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What if the people around you weren't who you thought they are? What if they were determined to herd people into uncontrollable consumerism? What if that was all a scheme to take control of the planet and human life? Worst! What if they were ugly as fu¢k? Well, at least we have John Carpenter to tell us how things might go.
They Live follows a nameless drifter (Roddy Piper), who stumbles upon an alien conspiracy to manipulate people's thoughts and behaviors through subliminal messages. He realizes this when he finds out some special sunglasses that are designed to reveal not only these hidden messages, but the aliens hidden in plain sight that are behind them.
I honestly don't understand how this film escaped me back in the 80s, because it seems like the kind of thing I would've been all over when I was a kid. Still, discovering it now was probably just as fun. Carpenter manages to take jabs at the "yuppie" subculture, capitalism and consumerism in a way that's effective, but also entertaining.
Piper might not be the best actor, but I think he's perfect for this role. There's an "everyday guy" vibe and an innocent charm to his performance that you can't help but root for him. Plus, he's helped by Keith David who, as usual, is all kinds of awesome. Aside from that, Carpenter's direction is very assured and efficient.
That said, I thought that the iconic fight between Piper and David went on for too long. It got to the point where I was "Ok, we get it. Move on". Judging from what I've read about it, it seems I'm the only one to feel that way, but well. I also felt that the climax and conclusion were too abrupt and underwhelming, considering what they were building up to. Regardless of that, this was a lot of fun.
Grade:
THEY LIVE
(1988, Carpenter)
A film from the TSPDT 1000 Greatest Pictures list whose ranking includes the #4 (#947)
(1988, Carpenter)
A film from the TSPDT 1000 Greatest Pictures list whose ranking includes the #4 (#947)
"They're free-enterprisers. The earth is just another developing planet. Their third world."
What if the people around you weren't who you thought they are? What if they were determined to herd people into uncontrollable consumerism? What if that was all a scheme to take control of the planet and human life? Worst! What if they were ugly as fu¢k? Well, at least we have John Carpenter to tell us how things might go.
They Live follows a nameless drifter (Roddy Piper), who stumbles upon an alien conspiracy to manipulate people's thoughts and behaviors through subliminal messages. He realizes this when he finds out some special sunglasses that are designed to reveal not only these hidden messages, but the aliens hidden in plain sight that are behind them.
I honestly don't understand how this film escaped me back in the 80s, because it seems like the kind of thing I would've been all over when I was a kid. Still, discovering it now was probably just as fun. Carpenter manages to take jabs at the "yuppie" subculture, capitalism and consumerism in a way that's effective, but also entertaining.
Piper might not be the best actor, but I think he's perfect for this role. There's an "everyday guy" vibe and an innocent charm to his performance that you can't help but root for him. Plus, he's helped by Keith David who, as usual, is all kinds of awesome. Aside from that, Carpenter's direction is very assured and efficient.
That said, I thought that the iconic fight between Piper and David went on for too long. It got to the point where I was "Ok, we get it. Move on". Judging from what I've read about it, it seems I'm the only one to feel that way, but well. I also felt that the climax and conclusion were too abrupt and underwhelming, considering what they were building up to. Regardless of that, this was a lot of fun.
Grade: