193: Die Hard (with Brian Abrams)

Junk Filter

The 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 available on the Patreon feed.

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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