Top 10 Alternative Christmas Films: 9. "Die Hard"

December 22, 2:44 PMClassic TV ExaminerDoug Krentzlin

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                         Bruce Willis in "Die Hard"

Everyone knows the big 3 of Christmas films: “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Miracle on 34th Street” and “A Christmas Carol” (Alistair Sim). For those of you who would like to view something different for the holidays, here is the ninth of ten recommendations of alternative Christmas films (to be presented in chronological order).

9. “Die Hard” (1988)

Some more murder and mayhem for Christmas, courtesy of producer Joel Silver. As with “Lethal Weapon,” “Die Hard” was the beginning of what would prove to be another hugely popular movie franchise.

In his first and best adventure, New York homicide cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) is in Los Angeles hoping to reconcile with his estranged wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia). Arriving at her place of business Nakatomi Plaza, a 40-story high rise, during the company's Christmas party, McClane finds himself playing reluctant hero when the partygoers are taken hostage by a group of Eurotrash thugs posing as terrorists under the command of master thief Han Gruber (Alan Rickman).

Directed by John McTiernan, “Die Hard” succeeds as a larger-than-life action spectacle in the tradition of the James Bond and Indiana Jones films. In addition, the first “Die Hard” film has one of the best supporting cast of the series: Robert Davi, Paul Gleason, Reginald VelJohnson, William Atherton, Hart Bochner and James Shigeta. ("Die Hard 2" was also set during the Christmas hoilidays.)

Trivia note: The novel “Die Hard” is based on, Roderick Thorp’s “Nothing Lasts Forever” (which he wrote after seeing “The Towering Inferno”), was a sequel to his earlier novel “The Detective” which was filmed in 1968 starring Frank Sinatra. (In “Nothing Lasts Forever,” the leading character is visiting his daughter, not his wife.)