I love most of Carpenter's films. I think the first time he disappointed me was "Christine". It was until "Village of the Damned" that he disappointed me again. I'd say my favorite Carpenter films that you haven't reacted to are Escape From New York Starman Big Trouble in Little China Prince of Darkness In the Mouth of Madness Memoirs of an Invisible Man (Chevy Chase's presence made people think it was a comedy. It's not) Vampires
I swear it was the reverse when I watched as a kid (a sort of Mandela effect, if you will), and I hate that when I hear it how he says it in the movie different from how I remember, it just sounds bad. It rolls off the tongue way better by saying "kickass and chew bubblegum". Maybe I'm just misremembering and confusing memories with Duke Nukem? I dunno....
@@FilthTribeFTP You're likely thinking of Duke Nukem 3D as it's reversed and slightly different. "It's time to kick ass and chew bubblegum, and i'm all out of gum."
@@The-Underbaker right, that's why I mentioned it at the end 😉 But yeah, that's what I thought, as I knew Duke Nukem said it as well and in the order I remembered from They Live. Except, I'm pretty sure I heard it on Duke Nukem 64 first. I didn't get into DN until I had gotten N64 in the 90s and that game came out. Cheers!
Yeah, RIP brother. Roddy Piper is a legend. I will die with the memory of Piper marching to the wrestling ring in a kilt and playing the bag pipes. Nuff said..........
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper's badass performance in this movie and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) will not be forgotten by his fans. RIP Roderick George Toombs.
Damn right! Roddy Piper is a legend from the 80's. He's up there with Hulk Hogan. I remember him marching out to the wrestling ring wearing a kilt and playing bag pipes. He was a true show man. A little known fact is that Roddy Piper refused to take off his wedding ring while filming. He did so out of loyalty and respect to his wife. He also wrestled while wearing his wedding ring. That's the kind of man he was. BTW, I saw this movie when it was in the theaters back in the 80's. I'm generation X.
I mean there's only Hulk Hogan, Randy "Macho Man" Savage, Andre The Giant, and "Rowdy" Rodder Piper that are the Four Horseman of 80's wrestling. Or maybe Mt. Rushmore, either way take your pick.
Carpenter in the 80s was killing it: The Fog, Christine, Escape from New York, The Thing, Starman, Big Trouble in Little China, They Live; a majority of my childhood right there.
And another fun, lesser-known, film she was in is "Blind Fury" with Rutger Hauer -- which, coincidentally, I don't think anyone on the internet has ever reacted to yet.
@@MikeB12800 Considering this was his first acting gig, he did pretty well, look at "Dwanye "The Rock" Johnson" Or John Cena, neither of them can act yet they are pretty big action stars.
@@wantutosigh1117 if he did good in his first movies, or they made money, he could have gotten bigger movies! Arnold, Sly, Segal, Van Dam all started in low budget action flicks and got bigger and bigger movies!
The first 30 minutes of the film is why I love Carpenter. Everyone was asleep, so everything about the movie was slow. Even everyone's speech was slow, their work ethic, until they woke up.
I’ve been saying that since I saw it when it came out. The first 30 minutes are perfect. The rest isn’t terrible or anything, but doesn’t quite live up to what they slowly built up for the first 30 minutes.
All those hilarious one-liners like the bubblegum one came directly from Piper's hand-written notebook in which he kept pages of insults, one-liners, and jibes he used in his wrestling promos.
This movie scared me more than The Thing. Many have said The Thing is John Carpenter's best film and one of the scariest movies ever made. The main thing that makes They Live scary is fact that this film had aliens posing as humans and the humans were their slaves and they didn't know about. Also, most of the stuff in the film is relevant today IN REAL LIFE! I used to have nightmares after watching this legendary film.
@@gumbomudderx7503 I saw it in my early 20's, and to me, it fueled the fires of my imagination in much the same way as did "Phantasm." (I was cooking up role-playing game scenarios at the time.)
Not sure I agree, the fist fight between Rod Taylor and William Smith in 1970's Darker Than Amber was pretty intense, went from staged to real, and ended up with Taylor having a broken nose and Smith three broken ribs. Sadly it hasn't been shown on TV (in the UK, at least) for decades, plus it was always the watered-down TV edit.
Shows the struggle for people who can "see" to "enlighten" their friends and loved ones and getting shit for everything they say even if they mean to "save" them. It's like they have to beat it into them. So symbolic. The other guy is representing the everyman who just wants to live his life and try not to get into trouble. Very difficult situation.
The scene where he's fighting his friend to put the glasses on is a metaphor to me. It's so hard to get people to open up their eyes as to what's really going on. They are blind or they just don't want to see. It really is a fight to get them to see
When this movie was released in 1988, it was a critique of the Reagan era.Even though the movie was marketed as a science-fiction/dark comedy, the film did not succeed financially because John carpenters fans were expecting a horror movie. In the year since this movie has become one of his most beloved. It is more relevant now than it was then.
Actually, it debuted in the first place of its opening weekend and stayed there for two weeks. For some reason, Universal Pictures pulled it out of theaters.
@@miketocci Our the one before it. The cops are driving out the homeless. 2016 to 2020. Like the aliens, trump does not care he can move somewhere else. Oh, he already has.
The scene where Roddy puts on the glasses for the first time is one of my favorite scenes in all of film. Carpenter said that the movie was a commentary on Reaganomics. The age of conspicuous consumption. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. After making a few big budget Hollywood movies that were box office disappointments (great movies like The Thing and Big Trouble in Little China, but they didn't make any money initially), Carpenter decided to return to his roots and make a couple of lower budget films that he had total control over. "Prince of Darkness" is the other one Also well worth seeing. The faces of the aliens is similar to the aliens in "Mars Attacks!". Just without the enlarged brains.
The alleyway ongoing fight scene going so long is metaphoric of how hard it is to get someone to wake up and see the truth. Pick your conspiracy. So many have come true, yet people stubbornly hide in the Theory Zone. Getting through someone's thick head can be a long, painful process.
Cool thing about the "homeless town" is John didnt want "actors". So what he had the production do is find ACTUAL Homeless people and have them play the extras. This gave them someplace to sleep and 2 meals a day for the duration of the shoot. Also yes John is wrestling legend Rowdy Rody Piper.
He was a fun wrestler to watch and a classic bad guy, back in the 80's he used to do a segment called Piper's Pit, you can find them on You Tube, they're hilarious.
What you guys do is the best way to experience movies. Knowing nothing and going in blind. That's how I discover movies since over 20y. No trailers, no plots, maybe the main star in it and the director. There's nothing more satisfying than sit back, press play and go on a ride...keep them 80s coming!
@@samantha_schmitt You's are welcome. You should see it, cult classic with John Belushi & many others you may recognize. Whether it be 30 years ago, 15 years ago or last week, ALWAYS being quips ALWAYS being quoted from the movie. And just remember, if you do see it, have an open mind on the Germans bombing Pearl Harbor. LOL
This is one of those movies that my brother showed me as a kid and it always stood out. Like five or six years ago I had to look into what movie it was that I had seen as a kid so I could rewatch it
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Keith David were awesome in this movie. This film also inspired one of my favorite missions in "Saints Row IV". Keith and Piper voiced their own characters in that game.
I loved this movie as a kid when it was released, but everyone around me said it was shit. It is great seeing this movie still getting love years later, after achieving cult classic status.
It's gotten better and better with age and the whole premise becomes more and more relevant as time has gone on unfortunately which has definitely contributed to it's growing popularity.
@@KCohere33 Loads of people dismissed this movie as garbage starring a wrestler that had no business acting. Some people liked it, but it was derided by many, many people.
@@alucard624 I saw the positive reappraisal of this movie start after South Park modeled their cripple fight after the fight scene. Suddenly. in the months and years after that episode aired, retrospectives of the movie were much more respectful. Probably having to do with the fact that the people who grew up with the movie started having jobs in print and video that would shape the opinion of the retrospective/review, rather than some crusty fossil of a 80s critic.
About Holly - she told them at the meeting that the signal from her channel was clean. Then it turns out her work place is pretty much the central alien hq. That should have been a dead giveaway, that she was a double agent.
@@BlueSuress Cool. I wish I had. Don't know I missed it when it was released. I think a friend had the movie and a bunch of us watched it maybe a year of two after it came out.
This is one of those films I just love watching people's reactions to just because there is so much to digest and take in. Carpenter is on point as always creating a very interesting and gripping story addressing concerns and thoughts he has about the world around him while assembling a cast that sells it so well. Not to mention the special effects are so nostalgic 😎
I think it's appropriately appreciated, by those who simply love the movie for what it is on the surface, and by those who enjoy it for the 1984 themes that it has below the surface....the best art is about the latter ✌
Rowdy Piper gifted us autographed Blu-ray copy of They Live for the promo of his last short film 🕶️. Really shook us , it's one of our favorite films. Pretty much a documentary of how things have gone since the 80s. They Live, we sleep.
This is definitely in my top 10 favorite movies of all time, I still take to heart the saying in the movie (They live we sleep) which I believe is very true
Such a good movie , i went blind without any expectations and it suprised me how different this movie was and also its message is so relevant even today.
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper was a big deal back in the 80's. He was one of the biggest heels in wrestling (heel is the term for a bad guy character, someone the audience typically boos). He was part of the main event at the inaugural Wrestlemania in 1985. It was a tag team match of Hulk Hogan and Mr. T. vs. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff. Guy was an absolute legend, and beloved by so many. Sadly he passed away in 2015 due to heart complications. Hulk Hogan was a close friend of his and listed him in his top five wrestlers of all time.
I found your channel two days ago and watched a few of your reactions. This reaction to one of my favourite underrated 80's gems earned you another subscriber. Felt like watching "They Live" again for the first time with you.
Hey, Schmitts! Great pick! Great reaction! You're rapidly becoming Carpenter fans! This was a condemnation of Reaganomics but it's still happening today! Star 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper, a former wrestler, called the film a documentary! That's brilliant. The protracted fight scene in the alley over the glasses between Roddy Piper and Keith David was famously parodied on "South Park"! "I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick ass, and I'm all out of bubble gum." became part of the contemporary lexicon after this movie. Keith David is one of those actors who elevates anything he's in. He has such a distinctive rumbling voice. I had the good fortune to run into him at a Broadway show years ago. I was tongue-tied and nervous but he was kind enough to give me his autograph. He co-starred with Kurt Russell in Carpenter's "The Thing". Meg Foster has the spookiest eyes; a pair of piercing pale blue beauties that look right into your soul. Peter Jason, the leader of the cell who runs the Hooverville, appears in 7 John Carpenter films! George "Buck" Flower, the bum turned collaborator, appears in 6. Mr. Flower began his career in soft-core porn, became a genre mainstay usually playing bums in scores of films, appeared on dozens of popular TV shows and is best known for his association with John Carpenter. His role as the opportunistic hobo in "They Live!" is probably his best showcase. If you haven't seen these Carpenters, they're worth the effort even if they're not all horrors. I'd love to see your reaction to them. "Assault on Precinct 13" ('76) is early Carpenter and a really good B-movie reminiscent of "Rio Bravo". "The Eyes of Laura Mars" is a murder mystery in the style of an Italian giallo written by Carpenter. "Someone's Watching Me!" a Hitchcockian thriller made for TV with a young Lauren Hutton. "The Fog" ('80) is atmospheric early Carpenter horror that re-teams him with Jamie Lee Curtis. "Halloween II" is the hospital-set sequel that Carpenter wrote but didn't direct. "Escape From New York" is my second favorite Carpenter after "The Thing" set in a Manhattan that's been converted into a prison! Kurt Russell stars. "Christine" is a really solid Stephen King adaptation about a killer car. "Starman" is a great sci-fi romance with Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen. It's one of Carpenter's best.
"Black Moon Rising" is a techno-thriller with Tommy Lee Jones written by Carpenter. "Big Trouble in Little China" is a wild, chop-socky, kung-fu action-comedy with Kurt Russell. "Prince of Darkness" a tale of demonic possession and the end of days. "El Diablo" is a Western comedy TV movie with Louis Gossett, Jr. written by Carpenter. "Memoirs of an Invisible Man" is a Carpenter comedy with a serious Chevy Chase. "In the Mouth of Madness" is excellent Lovecraftian horror with Sam Neill. "Vampires" is a down-and-dirty action film about vampire hunters with James Woods. "The Ward" is his most recent psychological horror and a return to top form after some duds.
The fight between Roddy and -David Keith- * Keith David is one of the most epic, drawn out battles ever put on film... _JUST_ to get him to put on sunglasses! * Oops! He's a totally different actor!
“Rowdy” Roddy Piper was an old school wrestler from the Hulk Hogan day (in fact, he was a long time adversary of Hogan’s) and he made his renounce on having the best trash talk and one-liners: Many of the one-liners in the movie (including the iconic Bubble-gum line) were lines he came up with and that Carpenter let him use in the movie. Also, that one-on-one fight scene between Piper and David is (I believe still to this day) the longest, continuous cinematic fight scene ever.
"This is the most insane fight sequence I've ever seen". lol yes! This and Oldboy are two standouts. Can't wait till Oldboy is mentioned on a poll. Will be voting hard for that one.
There was a gap around 2007 , give or take a few years, when video stores were on their way out and streaming services didn't have a big selection of Carpenter films. TV in Canada wasn't playing lots and the merry-go-round of what's cool had Carpenter out beyond Pluto before the reboots and synthwave made him cool again. During this gap I was shocked how many 'kids' I worked with had no idea about Carpenter and I ranted a bit lol. Then in 2008 They Live started to spread like wildfire and people I worked with during my rant started to DM me. "Omfg we are living this!!". The Carpenter revival has been going strong and I'm sure glad it is !!
18:45 _"Her eyes are ridiculous."_ My fiancé has eyes like that, only *green.* People often think she's wearing vampire contacts. She's freaked out many a drive-thru employee. 😍
Other Carpenter films I recommend after this, Escape from New York, Big Trouble in Little China, Assault on Precinct 13, Prince of Darkness, and The Fog.
I remember when I first saw this on HBO as a teenager and the fight scene just kept going lol I was hooked. "Either put on these glasses... or start eating that trash can" lol
I just found you channel. It is so fantastic! You are so many of my favorites growing up! I get to relive them again with you!!! Thank you! A classic! So scarily true. With one of my favorite movie quotes of all time! "I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick ass!!!.....and I'm all out of bubble gum!"
If you want to watch the war, watch the TV series “V”. But don’t watch the remake, watch the old 80’s one. The effects are horrible but the story is better.
@@moonliteffect7629 - when it first came out, I was 6. I watched about 15 minutes of it with my older cousins and it scared the crap out of me, I had to stop watching. Then I revisited it years later in my late teens, it was awesome.
@@brettg274 I think I was 7 or 8 when it was on tv I'll never forget when one of the aliens got his "human" face mask ripped off and that hissing reptile face was underneath. I think I cried lololol
Yeah, I was 13 when "V" came out. It was amazing. A must watch... appointment tv show at the time. The scene where they secretly filmed an alien "eating" a gerbil or guinea pig was epic and shocking at the time. Also, the actor who played 'Freddy Kruger' was in this series. It was like a year before 'Nightmare on Elm Street' was released in the theater. The legend actor 'Michael Ironside' was also in this series. His voice is epic......
@@Jamie-kv9eg God's word the Bible tells you what's going on. The whole world is being blinded by the devil and his demons. That truth was written way before any movies were written.
John Carpenter movies are the best! I recommend The Fog, Escape from New York, In The Mouth of Madness, and Big Trouble in Little China. You will not be disappointed.
Badass sunglasses and Kickass fighting! What more do you need? Other than some more Bubble Gum…
Thanks for the support everyone!
You should add Re-Animator (1985). I don't think it's a very well known movie today, but I think you'll enjoy it very much.
You should check out Big trouble in little China another John Carpenter Classic.
Really cool to see more Carpenter films. I highly recommend Assault on Precinct 13, which is my second favorite film of his after The Thing.
I love most of Carpenter's films. I think the first time he disappointed me was "Christine". It was until "Village of the Damned" that he disappointed me again.
I'd say my favorite Carpenter films that you haven't reacted to are
Escape From New York
Starman
Big Trouble in Little China
Prince of Darkness
In the Mouth of Madness
Memoirs of an Invisible Man (Chevy Chase's presence made people think it was a comedy. It's not)
Vampires
How has no one suggested From Dusk Till Dawn?
The fight was a metaphor for how hard it is in getting people to see the truth.
Yes: th-cam.com/video/TVwKjGbz60k/w-d-xo.html
Sometimes you have to beat the truth in people
People don't want to know the truth. Sadly.
@@RacerX-bv9io indeed
That's exactly how I see it.
This movie becomes more relevant the older I get.
Scary, ain't it?
Just stop eat bubblegum...
So does Demolition Man. You even have the San Diego Chargers now playing out of L.A.
It's always been relevant. That's why it's been clipped into every conspiracy nut's YT manifesto for the last 15 years.
@@RumourdProd And, that movies at that time weren't made with the intent of a sequel to follow. Except for couple.
"I have come her to chew Bubblegum and kick ass...and I'm all out of Bubblegum." RIP, Roddy Piper.
I swear it was the reverse when I watched as a kid (a sort of Mandela effect, if you will), and I hate that when I hear it how he says it in the movie different from how I remember, it just sounds bad. It rolls off the tongue way better by saying "kickass and chew bubblegum". Maybe I'm just misremembering and confusing memories with Duke Nukem? I dunno....
@@FilthTribeFTP You're likely thinking of Duke Nukem 3D as it's reversed and slightly different. "It's time to kick ass and chew bubblegum, and i'm all out of gum."
@@The-Underbaker right, that's why I mentioned it at the end 😉
But yeah, that's what I thought, as I knew Duke Nukem said it as well and in the order I remembered from They Live. Except, I'm pretty sure I heard it on Duke Nukem 64 first. I didn't get into DN until I had gotten N64 in the 90s and that game came out.
Cheers!
Yeah, RIP brother. Roddy Piper is a legend. I will die with the memory of Piper marching to the wrestling ring in a kilt and playing the bag pipes. Nuff said..........
One for the ages. Now, only the great Bruce Campbell can deliver cheesy one-liners and make them legendary like that.
"You have to understand something. It's a documentary. It's not science fiction."
-John Carpenter (2015)
Although the names have been changed to protect the GUILTY. 😎👍
Carpenter said that? really?
You're still asleep, huh?
It's still science fiction, but remove the aliens and it's close to life.
preach
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper's badass performance in this movie and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) will not be forgotten by his fans. RIP Roderick George Toombs.
His talking feud with Bobby heenan is classic stuff.
Damn right! Roddy Piper is a legend from the 80's. He's up there with Hulk Hogan. I remember him marching out to the wrestling ring wearing a kilt and playing bag pipes. He was a true show man. A little known fact is that Roddy Piper refused to take off his wedding ring while filming. He did so out of loyalty and respect to his wife. He also wrestled while wearing his wedding ring. That's the kind of man he was.
BTW, I saw this movie when it was in the theaters back in the 80's. I'm generation X.
I mean there's only Hulk Hogan, Randy "Macho Man" Savage, Andre The Giant, and "Rowdy" Rodder Piper that are the Four Horseman of 80's wrestling. Or maybe Mt. Rushmore, either way take your pick.
@@rdramos13 Damn right brother!! Straight and to the point!!!
are you kidding? his lines were cheesy/corney, " mama dont like tattle tales" ??? , wtf ,smh!
Carpenter in the 80s was killing it: The Fog, Christine, Escape from New York, The Thing, Starman, Big Trouble in Little China, They Live; a majority of my childhood right there.
Starman doesn't get enough love
Hoping to see TH-cam reactors discover Starman soon…
You two need to watch Big Trouble In Little China. Just an awesome 80s movie. It knows what it is and doesn’t apologize for it.
One of the greats.
I agree with you not including Prince of Darkness
"Her eyes are ridiculous."
That actress is Meg Foster, and she is known for her eyes.
Yeah, her eyes are legend. Nuff said........
Evil Lyn!
And another fun, lesser-known, film she was in is "Blind Fury" with Rutger Hauer -- which, coincidentally, I don't think anyone on the internet has ever reacted to yet.
@@newspooiechannel that one is off the beaten path by a good bit thats probably why
@@newspooiechannel She was only in that movie for several minutes. After that, they never showed her again.
John Carpenter was definitely on his game in the 80s. And it is astonishing that Rowdy Roddy Piper didn't become a bigger star.
You should watch "Hell Comes to Frogtown."
Lol, did you watch his acting?
@@MikeB12800 Considering this was his first acting gig, he did pretty well, look at "Dwanye "The Rock" Johnson" Or John Cena, neither of them can act yet they are pretty big action stars.
This was a different time. Wrestlers weren’t taken seriously at all in Hollywood. Even Hulk Hogan couldn’t get a movie career going.
@@wantutosigh1117 if he did good in his first movies, or they made money, he could have gotten bigger movies! Arnold, Sly, Segal, Van Dam all started in low budget action flicks and got bigger and bigger movies!
The first 30 minutes of the film is why I love Carpenter. Everyone was asleep, so everything about the movie was slow. Even everyone's speech was slow, their work ethic, until they woke up.
I’ve been saying that since I saw it when it came out. The first 30 minutes are perfect. The rest isn’t terrible or anything, but doesn’t quite live up to what they slowly built up for the first 30 minutes.
Nice catch. I guess every time you rewatch the movie you see a little more.
Exactly
"Hey, what's wrong baby?" The 80's were an amazing time for cinema, we'll never see films like these being made again.
All those hilarious one-liners like the bubblegum one came directly from Piper's hand-written notebook in which he kept pages of insults, one-liners, and jibes he used in his wrestling promos.
"They Live is a documentary!"
-Roddy Piper (2013)
Keith David is a legend! The Thing, Platoon, They Live, There’s something about Mary, so many classics!
Pulp Fiction
@@pedrolopez8057 he was in Pulp Fiction? Who? You sure you aren't confusing him with Ving Rames? I don't remember Keith David being in that movie.
Captain Anderson! MASS EFFECT!
The president
Goliath from Gargoyles, my favorite Keith David character.
Before he passed away, Rowdy Roddy Piper called this movie a documentary. The older this movie gets, the more relevant it becomes.
Yes, sadly true. but if we band together and start a resistance, We can defeat them and hope we can win!
This movie scared me more than The Thing. Many have said The Thing is John Carpenter's best film and one of the scariest movies ever made. The main thing that makes They Live scary is fact that this film had aliens posing as humans and the humans were their slaves and they didn't know about. Also, most of the stuff in the film is relevant today IN REAL LIFE! I used to have nightmares after watching this legendary film.
28:51 - "She looked evil." Well, she did play Evil-Lyn in Masters of the Universe.
The only good casting in that tire fire of a movie.
@@Melancthon7332 Frank Langella's Skeletor was also a standout.
@@Melancthon7332 Lundgren as He-Man was great and so was Langella as Skeletor.
RIP “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. Wrestling superstar, entertained the hell out of me and my brothers and friends back in the day.
Same here. Loved his feud with Mr T
If you like John Carpenter films, I recommend Big Trouble in Little China, Escape from New York, and Prince of Darkness.
Seconded, on all three counts
Prince of Darkness was scary as hell to me as a kid
@@gumbomudderx7503 I saw it in my early 20's, and to me, it fueled the fires of my imagination in much the same way as did "Phantasm." (I was cooking up role-playing game scenarios at the time.)
Prince of darkness is brilliant. The vhs dream premonitions still haunt me...
Big Trouble... my absolute favourite Carpenter film.
"I'm giving you a choice. Either put on these glasses or start eating that trash can." - Nada
"Not this year"
The most epic fight scene in movie history.
Fistfight at least.
Next to the old man fight in family guy lol the one with herbert the pervert and the nazi. So funny :D
Not sure I agree, the fist fight between Rod Taylor and William Smith in 1970's Darker Than Amber was pretty intense, went from staged to real, and ended up with Taylor having a broken nose and Smith three broken ribs. Sadly it hasn't been shown on TV (in the UK, at least) for decades, plus it was always the watered-down TV edit.
The Miracle Worker
Shows the struggle for people who can "see" to "enlighten" their friends and loved ones and getting shit for everything they say even if they mean to "save" them. It's like they have to beat it into them. So symbolic. The other guy is representing the everyman who just wants to live his life and try not to get into trouble. Very difficult situation.
The scene where he's fighting his friend to put the glasses on is a metaphor to me. It's so hard to get people to open up their eyes as to what's really going on. They are blind or they just don't want to see. It really is a fight to get them to see
So true
When this movie was released in 1988, it was a critique of the Reagan era.Even though the movie was marketed as a science-fiction/dark comedy, the film did not succeed financially because John carpenters fans were expecting a horror movie. In the year since this movie has become one of his most beloved. It is more relevant now than it was then.
Actually, it debuted in the first place of its opening weekend and stayed there for two weeks. For some reason, Universal Pictures pulled it out of theaters.
The fight scene represents how hard it is to get someone to open their eyes to reality/truth.
"I have come here to chew bubblegum, and, kick ass. And, I'm all out of bubblegum!"
Decades later, this film is still relevant in it's social commentary. Just replace aliens with the 1%
The homeless rate in America is just going to get higher with hedgefunds buying up family home and driving up house prices and rents.
@@miketocci or literally every single administration since the early 1900s, minus JFK.
@@miketocci Our the one before it. The cops are driving out the homeless. 2016 to 2020. Like the aliens, trump does not care he can move somewhere else. Oh, he already has.
Nah. Their alien overlords were way less malicious than ours are.
@MrGonzale09 the 1% is actually the 0.00000000001% and it's not about their wealth but their agendas against humanity
My favorite Rowdy Roddy Piper quote (Not from this movie), "Just when you think you have all the answers, I CHANGE THE QUESTION!"
The scene where Roddy puts on the glasses for the first time is one of my favorite scenes in all of film.
Carpenter said that the movie was a commentary on Reaganomics. The age of conspicuous consumption. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
After making a few big budget Hollywood movies that were box office disappointments (great movies like The Thing and Big Trouble in Little China, but they didn't make any money initially), Carpenter decided to return to his roots and make a couple of lower budget films that he had total control over. "Prince of Darkness" is the other one Also well worth seeing. The faces of the aliens is similar to the aliens in "Mars Attacks!". Just without the enlarged brains.
The alleyway ongoing fight scene going so long is metaphoric of how hard it is to get someone to wake up and see the truth. Pick your conspiracy. So many have come true, yet people stubbornly hide in the Theory Zone. Getting through someone's thick head can be a long, painful process.
"Escape from New York" is perfect, vintage, cult classic, dystopian, Carpenter. Do check it out, if you haven't.
Cool thing about the "homeless town" is John didnt want "actors". So what he had the production do is find ACTUAL Homeless people and have them play the extras. This gave them someplace to sleep and 2 meals a day for the duration of the shoot. Also yes John is wrestling legend Rowdy Rody Piper.
His wrestling name was Rowdy Roddy Piper. Rowdy was just an adjective.
He was a fun wrestler to watch and a classic bad guy, back in the 80's he used to do a segment called Piper's Pit, you can find them on You Tube, they're hilarious.
@@wantutosigh1117 Roddy was more well rounded. Not to say Austin wasn't a great entertainer
I think I vaguely remember him wearing a kilt and playing bag pipes.
He also played a villain in an episode of Highlander the Series.
The mad 5 minute 20 seconds fight scene was inspired by the fight scene in John Wayne's The Quiet Man
I love that fight, too bad there weren't any Catholics and Protestants betting on them
What you guys do is the best way to experience movies. Knowing nothing and going in blind.
That's how I discover movies since over 20y. No trailers, no plots, maybe the main star in it and the director.
There's nothing more satisfying than sit back, press play and go on a ride...keep them 80s coming!
Samantha's hello is the warmest & best since Flounders in Animal House.
th-cam.com/video/iKS0GVvoE9I/w-d-xo.html
I am crying laughing 😂 I haven’t seen Animal House so I appreciate the link! Too funny!!
@@samantha_schmitt You's are welcome. You should see it, cult classic with John Belushi & many others you may recognize. Whether it be 30 years ago, 15 years ago or last week, ALWAYS being quips ALWAYS being quoted from the movie. And just remember, if you do see it, have an open mind on the Germans bombing Pearl Harbor. LOL
@@samantha_schmitt you guys should react to Animal House. It's a great comedy ☺️
Rowdy Roddy Piper and Keith David are in the video game Saints Row 4 and they recreate their epic fight 😁
RIP Roddy.
This is one of those movies that my brother showed me as a kid and it always stood out. Like five or six years ago I had to look into what movie it was that I had seen as a kid so I could rewatch it
This is such a nice, decent channel, makes a change from some others. Hail !
@@chrisformby3039 Your Overlord appreciates you. Hail
This was Carpenters reply to Reaganomics, trickle down economy and red scare.
TBR: “What’s up with these sunglasses?”
Everyone: “Oh, just you wait…”
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper was one of the best wrestlers on the mic you guys would get a kick out of some of promos he did.
"Just when you think you got the answers, I change the questions!" RIP
;-D
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Keith David were awesome in this movie. This film also inspired one of my favorite missions in "Saints Row IV". Keith and Piper voiced their own characters in that game.
I loved this movie as a kid when it was released, but everyone around me said it was shit. It is great seeing this movie still getting love years later, after achieving cult classic status.
It's gotten better and better with age and the whole premise becomes more and more relevant as time has gone on unfortunately which has definitely contributed to it's growing popularity.
Who were you surrounding yourself with? Lol. But no, when I was a kid everyone loved this movie.
@@KCohere33 Loads of people dismissed this movie as garbage starring a wrestler that had no business acting. Some people liked it, but it was derided by many, many people.
@@alucard624 I saw the positive reappraisal of this movie start after South Park modeled their cripple fight after the fight scene. Suddenly. in the months and years after that episode aired, retrospectives of the movie were much more respectful. Probably having to do with the fact that the people who grew up with the movie started having jobs in print and video that would shape the opinion of the retrospective/review, rather than some crusty fossil of a 80s critic.
overall it is a lousy movie, bad acting, dialogue ect...
Carpenter made this film as a response to the "Reagan Revolution" of the 1980s.
Which is still continuing really - nothing but neoliberals since and America still isn’t a democracy
"Mama don't like tattletales"
This movie is actually based on a truth we are not ready for.
The actor who plays Holly also plays Evil-lyn in Master of the Universe.
About Holly - she told them at the meeting that the signal from her channel was clean. Then it turns out her work place is pretty much the central alien hq. That should have been a dead giveaway, that she was a double agent.
THEY LIVE and THE HIDDEN should be a perennial double-feature.
Good call! The Hidden has been a favorite of mine since I first saw it; I think 1989. Good soundtrack. I also like Ferrari's.
@@BlueSuress Cool. I wish I had. Don't know I missed it when it was released. I think a friend had the movie and a bunch of us watched it maybe a year of two after it came out.
The Hidden, Videodrome and Lifeforce are three hidden gems that are very enjoyable.
@@BlueSuress Also a good call. Three O'Clock High! is also a favorite of mine.
@@jeeveseventynine9263 Lifeforce is underappreciated. That movie is the artwork from an 80's heavy metal album cover come to life.
11:46 Hey that's Mick Foley! I can recognize him anywhere
The Fog is a great Carpenter flick. Hope that is eventually watched.
The Fog Can get a little boring at times. Great movie though.
This is one of those films I just love watching people's reactions to just because there is so much to digest and take in. Carpenter is on point as always creating a very interesting and gripping story addressing concerns and thoughts he has about the world around him while assembling a cast that sells it so well. Not to mention the special effects are so nostalgic 😎
Highly recommend prince of darkness and In the mouth of madness. My personal John carpenters favorites especially Prince.
14:30 One of the best "pointless" fights in film history! LOL
How do you not know who ROWDY RODDY PIPER is? He's a frikkin' legend! That aside.. my GOD I love this movie! GREAT video!
This movie is a great reflection of our society! John Carpenter is a master and this movie is underappreciated.
I think it's appropriately appreciated, by those who simply love the movie for what it is on the surface, and by those who enjoy it for the 1984 themes that it has below the surface....the best art is about the latter ✌
Rowdy Piper gifted us autographed Blu-ray copy of They Live for the promo of his last short film 🕶️. Really shook us , it's one of our favorite films. Pretty much a documentary of how things have gone since the 80s. They Live, we sleep.
I love this movie. You have to do Escape From New York for more Carpenter greatness.
Classic Carpenter. Love this flick! And it's Rowdy Roddy Piper.
This is definitely in my top 10 favorite movies of all time, I still take to heart the saying in the movie (They live we sleep) which I believe is very true
At 20:17 John Carpenter references Fake Space and Fake Gravity.
Such a good movie , i went blind without any expectations and it suprised me how different this movie was and also its message is so relevant even today.
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper was a big deal back in the 80's. He was one of the biggest heels in wrestling (heel is the term for a bad guy character, someone the audience typically boos). He was part of the main event at the inaugural Wrestlemania in 1985. It was a tag team match of Hulk Hogan and Mr. T. vs. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff.
Guy was an absolute legend, and beloved by so many. Sadly he passed away in 2015 due to heart complications. Hulk Hogan was a close friend of his and listed him in his top five wrestlers of all time.
This "semi prophetic" movie is aging well.
Roddy Piper's last Tweet (3.42 PM 27 Sep 2013) right before he died claimed "They Live is a Documentary". Whaddaboutdat?
Peter Jason, the leader of the Resistance forces in this movie is such a cool dude.
I found your channel two days ago and watched a few of your reactions.
This reaction to one of my favourite underrated 80's gems earned you another subscriber.
Felt like watching "They Live" again for the first time with you.
This movie is based on a short sci fi story called Eight O'Clock in the Morning by Ray Faraday Nelson.
They live in the final movie in John Carpenter's apocalyptic trilogy. The first being the thing then prince of darkness and they live being the last.
Looking forward to when they react to John Carpenter’s ‘Big Trouble in Little China’
Gracie: I’d go with you but…
Jack Burton: I know, there’s a problem with your face
Hey, Schmitts! Great pick! Great reaction! You're rapidly becoming Carpenter fans!
This was a condemnation of Reaganomics but it's still happening today! Star 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper, a former wrestler, called the film a documentary! That's brilliant.
The protracted fight scene in the alley over the glasses between Roddy Piper and Keith David was famously parodied on "South Park"!
"I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick ass, and I'm all out of bubble gum." became part of the contemporary lexicon after this movie.
Keith David is one of those actors who elevates anything he's in. He has such a distinctive rumbling voice. I had the good fortune to run into him at a Broadway show years ago. I was tongue-tied and nervous but he was kind enough to give me his autograph.
He co-starred with Kurt Russell in Carpenter's "The Thing".
Meg Foster has the spookiest eyes; a pair of piercing pale blue beauties that look right into your soul.
Peter Jason, the leader of the cell who runs the Hooverville, appears in 7 John Carpenter films! George "Buck" Flower, the bum turned collaborator, appears in 6.
Mr. Flower began his career in soft-core porn, became a genre mainstay usually playing bums in scores of films, appeared on dozens of popular TV shows and is best known for his association with John Carpenter. His role as the opportunistic hobo in "They Live!" is probably his best showcase.
If you haven't seen these Carpenters, they're worth the effort even if they're not all horrors. I'd love to see your reaction to them.
"Assault on Precinct 13" ('76) is early Carpenter and a really good B-movie reminiscent of "Rio Bravo".
"The Eyes of Laura Mars" is a murder mystery in the style of an Italian giallo written by Carpenter.
"Someone's Watching Me!" a Hitchcockian thriller made for TV with a young Lauren Hutton.
"The Fog" ('80) is atmospheric early Carpenter horror that re-teams him with Jamie Lee Curtis.
"Halloween II" is the hospital-set sequel that Carpenter wrote but didn't direct.
"Escape From New York" is my second favorite Carpenter after "The Thing" set in a Manhattan that's been converted into a prison!
Kurt Russell stars.
"Christine" is a really solid Stephen King adaptation about a killer car.
"Starman" is a great sci-fi romance with Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen.
It's one of Carpenter's best.
"Black Moon Rising" is a techno-thriller with Tommy Lee Jones written by Carpenter.
"Big Trouble in Little China" is a wild, chop-socky, kung-fu action-comedy with Kurt Russell.
"Prince of Darkness" a tale of demonic possession and the end of days.
"El Diablo" is a Western comedy TV movie with Louis Gossett, Jr. written by Carpenter.
"Memoirs of an Invisible Man" is a Carpenter comedy with a serious Chevy Chase.
"In the Mouth of Madness" is excellent Lovecraftian horror with Sam Neill.
"Vampires" is a down-and-dirty action film about vampire hunters with James Woods.
"The Ward" is his most recent psychological horror and a return to top form after some duds.
The fight between Roddy and -David Keith- * Keith David is one of the most epic, drawn out battles ever put on film... _JUST_ to get him to put on sunglasses!
* Oops! He's a totally different actor!
South Park did a shot for shot reenactment in an episode called Cripple Fight.
Kind of makes you think... How hard will people will fight to stay blind?
@Indrid Cold And what's funny is that one has curly red hair and is white while the other is bald and black! LOL.
“Rowdy” Roddy Piper was an old school wrestler from the Hulk Hogan day (in fact, he was a long time adversary of Hogan’s) and he made his renounce on having the best trash talk and one-liners: Many of the one-liners in the movie (including the iconic Bubble-gum line) were lines he came up with and that Carpenter let him use in the movie.
Also, that one-on-one fight scene between Piper and David is (I believe still to this day) the longest, continuous cinematic fight scene ever.
"This is the most insane fight sequence I've ever seen".
lol yes! This and Oldboy are two standouts. Can't wait till Oldboy is mentioned on a poll. Will be voting hard for that one.
The original Oldboy or the remake with Josh Brolin?
Tough love
Love the last minutes when the guy on T.V. is talking about George A.Romero and John Carpenter...Little wink there to his friend !
8:22, this was all a matte painting.
Keith David has such a great voice.
Oh hey my parents did the costumes on this and my god father directed it! Great film!
Did he ever say why they took out of the theaters when it was still number 1 i believe...? Started a conspiracy after they did that...
Cool
@@mr198924 indeed
There was a gap around 2007 , give or take a few years, when video stores were on their way out and streaming services didn't have a big selection of Carpenter films. TV in Canada wasn't playing lots and the merry-go-round of what's cool had Carpenter out beyond Pluto before the reboots and synthwave made him cool again. During this gap I was shocked how many 'kids' I worked with had no idea about Carpenter and I ranted a bit lol. Then in 2008 They Live started to spread like wildfire and people I worked with during my rant started to DM me. "Omfg we are living this!!". The Carpenter revival has been going strong and I'm sure glad it is !!
3:28, like Platoon, he would often give advice to the main character.
TBR - Is the TV like corrupting people or something?
Morpheus - Welcome to the real world.
It's worth looking up Roddy Piper's best wrestling promos. He's among the best to ever do it.
R.I.P Rowdy! One of the sweetest badasses out there!
Absolute classic John Carpenter! Love Roddy Piper in this!
18:45 _"Her eyes are ridiculous."_
My fiancé has eyes like that, only *green.* People often think she's wearing vampire contacts. She's freaked out many a drive-thru employee. 😍
Other Carpenter films I recommend after this, Escape from New York, Big Trouble in Little China, Assault on Precinct 13, Prince of Darkness, and The Fog.
I remember when I first saw this on HBO as a teenager and the fight scene just kept going lol I was hooked.
"Either put on these glasses... or start eating that trash can" lol
Hey great to see more Carpenter reactions. Hope you watch Escape from New York eventually its one of my favourite movies ever.
I just found you channel. It is so fantastic! You are so many of my favorites growing up! I get to relive them again with you!!! Thank you!
A classic! So scarily true. With one of my favorite movie quotes of all time! "I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick ass!!!.....and I'm all out of bubble gum!"
You gotta complete the Apocalypse Trilogy from JC. The other two, aside from The Thing, are Prince of Darkness and In the Mouth of Madness
Sam Neill loves to be in these type of movies. In the Mouth of Madness and Event Horizon. I was surprised he was the lead for Jurassic Park.
Greatest fight scene in film history.
If you want to watch the war, watch the TV series “V”. But don’t watch the remake, watch the old 80’s one. The effects are horrible but the story is better.
Loved V when I was a kid.
@@moonliteffect7629 - when it first came out, I was 6. I watched about 15 minutes of it with my older cousins and it scared the crap out of me, I had to stop watching. Then I revisited it years later in my late teens, it was awesome.
@@brettg274 I think I was 7 or 8 when it was on tv I'll never forget when one of the aliens got his "human" face mask ripped off and that hissing reptile face was underneath. I think I cried lololol
@@jh5131 LOLOL - the scene that stuck with me is when the baby is born from the human mother, but it comes out an alien.
Yeah, I was 13 when "V" came out. It was amazing. A must watch... appointment tv show at the time. The scene where they secretly filmed an alien "eating" a gerbil or guinea pig was epic and shocking at the time. Also, the actor who played 'Freddy Kruger' was in this series. It was like a year before 'Nightmare on Elm Street' was released in the theater. The legend actor 'Michael Ironside' was also in this series. His voice is epic......
Unliked another reaction viewer, you two DID show my fave moment, which was revealing the subliminal message printed on the dollar bill. Well done.
14:39, Cripple Fight!!!!!
The long fight scene over the glasses was Carpenter's way of showing how hard it is to wake some people up.
"They Live" is based on a true story that we're living every day.
Late-stage Capitalism
Minus the alien shit.
@@aaroneisenbarth2809 I mean you don’t know. Seriously doubt it but who knows what the fucks really going on.
@@Jamie-kv9eg God's word the Bible tells you what's going on. The whole world is being blinded by the devil and his demons. That truth was written way before any movies were written.
@@aaroneisenbarth2809 the aliens are real to
John Carpenter movies are the best! I recommend The Fog, Escape from New York, In The Mouth of Madness, and Big Trouble in Little China. You will not be disappointed.
From the list you had up, I would recommend "The Cabin in the Woods". I can say that I have not seen any other movie like it
The actor behind the gun table is Sy Richardson. Incredible actor Repo Man, Walker.
R.I.P Roddy Piper..