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High above the city of L.A. a team of terrorists has seized a building, taken hostages, and declared war. But one man has managed to escape detection...an off-duty cop. He's alone...tired...and the only chance anyone has. Bruce Willis stars as New York City Detective John McClane, newly arrived in Los Angeles to spend the Christmas holiday with his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia). But as McClane waits for his wife's office party to break up, terrorists seize control of the building. While the terrorist leader, Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and his savage henchman (Alexander Godunov) round up hostages, McClane slips away unnoticed. Armed with only a service revolver and his cunning, McClane launches his own one-man war. A crackling thriller from beginning to end, Die Hard explodes with heartstopping suspense.
"Thrilling!" David Ansen, Newsweek
"Heartstopping!" Joel Siegel, Good Morning America
Editor's Note
One of the greatest action movies of the late 1980s, DIE HARD ushered in a new standard for the genre. With the dissolution of the Cold War, both the stereotypical Russian threat (represented in movies such as TOP GUN and RED DAWN) and the destructive egoist (as seen in OCTOPUSSY) became less fearful. With DIE HARD, director John McTiernan introduced Hollywood to a new type of villain: the terrorist entrepreneur. Alan Rickman stars as Hans Gruber, a relentless businessman whose lethal tactics achieve his goals. Unlike most '80s film villains who committed globally dangerous acts for liberty, genocide, or megalomania, DIE HARD's Gruber uses guns, explosives, and cunning to storm the Takagi Corporation's Christmas party and heist millions of dollars from the company. In addition, DIE HARD also saw the development of the clumsy or bad luck hero with John McClane (Bruce Willis), a man in the wrong place at the wrong time who chooses to intervene. Action fans would see this misfit hero archetype again in UNDER SIEGE (Steven Segal) and THE PHANTOM MENACE (Jar Jar Binks). Although DIE HARD contains many action movie cliches (one-liners, pyrotechnics), it also broke new ground in its genre.
Plot Summary
A New York City policeman, John McClane, visiting his estranged wife and two daughters on Christmas Eve, joins her at a holiday party in the headquarters of the Japanese-owned business she works for. But the festivities are interrupted by a group of terrorists who take over the exclusive high-rise, and everyone in it. Very soon the cop realizes that there's no one to save the hostages -- but him.
| Features | Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound; English, French Stereo | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | Script-To-Screen DVD-ROM Feature | | Subtitles: English, French, Spanish | | Widescreen Version |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Foxvideo |
| Release Date: 10/17/2006 |
| Running Time: 131 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1988 | | Catalog ID: D2223349D | | UPC: 00024543133490 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Widescreen 1.85:1 |
| Cast & Crew | Alan Rickman | | Alexander Godunov | | Bonnie Bedelia | | Bruce Willis | | Charles Gordon, et al. - Producer | | Jackson De Govia - Production Designer | | Jan de Bont - Cinematographer | | Jeb Stuart, et al. - Screenplay | | John F. Link, et al. - Editor | | John McTiernan - Director | | Marilyn Vance-Straker - Costume Designer | | Michael Kamen, et al. - Musical Score | | Roderick Thorp - Based on Novel By |
| Awards |
Oscar (1989) | | | Stephen Hunter Flick, Richard Shorr, Nominee, Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing | | | Brent Boates, Nominee, Best Effects, Visual Effects | | | John F. Link, Frank J. Urioste, Nominee, Best Film Editing | | | Don J. Bassman, Nominee, Best Sound | |
Edgar Allan Poe Awards (1989) | | | Steven E. De Souza, Jeb Stuart, Nominee, Best Motion Picture | |
Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA (1988) |  | Richard Shorr, Winner, Best Sound Editing |
| Memorable Quotes| "Nice suit, it would be a shame to ruin it." ---- Hans to Mr. Takagi (Alan Rickman to James Shigeta) | | "When Alexander saw the breadth of his domain he wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer. Benefits of a classical education." ---- Hans to Mr. Takagi (Alan Rickman to James Shigeta) |
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| | Professional Reviews | Entertainment Weekly
Rating: A- 01/07/2000 pp.71-2New York Times
"...It works....Relentless energy and smashing special-effects extravagance..." 07/15/1988 p.C12 Los Angeles Times
"...A triumph of well-oiled mechanical precision that performs miracles of destruction. As a grand flourish of cinematic technique, it is awesome..." 07/15/1988 p.C1 Total Film
"...DIE HARD is still the definitive action thriller. Alan Rickman delivers a deliciously ruthless Hollywood debut at the eloquent villain..." 06/01/2000 p.88 Premiere
"A seductive mix of machismo and humility, Willis reinvented the reluctant hero for the action age." 04/01/2004 p.64 VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever 8 of 10
High-voltage action thriller pits a lone New York cop against a band of ruthless high-stakes terrori
Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video 8 of 10
Dynamite action yarn about a N.Y.C. cop who just happens to be visiting an L.A. highrise when it's c - Leonard Maltin
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