Cyberpunk @lemmy.villa-straylight.social identity-disc @lemmy.villa-straylight.social 1 yr. ago

Do you consider They Live to be cyberpunk?

The movie is about low-lifes and there's a strong (overwhelming?) anti-consumerism theme, but it's really an alien invasion movie and the only high-tech comes from the aliens. Otherwise, it's a "modern day" scifi.

So what do you think? Do you consider They Live to be cyberpunk?

Here's a clip if you haven't seen the movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z9hMartaFc
As far as I can tell, it's only streaming on Starz right now.

16 comments

I wouldn't call They Live cyberpunk because it doesn't really deal with humanity's relationship with technology as part of the plot.

The sunglasses are a magic technology along with whatever the aliens have. You have a stratified society maintained by technology, but it could effectively be magic.
It doesn't exactly have the cyber part of cyberpunk. I wouldn't say that alien tech, especially that of an invading species humanity doesn't even know about, would count.
- Yeah I've seen it listed along with Repo Man as one of the few punk movies.
I've watched the movie some time ago, but I think it's not really cyberpunk as it is mostly about contemporary society. If it would be cyberpunk it would have been about how modern technology is affecting us
- I agree there are some minor changes they could make that would tip it into the "cyberpunk" category for me. For example, if the aliens were all members of a single corporation (as opposed to integrating with society) then it'd have a stronger "corporations with too much control" theme and might be considered cyberpunk. Or, if you take out aliens entirely and this is other humans doing the exact same thing, I'd consider it cyberpunk.
They Live is cyberpunk

They Live is anticapitalist

But for real no I don't. Lacks both the cyber part and the punk part.
- I'd argue that the social critique is pretty punk.
  
  IDK don't you think the bar has to be a little higher than that alone? Is Robocop punk? Alien? Metropolis?
They Live has a cool concept that could be labeled Sci-Fi, but it is an action movie where Rowdy Roddy Piper can run around kicking ass and making quips. It is no different than any Arnold or Stallone movie. And I should point out I like They Live. It just isn't Cyberpunk.
On a "feel" basis I could count it I suppose, but I dont think it's really in the genre
It's some kind of punk I suppose, not cyber though.
JWZ had an interesting analysis of they live
Once you see the metaphor Aliens = Corporate Eschalon Hegemony, then yes it works.

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