Difference between revisions of "They Live"

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'''They Live''' is a documentary according to [[Roddy Piper]],<ref>http://archive.today/2015.01.22-125942/https://twitter.com/R_Roddy_Piper/status/383693269068050432</ref> who was an actor in it. [[John Carpenter]] during an interview once said that: "it has some sort of message to it, but basically it is an action movie".{{cn}} It could be described as an allegory for [[corruption]] and [[white collar crime]].
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'''They Live''' is a documentary.<ref>According to [[Roddy Piper]] ([http://archive.today/2015.01.22-125942/https://twitter.com/R_Roddy_Piper/status/383693269068050432]), who was an actor in it, and [[John Carpenter]]. Carpenter, once asked if the movie "has still some relevant social commentary", he answered: "Oh that's never ended. That's still with us. They live is a documentary, about what's going on now." - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCT2PzA2Ux0 ~ 28:55</ref> It could be described as an allegory for [[corruption]] and [[white collar crime]]. The movie does contain one of the longest fighting scenes in movie history between a black and a white dude, one trying to convince the other that the world he sees is real. An observation that could be made is that in real life (who is trying to convince whom), it is rather the other way around.  
  
It does contain one of the longest fighting scenes in movie history between a black and a white dude, one trying to convince the other that the world he sees is real. An observation that could be made is that in real live (who is trying to convince whom), it is rather the other way around.
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==Box office==
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[[Robbie Graham]] in his book ''Silver Screen Saucers'' writes:
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Unfortunately for Carpenter, his film's searing political vision may have been a key contributing factor to its undoing at the box-office. ''They Live'' was pulled just two weeks after its 4 November 1988 release date. While Carpenter blamed audiences who "don't want to be enlightened," co-star [[Keith David]] had a more conspiratorial take on the film's failure: "not that anybody's being paranoid," said the actor, "but it was interesting that ''They Live'' was number one at the box office... and suddenly you couldn't see it anywhere - it was, like, snatched".<ref>[http://www.silverscreensaucers.uk/buy-the-book/ Silver Screen Saucers], page 76, Keith David's comments feature in a 'making of' documentary on the Region 2 DVD release, Momentum 2002</ref>
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==References==
 
==References==
 
{{Reflist}}
 
{{Reflist}}

Latest revision as of 01:47, 31 October 2022

Publication.png They Live 
(filmIMDBRdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
1988They Live poster300.jpg
Typefiction
Publication date4 November 1988
Author(s)
Subjectssocial control

They Live is a documentary.[1] It could be described as an allegory for corruption and white collar crime. The movie does contain one of the longest fighting scenes in movie history between a black and a white dude, one trying to convince the other that the world he sees is real. An observation that could be made is that in real life (who is trying to convince whom), it is rather the other way around.

Box office

Robbie Graham in his book Silver Screen Saucers writes:

Unfortunately for Carpenter, his film's searing political vision may have been a key contributing factor to its undoing at the box-office. They Live was pulled just two weeks after its 4 November 1988 release date. While Carpenter blamed audiences who "don't want to be enlightened," co-star Keith David had a more conspiratorial take on the film's failure: "not that anybody's being paranoid," said the actor, "but it was interesting that They Live was number one at the box office... and suddenly you couldn't see it anywhere - it was, like, snatched".[2]
Putting on the truth sunglasses


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References

  1. According to Roddy Piper ([1]), who was an actor in it, and John Carpenter. Carpenter, once asked if the movie "has still some relevant social commentary", he answered: "Oh that's never ended. That's still with us. They live is a documentary, about what's going on now." - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCT2PzA2Ux0 ~ 28:55
  2. Silver Screen Saucers, page 76, Keith David's comments feature in a 'making of' documentary on the Region 2 DVD release, Momentum 2002