They Live… Again! Universal remake Carpenter’s alien flick
Universal has come here to do two things: chew bubblegum and remake John Carpenter’s They Live… and they’re all out of bubblegum.
Yes, on a particularly remake-heavy day, even by Hollywood’s standards, the studio has announced plans to conjure up a new version of Carpenter’s hugely enjoyable 1988 alien invasion movie, which starred Rowdy Roddy Piper as a drifter who, thanks to a pair of magical sunglasses, can see that evil aliens have infiltrated human society and are slowly taking over from within.
Although not Carpenter’s best work, the movie has a ramshackle charm, some demented dialogue (including the peerless line parodied above, in which Piper announces that he’s come to kick ass or chew gum… and he’s all out of gum), one of the greatest and longest fistfights of all time, and a barnstorming action climax, not to mention – hey! – a satirical subtext about the level of interference in our everyday lives.
It also looks like it cost about £20.38, so a remake that allows the new director (whoever that may be) to control some shiny new FX toys is not necessarily a bad thing.
No writer is yet attached, but Carpenter will executive produce, along with Shep Gordon, while Marc Abraham and Eric Newman, of Strike Entertainment (who are stumping up the cash along with Universal) will produce. Strike has previous in the remake business – they were behind Zack Snyder’s Dawn Of The Dead, and are working on a remake of Carpenter’s The Thing. Rest assured, readers, we’ll give that one a much harder time than They Live…
Gotta disagree with you there. For one thing, I'm not sure I'd call veor... surely it's more in the category of sci fi (albeit with some horror elements), not that it matters really. I really enjoyed ve found it frustratingly lacking in pace to begin with, and then parts of it are underdeveloped after the brilliant middle section, with Roddy Piper walking down the street checking out the 'real world' for the first time. Plus the ending is a bit shit.
It's ideas and themes are still as releva... Read More
What the Frig???? PLEASE let us get a petition up against remaking THE THING(again)....no, no no you assholes do not touch this.....do you think they would dare touch ALIEN or BLADERUNNER....or even STARWARS??? (George Lucas Please do NOT GET ANY WEIRD IDEAS) ...The Thing is a perfect peice of suspense and horror, the isolation and the paranoia, perfect....the special effects are only slightly dated and they still look better than a lot of CGI crap you get now, its Carpenters best work....its Ru... Read More
I'm sorry i consider myself a kind of wine taster when it comes to horror, i know my shit in other words. THEY LIVE is almost certainly a classic, the arguments FOR a remake are invalid at best, stupid at worst. Throwing cash at something that isn't broken is stupid, as is hollywoods remake obsession.
Lets say it was the remake of DAWN OF THE DEAD was the kickstart of this american obsession with redoing classics, although i enjoyed the DAWN remake i soon tired of its cardboard characters, i ye... Read More
Hollywood has become so devoid of all original ideas that they seem to always resort to remaking old movies! I wish they could get some decent scriptwriters who didn't strike and actually tried to make up some of their storylines!sp; John Carpenters The Thing is a brillant movie and Hollywood will absoutely ruin it if it gets remade. The most annoying thing about it is that it will probably be a shitty Jason Statham vehicle and be directed by the incompetent director who did The Invasion.
&n... Read More
L: Halo14
I think a remake of this sounds fantastic!! I enjoyed the original, and would certainly enjoy a remake. Like the article said, it may turn out even better with increased effects.
, lets just remake every old movie so we can have "increased effects" Sweet jesus!!! ... Read More
I think a remake of this sounds fantastic!! I enjoyed the original, and would certainly enjoy a remake. Like the article said, it may turn out even better with increased effects. ... Read More
RE: THEY LIVED ALREADY!!!! Leave Carpenter's Classic alone.
They Live is a good choice for a remake. The original is no classic and could easily be improved upon. The Thing, however, should be left alone. ... Read More
