No matter how many times I see this movie I can't help but remember the true meaning of this movie...proper foot care and the importance of taking an extra second to put on shoes
I remember reading an article where an American soldier was woken up by a firefighter in Afghanistan so he put on his boots and vest and helmet and went out to work. He was photographed in his gear and boxers and apparently was reprimanded for not being fully dressed. I'm like the guy had his rifle his helmet and his boots, what else did he need??
It's a Christmas movie! If you take out the Christmas aspect, John is still on the East coast. There would be no party, so No one would be in the building that late. Hence; No Plot.
Even as a villain, it's hard to hate Alan Rickman's characters. He's also the best thing about Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. Can't believe already almost 6 years since he passed.
I know you'll appreciate this point, in high school in my English Media class our teacher showed us Die Hard in 2000 (not that I hadn't seen it 20 times by then), but she paused it every 10 min or so and pulled out so many points, the writing, the setups, the lighting to create elements of tension. Always loved it but it became on another level because of the direction and writing. I thought I would not enjoy your reaction because you've seen it before but it was better because you just loved it so much.
You forgot the music cues. One of my favorites is at the end when Karl re-appeared & Al shot him. It slowly rose in intensity until they focused on his face, when it reached a triumphant crescendo.
Ironically, Bruce Willis was on a hit TV show at the time called “Moonlighting” which was a comedy and many were skeptical of him being an action movie star. Today, that seems incredulous.
I like him a lot better in action comedies, such as RED, Fifth Element, and Hudson Hawk than I do more pure action movies like this. Still good, but he needs to show is comic roots to really shine.
I worked with the wonderful Alan on Quigley down under. A most gracious man that treated gaffers like a king or queen. A lovely luvvy. I only knew him for a short while but he really was an exceptional human.
Thanks for confirming what I always suspected. I always liked him in roles where he didn't play the villain. Like The Metatron in _Dogma,_ or Alexander Dane in _Galaxy Quest._
@@kratosGOW It may have been his first movie but it certainly wasn't his first acting job 🙄 He was in the RSC and had performed in London's West End and on Broadway well before this. So I think he would have been more than capable of pulling off an "extraordinary reaction" without being let go early...
@@richieclean Yeah I know. My point was that those who didn’t know him and his background like me then were very impressed with his acting chops for his “first time”.
John McClane has a troublesome marriage but wants to get to celebrate christmas with his wife and children. Some evil grinches show up and do evil things so he tries to do the right thing and in the end John realizes, that nothing is more important to him than Holly and the kids. Being thankful for those in your life that you love. If that's not a Christmas story I don't know what is.
Not only is your argument perfect, but also I hadn't considered before that his wife's name being "Holly" is also absolutely thematically consistent with Christmas lol
Reactors keep asking, “Can’t Argyle hear the gunshots?” Or something similar. He is in the basement garage of a skyscraper. The shooting is happening on the 30th floor! You probably wouldn’t hear gunfire if you were on the 28th floor. The building materials aren’t just plywood and some carpeting or hardwood like at your house, it is basically concrete making up the floor, of each and every floor, no one is hearing crap.
I've worked in office highrises and the 30th to 28th is a bit extreme (ask anyone who has been annoyed by nail guns and drills a few floors up). Not only that, but where you are vs the noisemakers also matters. If you're next to a sound channel (stairs, elevator, or HVAC shafts), loud bangs or shrill noises do carry. You're definitely right about the parking levels vs 30th floor, though. Plus, Argyle is in a vehicle and listening to music.
exactly I have been in skyscrapers a lot, and theres no way some gunshots can be heard in a garage! Theres clear evidence the only people are on that 1 floor for the party
Fun Fact: Beethoven's 9th symphony, ‘Ode To Joy,' is sprinkled throughout the movie by composer Michael Kamen. Hans Gruber's theme has elements of Ode To Joy, specifically the opening notes.
@@mem1701movies That's because the music in the scene where Karl is shot by Al is not part of Michael Kamen's soundtrack. It's actually unused material from James Horner that Horner had composed years earlier either for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, or Aliens, I'm not sure which.
A lot of this movie deals with redemption and reconciliation. Mix that in with the Christmas scenery and music and it's pretty hard not to call this a Christmas movie, at least for me.
Along with Christmas being important to the plot rather than JUST the background setting. John's whole reason for flying home is for the holidays with his family. The only reason everyone is there in the office building so late is due to the Christmas party, which is also the reason Hans chooses that time, and also the only reason John would be there to stop it, rather than Meeting Holly after she gets off work, outside the office. Christmas is easier to replace in Home Alone than it is in Die Hard/More integral to Die Hard than it is to Home Alone, and Home Alone is not disputed as a Christmas movie.
Since you were talking about Lethal Weapon the score for that series and Die Hard 1-3 was done by the great Michael Kamen (RIP), who did one of my favorite scores of all time with Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
For the time it came out, most of the 80s action movies were the typical Arnold/Stallone/Van Damme "big guy" ripped muscled action hero, Bruce/John McClane changed that and made it so the "every guy" can be a hero type. This movie was a game changer as it also had a very simple yet "complex" plot that had twists and turns, reveals, that made it a complete movie, which was also lacking in most of the 80s action movies.
Back then, this was normal. Post-911, armed cops on planes are either (1) transporting a prisoner, or (2) undercover Federal Air Marshals. Everyone else checks their heat into the underbelly luggage.
It's not Christmas until Hans Gruber gets thrown off of Nakatomi Tower. Fun fact #1: when McClane shoots the terrorist from under the table, he had forgotten to put his hearing protection back in for that take. Willis suffered significant hearing damage from that. Fun fact #2: the scene were McClane falls down the ventilation shaft wasn't planned. The stunt man was supposed to catch the vent we saw McClane reach for, but he really did fall instead. The director liked it so much he kept it in. And, yes, it is a Christmas movie!
You can blow all of the concrete out of a skyscraper & the steel skeleton should remain standing. What happened in NY in '01 was that the burning jet fuel weakened the integrity of the steel to the point that it could not hold up the weight of the building anymore causing a catastrophic structural failure.
BuT jEt fUeL dOeSn'T mElT sTeEl bEaMs ... I'm not one of those people lol, I just hadn't thought of that memeified line in forever and have never had occasion to say it even sarcastically so couldn't resist
@@ItsAsparageese Totally get it, no worries :D As it happens, it doesn't melt them but it sure as hell makes them soft enough that they can't hold weight anymore.
I’ve been casually watching your channel for like a week. This video made me sub because you recognize die hard as a Christmas movie. I’ve been debating at work all month that it is lol
Natalie Natalie Natalie!!! The fact you already saw this movie doesnt even matter your reactions are PRICELESS!! Yes you are so right about this being a Christmas movie from beginning to end the feel of Christmas from John having the bear as a gift to either Holly or Lucy his daughter to the Christmas Party to the fact that John needed a Christmas miracle to get through everything to get back to his family this movie IS written very well!! This movie came out in 1988 I met my wife in 1994 who never saw this movie because she never liked action movies NOW this is her favorite Christmas movie also and we have been watching every year since!! I hope you have reacted to other Die Hard movies I would love to see your reactions!! Merry Christmas stay safe!!
Whether it is or isn't a Christmas movie on its own merits (it is), the very fact that it enters the public conversation EVERY SINGLE YEAR after Thanksgiving makes it a Christmas movie by default.
That, and I think it would be more debatable if it was only the first one that took place at Christmas. But the fact that the sequel also take place at Christmas creates am ongoing pattern of Christmasness, thus reinforcing the idea that they are in fact Christmas movies.
@@mem1701movies Is Miracle on 34th Street not a Christmas movie? It was released on June 11th. There are actually a lot of Christmas movies, even having "Christmas" and "Santa Clause" in their titles, that were released in the summer or other months not November or December. Home Alone is universally considered to be a Christmas movie, that can be watched anytime.
@@mem1701movies ... Any good movie can be watched anytime without being weird. Time is a frickin' construct in the first place lol it means absolutely nothing
Adding to other comments... The big Blonde Bad Guy that gets killed at the end is Alexander Godunov who was a famous Russian Ballet dancer before getting into acting in the Harrison Ford movie Witness.
Thank you! This is absolutely a Christmas movie! My family's tradition. My mom started it. Let us watch it a little on the young side... but that made her badass is our books. And every Christmas since, my brother and I would go to her place, lounge around. Snack all day. Watching Christmas movies... this was always on at some point in the day. R.i.p. Ma. And Merry Christmas everyone! Don't know about you guys... but we got a blizzard here in bc
Holy s**t. Someone doing a rewatch. It's nice to see such love for this Christmas movie there's a few films I have in my "unconventional holiday films" list. Fun fact this film has 3 actors from the Ghostbusters films
Natalie, is absolutely is not a bold statement! It is god tier action filmmaking. It gets everything right: It portrays and sets up a vulnerable hero with issues to resolve, a hero who cares about innocent people, a hero who isn’t there just to fight terrorists, he just so happens to be the only guy left who can take care of the situation. And then there’s everything else: The quotes, the music, the camerawork, the kinetic grit, hell…the sounds of the guns, it all adds up and the result is a way above average action movie!
It's not really Christmas in my house until we've watched Hans Gruber fall to his death from Nakatomi Tower. BTW, you'd probably love THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT, another Christmas action classic.
I saw this movie my senior year of high school with my cheerleader girlfriend (wink - wink). It was one of the first movies I'd ever seen with the whole THX surround sound in the theater, and the explosions literally shook the place. It was awesome! We were really familiar with Bruce Willis because he was in a show called 'Moonlighting' with Cybill Shepherd in the 80s but he had never done anything like this before. It is crazy now seeing those explosions and thinking how a building can come down, because I don't remember that crossing my mind back then.
I love how Hans is so cool and calm throughout the film and what hits a nerve is Holly calling him a common thief. Just the of writing is unreal and the acting along with the directing it truly stands the test of time. Also this was Alan Rickman's first film role and what a role it was. To give that performance and it be so iconic speaks to how talented he was. He nailed it from start to finish. He was an unknown English actor. After this he wasn't. So sad he is no longer with us, but his work will always be there to enjoy. Especially every Christmas because yes Die Hard is a Christmas movie no if's or buts. No matter that it was released in July. Although it was released in February here in the UK so it's close enough.
The reason the whole building didn't collapse is because the explosion spread out across the entire floor, rather than being pointedly directed at the supports.
I love that the cassette in the car stereo is laughed at but the touchscreen in the lobby isn't mentioned. That was new high tech shit for those days, and it's still a very common feature today. 16:35 LOL! 🤣🤣🤣🤣 I actually tear up at the safe opening scene every time I watch this movie. So good!
Another fun fact. After all shooting was finished and edited the director watched the entire movie. He decided it needed something. They brought Bruce Willis back in for one more scene. He ad libed "Come out to the coast. We'll have a few laughs"
I mean, it takes place on christmas - a family reunites on christmas and sets away their differences to reunite their family - the main character is a Dad in a tank top and with no shoes on. it's got christmas caroling and everything!
Great work Nat...so hard to imagine how many people deal with food insecurity in our country - it's awesome to see people doing their part and more. And I LOVE your reaction to this movie! It is most definitely a Xmas movie - I mean, it's not Xmas till Hans Gruber falls from Nakatomi plaza, LOL.
18:45 You forget it's the 80's, no internet, no google, no social media. It was not so easy to find out who worked in a building. There wasn't much information cooperation between fire, police, hospitals and feds. So the police would have to have it in their own database, not likely.
My one and only true Christmas tradition is at midnight on Christmas Day, I watch Die Hard and eat a bowl of spaghetti-o’s. It’s so satisfying. Can’t wait to do it in a couple days
Fun fact - a detonation of C4 produces a shock wave that travels at approximately 18,000 MPH (8 km/s if you prefer metric). My mother was a pacifist, and she forbade us from watching violent movies for the most part when I was a kid - but she LOVED Die Hard. So... thanks for the clip, this is a treat.
@@mem1701movies Is Miracle on 34th Street not a Christmas movie? It was released on June 11th. There are actually a lot of Christmas movies, even having "Christmas" and "Santa Clause" in their titles, that were released in the summer or other months not November or December. Home Alone is universally considered to be a Christmas movie, that can be watched anytime.
For all the reasons you mention in this reaction - This is absolutely a Christmas movie and it is the action movie by which all others should be judged. Merry Christmas! Ho-Ho-Ho!
The scenes that take place at the Nakatomi Building, the underground garage and the streets near it were actually filmed at Fox Plaza, which was a new building mostly unoccupied and under construction at the time, in Century City. In fact, the floor that John pulls the fire alarm on was actually under construction and they incorporated it into the filming and required little set dressing to give it the appearance of it being worked on.
You're right about the script, it's so tight, nothing is thrown in there for no reason, everything matters. This is Bruce at his best, his acting in this doesn't get enough credit, he's perfect.
Check out: '96's _The Long Kiss Goodnight_ 💋 starring Geena Davis & Samuel L Jackson, from _Kiss Kiss Bang Bang_ screenwriter/director Shane Black. Another Christmas Action 🎄💥 classic worth adding to the list. Davis plays one of cinema's most badass [albeit, little known] Action heroes.
This is my favourite Christmas movie of all time, my tradition is I watch this on Christmas Night every year for the last 8 years. Also Jingle All The Way is one I watch every year too
It is filmed at Fox Plaza, also known as ‘Nakatomi Plaza,’ is part of the 180-acre business center in Los Angeles, located south of Santa Monica Blvd., southwest of Beverly Hills. It also serves as a corporate headquarter for 20th Century Fox.
In the novel the Bruce Willis character is actually Joe Leland, a retired World War II fighter pilot and police detective. He was pushing 70. I suspect author Roderick Thorp wrote the book with Frank Sinatra in mind. Sinatra starred as Joe Leland in the 1968 adaptation of Thorp's previous novel THE DETECTIVE. Just some fun trivia for any fan that didn't realize THE DETECTIVE is spiritually part of the DIE HARD franchise.
I worked in an office for years and the Christmas parties were great. The whole holiday season was great, cookies, chocolate, cake every day. I was there for quite a while and we got nearly 30 days vacation a year and I always lined up 5-7 days off at Christmas. Loved it.
Yes holly berries are real ,they grow on a holly bush or holly tree that have dark green hard shiny leaves. Have a holly jolly Christmas is also a song.I used to think of the movie as a action film set at Christmas, but all your logic has earned you another convert! merry Christmas to all !!!
I wonder if Natalie's heard of the Die Hard Christmas book. It's a book written in the style of Night Before Christmas and is illustrated like a children's book but is the story of this movie.
Hey Nat. it's funny you mentioned wardrobe. couple of tidbits for Bruce Willis they had 13 tank tops each of them more and more gradually dirty and tattered to progress throughout the film. also fun fact Ellis's line Hans Bubby was adlib and the bewildered look on Alan Rickman's face is is genuine bewilderment. And one last thing when Hans and John meet with the fake American accent scene was their first scenes they shot together. The director had them do that scene unrehearsed to keep it genuine they went in cold and nailed it. And yes 1,000%, a Christmas movie. You're awesome. Happy Hanukkah ❤️💚☘️
Funny FanFact about Natalie amazed how everything in the script is connect is that the script was written during filming and actors recieve their everyday scenes maybe a day before shoot 😄
Re: how the bad guys dress, that was the 1980s Hollywood conception of Euro a-hole style. When I saw it in the theater I knew the bad guys were European before they opened their mouths.
Like many people (from a thousand years ago), this movie was my introduction to Alan Rickman (RIP), and I was a fan ever since. Somehow the fact that this movie was technically a Christmas movie escaped me until it was debated online in recent years, and then I realized OF COURSE it's a Christmas movie (and definitely one of the best action movies ever). Thank you for filming a reaction....
One instance where the movie outshines the novel it's based upon (Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp, written in 1979, about 10 years before Die Hard). One of my favorite action films!
I love it when action films work classical music into the soundtracks - "Ode to Joy" in this film, "1812 Overture" in V for Vendetta, "Ride of the Valkyries" in Apocalypse Now. It just works so well and I have no idea why
LOL, love how Hans's voice breaks when he says "it's Christmas Theo, it's a time for miracles. 30:08 that laugh though :) No one better argue with Nat over this being a christmas movie goddmn it.
Oh yeah, until Karl's slasher revenge scene i'd forgotten they used the music from Aliens, or was it Star Trek II, or Star Trek III, or Beyond the Stars, or Cocoon? James Horner, that man loved repeating himself musically, but 80's action and sci fic movies loved him none the less. Weird since he didn't score the whole film that hey just used that one piece in that one section.
Yes... and even better, though she may have had to clipped it to fit fair use constraints, is that the full line is "It's Christmas, Theo, it's a time for miracles. Be of good cheer."
HUZZAH!! I've been hoping to see this one fro? You. I got to watch Die Hard with my wife this year, and it was so cool to see her reactions to the best parts.
Fun Fact - The actor who played the limo driver was in Die Hard With A Vengeance. He's a part of the group of guys who notice the sign Bruce is wearing when he meets Sam Jackson's character.
You're just a joy of a person to hang out with this way. This is also my favorite christmas movie and always will be. You have a great holiday and keep up the good work.
Fun fact! The look on Alan Rickman's face when he falls at the end is genuine horror! The stunt coordinator made him think he wasn't really going to fall but actually let him fall 40 feet onto a crashpad.
I've never been able to decide a winner, but in terms of just a solid, anyone can follow it, no character no matter how annoying feels contrived, you need every bit of it because everything is connected so there is no filler to be cut out, just what you might call The Perfect Movie it's between this and Back To The Future.
I hope it hits 10k! Donated. Love the channel Nat. And no fighting necessary. We watch this movie every Christmas Eve right after "A Charlie Brown Christmas" :D
Awesome, Natalie! You make the most compelling argument for Die Hard being a Christmas movie 🎬 I love this movie as well and agree with your conclusions 😄👏🎄
BBC Radio 5 did a whole thing on "is it a Christmas Movie" last night. The consensus: It WASN'T a Christmas movie (release date, themes, whatever the arguments always were). ...but... It IS NOW because the public has willed it to be. I'd agree with that tbh. But then I've always considered it a Christmas movie.
To me, a “Christmas Film” really represents a subgenre; you can have Christmas Horror films, Christmas Romantic Comedies, Christmas Comedies, Christmas Dramas (a little less popular, but often dramas with religious overtones are common), and this film to me represents the Christmas Action film.
No matter how many times I see this movie I can't help but remember the true meaning of this movie...proper foot care and the importance of taking an extra second to put on shoes
🤣💯👍
Lieutenant Dan would agree
It didn’t help SOL ROSENBERG
I remember reading an article where an American soldier was woken up by a firefighter in Afghanistan so he put on his boots and vest and helmet and went out to work. He was photographed in his gear and boxers and apparently was reprimanded for not being fully dressed. I'm like the guy had his rifle his helmet and his boots, what else did he need??
It's a Christmas movie! If you take out the Christmas aspect, John is still on the East coast. There would be no party, so No one would be in the building that late. Hence; No Plot.
I love it when Ellis is talking to Hans, Karl is bringing him a Coca Cola.... Ellis probably asked for "some coke" and they misunderstood
Damn! Never thought about that 😂
He likes Coke in all its forms
Filmmakers said that was the intended joke and not too many people got it at the time.
Holy shit. 33 years and that never occurred to me. 🤣🤣🤣
I never noticed that lol. That's hilarious
Even as a villain, it's hard to hate Alan Rickman's characters. He's also the best thing about Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. Can't believe already almost 6 years since he passed.
And Snape, of course, could have easily been a disaster in the Harry Potter films but Rickman nailed him.
@@michaelearl6765 most complex character in the books.
I agree. He's amazing
Break down of Rickman's classic Die Hard performance. ruclips.net/video/PZtOC-sANi4/видео.html
"Why a spoon?"
I know you'll appreciate this point, in high school in my English Media class our teacher showed us Die Hard in 2000 (not that I hadn't seen it 20 times by then), but she paused it every 10 min or so and pulled out so many points, the writing, the setups, the lighting to create elements of tension. Always loved it but it became on another level because of the direction and writing. I thought I would not enjoy your reaction because you've seen it before but it was better because you just loved it so much.
You forgot the music cues. One of my favorites is at the end when Karl re-appeared & Al shot him. It slowly rose in intensity until they focused on his face, when it reached a triumphant crescendo.
Ironically, Bruce Willis was on a hit TV show at the time called “Moonlighting” which was a comedy and many were skeptical of him being an action movie star. Today, that seems incredulous.
Do you remember "Atomic Shakespeare?": ruclips.net/video/ijUr6p8xSBM/видео.html
I like him a lot better in action comedies, such as RED, Fifth Element, and Hudson Hawk than I do more pure action movies like this. Still good, but he needs to show is comic roots to really shine.
@@Otokichi786 Classic episode. Such a great show.
@@rogerw5299 Yes. I still want one final “Die Hard” film with Benedict Cumberbatch as Hans Gruber’s son. “Die Hardest”
@@Sweetish_Jeff_ That might be interesting, actually. Considering that he would be after John for both his father and uncle...
I worked with the wonderful Alan on Quigley down under. A most gracious man that treated gaffers like a king or queen. A lovely luvvy. I only knew him for a short while but he really was an exceptional human.
Thanks for confirming what I always suspected. I always liked him in roles where he didn't play the villain. Like The Metatron in _Dogma,_ or Alexander Dane in _Galaxy Quest._
Alan Rickman’s reaction when he’s dropped is genuine. They told him they were gonna let go on 3 and they let him go on 2
I thought he had an extraordinary reaction, especially as a first movie for him, but I laughed so hard when I learned that behind-the-scenes tidbit. 😆
Is it 3 and go or 1,2 and go on 3? 😁
@@kratosGOW It may have been his first movie but it certainly wasn't his first acting job 🙄
He was in the RSC and had performed in London's West End and on Broadway well before this.
So I think he would have been more than capable of pulling off an "extraordinary reaction" without being let go early...
@@richieclean
Yeah I know. My point was that those who didn’t know him and his background like me then were very impressed with his acting chops for his “first time”.
@@dnf-dead great question cuz I'm suing everybody!!😂😂😂
Alan Rickman taught me that I could love the bad guy. I wish they did an alternate ending where he got to the beach earning 20%
That would be this movie: ruclips.net/video/Z7MMTmVZcVs/видео.html
Die Hard is Christmas through and through. The music, the setting, the dialog, the themes. It would be a lesser film without the holiday spirit.
And his Wife's name is Holly.
And around here "Yippee Ki Yay, Motherfucker" has been the Christmas greeting of choice for generations.
Good reaction. The building is located on Olympic Blvd. in Century City; a stone's throw from the Fox Studio lot.
John McClane has a troublesome marriage but wants to get to celebrate christmas with his wife and children. Some evil grinches show up and do evil things so he tries to do the right thing and in the end John realizes, that nothing is more important to him than Holly and the kids. Being thankful for those in your life that you love. If that's not a Christmas story I don't know what is.
*slaps desk*
THANK YOU!
Not only is your argument perfect, but also I hadn't considered before that his wife's name being "Holly" is also absolutely thematically consistent with Christmas lol
Reactors keep asking, “Can’t Argyle hear the gunshots?” Or something similar. He is in the basement garage of a skyscraper. The shooting is happening on the 30th floor! You probably wouldn’t hear gunfire if you were on the 28th floor. The building materials aren’t just plywood and some carpeting or hardwood like at your house, it is basically concrete making up the floor, of each and every floor, no one is hearing crap.
And he has music blasting.
I've worked in office highrises and the 30th to 28th is a bit extreme (ask anyone who has been annoyed by nail guns and drills a few floors up). Not only that, but where you are vs the noisemakers also matters. If you're next to a sound channel (stairs, elevator, or HVAC shafts), loud bangs or shrill noises do carry.
You're definitely right about the parking levels vs 30th floor, though. Plus, Argyle is in a vehicle and listening to music.
exactly I have been in skyscrapers a lot, and theres no way some gunshots can be heard in a garage! Theres clear evidence the only people are on that 1 floor for the party
The building was the brand new Fox headquarters, which was still under construction. They worked some of the unfinished floors into the film.
Helped with the budget
Natalie: "I love this movie so much"
Also Natalie: "I don't remember any of this movie"
Was thinking the same thing. :D
but she sure is enjoying it weather she remembers it or not, some big smiles
Nail hit so hard.... Spot on👌🏻
Fun Fact: Beethoven's 9th symphony, ‘Ode To Joy,' is sprinkled throughout the movie by composer Michael Kamen. Hans Gruber's theme has elements of Ode To Joy, specifically the opening notes.
When Karl is shot it sounds like music from STAR TREK 2.
@@mem1701movies That's because the music in the scene where Karl is shot by Al is not part of Michael Kamen's soundtrack. It's actually unused material from James Horner that Horner had composed years earlier either for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, or Aliens, I'm not sure which.
@Kristopher Chavez I looked it up, and it's unused music from Aliens. lol Sorry.
I once timed this movie so well the "merry Christmas" line as the vault opened hit right at midnight on Christmas day
That takes some practice…well done!
You should rightfully be proud.
Thats awesome. Its if you time LOTR Two towers so when the new year starts he says : So it begins :D
A lot of this movie deals with redemption and reconciliation. Mix that in with the Christmas scenery and music and it's pretty hard not to call this a Christmas movie, at least for me.
Along with Christmas being important to the plot rather than JUST the background setting. John's whole reason for flying home is for the holidays with his family. The only reason everyone is there in the office building so late is due to the Christmas party, which is also the reason Hans chooses that time, and also the only reason John would be there to stop it, rather than Meeting Holly after she gets off work, outside the office. Christmas is easier to replace in Home Alone than it is in Die Hard/More integral to Die Hard than it is to Home Alone, and Home Alone is not disputed as a Christmas movie.
Since you were talking about Lethal Weapon the score for that series and Die Hard 1-3 was done by the great Michael Kamen (RIP), who did one of my favorite scores of all time with Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.
For the time it came out, most of the 80s action movies were the typical Arnold/Stallone/Van Damme "big guy" ripped muscled action hero, Bruce/John McClane changed that and made it so the "every guy" can be a hero type. This movie was a game changer as it also had a very simple yet "complex" plot that had twists and turns, reveals, that made it a complete movie, which was also lacking in most of the 80s action movies.
To you and your family, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas. Thank you for all your shares during the year.
Back then, this was normal.
Post-911, armed cops on planes are either (1) transporting a prisoner, or (2) undercover Federal Air Marshals. Everyone else checks their heat into the underbelly luggage.
It's not Christmas until Hans Gruber gets thrown off of Nakatomi Tower.
Fun fact #1: when McClane shoots the terrorist from under the table, he had forgotten to put his hearing protection back in for that take. Willis suffered significant hearing damage from that.
Fun fact #2: the scene were McClane falls down the ventilation shaft wasn't planned. The stunt man was supposed to catch the vent we saw McClane reach for, but he really did fall instead. The director liked it so much he kept it in.
And, yes, it is a Christmas movie!
You can blow all of the concrete out of a skyscraper & the steel skeleton should remain standing. What happened in NY in '01 was that the burning jet fuel weakened the integrity of the steel to the point that it could not hold up the weight of the building anymore causing a catastrophic structural failure.
BuT jEt fUeL dOeSn'T mElT sTeEl bEaMs
... I'm not one of those people lol, I just hadn't thought of that memeified line in forever and have never had occasion to say it even sarcastically so couldn't resist
@@ItsAsparageese Totally get it, no worries :D As it happens, it doesn't melt them but it sure as hell makes them soft enough that they can't hold weight anymore.
I’ve been casually watching your channel for like a week. This video made me sub because you recognize die hard as a Christmas movie. I’ve been debating at work all month that it is lol
Natalie Natalie Natalie!!! The fact you already saw this movie doesnt even matter your reactions are PRICELESS!! Yes you are so right about this being a Christmas movie from beginning to end the feel of Christmas from John having the bear as a gift to either Holly or Lucy his daughter to the Christmas Party to the fact that John needed a Christmas miracle to get through everything to get back to his family this movie IS written very well!! This movie came out in 1988 I met my wife in 1994 who never saw this movie because she never liked action movies NOW this is her favorite Christmas movie also and we have been watching every year since!! I hope you have reacted to other Die Hard movies I would love to see your reactions!! Merry Christmas stay safe!!
Merry Christmas! This is my favorite Christmas movie and really a classic of the action genre.
Whether it is or isn't a Christmas movie on its own merits (it is), the very fact that it enters the public conversation EVERY SINGLE YEAR after Thanksgiving makes it a Christmas movie by default.
That, and I think it would be more debatable if it was only the first one that took place at Christmas. But the fact that the sequel also take place at Christmas creates am ongoing pattern of Christmasness, thus reinforcing the idea that they are in fact Christmas movies.
It’s not a Christmas movie because it was released in the summer and can be watched anytime without feeling weird.
@@mem1701movies Is Miracle on 34th Street not a Christmas movie? It was released on June 11th. There are actually a lot of Christmas movies, even having "Christmas" and "Santa Clause" in their titles, that were released in the summer or other months not November or December. Home Alone is universally considered to be a Christmas movie, that can be watched anytime.
@@mem1701movies ... Any good movie can be watched anytime without being weird. Time is a frickin' construct in the first place lol it means absolutely nothing
Nailed it, OP! That's a really good point lol
Adding to other comments... The big Blonde Bad Guy that gets killed at the end is Alexander Godunov who was a famous Russian Ballet dancer before getting into acting in the Harrison Ford movie Witness.
"Yippie Ki yay, melon farmer" was the dubbed in part heard in the TV version for years lol
Yea that's an urban legend lol
Did you hear Snakes on a Plane's "Monkey-fighting snakes on this Monday-to-Friday plane"?
It was dubbed over for tv release … it was … kimosabbi
They used “motivator” for “motherfucker” in one of the Resident Evil movies on SyFy
This is what happens when you find a stranger in the alps. Larry! This is what happens!
Thank you! This is absolutely a Christmas movie! My family's tradition. My mom started it. Let us watch it a little on the young side... but that made her badass is our books. And every Christmas since, my brother and I would go to her place, lounge around. Snack all day. Watching Christmas movies... this was always on at some point in the day. R.i.p. Ma. And Merry Christmas everyone! Don't know about you guys... but we got a blizzard here in bc
Holy s**t. Someone doing a rewatch. It's nice to see such love for this Christmas movie there's a few films I have in my "unconventional holiday films" list. Fun fact this film has 3 actors from the Ghostbusters films
Natalie, is absolutely is not a bold statement!
It is god tier action filmmaking.
It gets everything right: It portrays and sets up a vulnerable hero with issues to resolve, a hero who cares about innocent people, a hero who isn’t there just to fight terrorists, he just so happens to be the only guy left who can take care of the situation.
And then there’s everything else:
The quotes, the music, the camerawork, the kinetic grit, hell…the sounds of the guns, it all adds up and the result is a way above average action movie!
It's not really Christmas in my house until we've watched Hans Gruber fall to his death from Nakatomi Tower.
BTW, you'd probably love THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT, another Christmas action classic.
I saw this movie my senior year of high school with my cheerleader girlfriend (wink - wink). It was one of the first movies I'd ever seen with the whole THX surround sound in the theater, and the explosions literally shook the place. It was awesome! We were really familiar with Bruce Willis because he was in a show called 'Moonlighting' with Cybill Shepherd in the 80s but he had never done anything like this before. It is crazy now seeing those explosions and thinking how a building can come down, because I don't remember that crossing my mind back then.
I love how Hans is so cool and calm throughout the film and what hits a nerve is Holly calling him a common thief. Just the of writing is unreal and the acting along with the directing it truly stands the test of time. Also this was Alan Rickman's first film role and what a role it was. To give that performance and it be so iconic speaks to how talented he was. He nailed it from start to finish. He was an unknown English actor. After this he wasn't. So sad he is no longer with us, but his work will always be there to enjoy. Especially every Christmas because yes Die Hard is a Christmas movie no if's or buts. No matter that it was released in July. Although it was released in February here in the UK so it's close enough.
The reason the whole building didn't collapse is because the explosion spread out across the entire floor, rather than being pointedly directed at the supports.
thank you natalie , die hard is a christmas movie and i'm tired of people saying it's not when part of the storyline revols around a christmas party
I love that the cassette in the car stereo is laughed at but the touchscreen in the lobby isn't mentioned. That was new high tech shit for those days, and it's still a very common feature today.
16:35 LOL! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I actually tear up at the safe opening scene every time I watch this movie. So good!
Another fun fact. After all shooting was finished and edited the director watched the entire movie. He decided it needed something. They brought Bruce Willis back in for one more scene. He ad libed "Come out to the coast. We'll have a few laughs"
I mean, it takes place on christmas - a family reunites on christmas and sets away their differences to reunite their family - the main character is a Dad in a tank top and with no shoes on. it's got christmas caroling and everything!
Great work Nat...so hard to imagine how many people deal with food insecurity in our country - it's awesome to see people doing their part and more. And I LOVE your reaction to this movie! It is most definitely a Xmas movie - I mean, it's not Xmas till Hans Gruber falls from Nakatomi plaza, LOL.
Nakatomi Tower is actually Fox Plaza in Century City, right on the Avenue of the Stars between Galaxy and West Olympic.
Die Hard was actually filmed in Century City at the Fox Plaza, which was the Nakatomi Plaza in the movie.
18:45 You forget it's the 80's, no internet, no google, no social media. It was not so easy to find out who worked in a building. There wasn't much information cooperation between fire, police, hospitals and feds. So the police would have to have it in their own database, not likely.
My one and only true Christmas tradition is at midnight on Christmas Day, I watch Die Hard and eat a bowl of spaghetti-o’s. It’s so satisfying. Can’t wait to do it in a couple days
Fun fact - a detonation of C4 produces a shock wave that travels at approximately 18,000 MPH (8 km/s if you prefer metric).
My mother was a pacifist, and she forbade us from watching violent movies for the most part when I was a kid - but she LOVED Die Hard. So... thanks for the clip, this is a treat.
Best Christmas Movie Ever!!! I'll fight people with you Nat
Didnt expect to see you here? Nice suprise
Not a Christmas movie because it was released in the summer and can be watched anytime without feeling weird.
@@mem1701movies Is Miracle on 34th Street not a Christmas movie? It was released on June 11th. There are actually a lot of Christmas movies, even having "Christmas" and "Santa Clause" in their titles, that were released in the summer or other months not November or December. Home Alone is universally considered to be a Christmas movie, that can be watched anytime.
@@mem1701movies Look up "Christmas in July."
Admit you're wrong.
Just a genuine question for people who think of Die Hard as a Christmas movie: do you consider Iron Man 3 to be a Christmas movie?
I love how much you love this movie, and heck yes it's the best Christmas movie ever made! I watch it every year!
For all the reasons you mention in this reaction - This is absolutely a Christmas movie and it is the action movie by which all others should be judged. Merry Christmas! Ho-Ho-Ho!
The scenes that take place at the Nakatomi Building, the underground garage and the streets near it were actually filmed at Fox Plaza, which was a new building mostly unoccupied and under construction at the time, in Century City. In fact, the floor that John pulls the fire alarm on was actually under construction and they incorporated it into the filming and required little set dressing to give it the appearance of it being worked on.
Fun Fact: Bonnie Bedelia (Holly)is also Macaulay Culkin's aunt.
Fun Fact: ruclips.net/video/3w19SAl1OBQ/видео.html May I ask what name of the movie in video opinion what year is yes
In real life?
You're right about the script, it's so tight, nothing is thrown in there for no reason, everything matters. This is Bruce at his best, his acting in this doesn't get enough credit, he's perfect.
Die Hard 2 is also a Christmas Movie. And it includes the reporter that Holly punched and Al, the cop.
I think it’s so amazing you’re using your platform for the fundraiser! Feeding America is such an important organization right now.
Check out: '96's _The Long Kiss Goodnight_ 💋 starring Geena Davis & Samuel L Jackson, from _Kiss Kiss Bang Bang_ screenwriter/director Shane Black. Another Christmas Action 🎄💥 classic worth adding to the list. Davis plays one of cinema's most badass [albeit, little known] Action heroes.
I love that movie!
Because Chefs do that.
Oh, so now you're a sharpshooter?
@@ExcentricDragon lol man that movie had great zingers.
This is my favourite Christmas movie of all time, my tradition is I watch this on Christmas Night every year for the last 8 years. Also Jingle All The Way is one I watch every year too
Hey, Natalie. Just a heads up, the thumbnail for this video has a "First Time Watching" banner on it.
Yeah, came here to comment this, replying to boost.
Click bait baby why would she change it
It is filmed at Fox Plaza, also known as ‘Nakatomi Plaza,’ is part of the 180-acre business center in Los Angeles, located south of Santa Monica Blvd., southwest of Beverly Hills. It also serves as a corporate headquarter for 20th Century Fox.
Die hard is a Harry Potter movie. He sneaks around a tower at night avoiding Alan Rickman. It's a Harry Potter movie.
In the novel the Bruce Willis character is actually Joe Leland, a retired World War II fighter pilot and police detective. He was pushing 70. I suspect author Roderick Thorp wrote the book with Frank Sinatra in mind. Sinatra starred as Joe Leland in the 1968 adaptation of Thorp's previous novel THE DETECTIVE. Just some fun trivia for any fan that didn't realize THE DETECTIVE is spiritually part of the DIE HARD franchise.
I worked in an office for years and the Christmas parties were great. The whole holiday season was great, cookies, chocolate, cake every day. I was there for quite a while and we got nearly 30 days vacation a year and I always lined up 5-7 days off at Christmas. Loved it.
This is hands down my favorite Christmas movie. Loved that you love it too. 😊❤💚
The opening intro was just pure gold lol instantly put a smile on my face! Thanks for that Natalie
Yes holly berries are real ,they grow on a holly bush or holly tree that have dark green hard shiny leaves. Have a holly jolly Christmas is also a song.I used to think of the movie as a action film set at Christmas, but all your logic has earned you another convert! merry Christmas to all !!!
I wonder if Natalie's heard of the Die Hard Christmas book. It's a book written in the style of Night Before Christmas and is illustrated like a children's book but is the story of this movie.
I NEED THIS IN MY LIFE. Thanks for the recommendation lol!
Hey Nat. it's funny you mentioned wardrobe. couple of tidbits for Bruce Willis they had 13 tank tops each of them more and more gradually dirty and tattered to progress throughout the film. also fun fact Ellis's line Hans Bubby was adlib and the bewildered look on Alan Rickman's face is is genuine bewilderment. And one last thing when Hans and John meet with the fake American accent scene was their first scenes they shot together. The director had them do that scene unrehearsed to keep it genuine they went in cold and nailed it. And yes 1,000%, a Christmas movie. You're awesome. Happy Hanukkah ❤️💚☘️
"Come out to the coast! We'll have a few laughs!"
That line was fed to Bruce on the phone by producer Joel Silver.
Argyle's disappointment one week later when he sees nothing of excitement but memories of the prior week.
Don't care what anyone says, Die Hard is a Christmas movie and I will happily die on that hill!
Happy holidays everyone
It’s a Christmas movie, and I will die on that Nakatomi Tower!
Every one agree to! Think it`s fake controversy to say it`s not.
I'll stand by your side on this hill brother
God Jul!
Im with you on that hill
Funny FanFact about Natalie amazed how everything in the script is connect is that the script was written during filming and actors recieve their everyday scenes maybe a day before shoot 😄
Not a Christmas movie, but Beverly Hills Cop so you get the trifecta of 80s action comedy.
I believe "Lethal Weapon" is also a Christmas movie.
It does take place during Christmas.
Heck, the opening song is "Jingle Bell Rock"!
Die Hard is Home Alone for adults. If Home Alone is a Xmas movie, so is Die Hard.
Yes is a Christmas movie, it is one of my favorites. Happy holidays.
Re: how the bad guys dress, that was the 1980s Hollywood conception of Euro a-hole style. When I saw it in the theater I knew the bad guys were European before they opened their mouths.
Best rewatch, ever. Well done and great for the channel.
I like how all the reactors are doing Die Hard this past week.
It's a wonderful life, isn't it?
Like many people (from a thousand years ago), this movie was my introduction to Alan Rickman (RIP), and I was a fan ever since. Somehow the fact that this movie was technically a Christmas movie escaped me until it was debated online in recent years, and then I realized OF COURSE it's a Christmas movie (and definitely one of the best action movies ever). Thank you for filming a reaction....
A Christmas Story Full Movie Free 1983 - Hallmark Best Christmas Movies
All the murder and mayhem that one would expect from a proper Christmas movie.
One instance where the movie outshines the novel it's based upon (Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp, written in 1979, about 10 years before Die Hard). One of my favorite action films!
I like how they played Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" when the bank vault opens. Not Christmas music exactly, but pretty damn close.
Ode to Joy is often played during Christmas.
I love it when action films work classical music into the soundtracks - "Ode to Joy" in this film, "1812 Overture" in V for Vendetta, "Ride of the Valkyries" in Apocalypse Now. It just works so well and I have no idea why
14:14 This was an accident, the stunt man was supposed to catch the first lip but missed it. It looked so good they kept the footage in the film.
LOL, love how Hans's voice breaks when he says "it's Christmas Theo, it's a time for miracles.
30:08 that laugh though :)
No one better argue with Nat over this being a christmas movie goddmn it.
Oh yeah, until Karl's slasher revenge scene i'd forgotten they used the music from Aliens, or was it Star Trek II, or Star Trek III, or Beyond the Stars, or Cocoon? James Horner, that man loved repeating himself musically, but 80's action and sci fic movies loved him none the less. Weird since he didn't score the whole film that hey just used that one piece in that one section.
@@noneya3635 Yeah, he really loves his trilling french horns.
Yes... and even better, though she may have had to clipped it to fit fair use constraints, is that the full line is "It's Christmas, Theo, it's a time for miracles. Be of good cheer."
the coolest thing is that when john is talkign to hans, he lies saying he "got invied by mistake" this is a good moove to protect his wife
Just the finest action movie ever.
Saw it in theatre.
Was like blown away scene after scene.
My mom saw it in theater. She remembered a huge reaction when Bruce threw the body on Al’s car.
HUZZAH!! I've been hoping to see this one fro? You. I got to watch Die Hard with my wife this year, and it was so cool to see her reactions to the best parts.
My old Technology teacher in high school actually had Die Hard as his favorite Christmas movie
Fun Fact - The actor who played the limo driver was in Die Hard With A Vengeance. He's a part of the group of guys who notice the sign Bruce is wearing when he meets Sam Jackson's character.
YES! It is a christmas movie! Too many people don't understand that.
It´s not Christmas until Hans Gruber falls from the Nakatomi Plaza.
Donated, even though I don't agree with your assessment of Lethal Weapon! I hope you're able to smash that 10K goal!
You're just a joy of a person to hang out with this way. This is also my favorite christmas movie and always will be. You have a great holiday and keep up the good work.
Fun fact! The look on Alan Rickman's face when he falls at the end is genuine horror! The stunt coordinator made him think he wasn't really going to fall but actually let him fall 40 feet onto a crashpad.
That's cruel 🤣
And they told him it would be on the count of five and actually dropped him on two
Errr... No.
He knew he was going to do the fall, they just dropped him before the agreed countdown.
I've never been able to decide a winner, but in terms of just a solid, anyone can follow it, no character no matter how annoying feels contrived, you need every bit of it because everything is connected so there is no filler to be cut out, just what you might call The Perfect Movie it's between this and Back To The Future.
I hope it hits 10k! Donated. Love the channel Nat. And no fighting necessary. We watch this movie every Christmas Eve right after "A Charlie Brown Christmas" :D
Only you would post this watch along for Christmas….genius. One of the best scripts for an action movie
Awesome, Natalie! You make the most compelling argument for Die Hard being a Christmas movie 🎬 I love this movie as well and agree with your conclusions 😄👏🎄
As they say, "It's Not Christmas Until Hans Gruber Falls From Nakatomi Plaza"
BBC Radio 5 did a whole thing on "is it a Christmas Movie" last night.
The consensus:
It WASN'T a Christmas movie (release date, themes, whatever the arguments always were).
...but...
It IS NOW because the public has willed it to be.
I'd agree with that tbh. But then I've always considered it a Christmas movie.
There's a really easy response to the "release date" argument.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_in_July
To me, a “Christmas Film” really represents a subgenre; you can have Christmas Horror films, Christmas Romantic Comedies, Christmas Comedies, Christmas Dramas (a little less popular, but often dramas with religious overtones are common), and this film to me represents the Christmas Action film.
It's not Christmas until I see Hans Gruber fall out of the Nakatomi Plaza.