by Frank Olson American B-movies have a long and distinguished history of smuggling subversive sociopolitical commentary into crowd-pleasingly tawdry scenarios. Eagle-eyed viewers can get an extra level of enjoyment out of certain cult classics by, for example, following the homoerotic subtext of The Bride of Frankenstein or taking note of the various ways that Night of the Living Dead reflects the turmoil of its time. They Live upends the usual priorities of the politically-minded midnight movie. Rather than hiding its criticisms of ‘80s social values, the film’s plot literally revolves around exposing the subtextual messages that reinforce the prevailing ideologies of our culture. | Trylon microcinema May 23-24 Director: John Carpenter Producer: Larry Franco Writers: John Carpenter (as Frank Armitage), Ray Nelson (story "Eight O'Clock in the Morning") Cinematographer: Gary B. Kibbe Editors: Gib Jaffe, Frank E. Jimenez Music: John Carpenter, Alan Howarth Cast: Roddy Piper, Keith David, Meg Foster, George "Buck" Flower, Peter Jason, Raymond St. Jacques Runtime: 93m. Genre: Horror/Sci-Fi Country: USA US Theatrical Release: November 4, 1988 US Distributor: Universal Pictures |
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