the shine running along the bottom of the logo. Underneath the logo, it says "CERTIFIED GAME". The Deep Note and logo then fade out.

'''Editor's Note''': This trailer is one of the more simpler trailers compared to most of the others on this page.

'''Music/Sounds''': A guy saying "And...action!" when the clapperboard is on screen, Tex's voice, some car sounds, and other sound effects, and the -1.5/low-pitched Deep Note from before.

'''Availability''': Rare due to its short lifespan. Seen on THX-certified DVD players in some cars. Possibly seen in theaters too; it's said to have premiered on ''Cars'' (which is very fitting). This was spotted on the 2006 DVD of ''District B13'' and ''THX Demo Disc II'', as well as the 2006 Japanese releases of ''Brave Story'' on DVD, HD-DVD, and Blu-ray.

'''Trailer''': We start out with an octagon shape figure rising out of a silver surface (a la a ripple effect), and forms into another figure, which looks like petals from a flower (in fact is a blue passion flower) because we're looking at it from the top. Inside the "flower" is a crown shape figure that has wings on top of it, slowly spinning around, producing the held organ note sound, as we zoom in on it. Then, the scene changes. We now see another set of wings that also spin around, but faster. A ring is spinning around with it and goes down towards the bottom of the screen, producing the buzzer. And the scene changes again. The same set of wings from the first scene is shown, once again spinning slowly, with shades seen on the left side of the screen. As the scene changes again, a tulip is seen zooming in towards us as it opens up its front, producing the deep brass sound. Then we zoom in on a mushroom as it bumps up a bit and makes drum beats. Then a set of butterflies fly by (with some stopping in the front center of the screen), producing some flapping sound, we see the flowerhead-like plant with dragonfly wings as petals, it pushes one-by-one clockwise, making dolphin chirping sounds, then we a lotus seed head opening and closing its holes as it makes a melody played on a glockenspiel. Intact with the drumbeats of the jingle, we see a variety of mushrooms as they "beat" and bump up the drumbeats, and then the scene changes to swirly-like circles that vibrate, as we zoom from one to another, making the bass horn stab. We zoom into another tulip, making another deep brass sound, and suddenly, we fly over all of the above-mentioned items. As the camera tilts toward the front and zooms back, we see that the plant-covered structure is actually the THX logo. The plants then retract back, revealing the silver color of the logo; this version looks slightly (but also noticeably) different than the other trailers of the past. The logo zooms back as the copyright info fades in on the bottom.

Then, the mayor says "Kinda losing you...", causing Horton to drop the THX logo, and he appears while shouting "How about this?! If I get up real close, can you read me?!" knocking the mayor off-screen, then followed by the Deep Note. Horton then turns to the audience laughing, winks, and then goes off-screen. The THX logo shines as usual. Then the screen transitions to a message reading "THE AUDIENCE IS HEARING" (spoofing the "The Audience is Listening" motto, with "HEAR" in the same font as the movie). On the side of the screen, we see the mayor peek out of the side of the screen, with his clothes blowing.

'''Logo''': On a black background, we see a blue trail of light fly around. It flies to an atmosphere with a purple hue. A pink, blue, purple, and green trail of light follows the blue trail and flies around with it. We then see a closeup shot of the two trails of light flying. The multicolored trail of light makes some shapes with its light, while the blue trail flies around the shapes and makes some mini shockwaves. We then cut to a white background but is revealed to be the back of the blue trail of light in the purple atmosphere. The multicolored trail of light joins the blue trail and the two trails fly towards the THX logo, which is seen in the distance. Everything is in slow motion for a split-second, and then the two trails quickly charge towards the THX logo and reveal it. This version looks noticeably different than the other trailers of the past, Due to the THX logo being noticeably thinner than normal. The THX logo shines as the two trails of light into the bottom line of the logo and causes a bright light to appear. This bright light takes up the entire screen.

* If you look closely in the right side of the city scene, there are three billboards:

** One has the THX logo in a blue rectangle outline (a la Broadway), accompanied by "THE AUDIENCE IS LISTENING" text below it.

'''Variant''': A prototype or alternate version appears on EyeBelieve's Vimeo channel. The ending of the trailer is slightly different, with the Deep Note being the 2005 remastered version instead of the low pitched/ -1.5 Deep Note.

'''Editor's Note''': A very good use of THX Spatial Audio. Use headphones for this one.