History Film / TheyLive

* SelectiveObliviousness: Frank, mostly because he's just trying to stay out of trouble. When Nada first starts watching the resistance base, Frank recognizes that it's extremely sketch, but tells Nada to stay out of it for their own protetcion.

* SelectiveObliviousness: Frank, mostly because he's just trying to stay out of trouble.

** In the original story Nada had a fiancee named Lil, who is absent in the film due to his AdaptationalWealth change.

* BoldlyComing: an unintentional version. During a montage of scenes showing people waking up from the illusion and finally seeing the aliens, we see a nubile woman enthusiastically riding someone. When she looks down, she sees he's an alien himself. SmashToBlack before we see her reaction.

While it was initially recenived as another cheesy [[TheEighties '80s]] actioner upon its release, ''They Live'' is an intriguing exercise in criticizing the Reaganomics and the deregulatory conservatism of the decade through one of its pet products: the (apparently) brainless action/sci-fi movie. In Europe, even at the time of its release, lots of critics sung praises of this movie, often quoting the "put on the glasses" brawl between Rowdy and Keith as one of the best one-on-one physical duels ever committed to cinema; it was parodied shot for shot in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', and replicated (with Keith David ''and'' Roddy Piper [[AsHimself as themselves]]) in ''VideoGame/SaintsRowIV''. The movie also sports [[ChewBubblegum that one particularly awesome line]] which has been borrowed, quoted, and subverted many times over, and was the inspiration for an ''Series/AreYouAfraidOfTheDark'' episode about a prankster who finds X-ray specs that allow him to see aliens living among humans.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: The resistance movement is largely made up of homeless people and blue-collar workers, ordinary people with no real combat training. Every time they face the superior numbers and weaponry of the aliens' shock troops, it ends with the rebels getting curbstomped.

While it was initially recenived as another cheesy [[TheEighties '80s]] actioner upon its release, ''They Live'' is an intriguing exercise in criticizing the Reaganomics and the deregulatory liberalism of the decade through one of its pet products: the (apparently) brainless action/sci-fi movie. In Europe, even at the time of its release, lots of critics sung praises of this movie, often quoting the "put on the glasses" brawl between Rowdy and Keith as one of the best one-on-one physical duels ever committed to cinema; it was parodied shot for shot in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', and replicated (with Keith David ''and'' Roddy Piper [[AsHimself as themselves]]) in ''VideoGame/SaintsRowIV''. The movie also sports [[ChewBubblegum that one particularly awesome line]] which has been borrowed, quoted, and subverted many times over, and was the inspiration for an ''Series/AreYouAfraidOfTheDark'' episode about a prankster who finds X-ray specs that allow him to see aliens living among humans.

* BrokenMasquerade: When the sunglasses are worn.

** The Badass Biker guarding the door at the resistance meeting is last seen firing at the police from cover as they advance forward and it's unclear whether he (or various others seen scattered throughout the street) were killed, captured, surrendered, or escaped.

John Nada ([[Wrestling/RoddyPiper "Rowdy" Roddy Piper]]) is a drifting construction worker who arrives in Los Angeles and finds a pair of sunglasses which allow him to see that, not only are aliens living among us, they have hidden [[SubliminalSeduction subliminal messages]] in all media urging humans to conform, consume, and reproduce. Nada sets out to make sense of what the sunglasses are showing him, leading to several action scenes, and an incredibly long fist-fight with Nada's construction worker friend, Frank (Creator/KeithDavid). Eventually, Frank and Nada find an underground movement set on exposing the aliens and freeing humanity, and join in their efforts.

While it was initially received as another cheesy [[TheEighties '80s]] actioner upon its release, ''They Live'' is an intriguing exercise in criticizing the Reaganomics and the deregulatory liberalism of the decade through one of its pet products: the (apparently) brainless action/sci-fi movie. In Europe, even at the time of its release, lots of critics sung praises of this movie, often quoting the "put on the glasses" brawl between Rowdy and Keith as one of the best one-on-one physical duels ever committed to cinema; it was parodied shot for shot in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', and replicated (with Keith David ''and'' Roddy Piper [[AsHimself as themselves]]) in ''VideoGame/SaintsRowIV''. The movie also sports [[ChewBubblegum that one particularly awesome line]] which has been borrowed, quoted, and subverted many times over, and was the inspiration for an ''Series/AreYouAfraidOfTheDark'' episode about a prankster who finds X-ray specs that allow him to see aliens living among humans.

* NonActorVehicle: Roddy Piper was primarily known for being a Wrestling/{{WWF}} member prior to this movie, with only a few TV movies and shows previously to his credit.

* PoliceAreUseless: The police aren't reliable for protection for anyone who's lower class or middle class, as it turns out the police are either aliens, or humans but on the aliens' payroll.

''They Live'' is a 1988 action movie directed by Creator/JohnCarpenter, and inspired by Ray Nelson's short story "Eight O'Clock in the Morning" and its comic book adaptation "Nada."

While upon its release it was initially received as another cheesy actioner from TheEighties, the movie is an intriguing exercise in criticizing the Reaganomics and the deregulatory liberalism of the decade through one of its pet products: the (apparently) brainless action/scifi movie. In Europe, even at the time of its release, lots of critics have sung praises of this movie, often quoting the "put on the glasses" brawl between Rowdy and Keith as one of the best one-on-one physical duels ever committed to cinema; it was parodied shot for shot in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', and replicated (with Keith David ''and'' Roddy Piper [[AsHimself as themselves]]) in ''VideoGame/SaintsRowIV''. The movie also sports [[ChewBubblegum that one particularly awesome line]] which has been borrowed, quoted, and subverted many times over, and was the inspiration for an ''Series/AreYouAfraidOfTheDark'' episode about a prankster who finds X-ray specs that allow him to see aliens living among humans.

Nada ([[Wrestling/RoddyPiper "Rowdy" Roddy Piper]]) is a drifting construction worker who arrives in a new town and finds a pair of sunglasses which allow him to see that, not only are aliens living among us, they have hidden [[SubliminalSeduction subliminal messages]] in all media urging humans to conform, consume, and reproduce. Nada sets out to make sense of what the sunglasses are showing him, leading to several action scenes, and an incredibly long fist-fight with Nada's construction worker friend, Frank (Creator/KeithDavid). Eventually, Frank and Nada find an underground movement set on exposing the aliens and freeing humanity, and join in their efforts.

* KillEmAll: [[spoiler:By the end of the film, Holly, Frank, and Nada himself are dead.]]

* EvilIsVisceral: Skinless blue aliens.

** The special sunglasses are called "Hoffman lenses", presumably named after anti-corporate activist Abbie Hoffman.

While in the U.S. it's mainly considered another cheesy actioner from TheEighties, the movie is an intriguing exercise in criticizing the Reaganomics and the deregulatory liberalism of the decade through one of its pet products: the (apparently) brainless action/scifi movie. In Europe, lots of critics have sung praises of this movie, often quoting the "put on the glasses" brawl between Rowdy and Keith as one of the best one-on-one physical duels ever committed to cinema; it was parodied shot for shot in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', and replicated (with Keith David ''and'' Roddy Piper [[AsHimself as themselves]]) in ''VideoGame/SaintsRowIV''. The movie also sports [[ChewBubblegum that one particularly awesome line]] which has been borrowed, quoted, and subverted many times over, and was the inspiration for an ''Series/AreYouAfraidOfTheDark'' episode about a prankster who finds X-ray specs that allow him to see aliens living among humans.

* SuplexFinisher: How the famous alley fight between Nada and Frank ended.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything[=/=]TakeThat: UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan's TheEighties. The alien political ad even begins with the speaker talking about it being a "new morning in America," one of Reagan's most famous quotes.

Nada ([[Wrestling/RoddyPiper "Rowdy" Roddy Piper]]) is a drifting construction worker who arrives in a new town, and finds a pair of sunglasses that allow him to see that not only are aliens living among us, they have hidden [[SubliminalSeduction subliminal messages]] urging humans to conform, consume and reproduce in all media. Nada sets out to make sense of what the sunglasses are showing him, leading to several action scenes, and an incredibly long fist-fight with Nada's construction worker friend, Frank (Creator/KeithDavid). Eventually, Frank and Nada find an underground movement set on exposing the aliens and freeing humanity, and join in their efforts.

While in the U.S. it's mainly considered another cheesy actioner from TheEighties, the movie is an intriguing exercise in criticizing the Reaganomics and the deregulatory liberalism of the decade through one of its pet products: the (apparently) brainless action/scifi movie. In Europe, lots of critics have sung praises of this movie, often quoting the "put on the glasses" brawl between Rowdy and Keith as one of the best one-on-one physical duels ever committed to cinema and was parodied shot for shot in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' and replicated (with Keith David ''and'' Roddy Piper [[AsHimself as themselves]]) in ''VideoGame/SaintsRowIV''. The movie also sports [[ChewBubblegum that one particularly awesome line]], which has been borrowed, quoted and subverted many times over, and was the inspiration for an ''Series/AreYouAfraidOfTheDark'' episode about a prankster who finds X-ray specs that allow him to see aliens living among humans.

* ChewBubblegum: The TropeMaker. And it was an [[ThrowItIn ad-lib]].

* OurZombiesAreDifferent: They are aliens that just happen to look like zombies and are referred to as "Ghouls" in the movie's end credits roll. [[WordOfGod According to John Carpenter]], this was very intentional: The aliens are corrupting human society, and their appearance is likewise that of a physically corrupted human.