Review of They Live (1988) by Daniel S — 11 Aug 2011

Funny in that "watch it with your friends on a Saturday night after you've burned out everything else" sort of way; but beyond that and its one famous line, it's pretty lackluster. This short film sort of plods, the acting is awful, and the effects are dated at best.

It's much too obvious to really be subversive, but doesn't delve much into its subtext. If this film is really trying to say something, it's trying so hard that it's not much of a violent action movie, which is more Carpenter's speed.

He bundles himself in with Romero at the end, but while Carpenter has made a few superior films in his career, Romero is surely better at melding escapism and social commentary.