Review of They Live (1988) by Stuart K — 05 Oct 2010

Directed by John Carpenter, whose career in the 1980's consisted of cult classics like Escape from New York (1981), The Thing (1982) and Big Trouble in Little China (1986). Here, he adapted Ray Nelson's 1963 short story 'Eight O'Clock in the Morning' to great effect.

It's a very cheesy film with it's tongue firmly in it's cheek, but as a science fiction action film, it's a product of it's time, but it's great fun to watch. Unemployed drifter John Nada (Roddy Piper) finds himself in Los Angeles, and he gets work on a construction site, where he becomes friends with fellow construction worker Frank Armitage (Keith David).

At a soup kitchen, a blind preacher (Raymond St. Jacques) warns of a danger coming, wanting people to wake up. Nada goes to the preacher's church, and finds a box filled with sunglasses. When Nada puts them on, the world is in black and white, and billboards and print media are full of subliminal messages telling people to conform to society.

However, with the sunglasses on, Nada can also see wealthy people as humanoid aliens, who find out that Nada can see them. It's a very silly film, and this is the one with the 5 minute fight between Piper and David, all over a pair of sunglasses.

It's great fun to watch, and a second viewing is in order after you watch it, as there's loads of little details you might have missed first time around. But, Carpenter has fun with this action satire.