They Live (1988)
They influence our decisions without us knowing it. They numb our senses without us feeling it. They control our lives without us realizing it. THEY LIVE. A rugged loner (Piper) stumbles upon a terrifying discovery: goulish creatures are masquerading as humans while they lull the public into submission through subliminal advertising messages. Only specially made sunglasses make the deadly truth visible. (TheOfficialJohnCarpenter.com)
Cast and Information
Directed By: John Carpenter
Written By: John Carpenter, Ray Nelson
Starring: Keith David, Roddy Piper, Meg Foster, George 'Buck' Flower, Norman Alden, Peter Jason, Sy Richardson, Raymond St. Jacques, John Lawrence, Norman Howell, Jason Robards III
Genres: Sci-fi, Suspense/Thriller, Action, Horror
Country: USA
Where to Stream
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They Live belongs to 63 collections
1. boobs (collaborative: moderated by Pickpocket - 51 stars)
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4. Onion AV Club: The New Cult Canon (collaborative: moderated by theficionado - 28 stars)
5. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2020 revision) (public: djross - 14 stars)
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7. Future (collaborative: moderated by djross - 12 stars)
8. #1 at the US Box Office (collaborative: moderated by BeeDub - 10 stars)
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Browse the full list of collections
| Stars | User | Rating | |
| 8 |  |
eveelun | 76 62nd |
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The pacing needs work, there are a few logical inconsistencies, and the plot seems a bit slapped together. But despite these flaws, it's still a fun film that has a fantastic premise, some great action scenes, memorable lines, and a potent, if a bit heavy-handed, political message that is still quite relevant today.
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| 8 |  |
BillyShears | 85 86th |
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Rowdy Roddy blasting out insults that even humans have never heard of, bunch of old bean dip heads.
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| 8 |  |
Velvet Crowe | 72 78th |
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They Live is such a toddler view of politics that I can't take it seriously. Its scope is simultaneously so vague and broad you could interpret "they" as literally anything, and even then, at best, it's only tepid condemnation than a real examination of anything. Despite this, the movie is still solidly entertaining with some great one-liners, a fun premise and a hilarious fight scene that lasts forever. It has some pacing issues around the start, but this a solid entertainment film.
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| 7 |  |
TonythePony | 68 49th |
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Some really good separate aspects that never quite coalesce. A western style drifter, a sinister underworld (executed with brilliant simplicity), a subversive message, some thudding in the moment action. This really should be great, but its not. The paranoia is never fully mined, the ending comes too quickly with not enough cathartic blows being struck and the message gets a little lost. Mostly just enjoyable, dumb fun when it should have been more.
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| 7 |  |
Luna6ix | 84 86th |
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Only two years before, Carpenter's most excellent box office dud essentially crashed his career, but it's not like he suddenly stopped knowing how to make good movies and disappeared, Carpenter's downfall was a gradual fade. "They Live" is just as entertaining as some of his best, it just had less of Hollywood's confidence and money.
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| 6 |  |
doctor7 | 68 49th |
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Absolutely no subtlety in the message it conveys but holy Lord in Heaven does it pack one of the best one-on-one fight scenes ever. It's downright epic to see Keith David and Roddy Piper just beat the shit out of one another for 7 minutes. That alone makes the movie a must see. However, as for the rest, I can't say I was really all that interested. Sure there's a few choice lines (bubblegum) but overall it felt like a Videodrome clone.
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| 6 |  |
terrymac | 71 62nd |
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A long overdue rewatch for me. I don't remember enjoying it so much first time around. Sure, the film's focus veers all over the place, between social commentary, comedy, sci-fi thriller and all-in wrestling, and the pacing of the film suffers at times. Roddy Piper, despite being a slightly bizarre casting choice, does fine, and perhaps enhances the charm of the film. It was clearly made with a lot of care, and the film is very enjoyable as a result. Barmy stuff, but worth watching.
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| 6 |  |
Yiannos | 73 77th |
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(Viewed on 30/06/13):They Live was Carpenter's critique of Reaganism, but the case for its intelligence has been wildly overstated. There is no deep analysis here, just a mildly clever attempt to merge ancient sci-fi tropes with a playful social critique inspired by the effects of trickle down economics.It's a fun old school b movie with a surprisingly good turn by Piper, laughably cheesy makeup and a ridiculously long fight scene that may double as a blunt metaphor. For what? Ask Alex Jones
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| 4 |  |
djross | 55 52nd |
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Described by Dominic Pettman as the story of a man who finds a pair of Chomsky's glasses (personal communication).
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| 4 |  |
frederic_g54 | 7 57th |
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Can't wait for this to be remade into a TV Series and get cancelled after its 1st season.
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| 4 |  |
recklessmess | 71 51st |
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Chilling. The acting was sub par, the special effects sucked, but the plot was interesting - enough to get me past the notion that simple sunglasses would allow you to see through the alien disguise.
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| 4 | RandallODim | 87 85th |
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Murder the rich. They're aliens.
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| 4 |  |
mattorama12 | 72 68th |
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Exceptional idea and it's got that perfect Carpenter tone to it. It could have been a lot better if the pacing and/or writing were stronger though. The first act moves way too slow and the everything after that feels too rushed. Roddy Piper and Keith David are both awesome.
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| 4 |  |
juntakinte99 | 90 82nd |
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Great sci-fi blows up anxieties about the direction of the world and shows heroes overcoming them. Carpenter does that here by updating a 1950's approach of showing otherworldly beings masterminding a current political climate. But instead of using Communism, he nails the implicit evil of Reagan-era yuppies and their lust for status and power. And as a director he continues to get the best out of Keith David. Fun for both nerdy teenage boys and adults who want an escape from the evening news.
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| 4 |  |
JSchlansky | 80 77th |
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What it lacks in subtlety it makes up for with the most iconic back-alley beat-down ever. The fact that we watch these two homeless buddies who just beat the crud out of each other limp all the way across town and book a motel room cements them as a classic pairing. Rowdy Roddy Piper falling in love with a lady who threw him out a 3rd floor window makes perfect sense.
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| 3 |  |
saucyjack | 80 67th |
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Sure it's offensive, sure it hammers you over the head with anti-Reagan rhetoric, and sure Rowdy Roddy Piper can't act. Doesn't matter. Tons of fun and the most intense, ridiculous fight I have seen on film.
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| 3 |  |
Enthusiast | 75 67th |
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It's a biting social satire, and it's an almost impossibly stupid action movie, all at once. Great fun.
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| 3 |  |
chemical404 | 81 96th |
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They Live is my favorite kind of movie. Some social commentary, some cheesy humor, loveable characters played by the actors who go on charisma rather than acting skills, and most importantly well executed, interesting idea. The way Roddy persuaded Keith David to put on sunglasses made me laugh to tears. What a lovely soundtrack too! The film lost the steam towards the very end, but I couldn't believe how fast the time watching this film passed. A must see!
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| 3 |  |
moraesfelipe | 100 99th |
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This subversive paranoid sci-fi is absurdly funny, dealing with politics with poignant criticism. They Live might be the best film of the late 80s because of just two brilliant things: the most intense, stupid fight scene of all time and the coolest line ever said in an American movie ("I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum.")
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| 3 |  |
Judge Holden | 2 15th |
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A washed up wrestler suffers a psychological meltdown and becomes a spree killer after struggling to find a job in corporate America. The fight scene is hilarious, and the final moments are entertaining, but overall it's just so painfully lame. But don't listen to me; I'm one of THEM.
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| 3 |  |
mwgerb | 60 66th |
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The first half mixes an obvious but poignant social commentary with a paranoia-inducing sci-fi concept and the perfect level of badass attitude. Brilliant and incredibly fun. The problem is that it peaks 45 minutes into the movie. The second half falters due to pacing issues and contrived plot developments, and didn't work nearly as well as the beginning. The score is an average of the two: 78 for the first half, 52 for the second.
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| 3 |  |
backwardsuit | 77 72nd |
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Another delightfully crazy B-movie treat from Carpenter. The radical anti-consumerism satire is totally delicious despite being unquestionably underdeveloped, blatant & trite. Carpenter just keeps getting away with it due to his excitingly unorthodox style. Absolutely riddled with narrative problems but just as packed with surprising absurd fun. Low budget shows and the cast totally lacks charisma but somehow Carpenter makes it work for him. Slow but has a nice steadily ominous atmosphere.
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| 2 |  |
BattleToad | 85 76th |
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Though the cheesiness isn't measurable, this movie is mind-blowing. It's like watching an action-filled episode of The Twilight Zone, and every minute of it is a blast. Whether you're laughing at the absurdity or cheering for the back alley brawl scene, They Live is a must see sci-fi thriller. Really good!
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| 2 |  |
TheDiceman | 60 62nd |
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Pretty good Sci Fi lark.
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| 2 |  |
Alex Watkins | 5 91st |
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Not only a first-class genre film with commentary that hasn't aged a bit and feels as stirring as ever in 2017, but a Rosetta stone for genre films themselves, teaching you how to read their politics. Besides, it's just a blast.
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| 2 |  |
PeaceAnarchy | 87 87th |
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That wrestling scene is idiotic and grinds the whole film to a halt, just put on the damn glasses and get on with it. The film recovers after that, but never fully. It's still pretty wonderful: a few great one liners, exciting action and some bits of humour thrown in, all supporting an entertaining deconstruction of capitalism and 80s excess. Its criticisms don't have too much depth, but it's effective within its scope.
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| 2 |  |
Cowman | 55 19th |
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Shouldn't have watched this alone. This is a movie that should be seen with friends and beers. It is fun and silly as hell, but suffers from serious pacing issues (which would be solved by the aforementioned beers).
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| 2 |  |
amerigo | 79 60th |
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Want some cheez wiz with your social commentary? A lot of cheez wiz. Increasingly relevant satire, but with a very outdated plot that often seems like Rambo mixed with Austin Powers, but deadpan. Real serious about it. Actually, if you take out the action-hero plot, it's basically a very good Twilight Zone episode. Still it is an iconic classic for a reason. "Life's a bitch and she's back in heat."
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| 2 |  |
Shmendrek | 4 83rd |
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A total blast. Yeah, it has some problems, but with lines like, "I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass...and I'm all out of gum" your movie doesn't NEED to be perfect. I won't apologize for loving this.
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| 2 | caffe | 72 68th |
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Class-struggle classic in which Comrade Carpenter spins a yarn where the upper class are monsters who keep the middle class docile through commerce and mind-numbing entertainment and keep the lower classes poor enough that they become hopeless and start killing each other off. The only way to change this society is through armed revolution. So, you know, fiction.
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| 2 | Manhatta | 58 27th |
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Campy fun, with the best fight scene ever put to film, but it's still a really bad movie, and it honestly gets really boring.
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| 2 |  |
Barthalen | 79 77th |
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Just a blast. The premise is neat, Piper and David are amusing in their lack of subtlety, and there is a decent mix of paranoia and punching/shooting things. Tongue in cheek amusement that tries to hammer a message home with all the subtlety of a wrestler's repertoire.
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| 2 |  |
Obdurate | 85 80th |
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Message still rings true almost 30 years later, and it's a great sci-fi movie. The action works when it happens, though it isn't especially brilliant, but it's never boring. Some of the plot does feel a little tacked on, with some inconsistencies, but from the moment it began I was engaged by it. Piper was awesome, RIP Hot Rod.
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| 2 |  |
XakkMaster | 79 59th |
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Amazing first half with brilliant character designs and ideas, disappointing second half is rushed which leads to an ending that had promise but isn't quite nailed.
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| 2 |  |
astrakhan | 77 49th |
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Schlocky if accomplished B-movie featuring some tongue-in-cheek performances, deliberate pacing, and a noisy finale dominated by gun-shooting and explosions. The best and most memorable sections are the first wearing of the sunglasses (nice black & white effects there), and the beefy "wear these sunglasses" fistfight that goes on and on like a WWF bout. The rest is either too procedural, or too testosteroney. A good idea not executed that well, and not among Carpenter's best.
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| 2 |  |
Judo Koala | 76 61st |
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"I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick ass... And I'm all out of bubble gum." "Brother, life's a bitch... And she's in heat." "They ain't from Cleveland." "That's like pouring perfume on a pig!" "There's gonna be hell to pay... 'Cause I ain't Daddy's little boy no more." "You, you're okay. This one, real fuckin' ugly!" "It looks like you dipped your face in the cheese dip back in 1957." "...formaldehyde-face!" "White line's in the middle of the road, that's the worst place to drive."
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| 2 |  |
FrederikA | 65 59th |
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I blame the times we live in, when a ridiculous (and gloriously dated) 80s B-movie about a downtrodden blue-collar protagonist, who gets "woke" by his local preacher and a screaming TV-conspiracy theorist, before going on a murder spree to eradicate the evil elite, leaves a somewhat sour tast in my mouth. But the anti-consumerism satire is still on point.
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| 2 |  |
Syntheseizur | 79 56th |
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Part Twilight Zone, part cheesy low-budget '80s action movie, part pre-Matrix "reality isn't what it seems" sci-fi screed on the evils of capitalism and bought power, They Live is likely one of the wildest satires of the conservative '80s. Some bizarre moments push the film's camp factor into the stratosphere, but for the most part the humor serves the themes well, and even when it's unclear if it's being intentionally funny, everything about it is endlessly endearing.
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| 2 |  |
guy piranha | 69 61st |
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it's funny 'cause it's true.
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| 2 |  |
Leonardis | 88 59th |
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I remember really enjoying the film and it's lead. The premise is very original. I wish more people knew what this was.
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| 2 |  |
bof | 44 18th |
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"I've come to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of gum." Somehow I hadn't watched this before (that I can remember). And sure, for an 80s action movie starring "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, it tries to make some remarkably serious political points and I can't help but cheer for it... but the acting is terrible (though not as bad as that other great Piper vehicle, Hell Comes To Frogtown) and at some point the conspiracy just becomes an excuse to execute people right and left.
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| 2 |  |
hotsake | 95 99th |
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The perfect pulp film. Just shameless fun from beginning to end. Great dialogue and an interesting story by a fun, game cast of character actors.
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| 2 |  |
Groovy_Souls | 80 73rd |
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As you might have noticed, I stopped my 80's horror binge... but not without going out with a bang. They Live was one of those movies that was always on my list and I'd never gotten around to. Way more fun than I expected. Silly, a lot of fun, great gore, and a good, old anti-Reagan message leave this as definitely a solid end to my marathon.
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| 2 |  |
Boxcars | 7 49th |
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Though its script isn't as sharp as its political message, "They Live" is an entertaining blend of camp and action, with criticism of the Reagonomics of the 80's that is still embarrassingly relevant today.
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| 2 |  |
nobamba | 60 61st |
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(Rewatch: Roddy Piper has his moments but overall needed more polish. Keith David is always good. Is it even possible that John Carpenter was underrated? If I could make one critique, it's that there were too many aliens/cooperators. The commentary would have been better with a true 0.01%) It was more of a social commentary than a horror or plot-driven film. Cool effect. Nudity seemed tacked on in the end. Fav scene: being pushed out the window suddenly.
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| 1 |  |
TripleSH | 85 80th |
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Ah, Roddy Piper. Why didn't you make more action movies? You're definitely a better actor than Hulk Hogan. This is definitely one of the better John Carpenter films not named Halloween. Also...Best. Fight. Scene. Ever.
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| 1 | astrobuck | 80 52nd |
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Rowdy Roddy Piper's finest moment. Keith David is great, as usual.
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| 1 |  |
JohnnyZombie | 80 41st |
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Fun movie, especially with the long ass fight scene between Keith David and Roddy Piper.
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| 1 |  |
Filligan | 74 31st |
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Some say the first half is better, some say the second half is better. I actually think the film suffers from pacing issues all throughout. However, once you leap that hurdle you'll find yourself in a funny, poorly choreographed, spooky world that's right up Carpenter's alley. Everybody in the film with the exception of Keith David kinda sucks, including Piper.
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| 1 |  |
Moribunny | 10 4th |
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When John Carpenter decided to do yet another remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but with a different name, and hit us over the head with the allegory, and make it extremely shitty and stupid this time.
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| 1 |  |
lrampartl | 90 93rd |
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Rowdy Roddy Piper had such potential. Oh well. If you haven't seen this, then you really can't call yourself a Sci-Fi fan. A must see for ANYBODY because of the famous fight scene in the alley.
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| 1 |  |
Pickpocket | 8 82nd |
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Rowdy is amazing
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| 1 |  |
Ayavaron | 60 54th |
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The highlight of this film is the fight scene that takes place for five whole minutes with hardly any reason to be there. It's a bizarre and unsubtle movie that one cannot help but enjoy.
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| 1 |  |
tinythedogg | 100 99th |
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It is like watching an action packed Twilight Zone. The back alley fight scene that these two had is the best fight scene in cinematic history, bar none. Well at least the most entertaining anyway. Piper has some great dialogue in this movie.
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| 1 |  |
auritech | 78 71st |
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A kick ass film of epic proportions. Also, the best film ever made starring a pro-wrestler in the lead. Its sarcastic look at eighties culture hasn't dated at all. Also contains one of the longest fist-fight scenes ever filmed.
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| 1 |  |
Nathan S | 3 45th |
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In which Rowdy Roddy Piper is a down-and-out but honest working man who believes in America, until he discovers the corruption of the free market and media establishment... and so decides to go on a killing spree. It's not very sensitive to these implications, and the satire is painfully simple and obvious, but I'll be damned if it's not a fun movie. Piper is surprisingly decent.
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| 1 |  |
HalfJapanese | 85 76th |
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Far from Carpenter's best, but also far from his worst, it's shamelessly entertaining from start to finish. The Roddy Piper vs. Keith David fight is one of the most epic fights in movie history.
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| 1 |  |
twincinema | 75 64th |
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It's amazing what one scene will do to your memory of the film. I have seen this three or four times now, and every time I watch it, I am reminded that there's an entire film around the five minute fight scene.
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| 1 |  |
frankswild | 90 94th |
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"ideologico-critical sunglasses"
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| 1 | st_fly | 68 64th |
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Good
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| 1 | chengming | 30 6th |
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And the Oscar for the most heavy-handed metaphor goes to... (No further nominations expected, particularly not for acting, sound effects, lighting or screenplay. Oh, and not for music either, sorry John.)
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| 1 | spacefloh | 70 82nd |
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ger; [Sie leben!; They Live]; die menschheit ist einem mysteriösen signal ausgesetzt, das ausserirdische wie normale menschen aussehen lässt - bis ein bauarbeiter sie durch eine bille entdeckt.;
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| 1 |  |
Vandelay1 | 94 99th |
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Great
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| 1 |  |
dst7175 | 40 27th |
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Roddy piper LOL!!!
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| 1 |  |
INDYATMN | 74 36th |
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I grew up accepting these kinds of liberally demagogic ideas (all of my problems can be laid at the foot of one thing or group (society or rich/white people)) w/out thought, but now it's as much obviously propaganda as what it's satirizing. Other than that, it's a sometimes sluggish cartoonish B-movie w/ some eye-rolling one-liners, but Carpenter delivers at least 3 big moments which are completely unexpected, especially in the climax. & the length of the fight scene did eventually become funny.
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| 1 |  |
EastonD | 90 84th |
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Not this year.
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| 1 |  |
Optimus_mike | 85 80th |
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Good use of black and white, and Jesus Christ is the fight scene amazing.
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| 1 |  |
oskarhu | 75 39th |
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Starts off well but doesn't like up to the expectations of the initial tension-building. There are too many unnecessary elements, such as the ridiculous fight scene, and the film is not contained enough in terms of delivering both suspense and scares successfully.
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| 1 |  |
Melvin Smif | 50 54th |
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If you want an amazing fight scene (regardless of the fact that its over wearing a damn pair of shades) let some professional wrestlers do thier bread and butter apparently! Other than that you have some obnoxious political commentary, some bad acting, and some of the worst one liners I have ever heard. Still, found it mostly enjoyable for some reason.
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| 1 | pompousass | 20 44th |
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There is nothing very original in all this, mixing as it does elements of _1984_ and its kin with elements of _Invasion of the Body Snatchers_ and its kin. But there is no harm in the unoriginality, and there is even some charm in its frank rudimentariness: "Flight Alpha-Seven to Andromeda is now ready for boarding." There is plenty of rhetorical rightness, too, in translating man's inhumanity into man's *non*-humanity.
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| 1 | lovejoy | 81 87th |
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They Live's brevity is both its greatest strength and its biggest weakness. This movie leaves you with the wish that more of the 'occupiers' back story along with how the TV station came into being along with the people who run it. So much could have been expanded on and yet some scenes - such as the backstreet fight which leads into the second act - totally outstay their welcome. For all of its flaws though, it's a well shot and thought out story that should have stuck around for longer.
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| 1 |  |
ABUNCHOFCATS | 80 52nd |
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Incredibly stunning in the simplicity of the sunglasses-revealed world, a black and white landscape filled with subliminal messages makes for a very eerie picture. Features both one of the best lines and one of the best fights yet heard in any movie.
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| 1 |  |
naikou | 70 77th |
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The timeless message that all rich people are evil skeleton-aliens responsible for everything from police massacres to global warming. Goddamn capitalists.
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| 1 |  |
spleen | 87 88th |
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They Live! They Fight! They Coif their ridiculously big hair! They Sulk! They Saunter! They Pose! But at no point, do They Act!
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| 1 |  |
chemtrails | 80 90th |
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The anti-capitalist message doesn't shock as much as it did, but this film is stilly very interesting for how it tries to politically engage and recruit working class American men with the casting of pro wrestlers
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jeff_v | 68 54th |
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As a satire of American consumerism, it takes Dawn of the Dead's zombified populace as its assumption, and works from there. So if you don't agree that all wealthy people are evil scumbags who exploit the working class, then you are probably going to be lost. That said, the broadness of the satire is tempered by its wit, and Carpenter's knack for expressing the imbalance of power through his carefully framed widesreen compositions.
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MArkjp | 75 61st |
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Nice little satire on consumerism and greed and the oppression of hard working blue collar worker by the man. In this case the man being aliens. It has a nice cold war era feeling about it and the black and white scenes reminds you sci-fi flicks from the 50's. And 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper is all outta bubblegum!
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Jerky | 75 93rd |
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When Rowdy Roddy Piper asks you to put on the glasses.....PUT ON THE DAMN GLASSES!!! Probably the best back alley fist fight ever captured on film.
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glumpy_99 | 80 60th |
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Carpenter flagrantly apes a 50s sci-fi/horror programmer to mostly good effect; Piper and David deliver likable performances and the premise is an intriguing one, aided by terrific creature effects. A little dragged out at times (read: Piper and David’s interminable fist-fight) and the screenplay tends to resolve most of its plot threads using protracted action, rather than grappling with the ideas it raises. Still fun entertainment, made with the usual craft and flair expected from Carpenter.
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auhasarderik | 7 61st |
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Rather incoherent and sloppy by Carpenter standards, but still fun mainly because of its plot.
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jbyn | 61 24th |
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The fight scene in this movie must have inspired the film Catfight. There were some great lines and comedic moments. The overarching message of the movie would switch frequently between thought provoking and corny. The score was painful to listen to, but it provided laughter and maybe that was the point. The last act moved quickly. I checked the time thinking there would be twenty minutes and to my surprise there was only eight.
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| 1 | damil | 60 43rd |
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The ideas & themes are great & there are some awesome, strong visual elements. But the whole thing is so half-baked. I truly believe there is a good movie in there. There were many moments where I knew exactly how to improve it - & I shouldn't be saying that of a Carpenter film! The completely unreal way the characters reacted to everything was super frustrating for me. Piper is really not good. I had fun with some of the film's ridiculous moments, but I'm not sure I was always supposed to
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Seethruskin | 4 52nd |
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They Live but the glasses get you to see who is connected to The Finders cult
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Gnalkhere | 75 59th |
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Banksy's sunglasses: The Movie
It's also wildly entertaining, so I'll give it that
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| 1 | myfavchords | 78 69th |
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This is a very weird but interesting thriller. Roddy Piper plays the lead role very low key and it works in this movie. The script is original with just a few slow moments. There is very enjoyable epic fight scene in the movie. Overall I would recommend this thriller.
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Paxton | 74 75th |
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OBEY
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| 1 | Merv_Taylor | 94 85th |
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Put on the sunglasses
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Ag0stoMesmer | 4 91st |
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A couple of glorious scenes mean I'm happy to over-rate, however on the nose.
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Chronicler | 97 65th |
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Decent Sci-fi/horror flick that has memorable one liners,a rather scathing critique of consumer culture and greed(which is still relevant today). Keith David is on par as always and Roddy Piper puts in a pretty good performance as well. While not the best film in John Carpenter's filmography, It's middle of he road fair but from John Carpenter that still pretty damn good.
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MacSwell | 55 31st |
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Given the strength of Carpenter's earlier work, it's a disappointment how this gleefully silly, satirical concept is let down by an underdeveloped story, which goes steadily downhill after a strong beginning. Even though Piper is surprisingly good, and has a few killer lines, his character could have offered so much more humour and energy. It's a moderately enjoyable romp in the end.
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thereeldeal | 75 65th |
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They Live's capitalist invaders aren't exactly subtle, but they sure are funny. Camp even by Carpenter standards, They Live is more for fhe converted: some great action, and even more comedic trope-poking than usual. Carpenter has made funner however, mostly due to the sizable stretches of They Live where Piper struts around furthering no investigation or conflict with the aliens (recovering the sunglasses). The theme music is also ridiculously overused, but this is a professional b-movie.
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Mr.Olivier | 76 76th |
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Know what I miss? Getting my mind blown like it was by this movie when I was 11. Also, 80s professional wrestling. Watching this now is kind of bittersweet.
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| 1 | Trout | 4 87th |
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A documentary of Reagan-era America.
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igormachete | 89 86th |
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Was a bit dragging in the middle, but otherwise is a very well executed and enjoyable movie
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Fenius | 85 53rd |
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Could have been a classic with a different lead, but to be fair, Roddy was tolerable until he started handing out absolutely terrible and out of place one-liners, so maybe the script is more to blame than he is. Wonderful effects and concept, though. The short story it's based on deserves another, better film.
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metalhank | 81 95th |
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This flick has Carpenter's style all over it in the way it's filmed and presented to the viewer. One of these movies that will have you have you thinking about long after you have finished watching it. Who would have thought Piper could act, but he is great in this role.
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| 1 | Pickle_Man | 85 66th |
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Did they reuse the ghost detector prop from Ghostbusters as a walkie talkie?
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Rexlito | 83 71st |
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Not the best acting but this is a very weird and cool sci-fi film with some good action. This is a film that would be great to remake but that would probably never happen at this point. W A T C H
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| 1 | milkacow | 85 50th |
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i'm here to kick ass and chew bubblegum
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PianoSama | 65 45th |
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One of Carpenter's better outings, Piper is a star in the lead & has great chemistry with Keith David- who's excellent as well. Nothing about it is subtle, which honestly works against it a little, but the themes it touches on & anti-capitalist agenda it preaches definitely hit the mark. It does feel a little bit jumbled, though, & the last act in particular really could've used more time. The twist at the end is plainly obvious from the start, which didn't help. Still, it's a fun time.
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| 1 | Ciaphass | 55 13th |
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Cliche, rather bad acting. Awful fight scene at one point and the film becomes mindless action, rather interesting first 30 minutes but falls apart afterwards, unstable tone
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Barnowl | 96 75th |
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Classic film, and fitting to current events
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crowey | 78 72nd |
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It's really funny & campy, but also really unironically good in a lot of ways. Classic.
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| 1 | SHOCKULAR | 85 83rd |
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Themes are important, well worn and nothing new, but the packaging is a blast. Piper's very well cast for the role with all sorts of cheesy one-liners that could have been in a Schwarzenegger movie. The hilariously long fight scene is a highlight. I liked that they didn't bother trying to explain some of it (like where the glasses come from) Some pacing issues and Meg Foster's performance is really, really poor but is thankfully only a small role. Not great cinema, but a unique, campy, fun movie
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| Average Percentile 58.24% from 3734 Ratings |  |