In the futuristic crime-ridden dystopia of Mega City One, roving patrols of ‘Judges’ are permitted to dispense on-the-spot justice with the power of judge, jury and executioner. In this context, the hard-bitten, highly experienced Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) is reluctantly partnered with rookie candidate Judge Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), who has psychic abilities due to a genetic mutation. In the process of investigating a triple homicide in the towering high-rise building known as Peach Trees, the two Judges incur the wrath of the culprit – ferocious and powerful local gangster MaMa (Lena Headey) – who seals off the building and declares war on the pair of them, meaning that the two vastly outnumbered Judges must use all their skills and guile to survive an onslaught of attacks from the building’s seemingly infinite number of marauding criminals. 

The boys put this awesome movie in its full context by discussing the entire history of the Dredd character and it’s life across popular culture (including the 1995 Stallone movie version). They go deep on this icon figure’s complex appeal, and what this adaptation got so right, and what the distributors got so wrong (remember the 3-D craze?! Ah…good times) in translating this challenging source material to the silver screen at the second attempt. The guys hand out awards in a hotly contested edition of the ‘Die Hard Oscars’ and wrap things up with a challenging edition of the ‘Double Jeopardy’ Trivia Quiz. But will Liam pass or fail?! 

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqqgrUna28w

At the time of release, DREDD is streaming on Tubi and Vix and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms! It is also available on physical media!

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Rama (Iko Uwais) is a young police officer in the Mobile Brigade Corps, Indonesia’s spec-ops paramilitary tactical unit. Rama is part of an small MBC squad who are tasked with assaulting an impenetrable Jakarta slum ruled by the notorious gangster Tama Riyadi (Ray Sahetapy). The goal is to extract and arrest Tama, but the bungled operation quickly goes to hell, and soon Rama and what’s left of his unit find themselves trapped inside the building, facing overwhelming opposition from Tama’s seemingly endless hordes of henchmen. 

So, are the DHOAB boys ready for a bit of the old ultraviolence? Well, opinions vary. The lads fiercely debate this divisive film’s merits…just like many of the prominent critics did at the time of its release. Is this, as Jason suggests, simply one of the best fight films ever made? Or is it, as Roger Ebert argued, “a visualized video game that spares the audience the inconvenience of playing it”? Perhaps it’s both, and the guys chew it all over, discussing its relevance as a paradigm-shifter for the entire action genre, its influences (and influence) across Asian, American, and indeed world cinema, and its potency, originality, and inventiveness with no recognizable stars, a fixed location, and an extremely limited budget. As always the fellas wrap things up with the Die Hard Oscars, followed by the Double Jeopardy Trivia Quiz…while still searching valiantly for the titular “redemption”! Raid Riders rise up! 

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6Q7KnXpNOg

At the time of release, THE RAID: REDEMPTION is streaming on AMC+, Sundance Now, and Philo and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms! It is also available on physical media!

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When a massive freight train designated 777 accidentally escapes a Pennsylvania railyard under its own power, the authorities scramble to find a solution as the driverless locomotive increases its speed. This highly dangerous situation is yet further complicated when they become aware of 777’s volatile chemical cargo, that effectively turns the runaway train into “a missile the size of the Chrysler building”…a missile that’s now heading into inexorably into a heavily populated area. Fate and circumstances mean that two unlikely heroes – veteran train driver Frank Barnes (Denzel Washington) and rookie conductor Will Colson (Chris Pine) – find themselves on a collision course with the errant vehicle – and with the help of canny yardmaster Connie Hooper (Rosario Dawson), they hatch an audacious plan to try and stop this metallic monster from causing mass destruction in the area they all call home.  

In this thoughtful and emotive conversation, Phil and Liam discuss the film’s importance both as the last film of an iconic artist, and as arguably the last pure action movie ever made…before the entire genre changed forever. They muse on its standing as one of the greatest working class pictures of all time, discuss the potential for it being the best disaster movie ever committed to celluloid, and elaborate further on the idea of the “competency porn” that’s writ large throughout Tony Scott’s filmography. As always there’s detailed analysis of UNSTOPPABLE’s bountiful “Die Hard DNA”, before the lads trade their yellow vests for tuxedos to hand out the “Die Hard Oscars”, and finally the guys bring this beast to a halt with the ever-popular “Double Jeopardy” trivia quiz!  

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l__gGyq21U8

At the time of release, UNSTOPPABLE is streaming on Fubo, Starz, and Philo and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms! It is also available on physical media!

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When a ruthless thief who calls himself Ryder (John Travolta) takes over a New York city subway train and demands a $10 million ransom for the hostages, disgraced MTA official Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) finds himself in the middle of the crisis. Garber must now somehow attempt to negotiate his way through this high stakes situation, which soon becomes even more perilous and political when a suspicious NYPD hostage negotiator (John Turturro) and the slippery Mayor of New York (James Gandolfini) both get personally involved. As the body count rises and tensions increase, Garber finds himself drawn into a strange, almost symbiotic relationship with the unhinged hijacker…and ultimately has to go into the lion’s den to confront him personally. 

While the bulk of this episode is focused on the 2009 Tony Scott remake, inevitably the guys talk extensively about the 1974 original (and even the 1998 TV movie version). Things are starting to come full circle now, as a seventies film that influenced the original 1988 Die Hard is then remade for a post 9/11 landscape…with new Die Hard DNA inevitably added to the mix. The chaps talk about the story’s themes (particularly the astute and incisive examination of big city politics), the inherent challenges of remakes, and the excellent, layered acting performances. As always the guys hand out ‘Die Hard Oscars’ and wrap things up with a challenging edition of the ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz.  

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8TtjRlX_3E

At the time of release, THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123 is streaming on Philo and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, Fandango and all the usual platforms! Both versions of the film are also available on physical media!

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After a group of elite hackers led by former government cyber-security expert Thomas Gabriel (Timothy Olyphant) initiate a massive cyber-attack on critical US infrastructure, grizzled NYPD detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) is dragged into the fray when he is asked to facilitate the routine transfer of a skilled young hacker named Matt Farrell (Justin Long), whom the villains now want dead. The mismatched due of McClane and Matt are then forced to work together to escape the hired killers who are after them and resolve the wider crisis, but when Gabriel learns of McClane’s involvement, he seeks to turn tables by targeting McClane’s emotionally estranged daughter Lucy (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and using her as a pawn in his masterplan…thus forcing McClane to dig deep in order to save both the country and his daughter. 

The guys discuss the film’s complicated legacy, its tortured development history, and the inherent challenges of making a fourth film in any series. They each give their thoughts about what works, what doesn’t and whether or not this robust political action-thriller still feels like a DIE HARD film or not. John McClane 4.0 is also put under the microscope, along with the film’s supporting cast, and the work of the director Len Wiseman. As always the show culminates with the Die Hard Oscars and the ever-popular Double Jeopardy Trivia Quiz…but stay tuned for a special announcement at the very end of this episode!

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOwS1yzIU4k

At the time of release, LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD (aka DIE HARD 4.0) is streaming on Tubi and YouTube TV and is available to rent or buy on Apple TV/iTunes, Fandango and all the usual platforms! It is also available on physical media!

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After a catastrophic terrorist attack on a ferry in New Orleans leaves hundreds of innocent people dead, local ATF agent Doug Carlin (Denzel Washington) becomes drawn into the massive, multi-jurisdictional investigation into the bombing. During this process, FBI agent Paul Pryzwarra (Val Kilmer) invites Doug to join a cutting-edge, secretive unit who are using state-of-the-art surveillance technology to create a flowing, temporary 360-degree “time window” in an attempt to find the culprit. However, Doug gradually discovers that this so-called “time window” is actually a form of time-travel, which therefore creates the meta-physical possibility that this terrible attack could - at least theoretically - be stopped. When Doug begins to develop feelings of love for Clare Kuchever (Paula Patton), one of the victims of the attack, he becomes yet further determined to test the boundaries of known physics in a concerted effort to stop the attack from happening, save the lives of those affected, and create a new timeline.

Appropriately enough (given the film’s subject matter), the guys discuss their deep love for this wildly underrated modern masterpiece from multiple perspectives: as a riff on other classic pictures from film history, as meta-textual self-examination, and as a profound study of the human condition. They get into it all: the themes, the performances, the visuals (wow) and why this film is so much more than the sum of its (spectacular) parts. As always they guys study the film’s ‘DIE HARD DNA’, hand out awards in the ‘DIE HARD OSCARS’ and wrap things up with a suitably convoluted edition of the ‘DOUBLE JEOPARDY’ trivia quiz. So grab the goggle rig and strap in for a journey of mind, body and soul that stretches the boundaries of known physics…and movie podcasts! 

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxdS8TP37I4

At the time of release, DÉJÀ VU is streaming on YouTube TV and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms! It is also available on physical media!

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INSIDE MAN with the help of our own “inside man” Randy Wilkins, a frequent Spike collaborator who actually worked on this movie! 

When calculating master thief Dalton Russell (Clive Owen) puts in motion what he claims is the perfect robbery and takes multiple hostages inside a Wall Street bank, eccentric NYPD detective Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) is assigned to lead the hostage negotiations. However, the fragile situation is complicated yet further when the enigmatic high-level fixer Madeleine White (Jodie Foster) is tasked by the bank’s owner Arthur Case (Christopher Plummer) to retrieve a mysterious artefact located inside a safe deposit box. In order to save the hostages and diffuse the crisis, Detective Frazier must navigate a complex spider’s web of hidden agendas, misdirection and politics both inside and outside the besieged bank, as well as locking horns with the calm, calculating robber who appears to be much smarter than anyone else involved…including himself.   

The guys get into Randy’s long-standing professional relationship with Spike Lee and how he came to work on this particular picture, then move into the ‘DIE HARD DNA’ section where the many connections between the two films are discussed. They break down what makes this film unique in the over-saturated ‘heist movie’ genre, examine its political themes, and discuss the three central performances of Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster (as well as the wider cast). Awards are handed out in the ‘Die Hard Oscars’ and as always events culminate with the ‘Double Jeopardy Trivia Quiz’, where the scores can really change!

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G7n7O5pel0

At the time of release, INSIDE MAN is streaming on Starz and Philo in the US and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms! It is also available on physical media!

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See you in the new year!

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Aging, alcoholic New York City detective (Jack Mosley) is a depressed deadbeat waiting for death when he’s given an unwanted but seemingly routine assignment: to transfer petty criminal Eddie Bunker (Mos Def) from a jail cell to court, where he is planning to testify to a grand jury. However, after he saves Eddie from an assassination attempt, Jack comes to discover that everyone – including his own NYPD colleagues - seem to want Eddie dead. In dire need of redemption, Jack becomes determined to get Eddie to court on time, no matter what the cost or the consequences…  

The guys discuss the abundant DIE HARD DNA (and 48 HRS connections) and place this performance in the wider context of Bruce Willis’ career. They discuss the historic importance of LETHAL WEAPON-helmer Dick Donner making a DIE HARD-adjacent movie, and examine the film’s thematic interests, tonal inspirations, and ultimate ambitions. They discuss the film’s supporting cast, including Mos Def/Yasiin Bey as the interestingly named ‘Eddie Bunker’, podcast favorite David Morse as corrupt cop Frank Nugent, and David Zayas as the trigger-happy Bobby Torres. Awards are dispensed in the ‘Die Hard Oscars’ and as always events culminate with the ‘Double Jeopardy Trivia Quiz’, where the scores can really change!

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqffzRFzdco

At the time of release, 16 BLOCKS is streaming on Hoopla in the US and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms! It is also available on physical media!

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Mild mannered family man Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) owns and runs a diner in the small, Norman Rockwellian town of Millbrook, Indiana, where he lives a quiet, happy life with his wife Edie (Maria Bello) and their two children, teenage son Jack (Ashton Holmes) and a young daughter Sarah (Heidi Hayes). However, Tom’s seemingly idyllic existence is shattered when he thwarts an attempted robbery at the diner, killing two murderous criminals in the process. The local media laud Tom as a hero, and the subsequent press attention results in the appearance of sinister Philadelphia mobster Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris), who believes that “Tom Stall” is in fact “Joey Cusack” a fellow mobster from his past. As Fogerty and his henchmen begin threatening Tom and his family, much of the subsequent tension stems from the uncertainty as to who Tom really is…and what he intends to do about this escalating threat to those he loves. 

The guys discuss their favorite Cronenberg films and where this particular picture fits within the auteur’s oeuvre. They talk about the myriad DIE HARD connections in the ‘DIE HARD DNA’ section, discuss its various themes, its provocative presentation of violence and sex, and the remarkable performances. Awards are handed out in the ‘DIE HARD Oscars’ and events culminate with the ‘Double Jeopardy’ quiz! 

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_GSE_ZsUNw

At the time of release, A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms! It is also available on physical media and is part of the Criterion Collection! 

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This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK we’re discussing the 2005 Bruce Willis action-thriller HOSTAGE! And to break it all down we brought in special guest Jim Penola!

After a fatal miscalculation in a previous siege, hostage negotiator Jeff Talley (Bruce Willis) quits the LAPD and becomes the police chief of a small, quiet, remote California town. However, Talley is thrust back into the limelight when a trio of young criminals rob the mansion of the wealthy local figure Walter Page (Kevin Pollak) and take his children hostage. When the siege goes public, the situation becomes further complicated when it is revealed that Page is a mob accountant. The mysterious criminal syndicate then pressurize Talley to retrieve a valuable item from the house, putting Talley and his own family between a rock and a hard place.  

Given its presence and its leading actor, it's a film positively overflowing with DIE HARD DNA…yet unlike the 1988 Christmas classic, HOSTAGE has a particularly mean-spirited and abrasive tone. To make sense of this picture, we enlisted the help of Jim Penola, a connoisseur of the “home invasion” movie, and together the guys discuss this film in the wider context of the “action-horror” subgenre, the French extremist movement, and Bruce Willis’ career. They hand out awards in the DIE HARD OSCARS and pit their wits against the quizmaster in the Double Jeopardy section! You won’t feel like a hostage listening to this episode!!! (etc. etc.)

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCt4L7RPweE

At the time of release, HOSTAGE is streaming on Hoopla in the US, and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms! It is also available on physical media! 

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This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK we’re battening down the hatches with Ethan Hawke and Laurence Fishburne as we discuss the 2005 remake of ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13!

After a botched undercover drug bust results in the deaths of two of his fellow team members, traumatized Detroit cop Jake Roenick (Ethan Hawke) now works an unambitious desk job, where he oversees a quiet, remote precinct that’s about to be decommissioned. However, when a busload of prisoners – including notorious gangster Marion Bishop (Laurence Fishburne) - are forced to take refuge at said precinct because of a brutal New Year’s Eve snowstorm, Jake suddenly finds himself called back into action when mysterious masked gunmen assault the police station…

After comparing and contrasting this film with John Carpenter’s original 1976 classic (itself a loose remake of RIO BRAVO), the guys discuss the myriad DIE HARD (and DIE HARD 2) DNA on display in this pressure-cooker siege scenario, while musing on the possibility that the echoes of previous wars (Vietnam, the Iraq invasion) may be reverberating inside both versions of the story. They also discuss the idea of the “action-horror” subgenre in this surprisingly gory picture, as well as Ethan Hawke’s post-TRAINING DAY action-hero run. Awards are handed out to the stellar ensemble cast in the DIE HARD OSCARS section, and as always the episode culminates with a cheeky edition of the DOUBLE JEOPARDY trivia quiz!

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isoX0zcyG-4

At the time of release, ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 is streaming on Starz and Philo in the US, and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms! It is also available on physical media!

The original 1976 version is also currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Fubo, Roki, Pluto TV, Kanopy, Shout TV, Plex and The Criterion Channel!

Click here to subscribe to our Patreon feed 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES, where we’ve discussed other John Carpenter classics such as BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA and THEY LIVE!

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This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK we’re taking a ride with Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx as we discuss Michael Mann’s exemplary 2004 thriller COLLATERAL!

Fastidious cab driver Max (Jamie Foxx) picks up a mysterious passenger named Vincent (Tom Cruise), who, impressed with Max’s driving and knowledge of the sprawling city, offers to hire him for the night while he makes a few stops around LA. However, Max soon discovers that Vincent is in fact a contract killer, who then forces Max to drive him around the city so that he can assassinate a list of people involved in a massive federal case. As an ordinary guy pitted against a skilled and ruthless hitman, Max must somehow find a way to survive and stop Vincent from completing his deadly mission.

After outlining the surprisingly dense and detailed amount of ‘DIE HARD DNA’ in this jazz-infused LA neo-noir, the guys wrestle with a fundamental question: is this the greatest thriller ever made? They get into the film’s philosophical themes, discuss the remarkable against-type performances from the two leads (and the stellar supporting cast) and place this film in context within Michael Mann’s filmography. The guys wrap things up with a highly competitive edition of the DIE HARD OSCARS (there’s a ton of love for Mark Ruffalo) and the always entertaining DOUBLE JEOPARDY trivia quiz!

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JDf2zIFgO8

At the time of release, COLLATERAL is streaming on Paramount Plus and Kanopy in the US, and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms! It is also available on physical media!

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This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK we’re in a glass case of emotion with special guests Katie Walsh and Blake Howard as we discuss the 2002 high-concept thriller PHONE BOOTH, starring Colin Farrell and Forest Whitaker!

Slick, sleazy, unscrupulous celebrity publicist Stu Shepard (Colin Farrell) lies for a living, hustling on behalf of his clients while strutting the streets of New York, and constantly making and taking phone calls with the help of a young intern named Adam (Keith Nobbs). However, while visiting one of the city’s few remaining phone booths to secretly call a young actress he is trying to sleep with behind his wife’s back, Stu suddenly finds himself in the middle of a terrifying situation…when an unidentified “Caller” (Kiefer Sutherland) informs Stu that he will kill him with a sniper rifle unless he remains in the phone booth and follows all his demands…

As the two hosts of the MIAMI NICE podcast, our friends Blake and Katie are no stronger to the joys of Colin Farrell…nor of director Joel Schumacher, whose life, career and filmmaking style are all discussed at length. We also get into the film’s long and tortured development history, other directors who were considered to helm Larry Cohen’s long-gestating screenplay (including Michael Bay), and of course, the surprisingly high amount of “Die Hard DNA” crammed into that confined space. We hand out some awards in the “Die Hard Oscars” and wrap things up with the “Double Jeopardy Quiz”…where the scores can really change. Schumacher stans rise up!

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUqTCsjCsA8

At the time of release, PHONE BOOTH is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms!

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After a summer hiatus, DIE HARD ON A BLANK is back with a vengeance and we’re bringing the heat…because this week we’re exploring Rob Bowman’s 2002 monster mash REIGN OF FIRE, with the help of returning special guest Rob Hackett!

As a young boy, Quinn Abercromby is visiting the construction of an underground tunnel in London, when he stumbles on a horrifying discovery – a dormant dragon – who attacks and kills the construction workers, including his mother. Twenty years later, what’s left of humanity is hanging by a thread following the rise of the dragons, and the now adult Quinn (Christian Bale) is the de facto leader of a group of survivors, who have adjusted to their grim new reality and live a remote existence in a castle in Northumberland. However, their existence is disrupted by the arrival of mysterious American soldier Van Zan (Matthew McConaughey), who claims to be a dragon slayer…and who might hold the key to humanity’s salvation. 

As a top executive at James Wan’s production company Atomic Monster (who recently merged with Blumhouse), Rob is uniquely positioned to provide expert insight into a film that falls somewhere between a blockbuster and a genre picture. The guys also discuss the history of dragons on film and in popular culture, the story’s mythic underpinnings, and its exploration of different cultural attitudes to crises, as embodied by a Brit (Bale) and an American (McConaughey). Is this a WW2 analogy? Is it about post-9/11 gloom? Or is it just a kick-ass monster movie? The guys get into it all and much more! Damn it’s good to be back!

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUXQ2f3GAXA

At the time of release, REIGN OF FIRE is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms, and is available on physical media from selected outlets!

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This week on 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES, we tackle one of the defining entries in the genre — LETHAL WEAPON 2! For Liam, this one’s personal: a formative film that helped shape his love of buddy movies and action cinema. We unpack the evolution of Riggs and Murtaugh’s partnership, from antagonistic sparks in the first film to full-blown brotherhood here, and how that emotional core elevates the surrounding mayhem. We dig into Richard Donner’s slick direction, Joel Silver’s architectural in-jokes, the reverberating echoes of Shane Black’s voice in the heavily re-written script, and the film’s perfect cocktail of gunfights, jokes, and toilet-based suspense. Plus: the politics of apartheid-era villains, the joys of Joe Pesci’s scene-stealing turn, and how this sequel helped codify the rhythms and tropes of the modern buddy action movie. A foundational text — and a very special episode! You won’t be “immune” to the vibes of this one!

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbFE2P3tASI

At the time of release, LETHAL WEAPON 2 is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube and Fandango and on physical media through selected outlets.

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CREDITS

"Miami Nights - Extended Theme" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

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This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK we’re breaking into PANIC ROOM with the help of a specialist: Shahir Daud - filmmaker, Fincher fanatic and host of the long-running show THE ONLY PODCAST ABOUT MOVIES!

On their first night after moving in to a luxurious New York ‘townstone’, recently divorced single mother Meg Altman (Jodie Foster) and her 11 year-old daughter Sarah (Kristen Stewart) are terrorized by a trio of mysterious burglars. When Meg and Sarah become aware of the intruders, they seek refuge in the house’s high-tech ‘panic room’, only to discover that the thing the thieves want most is inside that very room.

Despite being more of a Hitchcockian thriller than a traditional action movie, PANIC ROOM is nonetheless filled with DIE HARD DNA – right down to the bearer bonds (the economics of which we’re still trying to understand). The guys place this film in context among the wider careers of both director David Fincher and writer David Koepp, and analyze if it explores any of the thematic obsession of both of these storied creators. They discuss the performances of the movie’s eclectic cast and go deep on Fincher’s groundbreaking filmmaking techniques. As always events culminate with the DIE HARD OSCARS and the delightfully devilish DOUBLE JEOPARDY TRIVIA QUIZ. Fincher-philes rise up! 

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp2kKzrCm44

At the time of release, PANIC ROOM is streaming on Fubo, and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms!

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This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK…it’s war! Not just on screen, but also between Phil and Liam, have very different opinions about this divisive film!

During a disastrous mission in Somalia, a group of U.S. soldiers find themselves besieged by scores of enemy militia in the city of Mogadishu, a situation that is compounded when not one but two Black Hawk helicopters crash in the middle of the war zone. With the situation worsening by the minute, inexperienced Staff Sgt Matt Eversman (Josh Hartnett) must use all his skills and determination to bring his men home, save the pilots, and honor the Army Ranger credo: ‘No Man Left Behind’.

As our hosts debate the relative merits and demerits of this undeniably powerful picture, the conversation also widens into a larger discussion of whether any film can legitimately be an anti-war movie or whether all war films are inherently propagandistic on some level. The boys also discuss some of their own brushes with military personnel and how that informed their views about this film…and Phil even recounts his own experience of flying in a Black Hawk! As always, events culminate with the Die Hard Oscars and the Double Jeopardy trivia quiz. Helo heads rise up!  

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GfBkC3qs78

At the time of release, BLACK HAWK DOWN is available to stream on Netflix, Hoopla and Kanopy and is available rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms, as well as on physical media!

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This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK, we are storming THE LAST CASTLE with returning special guest Jason Bailey, author of GANDOLFINI: Jim, Tony and the Life of a Legend.

When decorated three-star U.S. Army General Eugene Irwin (Robert Redford) is sentenced to a term in a military prison overseen by Colonel Winter (James Gandolfini), both men gradually slide into a destructive power struggle…and when Irwin witnesses Winter’s brutal tactics firsthand, he eventually leads the prisoners in a full on uprising against his opposite number. 

As we examine Rod Lurie’s highly underrated 2001 siege drama, we dig into the film’s resonant themes of anti-authoritarianism, courage under fire, and personal honor, and debate whether this might be that rare bird: a pro-military movie with liberal politics.

But mostly, we dive deep on James Gandolfini’s extraordinary performance as one of the most human and sympathetic “villains” in modern action movie history — a turn that may just be his best ever big-screen role. Plus: the Die Hard Oscars, Double Jeopardy trivia, and some inside baseball on the off-screen relationship between Gandolfini and Robert Redford during the film’s difficult shoot. Lurie Lads rise up!!

ORIGINAL TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsxA8Euaiw0

At the time of release, THE LAST CASTLE is available to stream on Paramount Plus and is available rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms, as well as on physical media!

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This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK, we plug into SWORDFISH — the slick, post-Matrix cyber-thriller produced by Joel Silver and directed by Dominic Sena. With Hugh Jackman hacking mainframes under extreme duress, John Travolta dropping pseudo-Brechtian monologues, Halle Berry delivering the most famous topless scene of the early 2000s, and Don Cheadle constantly violating people’s civil rights, it’s a film that dares to ask: does it matter if a movie makes no sense, as long as it’s entertaining? We also dig into Swordfish's dense meta-layering and debate the broader question: when is too much meta actually bad for the form? As always we break the film down in detail in our ‘Anatomy of an Action Movie section’, hand out some ‘Die Hard Oscars’ and wrestle with some ‘Double Jeopardy’ brain teasers…heck, there’s even a Vinnie Jones impression thrown into the mix for good measure! What more could you possibly want?! 

SWORDFISH trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFwtY1bxlNc

At the time of release, SWORDFISH is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms, as well as on physical media!

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This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK, we strap on our snakeskin boots and bullet belts for a dive into 3000 MILES TO GRACELAND - the loud, chaotic, Elvis-themed heist movie that somehow manages to sneak in a surprising amount of DIE HARD DNA!

Two career criminals, Michael Zane (Kurt Russell), and Thomas Murphy (Kevin Costner) team up to pull a casino robbery in Las Vegas during an Elvis convention. However, the botched heist results in a high body count and in the aftermath, the psychotic, self-serving Murphy betrays Michael and the rest of the crew, sparking an expansive feud between the two men, who each try to reclaim their ill-gotten gains from the other, leaving an escalating trail of carnage in their wake.

We explore how this underrated oddity isn’t merely a post-Tarantino shoot-’em-up, but a film obsessed with American archetypes - outlaws, lawmen, lone wolves, and false idols. We also dig into the maximalist performances from Kurt Russell and Kevin Costner, the mythic cowboy framing, and how the film situates itself in the lineage of Western icons reimagined for the modern age. Is it Die Hard in a jumpsuit? Tune in and find out!

3000 MILES TO GRACELAND trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdEFmGB--kQ

At the time of release, 3000 MILES TO GRACELAND is streaming on Philo and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms, as well as on physical media.

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I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK, we’re trying to keep our collective cool as we discuss the 1999 buddy-comedy/action-misfire CHILL FACTOR! Joining us on our adventure is none other than special guest Matthew Strohl, a professor at the University of Montana and author of the books Hard to Watch and Why It’s Ok To Love Bad Movies!  

When an experimental military chemical weapon nicknamed "Elvis" accidentally falls into civilian hands, a hapless ice cream truck driver (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and down-on-his-luck diner cook (Skeet Ulrich) team up to keep it away from the ruthless mercenaries who are trying to steal it. The catch is that if "Elvis" heats above 50 degrees, it will detonate with catastrophic consequences – forcing the unlikely duo to outrun the bad guys and keep the temperature under that threshold, all while attempting to safely deliver the precarious device to a military facility!

We start by analyzing the film’s DNA, which includes genetic links to a myriad of movies including DIE HARD, SPEED, THE ROCK, THELMA & LOUISE, and most surprisingly, A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT.  Backed by Matt’s spirited defense case, we try to give this much maligned (and largely forgotten) motion picture its day in court, applying the thesis espoused in his excellent books to the film. Against the odds, this approach leads to a passionate (and unexpectedly deep) discussion about how we choose to engage with art…as CHILL FACTOR becomes a living example of “why it’s okay to love to bad movies”! But the fun doesn’t stop there...because as always we wrap things up with the DIE HARD OSCARS and the DOUBLE JEOPARDY trivia quiz!

CHILL FACTOR trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYNiikB4wvI

At the time of release, CHILL FACTOR is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms, as well as on physical media. It is also available in its entirety on YouTube at the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7ede9OJ6pw

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www.patreon.com/48hoursofbuddymovies

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This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK, we’re looking into the most sinister street in America…ARLINGTON ROAD! And to investigate this mysterious neighborhood we enlisted special guest and returning DHOAB all-star Bilge Ebiri!

After saving their son’s life, widowed college professor and terrorism expert Michael Faraday (Jeff Bridges) gradually begins to suspect that his seemingly perfect new neighbors - Oliver and Cheryl Lang (Tim Robbins and Joan Cusack) - are involved in a domestic terror plot. As he mounts a rogue investigation into their lives, Faraday’s obsession with uncovering the truth spirals into paranoia, isolation, and a deadly battle of wills, one that threatens not only his life, but that of his young son Grant (Spencer Treat Clark).

During this wide-ranging discussion about this eerily prescient film, the guys go into detail on the career of boomer icon Jeff Bridges (with Bridges scholar Bilge) and discuss the genius of casting Tim Robbins against type as a terrifying villain. 

ARLINGTON ROAD trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfbBavo86qs

At the time of release, ARLINGTON ROAD is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango and all the usual platforms!

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This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK, we’re diving headfirst into one of the wettest, wildest, and wackiest Die Hard riffs of the late '90s: DEEP BLUE SEA (1999), directed by none other than Renny Harlin! We’re joined by special guest Justin LaLiberty - director of operations for Vinegar Syndrome and a key figure in the ongoing physical media renaissance - to talk shark attacks, elevator shafts, and Samuel L. Jackson’s iconic “interrupted monologue” moment!

From the unmistakable DIE HARD FRANCHISE DNA, to the undersea siege structure and classic containment premise, we trace just how much Deep Blue Sea swims in McClane-infested waters! We also discuss the unusual, uneven career of Thomas Jane, the effervescent magic of LL Cool J, and that bizarre Ronny Cox “cameo”! It’s DIE HARD in an underwater lab full of brain-enhanced sharks, and it might just be the most fun you can have in a Renny Harlin flick that isn’t Die Hard 2!

DEEP BLUE SEA trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSz9MDN-iac

At the time of release, DEEP BLUE SEA is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango and all the usual platforms!

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This week, hosts Phil and Liam are following the white rabbit into one of the most prophetic and influential movie of the 90s - The Matrix (1999) - with special guest Matt Zoller Seitz, the renowned Editor at Large of rogerebert.com. He is a Features Writer at New York Magazine, and is the author of many books, including books on Wes Anderson, Mad Men, The Sopranos, and many more. Matt not only loves this movie, but talks eloquently about how it changed his life.

Released in the banner year of 1999, The Matrix follows Thomas Anderson, a mild-mannered software engineer who moonlights as a notorious hacker known as Neo, discovers to his horror that the world he lives in is actually an elaborate simulated reality created by intelligent machines who have subjugated humanity. Guided by the enigmatic resistance leader Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and the skilled warrior Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), Neo learns the truth about the Matrix and his potential role as "The One," a prophesied savior who can bend, and perhaps break, its rules. As he battles powerful Agents led by the ruthless Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving), Neo must embrace his destiny and free his mind to prevent the machines' enslavement of humanity.

We talk about the film's unexpected connections to Die Hard (Kinda blowing Matt's mind), the movie's philosophical complexity (Plato! Descartes! Baurdrillard!), it's appropriation by both the right and left-wing, and if it can be seen, 26 years on, as being somewhat optimistic. We also talk about the culture-chaning action, the amazing performances by Reeves, Moss, Fishburne, and Weaving, and how the movie's style hasn't aged a day.

So call your operator and strap in for one of our most mind-blowing episodes yet!

Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts!

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This week, hosts Phil and Liam are taking on one of the most provocative and eerily prescient action-thrillers of the ‘90s - The Siege (1998) - with special guest Jason Bailey, the esteemed film critic, author, and podcaster whose work has appeared in The Playlist, The New York Times, Vulture, Vice, Rolling Stone, Slate, and more. Not only is Jason a brilliant film thinker, but he might know our show even better than we do!

Released three years before 9/11, The Siege follows Denzel Washington’s no-nonsense FBI agent as he tries to stop a wave of terrorist attacks in New York, while navigating political interference from Annette Bening’s enigmatic CIA operative and the creeping authoritarian overreach of Bruce Willis’ hardline general. Meanwhile, Tony Shalhoub delivers one of the film’s most deeply human performances, grounding the story’s complex, often unsettling politics.

We dig into the film’s depiction of New York City, what it gets right, wrong, and unexpectedly prophetic, and how it reckons with issues of surveillance, civil liberties, and national security in ways that still feel shockingly relevant today. We also break down the performances of the four leads, the film’s tense, procedural thriller mechanics, and where it sits in the broader landscape of '90s action films that flirted with real-world geopolitics.

So strap in for one of our most in-depth, thought-provoking episodes yet!

Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts!

THE SIEGE trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dDVppzDwJA

At the time of release, THE SIEGE is streaming on the Starz app and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango and all the usual platforms!

Click here to subscribe to our Patreon feed 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES! Sign up on the website (instead of the app) to save $$$!

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This week, hosts Phil and Liam are stepping into the swirling, neon-drenched chaos of Brian De Palma’s SNAKE EYES (1998) - joined by none other than Travis Woods, the highly acclaimed film writer who is literally writing the book on De Palma.

During a high-profile boxing match in Atlantic City, corrupt local detective Rick Santoro (Nicolas Cage) witnesses the assassination of the U.S. Secretary of Defense, who was being guarded by his best friend, US Navy Commander Kevin Dunne (Gary Sinise). With thousands of people trapped inside the casino, and a hurricane on the way, the building becomes a deadly pressure cooker, and as Santoro unearths a dark conspiracy, he must decide whether to take a pay off and look the other way…or risk everything to expose the truth.

What follows is a pressure-cooker thriller set almost entirely inside this one building, packed with impossibly complex tracking shots, split diopters galore, and some of the most ostentatious filmmaking flexes of De Palma’s career. We break down how Snake Eyes really is both “Die Hard in a casino” and “Die Hard 2 in a casino”, why it’s a perfect showcase for Cage’s full-throttle charisma, and how De Palma - the king of cinematic maximalism - injects pure operatic style into a film that’s basically one long unraveling conspiracy. Plus, Travis takes us deep into De Palma’s career, his recurring themes of surveillance, voyeurism, and deception, and where Snake Eyes fits amidst the great man’s remarkable legacy. So throw on your loudest suit, place your bets, and join us as we go all-in on this gloriously demented, spectacularly sleazy thriller! Here comes the pain, baby!

SNAKE EYES trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VucLIxy23TA

At the time of release, SNAKE EYES is streaming on Fubo and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango, Plex and all the usual platforms!

Click here to subscribe to our Patreon feed 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES! Sign up on the website (instead of the app) to save $$$!

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This week, hosts Phil and Liam are locked into a high-stakes discussion on The Negotiator - the 1998 action-thriller starring Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey in a battle of wits, words, and tactical mind games!

When he becomes inveigled in a corruption scandal involving suspected embezzlement of the Chicago P.D. pension’s fund, expert hostage negotiator Danny Roman (Samuel L. Jackson) decides to turn the tables and takes hostages at the Internal Affairs bureau, in an effort to find the truth and clear his name. Sensing that he has enemies in his own midst, Roman demands that the only negotiator he will speak to be Chris Sabian (Kevin Spacey), a mysterious stranger from an entirely different district. But can Sabian be trusted? And how do you negotiate your way out when everyone assumes you are the real villain?

In this tightly wound pressure-cooker thriller, we break down how The Negotiator cleverly inverts the Die Hard formula - putting the good guy in control of the siege, with a besieged skyscraper, hostages, FBI interference, and a whole lot of air shaft action! We explore the film’s copious Die Hard DNA, from over-the-radio showdowns and ill-fated SWAT assaults to computer hacking, power shutdowns, and even a debate about old Western movies between the two adversaries! We also highlight the killer supporting cast, the film’s “Glengarry with Guns” energy, and why F. Gary Gray deserves more love! Plus, we dig into the importance of the Chicago setting and discuss how the film channels The Fugitive with its “wrongly accused” narrative - shoutout to Andrew Davis! Chicago forever! As usual we hand out our Die Hard Oscars to worthy candidates and wrap things up with some ‘Double Jeopardy’ brain teasers!

THE NEGOTIATOR trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnSk9xrOf2M

At the time of release, THE NEGOTIATOR is streaming on Amazon Prime Video in the UK. In the US it is streaming on Plex and is available to rent or buy on YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango and all the usual platforms.

Click here to subscribe to our Patreon feed 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES! Sign up on the website (instead of the app) to save $$$!

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This week, hosts Phil and Liam are going ballistic with a very special guest: Brad Peyton, director of blockbuster smashes such as San Andreas and Rampage!

When NASA discover that a massive ‘global killer’ asteroid is heading inexorably towards Earth, the boffins hatch an audacious plan to save humanity by landing a team on the asteroid and blowing it up from the inside. However, the only person capable of performing this Herculean task is expert oil driller Harry Stamper (Bruce Willis) and his rowdy team of roughnecks, who must somehow learn to become astronauts in 12 days in order to complete this seemingly impossible mission!

In this suitably epic episode, we dive deep into the history of the disaster movie genre with none other than Brad Peyton, the director behind San Andreas and Rampage. From the towering spectacle of The Towering Inferno to the genre-defining Die Hard, we explore how disaster films evolved into high-stakes, character-driven blockbusters offering enormous spectacle. Brad, a passionate cinephile, makes a compelling case for Michael Bay as an American auteur, breaking down the director’s signature visual style and bombastic approach to storytelling. We also discuss how Armageddon took the concept of “Bruce Willis saves the day” the day to the maximum extreme, pushing the limits of what a disaster movie could be.

This was a wide-ranging, emotional, and inspiring conversation, as Brad shared his insights on crafting large-scale destruction while keeping the human stakes front and center. He walks us through his approach to making a great disaster movie, the delicate balance of tension and spectacle, and why audiences are drawn to stories of survival against impossible odds. Things also got personal, as the guys discussed the power of cinema to uplift and entertain, and how, at their core, disaster movies remind us of resilience, courage, and the human spirit. This is an episode you won’t want to miss – it’s our biggest, most bombastic episode yet!

ARMAGEDDON trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-8eEniEfgU

At the time of release, ARMAGEDDON is streaming on Fubo and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango and all the usual platforms. Click here to subscribe to our Patreon feed 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES! Sign up on the website (instead of the app) to save $$$!

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This week, hosts Phil and Liam are taking DESPERATE MEASURES with a very special guest: Peter Gawthorne, aka Phil’s dad!!!

When his young son Matthew is in need of a bone-marrow transplant, his father, San Francisco cop Frank Conner (Andy Garcia) searches desperately for a compatible donor. However, the only candidate he can find is incarcerated murderer Peter McCabe (Michael Keaton), a notorious criminal mastermind. After McCabe agrees to partake in the procedure, he uses the process as an opportunity to launch an audacious, violent escape attempt, but as Frank and the authorities attempt to contain the situation, Frank comes to realize that he and McCabe are in a symbiotic relationship – and that he must somehow capture his new nemesis while ensuring McCabe is not killed in the process!

In this thrilling episode of DIE HARD ON A BLANK, we tackle this high-stakes action thriller directed by French New Wave titan Barbet Schroeder. With its tense hospital setting and cat-and-mouse dynamics, this film gives the 'Die Hard formula' a fresh, medical twist - complete with explosive action and an unrelentingly evil (yet hugely charismatic) villain. We dive into Keaton’s chilling performance as Peter McCabe, a dangerous sociopath whose bone marrow might be the key to saving a dying boy’s life, and explore Andy Garcia’s portrayal of a desperate father willing to break every rule to save his son. How does this underrated gem measure up against other films in the Die Hard-on-a-[blank] subgenre? We’ve got all the answers!

But that’s not all! Joining us this week is a very special guest, Phil’s dad Peter Gawthorne, a devoted listener of the show and a former hospital manager himself! Fan favorite ‘Petey’ brings a fresh perspective on the ‘Die Hard on a Blank’ subgenre, making this a uniquely personal episode you won’t want to miss. Whether you’re a lover of 90s thrillers, a Michael Keaton devotee, a Barbet Schroeder aficionado or you’re just here for the father-son banter, this episode has something for everyone!

DESPERATE MEASURES trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i63VGK1ElN0

At the time of release, DESPERATE MEASURES is streaming on Fubo and Roku and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango and all the usual platforms. Click here to subscribe to our Patreon feed 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES! Sign up on the website (instead of the app) to save $$$!

www.patreon.com/48hoursofbuddymovies

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This week, hosts Phil and Liam dive into the murky depths of DEEP RISING with special guest Rob Hackett, an executive at James Wan’s company Atomic Monster!

During a rough storm, Captain John Finnegan (Treat Williams) and his crew are hired by a group of mercenaries to take them to an undisclosed location in the South China sea. Unbeknownst to Finnegan, the mercenaries plan to hijack and rob a recently built luxury cruise liner, but when they arrive, they find the massive ship eerily deserted. As the group attempt to uncover this mystery and complete their mission, they realize that the entire ship is infested with deadly tentacular beasties who have slaughtered everyone on board. Can Finnegan and the group find a way to escape this floating death house before the damaged ship sinks into the dark ocean?

The episode explores the unique challenges of pulling off a horror-comedy like DEEP RISING, where the tone constantly shifts between gruesome terror and over-the-top action. Rob Hackett lends his expertise from the world of genre filmmaking, shedding light on why blending horror and humor can be so tricky, and why it’s so rewarding when it is executed this skillfully. From the visual effects to the memorable performances, this film serves as a perfect example of how genre-blending can work when the right balance is struck.

As always, the discussion wouldn’t be complete without dissecting the ‘Die Hard DNA’ that runs through DEEP RISING - an ensemble of quirky characters trapped in a confined space with a deadly threat, all while a tough-as-nails, monologuing protagonist, played by Treat Williams, steps up to lead the charge. Stay tuned for a look at the film's influences, its lasting cult appeal, and why it’s such an underrated gem in the action-horror world. Plus, don’t miss the always entertaining ‘Die Hard Oscars’ and a thrilling round of ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia!

DEEP RISING trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVFEVXIyu00

At the time of release, DEEP RISING is streaming on Hoopla and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango and all the usual platforms.

Click here to subscribe to our Patreon feed 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES!

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Happy New Year! This week we’re jumping on the feed to tell you about the first 10 movies we’re covering on 48 Hours Of Buddy Movies! For the price of a cup of coffee, you can hear us talk about two more movies every month! Come on! What else are you doing with your bearer bonds or krugerrands or hard-earned American dollars?

Visit patreon.com/48hoursofbuddymovies to join the fun for $5 a month!

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This week, hosts Phil and Liam dive headfirst into the watery chaos of HARD RAIN with special guest Kris Tapley of the 50MPH Podcast!

As the small midwestern town of Huntingberg, Indiana is overwhelmed by an epic flood, armored car security guard Tom (Christian Slater) finds himself in the middle of heist plot orchestrated by determined thief Jim (Morgan Freeman). Tom attempts to thwart the thieves by hiding the money, but as the water level rises, he soon discovers that the opportunity presented by this natural disaster brings out both the best and the worst in his fellow citizens. Can Tom stop the thieves, avenge his partner’s death, and save the remaining townsfolk, before the dam breaks and the entire area goes completely underwater?

In this action-packed episode, the guys explore the film’s unique take on the ‘Die Hard’ paradigm, comparing it to other water-based action thrillers and dissecting the themes of survival, greed, and heroism in a flooded world. What does the film say about human nature in the face of catastrophe? How does HARD RAIN stack up as an action film when compared to others in the genre? And just what the hell is Betty White doing in this movie?!

With Kris Tapley’s insights from his years in the world of film criticism, the discussion dives deep into the film’s approach to disaster cinema, its star-studded cast, its Western echoes, and the ambitious technical challenges of bringing a flooded town to life on screen. They also address the oft-repeated urban legend that this film was once considered as a sequel to SPEED! So join the boys for a suitably wet and wild episode!

HARD RAIN trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vsmt4B35hsM

At the time of release, HARD RAIN is available to stream on Hoopla and Pluto TV and is available to rent or buy on YouTube, Apple TV and Fandango.

Click here to subscribe to our Patreon-only podcast, 48 Hours Of Buddy Movies!

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If you'd like to see the video version of this, join our patreon! Our episodes this month include Beverly Hills Cop and To Live And Die In LA!

We appreciate your support this year and we hope you'll continue the journey here and on 48 Hours Of Buddy Movies!

See you in the new year!

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For this crossover Christmas special, we forced the mismatched podcasts of 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES and DIE HARD ON A BLANK to team up! (They hated it at first, but eventually reached a place of mutual understanding and respect. This week, Phil and Liam dive deep into Richard Donner’s iconic 1987 mega-hit Lethal Weapon, starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. They discuss how this film solidified the formula for the 'buddy cop' genre and turned its two heroes into the ultimate crime-fighting duo. They explore the film’s themes, especially it’s Vietnam-echoes, as well as the unique chemistry that made Riggs and Murtaugh such an unforgettable double act. They also debut a fresh round of 48 HRS-themed awards, including ‘Best Fit’, ‘Most Valuable Weasel’ and ‘Best Gratuitous Nude Scene!'

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKeW-MGu-qQ

At the time of release, Lethal Weapon is available is available to rent or buy on Apple TV/iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Fandango YouTube, and Vudu.

Click here to subscribe to our Patreon-only podcast, 48 Hours Of Buddy Movies!

"Miami Nights - Extended Theme" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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For this inaugural flagship episode of their new show, Phil and Liam discuss Walter Hill’s 1982 masterpiece 48 HRS starring Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy! They talk about the history of the ‘buddy movie’ genre both before and after this film, and explain how this movie changed the game and ushered in a new era. They analyze the picture’s ’48 CHROMOSOMES’, outlining the key elements that would be replicated in subsequent buddy movies, and break down the film in more detail in the ‘Anatomy of an Action Movie’ section, studying the premise, heroes, villains, action, and humor. Finally they test drive a new series of 48 HRS-themed awards, including Best Fit, Best Gratuitous Nude Scene and Most Valuable Weasel!

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7foFz6M0wo

48 HRS is currently streaming on Paramount Plus in the US and is available to rent or buy on Apple TV/iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube and Fandango.

This is the first episode of 48 Hours of Buddy Movies! This episode and our holiday special on Lethal Weapon will be free here and on our Patreon feed. All episodes in January will be for paying listeners only! You can sign up for the paid feed at patreon.com/48hoursofbuddymovies whenever you want to throw us some of your hard-earned cash!

"Miami Nights - Extended Theme" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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This week it’s the DIE HARD ON A BLANK 50th episode bonanza, and Phil and Liam are tracking down THE JACKAL, the 1997 action-thriller starring Bruce Willis, Richard Gere, Sidney Poitier, Diane Venora and J.K. Simmons!

After an FBI raid results in the death of a vicious Russian gangster, the mobster’s aggrieved brother hires an elusive international assassin known as ‘the Jackal’ (Bruce Willis) for a retaliatory killing against a high-profile American target. But because so few people have ever seen this wily hitman in the flesh, FBI Deputy Director Carter Preston (Sidney Poitier) decides to bring one of the Jackal’s former cohorts - imprisoned IRA sniper Declan Mulqueen (Richard Gere) - onto the task force assigned to stop him. Can Carter, Declan and the team track down and take out the Jackal before he completes his deadly mission?

With its high-stakes terrorism plot and escalating action, THE JACKAL shares strong DNA with the DIE HARD series, providing ample material for comparison. Phil also uncovers some fascinating information about alternative casting choices for both films, that spark some captivating thought experiments. Did you know that Richard Gere was formally offered the role of John McClane, and that producer Joel Silver aggressively pursued him for the part?

Phil loves this film, whereas Liam is not so hot on it, so they each present the case for the defense and the prosecution. They discuss the performances of the lead actors, particularly Bruce Willis's portrayal of the cold-blooded assassin, and Richard Gere's complex, reluctant hero, as well as the excellent supporting turns from Sidney Poitier and Diane Venora (Venora-Cast anyone???). The episode also explores the film's reception, examining its critical reviews and box office performance, (and controversies), and the guys discuss how it fits within the broader action-thriller genre of the late 1990s. The late appearance of the Marine heavy helicopter in the film’s finale ticks the ‘Philly Special’ box and sends Phil into delirious rapture!

As always events culminate with the DIE HARD Oscars and the Double Jeopardy trivia quiz, but stay tuned for a very exciting announcement at the end of the show!

THE JACKAL trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nszMBbCZKo4

At the time of release, THE JACKAL is available to watch on Tubi and Starz, and is available to rent or buy on Prime Video, YouTube, Apple/iTunes, Fandango, and all the usual platforms!

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It’s Die Hard on the President’s plane!

This week, your co-pilots Phil Gawthorne and Liam Billingham take you on a thrilling ride on AIR FORCE ONE, with special guest Adam Volerich from the Eye of the Duck podcast!

Shortly after delivering a controversial speech where he vows to never to negotiate with terrorists, US President James Marshall (Harrison Ford) finds himself on the horns of a dilemma when the Presidential plane known as Air Force One is taken over by a group of ruthless Russian terrorists led by Egor Korshunov (Gary Oldman). With his staff and his family now among the hostages, Marshall must work to resolve the situation and save the day, while his squabbling political colleagues attempt to manage the crisis from the ground. Can Marshall and co defeat the terrorists before his own family are executed, and/or the plane crashes?

The guys dissect this film’s bountiful ‘Die Hard DNA’ and dive deep into Hollywood's complex relationship with the Presidency over the years, exploring how the portrayal of the Commander-in-Chief has evolved over time, and what this reveals about American culture and values throughout different eras. In the process, they grapple with a number of thought-provoking questions, such as what's the difference between good jingoism and bad jingoism? Is patriotism really a virtue of the vicious? And are we overthinking all this?

The lads also closely examine Harrison Ford's iconic performance – and the pros and cons of what his persona brings aboard - in a detailed section about the film’s hero, President James Marshall. The final discussion is as riveting as the film itself, covering themes of leadership, crisis management, and the politics of fear. Events culminate with the Die Hard Oscars and the ‘Double Jeopardy’ Trivia Quiz where the scores can really change…if that score isn’t spoiled by an annoying blabbermouth aide!

AIR FORCE ONE trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FItgZOuaPVY

At the time of release, AIR FORCE ONE is available to rent or buy on YouTube, Apple/iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Fandango, and all the usual platforms! 

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(you can watch this week's episode on YouTube!)

This week, bros Phil Gawthorne and Liam Billingham dive out of an airplane sporting two gold-plated pistols with returning guest Isaac Butler, author of The Method, one of the formative texts of the podcast.

International terrorist Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage) accidentally kills the young son of FBI agent Sean Archer (John Travolta) sparking a long-running feud between the two adversaries. Years later, Troy plants a bomb in LA, but is intercepted by Archer and his team during his getaway. After a chaotic gunfight, Troy ends up in a coma with the exact location of the bomb a mystery. Archer agrees to have Troy's face transplanted onto his own so that he can impersonate him and get the vital information from his imprisoned brother Pollux (Alessandro Nivola) before the bomb detonates. But when Troy awakes from his coma, he steals Archer's face and assumes his identity. With both men now having swapped identities, the stage is set for a final battle between good and evil (But you're still not having any fun!).

FACE/OFF is a pinnacle of action cinema and features two of the most iconic performances of the 90s from Cage and Travolta. So it's fitting that the guys begin the episode by discussing the visceral excitement of this film when it came out before segueing way into a conversation about why this is a movie about acting. Isaac, our acting correspondent, weighs in on why Cage is one of the few innovators left in acting, and how Travola really comes alive as Castor (wooo wee you good lookin'!). They go deep on the idea of doubling in cinema and theater, the psychosexual drama at the core of this action masterpiece, and Isaac tells stories from the set straight from the mouth of Alessandro Nivola!

Events culminate with a runway chase of a ‘Die Hard Oscars’, and red and white boat chase edition of the ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz! This is one peach you could eat for hours!

FACE/OFF trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-nDX0BeFoQ

At the time of recording, FACE/OFF is available to stream on Paramount Plus and Pluto, and for purchase at all the usual places.

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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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(you can watch this week's episode on YouTube!)

This week, Phil ‘Philly Bedlam’ Gawthorne and Liam ‘The Coliseum’ Billingham take a high-security flight on CON AIR with special guest Scout Tafoya, aka ‘The Massachusetts Mangler’!

After serving a long and harsh sentence for a self-defense killing, parolee and ex-Army Ranger Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage) travels on a prisoner transport plane nicknamed ‘Con Air’, to meet with his wife and daughter. But when said plane is taken over by vicious criminal mastermind Cyrus ‘The Virus’ Grissom (John Malkovich) and his bloodthirsty cohorts, Poe finds himself unable to abandon his friend Baby-O (Mykelti Williamson) and vulnerable female Prison Guard Sally Bishop (Rachel Ticotin), and decides to fight back against the vicious convicts, with the help of unconventional US Marshal Vince Larkin (John Cusack), who assists his efforts from the ground.

As CON AIR is one of the best and most iconic ‘DIE HARD ON A [BLANK]’ films ever made, this is one of our biggest, and most substantive, episodes yet. The guys start out by discussing the origins of these kind of cinematic stories, going all the way back to movies such as STAGECOACH, before digging in on the film’s plentiful ‘Die Hard DNA’. They go deep on the film’s themes, meanings, and aspirations, and discuss how its politics and portrayals have aged, for better or worse, in the intervening decades since its summer 1997 release. They talk in detail about the three principle stars – Nicolas Cage, John Cusack and John Malkovich – as well as the rest of the stellar supporting cast, along with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Simon West, and writer Scott Rosenberg. Events culminate with a highly contested edition of the ‘Die Hard Oscars’, and a criminally tough ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz! Trust us, this is one flight you don’t want to miss! 

CON AIR trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Olvpk5BXWCI

At the time of release, CON AIR is streaming on Hulu, TNT, TBS and TruTV in the US and is available to rent or buy on YouTube, Apple/iTunes, Fandango, and all the usual platforms! 

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This week, Phil and Liam take a road trip…and have a serious BREAKDOWN! They are joined on their journey by Justin and Laura Khoo, the joint hosts of the excellent film/philosophy podcast COWS IN THE FIELD!

While taking a cross-country road-trip to relocate, married couple Jeff and Amy Taylor (Kurt Russell and Kathleen Quinlan) experience car trouble, and end up stranded in the middle of the desert. In an effort to reach a payphone, Amy accepts a ride from a seemingly friendly trucker named Red (JT Walsh)...but when Jeff runs into the same trucker again later, he claims to have never have seen her. Jeff then begins to suspect that Amy has been kidnapped, and that he may be in the middle of a sinister criminal plot…

Our quartet ‘break down’ this bad boy, including its deceptive and surprising ‘Die Hard DNA’, and the reasons why it’s simple, ingenious premise is such a grabber. They discuss how this film intersects with the ‘yuppie in peril’ genre, what it may be exploring about the socio-economics (and class tensions) of the era, and how it taps into our collective primal fears. Phil then requests that the road be cleared for a passionate diatribe on the life and work of the late, great JT Walsh, an iconic character actor with whom he feels a “cosmic connection”. The group’s serpentine trip takes a number of stimulating scenic detours before they arrive at the Die Hard Oscars, and cap things off with the Double Jeopardy trivia quiz!

BREAKDOWN trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm4YfqVbABk

At the time of release, BREAKDOWN is streaming on Paramount Plus, Fubu, Amazon Prime Video and MGM+ in the US and is available to rent or buy on YouTube, Apple/iTunes, Fandango, and all the usual platforms! 

Watch Die Hard On A Blank on YouTube!

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Hyams Hive rise up! This week, Phil and Liam take a field trip to visit THE RELIC, Peter Hyams’ expertly directed 1997 horror flick. They are accompanied on their scientific expedition by special guest Brandon Streussnig, one of the most influential and entertaining film writers around!

After experimenting with psychotropic drugs while on a trip to South America, anthropologist John Whitney makes an alarming discovery, and attempts to prevent the return of several crates of research material to the US. Weeks later, the crates arrive and are sent to their intended destination at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago - an area that is suddenly beset with a series of grisly murders. As detective Vincent D’Agosta (Tom Sizemore) investigates, he and evolutionary biologist Dr. Margot Green (Penelope Ann Miller) come to the horrifying realization that a literal monster is now on the loose…and that they, and dozens of other citizens, are now trapped inside the museum along with the marauding beast!

The guys start by discussing the career and filmography of director/shooter Peter Hyams, before moving into a detailed conversation about the origins and evolution of the action-horror subgenre. They delve deep into the film’s myriad connections to the original 1988 classic in the ‘Die Hard DNA’ section – but there’s a big surprise in store for Phil later in the episode! The lads then get more specific about the film’s two stars and the quality of the Stan Winston-designed monster, before wrapping things up with the Die Hard Oscars and the Double Jeopardy Trivia Quiz!

THE RELIC trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vps9rpCHJFM 

At the time of release, THE RELIC is streaming on PlutoTV in the US and is available to rent or buy on Prime Video, YouTube, Apple/iTunes, Fandango, and all the usual platforms! 

Brandon’s article on Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning can be found here. Happy reading!

https://filmcombatsyndicate.com/universal-soldier-a-revisit-of-the-luc-devereaux-saga-and-learning-to-move-forward/

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 This week, Phil and Liam are experiencing TURBULENCE, the 1997 action-thriller starring Ray Liotta, Lauren Holly, Hector Elizondo, Ben Cross, Brendan Gleeson, Rachel Ticotin…and a mystery Die Hard cast member!

On Christmas Eve, convicted serial killer Ryan Weaver (Ray Liotta) is being transported across the country on an almost empty 747, with another prisoner and a group of federal marshals. Once airborne, Weaver escapes and wreaks havoc on board with the cops, passengers and the flight crew. When his actions result in the death of both pilots, it becomes up to lone Flight Attendant Teri Halloran (Lauren Holly) to somehow defeat Weaver and land the plane safely before it crashes!

There’s Die Hard (and Die Hard 2) DNA everywhere in this Xmas-set skybound thrill-ride, giving the boys plenty to examine in the comparison section. They also discuss the life and career of the film’s late star Ray Liotta, listing their favorite performances among his stellar filmography. They talk in detail about the film’s female cast - notably its leading lady Lauren Holly, and supporting performers Rachel Ticotin and Catherine Hicks – amid the wider context of the movie’s provocative sexual politics. The boys then fly through the ‘Die Hard Oscars’ and stick the landing with a dastardly edition of the ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz!

TURBULENCE trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29nriO8ux0Q

At the time of release, TURBULENCE is available to rent or buy on Prime Video, YouTube, Apple/iTunes, Fandango, and all the usual platforms! 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 This week, Phil and Liam dig in, around, and underneath DAYLIGHT, Rob Cohen’s 1996 disaster movie starring Sylvester Stallone, Amy Brenneman, Jay O. Sanders, Dan Hedaya, Stan Shaw and Viggo Mortensen!

When a freak accident causes both ends of an underground tunnel in New York to collapse, a group of random strangers find themselves trapped below the Hudson River. The only person seemingly capable of helping them is Kit Latura (Sylvester Stallone), a disgraced former EMS Chief seeking redemption for his role in a past tragedy. 

The guys start by discussing the disaster movie genre in general, placing this throwback film in a wider context, as part of a grand tradition of similar motion pictures that date back to their 1970s heyday. The original DIE HARD has its roots in the disaster movie genre, having been directly inspired by THE TOWERING INFERNO, one of several such films discussed (unflinchingly) in the ‘Die Hard DNA’ section, along with the AIRPORT franchise that influenced DIE HARD 2: DIE HARDER.

After analyzing the film’s premise, hero, and quirky cast of supporting characters (that includes a billionaire rock-climber, an Al Powell-esque uniform cop and a playwright with terrible taste in musicals), Liam presents his Earth-shattering theory that this entire film is in fact a Jesus allegory! The boys bust into ‘Die Hard Oscars’ to hand out some action movie awards and cap things off with a mind-boggling edition of the ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz!

DAYLIGHT trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRWIfCpxNK4 

At the time of release, DAYLIGHT is streaming on Starz in the US, and is available to rent or buy on Prime Video, YouTube, Apple/iTunes, Fandango, and all the usual platforms! 

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This time of the show, Phil and Liam analyze STAR TREK FIRST CONTACT with the help of special guest Andy Maiorano, host of The AndyPlex podcast and an avowed Star Trek superfan! Set phasers to fun!

When he is informed that a hostile race of cybernetic beings known as The Borg have launched an attack on Earth, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) disobeys orders to directly engage with the Borg threat. However, upon arrival to the battle zone, he discovers that the planet Earth has been completely subsumed by the Borg, who have used time travel to assimilate the entire planet. Picard follows a Borg craft through a temporal vortex and ends up in the past, sending his trusted first officer Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) down to Earth to make sure that history is not changed. However, in the chaos, the Borg board the Enterprise and begin rapidly assimilating the crew, placing the ship, the planet Earth, and the entire course of history, in grave jeopardy!

First off, the guys start by discussing their respective relationships with this movie and the Star Trek franchise in general, with each of them landing on very different places on the Trekkie spectrum (or Trek-trum?!). The boys analyze this curious specimen in the ‘Die Hard DNA’ section, where they clarify the number of surprising connections between this futuristic siege movie and John McClane’s exploits at Nakatomi Plaza. As they break down this Paramount picture yet further in the ‘Anatomy of an Action Movie’, the conversation expands into a deeper discussion of Star Trek’s utopian philosophies, and this movie’s unusually thoughtful exploration of the idea of revenge - which makes it something of an outlier in the traditionally bloodthirsty action movie genre.

The boys beam in to the ‘Die Hard Oscars’ to hand out some action movie awards (where the Borg Queen commands considerable attention!) before this particular trek is wrapped up with the Double Jeopardy trivia quiz! 

STAR TREK FIRST CONTACT trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3NJ49VyjDs

At the time of release, STAR TREK FIRST CONTACT is streaming on Paramount +, Prime Video, Max, Fubo and MGM+ in the US and is available to rent or buy on YouTube, Apple/iTunes, Fandango, Spectrum, AMC On Demand and all the usual platforms! 

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This time week, Phil and Liam throw a bottle in the air and follow it into the desert, as they try to make sense of the dark and brooding action/thriller/western/gangster picture LAST MAN STANDING.

During the prohibition era, mysterious gunslinger John Smith (Bruce Willis) rolls into the small, remote border town of Jericho, Texas, where two rival bootlegging gangs have an uneasy and fragile truce. As Smith gets the lay of the land, he works both sides against the other in search of quick profit…until the conscience that he claims he doesn’t have, forces him to pick a side.  

After comparing the film to the original 1988 classic in the ‘Die Hard DNA’ section, the boys discuss their feelings about writer-director-producer Walter Hill and his robust filmography, citing their favorite Hill movies. As this particular film is a credited remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1961 classic YOJIMBO, Liam is in his element waxing lyrical about the Japanese maestro. Phil also espouses his theory that Hill’s remake is less of an action movie, and more of an existential exploration of purgatory. 

The guys also talk about this film’s remarkable ensemble cast, that features stellar performances from Walter Hill staples John Patrick Kelly and Bruce Dern, as well as the likes of William Sanderson, Leslie Mann, Ken Jenkins, Michael Imperioli, Karina Lombard and of course Christopher Walken as the Tommy Gun-toting mob enforcer Hickey. Finally, the guys bust into the ‘Die Hard Oscars’ to fire off some action movie awards, and Phil slings Liam some tough questions in the ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz!

LAST MAN STANDING trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=763cIT4IXoQ

At the time of release, LAST MAN STANDING is streaming on Tubi in the US and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cows In The Field (Liam and Phil talk Public Enemies on June 28)

Force Five Podcast (Phil's episode arrives July 1)

Hit Factory Podcast (Liam's episode on Breaking The Waves available now)

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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!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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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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. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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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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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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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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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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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The ticking clocks are everywhere (and so are the dodgy Christopher Walken impressions) as Phil and Liam discuss the 1995 high-concept thriller Nick of Time!  

Mild-mannered accountant Gene Watson (Johnny Depp) arrives via train to LA’s union station, with his young daughter Lynn in tow. Shortly after his arrival, he is apprehended by Mr. Smith (Christopher Walken) and Ms. Jones (Roma Maffia), who claim to be police officers. Smith then informs Gene that he has 90 minutes to assassinate the visiting Governor of California (Marsha Mason)…or they will kill his daughter.

The guys discuss the potency of this compelling premise and unpack where the movie both succeeds and fails in the execution of its concept. They theorize that, not only is the film filled with ‘Die Hard DNA’, but it also has its roots in Hitchcock, and the paranoid political thrillers of the 1970s. They offer their thoughts on the movie’s own political point of view, its thematic ideas, and the intentions of director John Badham. We also get a glimpse into what really goes on inside Phil’s secret ‘Die Hard on a Blank laboratory’ (where his precious Blu-rays are kept into a fortified vault, protected by a time-lock).

As they break down ‘the anatomy of an action movie’, the boys discuss the unusual yet largely effective casting of Johnny Depp as a straight-laced everyman, rhapsodize over Christopher Walken’s terrifying performance as the satanically evil bad guy ‘Mr. Smith’, and talk about the rest of the supporting cast, that also includes the likes of Charles S. Dutton, Clark Johnson, Yul Vasquez and G.D. Spradlin. As the clocks tick down, the fellas race over to the ‘Die Hard Oscars’ to hand out their action movie awards, and complete the ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz…in the nick of time!

NICK OF TIME trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cP1TllLDgQ

At the time of release, NICK OF TIME is streaming on Hoopla and PlutoTV and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Vudu, AMC On Demand and all the usual platforms!

AMERICAN ENGLISH SOCCER PODCAST

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1652062

EYE OF THE DUCK PODCAST

https://eyeoftheduckpod.com/

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In this episode, Phil, Liam, and guest Ben Rufus Green discuss the 1995 James Bond blockbuster GoldenEye and its many connections to the Die Hard franchise. They explore the premise of the film, its self-reflexivity, and the surprisingly high amount of ‘Die Hard DNA’ present in the movie, which goes way beyond the historical connection between the newly-minted 007 Pierce Brosnan and original Die Hard director John McTiernan.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, MI6 agent James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) uncovers a sinister plot led by rogue Russian operatives to use a Soviet-era orbital space weapon codenamed ‘Goldeneye’ to launch an attack on London. In the process, Bond teams up with Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco), a Russian satellite expert, in a globe-trotting race against time to prevent the strike.

The boys discuss the continuity and multiverse aspect of the Bond franchise, share their favorite Bond films, and rate their favorite Bond actors, while also discussing the very particular qualities required to play this iconic role. They also go deep on the films’ excellent villains, with particular attention paid to Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean) and Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), as well as its leading lady Izabella Scorupco, and the sturdy supporting cast that includes the likes of Robbie Coltrane, Joe Don Baker, Michael Kitchen, Gottfried John, Alan Cumming and Dame Judi Dench as M. 

As this is a Bond movie, fortunately the boys are already wearing their tuxedos, allowing them seamless entry into the ‘Die Hard Oscars’, where awards are dispensed for ‘Exceptional Thief’, ‘Dick of the Movie’, and ‘Best Death. As always the conversation concludes with a Bond-centric edition of the ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz!

 For England, James!

GOLDENEYE trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Zw8ylP4buA

At the time of release, GOLDENEYE is available to stream on DirecTV and to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Vudu, Spectrum and all the usual platforms!

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 Casey Ryback is back and this time he’s…well…um…I…um…hey look, forget about all that, because the good news is that Eric Bogosian is in this movie! This week Phil and Liam hitch a ride on a hijacked death train as they scrutinize Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, director Geoff Murphy’s 1995 sequel to the original Seagal action classic!

While travelling from Denver to LA via train with his estranged niece Sarah (Katherine Heigl), ex-Navy SEAL Casey Ryback (Seagal) finds himself in the middle of a terrorist takeover led by disgruntled computer genius Travis Dane (Eric Bogosian), who plans to use his experimental government satellite weapon to launch a massive attack on the Eastern seaboard!  

Ok we’ll level with you. This movie isn’t great, but Eric Bogosian IS…so the boys spend much of this episode discussing the life, work and varied career of this remarkably talented renaissance man, including his stage plays, monologues, TV and film career and even his non-fiction book Operation Nemesis. Eric Bogosian forever!

In ‘Anatomy of an Action Movie’, the guys break down the film piece by piece, discussing what works, what doesn’t and why, as well as how this film compares to its slick and stylish predecessor (directed by friend of the show Andrew Davis). But it’s not just a Bogosian love-fest, as there’s also plenty of affection here for the film’s eclectic supporting cast, that includes the likes of Morris Chestnut, Jonathan Banks, Peter Greene and Everett McGill (as mace-imbibing bad guy Marcus Penn).

 The guys ride the rail to attend the ‘Die Hard Oscars’, before wrapping things up with the ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz, where this week Liam finally turns the tables on Phil and gets his revenge! After all, when it comes to quizzes, chance favors the prepared mind!

UNDER SIEGE 2 trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LorQZ4TfbTQ

At the time of release, UNDER SIEGE 2 is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Vudu and all the usual platforms!

AMERICAN ENGLISH SOCCER PODCAST

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1652062

EYE OF THE DUCK PODCAST

https://eyeoftheduckpod.com/

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LAND OF BAD TRAILER:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95eJpJlBfUs

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It’s finally here! This week Phil and Liam drill down on one of the most beloved films in the storied Die Hard franchise: Die Hard With A Vengeance! To aid them in their investigation of this all-conquering box office smash, the boys have brought in special guest Chris Tilly, a writer, journalist and editor at Dexterto.com and one of the hosts of the hugely popular film podcast Clash of the Titles.

While back working for the NYPD, detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) is targeted by a mysterious terrorist named Simon (Jeremy Irons), who effectively holds New York hostage and forces McClane to complete a series of deadly puzzles around the city to prevent further attacks. In the process, McClane teams up with Harlem store-owner Zeus Carver (Samuel L. Jackson), and together they uncover Simon’s true agenda…and his real identity!

The guys start by recalling their memories of seeing this hit film upon its release in the summer of 1995, before moving into the ‘Die Hard DNA’ section where they identify who stayed and who left the series in terms of cast and crew. They talk about what makes this film so uniquely ‘New York’, as well as the complex racial politics of the picture, before moving into a detailed discussion about the film’s tortured production history, including an examination of the previous sequel concepts that were explored and abandoned, before Jonathan Hensleigh’s spec script ‘Simon Says’ ultimately became the basis for the third installment in the increasingly popular franchise.

In ‘Anatomy of an Action Movie’, the guys break down the film in terms of its premise, heroes, villains (‘Who’s Your Favorite Terrorist?’ is back!), and the action itself, along with the wisecracking East Coast humor that has become a staple of the series, this time bolstered by the addition of the effervescent Samuel L. Jackson.

The guys dig underneath the Dolby Theatre to attend the ‘Die Hard Oscars’ and steal away some gold statues, before events culminate with an appropriately collaborative edition of the ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz!

DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE trailer

At the time of release, DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE is streaming on Hulu, DirectTV, Fubo, and Starz and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Vudu, Redbox, AMC On Demand and all the usual platforms!

AMERICAN ENGLISH SOCCER PODCAST

EYE OF THE DUCK PODCAST

CLASH OF THE TITLES PODCAST

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For this episode, Phil and Liam are joined by special guest Isaac Butler, author of THE METHOD, arguably the definitive book about the evolution of method acting! Isaac is a veritable encyclopedia about the history of the acting craft and he lends his incredible insight to this discussion of CRIMSON TIDE, “an anti-action movie” where two of the greatest screen acting titans go head to head! 

When a US nuclear submarine loses communication with the command structure just as they’ve been ordered to fire their payload against a rogue Russian general, the sub’s two senior officers, Ramsey (Gene Hackman) and Hunter (Denzel Washington) disagree vehemently on whether or not they should launch their nuclear missiles, a situation that ultimately leads to a full-on mutiny, as the specter of World War Three looms large!

Isaac places this bombastic film in context within the lineage of method acting, discusses the differing schools of tradition that Hackman and Washington come from, and explains how their specific training informs their respective approaches towards their craft. The guys also talk about the film as a chamber-piece drama of sorts, and muse on how it compares to other nail-biting Cold War classics such as FAIL SAFE, SEVEN DAYS IN MAY and of course THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER. 

They analyze its subtle but significant ‘DIE HARD DNA’ and debate whether or not this is Tony Scott’s best film. They discuss Quentin Tarantino’s controversial contributions to the screenplay, and discuss the complexities wrought by the film’s racial conflict. Finally the boys don their dress whites for the ‘Die Hard Oscars’ and choose to collaborate for a particularly informative edition of the ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz!

 CRIMSON TIDE trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS4I2Z1RBIw

At the time of release, CRIMSON TIDE is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Vudu, Redbox, Direct TV, Spectrum TV and all the usual platforms.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Phil and Liam continue to chronicle DIE HARD’s influence on action cinema with a spirited discussion of the 1994 action-thriller DROP ZONE!

After a daring mid-air prison-break results in his brother’s death, US Marshal Pete Nessip (Wesley Snipes) infiltrates the skydiving community in order to track down those responsible. He eventually uncovers the sinister agenda of skydiving master thief Ty Moncrief (Gary Busey), a former DEA Agent who is now attempting steal the identities of uncover narcotics agents in order to sell them to drug traffickers!  

Phil has great personal affection for this picture and recalls his fond memories of seeing it on the big screen as an impressionable kid. The guys discuss its plentiful ‘DIE HARD DNA’ from both a macro and micro standpoint, getting into the nitty gritty of some very specific action beats that bare particular resemblance to the 1988 classic that started it all!

They talk about Wesley Snipes’ evolving journey as a dependable 90s action star, the differences and similarities between the roles he played in the likes of PASSENGER 57, BOILING POINT and RISING SUN, and what all this may have in common with Liam Neeson’s late-career action persona. They also discuss the complicated sexual politics of the film, and praise Yancy Butler’s effervescent performance as the maverick skydiving guru Jess Crossman (a role originally written for a man). There’s plenty of space left to talk about Gary Busey’s scenery-chomping villain, which of course leads to the inevitable LETHAL WEAPON discussion - so you can cross that off that DHOAB bingo card!

The boys also dive into the film’s breathtaking aerial photography and talk about the John Woo-style gunplay, before they pack their chutes and float down to the Dolby Theatre for the ‘Die Hard Oscars’! Finally, the ever-popular ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz is given a fresh twist this week, much to Liam’s continued chagrin!

DROP ZONE trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Weee0u2RlOI

At the time of release, DROP ZONE is available on Paramount+ with Apple TV, DirecTV and Pluto TV, and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Vudu, Redbox, and all the usual platforms.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this very special Christmas episode, Phil and Liam step outside the usual format to discuss the beloved holiday classic HOME ALONE with special guest Paul Scheer! 

That’s right - the actor, writer, director, author, renaissance man and podcasting superstar Mr. Paul Scheer returns to the show to illuminate the deep and sometimes surprising number of connections between 1988’s DIE HARD and 1990’s HOME ALONE!

After an unfortunate mix-up leads to a young boy named Kevin McAllister (Macauley Culkin) being left home alone while his family are on vacation in Europe, Kevin must learn to fend for himself and defend the house from two determined and persistent burglars (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern) who call themselves “the Wet Bandits”!

These three dads discuss their own fond memories of this timeless movie, and what it means to them and their families. As well as talking through the vast number of similarities between the two pictures, they break it all down piece by piece in the tweaked ‘Anatomy of a Christmas Action Movie’ section, where they analyze the premise, the hero, the villains, and vote for their favorite booby traps!

The ugly Xmas sweaters are replaced by svelte tuxedos for a trip to the ‘Die Hard Oscars’, where the guys hand out special awards in various Die Hard-themed categories, and festivities culminate with the ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz, “where the scores can really change!” So grab some cocoa, roast some chestnuts and cuddle up by the fire with this cozy Christmas episode! Happy holidays to one and all!

Paul’s book, Joyful Recollections of Trauma (which includes a chapter inspired by Paul’s real life Home Alone!), can and should be preordered here!

HOME ALONE trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEDaVHmw7r4

At the time of release, HOME ALONE is streaming on Disney+, Starz and DirecTV and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Vudu, Redbox, Spectrum, AMC and all the usual platforms.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Married couple Gail and Tom Hartman (Meryl Streep and David Strathairn) are in the middle of a relationship crisis and on the verge of separation, when they take their young son Roarke (Joseph Mazello) on a whitewater rafting trip. However, their vacation turns into a nightmare when they encounter Wade and Terry (Kevin Bacon and John C. Reilly), two criminals on the lam, who take the family hostage and force them to aid their escape through the notoriously treacherous Idaho rapids.

This is a hugely significant film for multiple reasons. Not only was it one of the first major action movies of the era to have a female lead, but that lead happened to be none other than Meryl Streep!

 The guys start by discussing the film’s ‘Die Hard DNA’, and debate whether it’s actually closer in spirit to DIE HARD or DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE. They also talk about where this movie fits in among the popular 90s subgenre of ‘yuppie in peril’ thrillers, and discuss director Curtis Hanson’s eclectic filmography, along with his mastery of suspense and tension.  

They talk about the gravitas that Meryl Streep brings to this fast-paced ‘divorce drama’, and expound the virtues of David Strathairn, Kevin Bacon, John C. Reilly, Joseph Mazello and Benjamin Bratt. They dig into what the film is really saying about family dynamics, and how it was ahead of the curve with its exploration of concepts such as gaslighting, toxic masculinity and micro-aggressions. The guys then take their raft down the L.A. river to get to the ‘Die Hard Oscars’, before Blake and Liam go mano-a-mano in the ‘Double Jeopardy Trivia Quiz’! 

THE RIVER WILD trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWew8lWYhtI

At the time of release, THE RIVER WILD is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Vudu, Redbox, Direct TV, Spectrum TV and all the usual platforms.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a flying penis!

For this episode, Phil and Liam are joined by special guest Rob Hackett, a producer for James Wan’s company Atomic Monster and a HUGE fan of this wacky1994 skydiving flick. Rob has actually worked with TERMINAL VELOCITY’s director Deran Sarafian, giving him a unique insight into Sarafian’s personality, history and creative process. 

The film’s premise is as follows. After a mysterious woman named Chris Morrow (Nastassja Kinski) seemingly falls to her death during an attempted tandem parachute jump, daredevil skydiver Ditch Brodie (Charlie Sheen) is deemed to be responsible. When Ditch begins his own investigation into what really happened, he finds himself plunged into a deadly world of intrigue and international espionage...where nothing is what it seems.

Rob discusses his memories of seeing the film on opening night, and how it became a comfort-blanket film for him over the ensuing decades. This video-store classic straddles many genres: action, thriller, spy movie, Western and film noir, giving the guys plenty to discuss as they analyze its anatomical parts. It has also has some particularly strong connections to DIE HARD 2, which makes for some interesting discoveries in the ‘Die Hard DNA’ section.

The fellas talk about Charlie Sheen’s brief run as an early-90s action star, the daring casting of Natassja Kinski as the film’s real hero, and the two colorful villlains of the piece, played by James Gandolfini and Christopher McDonald. They also dig into the film’s sexual politics, and debate whether the movie is attempting to be progressive in its subversion of traditional gender roles. The guys then parachute down to the ‘Die Hard Oscars’ to hand out some awards, before Rob and Liam go head to head in the ‘Double Jeopardy Trivia Quiz’!

 TERMINAL VELOCITY trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMzjb5OeYng 

At the time of release, TERMINAL VELOCITY is streaming on Hoopla and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Vudu, Direct TV, AMC and all the usual platforms.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this very special episode, Phil and Liam are joined by a VERY special guest: actor, writer, director, comic book author, renaissance man and podcasting superstar PAUL SCHEER! That’s right, the effervescent host of top film podcasts Unspooled and How Do This Get Made? chartered a helicopter and flew in to join Phil and Liam for an intensive analysis of this mid--90s classic! 

The film’s complex plot is thus: after a close friend is murdered by international drug traffickers, the vengeful US President (Donald Moffet) tacitly instructs his National Security team to launch a series of secret military strikes against the parties deemed responsible. Soon the new CIA deputy director Jack Ryan (Harrison Ford) discovers himself to be an unwitting pawn in a covert, illegal war between American paramilitary forces and the Colombian drug cartels. As the carnage escalates, Ryan must find a way to quell the bloodshed and expose the corruption at the heart of his own government.  

CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER is the third entry in the Jack Ryan film franchise that started with THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER. That particular movie was of course directed by DIE HARD helmer John McTiernan, meaning that there is plenty of ‘DIE HARD DNA’ in the mix here…but does this motion picture also share some key similarities with Christopher Nolan’s OPPENHEIMER? The guys assess its influences and its legacy, while also wrestling with another burning question: is this the ultimate ‘Dad movie’? 

Paul talks passionately about his deep and long-standing connection with DIE HARD and his youthful love for all things Bruce Willis, and the guys go deep on the film’s eclectic creative contributors, that includes personalities such as Tom Clancy, Harrison Ford, Philip Noyce, John Milius and Steven Zaillian. They also discuss the virtues of an outstanding ensemble cast that features the likes of Willem Dafoe, James Earl Jones, Anne Archer, Thora Birch, Joaquim de Almeida, Henry Czerny, Harris Yulin, Raymond Cruz, Benjamin Bratt and Miguel Sandoval. Paul even discusses the part he’d most love to play! 

The stacked cast makes for a particularly entertaining edition of the ‘Die Hard Oscars’, and a tantalizing trivia quiz provides some stimulating brain-teasers…along with a warm and fuzzy moment or two. This highly entertaining episode is not to be missed - how DARE YOU not listen to it?! 

CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuYb6ZNQaZo

At the time of release, CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER is streaming on Paramount + and is available to rent of buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Vudu, Redbox, Direct TV, AMC and all the usual platforms.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the show, spymasters Phil and Liam have recruited special guest Bilge Ebiri - film critic for Vulture and New York magazine – to analyze TRUE LIES, aka “the American blockbuster riff on the French sex farce” (to quote Liam).     

In this bombastic action comedy, seemingly unassuming computer salesman Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is actually living a double life as an international superspy for the US government’s mysterious ‘Omega Sector’. Harry has managed to keep this secret from his wife Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis) and daughter Dana (Eliza Dushku) for 15 years, but due to circumstances beyond his control, this grand lie is finally exposed, thrusting Harry, Helen and Dana into grave danger at the hands of a ruthless terrorist organization known as ‘Crimson Jihad’.

TRUE LIES was a box office behemoth in the golden summer of 1994, and the guys discuss their memories of its initial release, and their thoughts on how the film’s politics have aged over the last three decades. As ever, this heart-warming story of an emotionally estranged husband and wife battling terrorists together contains a surprising high amount of ‘Die Hard DNA’, and it turns out that this popcorn blockbuster actually touches on some deeper themes about the American nuclear family.  

The trio dig deep on the “reality distortion field” that allowed Arnold to convincingly play a “boring” everyman, sing the praises of the effervescent icon that is Jamie Lee Curtis, and discuss the respective merits of the stellar supporting cast, that includes Tom Arnold, Bill Paxton, Art Malik, Grant Heslov, Charlton Heston and Tia Carrere. There’s also plenty of chat about the myriad talents of Mr. James Cameron: king of the world, king of the sequel, and king of the third act.

The guys hop in their harrier jump jets and head over to the ‘Die Hard Oscars’ to hand out some action movie awards, and as always the frivolity culminates with a delectable trivia quiz that makes you want to stand up and beg for buttermilk!

TRUE LIES trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz45Y50ozxE

At the time of release, TRUE LIES is streaming on Hulu, Paramount +/Apple TV and Fubo.

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