A cult phenomenon and cultural touchstone, “They Live” is a timeless horror classic that’s as relevant and entertaining today as it ever was.
This week it’s Will’s pick, and he went with the John Carpenter classic THEY LIVE (1988) starring ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper & Keith David!
FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:
Based on the 1963 short story “Eight O’Clock in the Morning” by Ray Nelson, John Carpenter’s They Live was only a minor success upon its release. In fact, it initially received negative reviews from critics who didn’t appreciate the film’s smart social commentary. Later, it gained a cult following and received a well-deserved critical reassessment. It’s not regarded by many as one of Carpenter’s best films.
Starring popular professional wrestler-turned-actor Roddy Piper, along with horror icons Keith David and Meg Foster, the film follows an unnamed drifter who discovers special sunglasses that reveal a terrible truth about society. The ruling class is made up of aliens who are concealing their appearance and manipulating people through subliminal messages to consume, breed, and conform to the status quo.
Carpenter wrote the screenplay under the pseudonym “Frank Armitage”. He stated that the themes of They Live stemmed from his dissatisfaction with the economic policies of then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan. He also cited his frustration with an increasing commercialization in both popular culture and politics.
Besides being one of the most beloved horror films of all time, the film has entered the pop culture lexicon with its iconic imagery and timeless message about how the media manipulates the masses. It’s had a lasting effect on street art, particularly that of world-famous artist Shepard Fairey.
ABOUT THE SHOW
The Spookshow is a collection of guys (and, now, one incredible lady!) with varying degrees of Horror fandom. Since 2018, we’ve reviewed Horror, Cult, Action flicks, and, of course, total crap, so you don’t have to, but we encourage you to nonetheless. If you’ve listened to us before, thank you! If you’re new to our brand of stupidity, then welcome. We want you to enjoy watching these films with us; join us in having fun with them & learning about them as well.
Part of the Morbidly Beautiful Podcasting Network! Go to the all-new www.aaspookshow.com & join our Patreon for bonus episodes & content over at https://www.patreon.com/aaspookshow & follow us on Twitter @AASpookshow as well as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Slasher & our YouTube channel by searching All-American Spookshow Podcast. Email us at [email protected] with questions & comments, and be sure to leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify!
LINKS: https://linktr.ee/aaspookshow
Horror/Cult Movie & TV Podcast!
Ep 209 City of the Living Dead (1980)
This week it’s Josh’s pick, and he went with a Spookshow first, a Lucio Fulci movie, “City of the Living Dead” (1980) aka “The Gates of Hell”!
Part of the Morbidly Beautiful Podcasting Network! Go to the all-new www.aaspookshow.com & join our Patreon for bonus episodes & content over at https://www.patreon.com/aaspookshow & follow us on Twitter @AASpookshow as well as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Slasher & our YouTube channel by searching All-American Spookshow Podcast. Email us at [email protected] with questions & comments, and be sure to leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify! Here’s the link to the movie trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z-G7Iwn3R0&t=9s
LINKS: https://linktr.ee/aaspookshow
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