Watch new Green Day’s video inspired in John Carpenter’s “They Live”

Green Day just released a new music video for the song “Back In The USA” that pays tribute to the horror/sci-fi movie “They Live” (1988) directed by legendary John Carpenter.

The video opens with Billie Joe Armstrong living a sterilized, black-and-white Fifties sitcom existence until a woman shows up at his house with a pair of sunglasses that allows him to both see colors and, like Carpenter’s 1988 film, subliminal messaging.

Take a look:

The track is from “God’s Favorite Band”, Green Day’s first best-of compilation since 2001’s International Superhits, boasts 20 of the band’s biggest hits alongside two new songs: “Back in the USA” and a new version of Billie Joe Armstrong’s solo cut-turned-Revolution Radio closer “Ordinary World” featuring guest Miranda Lambert.

They Live

The movie from 1988 is written and directed by John Carpenter. The film stars Roddy Piper, Keith David, and Meg Foster. It follows an unnamed drifter (referred to as “John Nada” in the film’s credits) who discovers that the ruling class are in fact aliens concealing their appearance and manipulating people to spend money, breed, and accept the status quo with subliminal messages in mass media. It is based on the 1963 short story, “Eight O’Clock in the Morning” by Ray Nelson.

At release it was number one in the box office, but sales soon suffered, though the film was nominated for two Saturn Awards. They Live has since become a cult film. The film has had a lasting impact on street art, particularly that of Shepard Fairey; its quotations have entered the popular culture, and it makes appearances on all-time lists for best fight scenes.

Watch the trailer below:

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