Starring: Roddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster, George 'Buck' Flower, Peter Jason Directed By: John Carpenter Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: DVD Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: March 25, 1998 Running Time: 93 minutes Studio: Image Entertainment Theatrical Release Date: November 04, 1988
Amazon.com: An 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
Description: They influence our decisions without us knowing it. They numb our senses without us feeling it. They control our lives without us realizing it. Horror master John Carpenter directs this action-packed sci-fi thriller about one man's battle against aliens who are systematically gaining control of the Earth.
Love this movie ^ I don't care what anyone says, I love this movie. The fight scene in the middle is still one of the all time best. Just as good now as I remember.
One Of My Favorite Carpenter Movies ^ This is a Carpenter classic. This and The Thing are my favorite Carpenter movies. He does tons of great movies Prince Of Darkness, Village Of The Damned, The Thing and the overated Halloween movies. The movie is about aliens that try to take over the world. The world is up to a town drifter to save them all. The aliens look like normal people through the naked eye. But if you where these special sunglasses you can see there true form. If you are a fan of science fiction movies and a fan of Carpenter. Look for this great alien movie. Pick it up at amazon
Simply Awesome. ^ John Carpenter shows his amazing creativity once again. From the creator of the greatest horror film ever made "Halloween" comes They Live. This movie is awesome, it shows society and culture as what it really is with the help of special glasses, it also shows who is human and who is alien. The way they show the world through the glasses is how I see the world anyhow minus the aliens, so I related to this film very well. The story is awesome, the effects are awesome, the aliens look great and the actors are perfect. Roddy Piper is actually a really good actor and made this movie great.
Simply awesome movie from John Carpenter.
John Carpenter saw into the future! ^ This is just like what is happening to us now, only the people controlling us all aren't bug eyed monsters..they are just ugly humans! This movie is awesome, you will enjoy it if you like watching movies about what is really happening in the world today (another good one is "Brazil"). Most people are blind to what is going on in the world today, with new world order politics being snuck into daily living. Just like in the movie, but instead of having to use special glasses to view what is going on, you just need to go online! Especially prophetic is the invisible 'spy' plane type things that are floating around, monitoring people without their knowledge. The military are actually working on cyborg insects that are implanted with tiny cameras. Horray for nano technology! Thankfully there are many heroes out there like Roddy Piper in the movie that are helping to expose these evil bug eyed bilderberg NWO types to the world. Get this movie if you want to be reminded of what is going on right now. And pick up the book 1984 while you are at it! Great flick!!!
Discover or revisit a cult classic! ^ The year was 1988. Reagan was still in office. Mass consumerism and greed were now the fashionable way of life for most Americans. Was there a reason behind this? What was making our country become a cesspool of apathetic, materialistic slobs? If you have seen the sci-fi cult-classic They Live you may already have a theory.
John Carpenter, the writer/director of cult hits such as Halloween and Escape from New York decided to give us a possible answer with his visionary tale about a nameless nomadic construction worker, played by former wrestling star Roddy Piper, who stumbles upon a special pair of sunglasses which reveal high-society and dirty politicians as aliens who are controlling the human population through subliminal messages written on nearly every form of media. For example, the sunglasses reveal money to actually say "This is your god", and a billboard advertisement telling people to "get married and procreate".
Now the film itself is quite hokey in a campy sort of way in terms. The fight scenes are cheesy and drawn out far too long. The script has some great one liners, for example the often imitated classic line "I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and I'm all out of bubble gum." And the acting from Piper is downright laughable at times. But these things don't take away from the satirical, yet eerie, conspiracy theory that Carpenter is nearly force-feeding down the viewers throat.
Thus, They Live has a great balance of social satire, chills, and comic relief to keep an audience tuned-in for it's brief 95 minute run.
There have also been rumors flying around about the possibility of a remake in the works under the umbrella of producers Marc Abraham and Eric Newman(2004's Dawn of the Dead, Slither)
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