Eles Vivem

I have to say something here. This movie is actually very good. It was a mixture of sci-fi and political and sociological imagery. I thought the fact that the turncoat working with the aliens that were brainwashing the public was employed in the media was a brilliant way of showing how the media moguls consider us to be sheeple and use their power to persuade any way they see fit. This movie was actually quite well down, considering it did not have a blockbuster budget.

I would rather watch this than waste my time on the Matrix, which I think is a complete waste of time. The main plot of the movie was Nada discovering a worldwide conspiracy that used subliminal messages to "herd the sheep". Is this not a metaphor of what we see ever day? The media, commercials, billboards, etc, use subliminal messaging to encourage the actions of the public at large.

John Carpenter did a wonderful job. Roddy Piper's acting abilities were definitely above average, which is a lot more that I will ever to be able to say about anything Keanu Reeves has ever done. As usual, Keith David turned in a great performance. The reason this a cult classic is because it is a very good movie that requires the watcher to think.

There's a world that is hidden and unseen, that manipulates although it's all been screened, imperceptibly subtle, will direct your every shuffle, it's a greedy and insatiable machine. All governed by those in the know, through foundations set down long ago, you're oblivious to it, though you support and pay forfeit, provide the toil, that helps it to grow. On occasion, it might let you join, to ensure there's a good flow of coin, keep up the façade, as they cheat and defraud, and continue their legal purloin.

Still a wonderful piece of observational filmmaking that seems to have grown more relevant, in more parts of the planet, as the years have regressed.

I remember first seeing They Live when I was 10 and I totally fell in love with this film. How could a ten year old not? There's wrestlers, aliens and a plot to take over the world. My friends and I quoted this film for weeks on end with the Bubble gum and kicking @$$ line being a favourite among all. The only real complaint that I have about the film is that the aliens when finally revealed are far too human. They basically look like a skeleton with bug eyes. Not a whole lot of energy seemed to go into their design. While They Live will never be remembered as a film that redefined the way films were made, it still to this day holds a place in my heart as one of the films that just defines your youth. It is fun, action packed and has just enough cool storyline to keep you interested from start to finish.

Ok, I will admit I have a soft spot for this movie. It's not Star Wars, or Raiders of the Lost Ark, or the Godfather. It's campy, cheesy, in places with laughably bad acting and dialogue (it come with starring wrestlers as main characters). However it has the infamous Rowdy Roddy Piper in the lead, and it has a surprisingly interesting hi-concept underlying story and plot. Aliens, Mind Control, Society enslaved to hidden powers and messages, everybody sleepwalking though life - this movie had all of these back in the 80's. Some of the concepts in this movie have seen reuse in much more recent projects, and with a little more polishing I think this movie could have made a far bigger splash.

If you like Dystopian, conspiracy, alien invasion movies then this movie is a great watch. I urge anyone who is a science fiction fan to give this movie a chance if you haven't seen it yet. Though it is helpful when watching if you try to see what it could have been, and look past the obvious shortcomings.

A fun film with a serious message.

More relevant now with 'social media' than ever.

If only more people would put the glasses on.