A Canadian born wrestler and 2005 inductee to the WWE Hall of Fame, Rowdy Roddy Piper might not have been the most successful exponent of his sport, but he can claim the distinction of being the star of a genuine cult classic. John Carpenter directed They Live and cast Piper as the drifter hero of the piece, a man who discovers a special pair of glasses that reveal the true alien form of the elite members of society whose malign rule we suffer as they live among us. This revelation doesn't sit well with our hero, and he decides to fight for humankind, and go on an ill-advised murderous rampage (and becoming a wanted man in the process). He meets up with his friend and co-worker Frank (Keith David) in a quiet alley, and though Frank is able to give him some severance pay from work, he wants nothing else to do with the seemingly unhinged drifter. Our hero tries to open up Franks eyes by making him don the glasses, but Frank refuses. This misunderstanding ultimately degenerates from traditional kicks and haymaker punches to choking, biting, groin blows, and even a little two-by-four vs. beer bottle action. As the great Ron Burgundy would say, things escalated quickly."
Jesse Gumbarge is editor and chief blogger at JarvisCity.com - He loves old-school horror films and starting pointless debates. You can reach out at: JesseGumbarge@JarvisCity.com
