Nice review I freaking love They Live and I am pretty sure that there is going to be a remake of this movie pretty soon if I know Hollywood right and I don’t think that the jab you took at Michael Bay was that much deserved because Michael Bay just made a really good either you love it or you hate it movie called Pain & Gain with a budget of 26 million dollars his first movie Bad Boys from had a smaller budget of 19 million dollars and it is also a really good movie and even if it is more then the budget of They Live and it is really nice to have Michael Bay making a movie that he actually wants to make because to be honest I don’t think that he wants to make the Transformers movies because when Michael Bay’s heart is in the right place he can make a really damn good movie like Pain & Gain Bad Boys 1 & 2 The island and The Rock
Thanks! If they ever remake this it will further prove that they don’t understand the subject matter at all. Same with the Robocop remake. All they see is a cop who is a robot and they completely miss all the satire that is there.
Bad Boys is still a big “explodey” movie. I enjoy it but what I was getting at was that with his current ego, Bay wouldn’t be able to do a smaller film without all the glitz he puts in his films now. I really enjoy most of Bay’s work (The Rock, Armageddon) but I feel that now in his post-Transformers work, he seems to be leaning so heavily on CGI, he is forgetting that there has to be a story in there somewhere. Pain and Gain is a step in the right direction, I’ll be curious to see if he does more like that or continues to make his music video style productions.
Okay but can you tell me what you thought about Pain & Gain and what you think about the new trailer for Transformers 4 because that trailer has one of the most awesome endings of all time http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iF_ayN3ll3k
Haven’t seen all of Pain and Gain yet but I thought it was good. (what I saw of it)
I would probably be excited about Transformers 4 if Transformers 1-3 didn’t exist. All that trailer tells me is it is going to be another big loud CGI-fest. Not in any hurry to see it, even if it does have the promise of Grimlock.
I understand but I am still going to watch the movie in the cinema because I kinda liked Transformers 1 and 3 Transformers 2 sucks and by the way I just found this really hilarious Alex Jones interview with Roddy Piper about They Live I hope that you IL like ithttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP1H4olzFrU
Cecil on said:
Thats fine. The original Robocop is one of my all time favorite films and what they made is just a movie that shares the same name.
I heard the Roddy interview, really funny.
mogens on said:
1.did you know that david rose from happy dragon pictures also review this film?
2.the reason for my mispelling is that i am danish but sinse you guys talks in english i have too translate too english and sometimes its really hard
Great look at a modern cult classic,Cecil(plus,nice intro Handsome Eric!)-I fondly recall seeing this in theaters at the time and yes, I was a wrestling fan. I know everyone loves that bubble gum line but my favorite line comes right after that,when Piper’s character spots an alien woman reporting him to her bosses via wristwatch communicator(nice touch,btw) and as he tries to shoot her,says “Momma don’t like tattletales!”
I just want to believe that the whole “resistance wearing sunglasses and showing what the real world is like” plot was a huge influence on “The Matrix” about a decade later.
John Carpenter’s filmography is proof of just what kind of life good movies can have after they leave the theater.
Even his later films (the ones people always complain about, like Ghosts of Mars) show more depth than most junk out today. He is an amazing director that never really got the attention he deserved. He is beloved by the fans and passed over by the mainstream.
True, but Carpy has been quite influential on many directors. Look at the work of Robert Rodriguez, Zack Snyder, Luc Besson, J.J. Abrams and Gareth Evans (the second Raid film looks sick). Even shows like “Revolution”, “The Walking Dead” and “Falling Skies” have a Carpy aura.
Well, the last film he put out was The Ward featuring Amber Heard. Haven’t seen it yet, but it’s on my list. Plus, Carpy’s recently turned 66. He might not want to overwork himself.
Cecil on said:
He was a hired gun on The Ward. It was one that someone else wrote and he was brought in to direct. This is one of the films he had the least amount of control over, which is why it doesn’t feel like a Carpenter film. It’s not a bad film, (its an ok film) just not up to his standards.
He has plenty of movies he wants to do (he has been trying to do a western for years, as well as Darkchylde) but can’t get them off the ground.
Reason other than the concept that I 1st watched it on the Sci Fi channel a couple of years ago.
I have the film on DVD but it is not the newer 25 anniversary edition.
The film is more relevant today post 9/11 era than it was then not for the advertising aspect that I thought was just a means of mind control that feature things not created than like the camera drone that Pipers character shots down outside the bank and domestic terrorists.
When I first saw teenagers wearing those Obey caps, I got quite excited as I thought they were referencing They Live, I wasn’t aware of Shepard Fairey’s work at the time. Unfortunately the caps turned out to be mass produced easy money that people only brought because it was the trend, I consider it a great irony that the majority of those consumers don’t realise the roots of that design and the message from that movie.
That is one excellent intro! 🙂 Very pristine, yet mostly non-spoiler-y review. While I like spoilers (I’m weird that way), I support your decision in this case. Too bad Piper never got to do another solid flick like this. The only in the least prominent thing I saw him on later was that guest role in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Ahhhh finally, we’ve come to They Live, hands down one of my favorite movies of all time and one I dont think Ill ever get sick of. Ive said time and again that John Carpenter is one of my favorite directors and this movie is where he absolutely shines.
This movie is such a breath of fresh air. Watch it in comparison to some of the movies made now and youll see how so much more “real” it feels. This and Prince of Darkness has some of the best cinemotography, atmosphere and ambience that Ive seen. It feels like youve actually stepped out into Los Angeles.
And of course, Roddy Piper, love him so much. Im glad Vince McMahon never got his greedy claws anywhere near this flick. I have to say its incredibly lonely to know that you’re the only kid in your high school to have actually seen this film. Oh well, maybe that makes it more special. Anyways, amazing video Cecil, youve outdone yourself this time.
Nice to get a two for one deal… a Netflix video and this. I wouldn’t call it a classic, but I did like it. “Halloween” has direction you study as it is masterful, but this was a movie I watched once and it was enough.
I was curious on which format you get more views… blip or YouTube (and I look at the YouTube version on my tablet because I refuse to watch ads for internet videos… kinda how you pointed out about ads). Good example on ads during TV shows. I did not realize it was that blatant. I knew about movies being vehicles for ideologies, but not the ads like that Subway example. Back when I was doing my undergrad work, my PE prof. showed us a video of what the Olympics might look like in the future (this was the early 1990’s). It was track and field, and the screen was filling with the names of companies as the announcer kept citing sponsors… “brought to you by…”
Fantastic Movie. David Keith is awesome and can make everything better just by showing up on screen. Rowdy Roddy Piper has incredible charisma and is better than most modern action actors.
Have you seen the Cameo of Roddy Piper in “It’s always sunny in Philadelphia”?
“You guys…like you….I love you guys. You remind me of my kids.” – “Oh you have kids Maniac?” – “…naaah…. not anymore….” – “…?….what does that mean?”
Great review, Cecil. And, for some reason, I have a compelling urge to subscribe. I… I’m not sure why… brb
I still remember when my bother saw this (I was a little young). He spent about two weeks talking about it almost nonstop. I never knew what the big deal was until I saw it much later and was likewise blown away. It’s a great, raw movie.
But I think you hit on something really important there towards the end: while it certainly had a political point, perhaps even an agenda, it didn’t let that ruin the movie. Yeah, at the core you’ve got “Republicans are aliens oppressing us” (or perhaps just capitalists), but it’s handled with a light touch. You can tell it’s there, but Carpenter didn’t feel the need to beat you over the head with it. That balance between message and entertainment is sorely lacking in a lot of “message movies”. Day After Tomorrow would probably be one of the more odious examples of doing it wrong.
I still love the old intro, but this Handsome Eric intro was really well done. And as others have said, the Netflix bonus video was a nice surprise too.
I know you have your reasons for varying the format of these Exploring entries, but I do miss the recap component whenever it’s missing…
I dig your reviews. This one was especially probing. I had never heard of the Brunswick TV affair. So, I learned something new. I like that you don’t try to be funny all the time. I admire your reviews for how adeptly you summarize the film and then give lots of great trivia about the making of the films. Kudos to the show for making time to do new 3d graphics each time. Impressive stuff.
The director goes after people with a C&D everytime one of these pops up so as much as I enjoy the film I’m just not doing it because its not worth dealing.
I’ll never understand that whole C&D mentality – why bother making a movie if you cant handle criticisms on it? Its not like he’s the only director to make a B grade. Anyway i need to be criticized as well, i do remember seeing the rollerblading nun movie Roller Blade Warriors after i looked at the directors imdb page.
Keep the good work coming Cecil, it brings me enjoyment, so thank you.
It’s a weird ego thing, kind of like Tommy Wiseau. The bummer is I would be praising his movies. Sure, they are silly and I would goof on them a bit but I genuinely enjoy Frogtown and the Rollerblade movies. It’s just not worth going through the hours of putting the video together only to have to take it down or deal with an overzealous copyright protector.
follow:
Love this movie! So much in fact I bought the soundtrack:
http://deathwaltzrecordingcompany.com/shop/they-live-2/
Good stuff!
Awesome!
Nice review I freaking love They Live and I am pretty sure that there is going to be a remake of this movie pretty soon if I know Hollywood right and I don’t think that the jab you took at Michael Bay was that much deserved because Michael Bay just made a really good either you love it or you hate it movie called Pain & Gain with a budget of 26 million dollars his first movie Bad Boys from had a smaller budget of 19 million dollars and it is also a really good movie and even if it is more then the budget of They Live and it is really nice to have Michael Bay making a movie that he actually wants to make because to be honest I don’t think that he wants to make the Transformers movies because when Michael Bay’s heart is in the right place he can make a really damn good movie like Pain & Gain Bad Boys 1 & 2 The island and The Rock
Thanks! If they ever remake this it will further prove that they don’t understand the subject matter at all. Same with the Robocop remake. All they see is a cop who is a robot and they completely miss all the satire that is there.
Bad Boys is still a big “explodey” movie. I enjoy it but what I was getting at was that with his current ego, Bay wouldn’t be able to do a smaller film without all the glitz he puts in his films now. I really enjoy most of Bay’s work (The Rock, Armageddon) but I feel that now in his post-Transformers work, he seems to be leaning so heavily on CGI, he is forgetting that there has to be a story in there somewhere. Pain and Gain is a step in the right direction, I’ll be curious to see if he does more like that or continues to make his music video style productions.
Okay but can you tell me what you thought about Pain & Gain and what you think about the new trailer for Transformers 4 because that trailer has one of the most awesome endings of all time http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iF_ayN3ll3k
Haven’t seen all of Pain and Gain yet but I thought it was good. (what I saw of it)
I would probably be excited about Transformers 4 if Transformers 1-3 didn’t exist. All that trailer tells me is it is going to be another big loud CGI-fest. Not in any hurry to see it, even if it does have the promise of Grimlock.
I understand but I am still going to watch the movie in the cinema because I kinda liked Transformers 1 and 3 Transformers 2 sucks and by the way I just found this really hilarious Alex Jones interview with Roddy Piper about They Live I hope that you IL like ithttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP1H4olzFrU
Thats fine. The original Robocop is one of my all time favorite films and what they made is just a movie that shares the same name.
I heard the Roddy interview, really funny.
1.did you know that david rose from happy dragon pictures also review this film?
2.the reason for my mispelling is that i am danish but sinse you guys talks in english i have too translate too english and sometimes its really hard
1 – No but I’m sure he did a good job with it.
2- I understand.
Great look at a modern cult classic,Cecil(plus,nice intro Handsome Eric!)-I fondly recall seeing this in theaters at the time and yes, I was a wrestling fan. I know everyone loves that bubble gum line but my favorite line comes right after that,when Piper’s character spots an alien woman reporting him to her bosses via wristwatch communicator(nice touch,btw) and as he tries to shoot her,says “Momma don’t like tattletales!”
Thanks! Piper was perfect in this. Oh that line is classic as well! So much goodness in the movie.
I just want to believe that the whole “resistance wearing sunglasses and showing what the real world is like” plot was a huge influence on “The Matrix” about a decade later.
John Carpenter’s filmography is proof of just what kind of life good movies can have after they leave the theater.
http://youtu.be/NGAJHN8vFmo?t=12m33s
Its influence is everywhere!
Even his later films (the ones people always complain about, like Ghosts of Mars) show more depth than most junk out today. He is an amazing director that never really got the attention he deserved. He is beloved by the fans and passed over by the mainstream.
True, but Carpy has been quite influential on many directors. Look at the work of Robert Rodriguez, Zack Snyder, Luc Besson, J.J. Abrams and Gareth Evans (the second Raid film looks sick). Even shows like “Revolution”, “The Walking Dead” and “Falling Skies” have a Carpy aura.
He’s a major influence and yet he still doesn’t get work. You think some of the directors who grew up with him would throw him a bone.
Well, the last film he put out was The Ward featuring Amber Heard. Haven’t seen it yet, but it’s on my list. Plus, Carpy’s recently turned 66. He might not want to overwork himself.
He was a hired gun on The Ward. It was one that someone else wrote and he was brought in to direct. This is one of the films he had the least amount of control over, which is why it doesn’t feel like a Carpenter film. It’s not a bad film, (its an ok film) just not up to his standards.
He has plenty of movies he wants to do (he has been trying to do a western for years, as well as Darkchylde) but can’t get them off the ground.
No mention of Bart vs the Space Mutants?
http://youtu.be/pabVv2ETrsk
Reason other than the concept that I 1st watched it on the Sci Fi channel a couple of years ago.
I have the film on DVD but it is not the newer 25 anniversary edition.
The film is more relevant today post 9/11 era than it was then not for the advertising aspect that I thought was just a means of mind control that feature things not created than like the camera drone that Pipers character shots down outside the bank and domestic terrorists.
Ack! Forgot about that one.
The Blu ray is great. Beautiful picture and lots of extras.
When I first saw teenagers wearing those Obey caps, I got quite excited as I thought they were referencing They Live, I wasn’t aware of Shepard Fairey’s work at the time. Unfortunately the caps turned out to be mass produced easy money that people only brought because it was the trend, I consider it a great irony that the majority of those consumers don’t realise the roots of that design and the message from that movie.
Oh the irony! They just have no idea.
That is one excellent intro! 🙂 Very pristine, yet mostly non-spoiler-y review. While I like spoilers (I’m weird that way), I support your decision in this case. Too bad Piper never got to do another solid flick like this. The only in the least prominent thing I saw him on later was that guest role in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
Nice one. Despite the fact that you call him, David Keith at one point. I laughed at The Fly II poster on the billboard.
Ahhhh finally, we’ve come to They Live, hands down one of my favorite movies of all time and one I dont think Ill ever get sick of. Ive said time and again that John Carpenter is one of my favorite directors and this movie is where he absolutely shines.
This movie is such a breath of fresh air. Watch it in comparison to some of the movies made now and youll see how so much more “real” it feels. This and Prince of Darkness has some of the best cinemotography, atmosphere and ambience that Ive seen. It feels like youve actually stepped out into Los Angeles.
And of course, Roddy Piper, love him so much. Im glad Vince McMahon never got his greedy claws anywhere near this flick. I have to say its incredibly lonely to know that you’re the only kid in your high school to have actually seen this film. Oh well, maybe that makes it more special. Anyways, amazing video Cecil, youve outdone yourself this time.
Nice to get a two for one deal… a Netflix video and this. I wouldn’t call it a classic, but I did like it. “Halloween” has direction you study as it is masterful, but this was a movie I watched once and it was enough.
I was curious on which format you get more views… blip or YouTube (and I look at the YouTube version on my tablet because I refuse to watch ads for internet videos… kinda how you pointed out about ads). Good example on ads during TV shows. I did not realize it was that blatant. I knew about movies being vehicles for ideologies, but not the ads like that Subway example. Back when I was doing my undergrad work, my PE prof. showed us a video of what the Olympics might look like in the future (this was the early 1990’s). It was track and field, and the screen was filling with the names of companies as the announcer kept citing sponsors… “brought to you by…”
Fantastic Movie. David Keith is awesome and can make everything better just by showing up on screen. Rowdy Roddy Piper has incredible charisma and is better than most modern action actors.
Have you seen the Cameo of Roddy Piper in “It’s always sunny in Philadelphia”?
“You guys…like you….I love you guys. You remind me of my kids.” – “Oh you have kids Maniac?” – “…naaah…. not anymore….” – “…?….what does that mean?”
-Oh… Do you have kids?
-No. Not anymore.
-What the hell did he mean by that, Dennis?
Da Maniac Loves You Guys…
Both of those episodes are great. The new one, “Mac and Dennis Buy a Timeshare,” might be a little better in my own opinion.
Awww I haven’t seen Season 8 and 9 yet :(. But I’m very happy to hear he is back! It just shows how great those guys are.
Great review, Cecil. And, for some reason, I have a compelling urge to subscribe. I… I’m not sure why… brb
I still remember when my bother saw this (I was a little young). He spent about two weeks talking about it almost nonstop. I never knew what the big deal was until I saw it much later and was likewise blown away. It’s a great, raw movie.
But I think you hit on something really important there towards the end: while it certainly had a political point, perhaps even an agenda, it didn’t let that ruin the movie. Yeah, at the core you’ve got “Republicans are aliens oppressing us” (or perhaps just capitalists), but it’s handled with a light touch. You can tell it’s there, but Carpenter didn’t feel the need to beat you over the head with it. That balance between message and entertainment is sorely lacking in a lot of “message movies”. Day After Tomorrow would probably be one of the more odious examples of doing it wrong.
I still love the old intro, but this Handsome Eric intro was really well done. And as others have said, the Netflix bonus video was a nice surprise too.
I know you have your reasons for varying the format of these Exploring entries, but I do miss the recap component whenever it’s missing…
I dig your reviews. This one was especially probing. I had never heard of the Brunswick TV affair. So, I learned something new. I like that you don’t try to be funny all the time. I admire your reviews for how adeptly you summarize the film and then give lots of great trivia about the making of the films. Kudos to the show for making time to do new 3d graphics each time. Impressive stuff.
Thanks! I’ve been striving to make this as unique and entertaining as possible. 🙂
1.are you sure you are not sideshow bobs brother?
2.keith and rody is and awesome team
In the future are you considering doing an episode of Endangered Species/Earth Alien?
http://youtu.be/RdbPNi7JPqk?t=4m35s
It at least deserves a Netflix recommendation.
I was thinking about it. It was silly, fun, and a really bad knockoff of I Come in Peace.
This is just a kick ass movie all around. Have you reviewed Hell Comes to Frogtown yet? Another Roddy classic.
The director goes after people with a C&D everytime one of these pops up so as much as I enjoy the film I’m just not doing it because its not worth dealing.
I’ll never understand that whole C&D mentality – why bother making a movie if you cant handle criticisms on it? Its not like he’s the only director to make a B grade. Anyway i need to be criticized as well, i do remember seeing the rollerblading nun movie Roller Blade Warriors after i looked at the directors imdb page.
Keep the good work coming Cecil, it brings me enjoyment, so thank you.
It’s a weird ego thing, kind of like Tommy Wiseau. The bummer is I would be praising his movies. Sure, they are silly and I would goof on them a bit but I genuinely enjoy Frogtown and the Rollerblade movies. It’s just not worth going through the hours of putting the video together only to have to take it down or deal with an overzealous copyright protector.
Thanks 🙂
But… what are the Drive-In Totals?
From what I remember…
100 Dead Bodies
200 Beaten Homeless
1 Beaten Blind Man
2 Breasts
50 Pairs of Sunglasses
2 Police Raids
1 Neverending Brawl
Subliminal Messaging
Belly to Back Suplex
Inverted Atomic Drop
Figure Four Leglock
Gun-fu
Cane-fu
Bottle-fu
4 stars, check it out!
I miss Joe Bob.