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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, Insightful) by khallow on Friday November 23 2018, @04:10AM (4 children)
And that's a problem why?
The Chinese and Indians would disagree. Wealth inequality globally has been improving over the time period in question.
And let us recall that wealth inequality is such a screwed up statistic that someone without a penny to their name has more wealth that the 30% poorest people in the world.
Nobody does.
The labor participation rate in the US (which presumably is what you are referring to) is about 63% today and about 3% below what it was in 1988. Shouldn't be surprising given the Boomer generation is retiring. And indicates we don't have a 40% unemployment rate today either.
Perhaps the most cynical people are no longer the most clued in people?
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 23 2018, @04:37AM (2 children)
It's khallow, our #1 most pathologically selfish apologist for billionaires.
Of course Zuckerberg and Bezos are not examples of massive wealth inequality according to khallow, since khallow is an aspiring billionaire who will trample upon everyone to achieve billionaire riches. Khallow deserves to be rich as surely as the sun shines.
Only rich people and aspiring rich people like khallow are woke enough to live today. The rest need to die in debtors prison for poor people. Can we simply pass a law that says poverty is a capital crime punishable by deadly death.
Let's declare poor people are alien enemy combatants and kill them all by shotgun firing squad.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 23 2018, @04:43AM
I'm calling Poe's Law. I just really can't tell.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Friday November 23 2018, @05:19AM
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Friday November 23 2018, @04:58AM
Or, perhaps, not? The obvious rebuttal to this khallow post is khallow his own self. He is almost correct. Missed it by THIS much!