MovieChat Forums > They Live (1988) Discussion > Am I the only one who thinks this movie ...

Am I the only one who thinks this movie is hilariously bad?



I mean, the music, which is the work of /two minds/ according to the credits, is the same three or four seconds of bass, over and over again, through the entire movie. The dialog is silly ("I ain't daddy's little boy no more!") and the story, although not a bad one, could have been told in a small fraction of the time, if they had left out a thousand minutes of people staring blankly at each other, seemingly trying to remember whose line it is. Not to mention a half-hour-long pointless fight-fest...the only thing I could think of during that so-called "best fight scene ever" as one thread on this forum calls it, is "This guy doesn't believe you, so how about trying to show your glasses to one of the other 6 billion people in the world?"

I don't mean anything personal against people who do like this movie, and I'm sure a lot of people who like it will see this post, as this is a forum dedicated to the discussion of this movie. I'm simply stating my feelings, and would enjoy civil, non-personally-demeaning responses, regardless whether I'm agreed or disagreed with.

Mr. Daniel?
....I'm finished.

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Wait, did all of you go into it expecting a serious horror film?

Of course it's funny and ridiculous. That's totally what's enjoyable about it.


That is a masterpiece of understatement.

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you are well entitled to your view. just as i am in the view that you are wrong!

its all about the subtext which becomes less sub and more text as the film progresses. this feels like a masterpiece to me. an amazing movie.

best so far this year:
The Revenant (2015)
A Gorgeous Girl Like Me (1972)

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I wouldn't say it's bad but it isn't very good either. It's mildly entertaining but fails to ever develop the deeper subtexts.

What are words for when no one listens anymore

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This movie was bad, but nothing about it was hilarious or even remotely funny.

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I just saw this for the first time and I'll echo all of these sentiments 100%. The dialogue is horrible, and Carpenter has all the subtlety of hitting an egg with a sledgehammer. This movie is utterly and completely terrible.






Co-Host of the Epic Film Guys podcast! www.epicfilmguys.com

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SLEEP..SLEEP.. SLEEP.. SLEEP..SLEEP.. SLEEP.. SLEEP.. SLEEP...



Just messin' with ya.


----
"97-X...Bam....The future of...Rock 'n' Roll."

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I'm with the OP, it's not a very good movie. The message is timelessly good -- that's why it has become a beloved cult classic. The message never stops being pertinent in real-life society, sadly.

But the execution of the film itself, yeah it's pretty crappy.

That fight scene --- seriously, I had no previous knowledge of it having the reputation of "Best Fight Scene Ever" and so I came to it with fresh eyes.

And I thought it was ridiculous. It may have only lasted five minutes but it seriously FELT LIKE thirty minutes. I could not believe just how long it was going on. WAY too protracted. Completely stupid filmmaking, sorry.

I do like John Carpenter but that fight scene lasting so long was a bizarre mistake. I guess it was only becaue of Roddy Piper and wanting to show off his "prowess." Boys stuff in my view, silly and pointless.

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Honestly the fight scene was easily the best part of this very good movie...and yup-it seems to go on and on for several minutes ( first youre thrilled, then sort of bored, then it becomes stupid...until youre thrilled and loving it again...)
I honestly think this might be the best action beat down ive ever seen and we have all seen a hundred of them!

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Well this is where individual tastes can be subjective.

Personally I experienced that scene as being stupid, boring and ridiculously long. It's just two dumb, overgrown kids brawling for brawling's sake. . .

Completely unnecessary even to the movement of the story, overly long and drawn out for the indulgent sole reason that somebody enjoys choreographing fight scenes and enacting them. . .

I came to it with fresh eyes as I've never previously heard about its reputation, which I only discovered since watching the film. And with no preconceived notions of the scene, my whole impression of it was it's actually the worst part of the whole movie for me.

Your mileage may vary.

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Ok :)
Interesting note: Keith David and Rowdy Piper choreographed the fight themselves the day before it was filmed
Carpenter liked it so much that he let them roll with it-
you gotta admire that level of devotion anyway!

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Totally agree!!

I first watched this when it came out and thought was bad then even though im huge lover of Carpenters work this was easily his worst.
I then just recently re-watched it hoping that as a teenager i missed the 'point' of the film, well maybe im still missing the point cos it was so badly acted and scripted.
The stuff underground being transported away was just ridiculously poor.
Yes the fight scene was fun and the Alien effects was good but i kept hoping the film would be over soon even though its only 90 minutes long.

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