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They Live (1988)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
4 November 1988 (USA)
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Tagline:
Who are they? And what do they want? more
Plot:
A drifter discovers a pair of sunglasses that allow him to wake up to the fact that aliens have taken over the Earth. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Alien
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Sunglasses
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Television
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Drifter
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Everyman
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Awards:
3 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(79 articles)
Why Do Vampires Always Go Back to High School?
(From FilmSchoolRejects. 19 November 2009, 7:56 PM, PST)
Horror-filled Fundraiser in Burbank this Sunday!
(From Fangoria. 18 November 2009, 10:05 PM, PST)
(From FilmSchoolRejects. 19 November 2009, 7:56 PM, PST)
Horror-filled Fundraiser in Burbank this Sunday!
(From Fangoria. 18 November 2009, 10:05 PM, PST)
User Comments:
Clever sci-fi film with current cultural relevance
more (233 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) more
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
93 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Iceland:16 |
USA:R (#29297) |
Sweden:15 |
Ireland:18 |
Australia:M |
Norway:18 |
Singapore:M18 |
UK:18 |
West Germany:18 (nf)
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
John Carpenter wanted a truly rugged individual to play Nada. He cast wrestler Roddy Piper in the lead role after seeing him in WrestleMania III (1987) (V). Carpenter remembered Keith David's performance in The Thing (1982) and wrote the role of Frank specifically for the actor.
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Goofs:
Continuity: When Nada is first hit and pushed through Holly's window, the TV is turned in slightly and blocks a part of the window, but in the next shot from inside of the home, the TV is now square with the wall and is out of the way of the window.
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Quotes:
[Dollar Note with subliminal message]:
THIS IS YOUR GOD
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants (1991) (VG)
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (233 total)
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An unemployed man in the 80s (of the WWF variety, complete with Mel-mullet) shows up in the big city looking for work, American Dream intact. He finds a "Hooverville"-like (perhaps Reaganville!) community that takes him in and finds work in construction. He notices that several of the providers are ostensibly up to no good and hold meetings at the local church. He stumbles upon a secret door and finds a stash of...80s sunglasses! After the community is destroyed by the police, our baffled working-class hero pops on a pair of the glasses, which allows him see the world as it really is, and wake up out of his sleeeepy false consciousness! Was Carpenter reading up on his Marx? Maybe! Either way, this sci-fi/action flick is fantastic, cheesy, and clever. "They Live" was obviously influenced by the excess of the 80s, but doesn't come across as dated and actually seems very relevant to the current cultural climate in the US. There are various flaws (namely, the creepy-in-a-bad-way Meg Foster and her character), but overall this is an excellent, amusing, and entertaining film. My Rating: 9.5/10