Nada ('Rowdy' Roddy Piper)is a drifter. Floating into town one day with nothing but the tools and pack strapped to his back, he saunters into the city in search of work. Eventually landing a job on a construction site, he catches the attention of Frank ('Not so Rowdy' Keith David), a fellow drifter trying to raise money for his family back home.
Frank leads him to a campsite peopled by fellow humans who are down and out on their luck. As Nada settles in, he notices odd actions at the church across the street. Following the organizer of the camp and soup kitchen into the church, Nada discovers something odd: a pair of sunglasses. As he dons said sunglasses, he soon learns there is something sinister going on under the surface of normal life and life is in fact peopled by some rather ugly aliens as well.
A classic of the John Carpenter catalog, They Live is more than just your average horror action flick starring an ex-wrestler. As we delve deeper, we stumble upon a world full of subliminal advertising and big brother vibes right along side Rowdy Roddy.
Mixing the viewers unveiling right alongside that of the star of the movie is a solid bit of story telling, leaving us about as shocked as the characters themselves. The themes mixing in rather well with today's world of over the top advertising actually manages to age well and stay somewhat current.
Where the true cheese falls in in the visage of Nada. Far less animated than the days of his ongoing battles against the evil that is Hulk Hogan, here we get a 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper that is far more sedate and subtle. For the first forty-five minutes of the film, as he begins to uncover the evil that surrounds his every day life, we see a calm and contemplative Nada walking around the city and staring at stuff.
What are those people trying to cover up over there? Let's wander over and stare at it and chew on our toothpick for a bit. What's this breaking through the TV signal? A pirate television signal preaching to throw off our oppressors? Better go stare at it some. What are those folks up to, sneaking in and out of that church? Better grab some binoculars and stare at it from over here across the street.
Article comments
1 - Chris Beaumont
Love this flick. Piper actually shows someacting ability and it has hands down one of the best drag out fights ever filmed.
You do make it sound like Piper left his wrestling ways behind him. Not quite accurate, this is more of a broadening of his scope, he is still rowdy to this day.
2 - Casey Criswell
Oh yah, there's some classic Rowdy in there, you just have to get through him walking around staring at stuff first! :D
3 - duane
I liked the walking-around-staring-at-stuff sequences also. I thought the slow buildup was just fine. Piper's character came off as a fairly down to earth straight ahead not so bright day at a time kinda guy -- who could fight like nobody's business. Perfect character for the story. Good music, too. Like most Carpenter movies.
4 - Paul Roy
Great review. I loved this movie when it first came out. Rowdy Roddy was excellent, and that long fight scene was one of the best ever. Maybe I'll have to check out the DVD.
5 - Kaonashi
“I’m here to chew bubble gum and kick ass, and I’m all out of bubble gum.”
Ah, this is one of the greatest lines in movie history, not barring anything Ash says in Army of Darkness.
6 - Vinsane
Believe it or not, my film review class at University of Florida broke down They Live as a mastery of subliminal advertising, politics and the role of the church in modern society.
Of course, most remember the nine-minute fight scene between Roddy and the King of Voiceover.