US sci-fi horror written and directed by John Carpenter. Nada (Roddy Piper) arrives in Los Angeles, finds work on a construction site and a bed in a homeless camp. He notices the extent to which the people around him seem obsessed with television and obtaining material wealth, and one night, when he stumbles across a cache of special sunglasses, he finds out why.
The American middle-classes have been taken over by capitalist aliens who use television and advertising to keep humans docile and ignorant about what is really going on. The sunglasses reveal the aliens as they really are and, with the aid of the glasses and a submachine gun, Nada begins to fight back.
Subversion: Exposing John Carpenter’s THEY LIVE – A brand retrospective documentary produced by Ballyhoo Motion Pictures and featuring interviews with Associate producer Sandy King, cinematographer Gary Kibbe, actor Peter Jason, actor Robert Grasmere, composer Alan Howarth, stunt coordinator/Ghoul Jeff Imada, author Jonathan Letham, music historian Daniel Schweiger, Blumhouse editor Rebekah McKendry, and visual effects historian Justin Humphreys.
Original EPK: The Making of They Live (1988) John Carpenter profile – vintage profile of the director
Meg Foster profile – vintage profile of the actress
Roddy Piper profile – vintage profile of the actor
Audio Commentary with John Carpenter and Roddy Piper Independent Thoughts with John Carpenter – a 2012 interview with director John Carpenter
Woman of Mystery: Interview with Meg Foster – a 2012 interview with actress Meg Foster
Man vs Aliens: Interview with Keith David – a 2012 interview with actor Keith David
Fake commercials in the film 2.34 mins TV spots Photo gallery
