Inquiring Minds: THEY LIVE (1988)

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Inquiring Minds: THEY LIVE (1988)

This is the column that digs into the science fiction lover’s world, tackling some of the most complex and perplexing that content allows. Is it weird? Most likely. Do we love it? Yes! It’ll likely be thought-provoking, and potentially illuminating. Intriguing minds, unite for the weirdest Film Inquiry Column yet.

Is John Carpenter not one of the most influential and intriguing directors ever to command the screen? I had first seen They Live as a child and like many VHS plays of the time, it remained in my brain as a remnant of its era, but also a staple of what made me the film lover I am. Now, revisiting it, I am reminded of how fun and funky it is.
Man, is They Live a blast.

Inquiring Minds: THEY LIVE (1988)
source: Image Entertainment Inc., MCA/Universal Pictures [us]
Nada (Roddy Piper) is a drifter, who walks into Los Angeles with just the bag on his back. He starts working in construction where he meets Frank (Keith David) who shows him a place to stay. From there, we see intercepting TV announcements with underlying warnings, teasing something darker than is shown, and when Nada finds a pair of abnormal sunglasses, life is flipped inside down. For, these shades unlock a whole other level of awareness within our world, one of terror.

“I Came Here to Kickass and Chew Bubblegum, and I’m all out of Bubblegum.”

At first, he sees skeletal faces and subliminal messaging in magazines and signs. When the glasses are on it’s like the veil is off. And what’s underneath? Something scary, but also jarring. At a magazine stand he witnesses a man who doesn’t look human and the issues he paws through, don’t show ads and articles, but directives to obey. At first, he is scared and makes some careless decisions, putting himself in danger and in the crosshairs of whatever species has clearly taken over. These scenes are a bit over the top, but the campy nature employed is lovable.

They Live is probably one of John Carpenter’s most underseen gems in the way that it combines science fiction, and comedy, with a real penchant for momentary reaction with our own startling interpretations of what we are seeing.
Carpenter does this well and has created some of my favorites through it. It all takes place in a relatively fast-paced time, making the fear of this realization palpable but also, inviting.

Inquiring Minds: THEY LIVE (1988)
source: Image Entertainment Inc., MCA/Universal Pictures [us]
No one wants to discover such an epiphany, especially since the elite is literally from out of this world, but WWF wrestler Roddy Piper’s point of view, busting into banks, with no holds barred, is seriously a mood.

Once you see the shades discolored, and the shine marred away, it’s ugly, it’s brutal, and well… terrifying. Nada takes it as well as anyone could I suppose, and he has a hell of a time convincing anyone to look into those glasses. First, it’s Holly (Meg Foster) who he takes at gunpoint to get him to safety. And then it is Frank. With perhaps the longest fistfight sequence I can recall in a movie between two people, they basically exchange fisticuffs until Frank is forced to see.

“Brother, Life’s a Bitch.”

John Carpenter knows when to let loose and when to reel it in. Such is evident in any of these genre flicks that remain iconic to this day. This is undoubtedly whacky, I don’t think any can dispute that, but what occurs within this 93-minute sprawl, is mighty intriguing. As you are watching you get the sense that even the characters on screen know the far-fetched nature of the storyline, but it never takes away from the enjoyment.

Even within all of these jokes and endlessly quotable lines, there’s also a terrifying seed at play. What if something like this did happen? What if we were all slaves to another power and influence that keeps us remarkably in the dark? If you begin to pick away at that nasty component, They Live also becomes quite the intriguing science fiction tale that takes elements of consumerism and combines it with the otherworldly. It brings on a level of discomfort and emptiness that we can all attest to. The fact that it doesn’t take itself too seriously and yet delivers some mind-bending perspectives shows that They Live is a must-watch.

Conclusion: They Live

A smart concept, a hilarious display of satire, and a tale that is resonating and outrageous in the best of ways, They Live, lives on.

What do you think? How does this measure within his iconic filmography? Let us know in the comments below!

John Carpenter’s They Live is currently available on VOD. 

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