I've bought and watched the new DVD. It was my first time watching the film, so I can only imagine what it was like originally. I have both positive and negative feelings towards the CG additions -- they clearly make the scenes look better, but they clearly stand out as new CG scenes too. Most noticable new shots:

- Big wide establishing shots that are digital mattes. Look good, but CG.
- The radioactive rod thing THX is installing into a droid is glowy and melts through the droid when dropped... looks cool.
- A totally CG sequence of THX driving the car through traffic, before entering the tunnel again.
- The car crashes through new barriers and scaffolding.
- The "shell dwellers" were all originally hairy midget guys. Now the ones that attack THX are totally CG monkey creatures. Looks very CG... but which is lamer-looking, CG creatures or hairy midgets?

Those are the more obvious things.

Now my thoughts on the film itself: weeeeeeird. I didn't like it the first time. It was uncomfortable and strange. But after it finished and I thought about it more, I appreciated all the things it tried to do. I love the confession booths where the recorded voice clearly isn't listening because it's automated, and it says, "Buy. Buy more. Buy more now." I love the comment on consumerism -- everyone buys useless coloured objects for no reason and throws them away straight afterwards -- they were just told to buy them.

The most interesting thing about the DVD - and the reason you need to see it - is because it will give you great insight about George Lucas. The hour-long documentary on American Zoetrope is wonderful. Lucas isn't just a guy who made Star Wars... he says his heart is in this kind of radical experimental filmmaking. He is really lively in the documentary, and enthusiastic in his commentary... far more so than for Star Wars. Towards the end of the commentary he says (paraphrasing): "I wanted to make a comedy after this, so I made American Graffiti. Then I wanted to try a fun kid's film, and, uh, I kind of got stuck doing that for a long time. But after I'm finally done with Star Wars, I hope to get back to where my heart really lies, and do experimental films like this again."