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'Die Hard' 30th Anniversary With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Jason Concepcion, and Sean Fennessey

August 1, 2018 · Die Hard (1988) · Action · Thriller · 1:27:57

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 17:42Harrison Ford — Harrison Ford was offered the role and it should have been a Harrison Ford movie, but the one-liners wouldn't work as well with Ford
Chris Ryan▶ 18:08Discusses how the actual casting created an everyman character that audiences could relate to, contrasting with typical 80s action heroes
Jason Concepcion▶ 18:41Views the casting choice as a critique of 80s action movies, making it more relatable by asking 'what if it was more like you?'

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 35:09The broken glass scene - where McClane looks down, sees the broken glass, and has to go
Chris Ryan▶ 34:59Nominated multiple scenes: the broken glass scene, the Takagi interrogation, and Ellis gets a Coke scene
Sean Fennessey▶ 38:27Ellis gets a Coke scene - calls it his favorite scene

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 39:53Hart Bochner — Agrees with Hart Bochner choice and discusses the performance extensively
Chris Ryan▶ 39:10Hart Bochner — Hart Bochner (Ellis) - suggests renaming the award after him

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 47:19The title 'Die Hard' (one of the best six titles of all time), LAPD incompetence, McClane's pithy one-liners delivery, and how widescreen TVs made the movie's cinematography look better
Chris Ryan▶ 47:12Either Rickman as a villain or 80s Los Angeles, plus Gruber's crew (Al Leong and the diverse cast)
Jason Concepcion▶ 49:32The sense of place and spatial awareness - specifically the shot of McClane on top of the elevator giving you the entire elevator shaft
Sean Fennessey▶ 48:40The filmmaking - McTiernan at his peak, Jan de Bont's cinematography, Michael Kamen's score, perfect acting, and masterful direction of tight spaces

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 59:28Bruce Willis — Bruce Willis yes, prefers Predator for McTiernan, Presumed Innocent for Bonnie Bedelia
Chris Ryan▶ 1:02:26Alan Rickman — Alan Rickman yes, 80s action movies yes
Jason Concepcion▶ 1:02:32Die Hard — 80s action movies yes, Argyle yes, McTiernan close but prefers Hunt for Red October
Sean Fennessey▶ 59:31Bruce Willis — Bruce Willis - Die Hard over Pulp Fiction

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:32Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker
Chris Ryan▶ 1:20:18Listed multiple quotes including 'Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker', 'Come out to the coast. We'll get together. Have a few laps', 'Just like fucking Saigon', and 'Hey, Slick'
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:21:17Come Out to the Coast, We'll Get Together, Have a Few Laughs

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:48Bruce Willis — Bruce Willis wins based on career impact (becomes A-plus lister for 30 years), though acknowledges Rickman creates the dominant action movie archetype
Chris Ryan▶ 1:26:33Alan Rickman — Alan Rickman wins the movie because he makes it great rather than just good
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:26:26Bruce Willis — Bruce Willis who won, with McTiernan and Rickman also benefiting significantly

Movies Referenced (65)

Pulp Fiction (1994)

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 11:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Thing (1982)

7 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 5:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jaws (1975)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 51:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Speed (1994)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 7:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Home Alone (1990)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Jason Concepcion▶ 11:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

First Blood (1982)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 14:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Midnight Run (1988)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Predator (1987)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 2:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Someone to Watch Over Me (1987)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 31:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Devil's Advocate (1997)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 24:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Toy Soldiers (1991)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 7:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Under Siege (1992)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 12:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (12)

John McTiernan

17 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, Jason Concepcion · Known for Die Hard, Last Action Hero▶ 2:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Willy Bogner

6 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for A View to a Kill, The Spy Who Loved Me▶ 55:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Warren Beatty

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Heaven Can Wait▶ 40:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Martin Scorsese

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Taxi Driver, Killers of the Flower Moon, Mean Streets▶ 27:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Amy Heckerling

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Look Who's Talking▶ 59:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brian De Palma

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Body Double, Dressed to Kill, The Bonfire of the Vanities▶ 59:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mel Gibson

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Braveheart, Conspiracy Theory▶ 29:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Bay

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Armageddon▶ 21:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Mann

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans▶ 1:24:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ridley Scott

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Martian, Blade Runner▶ 31:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Benton

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Kramer vs. Kramer, Bonnie and Clyde▶ 59:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ron Howard

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for A Beautiful Mind▶ 28:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (80)

Bruce Willis

37 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Die Hard, Pulp Fiction▶ 1:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alan Rickman

18 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Die Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves▶ 6:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bonnie Bedelia

13 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Die Hard, Presumed Innocent▶ 52:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Hart Bochner

12 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Die Hard, Breaking Away▶ 39:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Gleeson

9 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Thin Red Line▶ 55:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Frank Sinatra

8 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for From Here to Eternity▶ 29:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Berenger

7 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Platoon, Inception, The Big Chill▶ 31:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris Rock

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Top Five, The Longest Yard▶ 5:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Demi Moore

6 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Striptease, Indecent Proposal▶ 1:01:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Nick Nolte

6 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Jason Concepcion · Known for Warrior▶ 29:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Al Pacino

5 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather▶ 24:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Don Johnson

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Django Unchained▶ 4:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (9)

Roger Ebert

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:07:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

George Lucas

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, THX 1138, American Graffiti▶ 1:11:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Shane Black

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, Jason Concepcion · Known for Predator, The Nice Guys, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang▶ 10:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Aaron Sorkin

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for A Few Good Men▶ 28:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jon Favreau

2 mentions · Jason Concepcion, Chris Ryan · Known for Chef, Iron Man, Swingers▶ 41:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ali Bathgate

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for F1: The Movie, Enola Holmes▶ 59:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Cameron

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Avatar, Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day▶ 1:25:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jerry Bruckheimer

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Top Gun: Maverick, Armageddon▶ 21:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Julie Siege

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 21:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Alvar Kõue

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Tenet▶ 1:24:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗