Film Illiterate, wherein the proprietor records movies seen, and sporadic progress through assorted lists of the "best". Originally started after regretfully renting something forgettable for the third time. I've forgotten what, but never again! A tedious endeavour since 2005. Hello. 🙂

Die Hard (1988)

Lists

ranked 4 in Men's Journal 50 Best Guy Movies Of All Time
ranked 30 in Cinema Fusion Movie Bloggers' Top 100 Movies
ranked 31 in Empire 100 Greatest Movies
ranked 39 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills
ranked 58 in Total Film's 100 Greatest Movies Of All Time
ranked 59 in Empire 100 Greatest Movies
ranked 154 in The IMDb Top 250
ranked 536 in They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? 1000 Greatest Films (March 2006)
ranked 545 in They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? 1000 Greatest Films (December 2006)
ranked 634 in They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? 1000 Greatest Films (August 2005)
one of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
one of AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies Nominees
one of AFI's 100 Years... 100 Thrills Nominees
one of Guardian 1,000 films to see before you die
one of The New York Times Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made

Links

IMDb

Ratings & comments

Kenji Fujishima:

Walking in the bootprints of cruder 1980s action spectaculars (Rambo, Commando), Die Hard didnât need to add brains to brawn; the filmmakers could have simply bombarded the audience with a lot of noisy action scenes, and most viewers still might have felt they'd gotten their moneyâs worth. But this movie understands that a great action film shouldn't just deliver action, but also construct an authentic emotional framework to support the actionâto make us care about what is happening onscreen rather than just setting up the next sensory assault.

- Sam - 2006-07-07 15:54:52

Not as good as I'd remembered, but it still holds up well.

- Sam - 2007-08-27 01:27:04

I was trying to think of a suitable spectacle to try with my new projector setup and, given the season, this heartwarming Christmas picture fit the bill perfectly. An action classic for a reason. More than 30 years on it's undeniably a period piece (landlines, big hair, CGA graphics), but McClane (Bruce Willis) is iconic and and, as ever, the host of deftly-sketched supporting characters adds depth and heart to what might otherwise just be Office Rambo.

- Sam - 2020-12-25 21:54:50