They Live

Frank: "What do these things want?"
Gilbert: "They're free-enterprisers. The Earth is just another developing planet...their third world."

release year: 1988
genre: sci-fi/action
viewing setting: home Bluray 3/23/23 and home DVD 10/22/99

synopsis: A drifter learns that the world is actually run by aliens who see to it that humanity is kept docile.

impressions: This is yet another quirky little John Carpenter movie. It definitely has a message: Americans watch too much TV and are too lazy and docile and content. And also we tend not to care about our poor and homelss. Unfortunately, most people who watch this movie will laugh at the cheesy dialogue and sometimes-slow pacing and totally miss the point. Anyhow, this is the ultimate conspiracy theory and has some humor, some action, and some science fiction.

acting: Roddy Piper has perhaps his finest non-wrestling role as a drifter who connects the dots and then takes it personally. Keith David is a construction worker who gets involved. Meg "lady with the creepy eyes" Foster is a weird Tv-station employee.

final word: Interesting sci-fi/consumerism mishmash.

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