Die Hard – Eclecticism

The Anonymous Sister

April 28, 2022December 24, 2021 by Michael Hanscom

A hundred million terrorists in the world and I gotta kill one with feet smaller than my sister.

While McClane’s wife is in the first couple films, and his kids are in several, to my memory, this is the only mention of McClane’s sister in the entire Die Hard franchise.

I figure this is because thanks to his smart-ass, cocky attitude, she never got along that well with her older brother, and then after he got famous for being all macho at that terrorist thing in LA, it was even worse. All anyone ever wanted to talk to her about was her annoying older brother, and she was just so over it. Then again at the airport, and yet again in New York? That was just too much, and she finally changed her name and cut off contact entirely. He could pretend to be a superhero all he liked, but she didn’t have to be a part of it – and after hearing about what he ended up putting her niblings through, she was even more sure she’d made the right decision.

May 7, 2020May 6, 2020 by Michael Hanscom

📚 twenty-two of 2020: Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp ⭐️⭐️⭐️

On its own, a fairly standard action thriller. But as the source material for Die Hard, it’s a fascinating artifact. Surprisingly similar, and all changes made for the film were for the better.

December 24, 2019July 12, 2018 by Michael Hanscom

Die Hard at 30: how it remains the quintessential American action movie: “The lesson of Die Hard, however, is that the small, incidental details are just as consequential – and often exactly what’s missing from the films that tried to emulate it.”

John McClane for President in 2008

December 23, 2019February 22, 2008 by Michael Hanscom

Now here’s a presidential candidate I can get behind.

McClane was fighting the war on terror before it even had a name — and he’s proven he can win it.

John McClane believes in strong health care — he just doesn’t have time to get to a doctor when he’s being shot at.

McClane gets that technology creates as many problems as it solves. Relying on a gadget is no replacement for doing it yourself.

McClane knows that patriotism isn’t about waving a flag while you sit on the couch watching ‘American Idol’. It’s about getting off your butt and fighting for what’s right.

McClane is the American cowboy for our times. He gets how important action-packed portrayals of true heroism are.

Since he hasn’t announced a running mate yet, given that I’m not in entire agreement with his stance on technology, may I suggest Angus MacGyver? Equally as able to get out and get things done, but his willingness to use and adapt available technology would be a nice balance to McClane’s ‘hands-on’ approach.

(via nyquil.org)

Live Free or Die Hard

December 20, 2019July 9, 2007 by Michael Hanscom

In short: as far as summer blockbuster entertainment goes, Live Free or Die Hard was everything that Transformers should have been. Big, loud, funny, and — and this is a key point — believable in its implausibility. I’m honestly not sure how exactly they do it (though I’ve got a few guesses, and right at the top of the list are three things: decent screenwriting, decent direction, and a reliance on good old-fashioned physical stuntwork instead of a constant barrage of CGI), but no matter how silly the stunts get…and they do get silly…LFoDH manages to sell them and keep them just believable enough to hold onto the audience.

Prairie and I both came out of LFoDH with big grins, having thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. This one’s worth seeing.

Movie Quiz

December 4, 2019February 18, 2003 by Michael Hanscom

A movie quiz from Dave Hyatt. I didn’t want to open up his comments to make my stab at the answers, since I’d probably see other people’s answers, so I’m doing it via Trackback. I’ll start with the quiz, and put my answers in the rest of this post. You can use the comments if you want to play along, too!

“What we have here is a failure to communicate.”

“I came here to do two things: chew some bubble gum and kick some ass. And I’m all outta bubble gum!”

“…also left a man’s decapitated body lying on the floor next to his own severed head. A head, which at this time, has no name.” “I know his name!”

“Throughout human history, we have been dependent on machines to survive. Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony.”

“Anyway, David, when they find out who we are they’ll let us out.” “When they find out who you are they’ll pad the cell.”

“Do you think there really are people who can just go up and say, ‘Hi, babe. Name’s Charles. This is your lucky night’?” “Well, if there are, they’re not English.”

“A hundred million terrorists in the world and I gotta kill one with feet smaller than my sister.”

“The first boy I ever kissed ended up in a coma for three weeks. I can still feel him inside my head. It’s the same with you.”

“Just so we’re clear, you stole a car, shot a bouncer, and had sex with two women?”

“Yeah, man just kinda…you know, you got these claws and you’re staring at these claws and you’re thinking to yourself, and with these claws you’re thinking, ‘How am I supposed to kill this bunny, how am I supposed to kill this bunny?'”