Die Hard by John McTiernan

Released at the end of the decade that defined and established the Hollywood action film, Die Hard is often noted as having completely changed the genre. The film unfolds on Christmas Eve, with NYPD Detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) hoping to reconcile with his estranged wife at her office holiday party. He accidentally finds himself at the center of an elaborate heist perpetrated by a team of East German criminal extremists. With humor, heart, and perseverance, Willis’s portrayal of McClane offered a different vision for an action hero: a down-to-earth, ordinary guy unwittingly drawn into heroism, countering the chiseled, stoic archetype of the genre. 1988, US, 35mm, 132 min.

This screening is part of the Once Upon a Time in Manhood cinema series, guest curated by Dallas Goldtooth.

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