Filmmaking legend John Carpenter has some choice words for Donald Trump.
As it appears on THR'S It happened in Hollywood podcast to discuss the making of his 1988 sci-fi film They live – itself a tongue-in-cheek commentary on Reagan-era political policies – the topic of the November 5, 2024 presidential election and the stark choice Americans face between Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris came up.
After host Seth Abramovitch noted that Trump “fits perfectly into the They live world” – where an alien race moves silently among humans, brainwashing them to do things like “obey” and “consume” – Carpenter, 76, said: “Of course it does. It makes total sense.”
“There is so much about what we have become as a country that makes me heartache,” he continued. “This return of racism and xenophobia. Oh my God, this is a terrible, terrible thing.
“I grew up in the South and am very familiar with the Jim Crow South. And I knew it would never end. I know that no matter what law you pass, in the hearts of many settlers – not all, but many – those settlements remain.
“But now it's been brought back by Trump, I think. And it's horrible. The world is just horrible,” Carpenter said.
In They livethen-WWF wrestler Roddy Piper plays Nada, a homeless factory worker who comes to Los Angeles looking for work. He discovers a pair of sunglasses that reveal the true nature of society: a race of bulging-eyed aliens have camouflaged themselves to resemble normal people and are feeding subliminal messages through advertising and the media to keep them beseeched and obedient.
Also starring Keith David – engaging in a memorable five-and-a-half-minute fight scene with Piper in an alley – the film was made for just $3 million ($8 million in 2024 dollars) and was a success, earning 13.4 million dollars. ($36 million today) at the box office.
It was hailed as a science fiction classic, inspiring everyone from artist Shepard Fairey to the band Green Day, who paid homage to it in their “Back in the USA” video.
Carpenter, whose canon includes masterpieces such as those of 1978 Halloween and 1982 The thing – added an optimistic conclusion to his thoughts on the state of the country and the world.
“It's horrible right now, but I have hope, just as I have,” he said, “I have hope for humanity. I have hope that things will improve. But I worry, I worry, I worry.
Listen to the entire episode of It happened in Hollywood Now.