November 4, 1988
They Live is a 1988 American science fiction action horror film written and directed by John Carpenter, based on the 1963 short story "Eight O'Clock in the Morning" by Ray Nelson. Starring Roddy Piper, Keith David, and Meg Foster, the film follows an unnamed drifter who discovers through special sunglasses that the ruling class are aliens concealing their appearance and manipulating people to consume, breed, and conform to the status quo via subliminal messages in mass media.
Having acquired the film rights to the Nelson-penned short story prior to the production of They Live, Carpenter used the story as the basis for the screenplay's structure, which he wrote under the pseudonym "Frank Armitage". Carpenter has stated that the themes of They Live stemmed from his dissatisfaction with the economic policies of then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan, as well as what Carpenter saw as increasing commercialization in both popular culture and politics. In 2017, in response to neo-Nazi interpretations of the film's themes, Carpenter further clarified that the film "is about yuppies and unrestrained capitalism" and "has nothing to do with Jewish control of the world".
They Live was a minor success upon release, debuting at #1 at the North American box office. It initially received negative reviews from critics, who lambasted its social commentary, writing, and acting; however, it later gained a cult following and experienced a significantly more favorable critical reception. It is now regarded by many as a largely underrated work. The film has also entered the pop culture lexicon, notably having a lasting effect on street art (particularly that of Shepard Fairey). A nearly six-minute sequence in which the protagonists brawl in an alley has made appearances on all-time lists for best fight scenes.
Storyline[]
Nada, a down-on-his-luck construction worker, discovers a pair of special sunglasses. Wearing them, he is able to see the world as it really is: people being bombarded by media and government with messages like "Stay Asleep", "No Imagination", "Submit to Authority". Even scarier is that he is able to see that some usually normal-looking people are in fact ugly aliens in charge of the massive campaign to keep humans subdued.
Sound Effects Used[]
- COMEDY - RICOCHET ACCENT FOR MOVEMENT 12
- RICOCHET - LONG DESCENDING SHELL SCREAM RICCO
- RICOCHET - RICCO AND WHINE 05
- RICOCHET - SLICK RICCO 03
- Sound Ideas, GUN, RICOCHET - SINGLE RICOCHET, BULLET 02
- Sound Ideas, GUN, RICOCHET - SINGLE RICOCHET, BULLET 06
- Sound Ideas, RICOCHET - CARTOON RICCO 06
- Sound Ideas, RICOCHET - CARTOON RICCO 07
- Sound Ideas, RICOCHET - LONG SHELL SCREAM RICCO
- Sound Ideas, RICOCHET - SHOT AND WHINE
- Sound Ideas, RICOCHET - SLICK RICCO 01
- WB BULLET RICOCHETS