This episode is on Die Hard (1988). John McTiernan completed his one-two punch on eighties action films here, with Bruce Willis starring as John McClane in his breakout big screen role. His flawed cop, only looking for a holiday reconciliation with his estranged lady, instead gets drawn into action when Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber and his crew take over Nakatomi Plaza, holding McClane’s wife and her colleagues hostage.
This first part of the episode will include segments on the making of the film, from: the story; the producers; assembling the crew and the cast. All that and more on this episode of The Cinephiles
Sources
Die Hard, An Oral History. By Brian Abrams.
https://www.brianlabrams.com/die-hard
The True Story Behind the Making of Die Hard, Collider. By Kelcie Mattson.
https://collider.com/die-hard-bruce-willis-true-story-explained/
Bruce Willis: “If I Hadn’t Done Die Hard, I’d Rip it Off.” Entertainment Weekly. By Chris Nashawaty.
https://ew.com/article/2007/06/14/bruce-willis-if-i-hadnt-done-die-hard-id-rip-it/
Die Hard 30th Anniversary: The Cast and Crew Reflect on the Making of an Action Classic, SlashFilm. By Ben Pearson.
https://www.slashfilm.com/559508/die-hard-interviews/
Sophisticated Visuals on Grand Scale for Die Hard, American Society of Cinematographers. AC Dec. 1988. By George E. Turner.
https://theasc.com/articles/sophisticated-visuals-on-grand-scale-for-die-hard
Die Hard Turns 30! Why Bruce Willis was ‘Concerned’ Making his First Blockbuster, People. By Alexia Fernandez.
https://people.com/movies/bruce-willis-very-committed-first-major-role-die-hard/
John McTiernan on Die Hard: “I Didn’t Set Out to Reinvent the Action Movie.” Radio Times. By Morgan Jeffrey.
https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/john-mctiernan-die-hard-rt-rewind/
Die Hard at 30: How the Every-Dude Action Movie Defied Expectations and Turned Bruce Willis into a Star. The Independent. By Ed Power.
Alan Rickman on ‘Die Hard’ Role. The Hollywood Reporter. By Alex Ritman
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/alan-rickman-die-hard-role-789252/
Alan Rickman: The Empire Interview, Empire Magazine, by Nev Pierce
https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/alan-rickman-interview/
Die Hard’s Director Breaks Down Bruce Willis’s Roof Jump. Vulture. By Simon Abrams.
https://www.vulture.com/2018/11/die-hards-director-breaks-down-bruce-williss-roof-jump.html
Kamen Hard. Film Score Monthly, June ‘95. By Will Shivers.
The Science Project That Resulted in Die Hard’s Most Killer Stunt. Thrillist. By Ian Failes.
https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/die-hard-30th-anniversary
Why Die Hard Is A Christmas Movie: Director John McTiernan Explains. AFI Movie Club Rewind. American Film Institute.
https://www.afi.com/news/afi-movie-club-rewind-die-hard/
