Film Is Die Hard really a Christmas film...

ivaldo said:
Only a third of polled people thought so, so fire that market exec, he's a bit thick.
Die Hard, known for it's small budget, didn't think it was right to release it during December, which in modern cinema is a bigger month than June, despite being a Christmas film. Makes perfect sense!
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It was released in June because, as an action film (as well as a Christmas one) it fits with being a Summer blockbuster, so the studio most likely went for the summer release.

Remember, it's the studio that's most likely going to determine when the film is released, not the creator... Who may well have wanted a December release.
 
I think some people have a clear idea of what a Christmas film is. Namely, a warm and fuzzy piece of fluff without a serious plot, that is suitable for all ages and makes the kids laugh. Die Hard is certainly not that, so you can sort of understand the resistance.

But it's a film, about Christmas, set at Christmas, with Christmas songs. It's a Christmas film. Short of John McClane wearing a Santa hat I'm not sure how much more they could spell it out.
 
Annihilate Now! said:
It was released in June because, as an action film (as well as a Christmas one) it fits with being a Summer blockbuster, so the studio most likely went for the summer release.

Remember, it's the studio that's most likely going to determine when the film is released, not the creator... Who may well have wanted a December release.
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Yes based on the genre of the film. If they considered it a Christmas film, and it was created to be one, they would have released it for Christmas. But as it isn’t a Christmas film, and they don’t consider it to be one, they released it in June.
 
ivaldo said:
Yes based on the genre of the film. If they considered it a Christmas film, and it was created to be one, they would have released it for Christmas. But as it isn’t a Christmas film, and they don’t consider it to be one, they released it in June.
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It is possible to not have the setting of a film line up with real life. There are films about Valentine's Day released all year round, summer films released in winter and vice versa. It isn't a requirement.
 
2 Man Midfield said:
It is possible to not have the setting of a film line up with real life. There are films about Valentine's Day released all year round, summer films released in winter and vice versa. It isn't a requirement.
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Of course there is. But having a setting for a film and having a film about a specific event are two entirely different things. Having it set at Christmas time doesn't make it a Christmas film, which is why they were happy to release it in the summer. What do you think the reception for Elf or Arthur Christmas would've been like if they released it in June? Would seem a little ridiculous, wouldn't it?

So only a third of people polled thought it was a Christmas film, the marketing/producers didn't think it was a Christmas film, and the connection to Christmas throughout the film is negligible to the point where you could set the film at any other time of the year and it would not affect the film at all. Sounds Christmasy!
 
If you don't remember John McClane Christmas greeting cards or John McCLane saves Christmas t-shirts, your childhood was a lie.
 
https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2017/dec/21/die-hard-christmas-movie-bruce-willis
But Die Hard most certainly is indelibly associated with Christmas. It crops up in polls of people’s favourite Christmas films: earlier this year, the readers of Empire magazine rated it the greatest Christmas movie ever. The internet is awash with thinkpieces explaining why exactly it is a Christmas movie. If that’s not enough the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, appeared on breakfast TV in Toronto last Friday, where he asserted: “Yes, Die Hard is absolutely a Christmas movie. There’s no doubt about it.”
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Earlier this month, YouGov released a poll about the movie – surely the founders of psephology did not foresee the day that pollsters would be earning a crust assessing the seasonal status of old action films – which found that only 30% of people thought it was a Christmas film, while 52% didn’t. The age breakdown, though, was more telling . The only age group in which more people thought of Die Hard as a Christmas movie than didn’t was 25- to 34-year-olds (44% against 37%), while 35- to 44-year-olds were narrowly against the idea (42% said it was a Christmas film, 47% said it wasn’t).
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Sweet Square said:
Well yeah it's clearly a summer blockbuster.
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Just because it's set during Christmas time of year doesn't mean it's a Christmas film. Rocky IV is mostly set around December/Christmas time.

Home Alone has no Christmas theme/plot to it.
 
Hernandez - BFA said:
Just because it's set during Christmas time of year doesn't mean it's a Christmas film. Rocky IV is mostly set around December/Christmas time.

Home Alone has no Christmas theme/plot to it.
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That could mean anything though. What would you say is a christmas theme/plot.
 
Rado_N said:
Can only assume you've never seen it.
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Two burgers try and steal from a house that has a kid in it. He sets traps to foil them. It's set around Christmas time.

How is it a Christmas film?
Many films are set around December/Christmas time. No "Christmas spirit" is felt watching this film.
 
Hernandez - BFA said:
Two burgers try and steal from a house that has a kid in it. He sets traps to foil them. It's set around Christmas time.

How is it a Christmas film?
Many films are set around December/Christmas time. No "Christmas spirit" is felt watching this film.
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Jesus
 
Hernandez - BFA said:
Two burgers try and steal from a house that has a kid in it. He sets traps to foil them. It's set around Christmas time.

How is it a Christmas film?
Many films are set around December/Christmas time. No "Christmas spirit" is felt watching this film.
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I'm picturing this and I definitely would pay to watch this film.
 
The three best Christmas movies of all time are It's a Wonderful Life, Die Hard and Home Alone. In that order.
 
That only settles the debate if you give a shit what Bruce Willis thinks about anything
 
Hernandez - BFA said:
Two burgers try and steal from a house that has a kid in it. He sets traps to foil them. It's set around Christmas time.

How is it a Christmas film?
Many films are set around December/Christmas time. No "Christmas spirit" is felt watching this film.
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Hey man just because you and i spend Christmas differently...
 
Bruce Willis said it at the end of his roast on Comedy Central, die hard is not a Christmas movie
 
Arbitrium said:
Bruce Willis said it at the end of his roast on Comedy Central, die hard is not a Christmas movie
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Bruce Willis doesn't even understand the character of John McClane anymore... So i doubt he understand the concept of Christmas.
 
SirAF said:
How the feck is that possible at your age? :D It’s on telly probably five times each december!
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:lol: I know. When I was a kid and the movie came out I though Macaulay Culkin was a knob so didn’t watch it. Then I grew up and the idea of not want to to see it just stuck. The strange thing is I made a plan to watch it a few years ago, downloaded it and it’s now been sitting on my hard drive for years unwatched. Maybe this will be the year I finally watch it. After a another viewing of die hard of course. Can’t have Christmas without at least one screening of diehard. :D
 
Reddy Rederson said:
:lol: I know. When I was a kid and the movie came out I though Macaulay Culkin was a knob so didn’t watch it. Then I grew up and the idea of not want to to see it just stuck. The strange thing is I made a plan to watch it a few years ago, downloaded it and it’s now been sitting on my hard drive for years unwatched. Maybe this will be the year I finally watch it. After a another viewing of die hard of course. Can’t have Christmas without at least one screening of diehard. :D
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Without the nostalgia you probably won’t enjoy it half as much as the rest of us.
 
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