helterskelter.ca

Die Hard.
way more Helter Skelter.

July 15, 1988 - 2023: 35 years of: Die Hard.

"NOFUCKINSHITLADIEDOISOUNDLIKEIMORDERINGAPIZZA !?!?!?"

Los Angeles Christmas Eve 1987 ...one New-York City cop would save the day ...and his marriage. The modern high-story building hosting a private-party, became the center of the city. Highjacked by highly-trained terrorists, the literal and psychological game of hide and seek would generate, bullets, blood and money-rain.

A very unlikely clockwork-planned event, the evil European team rapidly takes control and we get to meet the elegant mastermind behind this sophisticated operation ...the vilest villain on the silver-screen: Hans Gruber played by Alan Rickman.

The kamikaze-savior breaks away from the crowd and finds refuge in the bowels of the elevator-shafts. Wounded and alone, one by one, he will neutralize half of the wicked-crew. Welcome to the arena of sports, the new tough guy and future pop-culture legend: John McClane played by Bruce Willis.

Nakatomi Plaza AKA real-life Fox Plaza in Century City, is the massive 34 floor posh glass tower. Silent and mesmerizing, it now stands as a solid tourist attraction, as the film's largest and most robust character.

This may not be a Schwarzenegger movie, but so many epic one-liners were hatched ...just like bullets, we lost count:

Fun and iconic ...an "Ode To Joy", as the late great Ludwig Van would say.

Not a fucking Christmas movie !
In recent times, online conversations pointed to the fact that this could be a glorified Christmas rated-R movie. Here's our take on the matter: Christmas movies are children and family oriented, filled with love, magic and the Holy Spirit. Here the action is filmed on the night of December 24th, yes, but that event alone doesn't qualify it as a "Christmas movie" per-say. Christmas movies do not include: terrorists, murders, blood and explosions ...and for that mere fact: Die Hard is not a Christmas movie ...but an action-movie portrayed on Christmas Eve. Thank you for your cooperation.

Changing the muscle-game.
After the late 70s to mid 80s oversized guns and egos, the action genre was finally getting a welcomed facelift. A normal boring city cop would save the day and get even with the antagonist. Die Hard brought realism into the genre and Hollywood rapidly adapted future story-tellings, to reflect these new average blue-collar Joes.

More action and way more firepower would appear on the developing Die Hard franchise. A total of five feature films would be produced within a quarter-century span, to fan-appreciation worldwide ...making Bruce Willis, one of the coolest badasses around.

"What was it you said to me before: Yippee Ki-Yay ......motherfacker." - Hans

RIP Alexander Godunov AKA Karl (1949-1995)
RIP Michael Kamen (1948-2003)
RIP Wilhelm Von Homburg AKA James (1940-2004)
RIP Paul Gleason AKA Deputy Police Chief Dwayne T. Robinson (1939-2006)
RIP James Shigeta AKA Mr. Takagi (1929-2014)
RIP Alan Rickman AKA Hans (1946-2016)
RIP Clarence Gilyard AKA Theo (1955-2022)

*
Die Hard = movie-trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TQ-pOvI6Xo
Analyzing Hans Gruber
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02_DIcRnRQ4
Everything wrong with...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk8skZQC8po
All the guns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFsAndx5sMI
Beethoven
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7SKt6cfH44
On location
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0r-yl72_gE