``They Live'' We are trapped in something... A collection of condensed themes from the genius John Carpenter

Carpenter, heir to the classic American film industry

Carpenter is often misunderstood as a maniacal horror or sci-fi oriented director, but his style inherits the classics of American cinema. Film director Kiyoshi Kurosawa has pointed out that Steven Spielberg and James Cameron, who appear to be mainstream, are heretics, and that Carpenter is the king of American cinema.

His style, which is simple and eliminates unnecessary elements, does not employ unusual angles or cuts, and relies solely on the narrative of the film to drive the film, is now considered to be the closest to Clint Eastwood. The motifs that he uses as important motifs in his films naturally align with the royal road of American culture. This is also clearly seen in ``They Live.''

The characters in ``They Live'' are trapped in an over-the-top capitalist society. It is a prison of capitalism where the media has repeatedly taught us to consume, and we have forgotten how to think deeply. Carpenter cast a professional wrestler named Roddy Piper to play the main character who fights it. Carpenter probably cast a professional wrestler as an extremely American character because he saw an American spirit in him. The only ones who can defeat Reaganomics, the capitalism that symbolized the 80s, are professional wrestlers who are the embodiment of 80s American culture. Carpenter, the heir to classic American cinema and a follower of Hawks' westerns, must have believed so.

“They Live” (c)1988 StudioCanal. All Rights Reserved.

Moreover, the same spirituality flows through his first work. His directorial debut, `` Dark Star '' (1974), depicts the process by which the crew of a spaceship wandering through space gradually lose their mental balance. After years of being trapped in a cramped ship, the crew members grow nostalgic for their homeland, and by ``surfing through space'' at the end, they free their trapped and dying spirits. It is a famous scene that is absurd, but gives a strange sense of freedom. Dan O'Bannon, who co-produced Dark Star, initially insisted that the scene be removed because it was too ridiculous. However, Carpenter remained adamant. Surfing developed greatly in the 1960s in response to the counterculture that arose as a reaction to the older generation. Surfing, which embodies American freedom, may have been the prescription to save the trapped and insane spirit ( Snake, the main character, shows off his surfing skills in ``Escape from LA (1996)'').

"I don't give up on what's important to me. And what's important to me is my vision. I can fight for it."

“They Live” (c)1988 StudioCanal. All Rights Reserved.

John Carpenter has painted vivid visions of the battles of people trapped inside. It has already been 7 years since the last work, but there have been no rumors of a new work. Although he seems to be focusing on his music activities now, it is too early for him to retire as a director at the age of 70. For now, all I can do is wait quietly, believing that I will definitely be able to see his new classic movie about trapped people fighting.

References

" Movie Treasure Director's File John Carpenter Ethics of Fear " (Supervised by Yoshiaki Washizu/Yosensha)

“ A Filmmaker Talks About Himself: Poetics of Fear: John Carpenter ” (edited by Gilles Boulanger/translated by Masaaki Inoue/Film Art Publishing)

They Live Regular Edition [Blu-ray] : Director Interview

Text: Tetsuya Inagaki

TV director. My personal goal is to realize a documentary project that depicts the obsessions of manga and movie creators. Programs he has directed in the past include ``Gekiga The Godfather : The Man Who Revolutionized Manga'' (WOWOW) and ``Takeshi's Birth: Master of Oira and Asakusa'' (NHK). Currently, he is planning a documentary about a famous manga artist.

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To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the production of "They Live," a ``30th Anniversary HD Remastered Version'' will be released!

“They Live<30th Anniversary HD Remastered Version>” will be released on Saturday, September 29th at Shinjuku Cinema Karite (Late Show) and other locations.

*Information at the time of article publication in June 2018.

"They Live"

Publisher: TC Entertainment/Zekora

Distributor: TC Entertainment

Blu-ray, DVD 3,800 yen + tax on sale now

(c)1988 StudioCanal. All Rights Reserved.