Action/Horror/Sci-Fi
1 hour and 35 minutes
Rated R
Written by: Frank Armitage
Directed by: John Carpenter
Produced by: Larry Franco
Cast:
Roddy Piper
Keith David
Meg Foster
Who are they? And what do they want?
Roddy Piper, the man with the iron-mullet, stars in horror maestro John Carpenter's They Live, the story of a drifter's discovery of an alien species living among the human race. The film was released during Carpenter's downslide of popularity, but it is indeed worthy of its cult status - and is quite possibly one of Carpenter's better films.
The storyline itself is rather simple. In fact, it could be identified as being a science-fiction adaptation of a 1984-based idea. One man discovers the human race, mainly the lower class, is being manipulated by the demands of the upper class.
It is not the story that makes They Live so impressive, but the very messages that it has to say about politics, society, and the American economy. Its messages are just as pertinent, if not more pertinent, today than they were in 1988. The alien race, represented as the rich and powerful, exploits man's greed and uses it to turn us on one another. As they pay out more money to buy off human beings with cash and power, the lower class grows and the middle class disappears entirely. The lower class perseveres with the hopes that if they work hard then they too will achieve money and power. Hope that is based on the false promises of the bought-off humans and the alien manipulators.
The film also touches upon commercial consumerism in society. Subliminal messages are sprinkled throughout both advertising and the media, and what Carpenter does so hilariously is cut to the chase. Adds featuring semi-naked women really boast the words "Marry and Procreate". Pictures of political figures have the words "Obey", "Stay Asleep", and "Don't Question Authority".
The performances in They Live are decent. The actors take the roles seriously enough to the point that you buy into what the film is selling, but none of them deliver anything Oscar worthy. Roddy Piper's 10+ minute fist fight scene with Keith David may be the only moment where you find yourself coming out of viewing the movie. It just seems that it was extended as long as it was in order to make the film's running time longer. It takes away from a serious moment, where Piper's character needs David's to see what he sees in order to survive, and makes it ridiculously hilarious. If you don't find yourself laughing at the absurdity of the sequence's length, than chances are you weren't interested in viewing this movie to begin with.
They Live proves to be a strong entry to filmmaker John Carpenter's filmography, mainly due to its messages concerning social standings of the American class system, economic policies, and political statements.
8.5/10
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