They Live

Rating:
Summary: Where's The Special Edition???
Review: I'm really disappointed that despite England getting a fully loaded DVD of "They Live" complete with commentary and a making of featurette, Region 1 fans get stuck with a bare bones editon of this cult favorite. This seems to happen a fair amount and really now, shouldn't US customers get the same special editions that other countries get, especially when they're American films? I'd save your money unless you really want the disc (which probably is a better transfer than the old out-of-print DVD if nothing else) and wait for Universal to put out a better package. C'mon Universal, you can do better. Don't skimp on the extras when it comes to putting out your catalog titles.

Rating:
Summary: Classic John Carpenter!
Review: What can I say that's not already been said? Yes I've got the UK DVD and also the older Laserdisc, but any movie fan should buy this! I could live on this film and Fletch if I was stuck on an island! Total classic with some of the best one liner's ever commited to film since Big Trouble in Little china!!!
I can't praise this movie enough. I hope the US version has all the extras.

Rating:
Summary: LAME!!!
Review: No, the title of my review (and 1-star rating) doesn't refer to the movie itself. Which I rather enjoyed, although it's kinda hard for me to take seriously Carpenter's message about the evils of money and rampant consumerism when I envision him laughing all the way to the bank as he deposits his residual checks from the upcoming re-release of this movie on DVD. I'm referring to the platter itself, which will be lacking any special features. Which is lame, 'cuz the UK version (which is ALREADY AVAILABLE to UK consumers! WTF?!) includes a few trailers, a 'Making-of' featurette, and a commentary track by director John Carpenter and star 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper.

This little development has led me to believe that the distributors of this particular platter are setting the stateside consumers up for a little thing I call the 'Dreaded DVD Double-Dip Ploy' (check out my "So You'd Like To..." guides on this annoying phenomenon for more detailed info). First, the distributor puts out a stripped-down, bare-bones edition of a popular movie on disc (such as, oh, let's say 'They Live'). Then, several months to a couple years later, they do a re-release, only this time they throw in all sorts'a stuff, including commentary tracks, behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, and whatever else they have lyin' around. To put it simply, it's a sneaky way for the movie studios & video distributors to make the DVD-purchasing public buy the same thing ('cept different) twice. And I'm pretty sure that's what they'll be doin' for this specific flick some time down the road.

Of course, if all you're looking for is the movie itself without all that 'special features' fluff, I won't keep you from placing your order. However, if you're like me-- a completist who has to have as many extras on his DVDs as he can stand-- I recommend you wait, and keep tabs on the latest upcoming digital disc release news. Don't fall into the DVD Double-Dip pit like so many others have!

You've been warned...

'Late

Rating:
Summary: All out of bubble gum.
Review: It's high time this nod to old conspiracy theory sci-fi flicks comes to digital. A great b-movie in every b-sense of the term. RODDY PIPER's best movie. The ten minute wrestling match/fight gives new meaning to the term 'endurance.' A wonderful little slice of cheesy fun ala JOHN CARPENTER, who made some really cool movies then stopped at VILLAGE OF THE DAMMNED. Maybe he conformed when he lost his shades.

Rating:
Summary: "Put on the glasses!"
Review: Action packed political satyre by John Carpenter about the woes of capitalism.

Piper plays an out-of-luck blue collar worker looking for employment in L.A. who stumbles upon an eerie conspiracy to take over the world. Revealed to the truth by a resistance movement, Piper seeks new converts to bring down the capitalist establishment. Orwellian in theme, it's a good movie to watch for its action and clever wit.

I give the movie 3 stars for its originality but it is still a B-movie. The plot is clever and the satire is rich. If you like this movie, I would also recommend "Repo Man" with Emilio Estevez.

Rating:
Summary: Contemporary alien paranoia used to explain current evil
Review: Rowdy Roddy Piper puts on a pair of unique sunglasses to discover vile creatures lurking incognito who are subliminally mind-warping the human race into "cattle." To top it all off, he has to convince his homeless friend who works in construction with him, to put on these special sunglasses; thus, an overextended, almost corny fight ensues while evil aliens are lurking about. "They Live!" obviously has its B movie effects and its non-existent acting, but this is not what defines this epic adventure.

In a society based heavily on consumerism and complacency, the indifference humanity shows towards one another can be seen through class conflict. Where in the movie, the upper echelon of humanity unite with invaders, entire natural resource consuming alien elitists take power over the earth. In a metaphorical tale of human injustice, the bad guys are not human beings themselves, but hiding their unnatural faces to an ignorant population, and hiding their slogans beneath commercial advertisements and fluff about nothing.

The human race fights back though... an insane individual conducting pirate transmissions through television, a blind black preacher giving sermons on evil, and a front-man who recruits Rowdy Roddy and his black buddy into the " collectively conscious." Not giving away the rest of a great story line, Rowdy Roddy and his buddy lead an insurgence one may never forget, and is a priceless moment in cinema history.

Since it is a B movie, there are of course many things wrong with the allegory to begin with... the acting, the cinematography, the script, and almost anything else you can think of. The very essence of this problem is there are many movies that have all the same problems, but are not considered "B" movies; which, is truly sad for "They Live!"

Rating:
Summary: Great film
Review: This is one of John Carpenter's best works. One performance in the film that hasnt been mentioned yet is that of George "Buck" Flower the character actor who plays the homeless man that sides with the aliens at the end of the film. His lines and his gravely voice always make me chuckle. When he is accused of "selling out" he made the argument that many people in our society make today "We all sell out everyday, might as well be on the winning team."this is an excellent film to watch again and again.

Rating:
Summary: Universal economics
Review: Turns out that some economic entrepreneurs are in the process of exploiting people. (All people. O.K. the world.) They seem to have a different physical appearance than you or I and for the sake of keeping the exploration covert, have electronically masked themselves to appear normal.
All is going well until the presents of this drifter come to LA looking for work. He finds himself in an unbelievable situation. Evidently malcontents have devised a way to spot these interlopers and are threatening exposure. He is skeptical at first then after a bout of fisticuffs will be forced to see the truth. Subsequently he becomes the most radical in a plot to blowup the masking devise and expose this cabal to the world. Will he succeed or are they clever enough to catch him at the last moment? A more sinister thought is will anyone care?
In a wold where you can not tell the good buys from the bad without your glasses there is also a quasi love interest between the vigilante and a worker (Meg Foster) at a local TV studio.

Rating:
Summary: This came from Hollywood???
Review: John Carpenters film "They Live" is right on target as to the troubles and strife we seem to be generating for each other in our modern world. This DVD will make you think about the seemingly inexplicable ebbs and flows in our society as no other disk in your collection can. Carpenters metaphor reflects our own world which has become dominated by aliens/liberal elites utilizing high-tech propaganda 24/7 in every media outlet and on most flat surfaces (buildings, magazines, even money) saying one thing and doing another altogether to keep the unsuspecting citizenry complacent. Sound familiar? It's really scary how close John Carpenter came to actually blowing the whistle on them but then Hollywood would never have allowed that. This is a must have DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Fun and worth the couple hours you'll spend watching.
Review: Carpenter did a pretty good job with this concept-piece.

Despite what seems a very limited budget, this film comes off as fun, exciting, and interesting all the way through.

The plot is short, which actually does not detract from the film - rather, it's appropriately simple for the idea behind this. I don't want to spoil it for you - just don't expect "Lord of the Rings" here. When it is all said and done, this is a fun action film that is on par, quality-wise, with a lot of Schwartzenegger's movies, and has Carpenter's flair for decent science fiction.

If you decide not to buy, this would at least be worth the rental.

Have fun -

T