John Carpenter's 'They Live'

John Carpenter's They Live is showing at Phoenix Picturehouse on Friday 30 October, starting at 9pm. It's a late one, but it fits the bill: a sci-fi satire that Carpenter built from his B-movie roots, with a sprightly pace and a decidedly 1950s feel. The film runs 94 minutes, so you'll be out well before midnight.

The story kicks off with a drifter who comes across a pair of sunglasses that let him see the aliens hiding in plain sight. Once he puts them on, he realises the yuppies running the economy are actually extraterrestrials using subliminal advertising to keep the populace docile. It's Carpenter at his most playful, taking a simple hook and stretching it into a sharp, cynical look at power and control.

The screening is part of 'Phoenix Nights', the cinema's handpicked series of cult classics, so it's in good company. The Phoenix Picturehouse itself is a century-old Oxford institution with two screens and a friendly upstairs bar, and it does more than just cult nights — it runs a 'Kids' Club' with UNICEF that brings families together through cinema.

If you're heading in, the cinema is at 57-58 Walton Street, OX2 6AE. The film starts at 9pm on Friday 30 October, and with a runtime of 94 minutes, it's a tight, punchy evening of sci-fi satire.