{"id":1956,"date":"2008-07-15T23:38:51","date_gmt":"2008-07-15T22:38:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/?p=1956"},"modified":"2008-07-16T00:59:30","modified_gmt":"2008-07-15T23:59:30","slug":"die-hard-20th-anniversary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/2008\/07\/15\/die-hard-20th-anniversary\/","title":{"rendered":"Die Hard – 20th Anniversary"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the release of Die Hard<\/strong><\/a> – one of the greatest and most influential action films of the last 30 years.<\/p>\n

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Although at the time Bruce Willis<\/a> was seen as a TV star trying to break into movies (he’d already done the puerile Blind Date<\/a>), I don’t think anyone really expected this tale of a New York cop battling terrorists in an LA skyscraper to become such an enduring film.<\/p>\n

Directed by John McTiernan<\/a>, produced by Lawrence Gordon<\/a> and Joel Silver<\/a> and written by Steven E. de Souza<\/a>, it was an exciting, witty and brilliantly executed thriller.<\/p>\n

A major part of why the film works is that it balances so many different elements – the set pieces are often thrilling and funny, the good guys (like the FBI) are often jerks, whilst the villains are clever and witty.<\/p>\n

Alan Rickman<\/a>‘s performance as Hans Gruber – the leader of terrorists who hijack the skyscraper – is sensational. Can you think of a better nemesis in a mainstream movie than this smooth talking connoisseur <\/span>of expensive suits?<\/p>\n

It was made on a budget of $28 million and ended up grossing $83 million in the US, $138.7 million worldwide and was nominated at the Oscars for Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Film Editing<\/a>, Best Sound<\/a> and Best Visual Effects<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In the UK it was actually released in February 1989 (how those release windows have shortened!) and because it was an 18 certificate I didn’t get around to seeing it until it’s home video release in September 1989.<\/p>\n

Although the sequels (despite their moments) never really lived up to the original, it influenced a generation of films such as:<\/p>\n