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John Carpenter's They Live

post #1 of 29
2/20/09 at 4:15am
Thread Starter 
We are secretly controlled by aliens and the only way to see them is through special sunglasses.

That's pretty much the premise behind "They Live". One of the best satires on Reaganomics and the class structure in America. Consider that the hero of the story is a homeless guy who finds out the rich and elite are aliens from another planet (or dimension) who see Earth as land they can exploit for profit. It's a great premise and the execution is B-Level greatness.

A special shout out has to go to the choices Carpenter made to show how the world looks when wearing the sunglasses. I don't normally associate the director with making bold visual choices but the decision to put everything in black and white as well as make the technology look like it came from a 50's sci fi film was just about perfect.

And like Devin in his Friday the 13 review, I have to give an entire paragraph to this......

"Put on the damn glasses"

Don't want to say more than that for those who haven't seen the movie but after watching it, you'll understand the awesome that scene contains. Anyway, great sci fi flick if you're in the mood for something fun with a little social commentary.
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post #2 of 29
2/20/09 at 4:23am
It's a little deeper than that because not all of the rich and elite are aliens. They just don't really give a shit, or exchanged the notion of freedom and all that jazz for a seat at the table.
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post #3 of 29
2/20/09 at 4:25am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by neoolong View Post
It's a little deeper than that because not all of the rich and elite are aliens. They just don't really give a shit, or exchanged the notion of freedom and all that jazz for a seat at the table.
True. It's about selling out your values as well. The last time I saw it was as a kid so alot of the social commentary went over my head. Kind of hard to ignore as an adult. Still pretty relevant coming out of the Bush years.
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post #4 of 29
2/20/09 at 12:38pm
I'm one of the biggest Carpenter fans around (yes, I do own Village of the Damned, why do you ask?), but this isn't one of my favorites. I love the satire, love the epic "cripple fight," and definitely think it has enough moments of greatness to be watchable, but the pacing is a drag. I also kind of wish Kurt Russell was in the lead role instead of Roddy Piper, as it almost seems like something designed for him.

That being said, the movie is definitely worth watching. I just don't think I'd be too up in arms if someone wanted to remake it, because it does have its flaws.
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post #5 of 29
2/20/09 at 12:46pm
I think it needed someone as outrageous as Piper. It's just that kind of movie.
Russell would have grounded the film, making it a bit less subversive.
Casting Russell would have been like "putting perfume on a pig."
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post #6 of 29
2/20/09 at 12:53pm
This is ripe for a remake, I agree. You could actually turn it into something wonderful, though I do have a soft spot for this film anyway, Piper included (The man managed to beat cancer quicker than he did Keith David!).

As posted in the "moments that crack me up" thread, the off-screen "They look like shit!" when he *SPOILER*fucks up the antenna at the end*END* absolutely slayed me.

This is probably the second most playful film in Carpenter's oeuvre, after Big Trouble, but I think this one is pitched just right.
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post #7 of 29
2/20/09 at 12:59pm
A remake could never duplicate the goofy tone. BUT! making this:

Quote:
Consider that the hero of the story is a homeless guy who finds out the rich and elite are aliens from another planet (or dimension)
...more vague could be fun. Is it really happening, or is it all in the delusional mind of a paranoid homeless man? Most films that try to do something like that fall into the categories of love it, hate it, or An M. Night Shyamalan Film. But done properly, it could be a fun angle on a remake.
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post #8 of 29
2/20/09 at 1:00pm
I actually watched this and Big Trouble in Little China not too long ago (it had been years since I'd seen either) and found myself comparing/contrasting Piper and Russell. Although being the less skilled actor, I think Piper brings greater authenticity to a down-on-his-luck blue collar laborer. Plus his line readings during the initial rampage can't be beat.

"I came here to chew bubble gum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubble gum."

As for the satire, possibly my favorite aspect is how the subliminal messages correspond with the image. For example, a woman in a bathing suit might have a message of "Marry and reproduce."
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post #9 of 29
2/20/09 at 1:12pm
Piper was perfect. No one could have sold the bubblegum line as well as he did.
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post #10 of 29
2/20/09 at 1:13pm
Piper was just fine. I wouldn't trade him for Russell.
His most underrated line:

BEAT YUH FEET, MAN.
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post #11 of 29
2/20/09 at 1:15pm
Whoever they cast in the remake will have to be able to pull off a 10 minute fight scene that's believable.

The Rock vs Michael Clarke Duncan? They already had a fight scene in 'The Scorpion King'.
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post #12 of 29
2/20/09 at 1:19pm
Favorite Carpenter. Last really good movie he made. We all love Kurt but Piper was perfect for this one.
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post #13 of 29
2/20/09 at 1:23pm
Thread Starter 
I think Roddy Piper's performance is perfect for this movie. The guy goes on a rampage killing civilians so you need someone who can keep that relatively light. Roddy Piper who was playing a heel at the time in WWF did it perfectly. Also, I don't think the epic "put on the glasses" fight would have been as entertaining without Piper's involvement (I'm pretty certain he did the fight choreography himself on that one).

As for a remake, I'd be behind it. This movie is no sacred cow and I like the idea of keeping things ambiguous on whether what the homeless guy is seeing is real or not. The 5 minute fight over putting on the glasses would be a perfect reveal moment I would think.
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post #14 of 29
2/20/09 at 4:11pm
I love this movie in all its B-movieness, but yeah, remake away. It is no classic piece of cinema. It would actually interesting to see what they would do with the concept. Then again it could end up like the death race remake, essentially removing any ideas or thoughts from it (turning it into a battle against hidden aliens). Piper adds to the charm of the movie. His lack of acting gives the movie its goofy center.
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post #15 of 29
2/20/09 at 4:12pm
Its really is the exact type of film Hollywood loves to remake, I bet this will happen. Although, to me it is kind of a sacred cow, so I think I would only want it done if Carpenter did it himself.
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post #16 of 29
2/20/09 at 4:55pm
Zack Galifinakis for the homeless lead.
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post #17 of 29
2/20/09 at 4:57pm
You mean for the George "Buck" Flower role?
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post #18 of 29
2/20/09 at 4:59pm
Mickey Rourke for the Roddy Piper role. He has the attitude, cynicism, and the world-weariness aspects that could make the role his own. He'd certainly be good in the fight scene.
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post #19 of 29
2/20/09 at 4:59pm
Who could possibly replace the female lead, X: The Woman With X-Ray Eyes?
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post #20 of 29
2/20/09 at 5:02pm
Or those dudes who lived next to her? Gimme a whole movie of those two.
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post #21 of 29
2/20/09 at 6:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Judas Booth View Post
Mickey Rourke for the Roddy Piper role. He has the attitude, cynicism, and the world-weariness aspects that could make the role his own. He'd certainly be good in the fight scene.
I can't even imagine who could replace Keith David. I mean it's Keith Fucking David!


-Edited-

Thanks Phil
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post #22 of 29
2/20/09 at 6:19pm
Unless you've got Rob Zombie remaking this (careful...), I don't think you have to worry about the same characters being reinterpreted by current performers. You won't have to replace Keith David (not David Keith) because his character won't be in the film. Just like a ten minute fight scene won't be in the film. They should (in this case and any other) remake the concept of the original, not the experience.
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post #23 of 29
2/22/09 at 12:42am
This movie would've been a total loss if it wasn't for that epic and beautifully choreographed 7-minute fight between Roddy Piper and Big Tim.
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post #24 of 29
10/16/10 at 9:22am
I really wasn't expecting a film with this much going on under the surface, Carpenter takes a fun B-Movie concept and adds layers to it you wouldn't expect. The first half of the film actually reminded me of the Vittorio De Sica film 'Miracle in Milan' where the main character lives in an area with other homeless people and slowly they build a community. It'll be interesting to see how the remake deals with the same themes considering the current economic climate and the rampant capitalism that led to it.

Piper really reminds me of Bill Paxton for some reason, he has that same easy charm. "You look like your head fell in the cheese dip back in 1957. YOU, you're ok, THIS ONE, real fuckin' ugly"

The fight is of course, legendary, up there with The Quiet Man and The Big Country for epic punchups.

I honestly didn't see Keith David's death coming, it's so abrupt.
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post #25 of 29
10/16/10 at 9:56am
Best score.
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post #26 of 29
10/16/10 at 10:43am
The film has a cool bluesy score.

If anyone could replace Keith David's role from the original, I'd have to say it would have to be Terry Crews.
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post #27 of 29
10/16/10 at 2:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by NathanW View Post
The film has a cool bluesy score.

If anyone could replace Keith David's role from the original, I'd have to say it would have to be Terry Crews.
That sounds like a great idea. Then again, I could watch Terry Crews read a phone book and like it. If Terry Crews were to get the role of Frank, I would suggest getting a big guy like Kevin Durand to play Nada.
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post #28 of 29
10/16/10 at 3:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by wadew1 View Post
Piper was just fine. I wouldn't trade him for Russell.
His most underrated line:

BEAT YUH FEET, MAN.
On the commentary track, Piper recalls the actor not understanding what "beat your feet" meant...and he just starting running in place after hearing the line, cracking Piper up.

It's a great commentary track with Piper and Carpenter. Check it out if you can.
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post #29 of 29
6/22/11 at 8:32pm

Just saw this for the first time in years (I think the first time was on TNT's Joe Bob Brigg's Monstervision!). Fun movie, although you can feel the lack of budget, especially after the imagination of Big Trouble in Little China.

 

The film feels...small. The plot mechanics allow that Roddy learns about the alien cover-up because of the resistance that is actively targetting the source of the invasion, so I get why he's able to stumble into the heart of the matter. Still, it feels a little rushed. A half hour is spent developing a homeless community and church that never goes anywhere, as Roddy only befriends Keith David and meets a whole new group later. Crazy Eyes Lady is positioned as a love interest (Roddy certainly cares about her well being later on in the film) but little time is spent on her so her portrayal has little impact. We already know humans are selling out their own kind, why is she a surprise? And I would have liked a little more hesitance over the glasses. She it seems to reveal Truths, but the transition from skeptic to mass murderer is rather abrupt.

 

Still, fun film, and I loved the '50s-esque special FX. Love that this is apart of an "Apocalypse Trilogy", as the ending lends itself very much to a continuing storyline. I imagine the humans would not have an easy time of overcoming the alien invasion. Maybe the remake will go somewhere with that...

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