‘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
Categories
Apex Mountain
Sean FennesseyKurt Russell — Discussed Russell giving credit to Carpenter as the best director he worked with, noting Russell's humility about his acting▶ 21:02
Casting What-Ifs
Bill SimmonsKurt Russell — Explains that Carpenter wrote the part for Kurt Russell but decided against casting him for a fifth collaboration, though acknowledges Russell's credentials▶ 21:14
Chris RyanRoddy 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▶ 21:26
Sean FennesseyRoddy 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▶ 21:38
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill SimmonsRoddy puts the glasses on and sees the aliens - the scene where he discovers the truth▶ 30:41
What's Aged the Best
Bill SimmonsThe 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▶ 39:58
Chris RyanThe 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▶ 40:37
Sean FennesseyEconomic inequality, homelessness, the sense that media and government manipulate people to stay distracted, and complete social distortion in culture▶ 42:24
Great Shot Gordo Award
Chris RyanThe shot of the skyline where he sees the full transformation of the society with all the billboards▶ 43:49
Sean FennesseyThe opening credits sequence with the train moving across the credits and the man emerging▶ 44:01
Butch's Girlfriend Award
Bill SimmonsMeg Foster's character Holly Thompson and neo-Nazi interpretations of the movie that required Carpenter to write a refutation essay▶ 44:23
Chris RyanAgrees with Holly Thompson as problematic and mentions InfoWars/Alex Jones connection as aging poorly▶ 45:02
Sean FennesseyThe low-budget B-movie feeling and cheap production values, even by Carpenter's standards▶ 47:22
Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Bill SimmonsIf 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▶ 51:00
Overacting Award
Bill SimmonsRoddy Piper — Suggests either The Preacher or Roddy Piper who 'dials it up like two or three times'▶ 53:53
Chris RyanRoddy 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▶ 53:58
Dion Waiters Award
Sean FennesseyGeorge 'Buck' Flower — George Buckflower as the drifter slash collaborator in a tuxedo▶ 55:14
Half-Assed Internet Research
Bill SimmonsRoddy 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'▶ 58:57
Chris RyanCarpenter'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▶ 58:27
Sean FennesseyMovie was released four days before the 1988 election and Carpenter hoped it would convince people not to re-elect Republicans▶ 1:01:14
Is This Movie Better With
Bill SimmonsDanny Trejo — Initially lists potential actors (Wayne Jenkins, Danny Trejo, etc.) and later agrees that Danny Trejo would be amazing.▶ 1:12:09
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill SimmonsWhat's going on with Andromeda Airlines and the gravitational lens deal; why people bring suitcases to outer space; whether there are clothes on Andromeda▶ 1:14:11
Chris RyanWhy 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▶ 1:14:26
Sean FennesseyWhy aliens with advanced technology and invisibility are having trouble with rebels; how they lost Cable 54 to just one man with a .22▶ 1:14:42
Best Double Feature
Bill SimmonsEscape from New York — Escape from New York, but endorses SPEAKER_02's Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Sutherland version)▶ 1:18:36
Chris RyanThe Parallax View — The Parallax View or Three Days of the Condor - films about discovering huge conspiracies▶ 1:18:46
Sean FennesseyInvasion 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▶ 1:17:22
Movies Referenced (44)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alien (1979) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 22 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 9:05 |
| Aliens (1986) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 21 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 5:48 |
| Halloween (1978) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 13 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | ▶ 5:09 |
| Escape from New York (1981) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 5:09 |
| Prince of Darkness (1987) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 8:47 |
| Big Trouble in Little China (1986) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 6:23 |
| John Wick (2014) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | ▶ 24:50 |
| Top Gun (1986) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 16:30 |
| Black Adam (2022) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey | ▶ 1:01:53 |
| Eastern Promises (2007) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 25:57 |
| Fargo (1996) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:11:39 |
| Fatal Attraction (1987) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 16:30 |
Directors Referenced (8)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Carpenter | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 57 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | Halloween | ▶ 3:05 |
| Quentin Tarantino | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, From Dusk Till Dawn | ▶ 2:13 |
| Alex Cox | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 54:51 | |
| David Winning | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:22:40 | |
| John Ford | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | ▶ 26:39 | |
| Kosta Jokic | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 20:40 | |
| Paul Bellany | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | Stardust | ▶ 0:00 |
| Sergio Leone | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Once Upon a Time in America, Once Upon a Time in the West | ▶ 32:30 |
Actors Referenced (43)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roddy Piper | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 64 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | They Live | ▶ 5:06 |
| Keith David | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 30 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | They Live, Armageddon | ▶ 9:24 |
| Kurt Russell | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 13 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | Escape from New York, The Hateful Eight | ▶ 17:11 |
| Meg Foster | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 11 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | They Live, Masters of the Universe | ▶ 32:50 |
| Sharon Stone | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Basic Instinct, Casino, The Quick and the Dead | ▶ 55:41 |
| Danny Trejo | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Machete, From Dusk Till Dawn, Predators | ▶ 1:12:09 |
| Frank Vincent | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | Goodfellas, Casino | ▶ 7:24 |
| John Wayne | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance | ▶ 26:39 |
| Peter Jason | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | 48 Hrs., They Live | ▶ 54:19 |
| Alex Jones | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 46:02 | |
| Avery Brooks | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | American History X | ▶ 51:41 |
| Drew Barrymore | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Charlie's Angels, 50 First Dates, Never Been Kissed | ▶ 16:15 |
Writers Referenced (5)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 28:03 | |
| John Steinbeck | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey | East of Eden | ▶ 19:51 |
| Ray Nelson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | They Live | ▶ 7:13 |
| Ted Turner | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Angels in the Outfield | ▶ 15:18 |
| Michael Dinner | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 36:32 |