Jesse Hawken
patreon
193: Die Hard (with Brian Abrams)
🕑 Added 2024-12-24 16:00:14 +0000 UTCThe writer Brian Abrams returns to the show from Brooklyn for the first of two episodes on the Die Hard series.
In part one, Brian, the author of Die Hard: An Oral History, gives us the details on the genesis of the franchise, which perfected a formula for action comedy films that producers Joel Silver and Lawrence Gordon had been developing through the eighties with 48 Hrs, Commando and Predator and instantly converted Moonlighting’s Bruce Willis into a legit movie star.
Brian spoke to dozens of members of the Die Hard creative team for his oral history and we discuss the film’s major players, the genre innovations, its politics, and the recipe for what makes a good Die Hard movie. And I force Brian to explain the Bill Clay scene; what tipped John McClane off that Clay was Hans Gruber?
Part two of our discussion, on the other four films in the Die Hard series, is a Patreon exclusive.
Happy Holidays from Junk Filter!
Follow Brian Abrams on Letterboxd and check out his website.
“Die Hard: An Oral History” by Brian Abrams is available to download as a Kindle Single
Trailer for Die Hard (John McTiernan, 1988)
Canadian Labatt Ice Beer commercial featuring Alexander Gudenov, 1993
Comments
Jesse Hawken
thank you so much Andrew!
Andrew B
I also saw it at the post Imperial Six short lived Pantages, what an experience. Heard part 1 on spotify and need to hear part 2. Great podcasts, Jesse.
Kenny Hedges
The book is bad, but otherwise Die Hard follows a lot of the action beat-for-beat (with a horrifically bleak difference at the end). He drops explosives down an elevator shaft, he crawls around air ducts....but he also shoots a LOT of female terrorists in the face, and talks about how it gets easier every time. Still, I like to think about an 80s Sinatra in the lead.
Jesper Ohlsson
I don't know if you know this, but I've heard this is a christmas movie.
