THX (France)

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 Home Video to feature three exclusive THX trailers on high-profile releases of theirs in the country, all animated by Mastery International Pictures.

1st Trailer (May 10, 2001)

Released variant
Storyboard variant

Nicknames: "The Rivers", "The Crimson Rivers", "Les Rivieres", "Les Rivieres Pourpres", "River", "Glacier"

Trailer: On the DVD menu of The Crimson Rivers, we go inside the temple. Then, on a black background, a symbol from the movie is drawn and turns red and black. We zoom into the symbol and it turns into an island with mountains. Then it goes into one of the mountains' core, and we see a glacier inside it with the THX logo in it. Then the THX logo briefly glows red, causing glaciers to shatter from the force, and the blue rectangle from the "Broadway" trailer appears and the words "LUCASFILM" appears above the logo.

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

FX/SFX: Typical early 2000s CGI.

Music/Sounds: The Deep Note and sounds related to the action going on.

Availability: Only seen on the French THX-certified DVD of 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.

Editor's Note: On the THX Trailers DVD, this trailer is referred to by its codename, "Glacier".

2nd Trailer (September 17, 2002)

Nicknames: "Les Tontons Flingueurs", "Old Movie", "Grain"

Trailer: We see two silver bars zooming in, in a grainy film quality. Their borders tremble. Another bar follows them rotating, joins them and the figure starts rotating, forming the "H" in the process. Then the letters unfold into the 3D THX logo, sending other letters at the sides, and the grainy quality gets lost. Then the "T" grows its usual elongated bar and the small bar comes from the right, expanding below. Then "LUCASFILM" and the copyright symbol rise in the logo; the blue box appears.

FX/SFX: Everything.

Music/Sounds: Starts with a film projector whirring to life with vinyl crackling and proceeds to the Deep Note. Has gunshot sound effects from the film at the end.

Availability: Only seen on the French THX-certified DVD of Les Tontons flingueurs.

Editor's Note: Animated before the Creative buyout, as noted by the Lucasfilm text above the logo.

3rd Trailer (October 24, 2002)

Nicknames: "Le Raid", "The Race"

Trailer: We observe many glowing particles coming up from a salty ocean below. Then we rapidly zoom out through the trees and see five mosquitoes sleeping mid-air above the swamp. They are equipped with yellow Le Raid-themed helmets and shells, though one wears a knitted hat, and other wears nothing. The mosquitoes wake up, get angry and rush forward. One of them gets first and sticks out his tongue to taunt others. However he misses the tree, hits it and falls into the swamp. Then the rest of the mosquitoes fly past the trees, one of them briefly shown from his backpack, also titled "Le Raid". They proceed to the large gathering of particles above the water and at least three of them are thrown out, the last one hitting the screen. The THX logo is formed from the particles, while the background turns black and the blue rectangle from the "Broadway" trailer appears. The fourth mosquito is thrown out. Then the words Le meilleur son, la meilleure image (French for "The best sound, the best picture") form.

FX/SFX: Everything, again.

Music/Sounds: The Deep Note and the sounds of insect 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: Only on the French THX-certified DVD of the film Le Raid.

Editor's Note: 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.