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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: 5, Informative) by canopic jug on Friday November 23 2018, @10:16AM (1 child)
The most interesting idea of the movie is that the creatures that oppress us are not human.
Partially. The aliens were only dangling rewards in front of the humans who did the actual oppressing. It was clear throughout the story that the aliens would not have gotten as far, relatively non-violently, without vast numbers of sellouts. So at the end of the day it was about people oppressing people with only minor goading from the aliens.
Money is not free speech. Elections should not be auctions.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by legont on Friday November 23 2018, @08:48PM
That's only looks so because of asymmetry. The latest Taleb's book https://www.amazon.com/Skin-Game-Hidden-Asymmetries-Daily/dp/042528462X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543005536&sr=8-1&keywords=taleb+skin+in+the+game [amazon.com] gives an exmple:
Hence a very sad conclusion - we can't be tolerant to people who have the rules to their advantage. Traitors among our own have to be exterminated.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.