I dug this film when I first saw it. I saw it again last night and still dug it but found myself laughing at what John Carpenter obviously thought was deep social comment on the Reagan years.
I love John Carpenter, when he's at his best ("THE THING") nobody can beat him. But John, just like anyone can cross the line into the sanctimonious thinly disguised statement of policy according to the director.
That's fine if the statement is better thought out and more complex then the underlying one of "They Live".
Still, in this movie, even though that line is indeed crossed, it still has enough cheesy, campy Sci-fi appeal to halfway overlook the shallow socio-political world view.
The movie was made in 1988, in the midst of a robust economic expansion. Yet, it chooses to portray an America that is on the skids for all but a few.
And those few are either Repub... I mean Aliens exploiting the planet and the masses and Reagan Democr.... er I mean the human turncoats that are in league with them to enrich themselves.
The Aliens can only be exposed with special glasses (along with all the subliminal propaganda that is printed in magazines, billboards, TV and even on currency). I don't know how those glasses can reorder the scan lines of a cathode ray tube in order to show hidden things on the TV but I guess I shouldn't try to figure that one out. The exposed aliens look like they are missing the skin on their faces or maybe they are wearing masked with some sort of holographic generator to generate facial features. Okay, I promise to stop trying to figure this out.
Okay, you can see the Aliens with the glasses but how do you identify the human turncoats? Well, they are the characters that have more than one nickel to rub together mostly. Because, in Carpenter's world, no one comes by wealth honestly (except for movie directors, perhaps).
SPOILER: For instance, how many were really surprised that Holly Thomson was a turncoat? All you have to do is look at her nice apartment and you could've written that surprise yourself.
Still, all that is easily put aside so you can enjoy the lines and the moments.
Lines like "I'm here to kick ass and chew bubblegum and I'm all out of bubblegum" and "Life's a bitch and she's back in heat" and moments like the ultimately hilarious 5+ minute long fist fight between Roddy Piper and Keith David's characters.
A 5 minute rumble over Roddy wanting Keith to put on the glasses so he too can see the Aliens and messages.
I don't care how macho bull#%$* you are, most would just put on the glasses instead of having a couple broken ribs BUT NOOOOOOOO......
Not that it slowed them down any. I mean, Roddy Piper was already tossed out a plate glass window from a couple stories before they fought and seemed only momentarily encumbered.
Then, it took only a few scenes after this knock down drag out for both of them to look completely recovered.
Too bad universal health-care wasn't on the radar in 1988, John could've had them both had to go to the hospital after the fight and encounter a whole new group of aliens bent on keeping prescription drugs and medical care high. But that may be another story.
Finally, what really bears mentioning about "They Live" is how it must've inspired "The Matrix" to a certain extent.
Aliens coming to Earth and hide themselves by altering our perception of reality.
Main characters break out of that alternate reality and try to take down the aliens through lots of ammo and insurrection "Whoa..!"
Ultimataly, "They Live" is more enjoyable because it's only pretentious in it's politics. "The Matrix" is pretentious across the board (with CGI, I guess they can afford to be).
It also lacks John Carpenter's sense of fun (not to mention his scoring. John is the king of making minimalist, repetitious background music for his movies that somehow work)
And any time Rowdy Roddy Piper is not in his kilt, it's a plus (hey, he turned in a decent performance).
I love John Carpenter, when he's at his best ("THE THING") nobody can beat him. But John, just like anyone can cross the line into the sanctimonious thinly disguised statement of policy according to the director.
That's fine if the statement is better thought out and more complex then the underlying one of "They Live".
Still, in this movie, even though that line is indeed crossed, it still has enough cheesy, campy Sci-fi appeal to halfway overlook the shallow socio-political world view.
The movie was made in 1988, in the midst of a robust economic expansion. Yet, it chooses to portray an America that is on the skids for all but a few.
And those few are either Repub... I mean Aliens exploiting the planet and the masses and Reagan Democr.... er I mean the human turncoats that are in league with them to enrich themselves.
The Aliens can only be exposed with special glasses (along with all the subliminal propaganda that is printed in magazines, billboards, TV and even on currency). I don't know how those glasses can reorder the scan lines of a cathode ray tube in order to show hidden things on the TV but I guess I shouldn't try to figure that one out. The exposed aliens look like they are missing the skin on their faces or maybe they are wearing masked with some sort of holographic generator to generate facial features. Okay, I promise to stop trying to figure this out.
Okay, you can see the Aliens with the glasses but how do you identify the human turncoats? Well, they are the characters that have more than one nickel to rub together mostly. Because, in Carpenter's world, no one comes by wealth honestly (except for movie directors, perhaps).
SPOILER: For instance, how many were really surprised that Holly Thomson was a turncoat? All you have to do is look at her nice apartment and you could've written that surprise yourself.
Still, all that is easily put aside so you can enjoy the lines and the moments.
Lines like "I'm here to kick ass and chew bubblegum and I'm all out of bubblegum" and "Life's a bitch and she's back in heat" and moments like the ultimately hilarious 5+ minute long fist fight between Roddy Piper and Keith David's characters.
A 5 minute rumble over Roddy wanting Keith to put on the glasses so he too can see the Aliens and messages.
I don't care how macho bull#%$* you are, most would just put on the glasses instead of having a couple broken ribs BUT NOOOOOOOO......
Not that it slowed them down any. I mean, Roddy Piper was already tossed out a plate glass window from a couple stories before they fought and seemed only momentarily encumbered.
Then, it took only a few scenes after this knock down drag out for both of them to look completely recovered.
Too bad universal health-care wasn't on the radar in 1988, John could've had them both had to go to the hospital after the fight and encounter a whole new group of aliens bent on keeping prescription drugs and medical care high. But that may be another story.
Finally, what really bears mentioning about "They Live" is how it must've inspired "The Matrix" to a certain extent.
Aliens coming to Earth and hide themselves by altering our perception of reality.
Main characters break out of that alternate reality and try to take down the aliens through lots of ammo and insurrection "Whoa..!"
Ultimataly, "They Live" is more enjoyable because it's only pretentious in it's politics. "The Matrix" is pretentious across the board (with CGI, I guess they can afford to be).
It also lacks John Carpenter's sense of fun (not to mention his scoring. John is the king of making minimalist, repetitious background music for his movies that somehow work)
And any time Rowdy Roddy Piper is not in his kilt, it's a plus (hey, he turned in a decent performance).