Decades of Horror 1980s Gruesome Podcasts

They Live (1988) — Episode 103 — Decades of Horror 1980s

“I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass… and I’m all out of bubblegum.” Nada (Rowdy Roddy Piper) comes out of his consumer coma and is ready to blow some aliens away. The satirical sci-fi actioner from horror master John Carpenter is a schlocky example of 80s cheese… with an actual brain behind it?

Decades of Horror 1980s
Episode 103 — They Live (1988)

They Live is a bit of a departure for Decades of Horror, given the bigger emphasis on sci-fi and action. Yet, what’s more, horrifying than realizing you live in a dystopian world ruled by cruel uncaring overlords that trick you in a commercialized sense of ignorance? Well… actually living in that world on a daily basis. Yes, Carpenter’s jab at Reagan-era politics still permeates our culture. After all, how many celebrities have been turned into a  They Live-style  alien to indicate the media obsessed world we live in is all consuming? Unfortunately, we don’t have a Rowdy Roddy Piper to suplex the corporate overlords into submission. But hopefully, this and many generations to come can be inspired by Piper’s lack of hesitation in taking out those that stand in the way of American progress. Or at the very least admire the stamina it takes for him to kick the crap out of Fred Armitage (Keith David) in order to see the truth via his sunglasses.

Luckily, three people here are in awe of Roddy’s prowess. Thomas and Christopher G. Moore return to gush about this 1988 John Carpenter film but are unfortunately short a Doc Rotten to help them out. Luckily, a nomadic drifter has decided to take his place around the fiery trashcan. That is Gruesome Magazine’s own Adam Thomas, a man who knows his wrestling as much as he knows his horror and genre filmmaking. Together, these three gushes about the infamous fight scene between David & Piper, spotlight the vulnerability under Piper’s performance and  marvel with disturbed regret at They Live‘s  lasting political relevance. It’s a damn good time that’s pretty contemplative when you look past the brute force and one-liners.

We want to hear from you — the coolest, most gruesome  fans:  leave us a message or leave a comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1980s podcast hosts at thomasmariani@decadesofhorror.com or docrotten@decadesofhorror.com. We also want to be sure to thank Neon Devils  for their killer track “Bone Chillin’” which we use for the intro and outro of this show.

Doc Rotten
Doc Rotten is the founder of Gruesome Magazine. He is also a film critic for Gruesome Magazine and the podcast host & producer for Horror News Radio, Monster Movie Podcast, Decades of Horror: 1970s, The American Horror Story Fan Podcast and Hannibal Fan Podcast. He is also co-host of the Dracula podcast on TV TALK and is a contributing reviewer for HorrorNews.Net and Widescreen Warrior. Doc a lifelong fan of horror films, sci-fi flicks and monster movies first discovering Universal Monsters and Planet of the Apes as a young child in the 1970's searching out every issue of Famous Monster of Filmland (and, later, Fangoria). Favorite films include Jaws, The Car, The Birds, The Tingler, Vampire Circus and The Exorcist. Still a huge fan of horror films from the 70s, Doc continues consuming horror films to this day for the site, for the podcasts and for the fun of it all.
http://www.docrotten.com