Yippee Ki-Yay M*****f*****

[BCG]

This week we celebrate the 30th anniversary of Die Hard (1988).

28067 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095016/releaseinfo)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TQ-pOvI6Xo

You young kids might realize that at the time, the idea of Bruce Willis (Moonlighting 1985-1989, Blind Date 1987) as an action hero was laughable. In the era of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, it was thought to be a joke by some.

Wow! Were we doubters ever proved wrong.

It's just shame that Die Hard wasn't as influential to the Christmas movie genre as it was to action movies.

[mtnbkr]

You young kids might realize that at the time, the idea of Bruce Willis (Moonlighting 1985-1989, Blind Date 1987) as an action hero was laughable. In the era of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, it was thought to be a joke by some.

Being 15 at the time, I remember that. I watched Moonlighting from time to time.

Chris

[RJ]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180715/194f944ba6d12f3a1e81fd396699e302.jpg

[littlejerry]

Every Christmas my wife and I take time to watch Die Hard. Definitely my favorite "Christmas" movie.

[BCG]

It's just shame that Die Hard wasn't as influential to the Christmas movie genre as it was to action movies.

I think Home Alone (1990) would have been a lot better if there had been a scene where Harry Lime (Joe Pesci) finds the dead body of Marv Merchants (Daniel Stern) with the words "Now I Have A Machine Gun. Ho Ho Ho" scrawled across Marv's shirt.

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[Bigghoss]

Wait, so a movie set at Christmas was released in July?

[BCG]

A Die Hard Christmas
The Illustrated Holiday Classic

by Doogie Horner
illustrated by JJ Harrison

Insight Editions | 32 pages | ISBN 9781608879762 | October 2017

Simon & Schuster (http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/A-Die-Hard-Christmas/Doogie-Horner/9781608879762) | Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1608879763) | Barnes & Noble (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-die-hard-christmas-doogie-horner/1125897910) | Books A Million (http://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781608879762) | Indie Bound (https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781608879762)

A delightful Christmas storybook for adults based on the action-packed Die Hard movie

All John McClane wants for Christmas is to reunite with his estranged family. But when his wife’s office holiday party turns into a deadly hostage situation, he has to save her life before he can get home in time for Christmas!

The unconventional fan-favorite movie Die Hard is now an illustrated storybook—complete with machine guns, European terrorists, and a cop who’s forced to rely on all his cunning and skills (and the help of a fellow officer) to save the day. Based on the classic “Night Before Christmas” poem and filled with whimsical illustrations, this cleverly reimagined homage is destined to become a holiday classic.

* Contains adult material including violence and strong language. Reader discretion is advised. Ho-ho-ho.

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[blues]

Just following the precedent set Lethal Weapon, also a Christmas movie, which was released in March of 1987. :)

I'm too old for this shit.

[BCG]

Wait, so a movie set at Christmas was released in July?


Just following the precedent set Lethal Weapon, also a Christmas movie, which was released in March of 1987. :)


I'm too old for this shit.

I saw both Lethal Weapon and Die Hard in the theater during their original release.

When the xkcd "Movie Ages" comic was published on April 27, 2011 -- 7 years ago -- I felt old.

28082 (https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php/891:_Movie_Ages)

source: https://xkcd.com/891/

* sigh *

[HCM]

Shouldn’t this be in one of the Beretta threads ?

28083

[underhook]

I thought this was a Christmas release!!

This movie was so much more than just the Beretta. I spent the last 30 years collecting them.... well not the last one.

Beretta 92F.
Heckler & Koch P7M13
Heckler & Koch HK94
Steyr AUG
M60E3

[Glenn E. Meyer]

I blame Bruce for making the 9mm the go to round and making the Glock the invisible gun of terrorists. Too bad the Die Hards suffered from sequel decay as did the Alien and Predator series.

When you teach a new bunch of 18 year olds each fall, you learn not to try cultural movie or music references or jokes. I used to discuss flashbulb memory in terms of when the Challenger exploded and then 9/11. Maybe today it would be: Where you when Hillary lost on Election day?

BTW, flashbulb memory is BS, if looked at in detail.

[Bigghoss]

I thought this was a Christmas release!!

This movie was so much more than just the Beretta. I spent the last 30 years collecting them.... well not the last one.

Beretta 92F.
Heckler & Koch P7M13
Heckler & Koch HK94
Steyr AUG
M60E3

If you don't buy an M60 then your entire life will have been for nothing. Can I come over and play with it?

[Bigghoss]

Just following the precedent set Lethal Weapon, also a Christmas movie, which was released in March of 1987. :)

Next you're gonna tell me Gremlins came out in June...

I just went and looked...It did come out in June.

[JTQ]

Too bad the Die Hards suffered from sequel decay as did the Alien and Predator series.
There were some bad ones, but I did like "Live Free or Die Hard" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337978/

Timothy Olyphant, Cliff Curtis, Maggie Q, Justin Long, SIG P220, Beretta PX4

[Redhat]

I liked Die Hard 2 the best. Don't see it on TV much though.

[idahojess]

Next you're gonna tell me Gremlins came out in June...

I just went and looked...It did come out in June.

Kids these days don't realize movies used to be in theaters for really long periods of time -- Beverly Hills Cop was out for 30 weeks (at least) ET was out for a year.

I bet Die Hard was out till Christmas -- I think I saw it a couple times in the theater (at least).
https://www.slashfilm.com/what-is-the-longest-theatrical-run-in-the-history-of-cinema/

[Bigghoss]

Kids these days don't realize movies used to be in theaters for really long periods of time -- Beverly Hills Cop was out for 30 weeks (at least) ET was out for a year.

I bet Die Hard was out till Christmas -- I think I saw it a couple times in the theater (at least).
https://www.slashfilm.com/what-is-the-longest-theatrical-run-in-the-history-of-cinema/

Makes sense. I remember my dad had to use his employee discount at Sears in order to be able to afford a VCR and even then we had it hooked up to a TV with knobs that maybe had a 19" screen. It was a pretty huge deal for us. This was sometime around 1990, give or take a couple years. So before VCR's were common place the only chance you had to see a movie was in theaters or if it was broadcast on TV.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

I didn't understand the technical basis of the Die Hard 2 threat. Not like there aren't other airfields and controllers around. The East coast has quite a lot of them.

Nor did I understand making gold radioactive and dumping it in the sea. We have lots of recovery equipment. In fact, if you are a coin collector, there is an exciting story of the SS Central America that went down in about 2200 meters and from which millions of dollars of gold has been recovered. Besides bars, some very rare territorial and Australian (previously only a couple know) gold coins have been recovered.

[Bigghoss]

I didn't understand the technical basis of the Die Hard 2 threat. Not like there aren't other airfields and controllers around. The East coast has quite a lot of them.

They mention in the movie that planes with enough fuel were diverted. But also the terrorists had hijacked the radios somehow IIRC. The tower couldn't transmit. There's a scene where John and one of the ATC's or whoever he is tryin to make it to the short range radio beacon so they can talk over the frequency and tell the planes what's happening but it doesn't go so well.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Aren't there multiple frequencies and receivers in that area? As far as diversion to other airports, if they had enough fuel to circle for movie time, couldn't they make Newark, Philadelphia, La Guardia, Pittsburgh, etc. Plus military fields.

OK, suspend disbelief and get out your ceramic Glock 7.

[Redhat]

Aren't there multiple frequencies and receivers in that area? As far as diversion to other airports, if they had enough fuel to circle for movie time, couldn't they make Newark, Philadelphia, La Guardia, Pittsburgh, etc. Plus military fields.

OK, suspend disbelief and get out your ceramic Glock 7.

I hope you've been joking...you didn't really analyzed this movie to that depth.

[blues]

I hope you've been joking...you didn't really analyzed this movie to that depth.

I just liked Bonnie Bedelia. I guess I'm too shallow for movies this complex.


http://www.movieactors.com/photos-stars/bonnie-bedelia-diehard-1.jpg

[Redhat]

I just liked Bonnie Bedelia. I guess I'm too shallow for movies this complex.


http://www.movieactors.com/photos-stars/bonnie-bedelia-diehard-1.jpg

I dunno...I just thought it was very entertaining

[underhook]

I miss the 80s. Women with an entire can of hairspray!

[blues]

I miss the 80s. Women with an entire can of hairspray!

https://i.huffpost.com/gen/1472418/thumbs/o-NICOLE-KIDMAN-570.jpg?7

"Really? You wanna go there?"


ETA: My wife did part time runway modeling for Macy's in NY back then. The hair, makeup and get-ups were something to behold.

[Bigghoss]

Aren't there multiple frequencies and receivers in that area? As far as diversion to other airports, if they had enough fuel to circle for movie time, couldn't they make Newark, Philadelphia, La Guardia, Pittsburgh, etc. Plus military fields.

OK, suspend disbelief and get out your ceramic Glock 7.

The idea that terrorists would hijack an entire airport in such an elaborate fashion expecting to get away at all should tell you everything you need to know about the movie's realism. Same for the rest of the series. Sometimes you just gotta roll with it.

[Stephanie B]

I liked Die Hard 2 the best. Don't see it on TV much though.

Die Hard 2: Die Stupid.

[Stephanie B]

Aren't there multiple frequencies and receivers in that area? As far as diversion to other airports, if they had enough fuel to circle for movie time, couldn't they make Newark, Philadelphia, La Guardia, Pittsburgh, etc. Plus military fields.

You can’t change a glideslope by moving it down on a computer screen. C-130s don’t have ejection seats.

I haven’t seen that movie in at least 25 years, those were two of the more egregiously stupid aviation things they did in the movie.

[Bigghoss]

Die Hard 2: Die Stupid.

It was better than the 4th one.

[Bigghoss]

You can’t change a glideslope by moving it down on a computer screen. C-130s don’t have ejection seats.

Well you weren't supposed to know that.

[serialsolver]

Die hard movies are better than the lethal weapon movies with Danny Glover’s in your face politics. Glover ruins the movies for me.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[RJ]

C-130s don’t have ejection seats.

I haven’t seen that movie in at least 25 years, those were two of the more egregiously stupid aviation things they did in the movie.

Ah but they do come with Retro Rockets to land in a stadium. [emoji41]

https://medium.com/war-is-boring/the-u-s-air-force-built-a-c-130-that-could-land-inside-a-soccer-stadium-4df45451d5f6

True story: I ran into a guy who worked on this in Marietta. He said it was...not really successful.

I think I’ve seen a YT video on this...ETA: Credible Sport.

https://youtu.be/WKCl3lfAx1Q

[Hambo]

C-130s don’t have ejection seats.

It was a C-123 but I doubt they have ejection seats.

[S Jenks]

Die hard movies are better than the lethal weapon movies with Danny Glover’s in your face politics. Glover ruins the movies for me.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

“Free South Africa, ya dumb son of a bitch!”

I agree, but admit the consulate scene with Glover and Pesci was pretty funny.

Massive fan of the first Die Hard here, followed (distantly) by #3. The back-and-forth between Willis and Jackson was pretty memorable. The rest of the Die Hards were comparable to...your loving pet turning on you as a child. A feeling of abandonment followed by dismay and grief.

Growing up a kid of that era gave me a serious case of the wants for a Beretta. And a Proton Pack.

[Trukinjp13]

Die hard was one of my favorite movies as a kid. I also enjoyed lethal weapon.

Sorry to derail but this scene was badass.
https://youtu.be/7WqzJvhR9Fo


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Lon]

First movie I ever saw in a theater. Loved it.

[donlapalma]

Die Hard. Great action movie. Bruce Willis played the reluctant hero so well. So many great lines in this film too.

Sent from my SM-T820 using Tapatalk

[GardoneVT]

I hope you've been joking...you didn't really analyzed this movie to that depth.

Indeed. None of these movies are Chris Nolan material.
Movie 1: why not bribe the Utility dude to cut the main power from the start?
Movie 2: breaking out Latin American political figures is easier done in Latin America
Movie 3: logistically impossible to move that much gold.
Movie 4: It infrastructure is not now nor will ever be that organized.
Movie 5: N/A

[PD Sgt.]

My partner (in crime) back when I was a working suit is black, I am white. Even though we did not have the same last name we were known to occasionally bust out the “no relation” line when introducing ourselves.

[BCG]

I didn't understand the technical basis of the Die Hard 2 threat. Not like there aren't other airfields and controllers around. The East coast has quite a lot of them.

One of the things that I really like about the first Die Hard movie -- in addition to things like the characters, directing, pacing of the story, etc. -- is the bad guys where smart and they actually had a good plan which they kept relatively simple. It was only the bad luck of John McClane's presence that caused them to fail.

The bad guy evil plots in the sequels (at least 2, 3, and 4 -- I have't seen 5) were convoluted and unnecessarily complicated, increasing the chances of something going wrong.

[BCG]

Too bad the Die Hards suffered from sequel decay

...as predicted by Ben Stiller in 1992:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8xZmKvkSGE

[Gun Mutt]

I loved Moonlighting!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT4LqmyjexA

[S Jenks]

Anyone seen or read Roderick Thorpe’s The Detective? Its sequel, 1979’s Nothing Lasts Forever, was adapted into Die Hard. I’ve read NLF a few times and it’s pretty dark.

The movie starred Frank Sinatra as Joe Leland (McClane), wondering if it’s worth the time?

[Guerrero]

"Die Hard" is the reason that I listen to "Christmas in Hollis" by Run-DMC every Christmas.

[BCG]

Anyone seen or read Roderick Thorpe’s The Detective? Its sequel, 1979’s Nothing Lasts Forever, was adapted into Die Hard. I’ve read NLF a few times and it’s pretty dark.

The movie starred Frank Sinatra as Joe Leland (McClane), wondering if it’s worth the time?

Frank Sinatra (b. 1915) would have been about 53 years old when he starred in The Detective (1969).

Since Die Hard was technically a sequel (based on the books), the producers were contractually obligated to offer the role of John McClane to Frank Sinatra. Sinatra, who was 73 in 1988, turned down the role -- to no one's surprise.

[Robinson]

The idea that terrorists would hijack an entire airport in such an elaborate fashion expecting to get away at all should tell you everything you need to know about the movie's realism.

Not to mention the idea that a bunch of Army SF dudes would turn into asshole terrorists...

[S Jenks]

Sinatra, who was 73 in 1988, turned down the role -- to no one's surprise.

Which is close to Leland’s age in the book as he was a WWII fighter pilot. Imagine if they had done that? Sinatra, armed with axe and Hi-Power, machine gunning hours-old bodies in a panic?

I just ordered The Detective along with 58 Minutes.

[BCG]

Anyone seen or read Roderick Thorpe’s The Detective? Its sequel, 1979’s Nothing Lasts Forever, was adapted into Die Hard. I’ve read NLF a few times and it’s pretty dark.

The movie starred Frank Sinatra as Joe Leland (McClane), wondering if it’s worth the time?

Here's the trailer for the movie


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9odRuy4D-VA

[Wondering Beard]

At 0.54, that's Robert Duvall isn't it?

[Trooper224]

Anyone seen or read Roderick Thorpe’s The Detective? Its sequel, 1979’s Nothing Lasts Forever, was adapted into Die Hard. I’ve read NLF a few times and it’s pretty dark.

The movie starred Frank Sinatra as Joe Leland (McClane), wondering if it’s worth the time?

I've seen The Detective , it's a pretty straight up detective story. Worth seeing, but if Die Hard had wound up starring Frank Sinatra (who had first refusal on the role when the second book was adapted to film) it would have been a vastly different film. Sinatra was also offered the title role in Dirty Harry and turned it down. Sinatra was a talented actor, but I doubt either one of those movies would have become the cultural touchstones they are today with him in the lead role.

[Bigghoss]

Not to mention the idea that a bunch of Army SF dudes would turn into asshole terrorists...

*cough* The Rock *cough*

[Guerrero]

*cough* The Rock *cough*

Those were Marines, not soldiers. Big diff... oh, nevermind.

[Stephanie B]

Not to mention the idea that a bunch of Army SF dudes would turn into asshole terrorists...

Terrorism was a cover, those guys were thieves. In today’s money, the heist would’ve been about $1.2 billion. Recruit about 10 guys, promise $100 million apiece if they get away with it?


Damn the iPhone Typos!

[JAD]

Not to mention the idea that a bunch of Army SF dudes would turn into asshole terrorists...

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180717/9af2fe604a51380e22d13916dd05bcf9.jpeg

[Robinson]

Terrorism was a cover, those guys were thieves. In today’s money, the heist would’ve been about $1.2 billion. Recruit about 10 guys, promise $100 million apiece if they get away with it?


Yeah I get that they were thieves, same as the first movie. Still, the whole ex-SOF guys turning to crime because they have skills has gotten old and I've seen it in too many movies (e.g. Den of Thieves). And no, I don't think it's realistic that a whole bunch of SF guys would agree to a criminal plan that includes murder to get rich. Yeah they are all individuals and all that, but that's just a B.S. premise. Call me naive, whatever -- that's my opinion on it.

[Bucky]

*cough* The Rock *cough*

Dwayne Johnson was an SF dude turned terrorist?! :p

[Bucky]

https://youtu.be/PnHKv2G0wCw

[peterb]

It lives on as a cultural reference. This just showed up today....

https://www.gocomics.com/hubris/2018/08/30

[awp_101]

"Die Hard" is the reason that I listen to "Christmas in Hollis" by Run-DMC every Christmas.

And your post is why I've been singing it all morning...:D