If you’ve recently experienced a spiritual awakening and feel like you’re suddenly living in a different world, you are not alone. In this episode of Occult Pop, we dive deep into John Carpenter's 1988 cult classic They Live, a film that serves as the ultimate metaphor for "putting on the glasses" and seeing the subliminal messages and hidden realities of our society. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed by conspiracy theories, struggling to help friends and family "awaken," or navigating the isolating shift from the mundane to the spiritual, we are here to commiserate and build a community for those who see beyond the veil. Join Guy Quintero and Danica Simone as we discuss the occult themes, interdimensional entities, and why this sci-fi horror masterpiece is more relevant today than ever for anyone on the path of truth.
Transcript & Show Notes
00:00 Welcome to Occult Pop: Decoding Pop Culture
Guy Quintero: This is Occult Pop, where we look at popular culture through an occult lens. I'm Guy Quintero, and this is my co-host…
Danica Simone: Danica Simone.
00:07 Why ‘They Live’ is More Relevant Today Than Ever
Guy: And today we're talking about a classic 80s action movie, but this one is one that'll get you thinking, right? This one takes you down a rabbit hole and shows a reflection of society, that while not completely physically accurate, still holds true to its metaphor and how it applies to the world as we know it. And even though it was made, this movie is almost 40 years old now? 36?
Simone: Almost, yeah.
Guy: Something like that. This movie is many decades old, and everything in it still resonates true today.
Simone: Yup. It's as relevant today as it was in the 80s.
Guy: And that movie is ‘They Live.’
00:52 ‘They Live’ (1988) Plot Summary & Sunglasses Metaphor
Simone: ‘They Live’ came out in 1988. It's an American science fiction action horror film. Written, directed, and scored by John Carpenter and starring Roddy Piper, Keith David, and Meg Foster. It was based on the 1963 short story, Eight O'Clock in the Morning by Ray Nelson.
They influence our decisions without us knowing it. They numb our senses without us feeling it. They control our lives without us realizing it. They Live. A rugged loner, played by Roddy Piper, stumbles upon a terrifying discovery: goulish creatures are masquerading as humans while they lull the public into submission through subliminal advertising messages. Only specially made sunglasses make the deadly truth visible.
01:44 The Mystery of "Nada": Why the Main Character Has No Name
Simone: And just as a caveat, the other day, I noticed when I was watching it to prepare for this episode, I noticed that the main character, Roddy Piper's character, doesn't have a name. And I was like, what's his name? They never say it in the movie. And in the credits, you see his name just says Nada, N-A-D-A, Nada. So that's very telling. I love the amount of detail that John Carpenter really put into this film because he's, you know, so he doesn't even have a name.
They don't even say it. They don't even acknowledge, like, you know, he even goes to like, he’s pretty much homeless. And so he goes looking for a job. And you know, he's telling them his history and everything. They didn't even ask for his name. Like there's no introduction, no nothing. And then he meets his fellow coworker, like on a job construction site. No introductions, there's no names. It's crazy.
Guy: Yeah.
Simone: Yeah, so it's very telling that he doesn't have a name, and then in the credits, it's just Nada, which in Spanish means nothing. And you see by the way these entities, demons, aliens, whatever… I think they’re technically aliens because they're saying they're interplanetary. They also say interdimensional.
Guy: Well, he says they’re interdimensional. Yeah.
Simone: They do use the word interdimensional, but you also see them shooting off to other planets.
Guy: Well, perhaps that's what we saw, but maybe they're just going through wormholes into another dimension.
Simone: I mean, it looked like there was a giant planet on the screen. There was a giant planet, and there were stars and everything.
Guy: Who knows?
Simone: Yeah.
Guy: They said they were interdimensional.
Simone: They did.
Guy: I think they were demons, but…
Simone: I can see that they're interdimensional because they have the watch where they, like, zap out. You know?
Guy: I think they were demons. I think the reason why they look undead is because they're demons. I think whoever came up with that idea, John Carpenter, more than likely.
Simone: Well, the original story is by Ray Nelson from the 60s.
Guy: Yeah, they were probably trying to symbolize that, you know, the Nephilim demons that are dead are rising up again and taking over our leadership. Because this is something that a lot of conspiracy theorists like to say that, yeah, they're possessed by demons. And if you know where demons come from, the book Enoch explains it. You know, the demons technically are dead Nephilim and dead humans whose souls cannot be redeemed. So they're stuck on the other side. So that makes a lot of sense in that aspect.
Simone: Yeah.
Guy: I learn something new every time I watch this movie. I didn't even know he didn't have a name until you mentioned it. You know? And then there's other things too. The guy, when he says they’re extradimensional, because for the longest time, I thought this was a science fiction movie. So if it's not science fiction, if they're extradimensional, that means it's more spiritual. Right? Like, whoa, what just happened there?
Simone: I've always said I think that when scientists and you know, the ancient alien theorists, and everything… I think “aliens” is a scam. I don't think there are aliens. I think there are demons.
Guy: Yeah.
Simone: Okay. Like, I don't think aliens are real. It's their code word for just demons. You know?
Guy: Yeah.
Simone: I think it's a scam. I think they want it to be labeled as sci-fi. They want you thinking it's aliens. Nobody makes big production movies and calls it spiritual, unless you're Mel Gibson and it's ‘The Passion of the Christ.’ Okay?
Guy: Yeah, that’s true. Yeah.
05:11 Spiritual Awakening: The Struggle to Wake Up "Normies"
Guy: So, one of the things I noticed now is that when Roddy Piper and Keith David are fighting, he's trying to get them to see the truth.
Simone: When I rewatched that scene. I was busting out laughing because I was like, this fight is a physical portrayal…
Guy: A metaphor, yeah.
Simone: Of what it feels like when you awaken, and you try telling your friends and family, and they don't want to listen. And he's like, “Just put the glasses on!” And he won't do it.
Guy: Something that simple, right?
Simone: Yeah.
Guy: And they just refuse to do it.
Simone: Refuse, and you're like, just put on the glasses. Like if you see nothing, just say, “I don't see anything. Like, you're crazy.” How hard would it have been to just put on the glasses? But I mean, that was an epic fight.
Guy: Yeah.
Simone: That was like WrestleMania.
Guy: That struggle was such a great metaphor for trying to get normies to awaken.
Simone: Whoever coordinated that fight. I mean, they did it so well.
Guy: Yeah.
Simone: You could tell it was like telling a story, like, of how you feel that inner struggle when you're just trying to like tell somebody, like, “This is what I learned. This is the rabbit hole I fell down.” And they just don't want to listen.
Guy: They don't want to listen. Yeah. They don't want to listen. Yeah. It's crazy talking with people sometimes, and then just watching them go to their own doom. Like, and that's our natural instinct is, you know, creatures of the light, beings of the light, to not want to let our fellow human beings run blindly into doom. Right?
Simone: Yeah, you’re like, “I'm trying to help you. trying to warn you. I'm trying to protect you.”
Guy: Yeah.
Simone: “I'm trying to save your life here.” And so you feel like you're just banging your head on a wall and getting no headway.
Guy: Yeah.
Simone: Right? I would recommend anyone who has gone through this painful journey of awakening and have had those people judging them in their lives, you know, where it's like, “You’ve known me your whole life. Why would you think I'm crazy all of a sudden?” Like…
Guy: Yeah.
Simone: “I haven't changed. I just learned the truth, and I'm trying to…” anyone who's gone through that. If you haven't seen this movie, watch this movie just for that scene alone, and you will bust out laughing because you'll feel it. You'll feel it. You're be like, “Oh, that hits so hard! That's how I feel mentally.”
Guy: Trying to get someone to awaken, trying to get a mundane to awaken is the most frustrating. That's why I gave up. I gave up trying to awaken people. I'm just like, okay.
Simone: Yeah, all you can do is take care of yourself and…
Guy: Protect your sanity.
Simone: And if you want to help people do what we do, spread the message and offer…
Guy: Offer…
Simone: Offer…
Guy: But don’t force.
Simone: A way to, yeah, like we're trying to help you guys. We offer it. We don't force it down anyone’s throat.
Guy: As soon as I meet resistance, I'm like, okay.
Simone: Yeah, it's not for you. Move on. It's totally fine.
Guy: I've learned that as I get older, Keanu Reeves has a great saying, and it goes like this, “You believe that two plus two equals twelve, so be it. Two plus two equals twelve. Awesome.” Then he gives them a thumbs up, and just heads the other direction. That’s it. No more arguments, folks. No more trying to help people who don't want to be helped. You just gotta let them do their own thing. You know? I learned that lesson because I, initially on my path as a Magician of the right-handed path, I tried to help people and it just, a lot of it blew up in my face.
Simone: Well, and so a funny story is, you awoke well before I did. I mean, I knew some stuff, but I didn't know all the conspiracy theories. I was not into the conspiracy theories, and you came in like a wrecking ball and tore apart all my beliefs on Christmas. And I was so… like I said in the previous episode, I'm very much an eye for an eye. So I just turned around, and I ruined the moon landing for you. And you fought back so hard. You were like, “No, that really happened.” I remember. And I was like…
Guy: I did.
Simone: I thought you were awakened. I thought you knew about all this stuff, and you fought me so hard.
Guy: Then you start to do research, and you start realizing…
Simone: Well, I presented my case. I was like, what about this and what about this?
Guy: Yeah, you did. And then, but…
Simone: And then you looked into it.
Guy: I'm the type of person I need to see the evidence myself.
Simone: Yeah. No, you fought me off about it, walked away.
Guy: I wouldn’t say I fought off, but I rather, I just kind of like, okay, all right, took it with a grain of salt. There was doubt. There was a lot of doubt.
Simone: There was a lot of doubt because you straight-up told me, “I don't believe it. That was real. That happened.” We went our separate ways. And then I think a few months went by. And I think that entire time you were studying it, and you were looking into it and researching it. And then you came back like two months later, and you were like, “Oh my God, you were right.”
Guy: Yeah. Then I started realizing that the entire NASA program was a lie.
Simone: You needed your own time.
Guy: Yeah. A lot of people are starting... I'm so happy now, though. Now it's like 26 years later or something ridiculous like that. And now I can see…
Simone: Okay, Lestat, how old are you?
Guy: Who knows? I don't know. I lost count, and I lost track. Anyway, so it's like all these decades later and now I see people now and they're like. “Yeah, it's fake. This recent one it’s fake. It's all fake!” So I'm just like, yes, people are awakening.
Simone: I know, now it's like one of the more common things. They're like, it's a full-on, it’s a TV set.
Guy: There are so many people coming out guns blazing, just absolutely dissecting it. And it's just beautiful seeing people think for themselves.
Simone: Yeah.
Guy: And not being manipulated. But yeah, so…
10:35 A Top Movie for Spiritual Awakening from David Icke & Other Spiritual Influencers
Guy: ‘They Live,’ starring Roddy Piper, rest in peace, Piper. I loved that guy. He was an awesome entertainer. And starring also the very talented Keith David, who is still with us, Meg Foster, and directed by John Carpenter, the legendary John Carpenter. So, great movie! If you are on a path of spiritual awakening, this is a must-see movie. David Ike recommends it, a few other people who are spiritual awakeners, they recommend it as well. This one is a real eye-opener, real eye-opener of what to do, what not to do, how to react, how to awaken, how to awaken others.
It's just, it's a real eye-opener. There's a lot of stuff that happens and transpires in this movie. And a lot of you, that are right now, currently either starting the path or on the path, will probably look at it with some joviality and just start laughing because there's some funny moments, where I'm like, “Oh yeah, I've been there.” The freaking out, the looking around like, oh my God, everything's… nothing is what it seems. You've been there when you start awakening, you're gonna be like, “Oh man, I was right there where Nada is right now on screen.”
Simone: Yeah, it’s kind of reminiscent of ‘The Matrix.’ You know? This is like ‘The Matrix’ before ‘The Matrix.’
Guy: Yeah, this was ‘The Matrix’ before ‘The Matrix,’ yeah. Must see movie.
Simone: All right, and with that, hope you have a great day and…
Guy: Like, share, and subscribe to our channel, Arcana District. And that’s it for this episode of Occult Pop.
Simone: We'll see you next time.
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