Quentin Tarantino Says This Classic Prime Video Thriller is “Clever” and “expertly made”
Die Hard is an iconic feature that forever changed the action movie landscape. Countless films have imitated it, but none have done it better. You don’t have to take my word for it, though. Quentin Tarantino and his Video Archives Podcast cohost Roger Avary spent a few moments discussing the epic picture on last week’s episode. After listening, it’s clear to me that the Reservoir Dogs filmmaker holds the feature in high regard.
“If you live in a world where Die Hard already existed, it means nothing to you or you already know it’s a terrific movie,” explained Tarantino. “What was so great about Die Hard is you didn’t know that walking in. It’s just so clever, and it’s so expertly made.”
I concur with Tarantino. Die Hard made me fall in love with action cinema. I saw it for the first time several decades ago. My parents couldn’t find a babysitter, so they took me along when they saw the film during its 1988 theatrical run. To say that my seven-year-old mind was blown is an understatement. The picture imprinted upon me in a massive way, and I’ve conservatively watched it no fewer than 100 times since.
In Die Hard:
New York City policeman John McClane (Willis) is visiting his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) and two daughters on Christmas Eve. He joins her at a holiday party in the headquarters of the Japanese-owned business she works for. But the festivities are interrupted by a group of terrorists who take over the exclusive high-rise, and everyone in it. Very soon McClane realizes that there’s no one to save the hostages — but him.
The epic fight choreography, the biting humor, and a tour-de-force performance by Bruce Willis are just a few reasons John McTiernan’s action epic has stood the test of time. You can see its influence in countless contemporary action pictures.
The film is adapted from the Roderick Thorp novel, Nothing Lasts Forever. Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza wrote the iconic screenplay. For what it’s worth, this is one case where the film is better than the book. The tome is worth a read, but the feature adaptation surpasses it in every way.
Does Tarantino’s appreciation for the picture have you itching to revisit the flick? If you don’t own the film on physical media, you still have options. Die Hard is streaming on Prime Video as of this writing.
There you go. Quentin Tarantino sees Die Hard as the pioneering effort that it is. And you can stream the flick on Prime Video now. Stay tuned to the site for more recommendations from your favorite genre cinema filmmakers as we uncover them. In the meantime, you can seek me out on Threads if you’d like to keep tabs on my comings and goings.
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