Does It Hold Up To The Hype? John Carpenter’s “They Live”

Does it hold up to the hype?
John Carpenter’s They Live

Over the course of our lives, we have been plagued with this devious question; “Have you seen ____?” If you say no, you will be met with; “What?” “How could you not?” “What is wrong with you?!” “You would love it!” “It is right up your alley!” “I know a lot of people tell you to watch something, but you have to watch THIS.”

Lost Boys was a prime example. I went my 38 years without seeing it and being told that I NEEDED to. I finally did and you can find out how I felt about it in the editorial here.

So, after much delay, I decided to finally watch John Carpenter’s They Live, starring Rowdy Roddy Piper (WWF), Keith David (The Thing, Pitch Black, and Gargoyles), and Meg Foster (Masters of the Universe and Overlord).

Before I go into my feelings about the film, let me preempt it by saying that I am a huge wrestling fan. More importantly, I am a HUGE fan of Rowdy Roddy Piper. I even got to work with him one day on a Funny or Die video called Rowdy Roddy Piper Fights Childhood Obesity and let me tell you, HE definitely holds up to the hype. He was such a nice man and very generous with his time. So, maybe being a fan is part of why I waited so long to watch They Live. Before The Rock, wrestlers did not exactly have the best track record with acting in movies. Hulk Hogan played a renegade space soldier who sought refuge in an earth suburb in Suburban Commando and a nanny in…Mr. Nanny. So I think my hesitation was justified. Plus, I had heard the catchphrase over and over again. “I am here to do two things, kick-ass and chew bubblegum, and I am all out of bubblegum.” That is enough to give you pause.  

Well, I finally decided to take the plunge and watch They Live. 

Right from the start, Piper actually proved to be a pretty decent actor. He plays a man down on his luck that ends up working in construction and gets pulled into a conspiracy of epic proportions involving beings that try to control everyone’s feelings, senses, and their very lives. He has got to defend humankind! Plus, he was put opposite Keith David, which was a very wise move.

Not only that but John Carpenter up until this point had proven an excellent track record of directing films including, Halloween, The Fog, Escape from New York, The Thing, Christine, and Big Trouble in Little China.

They Live takes you through a whirlwind and for the 1980s era, a pretty advanced technological journey. There’s a mysterious television broadcast putting most of the population in a trance-like state. Nada (Piper) seems to be one of few that is immune to it and along the way with the help of Frank (Keith David) they stand a shot in stopping this nefarious plan to take over society. Nada and Frank put on sunglasses that show them the truth! Sayings like, “Obey”, “Reproduce” and “Conform”. Holly (Meg Foster), an intrigued citizen, goes along for the ride and finds Nada and Frank at an anti-alien society committed to the fight.

The suspense is great, the intrigue is there, and of course, the action is right on, and that ten-minute fight scene? Come on! Piper vs David!!!…and when it came to the famed catchphrase, “I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass… and I’m all out of bubblegum.” it actually fits into the context. Without giving too much away, the story has a great message to it that is still pretty poignant today with everything going on in the world. All in all, I really enjoyed it! I had always thought people were recommending this movie as an “It is so bad that it’s is good.” way but no, I just thought it was a really GOOD film. They Live is a classic cult-hit horror movie!

So, if you have put off watching it because of any of the reasons I listed or your own, I say give it a watch. You may just be surprised. You can find They Live streaming on Peacock and available for rental.

They Live definitely holds up to the hype. 

Married to Horror Fun Fact:

John Carpenter’s They Live inspired artist Shephard Fairley to create his “OBEY” campaign in 1989 originally started to gain popularity from his skater classmates in college and has since to become a very successful brand!

Want more? Take a look at Does it hold up to the hype: The Lost Boys! You can also take a look at more Married to Horror recommendations and also take a peek at our Master Watch List where you can find an array of horror films where you can sort by title, platform, rating, and more!