They Live Blu-ray delivers great video and audio in this excellent Blu-ray release
Set in the future, a drifter discovers that alien beings are controlling the minds of the masses by use of
subliminal messages urging apathy and obedience. OBEY
They have taken the hearts and minds of our leaders. They have recruited the rich and the powerful. And they have blinded us to the truth.
They may live, but fear not! Roddy Piper and Keith David are here to chew bubble bum and kick alien tail in They Live, Director John
Carpenter's brilliant Sci-Fi satire all about modern society's unwitting slavery under everything from consumerism to politics. It's perhaps the
ultimate
conspiracy theory movie (or real-life trickle-down economics Horror show, depending on whom one asks), a tale that depicts the dangers of an
unaware
populace's figurative
sleep, or more specifically, the populace's literal blindness of and naiveté concerning
what's really happening all around, about who or what truly controls the world, about the open enslavement of man by those who would do
harm below the shiny surface and beyond the false sphere of safety and security. Of course the movie is fundamentally a work of fiction (at least,
one can hope it's
fiction; there appears to be no aliens masquerading as people running around) but it rings its truths below the surface -- it blares its
truths, really -- as a warning sign to all who blindly follow the lead, who keep
their
eyes
closed, ears shut, and mouths sealed to the world they see unfolding around them, perhaps inwardly decrying decline but doing nothing about it for
fear of retribution or ridicule or, perhaps, sheer uncertainty of where to begin. It's rather simplistically displayed and resolved in the film, nothing a
few
tough hombres and a handful of guns cannot make right, but the social commentary runs much deeper and it's Carpenter's core story, not
the
superficial action, that makes They Live a rousing success of thought-provoking cinema.
"I have blood on my face?"
Nada (Roddy Piper) is a drifter. He's finding his prospects scarce and employment even more so. It's not for lack of effort, though; he's a good man
who wants to carry his own burden. He's strong, honest, and has a good head on his shoulders. He believes in the ideals of hard work and the
impotence of self-sufficiency. He lands a job on a construction site and makes friends with fellow worker Frank (Keith David) who shows Nada the
ropes and invites him to stay at a tent city for the under-privileged and poor. When a television signal is interrupted and the new broadcast speaks
of vast conspiracy theories, Nada suspects it's originating from a nearby church. An investigation reveals canned choir singing and mysterious
activity. Soon thereafter, police raid the church and destroy the camp. Nada searches through the church's remains and discovers cheap sunglasses
with a
powerful ability: they reveal hidden agendas, subliminal messages, and aliens masquerading as human beings. He sees commands such as "obey"
on billboards, magazines, and even printed on money. He learns that the aliens have infiltrated the worlds of business, politics, law enforcement,
and high
society. As he rushes to unravel the truth behind this silent invasion, he finds himself a target and on the run with only a handful of people he can
trust in his mission to reveal to the world what man's existence has truly become.
Underneath its machismo surface, They Live hits many of those same points that drive social and political discourses today, both overtly in
the
open and clandestinely behind the scenes. Narratives such as the lull of consumerism, rich versus
poor, the decline of personal liberty, limited opportunities, the destruction of the middle class, and power grabbing by the already powerful elites all
shape the film's narrative, taken to extremes in the picture for fictional purposes and dramatic effect but fundamentally the same and with countless
parallels that those a bit more awake to the way the system operates will recognize on-the-spot, even without the benefit of those stylish Hoffman
lenses.
The film contrasts three groups: the elite, the sleeping "sheeple," and the resistance fighters who aim to destroy those who would further blind
and indoctrinate the populace for their own gain. It's easy to see influences that would go on to shape movies such as The Matrix, but Carpenter's film proves more accessible and relatable in
its depiction of subliminal messaging, the flock mentality, false beliefs in a corrupt system, and above all, blindness to the truth thanks largely to
controlling elites literally urging the flock to "stay asleep" and "not question authority" because, of course, a weary, unaware, zombie-like populace
happily obeying the commands of the few is much more easily controlled. That is, unless, a musclebound wrestler with heroically feathered blonde
hair
works up the courage to wake the people up with a few well-placed gunshots, one extra-long fist fight, and a handful of witty remarks.
Roddy Piper's performance isn't of the caliber celebrated on Oscar night, but he carries out his assigned duties quite well, playing a down-on-his-luck
everyman thrust, or, by some degree, of his own choosing, into an unbelievable situation that calls for more brawn than brains, a whole lot of
courage, and quite a bit of luck. The performance lacks nuance because the scripted character lacks nuance. That's fine, because Carpenter's film is
one of two worlds -- the message and the action -- and ultimately the merging of both by the final act. Carpenter fleshes out the story to great
satisfaction but delivers only a core hero, which is all the movie really needs. Piper looks good and seems to enjoy the gunplay, the machismo, and
the rough-and-tumble nature of the part. He plays the part well in the more dramatically inclined moments as well, effectively conveying the shock,
raw emotion, the fear, the stammering, the uncertainty, and even the mental fatigue and physical strain of the initial discovery. He shares a fine
screen presence and chemistry
with fellow big man Keith David, who as always is on top of his game and brings a real levelheadedness and integrity to his part. This is certainly one
of Carpenter's best films; the brilliant juxtaposition of quiet subliminal messaging and hidden realities with oftentimes overt social commentary and
big action makes for a fascinating film, and who can't like a movie that features aliens, teleportation, big guns, cool shades, a wrestler, and a fistfight
that seems to fill up the entire second act?
They Live's Blu-ray presentation has it moments that will leave viewers wondering just what sort of transfer they're getting, but generally the
image holds up quite well. To be sure, there are some scattered problem spots. There are a handful of soft shot and a couple of downright smudgy spots
throughout. Quite a few scenes take on a rather pasty, processed, noise-reduced, unnaturally digital sort of look. Edge enhancement creeps in a few
times as well, surrounding various objects with an unnecessary and unnatural glow. On the other hand, the image is quite stable and very crisp. Grain
does remain over the image, solidifying some fabulous detailing that reveals complex facial lines, fine textures on Nada's hiking gear, wear and tear on
dirty and worn garments, stucco around the church, and brick and concrete in alleyways. Colors are wonderful, yielding superb balance, natural
brilliance, and a pleasant appearance, from faded denim to creepy alien facial hues seen in color rather than the film's noted black-and-white,
sunglasses-filtered shots. Skin tones are accurate and blacks don't dive too far towards crushing levels. Certainly, the image could stand some
refinement and minor polish; it's not perfect, but this is easily the best They Live has ever looked for home viewing. Fans should be very
pleased
with the results.
They Live features a quality DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The film isn't big budget and it's not brand new, and the track
doesn't hide those qualities. It's robust and fun but not so precise as to blur the line between media and real life. The film opens with some ridiculously
heavy and somewhat unkempt bass; it sounds more like a car parading down the street with a dozen subwoofers pounding away from the trunk more
than
a tight movie soundtrack element, but things clean up nicely from there. Music enjoys fine front-end spacing and very good clarity. Atmospherics will
impress, whether the din of the construction site, general city ambience, or more aggressive elements like police sirens and hovering helicopters that all
naturally fill the stage. Gunfire tears through the stage and plays with that over-pumped 1980s feel about it, but the effect is genuine and works well in
context. Dialogue is accurate and remains grounded in the center channel. All told, this is a very strong audio presentation from Scream Factory.
They Live contains a very healthy and wholly filling array of extra content, notably a fine audio commentary track and several new
retrospective interviews with cast and crew.
Audio Commentary: Writer/Director John Carpenter and Actor Roddy Piper deliver a fast-moving and excited commentary, offering their
thoughts on the hardships of the shoot and the rewards of working on the film, the picture's themes and Carpenter's goals with the film, stories from
the
shoot and behind-the-scenes tales, character development, stunts, budget, gunplay, and plenty more. They occasionally slip into "describe the movie"
mode, but fans of the film and the participants should really enjoy this. It's a great track for a wonderful movie.
Independent Thoughts: An Interview with Writer/Director John Carpenter (HD, 10:07): Carpenter discusses his nature towards
authority, the film's origins and influences, the picture's politics, working with the studios, casting the leads, making the big fight scene, special effects,
and makeup.
Woman of Mystery: An Interview with Actress Meg Foster (HD, 5:20): The actress speaks on the picture's themes, working with
Carpenter and Piper, and the film's legacy.
Watch, Look, Listen: The Sights and Sounds of They Live (HD, 11:14): From the disc: "A look at the visual style, stunts, and
music
from the
film with
Director
of Photography Gary B. Kibbe, Stunt Coordinator Jeff Imada, and Co-Composer Alan Howarth."
Man vs. Aliens: An Interview with Actor Keith David (HD, 11:12): David discusses his acting career, what draws him to a part, working
on The Thing, his character in They Live, the fight scene, gunplay
authenticity, and more.
Original EPK: The Making of They Live (SD, 8:02): Behind-the-scenes footage and interview clips that cover the plot,
themes, characters and cast, making the fight scene, and more.
Never-Before-Seen-Footage (SD, 2:34): A collection of rare fake television clips made for the film.
TV Spots (SD, 1:55).
Still Gallery (HD, 2:17).
Trailers: They Live original theatrical trailer (HD, 1:57), Halloween II (HD, 2:18), and Halloween III (HD, 2:44).
They Live is a legitimate classic of the somewhat unheralded variety, a movie with minimal outward ambitions but plenty of commentary that's
both buried under the surface and weaved right on top of the action. It's a thought-provoking and intelligent picture wrapped up in the guise of a dumb
80s action film, and the combination works beautifully. John Carpenter's direction is outdone only by his writing, and the lead performances are superb
within the context of what the film requires of them. This is a strong picture that holds up well and remains one of the more intelligent of the 1980s
crop of Science Fiction and muscular Action pictures. Scream Factory's Blu-ray release of The Live features good video, fine audio, and a nice
collection of
extras. Highly recommended.
This week begins with Blu-rays from cult horror favorite John Carpenter: 1974's Dark Star, and 1988's They Live. Viewed together, the two pictures depict the progression of the genre auteur's movie-making gifts; Dark Star is an expansion of Carpenter's USC student ...
Independent distributors Shout Factory have officially announced that they will release on Blu-ray director John Carpenter's cult film They Live (1988), starring Roddy Piper, Keith David and Meg Foster. The release will be part of the new Scream Factory series ...
