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Mood:
Offbeat Suspenseful Exciting Disturbing Biting
Plot:
Evil Alien Uncover Truth Conspiracies Dystopia Heroic Mission Escapades Heroes Rivalry more...
Genres:
Action Sci-Fi Thriller
Time/Period:
20th Century 80s
Praise:
Critically Acclaimed
Based on:
Based on Short Story
Attitudes:
Serious Fantastic Fast
Flag:
Nudity Profanity Violent Content

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Overview

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They Live, 1988

Starring: Roddy Piper, Keith David

Directed by: John Carpenter

Written by: Ray Nelson

Language: English

Country: USA

Runtime: 93 min

MPAA Rating:

Rating:7.1

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Profile of They Live

They Live can be described as offbeat, exciting, and suspenseful. The plot revolves around a dystopia, evil aliens, and conspiracies. The main genres are action, sci-fi, and thriller. In approach, They Live is fantastical and serious. The storytelling is fast paced. It takes place in the 1980s. They Live is derived from a short story. The movie has received attention for being critically acclaimed. Note that it involves nudity, profanity, and violent content.

Summary of They Live

John Nada (Roddy Piper) is a quiet loner, a drifter who gets work where ever he can find it. While working on a construction site in L.A. and sleeping in a vagrant community at night, John stumbles upon a secret society of alien beings who pose as wealthy and powerful people in human society. John joins a rebel group commited to exposing this conspiracy, and becomes their reluctant leader and the only hope of the human race. Former wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper is outstanding as the unassuming hero, playing the role with understated shock at what he uncovers and stubborn courage when he confronts it. Director John Carpenter laces the film with his trademark blend of humor and horror, making aliens that are hideously arrogant, greedy, and easy to hate, while the humans are confused and desperate in their struggle against them. The world looks a little different at the end of THEY LIVE, and one will never look at billboards, money, or sunglasses the same way again. The film contains the longest, and perhaps most realistic, fist fight in film history. Paying homage to INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, the film was based on the short story EIGHT O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING by Ray Nelson.

Details

Language:	English
Country:	USA
Release date:	4 November 1988
Runtime:	93 min

Cast and Crew See all

Roddy Piper

as Nada

Keith David

as Frank

Photos See all

They Live (1988)

Critics Reviews See all

Variety

A fantastically subversive film, a nifty little confection pitting us vs them, the haves vs the have-nots. Full Review

|
by: Staff (Not Credited)

TV Guide

Carpenter is trying for a satire of advertising and consumerism under late capitalism, and although the film is great fun at first--especially when depicting the world through Nada's glasses--it rarely rises above the intellectual level of a comic... Full Review

|
by: Staff (Non Credited)

Users Reviews See all

Awesome

This is a very good movie in many different aspects. Social critique plus action sequences makes for good entertainment where I come from. There is an interesting thing about this movie, that its showing of immigrants and this whole new world... Read and rate it

04.August.2011
|
by: fyzzy_water
fyzzy_water rated this movie9/10Amazing

An interesting movie by John Carpenter. Not his best film, however it still was fun. There are these aliens that live among us that are complete control of our lives. They are constantly sending subliminal messages through radio, television, and... Read and rate it

30.March.2010
|
by: swang4786
swang4786 rated this movie0/10

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