Have you watched the action-horror flick, They Live? Do you want to know where was They Live filmed? Then you’ve come to the right place. Today, I am going to let you in on the filming locations of this classic horror film and also discuss the plot in brief.
The American horror drama movie They Live was released in the summer of 1988. This riveting movie was directed by John Carpenter. As a matter of fact, Carpenter not only directed They Live, but he also collaborated with Ray Nelson and wrote the screenplay.
The basic premise of They Live is based on Ray Nelson’s short story, which was published in 1963. The story revolves around an unnamed vagabond who discovers a highly advanced sunglass. The plot thickens when the lead actor figures out the main use of the sunglasses and later decodes hidden alien messages.
They Live grossed over $13 million at the box office against the production budget of just $3 million. Fans of science fiction movies enjoyed the overall storyline of the movie and also appreciated Carpenter’s style of direction. Even though They Live collected 4 prestigious nominations in total, it didn’t manage to bag a single major award.
If you’re really intrigued to find out where was They Live filmed, then I promise not to let you keep waiting for long. I’ll now discuss the filming locations of this bone-chilling film.
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Where Was They Live Filmed? Let’s Know This Horror Drama Film Closely!
The story of They Live is set in and around Los Angeles County. But, the actual shooting of this movie took place in several locations in America. The director couldn’t afford to shoot all sequences of the film in California, so that’s why he came up with another solution. The director thought of utilizing the tax exemption offered by the state of Georgia. So, even before selecting the filming locations in California, the director asked the production members to scout ideal shooting locations in Georgia.
Within a couple of weeks, the production members were able to identify a couple of potential filming locations in and around the city of Atlanta. After these locations were selected, the production members moved to California.
Since the main story of the film is set in California, the director wanted to capture the majority of the scenes in this beautiful state. So without complicating the process much, the director instructed the production members to search for perfect filming locations in and around Los Angeles County. After all the locations were selected in America, the director checked them in person and then asked the crew to acquire the shooting permits. Even though the production members were way ahead of their schedule, they struggled to acquire shooting permission for some locations.
So, before the shooting process began, some locations had to be dropped. At the same time, some new locations were also added to the list. Finally, by the first week of March 1988, the principal photography of They Live began.
The shooting process continued for the next month, and during this time, the majority of the outdoor scenes of They Live were filmed in and around Los Angeles County. Some minor sequences of the movie were filmed in Georgia during the final phase of shooting. After all the outdoor shots were captured, the production members traveled to Atlanta and then filmed the interior sequences of the movie.
California | USA
The opening sequence of the movie, where we see the lead character for the first time, was filmed near Spring St, Los Angeles. The production members used a medium-sized house located at 116 North Spring Street to capture the opening sequence of the movie.
Other important scenes depicting Holly’s House were filmed inside a small-sized house located at 8634 Franklin Avenue, Los Angeles. A couple of other outdoor scenes were captured near the downtown area and Hollywood Hills area in Los Angeles.
The sequences where the character of Nada figures out the encoded signals while wearing the special sunglasses were filmed near 899 West First Street, Los Angeles. The scenes of the iconic construction site where Nada identifies the aliens were filmed near a sparsely populated area located near 333 South Spring St, Los Angeles.
Additional outdoor scenes of They Live were filmed near South Grand Avenue and 1200 Colton Street. After all these scenes were filmed, the production members moved to Georgia.
Georgia | USA
The second phase of shooting began in the city of Atlanta. The production members filmed the remaining outdoor scenes in this beautiful city and then captured the interior scenes. By the final week of April 1988 the production members completed the entire shooting process of They Live and then began working on the promotion of the movie.
If you’re planning to visit Georgia anytime soon, then you can look up Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi, and Mtskheta. These are some of the most beautiful places in Georgia that you should definitely check out in person. Let us now discuss the plot of They Live.
Plot Of They Live | What’s It About
The story of They Live revolves around the character of Nada, a middle-aged American man living in Los Angeles. At the beginning of the movie, the lead actor finds special sunglasses while strolling down the street.
As the story progresses further, the lead actor observes the weird behavior of the pedestrians and other civilians. But, shortly after the male lead puts on the special pair of sunglasses, he realizes the hidden power of the object. Soon he starts decoding the cryptic alien messages and figures out a way to communicate with them.
Watch They Live and find out the full story.
Final Words
Friends, we’ve reached the final segment. I’ve mentioned the filming locations of this movie and also added other interesting information. But if you still have any other questions, let us know in the comments.
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