Entertainment
Sponsored by

Why I like Die Hard.

4,181 Views | 59 Replies | Last: 3 days ago by surfandturfsbisa96
RikkiTikkaTagem
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
3:44a, 12/25/25
AG
I usually end up working the night shift on Christmas Eve so I can have Christmas Day off. I usually will watch Die Hard during the shift because it's not something I'm able to watch with my young kids.

I really enjoy the movie.

1. Such great characters. Hans, McClain, Powell, Holly, Theo, Argyle, Ellis

2. Great intensity throughout the movie with them trying to hunt John down.

3. I love movies with intelligent villains who have a great plan. Watching both sides problem solve in real time is also great. The back and forth between who has the upper hand is great. Hans trying to find the detonators and then doing his American accent is one of my favorite scenes in a movie. Hans tricking John, and then John tricking Hans with the empty gun is so great.

4. The dialogue is a little campy but "it was the 80s man". Some great one liners though.

Reply Quote
34
1
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
6:27a, 12/25/25
I'd like to read a novelization that begins weeks before that has a lot of Karl/Theo dialogue.
Reply Quote
6
Cinco Ranch Aggie
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
6:35a, 12/25/25
AG
DH is very high up on my list of perfect movies. I ding it for only one thing - the sequence where he falls down the elevator shaft and manages to catch himself by the tip of his fingers. So 99.5% perfection.

I worked at the Schulman 6 theater in Bryan in the fall of 1988. Die Hard was a staple at that theater for months, and played in the biggest auditorium for most of that time. I watched the heavy action oriented parts of that movie every freaking night, or so it seems to my memory.

One benefit of close captioning on modern TVs has been to clear up an exchange of dialogue when the gunships are approaching Nakatomi. "Just like f**** Saigon, hey slick" agent Johnson yells. To which the other agent Johnson says, "I was in junior high, ********". I literally never heard that first line correctly until fairly recently. I thought I heard the first agent Johnson say something like, "Flying f**** Tigers, hey slick" as in the WWII Flying Tigers group that operated in China. That never made any sense. Neither of those characters were old enough to have been part of that, and they certainly weren't referencing the John Wayne movie.

I always loved the laughing during the final showdown - and the look on Holly's face who is just as dumbfounded as can be. I imagine her thinking something like, these guys are nuts.

Some great dialogue in the movie, including 80s quips:
Bad guy standing on a table - next time you get the chance to kill someone, don't hesitate
Bam bam bam bam bam bam bam from McClain on the floor under the table
McClain - thanks for the advice

Great movie.
Reply Quote
18
Max Power
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
8:29a, 12/25/25
AG
I don't have much to add other than I think it's the most 80s movie that exists. If you were to choose a single movie to sum up a decade, is there one that represents the 80s more than Die Hard? The characters, the clothes, the hair, the dialogue, the plot, even the title are all peak 80s. It shares a ton of DNA with Lethal Weapon, which came out the year before, but Die Hard is still the gold standard.
Reply Quote
12
citizenkane06
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:17a, 12/25/25
AG
The perfect Christmas movie!
Reply Quote
3
TexasA&M
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:25a, 12/25/25
AG
Come out to coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs…
Reply Quote
10
Hank the Grifter
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
9:42a, 12/25/25
Reply Quote
21
Psychag
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
10:19a, 12/25/25
AG
#1 and 2 are one of the best originals and sequal. I like the hero being imperfect and gets his ass kicked around but perseveres. DH with some of the best villains in history.
Reply Quote
2
Bruce Almighty
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Max Power • 10:26a, 12/25/25
AG
Max Power said:
I don't have much to add other than I think it's the most 80s movie that exists. If you were to choose a single movie to sum up a decade, is there one that represents the 80s more than Die Hard? The characters, the clothes, the hair, the dialogue, the plot, even the title are all peak 80s. It shares a ton of DNA with Lethal Weapon, which came out the year before, but Die Hard is still the gold standard.


To answer your question, I think Big Trouble in Little China is the most 80s movie. It's a tv show, but Miami Vice as well.
Reply Quote
2
oragator
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
10:33a, 12/25/25
Underrated for what it did for action movies. It took the every man Indy action concept forward to the modern day, combined it with a modern plot, more grit, massively ramped up what action could take place, all behind a fairly decent and complex story line with several running plot lines at once.
I mean, think about action movies before die hard and after. It became the godfather of countless movies since.
Reply Quote
5
Prosperdick
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Cinco Ranch Aggie • 1:04p, 12/25/25
AG
Cinco Ranch Aggie said:
Some great dialogue in the movie, including 80s quips:
Bad guy standing on a table - next time you get the chance to kill someone, don't hesitate
Bam bam bam bam bam bam bam from McClain on the floor under the table
McClain - thanks for the advice

Great movie.

Sadly that sequence resulted in Bruce Willis suffering permanent hearing loss as they didn't muffle the blanks and he held the gun right by his ears.
Reply Quote
jokershady
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Psychag • 4:18p, 12/25/25
AG
Psychag said:
#1 and 2 are one of the best originals and sequal. I like the hero being imperfect and gets his ass kicked around but perseveres. DH with some of the best villains in history.
#3 is also a dang great movie. You know when you're doing something right when the FBI interviews your screenwriter because the villains plot is 100% plausible, forcing you to change security protocols…
Reply Quote
6
annie88
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to RikkiTikkaTagem • 4:48p, 12/25/25
AG
I can watch the first one over and over. The rest of them are just kind of OK.

“Some people bring joy wherever they go, and some people bring joy whenever they go.” ~ Mark Twain
Reply Quote
3
oragator
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
4:59p, 12/25/25
2 is garbage for so many reasons. Not the least of which is that the whole plot dies when you realize planes can be contacted by people other than ATC. Or that Dulles isn't in DC, which they referenced. Or that it definitely isn't in Cali with the Pac bell logo on the phone. Or that if it was even a decent weather day none of the plot works but yet they did this whole elaborate plan assuming it would be? Or that they would be far more likely to land a military plane at a military airport. Or a hundred other things. I would take three before two any day, any month any year.
Reply Quote
5
1 edit
aTmAg
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to annie88 • 9:05p, 12/25/25
AG
annie88 said:
I can watch the first one over and over. The rest of them are just kind of OK.


Ode to Joy is not a Christmas song.
Reply Quote
8
annie88
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to aTmAg • 9:48p, 12/25/25
AG
That wasn't really the point of this post, but it is also the same music to the hymn Joyful, joyful we adore thee, which is not technically a Christmas hymn, but it is still a religious connect.
“Some people bring joy wherever they go, and some people bring joy whenever they go.” ~ Mark Twain
Reply Quote
2
G Martin 87
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to annie88 • 6:46a, 12/27/25
AG
annie88 said:
That wasn't really the point of this post, but it is also the same music to the hymn Joyful, joyful we adore thee, which is not technically a Christmas hymn, but it is still a religious connect.
Putting on my Pedantic "Actually" Hat, it's technically the fourth movement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, which was controversial at the time for featuring vocal parts in a symphony. Not Christmas music per se, but often associated with Christmas anyway. And really, is there a wrong time of year to listen to Beethoven's immortal 9th? Arguably one of the most beautiful and iconic classical orchestral works of all time?
Reply Quote
5
Proposition Joe
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
7:14a, 12/27/25
It's one of those movies that isn't the greatest movie of all time, but it's perfect at what it's trying to do.
Reply Quote
1
maroon man
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
10:44a, 12/28/25
S
never cared for 2...but really do like Die Hard With a Vengeance...
Reply Quote
1
TXAG 05
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to jokershady • 11:31a, 12/28/25
AG
jokershady said:
Psychag said:
#1 and 2 are one of the best originals and sequal. I like the hero being imperfect and gets his ass kicked around but perseveres. DH with some of the best villains in history.
#3 is also a dang great movie. You know when you're doing something right when the FBI interviews your screenwriter because the villains plot is 100% plausible, forcing you to change security protocols…


#4 was a lot better than I expected it to be.
Reply Quote
1
Prosperdick
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to maroon man • 5:09p, 12/28/25
AG
maroon man said:
never cared for 2...but really do like Die Hard With a Vengeance...

Great sliding doors moment with Jackson and Fishburne with that movie and Pulp Fiction.

Tarantino wrote Pulp with Lawrence in mind for the Jules part but he had just hired a new group of advisors/agents who told him to turn down the part. He even told Quentin he loved the script but his agents told him it wasn't a "leading man" role and to pass and since he was paying them for their advice he figured he should take it.

Around the same time, Die Hard with a Vengeance was also written with Fishburne in mind and his agents were fine with him playing co-star with Willis as they knew the movie would be a huge blockbuster BUT they asked for a lot of money.

The studio didn't have a plan B except maybe this new up and comer Samuel L Jackson who was about to be in this new Tarantino movie. Since Willis was also in it the studio heads accompanied Bruce to Cannes to watch it and support him but also to see if this Jackson actor had the chops to be in Die Hard for a lot less money than Fishburne's agents were demanding.

The rest, as they say, is history.
Reply Quote
Hank the Grifter
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Prosperdick • 5:56p, 12/28/25
Prosperdick said:
maroon man said:
never cared for 2...but really do like Die Hard With a Vengeance...

Great sliding doors moment with Jackson and Fishburne with that movie and Pulp Fiction.

Tarantino wrote Pulp with Lawrence in mind for the Jules part but he had just hired a new group of advisors/agents who told him to turn down the part. He even told Quentin he loved the script but his agents told him it wasn't a "leading man" role and to pass and since he was paying them for their advice he figured he should take it.

Around the same time, Die Hard with a Vengeance was also written with Fishburne in mind and his agents were fine with him playing co-star with Willis as they knew the movie would be a huge blockbuster BUT they asked for a lot of money.

The studio didn't have a plan B except maybe this new up and comer Samuel L Jackson who was about to be in this new Tarantino movie. Since Willis was also in it the studio heads accompanied Bruce to Cannes to watch it and support him but also to see if this Jackson actor had the chops to be in Die Hard for a lot less money than Fishburne's agents were demanding.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Great story but definitely some flourish added for dramatic effect
Jackson was pretty well known at that point. He wasn't a superstar yet of course but hardly an "up and comer".
Reply Quote
1
Cinco Ranch Aggie
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Hank the Grifter • 6:54p, 12/28/25
AG
Hank the Grifter said:
Prosperdick said:
maroon man said:
never cared for 2...but really do like Die Hard With a Vengeance...

Great sliding doors moment with Jackson and Fishburne with that movie and Pulp Fiction.

Tarantino wrote Pulp with Lawrence in mind for the Jules part but he had just hired a new group of advisors/agents who told him to turn down the part. He even told Quentin he loved the script but his agents told him it wasn't a "leading man" role and to pass and since he was paying them for their advice he figured he should take it.

Around the same time, Die Hard with a Vengeance was also written with Fishburne in mind and his agents were fine with him playing co-star with Willis as they knew the movie would be a huge blockbuster BUT they asked for a lot of money.

The studio didn't have a plan B except maybe this new up and comer Samuel L Jackson who was about to be in this new Tarantino movie. Since Willis was also in it the studio heads accompanied Bruce to Cannes to watch it and support him but also to see if this Jackson actor had the chops to be in Die Hard for a lot less money than Fishburne's agents were demanding.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Great story but definitely some flourish added for dramatic effect
Jackson was pretty well known at that point. He wasn't a superstar yet of course but hardly an "up and comer".

Yep. I was aware of who he was when he showed up in Patriot Games in 1992. Then of course he had a role in Spielberg's Jurassic Park, which made a bazillion dollars and was seen by just about everyone, many multiple times. Yeah, he was not an up and comer in 1995.
Reply Quote
Wicked Good Ag
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
7:01p, 12/28/25
Hell the first real breakout role had to be Coming to America I would think
Reply Quote
1
torrid
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
7:54p, 12/28/25
AG
Welcome to the party, pal!
Reply Quote
3
Prosperdick
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Cinco Ranch Aggie • 8:07p, 12/28/25
AG
Cinco Ranch Aggie said:
Hank the Grifter said:
Prosperdick said:
maroon man said:
never cared for 2...but really do like Die Hard With a Vengeance...

Great sliding doors moment with Jackson and Fishburne with that movie and Pulp Fiction.

Tarantino wrote Pulp with Lawrence in mind for the Jules part but he had just hired a new group of advisors/agents who told him to turn down the part. He even told Quentin he loved the script but his agents told him it wasn't a "leading man" role and to pass and since he was paying them for their advice he figured he should take it.

Around the same time, Die Hard with a Vengeance was also written with Fishburne in mind and his agents were fine with him playing co-star with Willis as they knew the movie would be a huge blockbuster BUT they asked for a lot of money.

The studio didn't have a plan B except maybe this new up and comer Samuel L Jackson who was about to be in this new Tarantino movie. Since Willis was also in it the studio heads accompanied Bruce to Cannes to watch it and support him but also to see if this Jackson actor had the chops to be in Die Hard for a lot less money than Fishburne's agents were demanding.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Great story but definitely some flourish added for dramatic effect
Jackson was pretty well known at that point. He wasn't a superstar yet of course but hardly an "up and comer".

Yep. I was aware of who he was when he showed up in Patriot Games in 1992. Then of course he had a role in Spielberg's Jurassic Park, which made a bazillion dollars and was seen by just about everyone, many multiple times. Yeah, he was not an up and comer in 1995.

Sorry, poor choice of words but he wasn't nearly as well known as Fishburne and they weren't writing the part with him in mind.

I'd also wager if Fishburne gets the Pulp Fiction part the studio wouldn't have gambled on an actor who was the 10th lead in Jurassic Park to star opposite Bruce Willis. They needed to see if he could scale up to a co-lead and he proved it with Pulp.
Reply Quote
Prosperdick
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
8:14p, 12/28/25
AG
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLTIs50pyC0/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
For some reason texags wouldn't let me insert an instagram reels link so hopefully this works.
Reply Quote
double aught
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
8:28p, 12/28/25
AG
Reply Quote
3
Bruce Almighty
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Wicked Good Ag • 8:42p, 12/28/25
AG
Wicked Good Ag said:
Hell the first real breakout role had to be Coming to America I would think

I wouldn't call that a breakout role. He was in the movie for 2 minutes. He had bigger roles in Jurassic Park and Patriot Games, but nobody knew his name. Pulp Fiction was the movie that made him known to the general public.
Reply Quote
RikkiTikkaTagem
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to double aught • 8:45p, 12/28/25
AG
double aught said:


Ellis is portrayed so well. Cocaine-using bro who thinks he can schmooze anybody. Hurting on married woman. Power loves John by trying to get holly to flash the Rolex. I love the line "whoa Hans, I'm not a method actor. Put down the gun." But a lot of depth for even a minor character.
Reply Quote
3
surfandturfsbisa96
User Profile Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to RikkiTikkaTagem • 8:53p, 12/28/25
AG
RikkiTikkaTagem said:
double aught said:


Ellis is portrayed so well. Cocaine-using bro who thinks he can schmooze anybody. Hurting on married woman. Power loves John by trying to get holly to flash the Rolex. I love the line "whoa Hans, I'm not a method actor. Put down the gun." But a lot of depth for even a minor character.

That guy also plays a good jerk in Breaking Away.

The book that Die Hard is based on is pretty good, too. Nothing Lasts Forever. Similar but also different.
Reply Quote
3
Hank the Grifter
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Bruce Almighty • 10:16p, 12/28/25
Bruce Almighty said:
Wicked Good Ag said:
Hell the first real breakout role had to be Coming to America I would think

I wouldn't call that a breakout role. He was in the movie for 2 minutes. He had bigger roles in Jurassic Park and Patriot Games, but nobody knew his name. Pulp Fiction was the movie that made him known to the general public.

For white audiences.
He'd been in Do the Right Thing and Jungle Fever. The latter bringing him significant acclaim.
Reply Quote
bonfarr
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
8:46a, 12/29/25
AG
I watch Die Hard every year but always have a difficult time accepting Holly Gennero's hairdo. Just plain awful. It just makes me think c'mon McClain, you can do better than that.

Interesting that Bonnie Bedelia, the actress that played Holly, is Macaulay Culkin's aunt
Reply Quote
1
Cinco Ranch Aggie
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to bonfarr • 8:47a, 12/29/25
AG
So you don't like women's hair styles in the 80s?
Reply Quote
bonfarr
User Profile
Private Message
Ignore User Stop Ignoring
How long do you want to ignore this user?
24 hours One week Permanently Cancel
In reply to Cinco Ranch Aggie • 10:17a, 12/29/25
AG
Cinco Ranch Aggie said:
So you don't like women's hair styles in the 80s?


Not the ones that look like an aging bass player in a hair metal band.
Reply Quote
1
Page 1 of 2 ▼
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.