Die Hard On A Blank – Détails, épisodes et analyse

It’s Die Hard on a cruise ship!

Leeches! Copper poisoning! Vehicles moving very slowly! Or sometimes not at all! That’s right folks, it’s the sequel nobody asked for! This week, Phil and Liam are cruising for a bruising as they attempt to make sense of the hideously misguided cinematic atrocity that is SPEED 2: CRUISE CONTROL! Joining them on this voyage into watery oblivion is none other than Kris Tapley, host of the SPEED oral history podcast 50MPH! 

While on a vacation cruise in the Caribbean with her new boyfriend Alex Shaw (Jason Patric), Annie (Sandra Bullock) and Alex find themselves caught up in a nefarious terror plot orchestrated by John Geiger (Willem Dafoe), a disgruntled computer programmer seeking revenge on the shipping company who screwed him over. Geiger seizes control of the cruise ship’s computer systems and threatens to destroy the vessel and everyone on it…so can Alex and Annie foil fiendish Geiger’s plan, before the cruise ship crashes? If you’re still awake, maybe you’ll find out! 

The guys start by discussing the memories of the movie’s release, and their feelings about the prospect of a sequel to Jan De Bont’s peerless original classic, 1994’s SPEED (aka “DIE HARD on a bus”). They also ponder what might have happened to the DIE HARD franchise, had the same choice been made to replace the leading man action hero with another actor. 

After talking through the various connections between DIE HARD and SPEED 2 in the ‘DIE HARD DNA’ section (including an abandoned DIE HARD sequel with an almost identical premise), the boys break down the film piece by piece, from its ill-conceived premise, to the total betrayal of Annie’s character, to the doomed attempt to replace Jack Traven with another gung-ho LAPD SWAT cop and hope nobody minded, to the pitiful villain with a very confused agenda (and a predilection for leeches, lest we forget). This is arguably the worst film that’s been covered on the podcast so far…but it might also be the funniest episode yet! 

SPEED 2: CRUISE CONTROL trailer: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f7HlX6iW-M

At the time of release, SPEED 2: CRUISE CONTROL is streaming on Starz and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Apple/iTunes, Fandango, AMC On Demand and all the usual platforms! 

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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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