John Carpenter’s ‘They Live’ Returns to VHS for Nostalgic Cult Film Fetishists

When John Carpenter‘s “They Live” was released in 1988, it became an instant favorite among sci-fi enthusiasts for its sly, scary tale of aliens controlling us via subliminal messages that could be consciously perceived only by wearing special sunglasses. Carpenter intended the film as a cautionary tale about the dangers of unrestrained capitalism, a theme that has only gained increased resonance in the 37 years since he made it.

The enduring popularity of “They Live” among genre fans has yielded a number of special edition releases on physical media over the years, and now there’s an especially enticing one for Carpenter aficionados looking to simulate the way they might have first experienced “They Live” back in the 1990s: a new widescreen VHS version from the UK’s Vice Press Home Video.

VHS fetishism has surged in recent years, partly thanks to Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary’s “Video Archives” podcast and partly as an extension of the larger rise in popularity of physical media among cinephiles as a reaction against the ephemeral quality of streaming. Nostalgia plays a part too, of course, as those of us who came of age in the VHS era have an almost Pavlovian response to the look and feel of those chunky black tapes.

“They Live” is the latest in a series of collector’s editions from Vice Press Home Video that play on that nostalgia. The company began with releases of Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead II” and Dario Argento’s “Suspiria,” and last year, they produced a VHS version of Fede Álvarez’s “Alien: Romulus” that beautifully replicated the style of VHS releases from back in the format’s heyday.

‘They Live’Vice Press

“They Live” will be released in two editions: a slip case “They Live, We Sleep” edition that features art designed by Florey and includes one of five screen-printed, white tapes featuring slogans from the film. The “Collector’s Edition” features a reversible cover, with the front including art by Vice Press Home Video co-founder and artist Matt Ferguson, with the reversible, alternate side including the original key art featuring Roddy Piper.

Either way, Carpenter completists will likely find it hard to avoid the urge to, as the aliens in “They Live” would urge, CONSUME.

‘They Live’Vice Press

John Carpenter‘s “They Live” will be released on VHS on February 6 by Vice Press.