A John Carpenter film that had an interesting message about 'aliens' controlling the masses through infiltration of our society. It was released into cinemas in 1988 and quickly made a profit in its first week ($4 million budget, $6 million take) but after being on top, was gone within a month.
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekly&id=theylive.htm
Carpenter said the movie was a giant middle finger to Ronald Reagan:
“By the end of the ’70s there was a backlash against everything in the ’60s, and that’s what the ’80s were, and Ronald Reagan became president, and Reagonomics came in,” Carpenter told the sold-out theater at the Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood. “So a lot of the ideals that I grew up with were under assault, and something called a yuppie came into existence, and they just wanted money. And so by the late ’80s, I’d had enough, and I decided I had to make a statement, as stupid and banal as it is, but I made one, and that’s ‘They Live.’ … I just love that it was giving the finger to Reagan when nobody else would.”
http://disinfo.com/2013/09/john-carpenters-they-live-turns-twenty-five/
Why would they pull a movie from cinemas if it was making money? One of its stars, Keith David, believes it pissed off the wrong people. Thoughts?
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekly&id=theylive.htm
Carpenter said the movie was a giant middle finger to Ronald Reagan:
“By the end of the ’70s there was a backlash against everything in the ’60s, and that’s what the ’80s were, and Ronald Reagan became president, and Reagonomics came in,” Carpenter told the sold-out theater at the Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood. “So a lot of the ideals that I grew up with were under assault, and something called a yuppie came into existence, and they just wanted money. And so by the late ’80s, I’d had enough, and I decided I had to make a statement, as stupid and banal as it is, but I made one, and that’s ‘They Live.’ … I just love that it was giving the finger to Reagan when nobody else would.”
http://disinfo.com/2013/09/john-carpenters-they-live-turns-twenty-five/
Why would they pull a movie from cinemas if it was making money? One of its stars, Keith David, believes it pissed off the wrong people. Thoughts?