Home/Episodes/Die Hard with a Vengeance
‘Die Hard With a Vengeance’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan
June 24, 2025 · Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) · Action · Adventure · Thriller · 2:11:10 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill SimmonsOpening scene with Simon Says game and the sign scene where John McClane meets Sam Jackson▶ 32:50
Is There a Better Title?
Van LathanAgrees the title was problematic and hurt his interest in seeing the movie, supports the Simon Says idea▶ 59:24
What's Aged the Best
Bill SimmonsHangovers in movies, the 'I think you better take this' phone trope, evil brothers seeking revenge, commandeering vehicles, and alcoholic hero cops who look like shit but rise to the occasion▶ 1:04:35
Chris RyanThe power dynamics between Zeus and McClane, hiding Simon like the shark in Jaws until minute 50, constant ticking clock storytelling mechanism, and the car chase with random passenger getting in cab▶ 1:04:09
Van LathanThe racial dynamics and power dynamics between McClane and Zeus, how the movie handles race directly rather than as subtext, and Zeus's character having a direct way of looking at things▶ 1:02:52
Butch's Girlfriend Award
Bill SimmonsZeus being involved in the last 40 minutes - he's a normal person who should go back to his store but instead becomes like a cop leading attacks▶ 1:16:46
Chris RyanThe finale/ending - the movie peaks in the first 113 minutes and can't top the subway car sequence, so they give up on the ending▶ 1:16:13
Van LathanHolly references - tired of McClane being told to call his wife when he's trying to focus on the mission▶ 1:18:23
What's Aged the Worst
Bill SimmonsThe gold weight logistics being completely wrong (would need 480 dump trucks instead of what they showed) and the terrible ending of the movie that was a studio-mandated reshoot▶ 1:21:39
Chris RyanThe reputation of city services - how the movie portrayed sanitation workers, librarians, and firefighters as heroically willing to walk into dangerous situations, versus current public perception of slow response times and questioning the value of services like libraries▶ 1:21:13
Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Bill SimmonsThey blew it using the Simon Says gimmick for Die Hard 3 instead of making it a separate franchise, believes it would have worked better as a horror movie franchise like Saw▶ 1:27:55
Chris RyanDie Hard 3 is the best Die Hard movie and is improved by not imperiling Holly, focusing more on McClane saving the city rather than personal stakes▶ 1:26:40
Van LathanDie Hard 3 is his favorite Die Hard movie (though he clarifies it's not necessarily better than the original)▶ 1:27:20
Casting What-Ifs
Bill SimmonsSean Connery — Sean Connery was their first choice for Simon, but it wouldn't have worked - doesn't buy him as evil and him trying to do a German accent would be problematic▶ 1:29:59
Chris RyanSean Connery — Agrees Connery wouldn't work - notes the physical mismatch with the tank top and ripped physique required, questions if Connery has gone bad in films besides 70s movies▶ 1:30:24
Van LathanSean Connery — Agrees Sean Connery was considered but noted he didn't want to play such a role, questions if Sean Connery has ever gone bad in anything▶ 1:30:06
Joey Pants Award
Bill SimmonsJoe Pantoliano — Joey Pantoliano as Walter Cobb - getting mad at McClane and calling him a drunk▶ 1:34:34
Apex Mountain
Bill SimmonsBruce Willis — Bruce Willis (yes, around 1995), Sam Jackson (no, maybe later around Star Wars 1999), Jeremy Irons (probably winning Oscar), Summer action movies, Wall Street school system, Gold Reserve Bond with Teller, Colleen Camp, Cruz over Hanks for John McClane sidekicks▶ 1:41:25
Chris RyanSamuel L. Jackson — Sam Jackson around this Pulp Fiction/Die Hard area, Summer movies set during summer, Cruz as Simon Gruber alternative casting idea▶ 1:42:13
Van LathanSamuel L. Jackson — Die Hard Sequels (yes), John McClane Sidekicks (definitely yes), Sam Jackson's peak difficult to pinpoint but somewhere in the 90s, Harlem as movie location (quickly dismissed)▶ 1:44:22
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill SimmonsMcLean should be covered in blood and gore from all the close-range shootings and explosions▶ 1:49:06
Chris RyanHow many of these tasks did Gruber reasonably expect McLean to complete and how did he know they were being completed?▶ 1:48:13
Van LathanJohn McLean is essentially superhuman - he takes massive physical damage but water somehow rejuvenates him, making him like the character from Unbreakable▶ 1:49:53
Picking Nits
Bill SimmonsThe biggest nit is McLane surviving the tunnel drowning and Zeus coincidentally driving by to pick him up, plus Simon giving McLane the aspirin bottle with the address despite being a mastermind - like he wanted to get caught▶ 1:51:46
Chris RyanThe German henchmen are obviously fake when they arrive and don't look like they work in city services, and how did Simon expect to get away with dumpsters full of metal pieces instead of gold▶ 1:50:25
Van LathanMcLane doesn't even consider taking the $12 billion offer or tell anyone about it, and all the henchmen are 6'4" German dudes with crew cuts who obviously don't look like cops or Wall Street workers▶ 1:50:18
Sequel/Prequel/Limited Series/Remake
Bill SimmonsSuggests prestige TV adaptation with original cast, mentions Die Hard had multiple sequels but was disappointed by Live Free or Die Hard▶ 1:53:11
Is This Movie Better With
Bill SimmonsLists multiple options but settles on Simon Gruber as a mastermind who sees the whole city as a launching pad▶ 1:54:27
Chris RyanDoris Burke — Doris Burke saying 'Auf Wiedersehen Aaron Gruber' (corrected to Simon Gruber by Bill)▶ 1:54:17
Coach Finstock Life Lesson
Bill SimmonsDon't count out the divorced alcoholics in your life, they never know when they're gonna surprise you▶ 1:59:17
Van LathanIf we can beat racism, we can beat Europe - they work together, beat racism and then beat the Germans▶ 1:59:03
Best Double Feature
Bill SimmonsDie Hard — Die Hard paired with Die Hard 3 (skipping Die Hard 2), or Under Siege paired with The Siege▶ 2:00:15
Who Won the Movie
Bill SimmonsSamuel L. Jackson — Sam Jackson - Pulp Fiction no longer becomes a fluke, he can carry a major movie, and this sets up the rest of his career▶ 2:01:38
Chris RyanSamuel L. Jackson — Sam Jackson - he's the breath of fresh air the franchise needed and gives the movie new life▶ 2:01:02
Movies Referenced (72)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Die Hard (1988) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 68 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan | ▶ 2:07 |
| Pulp Fiction (1994) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 17 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan | ▶ 12:20 |
| Wall Street (1987) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 10 | Van Lathan, Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 27:13 |
| Under Siege (1992) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 25:20 |
| Angel Heart (1987) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Van Lathan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 2:02:49 |
| Phantom Thread (2017) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Van Lathan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 36:45 |
| Wild Things (1998) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Van Lathan, Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 2:04:07 |
| Batman Forever (1995) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Van Lathan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 29:37 |
| Lethal Weapon (1987) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 14:16 |
| Out of Time (2003) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Van Lathan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 2:02:27 |
| Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Van Lathan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 14:01 |
| Elvis (2022) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan, Van Lathan | ▶ 1:32:21 |
Directors Referenced (5)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John McTiernan | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons | Die Hard, Last Action Hero | ▶ 27:52 |
| Clint Eastwood | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Van Lathan, Bill Simmons | Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, Unforgiven | ▶ 2:03:23 |
| Ben Affleck | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Argo, Gone Girl, The Town | ▶ 47:16 |
| Chris Corner | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | The Saint, Open Your Eyes | ▶ 50:16 |
| Chris Long | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:36:34 |
Actors Referenced (52)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simon Says | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 49 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan | Varsity Blues | ▶ 9:38 |
| Bruce Willis | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 25 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan | Die Hard, Pulp Fiction | ▶ 2:06 |
| Laurence Fishburne | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 11 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan | The Matrix, Contagion | ▶ 20:48 |
| Jeremy Irons | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan | The Lion King, Assassin's Creed | ▶ 33:39 |
| Tom Hanks | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons | Cast Away, Big, Forrest Gump | ▶ 6:49 |
| Alec Baldwin | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan | The Departed, It's Complicated, Glengarry Glen Ross | ▶ 28:08 |
| Joel Silver | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Van Lathan | The Nice Guys, The Matrix | ▶ 1:29:19 |
| Magic Johnson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan | ▶ 16:04 | |
| Sean Connery | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan | Dr. No, The Untouchables, The Rock | ▶ 28:07 |
| Demi Moore | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan | Striptease, Indecent Proposal | ▶ 24:49 |
| Dominique Wilkins | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan | ▶ 23:25 | |
| Edie Falco | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:11:39 |
Writers Referenced (4)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julie Siege | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 24:40 | |
| Shane Black | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Predator, The Nice Guys, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang | ▶ 15:53 |
| Malcolm X | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Van Lathan | Malcolm X | ▶ 1:32:39 |
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 31:18 |
Cinematographers Referenced (1)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel Huxtable | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Heart of Stone | ▶ 2:05:54 |