Die Hard Questions (1 Viewer)

[guidomerkinsrules]

Is Lethal Weapon a Christmas movie too?

Doesn't get mentioned the way Die Hard is

no because mel gibson can **** my *****

 

[Saint_Ward]

Is Lethal Weapon a Christmas movie too?

Doesn't get mentioned the way Die Hard is

Well, that movie ends at Christmas, right? It's a small portion of the movie. The vast majority has nothing to do with Christmas.

Die Hard happens all over Christmas Eve, it's at a Christmas Party in the building, and he makes a "ho ho ho, now I have a machine gun" joke. And it's full of Christmas music.

 

[TheMike62987]

Well, that movie ends at Christmas, right? It's a small portion of the movie. The vast majority has nothing to do with Christmas.

Die Hard happens all over Christmas Eve, it's at a Christmas Party in the building, and he makes a "ho ho ho, now I have a machine gun" joke. And it's full of Christmas music.

Doesn't make it a Christmas Movie though. The movie itself has nothing to really do with Christmas, it only takes place on Christmas Eve. Heist could have been done during any holiday where the office was closed.

 

[RazorSaint]

Doesn't make it a Christmas Movie though. The movie itself has nothing to really do with Christmas, it only takes place on Christmas Eve. Heist could have been done during any holiday where the office was closed.

I don't know why some people have such stringent requirements on what is or is not a Christmas movie, but only when it comes to Die Hard. Does there need to be elves to qualify? Reindeer?

Home Alone is almost universally considered a Christmas movie, yet a kid could be left at home to deal with robbers any other time of year. Bad Santa is considered a Christmas movie but has no Christmas theme outside of the occupation of the main characters. I'd even argue that A Christmas Story could be centered around Ralphy's birthday and it wouldn't change the plot. It would only mean AMC wouldn't play it on repeat for 2 weeks leading up to Christmas.

 

[TheMike62987]

I don't know why some people have such stringent requirements on what is or is not a Christmas movie, but only when it comes to Die Hard. Does there need to be elves to qualify? Reindeer?

Home Alone is almost universally considered a Christmas movie, yet a kid could be left at home to deal with robbers any other time of year. Bad Santa is considered a Christmas movie but has no Christmas theme outside of the occupation of the main characters. I'd even argue that A Christmas Story could be centered around Ralphy's birthday and it wouldn't change the plot. It would only mean AMC wouldn't play it on repeat for 2 weeks leading up to Christmas.

Home Alone is a Christmas movie 100%. The Wet Bandits are in the neighborhood they are in because everyone in the neighborhood is going out of town for Christmas. Specifically the McAllisters are going to Paris because Kate's (The Mom) sibling is paying for them all to fly out for Christmas in Paris.

The entire plot of Bad Santa requires the main character to continue his job as a terrible Santa Clause at a mall so they can rip off stores in said mall. You can't really have that happen if Billy Bob isn't a Santa. He is too much of a loser to hold down a real job, therefore being a Santa is about the only thing he can do aside from stealing. Christmas is an integral part of the plot and really can't be replaced with anything else.

A Christmas Story's entire plot revolve around Christmas. You say you can replace it with Ralphie's birthday, but you can't. The entire movie is centered on how he will get the BB gun for Christmas. He tells his mom and she shoots him down He writes his Christmas Theme in hopes that he can get the teacher's approval, therefore his mom would have to agree, and he gets shot down.

The last ditch effort is to ask Santa Clause for the gun directly, and he gets shot down again. When Christmas finally gets here, he opens all of his gifts and is appreciative of hat he received, then his Christmas Miracle happens and he gets his gun. It's all about Christmas. Can't replace it with his birthday, it wouldn't work.

 

[RazorSaint]

Home Alone is a Christmas movie 100%. The Wet Bandits are in the neighborhood they are in because everyone in the neighborhood is going out of town for Christmas. Specifically the McAllisters are going to Paris because Kate's (The Mom) sibling is paying for them all to fly out for Christmas in Paris.

Just as the only reason John McClain is in town is to see his estranged family over the Christmas holiday.

The entire plot of Bad Santa requires the main character to continue his job as a terrible Santa Clause at a mall so they can rip off stores in said mall. You can't really have that happen if Billy Bob isn't a Santa. He is too much of a loser to hold down a real job, therefore being a Santa is about the only thing he can do aside from stealing. Christmas is an integral part of the plot and really can't be replaced with anything else.

If you recall, the only reason Billy Bob could hold down the Santa job was by threatening to sue for discrimination if they fired his black dwarf accomplice, not because it was the only job simple enough for him to perform. With that in mind, he could have been terrible at any mall job and remained employed.

And just to clarify, according to you, the main character being a mall Santa makes it a Christmas movie. BUT, Die Hard taking place during a Christmas party, with a man in town only to reunite with his estranged family over the Christmas holiday, with Christmas music and references throughout, is NOT a Christmas movie?

 

[antipop]

I don't think 'Christmas movie' is a real genre

 

[TheMike62987]

Just as the only reason John McClain is in town is to see his estranged family over the Christmas holiday.



If you recall, the only reason Billy Bob could hold down the Santa job was by threatening to sue for discrimination if they fired his black dwarf accomplice, not because it was the only job simple enough for him to perform. With that in mind, he could have been terrible at any mall job and remained employed.

And just to clarify, according to you, the main character being a mall Santa makes it a Christmas movie. BUT, Die Hard taking place during a Christmas party, with a man in town only to reunite with his estranged family over the Christmas holiday, with Christmas music and references throughout, is NOT a Christmas movie?

The problem is that it could literally be any holiday where the office is closed. New Years, 4th of July, insert any holiday and the plot still works just fine. Bad Santa does not. He was already a mall Santa when he threatened to sue because of the black dwarf accomplice, who he most likely met because he was a Santa.

Christmas isn't necessary for Die Hard to happen, it is necessary for the other movies to happen. That's the difference.

 

[GW93]

Side note.. girl I was friends with in college came by my Junior or Senior year (they all blend together) and she was going through my DVD's and shouts out "OMG, I haven't seen Die Hard in years! We're watching this" OK, sounds good. minutes later we're laying on the couch cuddling, watching Die Hard like it's some sort of Romantic Comedy. haha.

Why did you not marry this woman?

Is Lethal Weapon a Christmas movie too?

Doesn't get mentioned the way Die Hard is

I think Lethal Weapon counts. Martin Riggs is introduced making an undercover drug buy in a Christmas tree lot, and by the end of the film, he decides maybe suicide isn't the answer for him. Fits with the spirit of the holidays.

Doesn't make it a Christmas Movie though. The movie itself has nothing to really do with Christmas, it only takes place on Christmas Eve. Heist could have been done during any holiday where the office was closed.

Guess which one you are.

 

[mean machine]

I rented this when I needed study break during finals in December 1988. I expected very little, but I loved it. When it was done, I rewound it and watched it again. The only thing I had a hard time suspending disbelief for was the fall in the elevator shaft.

Also, if Die Hard is a Christmas movie, then so is Lethal Weapon. But they are not!

 

[mean machine]

I rented this when I needed study break during finals in December 1988. I expected very little, but I loved it. When it was done, I rewound it and watched it again. The only thing I had a hard time suspending disbelief for was the fall in the elevator shaft.

Also, if Die Hard is a Christmas movie, then so is Lethal Weapon. But they are not!

 

[Saint_Ward]

Why did you not marry this woman?
.

Oh, that's a long story. It was mostly platonic though.

Luckily the woman I did marry loves Die Hard as well.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Oh, that's a long story. It was mostly platonic though.

 

[Dan in Lafayette]

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[Mr. Blue Sky]

So obviously the debate has been settled now for years and years.. Not only is Die Hard A Christmas movie, Die Hard is THE Christmas movie .. but beyond that, upon watching it again this evening for, conservatively speaking the 300th or 400th time (prob more like 500)- i had another revelation.. not only is it a Christmas film, but it’s actually a pretty decent romantic comedy… the whole thing basically from the first frame of the movie until the last, revolves around John’s attempt at reconciliation with his estranged wife, who has taken to using her maiden name.. their relationship is basically THE ONLY REASON that we give a crap about what happens in the building, who got blown up, or who lives and dies.. even one of the funniest lines in the movie (hence the romantic ‘comedy’)- is when Holly the wife realizes that the terrorists are in a pickle and says ‘Only John could drive someone that crazy’…. without that relationship and those two characters - you would not have a movie, full stop .