Episoder
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It’s Die Hard on a prison plane!
(you can watch this week's episode on YouTube!)
This week, Phil ‘Philly Bedlam’ Gawthorne and Liam ‘The Coliseum’ Billingham take a high-security flight on CON AIR with special guest Scout Tafoya, aka ‘The Massachusetts Mangler’!
After serving a long and harsh sentence for a self-defense killing, parolee and ex-Army Ranger Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage) travels on a prisoner transport plane nicknamed ‘Con Air’, to meet with his wife and daughter. But when said plane is taken over by vicious criminal mastermind Cyrus ‘The Virus’ Grissom (John Malkovich) and his bloodthirsty cohorts, Poe finds himself unable to abandon his friend Baby-O (Mykelti Williamson) and vulnerable female Prison Guard Sally Bishop (Rachel Ticotin), and decides to fight back against the vicious convicts, with the help of unconventional US Marshal Vince Larkin (John Cusack), who assists his efforts from the ground.
As CON AIR is one of the best and most iconic ‘DIE HARD ON A [BLANK]’ films ever made, this is one of our biggest, and most substantive, episodes yet. The guys start out by discussing the origins of these kind of cinematic stories, going all the way back to movies such as STAGECOACH, before digging in on the film’s plentiful ‘Die Hard DNA’. They go deep on the film’s themes, meanings, and aspirations, and discuss how its politics and portrayals have aged, for better or worse, in the intervening decades since its summer 1997 release. They talk in detail about the three principle stars – Nicolas Cage, John Cusack and John Malkovich – as well as the rest of the stellar supporting cast, along with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Simon West, and writer Scott Rosenberg. Events culminate with a highly contested edition of the ‘Die Hard Oscars’, and a criminally tough ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz! Trust us, this is one flight you don’t want to miss!
CON AIR trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Olvpk5BXWCI
At the time of release, CON AIR is streaming on Hulu, TNT, TBS and TruTV in the US and is available to rent or buy on YouTube, Apple/iTunes, Fandango, and all the usual platforms!
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It’s Die Hard in the middle of nowhere!
This week, Phil and Liam take a road trip…and have a serious BREAKDOWN! They are joined on their journey by Justin and Laura Khoo, the joint hosts of the excellent film/philosophy podcast COWS IN THE FIELD!
While taking a cross-country road-trip to relocate, married couple Jeff and Amy Taylor (Kurt Russell and Kathleen Quinlan) experience car trouble, and end up stranded in the middle of the desert. In an effort to reach a payphone, Amy accepts a ride from a seemingly friendly trucker named Red (JT Walsh)...but when Jeff runs into the same trucker again later, he claims to have never have seen her. Jeff then begins to suspect that Amy has been kidnapped, and that he may be in the middle of a sinister criminal plot…
Our quartet ‘break down’ this bad boy, including its deceptive and surprising ‘Die Hard DNA’, and the reasons why it’s simple, ingenious premise is such a grabber. They discuss how this film intersects with the ‘yuppie in peril’ genre, what it may be exploring about the socio-economics (and class tensions) of the era, and how it taps into our collective primal fears. Phil then requests that the road be cleared for a passionate diatribe on the life and work of the late, great JT Walsh, an iconic character actor with whom he feels a “cosmic connection”. The group’s serpentine trip takes a number of stimulating scenic detours before they arrive at the Die Hard Oscars, and cap things off with the Double Jeopardy trivia quiz!
BREAKDOWN trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm4YfqVbABk
At the time of release, BREAKDOWN is streaming on Paramount Plus, Fubu, Amazon Prime Video and MGM+ in the US and is available to rent or buy on YouTube, Apple/iTunes, Fandango, and all the usual platforms!
Watch Die Hard On A Blank on YouTube!
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It’s Die Hard in a museum…with a monster!
Hyams Hive rise up! This week, Phil and Liam take a field trip to visit THE RELIC, Peter Hyams’ expertly directed 1997 horror flick. They are accompanied on their scientific expedition by special guest Brandon Streussnig, one of the most influential and entertaining film writers around!
After experimenting with psychotropic drugs while on a trip to South America, anthropologist John Whitney makes an alarming discovery, and attempts to prevent the return of several crates of research material to the US. Weeks later, the crates arrive and are sent to their intended destination at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago - an area that is suddenly beset with a series of grisly murders. As detective Vincent D’Agosta (Tom Sizemore) investigates, he and evolutionary biologist Dr. Margot Green (Penelope Ann Miller) come to the horrifying realization that a literal monster is now on the loose…and that they, and dozens of other citizens, are now trapped inside the museum along with the marauding beast!
The guys start by discussing the career and filmography of director/shooter Peter Hyams, before moving into a detailed conversation about the origins and evolution of the action-horror subgenre. They delve deep into the film’s myriad connections to the original 1988 classic in the ‘Die Hard DNA’ section – but there’s a big surprise in store for Phil later in the episode! The lads then get more specific about the film’s two stars and the quality of the Stan Winston-designed monster, before wrapping things up with the Die Hard Oscars and the Double Jeopardy Trivia Quiz!
THE RELIC trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vps9rpCHJFM
At the time of release, THE RELIC is streaming on PlutoTV in the US and is available to rent or buy on Prime Video, YouTube, Apple/iTunes, Fandango, and all the usual platforms!
Brandon’s article on Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning can be found here. Happy reading!
https://filmcombatsyndicate.com/universal-soldier-a-revisit-of-the-luc-devereaux-saga-and-learning-to-move-forward/
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It’s Die Hard in a plane (with very few passengers)!
This week, Phil and Liam are experiencing TURBULENCE, the 1997 action-thriller starring Ray Liotta, Lauren Holly, Hector Elizondo, Ben Cross, Brendan Gleeson, Rachel Ticotin…and a mystery Die Hard cast member!
On Christmas Eve, convicted serial killer Ryan Weaver (Ray Liotta) is being transported across the country on an almost empty 747, with another prisoner and a group of federal marshals. Once airborne, Weaver escapes and wreaks havoc on board with the cops, passengers and the flight crew. When his actions result in the death of both pilots, it becomes up to lone Flight Attendant Teri Halloran (Lauren Holly) to somehow defeat Weaver and land the plane safely before it crashes!
There’s Die Hard (and Die Hard 2) DNA everywhere in this Xmas-set skybound thrill-ride, giving the boys plenty to examine in the comparison section. They also discuss the life and career of the film’s late star Ray Liotta, listing their favorite performances among his stellar filmography. They talk in detail about the film’s female cast - notably its leading lady Lauren Holly, and supporting performers Rachel Ticotin and Catherine Hicks – amid the wider context of the movie’s provocative sexual politics. The boys then fly through the ‘Die Hard Oscars’ and stick the landing with a dastardly edition of the ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz!
TURBULENCE trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29nriO8ux0Q
At the time of release, TURBULENCE is available to rent or buy on Prime Video, YouTube, Apple/iTunes, Fandango, and all the usual platforms!
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It’s Die Hard in a tunnel!
This week, Phil and Liam dig in, around, and underneath DAYLIGHT, Rob Cohen’s 1996 disaster movie starring Sylvester Stallone, Amy Brenneman, Jay O. Sanders, Dan Hedaya, Stan Shaw and Viggo Mortensen!
When a freak accident causes both ends of an underground tunnel in New York to collapse, a group of random strangers find themselves trapped below the Hudson River. The only person seemingly capable of helping them is Kit Latura (Sylvester Stallone), a disgraced former EMS Chief seeking redemption for his role in a past tragedy.
The guys start by discussing the disaster movie genre in general, placing this throwback film in a wider context, as part of a grand tradition of similar motion pictures that date back to their 1970s heyday. The original DIE HARD has its roots in the disaster movie genre, having been directly inspired by THE TOWERING INFERNO, one of several such films discussed (unflinchingly) in the ‘Die Hard DNA’ section, along with the AIRPORT franchise that influenced DIE HARD 2: DIE HARDER.
After analyzing the film’s premise, hero, and quirky cast of supporting characters (that includes a billionaire rock-climber, an Al Powell-esque uniform cop and a playwright with terrible taste in musicals), Liam presents his Earth-shattering theory that this entire film is in fact a Jesus allegory! The boys bust into ‘Die Hard Oscars’ to hand out some action movie awards and cap things off with a mind-boggling edition of the ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz!
DAYLIGHT trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRWIfCpxNK4
At the time of release, DAYLIGHT is streaming on Starz in the US, and is available to rent or buy on Prime Video, YouTube, Apple/iTunes, Fandango, and all the usual platforms!
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It’s Die Hard on the USS Enterprise!
This time of the show, Phil and Liam analyze STAR TREK FIRST CONTACT with the help of special guest Andy Maiorano, host of The AndyPlex podcast and an avowed Star Trek superfan! Set phasers to fun!
When he is informed that a hostile race of cybernetic beings known as The Borg have launched an attack on Earth, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) disobeys orders to directly engage with the Borg threat. However, upon arrival to the battle zone, he discovers that the planet Earth has been completely subsumed by the Borg, who have used time travel to assimilate the entire planet. Picard follows a Borg craft through a temporal vortex and ends up in the past, sending his trusted first officer Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) down to Earth to make sure that history is not changed. However, in the chaos, the Borg board the Enterprise and begin rapidly assimilating the crew, placing the ship, the planet Earth, and the entire course of history, in grave jeopardy!
First off, the guys start by discussing their respective relationships with this movie and the Star Trek franchise in general, with each of them landing on very different places on the Trekkie spectrum (or Trek-trum?!). The boys analyze this curious specimen in the ‘Die Hard DNA’ section, where they clarify the number of surprising connections between this futuristic siege movie and John McClane’s exploits at Nakatomi Plaza. As they break down this Paramount picture yet further in the ‘Anatomy of an Action Movie’, the conversation expands into a deeper discussion of Star Trek’s utopian philosophies, and this movie’s unusually thoughtful exploration of the idea of revenge - which makes it something of an outlier in the traditionally bloodthirsty action movie genre.
The boys beam in to the ‘Die Hard Oscars’ to hand out some action movie awards (where the Borg Queen commands considerable attention!) before this particular trek is wrapped up with the Double Jeopardy trivia quiz!
STAR TREK FIRST CONTACT trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3NJ49VyjDs
At the time of release, STAR TREK FIRST CONTACT is streaming on Paramount +, Prime Video, Max, Fubo and MGM+ in the US and is available to rent or buy on YouTube, Apple/iTunes, Fandango, Spectrum, AMC On Demand and all the usual platforms!
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It’s Die Hard in a ghost town!
This time week, Phil and Liam throw a bottle in the air and follow it into the desert, as they try to make sense of the dark and brooding action/thriller/western/gangster picture LAST MAN STANDING.
During the prohibition era, mysterious gunslinger John Smith (Bruce Willis) rolls into the small, remote border town of Jericho, Texas, where two rival bootlegging gangs have an uneasy and fragile truce. As Smith gets the lay of the land, he works both sides against the other in search of quick profit…until the conscience that he claims he doesn’t have, forces him to pick a side.
After comparing the film to the original 1988 classic in the ‘Die Hard DNA’ section, the boys discuss their feelings about writer-director-producer Walter Hill and his robust filmography, citing their favorite Hill movies. As this particular film is a credited remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1961 classic YOJIMBO, Liam is in his element waxing lyrical about the Japanese maestro. Phil also espouses his theory that Hill’s remake is less of an action movie, and more of an existential exploration of purgatory.
The guys also talk about this film’s remarkable ensemble cast, that features stellar performances from Walter Hill staples John Patrick Kelly and Bruce Dern, as well as the likes of William Sanderson, Leslie Mann, Ken Jenkins, Michael Imperioli, Karina Lombard and of course Christopher Walken as the Tommy Gun-toting mob enforcer Hickey. Finally, the guys bust into the ‘Die Hard Oscars’ to fire off some action movie awards, and Phil slings Liam some tough questions in the ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz!
LAST MAN STANDING trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=763cIT4IXoQ
At the time of release, LAST MAN STANDING is streaming on Tubi in the US and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms!
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Phil and Liam jump on the mic to talk about some guest appearances they have coming up, read a lovely (and crazy!) e-mail from a guest, and wrap about the future of the show.
Cows In The Field (Liam and Phil talk Public Enemies on June 28)
Force Five Podcast (Phil's episode arrives July 1)
Hit Factory Podcast (Liam's episode on Breaking The Waves available now)
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It’s Die Hard on Alcatraz!
This time on the show, Phil and Liam attempt not to explode with excitement as they discuss Michael Bay’s 1996 all-star action classic THE ROCK, with special guest Bilge Ebiri!
When a group of highly trained Marines led by decorated general Francis X. Hummel (Ed Harris) take over Alcatraz and threaten to launch VX poison gas missiles at mainland San Francisco, the government are forced to turn to two unlikely heroes: eccentric FBI chemical weapons specialist Stanley Goodspeed (Nicolas Cage) and enigmatic prisoner John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery), the only man to have ever escape from the legendary penitentiary.
Phil, Liam and Bilge discuss their memories of seeing this iconic movie upon its initial release, and their respective relationships with it over the years since. They lay out the film’s numerous connections to DIE HARD in the ‘Die Hard DNA’ section and dig deep on its under-discussed thematics, particularly with regards to its complex exploration of patriotism.
As always, they analyze the film’s heroes, Mason and Goodspeed - two highly innovative characters both played by iconic actors - and debate whether Ed Harris’ General Hummel might be the greatest action movie ‘villain’ of all time. They also talk about as many members of the film’s astonishing supporting cast as time will allow, including the likes of David Morse, Michael Biehn, William Forsythe, Jon Spencer, Tony Todd, Claire Forlani, Vanessa Marcil, Todd Louiso, Gregory Sporleder and many more!
Finally, the guys break into the ‘Die Hard Oscars’ to dispense some action movie awards, and wrap things up with a particularly tricky edition of the ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz!
THE ROCK trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3qcNyjj9ZQ
At the time of release, THE ROCK is streaming on Fubo and FXNow in the US and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, Fandango and all the usual platforms!
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It’s Die Hard in a spy series reboot!
This week on the show, Phil and Liam discuss Brian De Palma’s franchise-launching box office behemoth MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE! It’s DIE HARD in a spy series reboot!
When a mission in Prague goes horribly wrong, IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) ends up as the only survivor, and is therefore wrongly assumed to be a mole that IMF director Kittrich (Henry Czenry) is looking to expose. Hunt goes on the run and plans to steal a valuable NOC list with the help of some disavowed agents, in the hope of exposing the real traitor and clearing his name.
Although this premise isn’t a classic ‘Die Hard on a Blank’ scenario, this thrilling movie is nonetheless filled all kinds of ‘Die Hard DNA’, including a key cast member who connects the two action franchises (and the Bond series). The guys go deep on the esteemed director’s distinctive creative contributions and examine how the underlying sexual tensions between several characters identify this as classic De Palma picture, in spite of outward appearances. They also discuss this pivotal movie in the wider context of Tom Cruise’s career, and explore how this series might be to Cruise what the Die Hard franchise was to Bruce Willis.
The film’s eclectic international cast makes for an entertaining edition of the ‘Die Hard Oscars’ and the ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz has a few doozies for Liam to “chew” on! Red light…green light!
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI-PobQLr1M
At the time of release, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE is streaming on Paramount Plus, Fubo, and Pluto TV and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango, Flix Fling, AMC On Demand and all the usual platforms.
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It’s Die Hard on a plane! Again! But a bigger plane than Passenger 57!
This week on the show, Phil and Liam discuss Stuart Baird’s popular 1996 action-thriller EXECUTIVE DECISION starring Kurt Russell and Steven Seagal* (*kinda). Is this one of the best ‘Die Hard on a blank’ films of the era? The guys aim to find out!
When fanatical terrorists take control of a 747 passenger plane heading from Athens, Greece to Washington D.C., Army intelligence consultant Dr. David Grant (Kurt Russell) informs the pentagon of his suspicion that the terrorists are planning to use a stolen nerve-agent known as DZ-5 to launch a massive attack on the Eastern seaboard. If Grant is correct, this means that the government may have to shoot the plane down before it reaches US airspace, so in a last-ditch attempt to avoid this scenario and save the lives of the 400 passengers on board, Grant reluctantly becomes part of a daring mission led by Special Forces Lt. Col Austin Travis (Steven Seagal), whereby a small strike team will use an experimental aircraft to board the 747 in mid-air, and attempt to take back control of the hijacked plane.
This film is positively overflowing with ‘DIE HARD DNA’, from the premise to the personnel, which includes the likes of producer Joel Silver, editor Frank J. Urioste, and actress Mary Ellen Trainor, amongst others. The guys discuss how this movie raises the stakes of the ‘Die Hard on a Plane’ paradigm through the utilization of a unique selling point: the treacherous mid-air transfer of a counter-assault team that includes the likes of John Leguizamo, Joe Morton, BD Wong, Whip Hubley and Oliver Platt.
Despite the film’s slam-bang entertainment value and multi-cultural American cast, the guys still have to wrestle with its uncomfortable racial politics, in particular its portrayal of the fictional Middle-Eastern terrorist group who are led by legendary British thespian Sir David Suchet as ‘Nagi Hassan’. They also discuss the low-key brilliance of Halle Berry’s performance as the courageous flight attendant Jean, Kurt Russell’s ingenious chat-up lines, and the wider symbolic significance of a key character’s death…
The film’s excellent ensemble cast makes for a highly competitive edition of the ‘Die Hard Oscars’, followed by a fun ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz that will be of particular interest to fans of the late, great, perennially missed JT Walsh! Fasten your seatbelts folks!
EXECUTIVE DECISION trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W4wp9_HYm4
At the time of release, EXECUTIVE DECISION is streaming on Tubi and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms.
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It's Die Hard (on a blank) on another podcast!
This week we joined Kris Tapley on the incredible SPEED oral history podcast 50MPH! We count down what we think are the best action films of the 90s! Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts!
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Note: At the top of this episode, we tease our appearance on 50mph, the podcast about SPEED. When we recorded, we thought that episode be out, but it'll be out on May 13, 2024! Find it at the link above.
It’s Die Hard in a desert!
This week on the show, Phil and Liam discuss John Woo’s 1996 action bonanza BROKEN ARROW starring John Travolta and Christian Slater! This is a film that Phil deeply loves and is fiercely protective of, which makes for an interesting conversation when Liam poses the thesis question: can a film be both “dumb” and transcendent at the same time? Together, the boys aim to find the answer!
While flying a stealth bomber over the Utah desert as part of a secret military exercise, Air Force Major Vic Deakins (Travolta) attacks his friend and co-pilot Captain Riley Hale (Slater), causing the aircraft to crash. Hale survives, and with the help of intrepid park ranger Terry Carmichael (Samantha Mathis), he comes to realize that the psychotic Deakins is involved in an elaborate plan to steal the plane’s nuclear missiles and ransom them back to the US government.
Although it may not seem like it on face value, this film is actually full to the brim with ‘DIE HARD DNA’. It also has a number of notable connections to DIE HARD 2, as well as other iconic 90s movies such as UNDER SIEGE, SPEED and even PULP FICTION. The guys unpack all of this, while gushing over their mutual love for John Woo - the great choreographer of chaos - and musing on the notion that BROKEN ARROW might actually be a musical in disguise. They also discuss Travolta’s outlandish performance, Hans Zimmer’s striking score, and the stellar supporting cast, among many other topics.
The show culminates with a hard-fought edition of the ‘Die Hard Oscars’, followed by a challenging edition of the ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz! Prepare to go ballistic!
BROKEN ARROW trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-C4rJM-9QU
At the time of release, BROKEN ARROW is streaming on Fubo and FXNow and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango, Spectrum, AMC On Demand and all the usual platforms.
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It’s Die Hard in a time travel movie!
This week on the show, Phil and Liam wrestle with 12 MONKEYS (though not literally, sadly). For this spirited discussion of Terry Gilliam’s challenging 1995 sci-fi mind-bender, the boys are joined by special guest Brad Peyton, director of such blockbuster hits as SAN ANDREAS, RAMPAGE and the forthcoming Netflix sci-fi movie ATLAS starring Jennifer Lopez!
In a dystopian future, a deadly artificially-created virus has wiped out the majority of the human population and forced the small number of survivors to live underground. In an attempt to understand what happened and potentially find a cure, prisoner James Cole (Bruce Willis) is sent back in time to investigate. However, Cole is mistakenly sent back to the wrong time, and is thus assumed to be insane. With the help of compassionate psychologist Dr. Kathryn Railly (Madeline Stowe), the increasingly mentally fragile Cole attempts to complete the mission, find those responsible, and save the future.
The guys debate whether this is Bruce Willis’ greatest dramatic performance and muse on their favorite Bruce Willis roles. They also talk about their respective relationships with director Terry Gilliam and his work, and Brad even describes a memorable encounter with the man himself!
This is a difficult film that require a bankable star to make it commercial viable, and so Brad talks about his personal experiences working with giant movie stars such as Dwayne Johnson and J-Lo, providing a fascinating insight into his creative process, and the delicate dynamic between director and star on a modern movie set. They also talk extensively about 12 MONKEY co-stars Madeline Stowe and Brad Pitt (who was Oscar-nominated for his role as the schizophrenic mental patient/revolutionary Jeffrey Goines) and what Pitt’s eclectic filmography has in common with Bruce Willis’ own career choices.
As always, the show culminates with the Die Hard Oscars, followed by a particularly appropriate edition of the Double Jeopardy trivia quiz! Look out for this week’s convoluted corner – it’s a doozy!
12 MONKEYS trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15s4Y9ffW_o
At the time of release, 12 MONKEYS is streaming on Starz and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Vudu and all the usual platforms
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(4/11/2024) Please re-download this episode as uploaded a we uploaded a new version correcting a mistake from the original!
It’s Die Hard in a hockey arena!
This time on the show, Phil and Liam pile on the cringeworthy hockey puns with special guest Brendan McDonald, producer of the WTF podcast with Marc Maron and an avowed action movie aficionado. Together they analyze the 1995 action movie SUDDEN DEATH – a fondly-remembered film with a classic ‘Die Hard on a Blank’ premise.
After failing to save a young girl during an inferno, troubled former firefighter Darren McCord (Jean-Claude Van Damme) now works as a Fire Marshal for the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh. In an effort to mend fences with his estranged kids, McCord scores them tickets to Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Final…but this dream outing soon turns into a nightmare when the stadium is taken over by a group of terrorists led by ruthless bad guy Joshua Foss (Powers Boothe), who holds the visiting Vice President (Raymond J. Barry) for ransom along with various other hostages.
Phil, Liam and Brendan are all card-carrying members of the Peter Hyams Fan Club, and the guys eagerly discuss their mutual affection for the multi-talented director/writer/cinematographer who helmed SUDDEN DEATH. They also talk about the mysterious appeal of JCVD, Powers Boothe’s divisive performance, and the impact of ice hockey on the zeitgeist in the 1990s (including the NHL Sega games). After taking a cue from the film’s tuxedoed villain Joshua Foss, the guys then skate over to the ‘Die Hard Oscars’ to dispense some action movie awards!
SUDDEN DEATH trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyq2TbL1OG8
At the time of release, SUDDEN DEATH is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Vudu and all the usual platforms.
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It’s Die Hard in an epic crime saga!
For this suitably epic episode, Phil and Liam are joined by special guest Katie Walsh - top Los Angeles film critic and co-host of the Michael Mann-themed podcast Miami Nice - to discuss the sprawling 1995 masterpiece Heat!
When a team of elite professional thieves led by Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) pull off an audacious armored car robbery that leaves three guards dead, hard-charging Robbery-Homicide detective Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) is assigned to the case. In the process of investigating and surveilling the culprits, Hanna comes to admire McCauley’s tremendous skill and discipline, and even starts to identify with him personally, while still pursuing him and his crew relentlessly across LA.
Phil, Liam and Katie discuss their respective relationships with the movie over time, and debate whether it deserves to be considered one of the greatest films ever made. They explore its surprisingly high amount of ‘Die Hard DNA’, before delving deep into Heat’s storied production history, a section that also includes a detailed sidebar on Mann’s 1989 TV movie LA Takedown, which became the blueprint for the final film.
As always, they analyze the ‘hero’ and ‘villain’ of the piece, unpacking what makes these two iconic central characters so compelling, unique and enduring, and they also discuss the ladies of Heat (such as Ashley Judd, Diane Venora, Amy Brenneman, Natalie Portman and Kim Staunton) and their respective roles in the tapestry of this complex and multi-faceted story. They parse through the various spectacular action set-pieces in the film, debate whether Heat would meet the definition to be considered an action movie, and talk about what Henry Rollins looks like in shorts (Google it). After a trip to the ‘Die Hard Oscars’ to hand out some action movie awards, events culminate with a suitably intense showdown between Liam and Katie during the Double Jeopardy trivia quiz!
HEAT trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpAhjOvQVj0
At the time of release, HEAT is streaming on Hulu in the US and on Netflix in the UK and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Vudu and all the usual platforms!
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It’s Die Hard in real time!
The ticking clocks are everywhere (and so are the dodgy Christopher Walken impressions) as Phil and Liam discuss the 1995 high-concept thriller Nick of Time!
Mild-mannered accountant Gene Watson (Johnny Depp) arrives via train to LA’s union station, with his young daughter Lynn in tow. Shortly after his arrival, he is apprehended by Mr. Smith (Christopher Walken) and Ms. Jones (Roma Maffia), who claim to be police officers. Smith then informs Gene that he has 90 minutes to assassinate the visiting Governor of California (Marsha Mason)…or they will kill his daughter.
The guys discuss the potency of this compelling premise and unpack where the movie both succeeds and fails in the execution of its concept. They theorize that, not only is the film filled with ‘Die Hard DNA’, but it also has its roots in Hitchcock, and the paranoid political thrillers of the 1970s. They offer their thoughts on the movie’s own political point of view, its thematic ideas, and the intentions of director John Badham. We also get a glimpse into what really goes on inside Phil’s secret ‘Die Hard on a Blank laboratory’ (where his precious Blu-rays are kept into a fortified vault, protected by a time-lock).
As they break down ‘the anatomy of an action movie’, the boys discuss the unusual yet largely effective casting of Johnny Depp as a straight-laced everyman, rhapsodize over Christopher Walken’s terrifying performance as the satanically evil bad guy ‘Mr. Smith’, and talk about the rest of the supporting cast, that also includes the likes of Charles S. Dutton, Clark Johnson, Yul Vasquez and G.D. Spradlin. As the clocks tick down, the fellas race over to the ‘Die Hard Oscars’ to hand out their action movie awards, and complete the ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz…in the nick of time!
NICK OF TIME trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cP1TllLDgQ
At the time of release, NICK OF TIME is streaming on Hoopla and PlutoTV and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Vudu, AMC On Demand and all the usual platforms!
AMERICAN ENGLISH SOCCER PODCAST
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1652062
EYE OF THE DUCK PODCAST
https://eyeoftheduckpod.com/
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It’s Die Hard in a Bond reboot!
In this episode, Phil, Liam, and guest Ben Rufus Green discuss the 1995 James Bond blockbuster GoldenEye and its many connections to the Die Hard franchise. They explore the premise of the film, its self-reflexivity, and the surprisingly high amount of ‘Die Hard DNA’ present in the movie, which goes way beyond the historical connection between the newly-minted 007 Pierce Brosnan and original Die Hard director John McTiernan.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, MI6 agent James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) uncovers a sinister plot led by rogue Russian operatives to use a Soviet-era orbital space weapon codenamed ‘Goldeneye’ to launch an attack on London. In the process, Bond teams up with Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco), a Russian satellite expert, in a globe-trotting race against time to prevent the strike.
The boys discuss the continuity and multiverse aspect of the Bond franchise, share their favorite Bond films, and rate their favorite Bond actors, while also discussing the very particular qualities required to play this iconic role. They also go deep on the films’ excellent villains, with particular attention paid to Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean) and Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), as well as its leading lady Izabella Scorupco, and the sturdy supporting cast that includes the likes of Robbie Coltrane, Joe Don Baker, Michael Kitchen, Gottfried John, Alan Cumming and Dame Judi Dench as M.
As this is a Bond movie, fortunately the boys are already wearing their tuxedos, allowing them seamless entry into the ‘Die Hard Oscars’, where awards are dispensed for ‘Exceptional Thief’, ‘Dick of the Movie’, and ‘Best Death. As always the conversation concludes with a Bond-centric edition of the ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz!
For England, James!
GOLDENEYE trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Zw8ylP4buA
At the time of release, GOLDENEYE is available to stream on DirecTV and to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Vudu, Spectrum and all the usual platforms!
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It’s Die Hard on a train!
Casey Ryback is back and this time he’s…well…um…I…um…hey look, forget about all that, because the good news is that Eric Bogosian is in this movie! This week Phil and Liam hitch a ride on a hijacked death train as they scrutinize Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, director Geoff Murphy’s 1995 sequel to the original Seagal action classic!
While travelling from Denver to LA via train with his estranged niece Sarah (Katherine Heigl), ex-Navy SEAL Casey Ryback (Seagal) finds himself in the middle of a terrorist takeover led by disgruntled computer genius Travis Dane (Eric Bogosian), who plans to use his experimental government satellite weapon to launch a massive attack on the Eastern seaboard!
Ok we’ll level with you. This movie isn’t great, but Eric Bogosian IS…so the boys spend much of this episode discussing the life, work and varied career of this remarkably talented renaissance man, including his stage plays, monologues, TV and film career and even his non-fiction book Operation Nemesis. Eric Bogosian forever!
In ‘Anatomy of an Action Movie’, the guys break down the film piece by piece, discussing what works, what doesn’t and why, as well as how this film compares to its slick and stylish predecessor (directed by friend of the show Andrew Davis). But it’s not just a Bogosian love-fest, as there’s also plenty of affection here for the film’s eclectic supporting cast, that includes the likes of Morris Chestnut, Jonathan Banks, Peter Greene and Everett McGill (as mace-imbibing bad guy Marcus Penn).
The guys ride the rail to attend the ‘Die Hard Oscars’, before wrapping things up with the ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz, where this week Liam finally turns the tables on Phil and gets his revenge! After all, when it comes to quizzes, chance favors the prepared mind!
UNDER SIEGE 2 trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LorQZ4TfbTQ
At the time of release, UNDER SIEGE 2 is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Vudu and all the usual platforms!
AMERICAN ENGLISH SOCCER PODCAST
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1652062
EYE OF THE DUCK PODCAST
https://eyeoftheduckpod.com/
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy -
This week we have a special bonus interview with acclaimed filmmaker William Eubank, director of LOVE, THE SIGNAL, UNDERWATER, PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: NEXT OF KIN and the forthcoming military action-thriller LAND OF BAD, starring Russell Crowe and Liam Hemsworth! The guys talk to William about his relationship with DIE HARD, his favorite action movies of all time, his approach to the action genre, and much more!
LAND OF BAD TRAILER:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95eJpJlBfUs
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