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Revisiting the Dystopian L.A. of Sci-Fi Classic They Live, 30 Years Later:
In November of 1988, four days before George H.W. Bush was elected president of the United States, Universal Pictures released They Live, the story of covert alien suppression over the masses. The movie is, arguably, the most topical film of Carpenter’s four-decade career, which includes box-office hits and cult classics like Halloween (1978), Escape from New York (1981), The Thing (1982), and Big Trouble in Little China (1986). Thirty years later, They Live is particularly significant in America’s current social and political climates.
The sci-fi action film is based on Ray Nelson’s short story, “Eight O’Clock in the Morning” (1963), and Bill Wray’s subsequent comic adaption, “Nada” (1986). In Nelson’s story, George Nada awakes from being hypnotized and can suddenly see people transform into alien beings that are unsuspectingly controlling the human race.
In 1978, John Carpenter wrote and directed a movie about a mysterious, hulking loner who comes to town and slays innocent victims. Ten years later, he made another movie about a mysterious, hulking loner who comes to town, only this guy waited to kick ass until he was all out of bubblegum.
There are other obvious differences between Halloween and They Live,two of the most beloved films by one of the all-time great genre auteurs. But here’s the one that matters most: Halloween became a popular horror franchise that now includes 11 films released over the course of 40 years, including the forthcoming reboot due October 19.
They Live, meanwhile, sort of became reality.
Drones in the sky, conspiracies in our heads, militarized police in the streets, economic inequality in every corner of society, media that seeks to control our minds: The terror of They Live is more tangible and primal in 2018 than a slasher movie could ever be. Is that an overly grandiose way of describing a cheesy, semi-self-aware ’80s action flick? Am I projecting outsize cultural importance onto a cult classic starring a professional wrestler who utters awesome one-liners like, “Brother, life’s a bitch ... and she’s back in heat”? Have I been wearing these magical sunglasses for too long?
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Friday November 23 2018, @03:17AM (5 children)
-hteous.
Those white farmers made good money while the indigenous south africans did not have the right to vote, and were forbidden to ride first class in passenger trains.
Mohandas K. Gandhi was at first a well-to-do attorney, but while riding first class himself, he got thrown off the train by the conductor who permitted only whites to ride there.
Gandhi developed his philosophy of Satyagraha - non-violent action whose non-literal translation is "the force that is generated through adherence to Truth" in South Africa. The whites grew so weary of Gandhi as his people's civil disobedience that they threw every single Indian out of the country.
That Was A Crime Against Humanity, but Gandhi went on the apply Satyagraha to liberate India from the British Empire.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 23 2018, @04:40AM (1 child)
I don't know where you got your information, but you should double-check.
"Indigenous" is a tricky term. The afrikaner farmers have ancestors that have been there for hundreds of years. Roughly the same kind of time since the Plymouth Rock landing, in fact. Are you advocating something similar for the US of A? Yes? OK. You first.
As for the productivity of the farmers: one of the key findings has been that even when they did transfer farms, unless the recipient were an educated, knowledgeable farmer, the farm turned into a dead loss. A white elephant. So, yeah, that's not a great plan either.
True, Gandhi did fall foul of the local racial laws, but he didn't result in all the indians getting thrown out of SA. Really, he didn't. Even when they had their shameful tricameral system, one of the houses of their parliament was reserved for indians. Oh, and indian communities are alive and well there, and have been since Gandhi's time.
Whoever told you that crap is either very deluded, or has some weird agenda. I wouldn't take their word for anything.
(Score: 3, Funny) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Friday November 23 2018, @07:03AM
Yes, yes I really do feel we should gave the land back to the Native Americans.
I've read that as many as one hundred million of them were killed by the French, the British and the Spanish, as well as by American settlers and the US Army.
Giving their land back would be the least we could do considering what the White Man has done to them.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 23 2018, @06:33AM (1 child)
I used to ride first class on trains in England back in the 90's. Maybe it was the routes, but I didn't notice a significant difference between first and other classes.
While better than amtrack, it wasn't anything special. Unlike the difference in first class of airline service.
(Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Friday November 23 2018, @10:55AM
> I didn't notice a significant difference
Free cups of tea!
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Pax on Friday November 23 2018, @06:08PM
Ghandi was a bit racist himself.....
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-34265882 [bbc.co.uk]