They Live

Rating:
Summary: "Whoever has the gold, makes the rules"
Review: So says one character in "They Live," a witty, incisive satire aimed at Reagan-era politics and delivered by an unlikely source: genre director John Carpenter, who takes the commentary and blends it seamlessly with elements of action and science fiction.

The story revolves around a drifter (ex-wrestler Roddy Piper) who stumbles upon X-ray specs that reveal the literal ugliness under the skin of upper-class Americans. As it turns out, everyone is 'selling out' in an effort to snuff out the lower class, until Piper and fellow struggler Keith David join up with a resistance movement to tear down the system.

"They Live" shows Carpenter in top form. He takes the material in many different directions, dabbling in action, sci-fi (the black-and-white POV shots are creepy and effective), and even physical comedy (the drawn-out streetfight in the middle of the film is a riot), all while keeping the underlying satire the main focus. If this film was misunderstood upon its initial release (which Carpenter says it was), now is the time to rediscover it, seeing as how the issues it addresses (television as a form of mind control, the increasing importance of wealth if you hope to survive in the world) have only snowballed into the 1990s and will no doubt continue well into the future.

Rating:
Summary: ... And I'M All Out Of Bubble Gum
Review: Roddy Piper stars in this wonderful science fiction tale of secret alien domination.

The time is now. The world is ours. But things are not the way they really seem. Roddy Piper is out of work but finds a job at a construction site. It is at a shanty-town refuge that he stumbles onto some of the truth.

A church that isn't real and a night raid push Roddy and he discovers special sunglasses. These glasses filter more than sunlight. They allow the wearer to see the world as it really is. Bleak and run by ugly aliens. Subliminal messages abound on every printed surface.

After his discovery and a wild alley fight, Roddy manages to hook up with the resistance that created the glasses. They want to wake up the world and show them what is really going on.

I won't give away the ending or plot twists but Roddy does a great job. The glasses make the wearer somewhat high, thus allowing for some wonderful scenes and great lines from Piper (the bubble gum line is a true classic).

This one should be right up there with Dark City and The Thirteenth Floor and maybe even The Matrix for its concepts of twisted reality.

Rating:
Summary: John Carpentar at his best!
Review: I bought this movie right away and boy, was I surprised! Everything about this movie: the acting, the story, the action, everything is excellent. Very realistic too. First, we see a drifter looking for a job. Eventually, he finds a special pair of sunglasses. When he looks through them, he finds out that aliens are running the world and humans are just sheep to them. There's alot of action, including a long fight scene between Kieth David and the drifter! If you think rich people are cruel, greedy, and arrogant, then see this movie! What's going on in this movie is actually going on right now! Just look at how companies like Disney and MTV try to create artificial worlds for us, brainwashing us, filling our heads with lies, and other horrible things. Humans are getting dumber, more greedy, and commiting violence on other humans. I think this movie is true!

Rating:
Summary: Underrated Gem from Carpenter.
Review: This cult 1988 sci-fi action classic from the director of " The Thing", "Halloween" and "Escape from New York" John Carpenter is about a drifter ( Roddy Piper) who is looking for a job in Los Angeles, he finds a unusual pair of sunglasses that enables him to see hidden messages in Billboards and magazines including to see that some ordinary people on the street are really hideious aliens that want to control us.

A very entertaining and action packed movie that has a interesting satire on reganism and commercialism with sci-fi themes, the acting is preety good with a top-notch script. This movie inspired the "Duke Nukem" games with it's famous line: " I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick A-- and i'm all out of bubblegum".

Also recommended: The Thing ( 1982), The Fog, American Beauty, Dawn of the Dead, From Dusk Till Dawn, Independence Day, Lifeforce, The Stuff ( 1985), Resident Evil, Natural Born Killers, Blade 1 & 2, Scanners, Reservoir Dogs,The Toxic Avenger, Day of the Dead, Return of the Aliens: The Deadly Spawn, Species, Contamination, Aliens, Predator and Bad Taste.

Rating:
Summary: 1988: The Year the Academy Award Lost it's Integrity
Review: 1980: Martin Scorcese is snubbed for "Best Director" for "Raging Bull".
1992: Jack Lemmon is not nominated for "Glengarry Glen Ross".
2001: Denzel Washington (Training Day) beats out Russell Crowe (A Beutiful Mind)

However, the biggest travesty in the history of American Cinema occurred on Feb 29, 1989 when Dustin Hoffman was given the oscar for "Best Actor" for his portrayal of an autistic man reunited with his estranged brother in the horribly underproduced and overly-acted "Rain Man". In a vein and contemptuous plot by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, Rod Piper was snubbed not only out of winning the award he rightfully deserved, but from being nominated at all. With Oscar calibur delivery on lines such as "Lady you look you fell in the cheese dip back in 1957" and "My father took me down to the beach, kicked my ass and told me about the power and the glory", Piper not only reached the masses with his "method nouveau" but defined an entire generation as well. Rod Piper may not have ever made another movie ever again, but he will live forever in our hearts and minds, immortalized in the epic saga that is "They Live."

Rating:
Summary: "Whoever has the gold, makes the rules"
Review: So says one character in "They Live," a witty, incisive satire aimed at Reagan-era politics and delivered by an unlikely source: genre director John Carpenter, who takes the commentary and blends it seamlessly with elements of action and science fiction.

The story revolves around a drifter (ex-wrestler Roddy Piper) who stumbles upon X-ray specs that reveal the literal ugliness under the skin of upper-class Americans. As it turns out, everyone is 'selling out' in an effort to snuff out the lower class, until Piper and fellow struggler Keith David join up with a resistance movement to tear down the system.

"They Live" shows Carpenter in top form. He takes the material in many different directions, dabbling in action, sci-fi (the black-and-white POV shots are creepy and effective), and even physical comedy (the drawn-out streetfight in the middle of the film is a riot), all while keeping the underlying satire the main focus. If this film was misunderstood upon its initial release (which Carpenter says it was), now is the time to rediscover it, seeing as how the issues it addresses (television as a form of mind control, the increasing importance of wealth if you hope to survive in the world) have only snowballed into the 1990s and will no doubt continue well into the future.

Rating:
Summary: Cheap Sun-Glasses (A TRUE STORY)...
Review: Ever wonder why people line up in droves to follow the latest trendy fad? What causes us to submit and conform like so many ants or bees? Well, the answer is right here in THEY LIVE. John Carpenter (Halloween, The Fog, Ghosts Of Mars) shows us the secret invasion force that has crept right in and taken over. We've blindly marched along while aliens have inserted themselves amongst us, posing as "normal" human beings. Ever wonder why politicians seem so synthetic or fake? They're alien imposters! Why do we obey and consume like mindless drones? Subliminal messages behind those constant commercials have hypnotized us into walking trances! Beware! They are everywhere! THEY LIVE captures both the paranoia and the dark humor of a culture tamed and controlled by hidden masters. Roddy Piper is perfect as the poor sap who discovers the horrible truth behind everyday life. Get some special sun-glasses and look around, THEY LIVE and they are already here...

Rating:
Summary: "GOOD MOVIE"
Review: Don't complain because the acting is bad and the dialouge is bad. This movie is from 1988. It's not going to have the best everything.

This is a comedy, horror, sci fi type movie. It's about a guy who finds a pair of sunglasses and when he puts them on he can see who is an alien and whos not. All the aliens are disguised and look like real people but he can only see them with the sunglasses on. He can also read secret messages on every sign and on every cover of the magazines when he has the glasses on. The messages are a little weird though, kind of freaky.

Whats funny about it is that he just walks into a store or any other place and starts shooting whoever is an alien but the regular humans don't know whats going on. What else is wierd is that all the aliens start coming toward him and get closer and closer and speak into a little walkie talkie thing when he shoots an alien because then they know that he can see them.

Also the one fight seen in this movie was on the best fights ever program.

The ending is not so good though because it doesn't show you what happens afterwards.

Rating:
Summary: Truly Awful Movie
Review: Aliens, disguised as humans, are all around us and can only be recognized when wearing special sunglasses. The acting is unbelievably bad, the dialouge is amateurish, and you can see the plot coming up Fifth Avenue. Strictly "Science Theater 3000" fare.

Rating:
Summary: Put The Glasses On. PUT EM ON!!
Review: John Carpenter is a B movie director and he'll proudly admit that. All of his films are B flicks with a little spice to them which basically brings them up to B+ flicks. In many ways, he's very similar to Quentin Tarantino, who basically does the same thing. I think They Live is the most B movie-esque Carpenter ever got, and that's not a bad thing! Sure, there are people out there who hate it, but I suppose they were expecting another Starman or something. I must say that Roddy Piper did quite well in his acting debut. No, he's no Lawrence Olivier, he's basically playing a tough guy hero, but I think he does a really good job. He's able to carry the whole film. Maybe Hulk Hogan should watch and learn a few things. His "Put on the glasses" fight with Keith David(a great actor who'll probably never get his due) is classic. Carpenter was also trying to pound home a message in this film, moreso than any of his others. His little response to the "me" decade. Personally, I love it. You can pretty much take from this one whatever you want coz it does work on a couple of levels. If you want to chuckle at an amusing satire of the Reagan era, you can't go wrong. If you want nothing more than cheap, B movie thrills, you'll get that too. So, grab that popcorn(Extra Butter-Don't be a wimp), grab your wife(girlfriend, mistress, one night stand), hide the kid(s), turn off the lights and enjoy.