It’s Die Hard in a diner! This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK we’re discussing David Cronenberg’s masterful 2005 film A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, a story that begins (and ends) with a DIE HARD-type scenario…and goes deep and hard on the consequences of surviving such an event. 

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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