[00:00:01] Welcome back everyone to Movie Mistrial, the podcast where we put movies on trial and let you, the jury, decide the verdict. I'm Johannes, and as always, I'm joined by my co-host, Raji. How's it going today?
[00:00:14] Feeling festive and ready to ruffle some feathers, Johannes. Today's episode is a special one. Just in time for the holidays, we're tackling one of the most contentious debates in pop culture. Is Die Hard a Christmas movie, or is it not?
[00:00:31] That's right. Is John McClane's Night of Mayhem at Nakatomi Plaza a Christmas classic? Or just an action movie that happens to have some tinsel and holiday tunes in the background?
[00:00:42] It's a question that divides friends, families, and even the director John McTiernan and Bruce Willis disagree.
[00:00:49] And we're just not here to argue. We're here to dig into the evidence. We'll examine the themes, the setting, and those holiday vibes, or lack thereof,
[00:00:59] and see if Die Hard belongs on your Christmas movie marathon list.
[00:01:04] So grab some eggnog, cue up Ode to Joy, and let's get ready for the ultimate holiday showdown. Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? Let's discuss.
[00:01:13] Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
[00:01:33] So, Raji, my friend, let's flip a coin. What's it gonna be?
[00:01:39] It's gonna go, I'm gonna go with heads, as usual.
[00:01:41] Heads it is.
[00:01:43] I'm gonna argue against this movie being a Christmas movie.
[00:01:48] All right, all right. You're gonna be on the losing side, my friend.
[00:01:53] Okay, let's talk about Die Hard as a Christmas film.
[00:01:58] The witness will address this quote as judge or your honor.
[00:02:01] You know, a lot of people point out, you know, the airplane announcement, which, you know, starts the movie.
[00:02:09] The ride to the Nakatobi Plaza, where the driver plays the Christmas rap music.
[00:02:15] And Bruce Willis sits in the front going, I just want to play some proper crap music.
[00:02:18] Christmas music.
[00:02:19] And the driver plays this and is like, yo, this is Christmas music.
[00:02:23] They go into the Christmas party.
[00:02:25] People are hugging to celebrate a good time.
[00:02:30] And Bruce Willis feels out of place.
[00:02:34] One question during the hostage taking of the Nakatomi president was,
[00:02:42] do you even celebrate Christmas in Japan?
[00:02:44] So there are questions of Christmas fumbled everywhere.
[00:02:50] When he snaps the neck of one of the bad guys, he sends him down with a shirt that says,
[00:02:56] now I have a machine gun.
[00:02:58] Ho, ho, ho.
[00:03:00] Another Christmas reference.
[00:03:02] But do Christmas references make a Christmas movie?
[00:03:07] I don't think so.
[00:03:08] I think there are parts of this movie where the Christmas, the meaning and evidence of Christmas are devoid.
[00:03:17] For long sections where nothing about Christmas is discussed.
[00:03:24] The themes are about the heist and about marital situations.
[00:03:30] You know, and I think as a result of that, it just feels incidental that this movie is taking place.
[00:03:36] The reason why this movie is taking place at Christmas is because this is a time where everybody gets together.
[00:03:43] It's an incidental thing.
[00:03:45] And as a result, I don't think it's a Christmas movie.
[00:03:48] It's just a movie that happens to be around during the Christmas period.
[00:03:53] Because it's opportunistic.
[00:03:56] That's it.
[00:03:56] That's my argument.
[00:03:58] Oh, boy.
[00:03:59] Oh, boy.
[00:04:00] Here we go.
[00:04:00] Okay.
[00:04:01] So, Die Hard.
[00:04:02] Christmas.
[00:04:03] Die Hard is basically the quintessential Christmas movie, if you think about it for a second.
[00:04:09] I have thought about it a lot.
[00:04:12] I think we just put that into JetJPT and just recited whatever it tells you.
[00:04:16] Okay.
[00:04:18] So, basically, if you think about the classic standard Christmas movie,
[00:04:23] and the reason why it feels like this movie deviates from it,
[00:04:27] and why it may give you the illusion that it's not a Christmas movie,
[00:04:30] is because it doesn't give you the warm and fuzzies.
[00:04:33] It's not like people come together.
[00:04:35] There's no Santa.
[00:04:36] There's no, you know, there's no unwrapping presents and, like, all the classic Christmas stuff.
[00:04:43] Right?
[00:04:43] But the thing is, essentially what we're seeing is a Christmas miracle on the personal front.
[00:04:49] Right?
[00:04:50] Okay.
[00:04:50] So, basically what happens, Christmas is the hook that we buy, line and sinker.
[00:04:57] John McLean is coming from New York, which, now that I've been to New York at Christmas time,
[00:05:03] is bonkers.
[00:05:04] So many people.
[00:05:05] But, you know, so, one might say that quintessentially, right, like, New York is,
[00:05:13] Christmas time is more tied to New York, and he's fleeing that vibe.
[00:05:18] Right?
[00:05:18] He's going to LA, which is even kind of harder to attach to Christmas in a way.
[00:05:24] Even worse if you go, not worse, but it's even harder to celebrate Christmas in Hawaii, I learned.
[00:05:30] It's weird to have Christmas during the summer vibes.
[00:05:34] But, anyway, I'm getting sidetracked.
[00:05:36] So, he's basically fleeing Christmas.
[00:05:40] Right?
[00:05:41] Christmas as a concept.
[00:05:42] He's going to LA.
[00:05:43] And it's hard.
[00:05:46] He is entering a corporate Christmas party at Nakatomi Plaza to try to reunite with his wife.
[00:05:55] And she obviously wants to not be his wife anymore because she's changing her name back to her maiden name.
[00:06:05] And at the end of the film, she wants to be the wife again.
[00:06:10] So, it's a Christmas miracle.
[00:06:12] Yay.
[00:06:14] Fantastic.
[00:06:17] At the end of the day, this is a Christmas movie because, yes, it happens to be a Christmas, but it is also the reason why we're having this film in the first place.
[00:06:29] There is a corporate party, the year-end corporate party that happens, that has the bigwig of the company at the party who's instrumental to be able to get into the vault.
[00:06:44] Or, at least, it would be the path of least resistance to get into the vault.
[00:06:47] So, there's a reason for him to be there.
[00:06:52] And there's a good reason for that heist to happen during that time because he happens to be there as well.
[00:06:58] It's the year-end party with record profits, so the vault is full.
[00:07:03] Also important.
[00:07:07] And so, yeah, since it's a holiday party and it's the afternoon slash night, there's a lot of people there that people can take hostage.
[00:07:16] So, the setup for it being, for this happening at Christmas, at the Christmas party, is implemental to the plot because all these things needed to happen for it to work.
[00:07:31] So, yeah, and then we have our protagonist who tries to flee Christmas and doesn't seem to be like he's the biggest Christmas fan.
[00:07:39] But he is, interestingly enough, riffing on the whole Christmas thing.
[00:07:45] Like you said, I have a machine gun now.
[00:07:47] Ho, ho, ho.
[00:07:50] And the like.
[00:07:51] And, you know, they talk about Christmas miracles here and there and all that.
[00:07:55] So, I think quintessentially, this is the Christmas movie that is not giving you the warm and fuzzies, but it is ultimately a Christmas film because Christmas is instrumental to the plot.
[00:08:12] I totally disagree.
[00:08:14] Hold on.
[00:08:16] He's getting J.J.P.T. ready.
[00:08:18] No, no.
[00:08:19] I keep saying this.
[00:08:20] I have notes that I took during the film.
[00:08:25] It's not Chad J.P.T.
[00:08:28] So, the thing that we have to talk about in this film was the mood and the actions that a lot of people took throughout the film.
[00:08:38] And the first of which is the fact that, number one, nobody has the Christmas spirit.
[00:08:45] When we go into the Christmas party, everybody was talking about record profits.
[00:08:49] This was about capitalism.
[00:08:51] There was nobody who was talking about celebrating Christmas in the sense of like the Christmas spirit and all of that.
[00:09:01] There was a lot of debauchery going on.
[00:09:05] People going into different people's offices.
[00:09:07] People doing cocaine on the tables.
[00:09:11] This was not a quintessential Christmas holiday.
[00:09:15] This was an opportunity for people to be doing debauchery.
[00:09:18] Right?
[00:09:19] So, the Christmas party was not a typical Christmas party.
[00:09:25] When we meet the main guy, Bruce Willis' character, he goes into the house, into the office, and they were having a conversation about their marriage.
[00:09:35] Their marriage is cumbling.
[00:09:37] She's decided to move on.
[00:09:38] And they had a conversation like this in July.
[00:09:42] And it didn't work out well.
[00:09:44] And it's just continuing till now.
[00:09:46] He decided to keep it on the passive.
[00:09:48] And he didn't have this conversation till then.
[00:09:51] This is not a conversation that is typical for Christmas movies.
[00:09:55] While all the music is Christmas themed, none of the actions by any of the main characters, any of the characters and side characters are Christmas focused.
[00:10:05] There was a conversation about the FBI agents jumping into the helicopter and trying to take out the people on top of the roof.
[00:10:16] And one of the things they discussed was that only 20 to 25% of the hostages will die, which is not a conversation you have on Christmas, the Christmas period.
[00:10:28] There's no empathy whatsoever.
[00:10:30] This movie is about capitalism and people promoting their own careers.
[00:10:38] The reporter who sees an opportunity to tell the story goes about inviting himself into the home of the McLeans, telling the helper, who we met in the beginning of the film,
[00:10:56] who was extremely nice, that he was going to report her to INS if he didn't give her access into the house so that he could do a reporting.
[00:11:04] So all the characters in this movie are, what do you call it?
[00:11:10] Anti-Christmas.
[00:11:11] Every single one, including John McLean, who, instead of facing his crumbling relationship,
[00:11:19] has decided to go overboard and try to save the day just opportunistically.
[00:11:28] This is how he buries himself in work.
[00:11:30] Same thing with his wife.
[00:11:31] They both did not go to celebrate Christmas with the family because they were consumed with work.
[00:11:39] His wife wearing a Rolex watch.
[00:11:41] He trying to take over.
[00:11:44] He being a police officer.
[00:11:46] So basically, all of those themes exist.
[00:11:51] When you watch movies like Elf, where some of these ideas exist, not all of them in tandem,
[00:11:57] the sliver of Christmas spirit is the fact that at the end of it, they all go,
[00:12:01] oh, I think that I see the bad path of my ways and I think that I'm going to change.
[00:12:10] I'm going to improve.
[00:12:11] None of that happened in this movie.
[00:12:13] There was no improvement whatsoever.
[00:12:15] The cop who talked about killing a 13-year-old and being on desk duty since then was the one who shot the German who came out of the house.
[00:12:25] So he's going to go through another period of mental anguish.
[00:12:29] There was no redemption whatsoever for any of the characters.
[00:12:36] And I think that in all honesty, their relationship is still going to break because there's nothing about any of the changes in the characters that would make it seem like these characters are going to get back together.
[00:12:48] So in the themes of Christmas spirit, in the themes of the emotions exhibited, in the themes of violence that we get to watch, there's nothing Christmas about this film.
[00:13:02] There are movies that are violent, that are Christmas films like Violent Nights.
[00:13:07] There are movies that are vulgar like Bad Santa.
[00:13:10] But all of them have one specific area.
[00:13:13] They always show redemption of the characters.
[00:13:16] And none of the characters in this movie showed any sense of redemption.
[00:13:21] Even the FBI agent who accidentally became the sniper and who was screaming,
[00:13:27] It's like F in Saigon!
[00:13:28] As the helicopter was going.
[00:13:30] There's no character in this movie who showed any Christmas redemption whatsoever.
[00:13:39] But dude, I was in middle school.
[00:13:42] So good.
[00:13:47] I disagree though.
[00:13:49] So the core is the McLean family problem.
[00:13:58] Right?
[00:13:59] That's kind of the challenge here.
[00:14:01] And that's ultimately the thing that is being redeemed.
[00:14:05] And that's the Christmas miracle that he's able to turn around because he's going through great lengths to try to protect his wife.
[00:14:14] And try to stop this heist from happening.
[00:14:19] No.
[00:14:20] I don't think at any point he was trying to stop the heist from happening.
[00:14:26] He didn't even know what was going on.
[00:14:28] Well, he tried to stop the baddies.
[00:14:30] Right?
[00:14:30] Like whatever they were up to.
[00:14:32] It took him a long time to figure out.
[00:14:34] He tried to survive.
[00:14:36] That's all he tried to do.
[00:14:38] He didn't want to be captured.
[00:14:39] He didn't want to be one of the people down there.
[00:14:41] There was no indication that he was trying to save his wife.
[00:14:45] There was no indication that this was a situation where he was trying to save family.
[00:14:53] He was just trying to survive.
[00:14:55] And he had a gun.
[00:14:56] I mean, that's not true.
[00:14:57] Right?
[00:14:57] Because he tried multiple times to get the cops involved to help the situation.
[00:15:03] Yes.
[00:15:04] Right?
[00:15:04] Which was a survival instinct.
[00:15:06] One by one.
[00:15:06] Right?
[00:15:07] Yeah.
[00:15:07] But one by one, he took people out.
[00:15:11] Yes.
[00:15:12] Because especially at the very beginning, it was incidental.
[00:15:16] The first guy, he snapped his neck.
[00:15:17] It was incidental.
[00:15:18] He broke his neck because they fell down the staircase.
[00:15:20] The next few ones, shut them down the leg, shut them in the chest because they were coming at him.
[00:15:25] It was a survival thing.
[00:15:27] At no point did he try to contact his wife.
[00:15:30] The only thing he did to protect his wife was say that he just indicated that they were not together.
[00:15:38] Well, yeah.
[00:15:38] But that's also a protection mechanism.
[00:15:41] Right?
[00:15:42] Yeah.
[00:15:42] But he wasn't active.
[00:15:44] There was no going down to like, oh my God, save his wife or anything.
[00:15:50] In all his calculations, it was just about survival.
[00:15:54] He doesn't know what's going down there.
[00:15:56] He doesn't know what's going on down.
[00:15:58] He just knows that there are 30 to 32 hostages in the office party.
[00:16:02] He doesn't know if his wife is alive.
[00:16:04] He doesn't ask about that.
[00:16:06] He's having conversations with all the other cops.
[00:16:09] All of those scenarios, he never asked about his wife.
[00:16:12] Well, yeah.
[00:16:13] Because again, it's like the protective.
[00:16:16] Like if he draws attention to one particular person and we see how that plays out at the end.
[00:16:21] Right?
[00:16:21] When Gruber kind of figures it out.
[00:16:24] Yeah.
[00:16:25] Right?
[00:16:25] And so he tries to not draw attention to that relationship.
[00:16:29] Right?
[00:16:30] Because it's a protective mechanism.
[00:16:32] It makes perfect sense.
[00:16:33] He is relentless in trying to get attention to the situation at hand.
[00:16:38] Yes.
[00:16:38] Right?
[00:16:39] So it's not just self-preservation, but it's also trying to rectify the problem at Nakatobi Plaza.
[00:16:48] But this is the thing.
[00:16:50] It's like the absence of intent does not mean that the intent is positive.
[00:16:56] Just because we don't get him saying his intent was to save his wife or not to save his wife,
[00:17:03] doesn't mean we should draw the conclusion that his wife was important to him.
[00:17:08] The only indication that we could even be close to using was when they got his wife
[00:17:17] and they were standing beside each other.
[00:17:20] He was standing in front of them with a gun taped to his back.
[00:17:26] That was the closest thing to emotional connection between him and his wife.
[00:17:31] And them kissing at the back of the car doesn't mean anything.
[00:17:35] They just went through a traumatic event.
[00:17:37] Of course they kissed at the back of the car.
[00:17:40] That's not necessarily a sign that they're going to get back together to a Christmas miracle.
[00:17:44] Ah, but she's, you know, the whole movie she's basically saying she's a, what's her last name?
[00:17:51] Not Gennaro.
[00:17:52] Gennaro.
[00:17:53] Gennaro, yeah.
[00:17:54] But then at the end, when they're interviewed, she's like, I'm a McClane.
[00:17:58] Right?
[00:17:58] So she's turned around.
[00:18:00] She's turned around on the whole thing because muscles.
[00:18:03] Sweaty muscles.
[00:18:05] You know?
[00:18:09] Another Christmas miracle that happens in this film,
[00:18:11] they're able to make it snow in LA at the end of this film.
[00:18:16] Wait, did it?
[00:18:18] Well, it rained paper, but it looks like snow.
[00:18:20] And it's intentional.
[00:18:23] It's intentional.
[00:18:24] Gotcha.
[00:18:25] And it's snowing, you know, because it's Christmas.
[00:18:28] It's wonderful.
[00:18:30] At the end of the day, like,
[00:18:33] I think the reason why this is such a brilliant Christmas film
[00:18:36] is because it is not necessarily giving you the warm and fuzzies
[00:18:40] as standard Christmas films,
[00:18:43] but it's giving all the men's men in the world
[00:18:47] a great excuse to watch a film
[00:18:49] that happens to be placed at Christmas.
[00:18:52] And they can say, hey,
[00:18:54] I see this.
[00:18:55] This is a fun ride.
[00:18:56] It's a cool action film.
[00:18:58] It's a good Christmas film
[00:19:00] because that happens to be the framing device of the story.
[00:19:04] It's my favorite Christmas film.
[00:19:06] And I think if we can just accept that fact,
[00:19:08] it's the perfect Christmas film
[00:19:10] because it's bringing people together.
[00:19:13] Cool.
[00:19:14] I mean,
[00:19:16] I don't think it's a perfect,
[00:19:18] I don't think it's a Christmas movie.
[00:19:20] I think it's a perfect action film.
[00:19:22] I think the movie is a tight script.
[00:19:24] I think that it's incidental.
[00:19:27] At the end of the movie,
[00:19:28] when they start to play like the Christmas carols
[00:19:30] as they drove away,
[00:19:31] it just felt very forced.
[00:19:33] And in my mind,
[00:19:34] I kept going,
[00:19:35] this is basically an anti-Christmas film.
[00:19:38] It's a criticism of the government,
[00:19:41] the incompetence of the government.
[00:19:43] It's a criticism of the West Coast liberal elites.
[00:19:51] That doctor that they put on TV
[00:19:53] who was talking about the stages of terrorism
[00:19:57] was just the perfect candidate
[00:19:59] to just put up and say,
[00:20:02] hey,
[00:20:02] he's the reason why
[00:20:03] they're talking about liberal elites here.
[00:20:05] Because he was just mumbling nonsense
[00:20:09] while the incident was happening.
[00:20:11] The police officers,
[00:20:13] the FBI agents,
[00:20:14] all of them were bumbling messes.
[00:20:15] And this movie just felt like an anti-government,
[00:20:21] pro-vigilante film
[00:20:24] with a Christmas backdrop.
[00:20:29] Yeah, I think...
[00:20:33] Anyway, it's a good action film.
[00:20:36] And I don't think that can be taken away from it.
[00:20:39] The idea that this is a Christmas film
[00:20:41] is a little bit rough for me to accept.
[00:20:46] I think you were saying that earlier,
[00:20:49] you said something around the lines that
[00:20:52] this is a film over capitalism, right?
[00:20:55] Mm-hmm.
[00:20:57] At the end of the day,
[00:20:58] like that's all that Christmas is.
[00:21:00] Right?
[00:21:01] So...
[00:21:01] Well,
[00:21:03] I...
[00:21:04] For me,
[00:21:04] I celebrate Christmas.
[00:21:07] I don't celebrate capitalism
[00:21:08] as part of my Christmas.
[00:21:10] I don't...
[00:21:11] I celebrate the family.
[00:21:12] I celebrate the joys of being together.
[00:21:16] I celebrate the time to relax
[00:21:18] and just decompress.
[00:21:21] I don't celebrate capitalism
[00:21:22] as part of my Christmas.
[00:21:25] I don't...
[00:21:26] I...
[00:21:26] When, you know,
[00:21:28] I've been to...
[00:21:28] I've been to the Christmas markets in Germany.
[00:21:32] I've...
[00:21:32] I think that
[00:21:34] that was essentially
[00:21:35] my perfect idea
[00:21:37] of what Christmas would be.
[00:21:39] Just going from place to place,
[00:21:41] enjoying good food,
[00:21:42] Glühwein,
[00:21:44] hanging out with your family,
[00:21:46] some cold,
[00:21:47] and just a relaxing time
[00:21:49] to get ready for the new year.
[00:21:52] I don't think about Rolex watches.
[00:21:55] Well, yeah,
[00:21:56] but unfortunately,
[00:21:58] in a lot of...
[00:22:00] The US Christmas
[00:22:01] has turned into,
[00:22:02] like, the...
[00:22:03] With Thanksgiving,
[00:22:04] like,
[00:22:05] the season of consumption,
[00:22:06] right?
[00:22:07] And capitalism
[00:22:07] and, like,
[00:22:08] making more and more and more.
[00:22:09] And I think the...
[00:22:11] Since...
[00:22:12] This is set
[00:22:14] as...
[00:22:14] As kind of a...
[00:22:16] At a corporate holiday party,
[00:22:18] which is basically
[00:22:19] also celebrating that,
[00:22:21] right?
[00:22:21] It's like,
[00:22:21] hey,
[00:22:21] we made so much money.
[00:22:22] Yay us.
[00:22:24] We got a new client
[00:22:25] and we'll make more money.
[00:22:26] Yay!
[00:22:26] Right?
[00:22:28] It's...
[00:22:29] It's...
[00:22:31] It's kind of riffing
[00:22:32] on that idea
[00:22:34] that...
[00:22:35] And maybe critiquing
[00:22:36] even that idea
[00:22:37] of Christmas
[00:22:38] being capitalistic,
[00:22:39] but I think
[00:22:40] it's also
[00:22:42] very true,
[00:22:43] right?
[00:22:43] Like,
[00:22:43] that idea is there
[00:22:45] and it's kind of
[00:22:46] the reality.
[00:22:47] Christmas is
[00:22:48] fundamentally
[00:22:48] capitalistic.
[00:22:50] And...
[00:22:52] While I think
[00:22:53] that
[00:22:53] the terror plot
[00:22:55] and kind of
[00:22:56] the heist plot
[00:22:57] here
[00:22:58] at the end of the day
[00:22:59] is also kind of
[00:23:00] capitalistic in nature,
[00:23:01] right?
[00:23:01] Mm-hmm.
[00:23:04] It's...
[00:23:05] You could make
[00:23:06] an argument
[00:23:07] that
[00:23:09] Alan Rickman's
[00:23:10] character
[00:23:10] at least
[00:23:11] is trying to
[00:23:12] spread the wealth
[00:23:13] in some twisted way.
[00:23:16] Is he?
[00:23:17] I don't think
[00:23:17] he's trying to
[00:23:18] spread any wealth,
[00:23:19] though.
[00:23:19] He was taking it
[00:23:20] all for himself
[00:23:21] and his crew.
[00:23:23] He wasn't giving it
[00:23:23] to any of the people
[00:23:24] in there.
[00:23:25] He was taking it
[00:23:26] for himself.
[00:23:28] And,
[00:23:28] you know,
[00:23:29] McLean's wife
[00:23:30] even said
[00:23:31] at the end,
[00:23:32] at the end of this,
[00:23:33] you're just a petty...
[00:23:34] You're just like
[00:23:35] every other petty thief.
[00:23:36] And he was like,
[00:23:37] I'm a really damn
[00:23:38] good thief.
[00:23:39] Something along
[00:23:40] those lines.
[00:23:42] But
[00:23:43] he just was
[00:23:45] an opportunistic
[00:23:46] guy to steal
[00:23:48] from the profits
[00:23:49] of that company.
[00:23:50] That's all he is.
[00:23:51] There was no
[00:23:52] like Robin Hood scenario.
[00:23:53] He said
[00:23:55] that
[00:23:55] if
[00:23:56] by the time
[00:23:57] the FBI comes
[00:23:58] and they do
[00:23:58] the diversion
[00:23:59] in a few weeks
[00:24:00] they would be
[00:24:01] on the beaches
[00:24:03] in somewhere,
[00:24:05] I don't know,
[00:24:05] the beaches
[00:24:06] where they would be
[00:24:06] with their feet up
[00:24:08] enjoying the ocean.
[00:24:10] So
[00:24:10] he was not
[00:24:11] interested
[00:24:12] in Robin Hood
[00:24:13] in whatever
[00:24:14] he got.
[00:24:15] he was just
[00:24:16] there for himself.
[00:24:19] Redistributing
[00:24:19] the wealth
[00:24:20] and,
[00:24:20] you know,
[00:24:21] losing the global
[00:24:22] economy
[00:24:23] or the economy
[00:24:24] of the beach town.
[00:24:25] Sure.
[00:24:26] That works
[00:24:26] in a sense.
[00:24:27] That works.
[00:24:29] That works
[00:24:29] in a sense.
[00:24:31] I'm telling you
[00:24:32] that none
[00:24:33] of the characters
[00:24:35] had a
[00:24:37] positive outlook
[00:24:38] on the world.
[00:24:39] None of the characters
[00:24:40] had a change
[00:24:41] of heart
[00:24:42] which is fundamental
[00:24:43] in every single
[00:24:44] Christmas film.
[00:24:46] And
[00:24:46] none of them
[00:24:47] experienced that
[00:24:48] in this movie.
[00:24:49] Again,
[00:24:49] the wife is changing
[00:24:50] her name back
[00:24:51] to McLean
[00:24:51] so she did
[00:24:52] have a change
[00:24:53] of heart
[00:24:53] about him.
[00:24:55] Christmas miracle.
[00:24:56] Is that,
[00:24:57] is that,
[00:24:57] I mean,
[00:24:58] that is a
[00:24:59] totally different idea.
[00:25:01] That is a
[00:25:01] question of the
[00:25:02] traditional family
[00:25:03] angle.
[00:25:03] but I don't
[00:25:05] think that is
[00:25:05] a celebration
[00:25:06] of Christmas
[00:25:07] just because
[00:25:07] two people
[00:25:08] who are
[00:25:09] obviously
[00:25:09] miserable
[00:25:10] with each
[00:25:10] other
[00:25:10] who don't
[00:25:11] want to
[00:25:11] discuss
[00:25:12] their
[00:25:12] relationship
[00:25:13] and their
[00:25:14] fundamental
[00:25:14] state
[00:25:15] get back
[00:25:16] together
[00:25:16] because
[00:25:17] they're
[00:25:17] involved
[00:25:17] in a
[00:25:18] traumatic
[00:25:18] event.
[00:25:19] Well,
[00:25:19] you can
[00:25:19] also make
[00:25:20] the argument
[00:25:20] that the
[00:25:21] cop
[00:25:21] is also
[00:25:22] has a
[00:25:23] change,
[00:25:24] a character
[00:25:25] change
[00:25:25] because he's
[00:25:26] been
[00:25:26] renegated
[00:25:27] to be
[00:25:27] a desk
[00:25:30] jockey.
[00:25:32] Terrible.
[00:25:33] terrible
[00:25:34] phrase,
[00:25:35] but
[00:25:36] because he
[00:25:37] shot a
[00:25:37] 13-year-old
[00:25:38] and you
[00:25:39] can make
[00:25:39] the argument
[00:25:40] that he's
[00:25:40] probably
[00:25:41] been in
[00:25:41] a rut
[00:25:41] ever since
[00:25:42] because he's
[00:25:42] been feeling
[00:25:43] guilty about
[00:25:44] that.
[00:25:44] But then
[00:25:45] at the end
[00:25:45] he gets
[00:25:46] his redemption
[00:25:46] because he's
[00:25:47] finally
[00:25:50] shot a
[00:25:51] 39-year-old.
[00:25:52] That is
[00:25:53] the solution
[00:25:53] to his
[00:25:54] desk
[00:25:55] jockey
[00:25:55] problem.
[00:25:58] He shoots
[00:25:59] a German
[00:25:59] guy who
[00:26:00] deserves
[00:26:00] it.
[00:26:01] God damn
[00:26:01] it.
[00:26:02] We're going
[00:26:03] back into
[00:26:03] that theme
[00:26:04] of just
[00:26:04] he didn't
[00:26:05] change.
[00:26:06] He basically
[00:26:06] just shot
[00:26:07] another person.
[00:26:08] There was
[00:26:09] no turnaround.
[00:26:10] He was
[00:26:10] just shooting
[00:26:11] another person.
[00:26:12] The person
[00:26:12] is not
[00:26:12] 13 years
[00:26:13] old.
[00:26:14] He's a
[00:26:14] 39-year-old
[00:26:15] model or
[00:26:16] dancer who
[00:26:17] does Russian
[00:26:18] dance and
[00:26:19] he just
[00:26:19] runs out.
[00:26:20] I will say
[00:26:21] that it's
[00:26:22] a very
[00:26:24] one of the
[00:26:25] things that I
[00:26:25] noticed that
[00:26:26] every single
[00:26:27] person,
[00:26:27] every single
[00:26:28] part of the
[00:26:29] bad guy
[00:26:29] was a
[00:26:30] model or
[00:26:31] model-like
[00:26:32] character.
[00:26:33] Every one
[00:26:33] of them
[00:26:34] just
[00:26:35] great hair,
[00:26:37] great
[00:26:37] clothing.
[00:26:40] Nobody
[00:26:41] was out
[00:26:42] of place.
[00:26:43] I mean...
[00:26:45] You're
[00:26:46] surprised?
[00:26:46] These are
[00:26:47] German terrorists.
[00:26:48] Of course
[00:26:48] they're fabulous.
[00:26:49] Hello?
[00:26:50] Man.
[00:26:50] All right.
[00:26:51] That's fair.
[00:26:52] I don't know
[00:26:53] much about the
[00:26:53] German culture,
[00:26:54] but I do
[00:26:55] think fabulousness
[00:26:56] comes with
[00:26:56] it.
[00:26:58] Can I
[00:26:59] just say
[00:26:59] that gray
[00:27:01] Lululemon
[00:27:01] pants and
[00:27:02] the first
[00:27:02] guy he
[00:27:03] kills?
[00:27:03] You know,
[00:27:04] perfection.
[00:27:06] When you
[00:27:07] do a
[00:27:07] tarot plot,
[00:27:08] show up
[00:27:08] comfortable.
[00:27:10] You know,
[00:27:10] you gotta have
[00:27:11] some sweatpants.
[00:27:12] It's great.
[00:27:13] Why not?
[00:27:15] I was just
[00:27:16] going like,
[00:27:17] man, where
[00:27:18] did they get
[00:27:18] all of these
[00:27:19] guys from?
[00:27:19] It's like,
[00:27:20] they all stand
[00:27:20] out.
[00:27:21] They all stand
[00:27:21] out.
[00:27:28] All right.
[00:27:28] Should we go
[00:27:29] to the
[00:27:29] sidebar?
[00:27:30] Yeah, let's
[00:27:30] go to the
[00:27:31] sidebar.
[00:27:31] Overruled.
[00:27:32] Sidebar.
[00:27:32] Guilty.
[00:27:33] Speculation.
[00:27:33] Here's a
[00:27:34] briefcase.
[00:27:34] Disregard.
[00:27:35] In my
[00:27:35] chamber.
[00:27:35] Stop Bieber
[00:27:36] and the
[00:27:36] witness.
[00:27:36] I rest.
[00:27:37] We could
[00:27:37] totally be
[00:27:37] lawyers.
[00:27:38] Sidebar.
[00:27:39] One of
[00:27:40] the incidental
[00:27:41] situations where
[00:27:42] my views that
[00:27:46] I discuss are
[00:27:47] actually my
[00:27:47] views.
[00:27:48] I don't think
[00:27:49] this movie is a
[00:27:49] Christmas movie.
[00:27:51] I don't think
[00:27:52] it is.
[00:27:53] And I didn't
[00:27:54] get it from
[00:27:54] Chad GPT.
[00:27:55] I sent you
[00:27:56] the notes.
[00:27:56] I was taking
[00:27:57] notes meticulously
[00:27:58] throughout the
[00:27:59] film.
[00:28:01] These are my
[00:28:02] points.
[00:28:03] These are my
[00:28:03] ideas.
[00:28:05] And I just
[00:28:07] think that this
[00:28:08] movie is,
[00:28:10] there's no
[00:28:11] redemption for
[00:28:12] anybody.
[00:28:13] No redemption
[00:28:14] for anybody.
[00:28:15] The guys,
[00:28:16] when the FBI
[00:28:17] agents died at
[00:28:18] the top of the
[00:28:18] building, did
[00:28:20] you feel sad?
[00:28:21] I didn't.
[00:28:22] I was like,
[00:28:23] God damn it.
[00:28:24] Get out of
[00:28:24] here.
[00:28:25] All of you
[00:28:25] are just
[00:28:26] idiots.
[00:28:28] There was
[00:28:28] no feeling.
[00:28:30] Just come out
[00:28:31] of the car,
[00:28:31] and this guy
[00:28:32] who's just
[00:28:32] been parked
[00:28:33] in the garage
[00:28:34] just drives
[00:28:35] up.
[00:28:37] And then he
[00:28:38] goes into the
[00:28:38] car with them
[00:28:39] and they drive
[00:28:39] away and
[00:28:40] Christmas music
[00:28:40] comes up.
[00:28:41] And you know
[00:28:41] the weird
[00:28:42] thing about
[00:28:42] that whole
[00:28:43] scene?
[00:28:43] He said,
[00:28:44] if this is
[00:28:44] your idea
[00:28:45] of Christmas,
[00:28:46] I want to
[00:28:47] be with you
[00:28:47] on New
[00:28:48] Year's.
[00:28:48] And I was
[00:28:48] like,
[00:28:49] we just
[00:28:50] saw
[00:28:50] buildings
[00:28:51] explode,
[00:28:52] people die,
[00:28:53] people get
[00:28:54] thrown off
[00:28:54] buildings.
[00:28:55] Why would
[00:28:56] you want
[00:28:56] to be with
[00:28:56] this guy
[00:28:57] on New
[00:28:58] Year's?
[00:28:58] And that
[00:28:59] was when I
[00:28:59] was like,
[00:29:00] this is definitely
[00:29:01] not a Christmas
[00:29:01] movie.
[00:29:03] I agree.
[00:29:04] I never thought
[00:29:05] this was a Christmas
[00:29:05] movie.
[00:29:06] I think it's,
[00:29:07] like I said,
[00:29:09] it's a sad
[00:29:10] excuse for
[00:29:11] men's men that
[00:29:12] don't like the
[00:29:13] warm and fuzzy
[00:29:13] Christmas films
[00:29:15] to be like,
[00:29:16] oh,
[00:29:17] but Die Hard
[00:29:17] is my favorite
[00:29:18] Christmas movie
[00:29:18] because it's
[00:29:19] kind of this,
[00:29:20] oh,
[00:29:22] I think
[00:29:24] the,
[00:29:25] it just
[00:29:25] happens to
[00:29:26] be a Christmas,
[00:29:27] it could be
[00:29:27] any other
[00:29:27] corporate party,
[00:29:28] it doesn't have
[00:29:29] to be a Christmas
[00:29:30] party,
[00:29:31] it could be
[00:29:31] any other
[00:29:32] reason why
[00:29:33] they're there,
[00:29:34] right?
[00:29:34] It just
[00:29:35] happens to
[00:29:36] be Christmas.
[00:29:37] It's,
[00:29:38] it's similar
[00:29:39] to Netflix
[00:29:40] has a film
[00:29:41] out,
[00:29:41] Carry On,
[00:29:42] I don't know
[00:29:43] if you saw
[00:29:43] that,
[00:29:45] Taron Edgerton
[00:29:45] or whatever
[00:29:46] his name is,
[00:29:47] he's a TSA
[00:29:48] agent and
[00:29:50] it happens
[00:29:51] to be a
[00:29:51] Christmas as
[00:29:51] well,
[00:29:53] you know,
[00:29:53] holiday travel
[00:29:54] at Christmas.
[00:29:55] Does that
[00:29:56] make a Christmas
[00:29:56] movie?
[00:29:57] Not necessarily,
[00:29:58] like it just
[00:29:59] happens to be
[00:29:59] there.
[00:30:01] Like,
[00:30:06] had this
[00:30:07] been a,
[00:30:08] I don't know,
[00:30:09] a corporate
[00:30:10] quinceanera party,
[00:30:11] which doesn't
[00:30:12] happen,
[00:30:12] but you know,
[00:30:13] is this the
[00:30:14] quintessential
[00:30:15] quinceanera film
[00:30:16] all of a sudden?
[00:30:17] It doesn't make
[00:30:17] any sense.
[00:30:18] It's,
[00:30:18] it's dumb,
[00:30:19] right?
[00:30:20] I agree.
[00:30:22] And like I,
[00:30:23] like I say,
[00:30:25] there,
[00:30:25] there,
[00:30:26] there Christmas
[00:30:26] movies that
[00:30:27] are violent.
[00:30:29] An example
[00:30:30] is Violent Night.
[00:30:33] And there
[00:30:34] are Christmas
[00:30:34] movies that
[00:30:35] are grotesque,
[00:30:37] like Bad
[00:30:38] Santa.
[00:30:38] there,
[00:30:39] but
[00:30:41] those ones,
[00:30:42] there's always
[00:30:43] like a turning
[00:30:44] point for the
[00:30:45] characters where
[00:30:46] they look inwards
[00:30:47] and try to
[00:30:48] change.
[00:30:50] But there was
[00:30:51] none in this
[00:30:51] movie.
[00:30:52] There was none.
[00:30:53] Everybody was
[00:30:54] happy with you
[00:30:54] where,
[00:30:55] you know,
[00:30:56] and
[00:30:57] anyway,
[00:30:58] that's,
[00:30:58] that's all I
[00:30:59] have.
[00:31:10] like my
[00:31:11] favorite Christmas
[00:31:11] film,
[00:31:12] Home Alone.
[00:31:13] That's a,
[00:31:14] that's a,
[00:31:15] there's some
[00:31:16] violence there
[00:31:16] too.
[00:31:18] Right?
[00:31:19] But the,
[00:31:19] but at the
[00:31:20] core of it
[00:31:20] is,
[00:31:21] you know,
[00:31:21] a fractured
[00:31:22] family that
[00:31:23] finds together
[00:31:23] again,
[00:31:24] right?
[00:31:24] Yeah.
[00:31:24] And like,
[00:31:26] yes,
[00:31:26] that happens
[00:31:26] to be a
[00:31:27] Christmas
[00:31:27] too,
[00:31:29] but it's
[00:31:29] relevant there
[00:31:30] because there's,
[00:31:31] there's,
[00:31:31] there's reasons
[00:31:32] or like there's
[00:31:34] at least plot
[00:31:35] devices for him
[00:31:35] to utilize
[00:31:36] because it is
[00:31:37] Christmas that
[00:31:38] he's able to
[00:31:39] fool the,
[00:31:42] the baddies,
[00:31:43] right?
[00:31:44] Like he can,
[00:31:44] he can utilize
[00:31:45] the,
[00:31:46] the ornaments
[00:31:48] and all that
[00:31:48] kind of stuff
[00:31:49] that happened
[00:31:50] to be there.
[00:31:50] So it's,
[00:31:51] so it's also
[00:31:51] helping the
[00:31:52] plot here.
[00:31:54] Christmas is
[00:31:54] just starting
[00:31:55] the plot,
[00:31:56] but it's not
[00:31:56] really doing
[00:31:57] anything for the
[00:31:58] plot,
[00:31:59] which tells us
[00:32:00] that it's,
[00:32:01] it's on,
[00:32:02] at the end
[00:32:02] of the day,
[00:32:03] it's not
[00:32:03] important that
[00:32:03] this happens
[00:32:04] at a Christmas
[00:32:05] party because
[00:32:06] there's nothing
[00:32:08] that is
[00:32:09] instrumental for
[00:32:10] it being a
[00:32:10] Christmas other
[00:32:11] than it's a
[00:32:12] party and
[00:32:13] they celebrate
[00:32:14] earnings.
[00:32:14] But again,
[00:32:15] that could be
[00:32:16] any corporate
[00:32:16] party.
[00:32:18] Yeah,
[00:32:19] I agree.
[00:32:20] I agree.
[00:32:21] I think that
[00:32:22] this movie would
[00:32:22] have just been
[00:32:23] as,
[00:32:23] as great
[00:32:25] at any other
[00:32:26] point in the
[00:32:27] year.
[00:32:28] But,
[00:32:29] you know,
[00:32:30] it was,
[00:32:31] it was a good
[00:32:32] film.
[00:32:32] I'm not going
[00:32:33] to take anything
[00:32:34] away from this
[00:32:35] movie.
[00:32:35] This movie is
[00:32:36] a perfect
[00:32:37] action film.
[00:32:38] The script
[00:32:38] was tight.
[00:32:40] All of the
[00:32:40] things that
[00:32:41] they,
[00:32:41] there are
[00:32:41] lots of
[00:32:41] good callbacks,
[00:32:42] like I said.
[00:32:43] The fact that
[00:32:44] they called
[00:32:45] the Rolex
[00:32:46] watch at the
[00:32:47] very beginning
[00:32:47] of the film
[00:32:48] and to save
[00:32:49] her life,
[00:32:49] he had to
[00:32:50] let go of
[00:32:51] the Rolex
[00:32:51] watch.
[00:32:53] Some really,
[00:32:54] really wonderful,
[00:32:55] wonderful
[00:32:57] set pieces.
[00:32:58] Like when he
[00:32:58] looked down
[00:32:59] and saw he
[00:33:00] wasn't wearing
[00:33:01] any shoes
[00:33:01] and then he
[00:33:02] was like,
[00:33:03] shoot the
[00:33:04] glass.
[00:33:05] And then
[00:33:05] all of a
[00:33:05] sudden he
[00:33:05] just aimed
[00:33:06] at the
[00:33:06] glass.
[00:33:07] Ah,
[00:33:07] such a
[00:33:08] good action
[00:33:09] film.
[00:33:09] Such a
[00:33:10] good action
[00:33:11] film.
[00:33:11] And I
[00:33:12] will never
[00:33:12] take that
[00:33:13] away from
[00:33:13] it.
[00:33:13] It's a
[00:33:14] perfect action
[00:33:14] film.
[00:33:15] And Alan
[00:33:16] Rigman is
[00:33:16] fantastic in
[00:33:17] this.
[00:33:17] Absolutely.
[00:33:18] A little iffy,
[00:33:19] but you know,
[00:33:21] could have cast
[00:33:22] German people.
[00:33:23] There's good
[00:33:23] German actors
[00:33:23] too, but he's
[00:33:24] great.
[00:33:25] Yeah.
[00:33:26] Yeah.
[00:33:28] All right.
[00:33:29] All right.
[00:33:30] Well, this is our
[00:33:31] special Christmas
[00:33:32] episode, I guess.
[00:33:32] Yes.
[00:33:34] Hopefully, uh,
[00:33:35] hopefully we get
[00:33:36] a lot of, uh, a
[00:33:37] lot of comments
[00:33:38] about this and,
[00:33:39] uh, we'll see
[00:33:39] where it goes.
[00:33:40] Um, but I
[00:33:42] think it's a good
[00:33:43] time to have
[00:33:45] opinions, um,
[00:33:46] and have
[00:33:47] discussions about
[00:33:48] opinions.
[00:33:49] Uh, all
[00:33:50] opinions are
[00:33:51] valid.
[00:33:51] Just, let's
[00:33:52] just be clear on
[00:33:53] that.
[00:33:53] Uh, and hope you
[00:33:55] guys have a
[00:33:55] wonderful Christmas
[00:33:56] and enjoy the
[00:33:56] holidays.
[00:33:57] Yes.
[00:33:58] Yes.
[00:33:58] Have a wonderful
[00:33:58] one.
[00:33:59] You around for
[00:34:00] the next one.