15 Action Films From The 1980s You Must Watch
14. They Live - 1988
“I have come to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I am all out of bubblegum.” If you have heard that line before but were not sure where it came from, it was from this cinematic gem and was spoken by former professional wrestler “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.
They Live was a classic example of a John Carpenter film that originally received negative reviews but would later garner a cult following.
The film follows John Nada who, with the help of some special sunglasses, discovers aliens are manipulating people through subliminal messages hidden in mass media. With the help of an underground resistance group and his friend Frank, played by Keith David, John sets off to destroy the broadcast signal hiding the aliens' identities from the world and allow humanity to see the aliens living among them.
The film is fondly remembered for the many great action sequences where John and Frank blast their way through the aliens, but the highlight of the film is when they fight each other. For over six minutes, Piper and David beat the crap out of one another in what is remembered as one of the best fist fights of all time.