Christmas movie or not, “Die Hard” has become a holiday classic, packing in all the John McClane sarcasm, explosive shoot outs, western references, “Ode To Joy” motifs, desecrated bodies, and cold-blooded murder that we’ve come to expect from our favorite national holy day. In seriousness, though, in the three decades since its release, “Die Hard” has helped to reshape an entire cinematic genre, cement the leading man status of Bruce Willis, and launch the extraordinary Hollywood career of the late, great Alan Rickman (2016 has been a kick in the teeth). All of which wouldn’t have been possible without the made-for-adaptation novel “Nothing Last Forever,” upon which all things John McClane are based.
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Written by Roderick Thorp, “Nothing Lasts Forever,” a book conceived as a sequel to the Frank Sinatra vehicle “The Detective,” pits the grizzled, retired New York detective Joe Leland against the out-and-out terrorist Anton “Little Tony” Gruber in a Christmas battle inside the high rise headquarters of the corrupt Klaxon Oil Corporation. But as varied as some of the specifics may be, “Nothing Lasts Forever” certainly lays the foundation for many of the more memorable aspects of “Die Hard.” To help straighten out the minutia of the disparities CineFix has put together the new holiday-themed video essay, “‘Die Hard’ – What’s The Difference?”
In addition to running through the myriad ways the book and the film differ, the 9-minute video also does an excellent job of highlighting just what makes “Die Hard” such an enduring and unique action movie. A big part of which comes from screenwriters Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza and director John McTiernan knowing what to hold onto and what to let go of, while creating a grounded, delightful, and not-yet-superpowered John McClane.
Check out CineFix’s video above and weigh in with your thoughts on “Die Hard” (and maybe its forthcoming sequel/prequel?) in the comments below.
