When We Were Young - An 80s And 90s Pop Culture Podcast

DIE HARD (1988) Welcome to the party, pal! In this episode, we’re celebrating Christmas in July with the 30th anniversary of DIE HARD, a (debatable) holiday favorite. John McTiernan’s 1988 hostage thriller posed Bruce Willis as a kinder, gentler action hero alternative to the likes of Schwarzenegger and Stallone — but don’t worry, he still murders lots of greedy terrorists. Ho, ho, ho! This genre classic set the mold for many action flicks that followed, and featured one of the most beloved bad guys of all time in Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber. But what about its depiction of women in the workplace as a threat to masculinity? Or its serious skepticism toward capitalism, the media, and law enforcement? Before you RSVP “yes” to John McClane’s holiday bash, remember this: Die Hard also co-stars a series regular from TGIF’s Family Matters. Will Die Hard hold up as well as Nakatomi Plaza under fire? And how about those sequels? Kindly remove your shoes before stepping into this nostalgic experience, because it