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For the last three years, I have put together a 12 Days Of Christmas series here at TFB that serves as our unofficial ‘letter to Santa’ for gun gifts. The staff’s significant others can take a peek into our world and order up firearm-related gifts that we actually want. This year we have an important Christmas business to attend to so I’m wrapping our gift ideas up alongside a Die Hard Christmas movie argument that will settle the debate once and for all. Theoretically.
A Die Hard Christmas – TFB Holiday Buying Guide
If you by any chance live in a cave or under a brutal dictatorship regime, there’s a chance that the Die Hard Christmas movie debate has missed you entirely. Let me help you out. There are two types of people in this world: those that believe that Die Hard is an action movie that happens to take place at Christmas and those of us that believe that Die Hard is an official Christmas movie that belongs among the ranks of Christmas Vacation, Elf, It’s A Wonderful Life and other holiday classics. I offer you evidence and what I believe is proof beyond a reasonable doubt, that Die Hard is absolutely a Christmas Movie.
I don’t care that it was originally a Summer Blockbuster Release nor do I care what Bruce Willis proclaims – Die Hard is a Christmas movie, especially for firearm aficionados.
I. Die Hard Christmas – Nakatomi Corporation’s Christmas Party
Die Hard (1988) – Twentieth Century Fox
That fateful night, the Nakatomi Corporation was indeed celebrating the closure of a large financial deal. However, the gathering was primarily a Christmas Eve party, leaving the rest of the building vacant. Grüber and his team planned every detail of their heist around this one event. Not the Fourth of July, not Valentine’s Day, not the Chinese New Year – Christmas.
II. Die Hard Christmas – John McClane travels from New York to Los Angeles to see his family for Christmas
Die Hard (1988) – Twentieth Century Fox
Without the Christmas holiday, John McClane would not be making a trip “out to the coast”. His kids were being put to bed by their nanny, while he was transported to Nakatomi to see his wife before deciding whether or not to spend Christmas Eve with his family at their house.
III. Die Hard Christmas – Hans Gruber and crew specifically picked Christmas Eve for the Bearer Bond heist.
Die Hard (1988) – Twentieth Century Fox
“Lose the grid or lose your job” was the order from Special Agent Johnson (no, the other one), FBI to the city electrical worker. The scenario called for cutting the power to Nakatomi Plaza and waiting the terrorists out. Grüber knew this would be the FBI’s plan and took advantage of the Christmas holiday schedule to further complicate the situation while they made their escape.
IV. Die Hard Christmas – The Soundtrack
Die Hard (1988) – Twentieth Century Fox
A movie is made or broken with its soundtrack. The music steers the audience deeper into scenes that may otherwise be insignificant. Die Hard’s soundtrack has a resoundingly Christmas theme and the movie would not have been the same without the below holiday songs.
Die Hard Soundtrack – IMDB
Written by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown
Winter Wonderland
Written by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith (as Dick Smith)
Written by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels and Jam Master Jay
Performed by Run-D.M.C.
Courtesy of Profile Records, Inc.
Contains a sample of “Back Door Santa”
Written and Performed by Stevie Wonder
Courtesy of Motown Record Corp.
Written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne
Performed by Vaughn Monroe
Courtesy of MCA Records
(uncredited)
from “Symphony No.9 in D- ‘Choral’, Op.125”
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
(uncredited)
Written by James Pierpont
Whistled by Bruce Willis
(uncredited)
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
(uncredited)
from Man on Fire (1987) 1987
Music Composed, Orchestrated and Conducted by John Scott
(uncredited)
from Aliens (1986)
Composed by James Horner
(uncredited)
Written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne
Hummed by Reginald VelJohnson
V. Die Hard Christmas – Now I have a machinegun. Ho. Ho. Ho. (insert German guttural accent).
Die Hard (1988) – Twentieth Century Fox
One of the most pivotal parts of the movie is when McClane uses Karl’s dead brother’s body as a lure to distract Grüber’s team from their mission. Can you imagine if McClane had written “Now I Have A Machine Gun, Happy Labor Day! on that sweatshirt? Please.
Die Hard Christmas – Conclusion:
Die Hard has been, is and always will be a Christmas movie. Grab a drink, stoke the fire and enjoy this masterpiece that has defined us all.
Have a wonderful holiday season everyone. Thanks for reading TFB.
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