This is an accepted version of this page
92-483: [REDACTED] Look up argyle or Argyle in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Argyle is an archaic spelling of Argyll , a county in western Scotland. Argyle may refer to: Places [ edit ] Australia [ edit ] Argyle, Victoria Argyle County, New South Wales Electoral district of Argyle , a former electoral district for
184-520: A summer blockbuster for 1988. As Die Hard was based on the novel sequel to The Detective film, the studio was contractually obliged to offer Frank Sinatra the role. Sinatra, who was 70 at the time, declined. The role was offered to various major stars including Sylvester Stallone , Richard Gere , Clint Eastwood , Harrison Ford , Burt Reynolds , Nick Nolte , Mel Gibson , Don Johnson , Richard Dean Anderson , Paul Newman , James Caan , and Al Pacino . The prevailing action archetype of
276-434: A swastika and it was re-designed to look closer to a samurai warrior's helmet. A 380-foot-long (120 m) matte painting provided the city backdrop as viewed from inside the building's 30th floor. It featured animated lights and other lighting techniques to present both moving traffic, daytime and nighttime. The summer of 1988 was expected by film industry executives to be dominated by action and comedy films, although
368-534: A 2024 spy comedy film Argile (disambiguation) Argo Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Argyle . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Argyle&oldid=1234385076 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
460-534: A 2024 spy comedy film Argile (disambiguation) Argo Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Argyle . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Argyle&oldid=1234385076 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
552-535: A C-4 charge being thrown down an elevator shaft and the central character, Joe Leland, leaping from the roof. However, the novel is told entirely from Leland's perspective, and events he is not present for are not detailed. Its tone is also more cynical and nihilistic : Leland visits his drug-addicted daughter at the Klaxon building, and she dies having fallen from the building alongside villain Anton Gruber, who
644-453: A Christmas classic, in part because of its use in the film. The perception of film stunts changed shortly before production of Die Hard following a fatal accident on the set of Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), and a push was made to prioritize a film's crew over the film itself. Even so, Willis insisted on performing many of his own stunts, including rolling down steps and standing on top of an active elevator. The first scene he shot
736-805: A broader range of films were released that year. More films targeted older audiences rather than teenagers, a reflection of the increasing age of the average audience member. Sequels to successful films, Crocodile Dundee II and Rambo III , were predicted to control the May box office and break opening weekend revenue records. Industry executives also had high expectations for the comedies Coming to America and Who Framed Roger Rabbit . Expectations for Die Hard were low compared to its action film competition—the Schwarzenegger-starring Red Heat and Clint Eastwood's The Dead Pool . The New York Times noted that Die Hard , and
828-623: A bus". It created a franchise comprising the sequels Die Hard 2 (1990), Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), Live Free or Die Hard (2007), and A Good Day to Die Hard (2013), plus video games , comics, and other merchandise. Deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress , Die Hard was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2017. Due to its Christmas Eve setting, Die Hard
920-545: A character in the film Die Hard Argyle, a character in the fourth season of Stranger Things Argyle, a recurring character in the first season of the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation Felix Argyle, a character in the anime Re:Zero Sai Argyle , a fictional character in the anime Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Transportation [ edit ] Argyle, the former name for Mong Kok station MTR station, located on Argyle Street, Hong Kong Argyle (CTA) ,
1012-497: A character in the film Die Hard Argyle, a character in the fourth season of Stranger Things Argyle, a recurring character in the first season of the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation Felix Argyle, a character in the anime Re:Zero Sai Argyle , a fictional character in the anime Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Transportation [ edit ] Argyle, the former name for Mong Kok station MTR station, located on Argyle Street, Hong Kong Argyle (CTA) ,
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#17327659327411104-1477: A former electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales Argyle, Western Australia , a locality in the Shire of Donnybrook–Balingup Argyle Downs , a pastoral lease in Western Australia Lake Argyle , an artificial lake in Western Australia Canada [ edit ] Argyle, Manitoba Rural Municipality of Argyle , Manitoba Argyle, Nova Scotia , municipality Argyle, Nova Scotia (community) Argyle (electoral district) , Nova Scotia Argyle Sound , Nova Scotia Central Argyle, Nova Scotia Lower Argyle, Nova Scotia Argyle (Guysborough), Nova Scotia Argyle, Ontario Argyle Shore Provincial Park , Prince Edward Island Rural Municipality of Argyle No. 1 , Saskatchewan Hong Kong [ edit ] Argyle Street, Hong Kong United States [ edit ] Argyle, Florida Argyle, Georgia Argyle, Illinois Argyle, Iowa Argyle, Kentucky Argyle (Houma, Louisiana) Argyle, Maine Argyle Township, Michigan Argyle, Minnesota Argyle, Missouri Argyle (town), New York Argyle (village), New York Argyle, Texas Argyle, Utah ,
1196-747: A former name of Sunset Tower in West Hollywood, CA Argyle Middle School , Silver Spring, Maryland, USA Argyle Secondary School , British Columbia, Canada Hearst-Argyle Television , an American television station group majority-owned by the Hearst Corporation Plymouth Argyle F.C. , an English football team "Argyle", a song by punk band The Bouncing Souls from the album Maniacal Laughter See also [ edit ] Argle (disambiguation) Argyle Street (disambiguation) Argyll (disambiguation) Argyll and Bute (disambiguation) Argylle ,
1288-592: A former name of Sunset Tower in West Hollywood, CA Argyle Middle School , Silver Spring, Maryland, USA Argyle Secondary School , British Columbia, Canada Hearst-Argyle Television , an American television station group majority-owned by the Hearst Corporation Plymouth Argyle F.C. , an English football team "Argyle", a song by punk band The Bouncing Souls from the album Maniacal Laughter See also [ edit ] Argle (disambiguation) Argyle Street (disambiguation) Argyll (disambiguation) Argyll and Bute (disambiguation) Argylle ,
1380-403: A further gross of $ 6.1 million, just behind Coming to America ($ 6.4 million), Who Framed Roger Rabbit ($ 6.5 million) and the debuting romantic comedy Cocktail ($ 11.7 million). In its fourth weekend, it rebounded to the number three position with $ 5.7 million. While the film never claimed the number-one box office ranking, it spent ten straight weeks among
1472-544: A ghost town Argyle, Washington Argyle, West Virginia Argyle (town), Wisconsin Argyle, Wisconsin , village within the town People [ edit ] Michael Argyle (lawyer) (1915–1999), UK judge Michael Argyle (psychologist) (1925–2002), 20th century British social psychologist Pearl Argyle (1910–1947), South African ballet dancer and actress Stanley Argyle (1867–1940), Australian politician Fictional characters [ edit ] Argyle,
1564-497: A ghost town Argyle, Washington Argyle, West Virginia Argyle (town), Wisconsin Argyle, Wisconsin , village within the town People [ edit ] Michael Argyle (lawyer) (1915–1999), UK judge Michael Argyle (psychologist) (1925–2002), 20th century British social psychologist Pearl Argyle (1910–1947), South African ballet dancer and actress Stanley Argyle (1867–1940), Australian politician Fictional characters [ edit ] Argyle,
1656-467: A mostly incomplete version of Die Hard and was unimpressed. He saw the film as primarily about a "phenomenal bad guy" who made McClane seem less important. Kamen was dismissive of film scores, believing they could not stand alone from the film. His original score incorporates pizzicato and arco strings , brass, woodwinds and sleigh bells added during moments of menace to counter their festive meaning. There are other uses of classical diegetic music in
1748-417: A news report by Richard Thornburg on McClane's children and deduces that he is Holly's husband. The hostages are taken to the roof while Gruber keeps Holly with him. McClane drives the hostages from the roof just before Gruber detonates it and destroys the approaching FBI helicopters. Meanwhile, Theo retrieves an escape vehicle from the parking garage but is knocked out by Argyle, who has been following events on
1840-470: A reputation as an "arrogant" actor concerned with his own fame. His refusal to address this, or speak about his personal life to the media, had reinforced this perception. For his part, Willis said that he wanted the media to focus on his acting. There were reports that cinema audiences would moan at Willis's appearance in Die Hard trailers, and that a representative from an unnamed theater chain had pulled
1932-512: A rooftop as it explodes behind him, saved only by a length of firehose. Willis found acting in Die Hard difficult because it differed from previous experiences in that he was often alone, not having any personal encounters with others. He did not spend much time with the rest of the cast between takes, opting to spend it with his new partner, Demi Moore . In contrast to their on-screen dynamics, Bedelia and VelJohnson spent most of their time between scenes with Rickman. When asked to throw Holly to
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#17327659327412024-492: A six-second burst of flame. The explosion of the Nakatomi rooftop was created using a miniature model ; this was the only miniature used in the film. Because Hans Buhringer (Fritz) was an inexperienced actor and filming was behind schedule, a Native American stuntman was put in a blond wig and equipped with squibs to capture the character's death in one take. To prevent the in-building locations looking similar because of
2116-834: A station on the Chicago Transit Authority's "L" system Argyle Street , a railway station in Glasgow, Scotland Argyle Line , a suburban railway located in West Central Scotland MV Argyle Caledonian MacBrayne ferry Argyle International Airport , St. Vincent & the Grenadines ((IATA: SVD, ICAO: TVSA) Other uses [ edit ] Argyle (pattern) , a pattern consisting of diamonds in diagonal checkerboard arrangement Argyle diamond mine , Western Australia Argyle Hotel or The Argyle,
2208-526: A station on the Chicago Transit Authority's "L" system Argyle Street , a railway station in Glasgow, Scotland Argyle Line , a suburban railway located in West Central Scotland MV Argyle Caledonian MacBrayne ferry Argyle International Airport , St. Vincent & the Grenadines ((IATA: SVD, ICAO: TVSA) Other uses [ edit ] Argyle (pattern) , a pattern consisting of diamonds in diagonal checkerboard arrangement Argyle diamond mine , Western Australia Argyle Hotel or The Argyle,
2300-421: Is about to leave, having found nothing amiss, McClane drops a terrorist's corpse onto his car. After Powell calls for backup, a SWAT team attempts to storm the building but is counterattacked by the terrorists. McClane throws some C-4 down an elevator shaft, causing an explosion that kills some of the terrorists and ends the counterattack. Holly's co-worker Harry Ellis attempts to negotiate on Gruber's behalf but
2392-553: Is also often named one of the best Christmas films , although its status as a Christmas film is disputed. On Christmas Eve, New York City Police Department (NYPD) Detective John McClane arrives in Los Angeles, hoping to reconcile with his estranged wife, Holly, at a party held by her employer, the Nakatomi Corporation. He is driven to Nakatomi Plaza by a limo driver, Argyle, who offers to wait for McClane in
2484-476: Is caught up in a terrorist takeover of a Los Angeles skyscraper while visiting his estranged wife. Stuart was hired by 20th Century Fox to adapt Thorp's novel in 1987. His first draft was greenlit immediately, as the studio was eager for a summer blockbuster the following year. The role of McClane was turned down by a host of the decade's most popular actors, including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone . Known mainly for work on television, Willis
2576-509: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages argyle [REDACTED] Look up argyle or Argyle in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Argyle is an archaic spelling of Argyll , a county in western Scotland. Argyle may refer to: Places [ edit ] Australia [ edit ] Argyle, Victoria Argyle County, New South Wales Electoral district of Argyle ,
2668-585: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Die Hard Die Hard is a 1988 American action film directed by John McTiernan and written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza based on the 1979 novel Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp . It stars Bruce Willis , Alan Rickman , Alexander Godunov , and Bonnie Bedelia , with Reginald VelJohnson , William Atherton , Paul Gleason , and Hart Bochner in supporting roles. Die Hard follows New York City police detective John McClane (Willis) who
2760-716: Is doing the best he can in a bad situation. McClane's catchphrase, "Yipee-ki-yay, motherfucker", was inspired by old cowboy lingo, including cowboy actor Roy Rogers 's own "Yippee-ki-yah, kids", to emphasize his all-American character. There was a debate over whether to use "Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker" or "yippee-ti-yay, motherfucker"; Willis endorsed the former. Principal photography began in November 1987, and concluded by early March 1988, with an approximate $ 25–$ 35 million budget. Filming took place almost entirely in and around Fox Plaza in Century City , situated on
2852-427: Is hanging from the building. A set was used for the following scene where McClane shoots out a window to re-enter the building. It was shot approximately halfway into the filming schedule so that all involved had gained more stunt experience. The window was made of fragile sugar glass that took two hours to set up, and there were only a few takes for this reason. Instead of a hoist, a team of stuntmen positioned below
Argyle - Misplaced Pages Continue
2944-476: Is killed by Gruber when McClane refuses to surrender. While checking the explosives on the roof, Gruber encounters McClane and pretends to be an escaped hostage; McClane gives Gruber a gun. Gruber attempts to shoot McClane but finds the weapon is unloaded, and he is saved only by the intervention of other terrorists. McClane escapes but is injured by shattered glass and loses the detonators. Outside, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents take control. They order
3036-471: Is not present, expanding upon or introducing characters: he gave Powell a wife and children, allowing him to relate more closely to McClane; and Argyle, whose novel counterpart disappears early in the story, is present throughout Stuart's draft, supporting McClane by broadcasting rap music over the terrorists' radios. Among the script's original characters is the unscrupulous journalist Richard Thornburg. A fan of prominent Western film actor John Wayne , Stuart
3128-736: Is toast", Bochner's "Hans, bubby, I'm your white knight", and the henchman Uli stealing a chocolate bar during the SWAT assault. McTiernan took stylistic influence from French New Wave cinema when editing the film. He recruited Frank J. Urioste and John F. Link to edit scenes together while in mid-motion, contrary to the mainstream style of editing used at the time. Before hiring composer Michael Kamen , McTiernan knew he wanted to include Beethoven 's 9th Symphony (commonly known as "Ode to Joy"), having heard it in Stanley Kubrick 's A Clockwork Orange (1971). Kamen objected to "tarnishing"
3220-509: Is using naïve male and female guerrilla soldiers to rob the building because of Klaxon's support for a dictatorial government. This made their motivations less clear and Leland more conflicted about killing them, especially the women. Leland is written as an experienced older man working as a high-powered security consultant. Stuart rejected the novel's tone for being "too sad", and believed an older action hero—Leland being over 60—was nonsensical. Stuart created new material for scenes when McClane
3312-534: The Avenue of the Stars . The location was chosen late in production by production designer Jackson De Govia. A mostly unoccupied building was needed which the under-construction Fox Plaza offered; it was secured with two main conditions: no filming during the day and no damage from explosions. Cinematographer Jan de Bont said the building's design was distinct, making it a character on its own, and clear views of
3404-451: The 1979 novel Nothing Lasts Forever written by former private investigator Roderick Thorp . Thorp had been inspired to write Nothing Lasts Forever by a dream he had—in which armed assailants chase a man through a building—after watching the 1974 disaster film The Towering Inferno . Fox had adapted the book's 1966 predecessor, The Detective , for the 1968 film starring Frank Sinatra as NYPD detective Joe Leland, and purchased
3496-452: The 1983 biographical film Heart Like a Wheel . VelJohnson appeared as Al Powell in his first major film role at the suggestion of casting director Jackie Burch, with whom he had worked previously. Robert Duvall , Gene Hackman , Laurence Fishburne , and Wesley Snipes were considered for the role. Ellis is portrayed by Hart Bochner, an acquaintance of Silver. His role was shot in chronological order over three weeks. McTiernan had wanted
3588-1160: The Legislative Assembly of New South Wales Argyle, Western Australia , a locality in the Shire of Donnybrook–Balingup Argyle Downs , a pastoral lease in Western Australia Lake Argyle , an artificial lake in Western Australia Canada [ edit ] Argyle, Manitoba Rural Municipality of Argyle , Manitoba Argyle, Nova Scotia , municipality Argyle, Nova Scotia (community) Argyle (electoral district) , Nova Scotia Argyle Sound , Nova Scotia Central Argyle, Nova Scotia Lower Argyle, Nova Scotia Argyle (Guysborough), Nova Scotia Argyle, Ontario Argyle Shore Provincial Park , Prince Edward Island Rural Municipality of Argyle No. 1 , Saskatchewan Hong Kong [ edit ] Argyle Street, Hong Kong United States [ edit ] Argyle, Florida Argyle, Georgia Argyle, Illinois Argyle, Iowa Argyle, Kentucky Argyle (Houma, Louisiana) Argyle, Maine Argyle Township, Michigan Argyle, Minnesota Argyle, Missouri Argyle (town), New York Argyle (village), New York Argyle, Texas Argyle, Utah ,
3680-510: The Plaza. Months of negotiations took place for permission to drive a SWAT vehicle up the steps of Fox Plaza. A railing knocked over during shooting was never replaced. Small explosives moving along a guidewire were disguised as the terrorist rockets, giving the appearance of them striking the vehicle. In the scene where McClane throws C4 down the elevator shaft to stop the assault, the effects team unwittingly blew out every window on one floor of
3772-445: The access code from him and tasks Theo with breaking into the vault. The terrorists are alerted to McClane's presence, and Karl's brother, Tony, is sent after him. McClane kills Tony and takes his weapon and radio, which he uses to contact the skeptical Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). Sergeant Al Powell is sent to investigate. Meanwhile, McClane kills more terrorists and recovers their bag of C-4 and detonators. Realizing Powell
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3864-502: The advertising began featuring Willis more prominently. Despite his dislike of interviews, Willis appeared on several daytime shows to promote the film. Explaining why he was more involved in the promotion for Die Hard , Willis said, "I'm so excited about this film... To me, it represents why I wanted to be an actor." Die Hard' s premiere took place on July 12, 1988, at the Avco theater in Los Angeles, California. In North America,
3956-497: The building were available from a distance, enabling establishing shots as McClane approaches it. The surrounding city could be seen from within the building, enhancing the realism. De Bont frequently used handheld cameras to film closer to the characters, creating a more cinematic "intimacy". Very little of the film was storyboarded beforehand because De Bont believed intricate storyboarding made his job redundant. Instead, he and McTiernan would discuss that day's filming in detail, and
4048-399: The building. The script continued to undergo changes up to and during filming. Several subplots and traits for characters other than McClane were created during the first few weeks of filming because Willis was still working on Moonlighting . He would film the show for up to ten hours and then work on Die Hard at night. McTiernan gave Willis time off to rest and tasked De Souza with adding
4140-409: The building. The final helicopter scene took six months of preparation, and only two hours were set aside to film it. It took three attempts above Fox Plaza, and nine camera crews filming with twenty-four different cameras. De Bont said the different angles enhanced the on-location realism. Mortar-like devices filled with propane were used for explosions. They took ten minutes to install and offered
4232-433: The camera fast enough to prevent the image from blurring as Rickman fell away. Supervised by visual effects producer Richard Edlund , Boss Film Studios engineered an automated system using a computer that rapidly refocused the camera via a motor on its focus ring . A wide-angle lens camera shooting at 270 frames per second was used, creating footage that played 10 times slower than normal. Despite these innovations,
4324-513: The camera struggled to keep Rickman entirely in focus during his 1.5-second fall; the scene cuts away from Rickman as the usable footage runs out. To complete Gruber's fatal descent, Bates was lowered 318 feet (97 m) from Fox Plaza in a harness that slowed his fall as he neared the ground. Some of the Fox Plaza residents, frustrated by the debris and destruction around the building, refused to turn off their office lights for exterior shots of
4416-419: The character to be suave like actor Cary Grant , but Bochner conceived of the character's motivations coming from cocaine use and insecurity. McTiernan hated the performance initially until he noticed Gordon and Silver were entertained by Bochner's antics. Screenwriter Steven E. de Souza rewrote Stuart's script because he had experience in blending action and comedy. He approached the story as if Gruber were
4508-413: The character, including "that attitude and disrespect for authority, that gallows sense of humor , the reluctant hero". Rickman was already in his early 40s as he made his screen debut as Hans Gruber. He was cast by Silver, who had seen him perform in a Broadway version of Les Liaisons Dangereuses , playing the villainous Vicomte de Valmont. Bedelia was cast at Willis's suggestion after he saw her in
4600-430: The comedies Big Top Pee-wee and Bull Durham , would be closely scrutinized by the industry for success or failure. Die Hard was singled out for Willis's salary, and the failure earlier that year of his previous film, the western Sunset , which brought into question his leading man capabilities. Lawrence Gordon agreed that not using a major action star like Stallone or Eastwood meant audience interest in Die Hard
4692-497: The earlier scene of Takagi's murder was reworked to conceal Gruber's identity from McClane. Due to the addition of the Gruber/McClane meeting scene, a different one in which McClane kills Theo was excised. In Stuart's original script, Die Hard took place over three days, but McTiernan was inspired to have it take place over a single night like Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream . He did not want to use terrorists as
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#17327659327414784-498: The era was a muscle-bound, invincible macho man like Arnold Schwarzenegger , who was offered the role, but he wanted to branch out into comedy and turned it down to star in Twins (1988). Willis was known mainly for his comedic role in the romantic comedy television series Moonlighting , starring opposite Cybill Shepherd . He declined the role because of his contractual obligations to Moonlighting , but when Shepherd became pregnant,
4876-416: The feeling or sensation they wanted to convey. De Bont was more concerned with creating a dramatic rather than an attractive shot. He cited the use of real flares in the film that generated unpredictable smoke and sometimes obscured the image. Willis's first day on set was on November 2, 1987. He came straight from filming Moonlighting to shoot one of his most pivotal scenes, where McClane leaps from
4968-404: The film received a limited release in 21 theaters in 13 cities on July 15, 1988, earning $ 601,851—an average of $ 28,659 per theater. It was considered a successful debut with a high per-theater average gross. The Los Angeles Times said that the late change in advertising focus and diminishing popularity for action films should have worked against Die Hard . Instead, positive reviews and
5060-542: The film; the musicians at the party play Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 by Johann Sebastian Bach . McTiernan did not like a piece created for the final scene where Karl attempts to kill McClane, and decided to use a temporary track that was already in place: a piece of James Horner 's unused score for Aliens (1986). Cues are also used from the 1987 action film Man on Fire . Die Hard also features " Christmas in Hollis " by Run-DMC , which would go on to be considered
5152-401: The floor, Rickman refused because he believed it was not a fitting action for the "civilized" Gruber and that Holly, "a self-possessed career woman", would not have let him. The film's ending had not been finalized when filming began. In the finished film, Theo retrieves an ambulance from the truck the terrorists arrived in to use as an escape vehicle, but as this was a late addition, the truck
5244-497: The garage. While McClane washes himself, the tower is seized by the German radical Hans Gruber and his heavily armed team, including Karl and Theo. Everyone in the tower is taken hostage except for McClane, who slips away, and Argyle, who remains oblivious to events. Gruber is posing as a terrorist to steal the $ 640 million in untraceable bearer bonds in the building's vault. He kills executive Joseph Takagi after failing to extract
5336-416: The highest-grossing action film. Receiving four Academy Award nominations, it elevated Willis to leading-man status and made Rickman a celebrity. Die Hard has been critically re-evaluated and is now considered one of the greatest action films of all time . It is considered to have revitalized the action genre, largely due to its depiction of McClane as a vulnerable and fallible protagonist, in contrast to
5428-471: The limited release had made it a "must-see" film. It received a wide release the following week on July 22, 1988, across 1,276 theaters, and earning $ 7.1 million—an average of $ 5,569 per theater. The film finished as the number three film of the weekend, behind Coming to America ($ 8.8 million)—in its fourth week of release—and Who Framed Roger Rabbit ($ 8.9 million), in its fifth. The film fell to number four in its third week with
5520-418: The limo's CB radio . A weary and battered McClane finds Holly with Gruber and his remaining henchman. McClane surrenders to Gruber and is about to be shot but grabs his concealed service pistol taped to his back and uses his last two bullets to wound Gruber and kill his accomplice. Gruber crashes through a window but grabs onto Holly's wristwatch and makes a last-ditch attempt to kill the pair. McClane unclasps
5612-399: The marital problems of his peers, including divorces and ex-wives reverting to use their maiden name. John McClane was named John Ford initially, but 20th Century Fox felt this was disrespectful to the deceased director of the same name . Stuart chose McClane as a "good strong Scottish name", based on his own Celtic heritage. He described the character as a flawed hero who learns a lesson in
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#17327659327415704-467: The melodies of "Ode to Joy", "Winter Wonderland", and "Singin' in the Rain" into his score, mainly to underscore the villains. The samples of "Ode to Joy" are played in slightly lower keys to sound more menacing; the references build to a performance of the symphony when Gruber finally accesses the Nakatomi vault. The score also references " Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! ". Kamen initially saw
5796-416: The moderately successful comedy Blind Date (1987). At the time, there was also a clear distinction between film and television actors. Though films like Ghostbusters (1984) had demonstrated that television stars could lead a blockbuster film, other television actors like Shelley Long and Bill Cosby had failed in their recent attempts to make the transition. Willis received $ 5 million for
5888-415: The muscle-bound and invincible heroes of other films of the period. Retrospective commentators also identified and analyzed its thematic concerns, including vengeance, masculinity, gender roles, and American anxieties over foreign influences. The film produced a host of imitators; the term " Die Hard " became a shorthand for plots featuring overwhelming odds in a restricted environment, such as " Die Hard on
5980-492: The new scenes. These included scenes with Holly's housekeeper, Holly confronting Gruber following Takagi's death, an introductory scene for Thornburg, and more moments between Powell and his fellow officers. Silver wanted a scene between McClane and Gruber before the film's denouement, but De Souza could not think of a plausible scenario until he happened to overhear Rickman affecting an American accent. He realized this would allow Gruber to disguise himself when he met McClane, and
6072-452: The piece in an action film and offered to misuse German composer Richard Wagner 's music instead. Once McTiernan explained how the 9th Symphony had been used in A Clockwork Orange to highlight the ultra-violence, Kamen had a better understanding of McTiernan's intentions. In exchange, Kamen insisted that they also license the use of " Singin' in the Rain " (1952) (also used in A Clockwork Orange ) and " Winter Wonderland " (1934). He mixed
6164-420: The power to be shut off, which, as Gruber had anticipated, disables the final vault lock so his team can collect the bonds. The FBI agrees to Gruber's demand for a helicopter, intending to send helicopter gunships to eliminate the group. McClane realizes Gruber plans to blow the roof to kill the hostages and fake his team's deaths. Karl, enraged by Tony's death, attacks McClane and is seemingly killed. Gruber sees
6256-402: The protagonist. He said, "If [Gruber] had not planned the robbery and put it together, [McClane] would have just gone to the party and reconciled or not with his wife. You should sometimes think about looking at your movie through the point of view of the villain who is really driving the narrative." De Souza used blueprints of Fox Plaza to help him lay out the story and character locations within
6348-545: The publicity team determined that the setting was as important as McClane. Upon its release in July 1988, initial reviews were mixed: criticism focused on its violence, plot, and Willis's performance, while McTiernan's direction and Rickman's charismatic portrayal of the villain Hans Gruber were praised. Defying predictions, Die Hard grossed approximately $ 140 million, becoming the year's tenth-highest-grossing film and
6440-493: The role, giving him a salary comparable to more successful, established film actors like Dustin Hoffman , Warren Beatty , and Robert Redford . 20th Century Fox president Leonard Goldberg justified the figure by saying Die Hard needed an actor of Willis's potential, and Gordon said that Willis's everyman persona was essential to conveying the idea that the hero could actually fail. Other Fox sources were reported as saying
6532-532: The sequel rights before Nothing Lasts Forever had been written. Levin gave Stuart creative freedom as long as he retained the Christmas-in-Los-Angeles setting; the concept, he considered, would provide an interesting aesthetic. The film was pitched as " Rambo in an office building", referring to the successful Rambo film series. Producers Lawrence Gordon and Joel Silver hired director John McTiernan because of his work with them on
6624-433: The show's production was stopped for eleven weeks, giving Willis enough time to take the role. McTiernan's girlfriend had a chance meeting with a representative of CinemaScore and asked them for analysis of Willis as the star. Their analysis showed that casting Willis would not have a negative impact; his participation was confirmed two weeks later. The choice was controversial as Willis had only starred in one other film,
6716-411: The standard fluorescent office lighting, De Bont concealed small film lights in high locations. He controlled these to create more dynamic and dramatic lighting. This gave him the opportunity to use unusual light positioning. He also placed fluorescent tubes on the floor in one scene to indicate they had not been installed. The shifting nature of the filming script meant some sets were designed before it
6808-546: The studio was desperate for a star after being turned down by so many popular actors. Willis said, "They paid me what they thought I was worth for the film, and for them." He described the character as unlike the larger-than-life characters portrayed by Stallone or Schwarzenegger, saying "even though he's a hero, he is just a regular guy. He's an ordinary guy who's been thrown into extraordinary circumstances". Willis drew upon his working-class upbringing in South Jersey for
6900-426: The stunt himself and falling onto a pile of cardboard boxes. Rickman was told he would be dropped on a count of three, but he was let go earlier to elicit a genuine look of surprise. McTiernan said, "there's no way he could fake that". The first take was used, but McTiernan convinced Rickman to perform a second one as backup. Capturing the stunt was difficult because it was impossible for a human operator to refocus
6992-490: The successful 1987 action film Predator . McTiernan agreed to direct on the condition that the film would have "some joy" and not simply contain "mean, nasty acts", seen in other terrorist films. Stuart began working 18-hour days at his office at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank , which left him exhausted and "on edge". After an argument with his wife, he went for a drive and saw a box in his lane; unable to avoid it, he
7084-472: The terrorists had been filmed arriving in was too small to hold an ambulance. Another scene, showing the terrorists synchronizing their TAG Heuer watches, also showed the truck was empty; this scene had to be deleted, leading to other necessary changes. As scripted, McClane realizes that the American hostage he encounters is Gruber because of the distinctive TAG Heuer watch he observed on the other terrorists;
7176-541: The trailer in response. Research by several film studios revealed that audiences had a negative opinion of Willis overall and little or no interest in seeing him in Die Hard . Newsweek ' s David Ansen called Willis "the most unpopular actor ever to get $ 5 million for making a movie". As 20th Century Fox's confidence in Willis's appeal faltered, the film's posters were changed to focus on Nakatomi Plaza, with Willis's name billed in tiny print. Willis's image
7268-406: The villains, as he considered them to be "too mean", and avoided focusing on the terrorists' politics in favor of making them thieves driven by monetary pursuits; he felt this would make it more suitable summer entertainment. McClane's character was not fully realized until almost halfway through production. McTiernan and Willis had determined that McClane is a man who does not like himself much but
7360-929: The watch, and Gruber falls to his death. Outside, Karl ambushes McClane and Holly but is shot dead by Powell. Holly punches Thornburg when he attempts to interview McClane. Argyle crashes through the parking garage door in the limo and drives McClane and Holly away together. Other cast members include Gruber's henchmen: Bruno Doyon as Franco, Andreas Wisniewski as Tony, Joey Plewa as Alexander, Lorenzo Caccialanza as Marco, Gerard Bonn as Kristoff, Dennis Hayden as Eddie, Al Leong as Uli, Gary Roberts as Heinrich, Hans Buhringer as Fritz, and Wilhelm von Homburg as James. Robert Davi and Grand L. Bush appear as FBI Special Agents Big Johnson and Little Johnson, respectively, Tracy Reiner appears as Thornburg's assistant, and Taylor Fry and Noah Land make minor appearances as McClane's children Lucy McClane and John Jr. The development of Die Hard began in 1987, when screenwriter Jeb Stuart
7452-512: The watches were no longer an established plot point. It necessitated the introduction of a heroic scene for Argyle, who gets to stop Theo's escape. De'voreaux actually punched Gilyard during the scene, which was added in only in the last 10 days of filming. There was flexibility with some roles, depending on the actors' performances, meaning some characters were kept in the film longer and others killed off sooner. The actors were also given some room to improvise, like Theo's line, "The quarterback
7544-543: The window dragged the hose and pulled Willis towards the edge, as they could better control Willis's fall if he went over. Editor Frank Urioste kept the scene where McClane falls down a ventilation shaft and catches onto a lower opening; Willis's stuntman accidentally fell further than intended. During a scene where McClane shoots a terrorist through a table, Willis suffered a permanent two-thirds hearing loss in his left ear caused by firing loud blank cartridges close to his head. For Gruber's fall from Nakatomi Plaza, Rickman
7636-562: The worst possible situation and becomes a better, but not a different, person. Having no experience writing action films, Stuart drew on his experience writing thrillers, focusing on making the audience care about McClane, Holly, and their reconciliation. As Stuart pitched his story to executives, Gordon interrupted him, told him to complete a draft, and left the meeting. Stuart finished his first draft just under six weeks later. Stuart credits Levin for helping him understand Nothing Lasts Forever . He adapted many sequences faithfully, including
7728-442: Was dropped between 20 and 70 feet (6 and 21 m); reports are inconsistent. He was suspended on a raised platform and dropped onto a blue screen airbag. This allowed the background behind him to be composited with footage taken from Fox Plaza and falling confetti that looked like bearer bonds. Rickman had to fall backward onto the bag, something stuntmen avoid to control their fall. McTiernan convinced Rickman by demonstrating
7820-462: Was forced to drive over it and discovered it to be empty. According to Stuart, he pulled over on the side of the freeway, his "heart pounding". From this, Stuart conceived a central theme of the story of a man who should have apologized to his wife before a catastrophe. He returned home to reconcile with his wife and wrote 35 pages that night. To shape the McClanes' relationship, Stuart also drew upon
7912-460: Was his leap from the top of Nakatomi Plaza with a firehose wrapped around his waist. The stunt involved a 25-foot (7.6 m) leap from a five-story parking garage ledge onto an airbag as a 60-foot (18 m) wall of flame exploded behind him. He considered it to be one of his toughest stunts. The explosive force pushed him towards the edge of the airbag and the crew was concerned he had died. Stuntman Ken Bates stood in for Willis when his character
8004-479: Was in dire financial straits. His script purchased by Columbia Pictures had been abandoned and a contract at Walt Disney Pictures was not providing him with sufficient income. Stuart had six weeks between contracted work so his agent Jeremy Zimmer contacted Lloyd Levin , the head of development at the Gordon Company, a producing arm of 20th Century Fox . Levin asked Stuart to work on an adaptation of
8096-456: Was inspired to carry a Western motif throughout the script, including cowboy lingo. He befriended a construction superintendent at the under-construction Fox Plaza in Los Angeles, allowing him access to the building to gain ideas on how to lay out the characters and scenes. He delivered the finished screenplay in June 1987. It was greenlit the following day, in part because 20th Century Fox needed
8188-468: Was known what they were to be used for. The Nakatomi Building's 30th floor—where the hostages are held—was one of the few sets. It contained a recreation of the Frank Lloyd Wright -designed house Fallingwater . De Govia reasoned that it reflected the contemporary trend of Japanese corporations buying up American corporate assets. An early design for the Nakatomi logo was too reminiscent of
8280-424: Was lower than it might have been. The larger salaries paid to these stars were based on the built-in audience they could attract to a film's opening week, with good word of mouth supporting the film thereafter, but Willis did not have a built-in audience. Willis featured prominently in the film's early marketing campaign, but it underwent several changes as the film's release date drew nearer. Willis had developed
8372-405: Was not included in the film's first full-page newspaper advertisement in mid-July. 20th Century Fox executive Tom Sherak denied that Willis was being hidden, saying their marketing strategy had changed when they realized that the building was as important a character as the actor. Defying expectations, sneak previews of the film were well received by audiences, and the week following its release,
8464-532: Was paid $ 5 million for his involvement, placing him among Hollywood's highest-paid actors. The deal was seen as a poor investment by industry professionals and attracted significant controversy towards the film prior to its release. Filming took place between November 1987 and March 1988, on a $ 25 million to $ 35 million budget and almost entirely on location in and around Fox Plaza in Los Angeles. Expectations for Die Hard were low; some marketing materials omitted Willis's image, ostensibly because
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