A Certain Point of View: Writing, Film and Stuff

Live Free or Die Hard (2007) aka Die Hard 4.0 Directed by Len Wiseman Written by Mark Bomback Story by Mark Bomback and David Marconi Based on the article “A Farewell to Arms” by John Carlin and characters created by Roderick Thorp Starring: Bruce Willis, Justin Long, Timothy Olyphant, Cliff Curtis, Maggie Q, Mary Elizabeth Winstead John McClane: You know what you get for being a hero? Nothin'. You get shot at. You get a little pat on the back, blah, blah, blah, attaboy. You get divorced. Your wife can't remember your last name. Your kids don't want to talk to you. You get to eat a lot of meals by yourself. Trust me, kid, nobody wants to be that guy. In 2007, after a 12-year hiatus from the role that made him a bankable action-adventure star, Bruce Willis returned as the seemingly indestructible John McClane in Live Free or Die Hard. In the fourth installment of the long-running franchise, McClane’s mettle is tested by a computer expert . Thomas Gabri...

Die Hard 2 (1990) aka Die Hard 2: Die Harder Directed by Renny Harlin Written by Steven E. de Souza and Doug Richardson Based on the novel 58 Minutes by Walter Wager Starring: Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, William Sadler, John Amos, Dennis Franz, Fred Dalton Thompson, Franco Nero Rent-A-Car Girl: I close in about an hour. Maybe we can go get a drink? John McClane: [shows his wedding ring] Just the fax, ma'am. Just the fax. Finnish director Renny Harlin's Die Hard 2: Die Harder is a decent but derivative sequel to 1988's megahit Die Hard . This time around, John McClane (Bruce Willis), now a Los Angeles Police  Department lieutenant must match wits, fists, gunfire, and banter with a band of heavily armed bad guys that have taken over Washington, D.C.'s Dulles International Airport. Based on Walter Wager's novel 58 Minutes , Steven E. de Souza and Doug Richardson's script closely follows the format of John McTiernan's Die Hard .  Once ...

Die Hard (1988) Directed by John McTiernan Written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza Based on the novel Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp Starring: Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, Alan Rickman, Reginald VelJohnson, William Atherton, Alexander Godunov, Paul Gleason Hans Gruber : [addressing the hostages] I wanted this to be professional, efficient, adult, cooperative. Not a lot to ask. Alas, your Mr. Takagi did not see it that way... so he won't be joining us for the rest of his life. We can go any way you want it. You can walk out of here or be carried out. But have no illusions. We are in charge. So, decide now, each of you. And please remember: we have left nothing to chance. Although action films have been around since Edwin S. Porter’s The Great Train Robbery (1903), the genre became dominant in the 1980s with the success of summer blockbuster like Raiders of the Lost Ark, 48 Hrs, First Blood, and Lone Wolf McQuade. Though these films have different ...