What is the problem with Die Hard? It’s just a fun movie right? I mean, Bruce Willis is really good in it, Alan Rickman gives a career-making performance, and there are a couple cool explosions. What’s not to like? What’s the problem with Die Hard? Well…
Ross’ Show Notes
- John McTiernan on IMDB.com. For more information about his hard times, check out this article.
- Think about how phenomenal McTiernan’s early career was. Three solid movies that all launched franchises, after a fashion. Die Hard (1988) has had four sequels to date and that isn’t even the front runner. Predator (1987) has had four and is getting a fifth this year, and Hunt For Red October (1990) was the first of the five Jack Ryan movies, a character which also now has its own series on Amazon Prime. The actors that have played Jack Ryan are Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford (twice), Ben Affleck, Chris Pine, and John Krasinski.
- The Thai movie staring Tony Jaa that Colin is describing looks to be The Protector (2005).
- Do listen to the Die Hard commentary. Other factual information has been taken from Wikipedia: Die Hard, Die Hard 2 (1990), Die Hard With A Vengeance (1995), Live Free or Die Hard (2007), A Good Day to Die Hard (2013).
- First Blood was released in 1982, and Commando was 1985. Defining a genre is pretty hard to do. But many credit First Blood as the first of the 80s wave of action movies. That same year saw Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy in the first “buddy cop movie”, 48 Hrs.
- Other high points of the 80s Action genre are Terminator in 1984 and Lethal Weapon in 1987.
- The Detective (1968) on IMDB.com.
- Gordon Douglas directed The Detective, and he was quite the workhorse. Starting out as a child (teenage, really) actor in Hal Roach comedies, he went on to direct the horror classic Them! (1954), They Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970), and a host of Frank Sinatra vehicles, including my favourite: Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964).
- The Martin Lawrence movie I was talking about was Blue Streak (1999), which was considered pretty solid at the time, but now shows how tired the genre had become just before The Matrix (1999) reset the bar and invented a new visual language for (American) action movies. Then Bourne happened. And now John Wick.
- Yeah, listen to the Predator director’s commentary as well, it’s real good.
- Do you have a problem with Die Hard? Tweet #fictionhack.