You may argue that it’s not a Christmas movie, but you would be wrong. Like many trilogies turned quartets (Indiana Jones, Home Alone, Jack Ryan, X-men), the first film is good, the second is a solid effort, and the third is where everything starts to go downhill. Such is Die Hard.
John McClane, a New York City cop, travels to LA to see his wife on Christmas Eve. During a party at her office building, a group of German terrorist take over the building. Over the course of the evening, McClane contacts police is becomes a thorn in the side Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and his cohorts.
Michael Kamen provided the score. Beethoven’s 9th Symphony is featured prominently in Kamen’s score throughout the film, in many guises and variations (mostly as a leitmotif for Gruber and the terrorists), and thematic variations on “Singin’ in the Rain” are also featured as the theme for the character Theo. The score also features sleigh bells in some cues, as well as the Christmas pop standard “Winter Wonderland.” Two 1987 pop songs are used as source music: near the beginning of the film, limousine driver Argyle plays the rap song “Christmas In Hollis”, performed by Run-D.M.C., and later, while talking on the phone in the limousine, Argyle is listening to Stevie Wonder’s “Skeletons.” The end credits of the film begin with the Christmas song “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” (performed by Vaughn Monroe) and continues/concludes with Beethoven’s 9th Symphony.
One man. One catch phrase. 30 stories.
