ALIVE FILMS presents a LARRY FRANCO production JOHN CARPENTER'S 'THEY LIVE'
RODDY PIPER - KEITH DAVID - MEG FOSTER screenplay by FRANK ARMITAGE
music by JOHN CARPENTER and ALAN HOWARTH director of photography GARY B. KIBBE
executive producer SHEP GORDON and ANDRE BLAY associate producer SANDY KING
produced by LARRY FRANCO directed by JOHN CARPENTER

Certificate 18 in the UK release in 1988 by Carolco International N.V.
Released by Guild Home Video and Polygram Home Video.

And yes, I did just get that from the back of the video!

Anyway, onto the film. Set in the near future, although you wouldn't tell without reading the box (then again this film is eleven years old so perhaps they got it right), John Nada (Piper) is a drifting labourer who, while camping in a shanty town of drunks and misfits, make a shocking discovery. All the rich, famous and powerful are aliens who pass themselves off as humans via a special signal. The only way to see them in their true light is by wearing special sunglasses. This also reveals the controlling subliminal messages contained within every object such as 'sleep', 'obey' and the classic one found on money, 'This is your God'!

Realising that the humans must fight back, Nada joins the local resistance (after blowing away hundreds of them on his own) and the underground war to rid the planet of aliens and located the source of the brain-numbing 'signal' begins. Violent fights and minimal dialogue ensue. A very simple soundtrack which appears to be only five or six notes pops up throughout the movie giving an eerie background. 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper is best know for his wrestling antics so as you can imagine the fights are extremely long an well done. The best one liner of the film is spoiled by putting it on the back of the box which is a shame but there you go.

Sound cheesy, well it is but there is something about this film which has me hooked. The satirical edge, the classic one-liners and the excellent fights make this a film I enjoy. There's something reassuring with the story that all the people you though were better and more powerful than yourself are all aliens. At least you're human, aren't you?

Rob / Coagulus