They Live
by John Carpenter
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DVD details
Actor: George 'Buck' Flower, Keith David, Meg Foster, Peter Jason, Roddy PiperDirector: John Carpenter
Brand: Universal Studios
Cinematographer: Gary B. Kibbe
Writer: John Carpenter
Producer: Andre Blay
Producer: Larry J. Franco
Producer: Sandy King
Producer: Shep Gordon
Writer: Ray Nelson
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 93 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-09-23
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Universal Studios
DVD Reviews of They Live
DVD Review: One of the silliest movie I have ever watched.
Summary: 5 Stars
The setting in the movie They Live is rather simple. The world's economy is going downhill, middle class is nearly gone, and either you're doing very well or living a very hard life. This movie follows a single man in his quest for a job. I say "man" because in the movie, the "man's" name was never revealed. The actor is Roddy Piper, who is probably most famous for his role as a wrestler in the 80s and 90s.
The movie starts off with Piper's character coming into the city. Apparently he's married too because he has a ring on his wedding finger, but it was never revealed in the movie. Also, it appears he had some love interest in another character, but yet it was never really fully developed nor was a wife ever mentioned. Well anyway, Piper's character does find a job doing construction and living in a homeless camp.
While living at the camp one day, Piper discovers that a church is sending out broadcasts explaining that some alien race is taking over the planet and is the sole reason why the economy is going downhill and middle class going. Obviously, Piper didn't believe it until he put on some sunglasses that revealed that people who look normal are really hideous aliens in disguise. He also find that a lot of subliminal messages are placed around televisions, advertisements, and money. Knowing that the aliens are taking over, Piper's character suddenly goes insane in the membrane and begins shooting up the aliens. He walks into a bank saying the famous line of, "I'm here to chew bubblegum and kick ---, and I'm all out of bubblegum."
After the big shootout, Piper's character goes into hiding, and he has no friends other than one person he met during his job at the construction. Piper tried to explain to his friend that aliens are taking over and he has proof with a pair of sunglasses. His friend is not too impressed and isn't willing to put on the glasses and tells Piper to leave him alone. However, Piper isn't ready to leave until he proves to his friend that there are indeed aliens taking over and he's not an insane gunman. With this in mind, the next scene is probably one of the greatest fight sequences of all time. Piper starts landing blow after blow of intense, skull crushing blows to his friend in an attempt to force him to wear the sunglasses. His friend isn't willing to comply and returns some of the massive blows to Piper's face. After about five minutes of fighting, they're both exhausted, and Piper manages to force the sunglasses on his friend and then found out that indeed aliens taking over. Now Piper has a friend who believes him.
Afterward, Piper and his friend goes on a rampage. They find out that there is a single point of failure that would cripple the alien's silent takeover of earth. All they have to do is blow up one satellite dish, and the disguise that is making the aliens appear human will be gone; thus revealing their hideous form for all to see. You'd think that an advance race of aliens that are capable of intergalactic travel would think that having a single point of failure is a bad idea. Besides an obvious strike against them by someone finding the weak point, you'd think they'd take into account of the fact that an electrical storm, bug infestation, or something as simple as a power failure would cripple and jeopardize a critical element in their take over. With that point aside, Piper and his friend goes on a rampage of shooting aliens with their sunglasses on. At the end, it is found that simply sticking up your middle finger at a helicopter tends to explode an entire satellite thus revealing the hideous alien race for all to see.
I personally loved the movie They Live. I suppose one can look at it sort of like a satire or some sort of social commentary. If I recall, at the time of the movie, the economy was taking a massive recession and a lot of people were becoming poor but at the same time, consumerism was in full swing for those who had money. As such, this movie sort of plays into that by saying that we're being taken over by an alien race because the poor just keeps getting poor and the rich keeps getting rich despite cut backs and other things. I suppose looking at the movie then, you can definitely say that this movie's core story can be applied to today's economy and world.
Besides the commentary of the movie, I felt that the movie is a real classic in terms of what the 80s and early 90s brought about in terms of movies. This movie had a lot of great one-liners and a cheesy plot. In today's movie, they try to make things more complex but at the same time the complexity is so ridiculous that it's not totally believable. In movies like "They Live," I felt the story was more in line of simple to understand, but yet not so simple that it feels elementary and/or insulting. I think anyone would love this movie. It's funny, it has some great meaning, and it's short and sweet. Definitely a good watch on a Saturday afternoon or something.
Description of They Live
THEY LIVE 4 - DVD MovieAn economic crisis brings unemployed Nada (Roddy Piper) to L.A. in search of work. What he finds instead is that the ruling elite of the world are aliens in disguise, their aim being to keep humans in a state of mindless consumerism. His discovery comes when he dons a pair of special sunglasses made by a resistance group and sees for the first time reality unadorned. Billboards, store signs, magazine covers--all bear subliminal messages to OBEY, to CONSUME, to have NO INDEPENDENT THOUGHT. Money itself says THIS IS YOUR GOD. But worst of all, with these glasses you see which of us are really hideous, bug-eyed aliens. The conceptual breakthrough is hilarious while keeping its roots in darker matters. Although some fault the film for settling into its action plot, the ending has a great payoff. And the direction by John Carpenter is handled with superb workmanlike aplomb. One unforgettable set piece has Piper in a back-alley fistfight with a friend who won't put on the glasses that goes on and on, and just when you think it's over it goes another round. One of the most subversive films ever made in Hollywood, They Live was released on the eve of the 1988 elections. The first TV ads had two hideous alien politicians debating, then one accusing the other of being "No John Kennedy!" --Jim Gay
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