Some watch Home Alone during the holidays, others prefer The Grinch, and some say Die Hard is the perfect Christmas movie. What the team behind the action film thinks about this you can find out on MeinMMO.
Die Hard (Original title: Die Hard) is an American action film from 1988, directed by John McTiernan. The screenplay was written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza. Die Hard is about the policeman John McClane (Bruce Willis), who single-handedly takes on gangsters that have occupied a skyscraper.
Every year, Die Hard airs on German television: Even in 2023, it was that time again:
- Sat1 showed Die Hard 1 and 2 on December 23 from 8:15 PM to 1:30 AM.
- For those who missed it: On December 26, the repeat runs from 10:50 PM to 3:35 AM, again on Sat 1.
- Between December 27 and December 30, Vox shows Die Hard 3, 4, and 5.
“It’s a damn Bruce Willis movie”
What does Bruce Willis say to the question? In a one-and-a-half-minute roast on the YouTube channel of Comedy Central, Bruce Willis, who plays the lead role in Die Hard, explains briefly and succinctly on July 30, 2018, what he thinks about the action movie being called a Christmas movie:
I’m doing this roast for one reason. To clarify something once and for all. Now listen very carefully. “Die Hard” is not a Christmas movie!
It’s a damn Bruce Willis movie. Yippie-Ya-Yay, suckers – to all of you. Good night!
But director John McTiernan also has an answer to the question. On August 5, 2022, he spoke in episode #526 with the hosts of the Empire Film Podcast about the debate (via screenrant.com).
What does the director say about it? In the podcast episode, John McTiernan said according to Screenrant that it is not for them to say, but for the audience. “If the viewers decide that [Die Hard] is a Christmas movie, it is a Christmas movie.” It turned out to be the case.
But the fact that it was a Christmas movie had a lot to do with the fact that it is very politically correct when viewed from a distance. And the only reason it survived is that the people in the studio who would have prevented it were fooled because they thought it was just an action movie about a Christmas party gone wrong.
Source: screenrant.com
Reginald VelJohnson plays the role of Sergeant Al Powell in Die Hard and was therefore Bruce Willis’s co-star. However, his opinion on the subject is closer to that of the director than to that of Bruce Willis.
What does the actor say about it? In an interview with ComicBook.com, Reginald VelJohnson said in December 2021 that during filming he didn’t even think that Die Hard was a Christmas movie.
I knew there was a Christmas theme in the film, but it was not the focus of the movie. And I never really realized that it would become a Christmas movie until the audience told me it was.
And when the audience said that it is a Christmas movie, I said, ‘Yeah, yeah, damn it. It’s a Christmas movie! Whatever you want. As long as you watch the movie, I’m okay with that.’
But now that it has become a Christmas movie theme, I’m fine with that. They have shown it every Christmas, and that’s okay with me. I have no problem with that.
Source: comicbook.com
Even the crew behind Die Hard seems to be divided on whether the action film is a Christmas movie or not. Ultimately, it is obviously up to everyone to decide for themselves.
Did you know that some of the biggest Hollywood legends in the action film industry turned down the role in Die Hard? In the end, Bruce Willis was the fortunate one who experienced a significant career leap due to the lead role:
Stallone, Eastwood, and Schwarzenegger turned down a film that shaped action cinema for decades
Reginald VelJohnson plays the role of Sergeant Al Powell in Die Hard and was therefore Bruce Willis’s co-star. However, his opinion on the subject is closer to that of the director than to that of Bruce Willis.
What does the actor say about it? In an interview with ComicBook.com, Reginald VelJohnson said in December 2021 that during filming he didn’t even think that Die Hard was a Christmas movie.
I knew there was a Christmas theme in the film, but it was not the focus of the movie. And I never really realized that it would become a Christmas movie until the audience told me it was.
And when the audience said that it is a Christmas movie, I said, ‘Yeah, yeah, damn it. It’s a Christmas movie! Whatever you want. As long as you watch the movie, I’m okay with that.’
But now that it has become a Christmas movie theme, I’m fine with that. They have shown it every Christmas, and that’s okay with me. I have no problem with that.
Source: comicbook.com
Even the crew behind Die Hard seems to be divided on whether the action film is a Christmas movie or not. Ultimately, it is obviously up to everyone to decide for themselves.
Did you know that some of the biggest Hollywood legends in the action film industry turned down the role in Die Hard? In the end, Bruce Willis was the fortunate one who experienced a significant career leap due to the lead role:
Stallone, Eastwood, and Schwarzenegger turned down a film that shaped action cinema for decades
