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They Live

  • 1988
  • R
  • 1h 34m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
155K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,418
450
Jeff Imada and Roddy Piper in They Live (1988)
They influence our decisions without us knowing it. They numb our senses without us feeling it. They control our lives without us realizing it. They live.
Play trailer1:59
2 Videos
99+ Photos
Alien InvasionB-ActionB-HorrorConspiracy ThrillerDark ComedyActionHorrorSci-FiThriller

They influence our decisions without us knowing it. They numb our senses without us feeling it. They control our lives without us realizing it. They live.They influence our decisions without us knowing it. They numb our senses without us feeling it. They control our lives without us realizing it. They live.They influence our decisions without us knowing it. They numb our senses without us feeling it. They control our lives without us realizing it. They live.

  • Director
    • John Carpenter
  • Writers
    • Ray Nelson
    • John Carpenter
  • Stars
    • Roddy Piper
    • Keith David
    • Meg Foster
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    155K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,418
    450
    • Director
      • John Carpenter
    • Writers
      • Ray Nelson
      • John Carpenter
    • Stars
      • Roddy Piper
      • Keith David
      • Meg Foster
    • 562User reviews
    • 218Critic reviews
    • 55Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 4 nominations total

    Videos2

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:59
    Official Trailer
    Through the Lens: Defining Carpenteresque and Why It Belongs in the Dictionary
    Clip 4:54
    Through the Lens: Defining Carpenteresque and Why It Belongs in the Dictionary
    Through the Lens: Defining Carpenteresque and Why It Belongs in the Dictionary
    Clip 4:54
    Through the Lens: Defining Carpenteresque and Why It Belongs in the Dictionary

    Photos152

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    Top cast50

    Edit
    Roddy Piper
    Roddy Piper
    • Nada
    Keith David
    Keith David
    • Frank
    Meg Foster
    Meg Foster
    • Holly
    George 'Buck' Flower
    George 'Buck' Flower
    • Drifter
    Peter Jason
    Peter Jason
    • Gilbert
    Raymond St. Jacques
    Raymond St. Jacques
    • Street Preacher
    Jason Robards III
    Jason Robards III
    • Family Man
    John Lawrence
    • Bearded Man
    Susan Barnes
    • Brown Haired Woman
    Sy Richardson
    Sy Richardson
    • Black Revolutionary
    Wendy Brainard
    • Family Man's Daughter
    Lucille Meredith
    Lucille Meredith
    • Female Interviewer
    Susan Blanchard
    Susan Blanchard
    • Ingenue
    Norman Alden
    Norman Alden
    • Foreman
    Dana Bratton
    • Black Junkie
    John F. Goff
    John F. Goff
    • Well Dressed Customer
    Norman D. Wilson
    Norman D. Wilson
    • Vendor
    • (as Norm Wilson)
    Thelma Lee
    • Rich Lady
    • Director
      • John Carpenter
    • Writers
      • Ray Nelson
      • John Carpenter
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    They Live

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      John Carpenter brought real "homeless folks" into the production for several scenes and smaller characters and gave them food as well as paychecks. "I thought that was a pretty classy thing to do," said Roddy Piper.
    • Goofs
      The alien at the magazine stand gets his change twice.
    • Quotes

      Nada: I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum.

    • Crazy credits
      The screenplay writer for "They Live" which is credited to "Frank Armitage", does not exist. John Carpenter used many pseudonyms when giving credit to his works in films. With his vast amount of work that he did himself, (directing, producing, writing and composing the musical scores), he did not want to appear to be braggadocios and vain by having his name appear over and over in the credits of his movies.
    • Connections
      Edited into The Arrivals (2008)
    • Soundtracks
      Rock of Ages
      (uncredited)

      Music by Thomas Hastings

      Lyrics by Augustus Montague Toplady

      [Heard as one of the songs played on the church tape]

    User reviews562

    Featured review
    7/10

    Classic from my youth

    I remember first seeing They Live when I was 10 and I totally fell in love with this film. How could a ten year old not? There's wrestlers, aliens and a plot to take over the world. My friends and I quoted this film for weeks on end with the Bubble gum and kicking @$$ line being a favourite among all. The only real complaint that I have about the film is that the aliens when finally revealed are far too human. They basically look like a skeleton with bug eyes. Not a whole lot of energy seemed to go into their design. While They Live will never be remembered as a film that redefined the way films were made, it still to this day holds a place in my heart as one of the films that just defines your youth. It is fun, action packed and has just enough cool storyline to keep you interested from start to finish.
    • timhayes-1
    • Jun 14, 2005
    • Permalink

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    FAQ23

    • How long is They Live?Powered by Alexa
    • What is 'They Live' about?
    • Is "They Live" based on a book?
    • What are the differences between the short story and the film?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 4, 1988 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Sobreviven
    • Filming locations
      • Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA(Location)
    • Production companies
      • Alive Films
      • Larry Franco Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $4,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $13,447,978
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $4,827,903
      • Nov 6, 1988
    • Gross worldwide
      • $13,450,603
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 34 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Surround 7.1
      • Dolby Atmos
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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