They Live (1988)

[Nevix]

I remember more about the beginning of this movie and the fight than anything else, but I also saw it when I was under 12, and didn't get the subtext.

It's an anti freedom movie to me, as the problem is not the system itself, but the fact that the system is used ONLY to benefit the Ghouls, and not everyone who can earn a living in it.

It's also an anti alien overlord movie too.

Oh, and personally: Freedom solves more than anything else, with the only boundaries needed being protections against unsafe working conditions/practices, scams, and other things that are already written into the laws in civilized countries.

So... it's not simply capitalism I support, but the freedom that is the core of the Free Market/Freedom.

[Thebestoftherest]

I remember more about the beginning of this movie and the fight than anything else, but I also saw it when I was under 12, and didn't get the subtext.

It's an anti freedom movie to me, as the problem is not the system itself, but the fact that the system is used ONLY to benefit the Ghouls, and not everyone who can earn a living in it.

It's also an anti alien overlord movie too.

Oh, and personally: Freedom solves more than anything else, with the only boundaries needed being protections against unsafe working conditions/practices, scams, and other things that are already written into the laws in civilized countries.

So... it's not simply capitalism I support, but the freedom that is the core of the Free Market/Freedom.

Except it not the villain are trying to control the populate and limit freedom while the heroes are trying to free people and give more freedom. There is always a system that people use for their own good at the livelihood and freedom od others.

[Jonathan101]

I've always wondered if anyone was ever inspired by films like this to go out on a shooting spree against people they saw as (literal or metaphorical) alien parasites.

Whatever it's message is intended to be, it definitely appeals to peoples' paranoia.

[Jonathan101]

Fun fact- the aliens talk into their gold watches...and in the clip Chucks shows where Piper talks about the movie, he's wearing a gold watch too.

He's one of Them.

[Imperator-zor]

Honest thought: as if we need more reasons to like Mr Rogers, he helped start up Keith David's career.

Zor

[Chaos Sepher]

I knew bits and pieces of this movie but never knew how much came from this.

Certainly knew the "Kick ass and chew bubblegum" line but always assumed it came from a video game or something.

I first learned of the 5 minute brawl when it was recreated shot for shot in South Park.

Most interestingly believe I first really learned of the film itself from Super Sentai, which Power Rangers is adapted from. In the 2010 series, Tensou Sentai Goseiger, which Power Rangers Megaforce was adapted from, one of the motifs of the monsters and villains in it was that they were all named after western films. One of which was a ghoulish mummy monster named after They Live, whose scheme involved brainwashing people through media after taking over a TV Station.
https://powerrangers.fandom.com/wiki/Zeibu_of_the_Mummy

[CrypticMirror]

Certainly knew the "Kick ass and chew bubblegum" line but always assumed it came from a video game or something.

It was used as a standard soundbite in the Duke Nukem 3D first person shooter back in the 90s, and that game was huge at the time. I think that is where a lot of people first heard it.

[Mecha82]

Duke Nukem 3D is known from having soundbites from several different action movies including that one.

[Kendrakirai]

Certainly knew the "Kick ass and chew bubblegum" line but always assumed it came from a video game or something.

It was used as a standard soundbite in the Duke Nukem 3D first person shooter back in the 90s, and that game was huge at the time. I think that is where a lot of people first heard it.

It’s a hugely quotable line, and has been used in one form or another in probably dozens of works and contexts, but especially Duke Nukem.

[AndrewGPaul]

I can’t remember where I first heard the twisted version; “ I’m here to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and I’m all out of ass!”