They Live

They Live is a 1988 film directed by John Carpenter, who also wrote the screenplay under the pseudonym "Frank Armitage". The movie was based on the short story "Eight O'Clock in the Morning" by Ray Nelson.

Related Topics:
1988 - Film - John Carpenter - Screenplay - Pseudonym - Ray Nelson

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The story is both science fiction and black comedy, dealing satirically with the declining economy and the culture of greed and conspicuous consumption associated with the 1980s. It posits a world in which some of the "haves" (the monied elite or the yuppies) are in fact space aliens seeking to oppress the "have nots" (poverty-stricken Earthlings and the desperate middle class) through subliminal advertising in the mass media.

Related Topics:
Science fiction - Black comedy - Satirically - Economy - Greed - Conspicuous consumption - 1980s - Yuppie - Space alien - Middle class - Subliminal advertising - Mass media

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The film stars former professional wrestler Roddy Piper as a homeless laborer who falls in with a group of shantytown rebels who have invented special dark glasses that enable the wearer to see past the facade the aliens have constructed to prevent their detection. One of the film's more memorable scenes occurs when Piper's character dons the glasses for the first time, and notices that a billboard for what appears to be a computer company now simply blares the word "OBEY," while another billboard featuring a bikini-clad model urges the viewer to "MARRY AND REPRODUCE." He notices other things such as money, under the view of the glasses, completely blank, except for the words, "THIS IS YOUR GOD" imprinted on it.

Related Topics:
Professional wrestler - Roddy Piper - Shantytown - Billboard

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With its narrative conceit of the world being an illusion behind which a darker reality exists, They Live bears some resemblence to The Matrix and its sequels—though Carpenter's film does not overtly indulge in philosophy. Interestingly, a similar premise was featured in an episode of the 1950s television show Lights Out titled "The Martian Eyes", in which Burgess Meredith plays a man whose sunglasses allow him to see Martians who have disguised themselves as Earthmen.

Related Topics:
The Matrix - Philosophy - 1950s - Television show - Lights Out - Burgess Meredith - Martian

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As with many of Carpenter's excursions into genre filmmaking, They Live was critically panned upon its release and fared poorly at the box office, only to develop a more favorable reputation in later years on home video. A special edition DVD was released in 2003.

Related Topics:
DVD - 2003

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