Rating: 
Summary: Political Subtext
Review: Political subtext makes the film a stand out despite the fact that the special effects, production and acting are rather B-movie. Works of art, including film, have subtext. For instance, many horror films are outakes on Christianity. Typically the dead guy (Jesus) is gonna get you (send ya to hell), and you make it happen because you were having sex in the first scene. This sci-fi gem is a look at imperial capitalism and consumer culture. It depicts life in a colonialized nation. The freaky thing is that it is also kinda like life in the USA (other than it simply being set here in the future). Other films have used similar alien plot devices, but TL provides the most insight into how free markets are subverted and people are cowed. The plot will be relevant as long as corporate domination of the economies and the governments exists.
Rating:
Summary: Action Rules In This Movie!
Review: With this movie John Carpenter struck paydirt again. One of the
most colorful wrestlers in the world Roddy Piper plays the role of the hero in this film. He goes to Los Angeles seeking to find
employment.He is given a pair of specially made sunglasses by a
resistance group. He is able to see that many important leaders are acyually aliens.They are ugly bug eyed alien type creatures. Without the glasses these hideous creatures look normal.Also with these sunglasses you are able to see secret messages written on billboards. Piper goes into a war with these aliens.
There is one gun battle after the other between Piper and these creatures.The ending of the movie is also unique. Buy this movie.
It is good.
Rating:
Summary: You should watch it too
Review: This movie is a great metaphor of our common life. Roddy Piper (the main character) finds out that the world is being consumed by a whole bunch of aliens, which send subliminal messages using billboards or books and TV saying "SLEEP" "CONSUME" "NO FREE THOUGHTS" and so on. Now, how this relates to real life. I'm sure you will agree that products these days are using so much propaganda, it seems as if we are being forced to buy them. "They Live" points that out, for common people are being "tricked" into buying things. Also in the movie, money actually has printed on the phrase "THIS IS YOUR GOD". Money is the centre of our lives. How do we eat, have shelter, education, and everything we need that is vital to life without it? The answer is no way, unless you live in some primitive island in the middle of no where. Carpenter clearly makes that point with the film. There are other things too---how the aliens use little cameras to watch the humans (the U.S. currently does have cameras everywhere watching us), how the aliens are the "rich", etc..But there is one final point that Carpenter probably wanted to make. In the movie, they are aliens. The closest thing they are in real life though, is the government. Taking over. Almighty power. Taking over our lives and using us; must be things that were hinted. I do not know if that is really true myself...but it's definately something to think about. But ofcourse, in the film, people can only see the aliens and subliminal messages with these special glasses...but in our world, it must be knowledge, a bit of common sense, and a trip to my office of critical thinking that will lead us to the truth.
Rating: 
Summary: Classic Cult..
Review: They Live is a sci-fi movie about aliens trying to take over the world and colonizing it through the media. It starts slow but when Piper's character finds a pair of special sunglasses that allows him to see the reality of society, that's when the fun starts and never lets up. The story is excellent and the script reflects well with some of the best one-liners .."I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and I'm all out of bubblegum". The ending though is abrupt and makes little sense and the cast is more or less forgettable with the exception of Roddy Piper and Keith David who give great performances. They stage one of the longest, and best fight scene in movie history. Overall, an enjoyable 80's sci-fi flick that really gets you laughing. They Live is one of Carpenter's best films definitely a must see for everyone!
Rating:
Summary: They Live one of John Carpenters Best
Review: They Live is a great sci fi film it stars wrestler Rowdy Piper as a drifter who stumbles upon a conspiracy when he puts special sunglasses on only to find evil aliens among us. He goes on a quest to rid the world of evil aliens. Actually he blows them all away with a shotgun. Carpenter says he wanted to make a social statement on society today. Watch for the classic fight scene funny and entertaining. Some great one liners to.
As a Carpenter fan I loved this movie I actually only saw this film a couple of years ago for the first time and loved it.
Must see!
Rating:
Summary: I have come here to chew bubblegum...
Review: ...and kick [butt]. And I'm all outta bubblegum. Corny, yes. Horribly too long and mostly unnecessary "fight" scene in the middle, yes. Somewhat questionable plot, yes. But still one of the best movies that has been put on film. Most of the things I have ever seen on this movie only talk about the bad actors that wrestlers make. Personally I would like to see Roddy Piper do more. I was impressed with the performance he put in this and I think it shows that the "characters" that wrestlers play in the ring are just that, characters. Badly written characters perhaps, but it is still acting and it takes at least a little talent beyond overpumped biceps to play them well. A few instances of his WWF character leaked through into this movie, but for the majority of it he was totally believeable. He gave what I would consider to be an excellent performance regardless of his status as a pro-wrestler. He didn't just give a good peroformance "for a wrestler" he gave a performance that *any* actor should be proud of. Yes the movie was a bit on the cheesy side. It was supposed to be. This isn't some deep thoughts movie that the brie and beret set would go see at Sundance or something, it was intended as an entertaining way to spend 94 minutes of your time. It isn't a large philosophical treatise on the state of the human condition, it is a cool story that lets you escape to another place for a while. When I first bought my DVD player this was one of the first 5 movies I bought for it. I specifically went out and searched for it (and garnered many strange looks from store clerks in my search). It should be in everyone's movie collection if for no other reason than the classice one liner that makes up the title of this review. Go buy it, now. OBEY.
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Summary: The world as it is
Review: I can't believe John Carpenter had enough guts to make this movie. No wonder it's being surpressed so much. It shows how we are being manipulated every day and slowly put to sleep by mass media. It uses the metaphor of a man wearing special sunglasses to see through billboards and printed material to see it's true meaning, and too through certain people to see their true nature. Don't worry that the DVD was deleted, the VHS will be also because of it's exposé nature. I was lucky enough to find a used laserdisc of this movie and I am amazed at the no-holds-barred "behind the curtain" objectivity this movie shows. I can't stress enough -- the "powers that be" will do all in their power to make this movie impossible to find, and it's a miracle that it's still on VHS. Please buy this movie and wake up.
Rating:
Summary: This Video Is Being Suppressed!!!
Review: Sometime early in 2002 or thereabouts I found a [X] copy of the DVD edition of this movie sitting in the sci-fi section of the new Borders on State Street in Chicago. I should have bought it then, because when I returned a little latter it was gone, never to appear again! I tried looking it up on Amazon after that and ran into a $198 price tag!! I tried to order it directly from the Oak Park Borders and was told several months ago that it was available at $10 and that I would get it in about 2 weeks. Needless to state it never arrived. I am convinced that the New World Order is suppressing this video! They are afraid people will finally identify the very real people in our own world who are represented by the aliens in this film. Their motives and philosophy are identical. "We are their cattle"...
Rating:
Summary: Glad I've Got My Copy
Review: The fact that this movie is currently not being produced just adds to the pertinency of its message. Have 'They' ceased production because it alludes to a great conspiracy against the masses or are they just preparing a digitally remastered re-release? Taken as an allegory for the way things are in the world, this is one of the gutsiest movies that's been produced in the past 20 years. Like the Matrix, it suggests that the world is not as it seems, and that heroes are needed to put things right. If nothing else, Rowdy Roddy does a fine job of portraying the heroic Everyman. A funny, powerful film.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Camp
Review: This is the one of the campy movies Roddy has done and I think his best. The acting is believable with some comedy thrown in the mix. Anything that John Carpenter has to do with is usually a hit or at the very least worth seeing. This is no exception. The storyline and music are well done. When aliens take on human form a small group of alien hunters create sunglasses that see them as they really are. This is worth buying if it is under [$$$]. Anyone selling it for more than that is scalping you since it is not out of print. This fun Carpenter film is no longer out of print. Out on DVD for between [$$$] as of September 23, 2003. I got my DVD copy and it is great. Any fan of movies like "Army of Darkness" or "Tremors" should like it. "Im' here to kick a** and chew bubble gum, and I'm all out of bubble gum".
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