By JAMES BURRELL
A scathing commentary on unfettered consumerism, Regan-era politics, and subjugation of the blue-collar worker, John Carpenter’s 1988 cult classic THEY LIVE was poorly received by critics upon its release but has grown in popularity over the decades and is now considered a prescient work for its perspective on unchecked capitalism and the mistreatment of the working class by large corporate entities.
For decades there had been no licensed THEY LIVE merchandise produced, save for home video releases and a soundtrack of the score (with music by Carpenter and frequent collaborator, Alan Howarth) on LP, CD, and cassette. In the past few years that began to change, with the marketing of such items as over-the-head rubber masks and 3 ¾ and 8-inch figures. One of the latest collectibles is a fantastic bust-like sculpture of one of the film’s most iconic aliens – the Politician – from soundtrack label Waxwork Records.
Standing four inches tall, this highly detailed piece – dubbed a “Spinature” – depicts the television-savvy statesman with perfectly coiffed hair in all his ghoulish glory: blue skin with red sinewy bits, exposed gums, and striking, bug-like metallic eyes. The sculpting in the face, hair, hands, and suit is fantastic, and the piece is very well painted. There is a hole in the bottom of the Spinature that allows it to be placed on the spindle of your turntable, and you can watch the Politician grin fiendishly while you spin your favourite albums. Housed in a nicely designed window box, it’s a great, unique collectible for THEY LIVE and John Carpenter fans.
The THEY LIVE Politician is one of eight Spinatures available from the Waxwork website, with other releases consisting of Michael Myers from Halloween II, the Witch, Skull and Jack-o-Lantern masked children from Halloween III: Season of the Witch, and several of the Universal Monsters.
All Spinatures are presently on sale on the Waxwork website for $12 each (that is 50% off their original SRP of $24) until June 30th.
