They Live (Cultographies) by D. Harlan Wilson
I really enjoy these Cultographies books since they focus
on cult movies and provide useful insights and analysis on some films that are
often underevaluated or underappreciated. They Live, although it has
gained cult status, is probably one of those more underappreciated films. Yet,
with the continued escalation of conservative values and the push for conformity
online, it is only fitting that They Live has a new analysis since its
messages and iconic symbolism can be applied to today’s context to better
understand forces in power and the means with which they communicate using
media, advertising, and imagery. However, Wilson’s book goes beyond analysis
and presents a historical context as well as important background information
for understanding Carpenter’s film made in the late 80s, but developed from a
story from the 1960s and a comic adaptation of that story from the 1980s. I
knew about the story, but didn’t know about the comic, which included the main
character of Nada, an everyman who is seemingly nothing in this new society
dominated by conservative young professional values of working, consuming, and
reproducing. In addition, Wilson provides his own personal connection to both
Carpenter’s films as well as the excess of the 80s and how professional wrestling
and masculinity factored into the development of They Live. I was also a
big WWF fan in the 80s and remember how Roddy Roddy Piper stood out among the
various villains and heroes. And while Piper’s acting is not great, it is
surprising that based on his wrestling antics and skits, he wasn’t considered
for many other leading roles in films. The book then examines different
elements of both the film’s plot and its style, helping to frame both the cult
legacy of They Live along with its messages and criticisms of Reaganism
and the greater push for conservative values in American culture. I found this
interesting, especially since Wilson explains that this was probably Carpenter’s
last good film (some might say In the Mouth of Madness from the mid
1990s), and part of this might be that once Reagan left office, tastes for
horror and sci-fi changed. There were fewer allegorical or critical horror and
sci-fi films that were lower budget, and it probably wasn’t until the Matrix,
which really wasn’t political, that a sci-fi film had that kind of allegorical
or symbolic approach. I can also think of Fight Club as being critical
of society, but I wouldn’t call that a cult film like They Live, and it
is definitely not a sci-fi film, even though it tends to critique some of the
concepts about masculinity, capitalism and consumerism. Regardless, I think Wilson’s
analysis made me wonder whether the studio system and the changing dynamic of
audience tastes may have prevented Carpenter from making the kinds of films he
wanted. It’s not that his films went out of style—they seem even more relevant
and popular today than they were when released; however, it seems like the
studio system, part of the messaging and consumerist system that Carpenter
critiques in They Live, was unwilling to pursue some of these allegorical
approaches to films. That’s why I appreciated this analysis and
contextualization of They Live. It challenged my thinking about films
from the 80s, but also helped me reinterpret elements of They Live that
are still relevant today. Furthermore, as Wilson notes from the various reviews
and criticisms of the film from its release, They Live was really not
well received, with only a few critics recognizing its cult status and B-Film references
to 1950s alien films that similarly criticized McCarthyism and the red scare. I
also greatly appreciated that this book went beyond a critical recap of the
action of the film and looked at several elements surrounding its production,
legacy and symbolism. Although he references Lethem’s critical recap, Wilson’s
analysis is deeper and more nuanced, although maybe not as humorous as Lethem’s.
I’m glad I read this book since They Live is a fun, yet also critically
important film, and this book adds to the critical discussion, helping me think
differently about the film and its legacy.
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