Merry Christmas. This is 1980's LA. You could hear gunfire all over the city. This was a time of a gigantic gang war between the Bloods and the Crips. Crack cocaine brought in money to buy weapons and an even better reason to fight for sales area. Since then around 15,000 people have died in the 40 some years since the 80's. That's more people than the US lost in 20 years in Afghanistan. Police helicopters flying overhead, gunfire in the distance, sirens. It was very close to a mild war zone.
In moments throughout the film, and particularly at 26:35, the music that is playing that you identified as Christmas music is the "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven's incredible 9th Symphony. It is absolutely used very widely as Christmas music, and is also one of the most used classical music themes in movie soundtracks...perhaps most notably in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange. Sorry if somebody else already pointed this out. 🖖💯✌
Funnily enough, in an era where action stars looked like Stallone and Schwartzenegger, i.e. invincible roid monsters, Bruce Willis comparatively average build and physical limitations really made John McClane stand out. He did look like someone's dad, so all the peril and pain he goes through feels all that more gripping and real. He bleeds, he makes mistakes and his only chance to win is down through his own resourcefulness and a generous dose of luck.
@@andrewcharles459 , one big difference I think is that Bruce Willis was coming from a comedic background. I do agree though that Stallone killed it in First Blood.
The only reason willis got the job was because he can act and talk which says a lot for the talent of Americans that's why they ask the British if they can do an accent😂
The idea of terrorists/murderous armed robbers being so thoroughly European that they carried blocks of cheese into their heist absolutely fucking kills me
@@marcw6875 from what I understand, they did really drop him from a skyscraper. He was on ropes and only fell a couple of floors, but this was his first film and probably first time doing rope work...I can see terror...and surprise.
@@Venjax420 He was dropped from 40 feet onto an airbag actually, and the stunt coordinator told his guys to drop him on one instead of zero. Rickman insisted on doing the stunt himself, much to the amazement of the producers who as he says himself "were very careful to make it [his] very last shot of the film" (see his recollection of that stunt here ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jLt9-cvf2XI.html )
John McClain is really Santa Claus. 1. He knew who was good or bad 2. He came down the elevator shaft 3. He wrote Ho Ho Ho on bad guys shirt. 4. He gave the bad guys lead instead of coal. 5. In the end he kisses Mrs Claus.
5:55 "Die hard" is a phrase meaning someone who stubbornly, even irrationally, refuses to give up. It's a common enough phase that there's actually a line of car batteries named "Diehard" because they're supposed to be so reliable that they'll never quit on you. According to legend, the phrase started at the Battle of Albuera in 1811 when Col. William Inglis of the British 57th Regiment of Foot was gravely wounded and his regiment was fighting desperately to stop the French from breaking through their lines. Refusing to be evacuated, Inglis stayed with his men encouraging them with words "Die hard, 57th! Die hard!" Despite taking heavy losses, the 57th resolved that they were going to hold or die trying, and they halted the the enemy's advance until the British were finally able to send reinforcements and drive the French back. Afterwards, the French commander, Marshal Soult, complained "There is no defeating such troops. I penetrated their center. I turned their flank. They were beaten. The day was mine! But they did not know how to run away!" The 57th have been nicknamed "The Die Hards" ever since.
Ordinarily in a duel between Allied line and French column, the greater volume of fire laid down by the line (where every single weapon could be brought to bear on the front and flanks of the narrower column) could be expected to be the decisive factor. In this case however, the French were well supported by artillery. More than compensating for the firepower disadvantage of his infantry formation, Girard brought guns up to just 275 metres (300 yd) from Hoghton's line-close enough to enfilade it with a crossfire of grape and canister.[88] Early in this engagement Colonel William Inglis of the 57th Foot was wounded by grapeshot from the French artillery. He refused to be carried to the rear and lay with the Colours; throughout the battle his voice could be heard calmly repeating "Die hard 57th, die hard!"[89] In following his exhortations, the 57th earned their nickname: the "Die-Hards".[86] Under this combined arms assault Hoghton's brigade lost two-thirds of its strength. The Brigadier himself was killed, and as casualties rose its shrinking line could no longer cover the frontage of the attacking column. However, the French were in no condition to press home their numerical advantage; British volley fire had taken its toll and Girard lost 2,000 men during the confrontation.[90] He had tried to form his unwieldy corps-sized column into line to bring his full firepower to bear and overwhelm Hoghton's brigade, but his deploying companies were constantly driven back into the column by the intense British musketry.[91] The role of the 57th in this part of the battle was crucial, standing their ground in complete order and giving not an inch before the French onslaught. Beresford noted in his dispatch, "our dead, particularly the 57th Regiment, were lying as they fought in the ranks, every wound in front". Wikipedia - Battle of Albuera
Funny you mention the Diehard battery. There was a Diehard commercial last year or the year before that saw the return of John McClane, Argyle, and even Theo! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-zpUS1QSKTHA.html
I love the Al / John friendship. It's so beautifully done, with Al acting as a great foil. They have the opposite problems. Al is in a happy marriage, with his wife pregnant and him obviously taking care of her, but he has lost his faith in being a policeman, essentially relegating himself to a soft, pointless job behind a desk. John's marriage is a disaster, and he's on the verge of losing his wife and kids, but he's a good cop and has a lot of faith both in his own abilities and in his profession, which he doesn't want to give up or change for his wife's move and career. By the end they've made peace with their problems through forgiveness and acceptance of responsibility. Just excellent.
So the phrase “die hard” sort of means someone or something that is opposed to change or fanatical about something specific. It could also mean something /one that refuses to quit or is persistent. There’s Die Hard brands for work boots and car batteries that basically try to apply long lasting use with the name alone. In this case, it applies to both the hero and the villains. The villains (mainly Hans) is die hard about getting away with robbery and murder and will stop at nothing, even the death of his fellow terrorists to make it happen. And Bruce Willis just refuses to give up and also is persistent about getting rid of these guys, even with minimal ammo and no shoes and basically a zero chance that he had to begin with. That machine gun strap was also pretty die hard about holding Bruce’s weight
In Germany the films are called "Stirb langsam" direct translation is "Die slowly". That is also fitting, because Bruce Willis gets injured alot, but refuses to die.
I always thought the title came from the phrase "Old habits die hard", which fits the themes of the movie. The old habit of being a cop even though he's on vacation in another city, the old habits of being a husband in an estranged marriage, the antagonist's habits of being a pretentious thief. etc. etc.
The first 3 are the ones worth watching, Die Hard, Die Hard 2: Die Harder, and Die Hard with a Vengence. Those 3 kinda came out one after another and wrap up the whole story. The later ones have a few decent action scenes, but where done in that mid-2000's era of "what can we bring back to make a quick cashgrab?" and you can really feel it.
Agreed 100%. I never saw the 5th film and I don't actually remember if there are more than that, but I really did not like the 4th film. 1-3 are good though.
Part 4 almost gets it right. It's not great but at least it feels like a Die Hard movie. Part 5 is so generic and unremarkable that I honestly don't remember anything about it beyond that it happened in Russia and that John teams up with his son.
"Oh my god, that is so much cheese..." has to be one of my new favourite sayings! I'll definitely be using it after Christmas dinner this year when my mum brings out the cheese board after deciding we haven't eaten enough yet...
12:42 Sound of gunfire does travel, but it's hundreds of feet in the air, the roof blocks sound going down and no one seems very near the tower. So if you heard gunfire in L.A. in the 80s at a distance, you wouldn't be to bothered or even certain where it was coming from.
They say somewhere in the movie that Nakatomi Plaza is in Century City, which is a business district in Los Angeles. Most city business districts start clearing out at 5 PM, by 8 PM they are nearly deserted. Now add that it is Christmas Eve. If anyone is left in approx 1/4 mile its because they are stuck at work, IE inside a building, so all of what you said is right but I am not sure anyone even heard it because inside a building (sealed for HVAC) you do not hear alot from outside.
In the sequence where McClane is climbing down the shaft and the gun strap breaks, his stunt double actually fell further than intended before grabbing a ledge, but they kept it in as it was really scary and looked great.
Little bit of trivia: The actor who played Argyle, De'voreaux White, also played the kid trying to steal the guitar from Ray's Music Exchange in The Blues Brothers!
And the guy breaking the bank vault codes is also known for being Geordi LaForge on Star Trek Next Gen. He just isnt wearing the hair band in front of his eyes.
Funny story about the falling scene at the end. The reason why Alan Rickman looks authentically surprised and scared is because the Director told him they would drop him on the count of three but did it on one. He did it so he would get a realistic reaction from Alan.
The guy that played Karl (Alexander Godunov) was a professional Russian ballet dancer turned actor. Although a phenomenal villain in this movie, he was absolutely fantastic in the romantic comedy The Money Pit.
This was Alan Rickman's first movie role, and the first time Bruce Willis took an action role. The simultaneous talking between the McLaines is a callback to Moonlighting, which was what Bruce Willis was known for. Also, most of the terrorists are played by models. 28:10 In reality, it's something like 10 percent acceptable casualties. Merry Christmas!
First action movie where he had top billing. He was in a Wyat Erp film before this, called Sunset. Willis' first role was under his birthname, Delaney Leaves, in the detective action film First Deadly Sin. But yeah, Moonlighting made him popular in America and Die Hard made him an action star worldwide. And Alan Rickman's first starring film role (and his first film role overall) was in the British thriller Busted, 5 years before Die Hard. He mostly did British TV shows before then and a LOT of Shakespearean theatre acting.
30:30 It's probably already been mentioned but the reason Rickman's reaction looks genuine is because it was. The stuntmen agreed to drop him on a count of 3 but after a wink from the director they released him early. Genius.
@@petermirtitsch1235 also with lower back that take also enough punishment by the landing same with the knees, believe me i am former stuntmen and can't do it anymore because of those issue's atleast i am retired well off and have never to get a job.
In moments throughout the film, and particularly at 26:35, the music that is playing that you identified as Christmas music is the "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven's incredible 9th Symphony. It is absolutely used very widely as Christmas music, and is also one of the most used classical music themes in movie soundtracks...perhaps most notably in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange. Sorry if somebody else already pointed this out. 🖖💯✌
Die Hard means to not give up easy. Simples. Also, the Dalmatian line is referring to how firehouses used to employ Dalmatians. Obviously not a trend that continued into the modern era.
@@gawainethefirst Well that's kind of what I meant, meaning they don't actively use them anymore like the sometimes would back when this movie was released. In fact, I think even then the practice had already begun to curtail.
@@Fyrecide I think Dalmatians stopped having any practical use about when the US moved from horse carriages to cars in the cities. So from about the 1920's or so on they have been symbols/mascots where they have been maintained. IMHO.
@@FyrecideJohn would know all of this, being a cop. Most likely, he's referring to firehouse mascot roll, and the fact that the Dalmatian is so intrinsically linked to the public perception of firefighters, that they still sometimes have someone in a Dalmatian suit to help small children with fire safety stuff today.
I was not a Bruce Willis fan when this came out. When I went to see this opening week, I watched it 3 times in one day, and I was a huge Bruce Willis fan from then on. This movie redefined the way action movies were made, and judged, and it took Bruce Willis from a comedic actor to a top billed action star (and star in general).
I love this movie to death, but it was a movie that came out a year earlier that "redefined" action movies... Lethal Weapon. Though Die Hard is clearly the superior movie.
24:38 "How did he know?" There are some deleted scenes that explain how he knew. All of Gruber's crew wear matching watches, which John has by now seen now on several members. He saw Hans' matching watch when they shared a light.
He was around when Takagi was killed but it's difficult to say what he saw. It's not clear if the shot behind the glass was a POV but you could argue it was. Also he should have been able to see Hans from on top of the elevator inspecting...Tony? The other blond dude.
I've read a ton about this movie, the way John knew something was up about "Bill" was quick to smoke the German cigarettes and put the whole pack into his own pocket. Also, John's a cop first and foremost, he's going to extract as much as he can from Bill before just giving a stranger a loaded gun.
They cut a bit that made it clear that the dead giveaway was Hans watch. McClane notices the others he encountered are wearing the same watch, which they cut. There's a point where John sees Hans watch and has a slight reaction, and it would have been more clear had they left it in that this was the point he knew for sure he wasn't dealing with a hostage.
Radom fact: Reginald Val Johnson (LAPD Officer Al Powell) has played a police officer in the 3 largest U.S. cities. He was LAPD in Die Hard, NYPD in Ghostbusters, and Chicago PD in the sitcom Family Matters.
The drop in the ventilation shaft (done by a stunt man) did not go as planned. It was supposed to go with the stunt man getting to the first ledge. The stunt man managed to catch a lower ledge and the shot was kept in.
Another reason why this is a Christmas movie; it's also about family reconciliation between John and Holly. Estranged at the beginning of the movie and by the end they are riding off into the night kissing while snow (papers) is falling. I also busted out laughing when you said that's a lot of cheese. Great reaction.
this movie is about a man trying to get to see his family for Christmas, and if you listen close there is Christmas music playing throughout the movie in low tones
I was 10 when this movie came out and I've loved it since. Before this, all I knew Bruce Willis from was the TV show "Moonlighting" he was in with Cybill Sheppard. This movie broke the action hero mold. It showed that an action hero can be a guy that looks like your dad. But, it also set the standard for a ton of other movies to rip off. Check out the Honest Trailer for "Die Hard". It's hilarious!
The film was nominated for Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing and Best Film Editing, but lost all to Who Framed Roger Rabbit? It made $190-200 million dollars at the box office against a $50 million dollar budget, and it's considered to be the best action movie ever made.
Which to be fair, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? was in fact a technical masterpiece. The 80s just happened to have a few years that were absolutely stacked with movies with all kinds of unique accomplishments and advancements on the technical side of things. Massive improvements in practical effects and models were made even from year to year.
This was Rickman's first movie role. The surprised look on his face when he drops is real. He was told they would do the drop on the count of three. They did it at one.
12:06 - welcome to the 1980's, where 911 prank calls were a prevalent issue so something as "over-the-top" as a hostage crisis in a skyscraper would've been considered likely to be a joke. Especially after the fire-alarm being already cancelled.
A local theater runs the film every Christmas Eve. My friend and I go every year, except for Covid. But we went back to it last year. It's an amazing experience.
The scene where Hans dropped, they had Alan Rickman up 20 feet in the air to shoot and the stunt crew told Rickman they were going to drop him on the count of 3, but they released on 1 instead. The surprise on his face was genuine.
28:10 In reality, it does sometimes come down to what losses are "acceptable" vs. letting all the hostages be killed when it becomes necessary to attempt a rescue by force.
@@jeffburnham6611 When it looks like international terrorism, the feds are going to want to be involved, to some degree. The mayor of LA can't negotiate the release of imprisoned members of 'Asian Dawn', etc.
I was a courier for the tv movie industry several years back. I made deliveries to this building Fox Plaza at Fox Studios- several times a months. It wasn't till last year-I think, that I learned this was the same building.
I always thought the reason the first explosion is so large is not because it came entirely from McClane's improvised explosive. Rather his charge sets off an entire floor already wired to blow. The plan was probably to have that initial lower-floor charge prepared to slow down police assault (similar to having the recoilless rifle ready to take on SWAT armor - "the quarterback is toast") and goose along the involvement of the FBI. It would also set up the expectation for the 2nd charge - the top of the building. McClane kind of ruined the surprise and almost derailed the plan (thus the need to hunt him down and get back the detonators). What he tossed down the elevator shaft was probably extra, left-over explosive and thus didn't expect the size of the explosion he would set off.
Maybe. I just assumed it was from the fresh box of rocket launcher ammo that is sitting right by the elevator door. They show the guy going to the box and getting a new rocket cannister, right when the bomb goes off.
19:59 The thing about the way skyscrapers are built is the walls don't carry any of the weight-- it's all supported by the skeleton of the building. The walls are just panels that hang down from the supports like blinds over a window, so a blast like that stripping wall panels out of an entire floor will not make the building collapse.
When you mentioned that the scene with Hans falling looked really good: I read somewhere that they had Rickman on a quick release harness and told them that they were going to countdown to zero or release him at a specific cue or something like that, and then instead they just released the harness when he wasn't expecting it in order to get a more genuine reaction.
Some people believe that Christmas movies have to be about “the Spirit of Christmas,” whereas this is a shoot-em-up which happens at Christmas time. My argument that this is a Christmas movie: John came in town specifically, because it was Christmas, the hostage situation takes place at a Christmas party, and as Simone said - Christmas music and presents.
Die Hard 4 is my second favorite, Die Hard 3 is also good all well written with charismatic villans. Die Hard 2 meh, Die Hard 5 just pretend it was never made. Also if you want a funny action movie with great casting and actors try the Bruce Willis movie Red - highly entertaining.
So you know, Die Hard is based on the book the movie is loosely based off of "Nothing Last Forever." A depressing piece of work where it is McClane's daughter, not his wife, who dies in the end due to greed. Needless to say, what was originally going to be an adaptation was rewritten it an 80s action flick, so they needed a new title and went with the "coolest name" they could think of.
The look of fear on Alan Rickman's face when he fell was real. They had him suspended pretty high over an air bag that he could land into. The director told him they'd have him fall on a count of three. They let him fall on the count of one. They made sure to do that shot as the last scene of the day. Rickman wasn't happy.
Some differences from the novel this is based on: - McClaine is older - in his 50-60s. - McClaine is visiting his daughter at Nakatomi Plaza, not his wife. - McClaine's daughter is dating Ellis (the guy who tries to sell McClaine out to Hans in the movie). - Nakatomi is doing some shady stuff and the daughter is involved. - McClaine's daughter dies - when Hans falls of the building he takes her with him.
"Die-hard", at least in US English, is often used to describe someone or something that is resilient, indominable, tenacious. Someone who will never quit or give up, no matter what.
Fun tidbit: the stair railing that the APC crushes was never replaced. If you visit Fox Plaza where the movie was filmed, that set of stairs is still missing a railing to this day
According to Quora DIE HARD was the original working title of Shane Black's THE LAST BOY SCOUT. Thus, DIE HARD was named DIE HARD because they didn't want to use the book title NOTHING LASTS FOREVER, so Joel Silver asked Shane Black to give him the original title of his THE LAST BOY SCOUT script- DIE HARD.
The movie is Rambo in a skyscraper. And speaking of Rambo, a lot of action stars were considered for John McClane: Sylvester Stallone Paul Newman Clint Eastwood Charles Bronson Richard Gere Patrick Swayze Richard Dean Anderson Harrison Ford Mel Gibson Jeff Bridges Nick Nolte Kurt Russell Don Johnson Burt Reynolds And Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Highly recommend watching the second soon! third is worth the watch too but unlike first two it isnt very christmassy. After that they become fairly generic action films with total nonsense plots. also like most christmas movies it involves family reconciliation!
George mentioned "Die harder" - that is the title of DieHard2. The first one is legendary and the third is really good. My favorite Xmas song: Christmas is all around 🎄
If you decide to do the whole series, just make sure when you get to the 4th and 5th movies that you watch the unrated versions, especially for the 4th one. They're definitely better than the theatrical cuts. With the 4th one the theatrical cut is PG-13 and it's just bad, so the unrated R cut is the way to go.
In honor of the late Alexander Godunov (a wonderful and much beloved Bolshoi ballet dancer) who plays Karl, I suggest "Witness" and "The Money Pit". And Merry Christmas!
In 1986 an LA friend of mine sometimes hung out with a guy across the hall in his apartment building. This guy was an older writer who said he’d just sold the rights to his novel “Nothing Lasts Forever” about terrorists taking over a skyscraper. As we found out later 20th Century Fox changed title to “Die Hard”.
The shot of him falling in slow motion at the end, they told the actor they were going to drop him on three. They drop him on two to get the surpirsed look on his face.
Just for nothing, the thru music, is the 4th movement ( Ode to Joy), from Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Not really Christmas music, but I loved the way they used it DH. As a teen in the 80s, this one was pretty cool to see in theaters, especially with all the action, humor, and of course all that, "cheese". Thanks for the memories, guys.
Aww, missed my favourite bit. When they are setting up to repel the cops the villain that is by the snack bar sets up his gear, then has a sneaky shufty around before nicking some candy bars. It was a piece improvised by the actor and the director approved him to go for it.
LOL at George's comment about people actually going out of their way to listen to Christmas music. I created my own 164-song Christmas music compilation. I spent several weeks finding my favorite versions of certain songs and tracking down old classics. I have it on my phone and use a Bluetooth speaker to listen to it when trimming the tree, wrapping gifts and when we are together with family opening presents. I also have the Star Wars Christmas and South Park Christmas albums on there separately. So yes, there are people who not only seek out Christmas music, but who really go out of their way to listen to it. lmao.
There is a reason why Alan Rickman looks so terrified when Bruce Willis takes off the watch. When filming the first part of that stunt, the director told Alan that they were going to drop him on the count of three. They dropped him on one so his look was genuine. Not to start a fight, however, in my opinion this is not a Christmas movie just because it happens around December 25th. If a meteor is going to hit the Earth on October 31st, would you call it a Halloween movie? Christmas needs to be the central theme such as A Christmas Carol where Scrooge is redeemed by the 3 Christmas spirits. (Btw, you must see the British 1951 version for yourselves and also to react to.) A Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, The Bishop's Wife and even Scrooged all have Christmas as their central theme. Hans Gruber was not redeemed.
Unfun fact: You’d actually be surprised how little gunshot noises travel. Especially between several floors of a building and outside among the general noise pollution of a city. If the shots were as far away as the top floor of a skyscraper, and especially if you were observing it from as far away as Al was at the time, it would be very difficult to actually hear. The exception would be if the shots were fired relatively towards a person, because the supersonic crack travels downrange with the bullet.
Bruce Willis: Goes through a 1-man war to rescue his wife (and her coworkers) from a highly organized and well armed crew of robbers, including shredding his bare feet on broken glass, falling down an elevator shaft, and base jumping off the roof with a fire hose tied around his waist. In the end, broken and battered, but not defeated, all he wants is to hold and kiss his wife. Simone: Ewwww, he's so dirty.
I had to look it up because I was curious about the title too. But Hard refers to the hardness or toughness of John, and die and hard together for the difficulty both parties have in killing each other
Trivia note about the gun strap scene at 13:05 - the stunt was done on a vertical fake ventilation shaft set where the bottom was a crash pad for the stuntman to fall onto, but it was painted to look like a continuation of the shaft so it looked like it goes on forever. The editor didn't know that & said he almost had a heart attack when the guy fell while reaching for the side vent. For a moment the editor thought he was watching someone die.
Go through 3. And what makes this a Christmas movie to me is the scene where John asks Powell to deliver the message. The apology, the way Christ came as our intercession to go to G-d for forgiveness. Then, like Christ, Powell makes it so that John can tell Holly himself, with the clean slate.
Yep, Allan Rickman at 30:17, IS a real reaction. They told him "drop on 1, 2, 3" BUT when they filmed did the shot, they just dropped him without any coundown. He's entirely entitled to be pissed off about it, BUT they go a GREAT shot.
The Christmas movie debate: If the story could not/would not take place but for Christmas, then, it *IS* a Christmas movie! If not for Christmas, no trip to CA; if not for Christmas, no office party, no robbery.
There's an old joke from Spike Milligan's war memoirs about that title. Soldier 1: "Diehards"? What's a diehard mean, eh? Soldier 2: Uh, it means when you die, you go hard - you know, like gangsters in cement.
Die Hard came out in 1988 They're on a plane "Trust me Ive been doing it for 9 years" "Its OK I'm a cop Trust me Ive been doing this for 11 Years" Later on a sky scraper gets blown up !!!! Its not the Only Hollywood film to have a crystal ball with regards to 9/11 Back to the future and Terminator 2 to name but two !
33:00 Simone, you gotta include the "snowfall" to your Christmas movie requirements... granted, it was just falling sheets of copy paper and burnt ash, but visually it was just as effective
beside Alan Rickman (Gruber,Harry Potter) Reginald Veljohnson (cop, Differnt strokes) William Atherton (news guy, Ghostbusters) and Robert Davi (FBI, Stargate Atlantis) were in this film, I love that you guys caught the tough SWAT guy getting caught on the rose thorns! Did Canada ever released the five impassioned leaders of "the Delta To Quebec" ? (I read it in Time Magazine) :-D
An interesting bit of trivia. At one point Captain Duane Says "He could be a bartender for all we know." I believe this is an inside joke because Bruce Willis was a bartender just before his acting career started.
So there are two types of people. Those that think Die Hard is a Christmas movie and those that think it is not. A fun fact. When they had Alan Rickman hooked up to the device that would drop him the director told him on 3 we will release you. The director releases him on one so the reaction we saw was real. After the scene Alan was extremely upset. Also Carl was also a police officer on the TV show Family Matters with Steve Urkel and the asshole cop was the principal in The Breakfast Club. Well Merry Christmas to you guys. Stay safe.
