A drifter enters the big city looking for work and discovers a pair of sunglasses that allow him to see the world for what it really is-a bunch of aliens using hidden messages in ads to control the human race.
They Live is a statement about government and how we allow advertising companies to dictate how we live our lives. It is absolutely true. We are so convinced that we need to use a certain product or buy a certain brand to reach perfection. Anything less is unacceptable. We being programmed into being consumers, which gives the government more money and power. It’s basically a gold mine to any conspiracy theorist but fun to horror fans.
In the film, Nada (Roddy Piper) notices that some sketchy looking people keep holding meetings at a local church. He sneaks in the back door and comes across a box of killer ’80s looking sunglasses. While walking around outside, he notices that billboards are no longer ads but white with bold black words on them like Obey, Sleep, Marry, and Reproduce.
In addition to the ads, some humans no longer look like humans. Their true alien faces are revealed through the sunglasses and they are everywhere from shoppers in the grocery store to the anchors on the news.
Piper delivers some of the best cheesy lines in this film including the incredibly popular and ad-libbed “I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass…and I am all out of bubblegum.” And “You know, you look like your head fell in the cheese dip back in 1957.”
There is even a fight between Piper and Keith David that was punch for punch replicated by South Park during the cripple fight between Timmy and Jimmy in the episode appropriately entitled “Cripple Fight” in the fifth season.
They Live is an ’80s cheese masterpiece that I strongly recommend you give a try if you haven’t already. You won’t regret it and that is a promise!
