'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 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
Casting What-Ifs
Bill SimmonsHarrison 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▶ 17:42
Chris RyanDiscusses how the actual casting created an everyman character that audiences could relate to, contrasting with typical 80s action heroes▶ 18:08
Jason ConcepcionViews the casting choice as a critique of 80s action movies, making it more relatable by asking 'what if it was more like you?'▶ 18:41
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill SimmonsThe broken glass scene - where McClane looks down, sees the broken glass, and has to go▶ 35:09
Chris RyanNominated multiple scenes: the broken glass scene, the Takagi interrogation, and Ellis gets a Coke scene▶ 34:59
Dion Waiters Award
Bill SimmonsHart Bochner — Agrees with Hart Bochner choice and discusses the performance extensively▶ 39:53
What's Aged the Best
Bill SimmonsThe 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▶ 47:19
Chris RyanEither Rickman as a villain or 80s Los Angeles, plus Gruber's crew (Al Leong and the diverse cast)▶ 47:12
Jason ConcepcionThe sense of place and spatial awareness - specifically the shot of McClane on top of the elevator giving you the entire elevator shaft▶ 49:32
Sean FennesseyThe filmmaking - McTiernan at his peak, Jan de Bont's cinematography, Michael Kamen's score, perfect acting, and masterful direction of tight spaces▶ 48:40
Apex Mountain
Bill SimmonsBruce Willis — Bruce Willis yes, prefers Predator for McTiernan, Presumed Innocent for Bonnie Bedelia▶ 59:28
Jason ConcepcionDie Hard — 80s action movies yes, Argyle yes, McTiernan close but prefers Hunt for Red October▶ 1:02:32
Best Quote
Chris RyanListed 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'▶ 1:20:18
Who Won the Movie
Bill SimmonsBruce Willis — Bruce Willis wins based on career impact (becomes A-plus lister for 30 years), though acknowledges Rickman creates the dominant action movie archetype▶ 1:26:48
Chris RyanAlan Rickman — Alan Rickman wins the movie because he makes it great rather than just good▶ 1:26:33
Sean FennesseyBruce Willis — Bruce Willis who won, with McTiernan and Rickman also benefiting significantly▶ 1:26:26
Movies Referenced (61)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From Hell (2001) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 8:41 |
| Pulp Fiction (1994) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | ▶ 11:42 |
| Jaws (1975) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 51:29 |
| Home Alone (1990) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Chris Ryan, Jason Concepcion | ▶ 11:28 |
| Die Hard 2 (1990) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 51:11 |
| First Blood (1982) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 14:53 |
| Joker (2019) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 20:32 |
| Midnight Run (1988) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:46 |
| Predator (1987) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 2:55 |
| Someone to Watch Over Me (1987) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 31:23 |
| The Devil's Advocate (1997) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | ▶ 24:13 |
| Under Siege (1992) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 12:50 |
Directors Referenced (12)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John McTiernan | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 17 | Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, Jason Concepcion | Die Hard, Last Action Hero | ▶ 2:55 |
| Willy Bogner | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | A View to a Kill, The Spy Who Loved Me | ▶ 55:23 |
| Warren Beatty | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | Heaven Can Wait | ▶ 40:59 |
| Martin Scorsese | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | Taxi Driver, Killers of the Flower Moon, Mean Streets | ▶ 27:51 |
| Amy Heckerling | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Look Who's Talking | ▶ 59:55 |
| Brian De Palma | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | Body Double, Dressed to Kill, The Bonfire of the Vanities | ▶ 59:51 |
| Mel Gibson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Braveheart, Lethal Weapon 3, Conspiracy Theory | ▶ 29:11 |
| Michael Bay | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Armageddon | ▶ 21:02 |
| Michael Mann | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans | ▶ 1:24:13 |
| Ridley Scott | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | The Martian, Blade Runner | ▶ 31:34 |
| Robert Benton | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | Kramer vs. Kramer, Bonnie and Clyde | ▶ 59:47 |
| Ron Howard | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | A Beautiful Mind | ▶ 28:11 |
Actors Referenced (81)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bruce Willis | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 37 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | Die Hard, Pulp Fiction | ▶ 1:21 |
| Alan Rickman | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 18 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Die Hard, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves | ▶ 6:04 |
| Bonnie Bedelia | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 13 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | Die Hard, Die Hard 2 | ▶ 52:55 |
| Hart Bochner | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 12 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | Die Hard, Breaking Away | ▶ 39:08 |
| Paul Gleeson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | The Thin Red Line | ▶ 55:25 |
| Frank Sinatra | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey | From Here to Eternity | ▶ 29:32 |
| Tom Berenger | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons | Platoon, Inception, The Big Chill | ▶ 31:09 |
| Chris Rock | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | The Longest Yard | ▶ 5:38 |
| Demi Moore | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons | Striptease, Indecent Proposal | ▶ 1:01:35 |
| Nick Nolte | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Jason Concepcion | Warrior | ▶ 29:11 |
| Al Pacino | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather | ▶ 24:04 |
| Don Johnson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Django Unchained | ▶ 4:04 |
Writers Referenced (9)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 1:07:16 | |
| George Lucas | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, American Graffiti | ▶ 1:11:35 |
| Shane Black | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, Jason Concepcion | Predator, The Nice Guys, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang | ▶ 10:32 |
| Aaron Sorkin | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | A Few Good Men | ▶ 28:18 |
| Jon Favreau | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Jason Concepcion, Chris Ryan | Chef, Iron Man, Swingers | ▶ 41:33 |
| Ali Bathgate | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | F1: The Movie, Enola Holmes | ▶ 59:47 |
| James Cameron | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | Avatar, Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day | ▶ 1:25:02 |
| Jerry Bruckheimer | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Top Gun: Maverick, Armageddon | ▶ 21:02 |
| Julie Siege | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 21:28 |
Cinematographers Referenced (1)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alvar Kõue | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan | Tenet | ▶ 1:24:39 |