I’ve seen this quite a few times before but it honestly never gets old. Roddy Piper is at his B-movie best in this. Keith David is excellent (wish his role was bigger – he would have been great as the lead in a different universe).
The scene where Piper first puts on the glasses is so well done, so intriguing, so iconic still. The whole thing feels like a giant Twilight Zone episode (that’s a good thing). But what truly makes this film stand the test of time is its socio-political commentary. Reacting to the excesses to the 80’s and Carpenter’s perceived evils of the Regan administration elevates this Sci-Fi tale to something important. They don’t make them like they used to.