THX (France)

For the main company, see THX. For other uses, see THX (disambiguation).

Background

This is the French-based division of THX, where they certify French releases of home movies. As part of a reach into the country, in early 2001 THX signed a deal with Gaumont to feature three exclusive THX trailers on high-profile THX-certified DVD releases of theirs in the country, all animated by Mastery International Pictures.

1st Trailer (The Mountain Island) (May 10, 2001)

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  Released variant

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  Storyboard variant

Visuals: From the DVD menu of Les Rivieres Pourpres/The Crimson Rivers, the camera pans from the sculpture and down into the temple entrance to begin the logo. On a black background, white lights trace out the main symbol of the movie, which is a stamp-like emblem of a human curled into a fetal position, from top to bottom as its filled with a dark gravel-like texture, and the spaces in-between filled with blood red. After the light fades away, the red waters glow and the camera pans down to a flat view of the symbol, which suddenly grows out into a mountainous island with snow blanketed over as the waters turn teal and a cloudy sky appears in the background. From here, the camera mostly flies about the landscape as the clouds constantly shift about above before the camera flies into one of the mountainsides, an avalanche coming down just before it goes through. The camera then shows the inside of an icy glacier, gliding in-between smooth corridors before stumbling upon a core chamber with the THX logo trapped inside of a glacier. The logo then suddenly heats up and bursts out of the ice, causing the surrounding area to fade out and the logo to zoom in, changing from a fiery orange to its more typical silver texture. "LUCASFILM" then appears one by one with flashing lights and the blue border wipes in one-by-one. The logo remains on-screen for a few seconds before it fades out, leaving room for the text "Le meilleur son, la meilleure image" to blur in line-by-line, before fading out to leave room for "Vous regardez un film certifé THX".

Variant: A storyboard variant of this trailer exists, with an early sound mix.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: The Deep Note and sounds related to the action going on. Whooshes are heard at the end with the text wiping in.

Availability: Only seen on the French THX-certified DVD of Les Rivieres Pourpres/The Crimson Rivers, due to the fact that it directly goes from the DVD's menu. The storyboard variant can be seen on the French Demo DVD of THX Trailers DVD.

2nd Trailer (Old Movie) (September 17, 2002-March 6, 2007)

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Visuals: On a black background with a heavy film grain filter over it, 2 short silver bars zoom out from the bottom and top respectively, as well as a longer bar swooping in from the right and rotating into place before it shortens as well. The bars rotate around in unison, with the middle bar turning at a faster degree, before they form an "H" as the film grain disappears. After the "H" stops rotating, it splits apart to reveal the letters of the THX logo, which turn into position as the grain surrounding their borders disappears as well. The top bar of the "T" and a small silver box, which slid in as the letters turn, extend outwards to complete the logo and it zooms into position. The logo then ends similarly to the last trailer, albeit with "LUCASFILM" and the ® swinging into place instead.

Variant: On Le Cerveau, the "LUCASFILM" bit is absent and ® is replaced with ™.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: Starts with a film projector whirring to life with vinyl crackling and proceeds to the Deep Note. On Les Tonton Flingueurs and Les Barbouzes, cartoony gunshots are heard at the end.

Availability: Seen on the French THX-certified DVDs of Les Tontons flingueurs, Les Barbouzes, Le Pacha and Le Cerveau.

Legacy: Animated before the Creative buyout, as noted by the Lucasfilm text above the logo.

3rd Trailer (Mosquito Racing) (October 24, 2002)

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Visuals: The camera fades into a night sky with tons of light blue particles floating around the area, panning down to reveal a clear lake bed as a small hum of the Deep Note can be heard. The camera then suddenly zooms out that the area is blocked off by a large swath of brambles, and 3 cartoony mosquitoes wearing trekking gear can be seen. Cut to a shot of all 5, 2 of which having their heads rise up, where they seem to wake up and quickly buzz their wings like a motor before flying off into the brambles. The beanie-wearing mosquito is seen having a lead start, but when looking back and giving a mocking gesture, he runs into a branch as the rest fly past him. A panning shot of the remaining mosquitoes flying through is then seen, following by a close up of one of their backpacks, containing the film's logo on it. More shots are then shown of the mosquito's feet taking into position, one flying past more brambles, and then finally a shot of an opening to the lakebed, where more particles than usual are seen. As the mass rotates around, the 4 mosquitoes fly in and attempt to capture anything they can, but most fail: 1 flies around uncontrollably, another is sent spiraling with flames coming out, and the goggle-wearing mosquito faceplants onto the screen for a short moment before slipping off. The Deep Note starts to play out again as the particles slowly come together to form the THX logo. As the final mosquito flies and swerves off-screen, all but the logo fades out and a light draws out the blue box surrounding it as it turns into place. The logo then fades out to make room for the same text seen at the end of the previous 2 trailers.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: The Deep Note and the sounds of the mosquitoes buzzing and other cartoony sounds produced by them (such as gulping sounds, manic laughing, ricochets, and an airplane or jet-like engine whir as one of them is blown away).

Availability:

• The trailer was only seen in the French THX-certified DVD of the film Le Raid.
• This trailer was also made available as an Easter egg in the DVD menu; however, the logo that came out of the particles in said Easter egg was the company who animated this logo, Mastery International Pictures.

Final Notes

• While these trailers were not intended for anything other than the French market, some unofficial demo discs included these three logos in later years; and were eventually uploaded to YouTube in varying states of quality in the late 2000s and early 2010s. All of these logos mark a unique and interesting period in the company's history.
• Most other French releases from THX use their American trailers, as with most other international markets.