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‘They Live’ LIVE From L.A. With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey

October 10, 2023 · They Live (1988) · Action · Horror · Sci-Fi · 1:24:03

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 20:55Kurt Russell — Kurt Russell - this movie is his Apex Mountain as an actor
Sean Fennessey▶ 21:02Kurt Russell — Discussed Russell giving credit to Carpenter as the best director he worked with, noting Russell's humility about his acting

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 21:14Kurt Russell — Explains that Carpenter wrote the part for Kurt Russell but decided against casting him for a fifth collaboration, though acknowledges Russell's credentials
Chris Ryan▶ 21:26Roddy Piper — Prefers Roddy Piper over Kurt Russell - thinks Russell would have been more verbose and wisecracking, but Piper's minimal dialogue (11 lines) really works
Sean Fennessey▶ 21:38Roddy Piper — Prefers Roddy Piper over Kurt Russell - argues you wouldn't get iconic lines like 'I came here to do two things' with Russell, and Piper's physicality was perfect

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 30:41Roddy puts the glasses on and sees the aliens - the scene where he discovers the truth

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 33:17The sparkling water bottle scene where Holly betrays Roddy

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 39:58The musical score, Piper's 80s heavy metal wrestling hair, drifters with a past trope, mention of 'roaring 90s', and Shepard Fairey's 'Obey' street art inspired by the film
Chris Ryan▶ 40:37The drifters with a past trope, aliens predicted to take over in 2025, and the iconic 'I'm here to chew bubblegum and kick ass' line that can be applied to many scenarios
Sean Fennessey▶ 42:24Economic inequality, homelessness, the sense that media and government manipulate people to stay distracted, and complete social distortion in culture

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill Simmons▶ 42:561980s downtown LA

Great Shot Gordo Award

Chris Ryan▶ 43:49The shot of the skyline where he sees the full transformation of the society with all the billboards
Sean Fennessey▶ 44:01The opening credits sequence with the train moving across the credits and the man emerging

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 44:23Meg Foster's character Holly Thompson and neo-Nazi interpretations of the movie that required Carpenter to write a refutation essay
Chris Ryan▶ 45:02Agrees with Holly Thompson as problematic and mentions InfoWars/Alex Jones connection as aging poorly
Sean Fennessey▶ 47:22The low-budget B-movie feeling and cheap production values, even by Carpenter's standards

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 49:32Consume
Chris Ryan▶ 49:26All Out of Bubble Gum

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 49:43The bubble gum quote

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 51:00If Sam Jackson just doesn't exist, Keith David has 80% of his career and could have been Jules in Pulp Fiction and in Die Hard 3

Overacting Award

Bill Simmons▶ 53:53Roddy Piper — Suggests either The Preacher or Roddy Piper who 'dials it up like two or three times'
Chris Ryan▶ 53:58Roddy Piper — Roddy Piper, specifically when his character gets 'red-pilled by his sunglasses and starts screaming' and during the dialogue with Keith David in the fight scene

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 55:08Suggested either drunk human power lead Texas guy or first alien newsstand guy
Sean Fennessey▶ 55:14George 'Buck' Flower — George Buckflower as the drifter slash collaborator in a tuxedo

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 58:57Roddy Piper said they had to pay gangs off in downtown LA to keep shooting, and researched Meg Foster's career including her firing from Cagney and Lacey for being 'too tough, too hard, not feminine'
Chris Ryan▶ 58:27Carpenter's fight scene screenplay had blank pages that just said 'the fight' and 'the fight continues' repeatedly, and they rehearsed the fight in Carpenter's backyard
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:01:14Movie was released four days before the 1988 election and Carpenter hoped it would convince people not to re-elect Republicans

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:12:09Danny Trejo — Initially lists potential actors (Wayne Jenkins, Danny Trejo, etc.) and later agrees that Danny Trejo would be amazing.
Chris Ryan▶ 1:13:08J.T. Walsh — JT Walsh would be good.
Chris Ryan▶ 1:13:12Danny Trejo — Trejo would have been amazing.

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:13:21John Carpenter — John Carpenter for Director
Chris Ryan▶ 1:13:31Keith David — Keith David for Best Supporting Actor

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:14:11What's going on with Andromeda Airlines and the gravitational lens deal; why people bring suitcases to outer space; whether there are clothes on Andromeda
Chris Ryan▶ 1:14:26Why the drunk Texan doesn't have an NDA and freely shares alien secrets; what kind of contracts human sellouts get with aliens; how long the trip to Andromeda takes
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:14:42Why aliens with advanced technology and invisibility are having trouble with rebels; how they lost Cable 54 to just one man with a .22

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:18:36Escape from New York — Escape from New York, but endorses another host's Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Sutherland version)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:18:46The Parallax View — The Parallax View or Three Days of the Condor - films about discovering huge conspiracies
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:17:22Invasion of the Body Snatchers — Invasion of the Body Snatchers (original or 70s remake) or I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang - both share themes of society attacking the protagonist

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:03Don't trust power, don't obey, don't consume

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:59John Carpenter
Chris Ryan▶ 1:21:34Roddy Piper — Roddy Piper (Roddy)
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:21:33John Carpenter

Movies Referenced (43)

Halloween (1978)

13 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 5:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Escape from New York (1981)

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 5:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Prince of Darkness (1987)

5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 8:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 6:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Wick (2014)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 24:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Top Gun (1986)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 16:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Black Adam (2022)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 1:01:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Death Wish (2018)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 43:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eastern Promises (2007)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 25:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fargo (1996)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:11:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fatal Attraction (1987)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 16:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Platoon (1986)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 23:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (8)

John Carpenter

57 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Dark Star, Halloween▶ 3:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Quentin Tarantino

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, From Dusk Till Dawn▶ 2:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alex Cox

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Repo Man▶ 54:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Winning

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:22:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Ford

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for The Quiet Man▶ 26:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kosta Jokic

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 20:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Bellany

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Stardust▶ 0:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sergio Leone

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Once Upon a Time in America, Once Upon a Time in the West▶ 32:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (42)

Roddy Piper

64 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for They Live▶ 5:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Keith David

30 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for They Live, Armageddon▶ 9:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kurt Russell

13 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Escape from New York, The Hateful Eight▶ 17:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Meg Foster

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for They Live, Masters of the Universe▶ 32:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sharon Stone

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Basic Instinct, Casino, The Quick and the Dead▶ 55:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Danny Trejo

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Machete, From Dusk Till Dawn, Predators▶ 1:12:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Frank Vincent

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Goodfellas, Casino▶ 7:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Wayne

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Quiet Man▶ 26:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alex Jones

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for In America▶ 46:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Avery Brooks

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Big Hit, American History X▶ 51:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Drew Barrymore

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Charlie's Angels, 50 First Dates, Never Been Kissed▶ 16:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Cagney

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for White Heat▶ 59:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (5)

Roger Ebert

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 28:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Steinbeck

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for East of Eden▶ 19:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ray Nelson

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for They Live▶ 7:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ted Turner

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Angels in the Outfield▶ 15:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Dinner

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 36:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗