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They Live [DVD] [1989]
 
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They Live [DVD] [1989]

DVD ~ Roddy Piper
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Actors: Roddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster, George 'Buck' Flower, Peter Jason
  • Directors: John Carpenter
  • Writers: John Carpenter, Ray Nelson
  • Producers: Andre Blay, Larry J. Franco, Sandy King, Shep Gordon
  • Format: Anamorphic, Dubbed, PAL, Widescreen
  • Language English
  • Subtitles: Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: 18
  • Studio: Momentum Pictures
  • DVD Release Date: 21 Oct 2002
  • Run Time: 89 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B00006JY2K
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 30,464 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

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Reviews

Special Features

2.35 Wide Screen
16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
DVD 9
German\Spanish
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo English German Spanish
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Trailer
The Making Of
Exclusive Audio Commentary By Director John Carpenter And Roddy Piper
Danish\Dutch\English\Finnish\German\Norwegian\Portuguese\Spanish\Swedish


Synopsis

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 conspiricy, and becomes their reluctant leader and the only hope of the human race. 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 humour 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.

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Customer Reviews

40 Reviews
5 star:
 (13)
4 star:
 (15)
3 star:
 (8)
2 star:
 (4)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.9 out of 5 stars (40 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Missing the point?, 9 Oct 2007
By Sandman (London, UK) - See all my reviews
I think most of you are missing the point of the film here, its a social commentary, the aliens were an allegory for corporate greed and capitialism at the expense of personal freedoms and human rights. It was made in the 80's, Reagan era, when these things were being pushed aside in favour of power and a monay making screw everyone else culture.

Personally, I think it is brilliantly done, Piper is a pretty good actor (for a ex wrestler) and the tongue in cheek script and direction makes sure its doesnt get too caught up in its own message. Although, having said that, the message is pretty loud and clear by the time the two heroes get into the alien base and find out humans are collaborating with them, just for a guaranteed increase in their investments.

Keith Allen is great also, the pointlessly long and over the top fight scene between the two is one of the best thing about the film, just a bit of fun interjected into a serious film. The scene now has cult status, and was immortalized by Southpark, in the episode `cripple fight' where Jimmy tries to get Timmy to put on a silly hat. Brilliant stuff.

The film could have done with a bigger budget, but I still rate it as a classic, with a message that is perhaps even more relevant today; what with the political propaganda machine even more powerful and insidious than ever, and people even more stupid, it seems.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars THIS is your God, 9 Jan 2003
This film is an undiscovered gem- I've seen it turn up more than once in one of those '20 films you've never heard of, but must see' type of things.
Following a drifter looking for work, we have the 'truth' behind society slowly revealed to us through his eyes(Quite literally, as it happens). We are shown a world of subliminal messages hidden behind every advertising hoarding 'Marry and reproduce', for instance, every magazine and book page carries a hidden motto: 'Obey' 'Consume' - the list goes ever on (The message on the dollar bill - 'This is your God' is my particular favourite...). A 'ruling order' is revealed to be controlling us all.

The concept of aliens living among us is not a new one within Science Fiction, but Carpenter has worked his magic on it to produce a film that is at times funny, shocking, weird, thoughtful and insightful. I could probably add more to that list if I tried, but you get the idea. This film is, in my opinion, Carpenter's finest hour.

Add to all this the greatest bare-knuckle punch-up in cinematic history (and possibly one of the longest), and you've got pure movie magic- an essential buy. Modern imitators in this genre don't even come close.

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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars They Live, 13 Feb 2005
Crazy black comedy sci-fi works brilliantly at times, gets a bit silly at others (the sunglasses fight). The best aspect (the brainwashing plot) is interesting and not so far fetched if you substitute the rich establishment for the aliens and advertising/media control for the hypnotic transmissions.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT,GREAT, welcome to yesterdays memories
I almost forgot this movie existed, than suddenly a tshirt (fright rags, check it out) brought this movie out of the dark corners of my mind. Read more
Published 2 months ago by C. M. Smulders

2.0 out of 5 stars Over-rated!
I watched `They live` on BT vision (daytime) without even hearing about the film before or reading about the plot. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr. A. J. Ralph

3.0 out of 5 stars David Fincher - remake this now!!
The premise which underpins this cult classic is "the ultra rich and well-healed have such contempt and disregard for everyone else, they must be from another planet". Read more
Published 14 months ago by N. Smith

3.0 out of 5 stars worth a look but didnt change my world
Rowdy roddy piper of world wrestling federation and world wrestling entertainment to a lesser degree stars in this sci fi film that has a portion of black comedy thrown in as... Read more
Published 18 months ago by sean paul mccann

5.0 out of 5 stars I wear my sunglasses at night
Another of John Carpenter's great successes, this film turns the paranoia of the 50's science fiction film on its head. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Mr. Jonathon T. Beckett

3.0 out of 5 stars better than you expect
This film is a curiosity. It's a mainstream hollywood film with a wrestler turned actor in the lead role and it deals with an insidious alien take over. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Cartwright

3.0 out of 5 stars You're uhhh joking, right?
Which is what I thought when I saw this at the cinema many years ago, and what I thought after another viewing on DVD. Read more
Published on 2 Jul 2007 by Mr. S. Crook

3.0 out of 5 stars piper aint kurt!
They Live was probably the last of john carpenters really good films. Released in 1988 it stars roddy piper(though kurt russell woulda been better) as a down on his luck guy who... Read more
Published on 18 Mar 2007 by Mr. Russell C. Witheyman

5.0 out of 5 stars Tons of Fun
It's just a fun and watchable film. It's not quite up to John Carpenter's best standards, but if you're a wrestling fan and/or a stoner, then this is definately your film. Read more
Published on 1 Dec 2006 by mxd10

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
This was one of the last John Carpenter films I had left to see and I was looking foward to it considering that rests on a series of good 80s JC efforts. Read more
Published on 15 Sep 2006 by M. JONES

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