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They Live (1988)

R  93 min  -  Action | Horror | Sci-Fi   -  4 November 1988 (USA)
7.1
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Ratings: 7.1/10 from 29,432 users   Metascore: 50/100 
Reviews: 259 user | 96 critic | 9 from Metacritic.com

A drifter discovers a pair of sunglasses that allow him to wake up to the fact that aliens have taken over the Earth.

Director:

John Carpenter

Writers:

Ray Nelson (short story "Eight O'Clock in the Morning"), John Carpenter (screenplay)
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3 nominations See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Roddy Piper ...
Keith David ...
Frank
Meg Foster Meg Foster ...
Holly
George 'Buck' Flower ...
Peter Jason ...
Raymond St. Jacques Raymond St. Jacques ...
Jason Robards III Jason Robards III ...
John Lawrence John Lawrence ...
Susan Barnes Susan Barnes ...
Sy Richardson ...
Wendy Brainard Wendy Brainard ...
Lucille Meredith Lucille Meredith ...
Susan Blanchard Susan Blanchard ...
Norman Alden Norman Alden ...
Dana Bratton Dana Bratton ...
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Storyline

Nada, a down-on-his-luck construction worker, discovers a pair of special sunglasses. Wearing them, he is able to see the world as it really is: people being bombarded by media and government with messages like "Stay Asleep", "No Imagination", "Submit to Authority". Even scarier is that he is able to see that some usually normal-looking people are in fact ugly aliens in charge of the massive campaign to keep humans subdued. Written by Melissa Portell <mportell@s-cwis.unomaha.edu>  

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Who are they? And what do they want? See more »

Genres:

Action | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

John Carpenter's They Live See more »

Filming Locations:

Atlanta, Georgia, USA See more »

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$4,827,000 (USA) (6 November 1988) (1463 Screens)

Gross:

$13,008,928 (USA)
See more »

Company Credits

Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color  | Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The only character given a first and last name is Holly Thompson (Meg Foster). See more »

Goofs

Continuity: The angle of the sun continually changes during the alley fight. See more »

Quotes

Rich Lady: [into her wristwatch] I've got one that can see!
See more »

Connections

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Santa Claus (#6.21)" (1993) See more »