The annual is it/isn’t it Die Hard question 2025

[Rita_Poon]

British public’s verdict is in: Die Hard is not a Christmas movie

Survey also reveals Britons’ favourite festive film, views on tear-jerkers and family cinema trips

www.theguardian.com

'The debate over Die Hard’s Christmas credentials has been raging for years, splitting even those involved in the making of the 1989 film. The director, John McTiernan, has said he did not intend for it to be but was joyed that it “turned into a Christmas movie”. Bruce Willis joked in 2018: “Die Hard is not a Christmas movie, it’s a goddamn Bruce Willis movie.”'

mctiernan has served time for telling lies to the fbi and the us legal courts. his word is null and void. (had hired an investigator to phone hack some of his colleagues and threaten them).
As for Willis, well its all very sad in his case, I wish him well. (note: he starred* in 'Hudson Hawk', a film so bad it makes nic coppola's toes curl!).

So, lets crumble this cookie. It is a Christmas film, because the watch is a Christmas gift to Holly, and it is this plot device that leads us to Gruber's demise. Check mate!

 

[Lapeno77]

mctiernan has served time for telling lies to the fbi and the us legal courts. his word is null and void. (had hired an investigator to phone hack some of his colleagues and threaten them).
As for Willis, well its all very sad in his case, I wish him well. (note: he starred* in 'Hudson Hawk', a film so bad it makes nic coppola's toes curl!).

So, lets crumble this cookie. It is a Christmas film, because the watch is a Christmas gift to Holly, and it is this plot device that leads us to Gruber's demise. Check mate!

I actually thought McTiernan was arguing it is a Xmas movie and Willis comment was in jest rather than a fact to be taken to heart.

Besides, the opinions of a films main star aren't usually taken too seriously. Let's not forget Harrison Ford still doesn't believe he was a replicate in Blade Runner

 

[Kurt.]

mctiernan has served time for telling lies to the fbi and the us legal courts. his word is null and void. (had hired an investigator to phone hack some of his colleagues and threaten them).
As for Willis, well its all very sad in his case, I wish him well. (note: he starred* in 'Hudson Hawk', a film so bad it makes nic coppola's toes curl!).

So, lets crumble this cookie. It is a Christmas film, because the watch is a Christmas gift to Holly, and it is this plot device that leads us to Gruber's demise. Check mate!

The power of Bruce compels you
The power of Bruce compels you
The power of Bruce compels you
The power of Bruce compels you

 

[Rita_Poon]

I actually thought McTiernan was arguing it is a Xmas movie and Willis comment was in jest rather than a fact to be taken to heart.

Besides, the opinions of a films main star aren't usually taken too seriously. Let's not forget Harrison Ford still doesn't believe he was a replicate in Blade Runner

That's because the studio threatened him into doing the voice over that destroyed the original version Scott wanted. Ford is also on record saying he will not talk about Bladerunner at all. So whoever got his replicant comment was having a good day. It's Hauer's movie anyway.
How far does the rabbit hole run? Is Olmos also a skin job? Wouldn't Tyrell have cloned himself? Was J.F. a misconfigured droid?

 

[Rita_Poon]

The power of Bruce compels you
The power of Bruce compels you
The power of Bruce compels you
The power of Bruce compels you

 

[Daz1878]

Pretty wild to release a Christmas film in mid-July, no?

 

[Rita_Poon]

Pretty wild to release a Christmas film in mid-July, no?

'Ben Hur' was released November 18 1959. Sometimes film production and editing dictates a release.

 

[Jokerdan]

It's a bit like asking 'is Zulu a Christmas film?' Not a Chrizzy tree or bauble in sight but it always seemed to be on every Xmas until it was deemed unsavoury despite it's historical reference and relevance.

 

[Daz1878]

'Ben Hur' was released November 18 1959. Sometimes film production and editing dictates a release.

Very true, Reets, but Die Hard wasn't marketed as a Christmas film, rather an action film, and it was never intended as anything other than a summer release. We've somewhat retrofitted the Christmas thing to it. I fully get why people like watching it at this time of year, but there are plenty of other undisputed Christmas films I'll watch ahead of it.

 

[Rita_Poon]

Very true, Reets, but Die Hard wasn't marketed as a Christmas film, rather an action film, and it was never intended as anything other than a summer release. We've somewhat retrofitted the Christmas thing to it. I fully get why people like watching it at this time of year, but there are plenty of other undisputed Christmas films I'll watch ahead of it.

Are you in the uk? freeview channel 52 'Great! Christmas' - it's a joyless hell of made for tv Christmas films.
Todays run list... 'A Christmas to cherish' 2019, 'The Christmas swap' 2016, 'Christmas under the stars' 2019, 'A Christmas coincidence' 2018, 'A Christmas love story' 2019, 'Christmas joy' 2018, 'Christmas around the corner' 2018, 'Mingle all the way' 2019.

This channel runs Christmas crud from 8am to 3am every day. There is that much rubbish out there they can screen 19 hours a day of hogwash.

I'd grant them more credit if they started with 'A Christmas aardvark' and just worked the dictionary up to 'a Christmas zebra'. Painful, joyless, diseased. These people should get real jobs and do something for society instead of inflicting such harm.

 

[degsy]

If people watch it at Christmas then it's a Christmas film.

Game, Set and Match.

 

[davep]

Is it even Christmas until you've watched Hans Gruber fall from the top of the Nakatomi Plaza building?

I time my annual viewing so that he falls from the tower exactly on the stroke of midnight.

 

[msb]

mctiernan has served time for telling lies to the fbi and the us legal courts. his word is null and void. (had hired an investigator to phone hack some of his colleagues and threaten them).
As for Willis, well its all very sad in his case, I wish him well. (note: he starred* in 'Hudson Hawk', a film so bad it makes nic coppola's toes curl!).

So, lets crumble this cookie. It is a Christmas film, because the watch is a Christmas gift to Holly, and it is this plot device that leads us to Gruber's demise. Check mate!

No, the watch is a Rolex as a bonus from Nakatomi for her work on securing a big deal. Not that I’m a Die Hard nerd or owt.

It is set at a Christmas Party, hence it is a Christmas film.

 

[Rita_Poon]

No, the watch is a Rolex as a bonus from Nakatomi for her work on securing a big deal. Not that I’m a Die Hard nerd or owt.

It is set at a Christmas Party, hence it is a Christmas film.

If it's not in her contract, then it's a gift, these people are lawyers, and it is the season of giving.

 

[NathDogg]

So much so that my 12 year old made a list of xmas films to watch over the next month and it was 3rd on his list.

Parenting done right.