die hard Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Villains We Love: William Atherton
Filed under: Comedy »
So there I was on the Twitter, conversing with a few friends and rambling aimlessly about some movie minutiae that was hopping through my head. One of those Tweets was this one, and it prompted an immediate response from several Twitter pals ... and Erik Davis. He insisted that my admiration for character actor William Atherton would make for an appropriate edition of "Villains We Love," and here's why: Mr. Atherton is at his best when he's playing a smug, smarmy, officious authority figure who exists mainly to give a movie's hero something fun to play off of.Case in point: Val Kimer vs. William Atherton in Real Genius. Bill Murray vs. William Atherton in Ghostbusters. Bruce Willis (and Bonnie Bedelia) vs. William Atherton in Die Hard and Die Hard 2. Pauly Shore vs. William Atherton in Bio-Dome. Certainly no one-trick pony (you also know this actor from The Sugarland Express, The Day of the Locust, and The Last Samurai), but the man's just great at playing a snooty villainous bastard. For those who require some evidence, I refer you to the post-jump territory.
More on Atherton: To find out which giant TV show he'll be guest starring on during its final season, head over to SciFi Squad.
Cinematical Seven: Arguments for Bruce Willis as a Great Actor
Filed under: Cinematical Seven »
Bruce Willis returns to cinemas this week with Surrogates, his first starring role since Live Free or Die Hard. It has been 21 years since the original Die Hard, and it seems as if studios and executives are still trying to make lightning strike twice with Willis as an action hero. Fortunately, Willis' finer instincts keep coming through with some of his quirkier choices between the big-budget blow-em-up movies. And though a casual fan wouldn't know it, he has demonstrated over the years a marked talent for acting. That's right. Bruce Willis is an actor, and a damn good one. It's a shame he has yet to earn a single Oscar nomination, and he could have -- should have -- earned some for the following great performances.
1. Butch in Pulp Fiction (1994)
He shows up 20 minutes in, in a single shot that lasts a full two minutes. It's just Bruce, framed in the center of the shot. The background is lit low and mostly out of focus. He doesn't speak for two minutes; we're listening to Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) speak, but we're looking at Bruce. We're looking at that mug. It's a tough, hard mug, but he knows that Marsellus has his number, so his guard is not entirely up. That look of hard disappointment anchors it. Most of Willis' acting is like that: an invisible stamp of quality that makes everything else around him look good. Then, check out the rest of the film, the way Tarantino's dialogue seems to perfectly fit his mouth, and the brilliant way he pulls off his many non-speaking scenes.
Will The Next Franchise Reboot Be Die Hard?
Filed under: Fandom », Home Entertainment »
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These days movie studios are really into the whole prequel comic thing. Every film needs to have a prequel comic series, or a graphic novel, or an animated series, or a 3D pop-up book -- it never ends. The latest studio who looks to be going absolutely bat-sh*t crazy with their properties is 20th Century Fox, who not only want to reboot Predator and Alien, but they may want to target Die Hard next. BOOM! Studios is releasing a comic book in August called Die Hard: Year One, and it follows rookie cop John McClane during an incident involving New York City's Bicentennial celebration in 1976, more than a decade before the events of the first film took place.
Though it's not a movie ... yet ... this is the sort of thing that feels like it's being placed in the marketplace to gauge fan reaction. I could totally see Fox rebooting this entire franchise with a new face in his rookie year. Why not? Who cares? Howard Chaykin wrote the new comic book, with art from Stephen Thompson -- and part of me is real interested in reading about McClane as a rookie cop, but another part is afraid this is only the first wave in what will eventually become an all-out franchise reinvention.
What do you think? Am I getting ahead of myself? Is this cool? Do you want a copy?
[via Slashfilm]
Buy This: Action Movie Hero Vests
Filed under: Fandom »
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Haven't you ever wanted to strut your stuff down the street while wearing a badge and a gun underneath your weathered, torn-up jacket like Bruce Willis in Die Hard? Or how about one of those bullet jackets across your chest, like Sylvester Stallone in First Blood. Let's face it, each and every one of us has at some point secretly dreamt of being an action star -- and now the website Spinning Hat is looking to turn your dreams into reality (sort of) by introducing a line of Hero Vests, based on three of our favorite on-screen heroes: John McClane (Die Hard), John Rambo (First Blood) and Bruce Lee (Enter the Dragon).
According to the site, each shirt comes in "collectable DVD style gift boxes, and are inspired by various classic moments of action movie history." They're also calling these "ultra realistic", which means you might not want to walk into an office tower wearing the John McClane shirt since folks may expect you to save the day should the tower suddenly be taken over by a group of awesomely accented terrorists. Same goes for that Rambo shirt -- something tells me airport security may have a tiny problem with it.
Check out all three Hero Vests below, and you can purchase one or more over here for around $18.
[via The Awesomer]
John McTiernan Faces Federal Charges
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy », Newsstand »
It's only been a few months since the infamous Hollywood wiretapper and 'Private Eye to the Stars' Anthony Pellicano was sentenced to 15 years in prison for wiretapping, racketeering and wire fraud -- but it wasn't just the shady P.I. who got himself into trouble with the Feds, and the AP has confirmed that action director (and former Pellicano client), John McTiernan (Die Hard) has been indicted on two counts of making false statements to federal agents and one count of perjury.The trouble all started when McTiernan testified to Federal agents that he had employed Pellicano during a divorce case, but it was later revealed that McTiernan had actually hired Pellicano to do some snooping on film producer Charles Roven during McTiernan's remake of Rollerball. McTiernan originally had pleaded guilty back in 2006, but when faced with four months in prison, he later changed his mind and even fought his way to the Court of Appeals to be allowed to reverse his guilty plea.
But, in the end it looks like the change of heart didn't matter all that much now that Feds are gunning for the man anyway. McTiernan's lawyer has already gone into spin mode, telling reporters that: "The prosecutor has taken one count and tried to expand it into more charges in a new indictment. There seems to be retribution because John refused to play ball the way the prosecutors wanted and because we were successful on appeal."
But the question for film fans is: just where does that leave McTiernan's upcoming projects? The director already had three films in the pipeline before these charges were announced, and something tells me he won't be able to start work any time soon if he's stuck in a federal prison.
Stay tuned to Cinematical for updates...
Discuss: The Trilogy Meter
Filed under: Fandom », Lists »
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Cartoonist Dan Meth has created what he calls The Trilogy Meter, which, as you can see above, is a chart that lists several different movie trilogies and then rates them on a high-low scale. The image above is smaller than the actual completed version (view that by clicking the image below), which goes on to include other trilogies like Die Hard, Godfather, Alien, Terminator, Rocky, Batman, Rambo, etc ... As Dan explains over on his blog: "I know other movie geeks are going to have disagreements and that's fine. And yes, I know some of these movies went more than 3 sequels, but none were ever meant to. These are rated purely on my enjoyment level on each film and nothing else. Frankly I'm surprised by how many sequels were better than the original. And I'm not surprised that the 3rd movie is never the best."
Honestly, I'm not surprised so many sequels (or the second film in a franchise) are better than the original since it's easier to just jump right into the action, what with the characters and backstory already introduced in the first film. This doesn't necessarily pertain to straight up action flicks like Die Hard or Rambo, but definitely movies that feature a grand universe (Star Wars) or a comic book character (Spider-Man, X-Men).
What do you think of this chart? Where did Dan go wrong? And will we ever find a third film that's better than the two that came before it?
Gallery: The Trilogy Meter
Cinematical Seven: Unconventional Holiday Movies
Filed under: Fandom », Cinematical Seven », Lists »
When it comes to unconventional holiday stories, I believe we have one man to thank: Charles Dickens. We're so numb to the traditional charms and affirmations of A Christmas Carol that we don't realize how bizarre it really is. Visions of death and despair figure more prominently than sugar plums and reindeer hooves -- I mean, the Grim Reaper shows up! Surely that helped pave the way for violent Christmas stories like these. I doubt many of you will find these selections that unconventional (Die Hard is a Christmas staple in many a household) but they certainly don't star Jimmy Stewart or Charlie Brown.
1. L.A. Confidential
"You're like Santa Claus with that list, Bud, except everyone on it's been naughty. " This is a Christmas staple in our house. Technically, only the beginning of the film is set at Christmas, but the entire plot hinges on that fateful holiday. If Bud White had never stopped to buy some booze for the station's Christmas party, he and Ed Exley would have never cracked the case, plain and simple. This is a great film to watch all year round, but you really need to squeeze in a viewing between Miracle on 34th Street and It's a Wonderful Life. (And Bud's smackdown on that abusive husband? Sexier than The Holiday.)
2. The Long Kiss Goodnight
Christmas and Shane Black go together like holly and ivy. I think Long Kiss is particularly suited to the holidays, because sandwiched in between all the guns, knives, explosions, and Samuel L. Jackson expletives is the most traditional Christmas theme of all. That ruthless assassin Charlie Baltimore tries to pretend her daughter and her fiancee were nothing more than a cover to her -- but then she catches a glimpse of her family through the scope of her rifle and realizes what they mean to her. Cue the jingle bells and bring out the hanky!
1. L.A. Confidential
"You're like Santa Claus with that list, Bud, except everyone on it's been naughty. " This is a Christmas staple in our house. Technically, only the beginning of the film is set at Christmas, but the entire plot hinges on that fateful holiday. If Bud White had never stopped to buy some booze for the station's Christmas party, he and Ed Exley would have never cracked the case, plain and simple. This is a great film to watch all year round, but you really need to squeeze in a viewing between Miracle on 34th Street and It's a Wonderful Life. (And Bud's smackdown on that abusive husband? Sexier than The Holiday.)
2. The Long Kiss Goodnight
Christmas and Shane Black go together like holly and ivy. I think Long Kiss is particularly suited to the holidays, because sandwiched in between all the guns, knives, explosions, and Samuel L. Jackson expletives is the most traditional Christmas theme of all. That ruthless assassin Charlie Baltimore tries to pretend her daughter and her fiancee were nothing more than a cover to her -- but then she catches a glimpse of her family through the scope of her rifle and realizes what they mean to her. Cue the jingle bells and bring out the hanky!
Cinematical Seven: '80s Action Heroes Worth Resurrecting
Filed under: Action », Cinematical Seven »
Now that John McClane, Rocky Balboa and John Rambo have made their return to the big screen -- with Indiana Jones on his way -- the question seems pretty obvious: Who will be the next 1980s action hero to come out of retirement and enjoy one last explosion of mindless mayhem and crazy carnage? I have a few suggestions...Marion "Cobra" Cobretti (Cobra, 1986) -- After the original First Blood, Stallone went a little insane and not only directed the hilariously bad Staying Alive ... he also starred opposite Dolly Parton in Rhinestone. So obviously it was time for A) Rambo 2, B) Rocky 4, and a powerfully mindless cop flick called Cobra. It grossed only about $50 milion, but that's pretty solid in 1986 money. Oh, and Stallone's subsequent movie? The arm-wrestling one. Other options for Sly: Gabe "Cliffhanger" Walker (which is apparently already in development), Frank "Lock Up" Leone, Lincoln "Over the Top" Hawk ... and (of course) Detective Ray Tango.
"Dirty" Harry Callahan (Dirty Harry, 1971; Magnum Force, 1973; The Enforcer, 1976; Sudden Impact, 1983; The Dead Pool, 1986) -- Pretty damn unlikely, but I'd love to see Dirty Harry polish off the pistol just one last time. Hell, send him after the terrorists! (Another, more realistic wish: Clint Eastwood will deliver at least one more western in the vein of The Outlaw Josey Wales, Pale Rider, or Unforgiven.)
Is 'Hitman' Director Xavier Gens Taking on 'Conan'?
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting », Deals », RumorMonger », Remakes and Sequels »
Well, either John McTiernan took a pass on the offer or AICN had their collective legs pulled when news came that Die Hard helmer McTiernan was in talks to direct the Conan the Barbarian update for Millennium Films. Dark Horizons has now reported that French director Xavier Gens told film site Le Film Francais.com that he was in line to direct the fantasy update. After the drawn-out battle for the rights to re-make the 1982 film, it seems like the production is still having a little trouble finding a director or a star. Although AICN did name Gerard Butler as one of the contenders for the role (I guess he has plenty of experience in a loincloth already). Gens is probably best known as the director for the video game flick Hitman -- which might not be the best calling card if you take the cringe-worthy score of 13% on Rotten Tomatoes as any indication of the man's abilities. Gens entrance into the Hollywood blockbuster scene probably didn't quite work out as he had hoped. First, there were rumors that there were arguments with the studio over Hitman's rating, and then finally there was talk that Gens had been pulled from the project altogether. There was some PR back-pedaling surrounding the problems with Hitman, but even if the rumors weren't completely true, it could not have helped his reputation. But since Gen's involvement in Conan is still a rumor at this point, fans probably shouldn't get too worried just yet. Let's just wait until we hear something a little more official. Conan the Barbarian is scheduled for release in 2009.
Cinematical Seven: Great Movie Christmas Songs
Filed under: Cinematical Seven », 12 Days of Cinematicalmas »
Lots of Christmas songs appear in lots of movies, and we all know how bad and how monotonous they can get. The following is a list of seven Christmas songs in seven Christmas movies that stand out. They're used for some particular purpose, rather than just dressing. Hopefully these songs lend new meaning to their movies, and vice versa. And in the end, everything becomes just a little more tolerable.
1. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," from Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
This song has become a standard, of course. But looking at its very first performance by Judy Garland shows that it was actually meant ironically. Esther Smith (Garland) sings it while looking out the window at a forlorn winter's night, her sister Tootie (Margaret O'Brien) at her side. (The family may have to move away from their beloved St. Louis home.) Tears flow, and the scene is accompanied by Tootie's wanton destruction of a carefully-crafted family of snow people on the lawn.
2. "Christmas in Hollis," from Die Hard (1988)
While waiting in a limo, just downstairs from the chaos in his wife's building, John McClane (Bruce Willis) listens to the radio. The limo driver Argyle (De'voreaux White) plays the just-released hip-hop Christmas song by Run-DMC. "Don't you have any Christmas music?" McClane asks. "This is Christmas music!" Argyle replies excitedly, moving to the beat. I'm not sure how many other hip-hop Christmas songs have been recorded since then, but they have some big shoes to fill. (Runner-up: "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" played during the closing credits.)
Peter Jackson Says Spielberg's 'Tintin' is Done Filming, but...
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