They Live Vs. The Thing

[Marklar]

The Thing is the better movie..even though it makes me laugh..They Live was ok..just OK

[nubbydigit]

The Thing.

They Live was a fun movie too!

[FreddysFingers]

The Thing is more profound whereas They Live blatantly states its theme. Not to say that it's a bad movie but The Thing is probably Carpenter's best film by far, however They Live is Carpenter's underrated film. At least it's underrated in the sense of being profound. The Thing showed how Carpenter matured into a fantastic director and They Lived made him a revolutionary. Both are good films but my heart will always belong to The Thing.

[LolliePop]

While I like the concept behind They Live, its really not the greatest film in the world in terms of consistent watchability and its not one I often choose to revisit. The Thing is outstanding from start to finish and has some of the most memorable practical effects. Both have innovative ideas, and while I like Piper's one-liners there isn't much else in They Live to endear me to it. Love The Thing so it gets my vote.

[FreddysFingers]

It's replay value isn't soaring like The Thing but I find myself revisiting it, not because of Piper's one-liners or the action, but because of how ominous the entire film feels. There is something dark and sinister underlaying They Live and I'm not sure what it is but this feeling or "subplot" is what drives me to watch it every now and then. I guess I also like it because it's Carpenter's take on the 80's media/yuppie culture and how he incorporated science-fiction with revolution. With that said, I can watch The Thing over and over and over again. They're both films that critique the decade.

[LolliePop]

I think you make some great points Freddy - and inadvertently have made a point for me I think. The way you describe They Live, which I completely agree with, means I think its a film I appreciate more than I feel for. No rhyme or reason for that. Its purely an emotive response. While I really have a respect for it, it just doesn't draw me in for some reason in comparison to The Thing.

[Freddy=Legend]

[COLOR="Red"]The Thing is the better movie. In terms of production, acting, writing, almost any which way you can slice a film.

But if the question asked which film I'd rather watch over and over, it's They Live. It's one of those films that you can have fun with and kick back and enjoy. The Thing is much more intense and far more of a late night creature feature to scare the hell out of you.[/COLOR]

[Lycan]

Gotta go with They Live

ONS FOR LIFE.

Also, this Tara person is hot. CAN I HAH YO NUMBAH?exdev:

[Freddy=Legend]

Gotta go with They Live

ONS FOR LIFE.

Also, this Tara person is hot. CAN I HAH YO NUMBAH?exdev:

ONS is way of life. The privileged few get experience it.

[Lycan]

ONS is way of life. The privileged few get experience it.

This is true.

[FreddysFingers]

I think you make some great points Freddy - and inadvertently have made a point for me I think. The way you describe They Live, which I completely agree with, means I think its a film I appreciate more than I feel for. No rhyme or reason for that. Its purely an emotive response. While I really have a respect for it, it just doesn't draw me in for some reason in comparison to The Thing.

I can see what you're saying. The Thing does draw you in with it's powerful characters and tense mood, but then again, They Live and The Thing are two different movies in terms of mood and atmosphere. It's hard for me to describe the emotive response I have for They Live because I think it's exclusive to me only. To describe it I would have to give a scenario: Imagine yourself sitting in your bedroom, at night, looking out into your backyard and you see the entire neighborhood and beyond it. Then think to yourself, there is something out there… waiting for you… and you have to stop it. The fate of the world rests on your shoulder and it's your destiny. That's the mood I feel with They Live but the thing frightens me. I think one film works on the subconscience while the other isn't afraid to wonk you in the head with fear.