Harry Ellis is talking to Hans about “Mister Mystery Guest.”

Ellis sits in a chair, smiles, and says, “I can give him to you.”

“Ow – God!” says McClane on the radio. Al picks up a microphone.

“Roy?” says Al, “Roy, are you alright?”

“Just tried to fire down a thousand-year-old Twinkie,” says McClane, grinning. He spits out the remains of the Twinkie. “What do they put in these things, anyway?”

“Sugar enriched flour,” says Al, “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, polysorbate-60, and Yellow Dye Number Five. Just everything a growing boy needs.”

“How many kids you got, Al?” asks John.

“Well, as a matter of fact,” replies Al, “My wife is working on our first! How about you, Cowboy? You got any kids back on your ranch?”

McClane pulls out his wallet and looks at family photos. “Yeah,” he says, “Two.  Sure hope I can see them swinging on a jungle gym with Al Junior someday. ”

Al laughs. “Well, now that’s a date!” he says, “But you’re gonna have to bring the ice cream.”

IN THIS MINUTE:

Hart Bochner as Harry Ellis

Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber

Bruno Doyon as Franco

Alexander Godunov as Karl

Reginald VelJohnson as Sgt. Al Powell

Ellis wanders in to “negotiate” with Hans.

“It’s obvious you’re not some dumb shmuck, up here to snatch a few purses, am I right?” asks Harry, beginning his sales banter.

“You’re very perceptive,” says Hans, puzzled.

“I watch 60 Minutes,” says Harry. “I say to myself: these guys are professional, they’re motivated, they’re happening – – i.e., they want something, huh? Now personally, I couldn’t care less about your politics. Maybe  you’re pissed off at the camel jockeys, maybe it’s the Hebes, Northern Ireland – – it’s none of my business! I figure, you’re here to negotiate – am I right? ”

Hans has no idea where Harry is going with this. “You’re amazing. You figured this all out, already,” he says to Ellis. Harry laughs.

“Hey,  business is business. You use a gun, I use a fountain pen. What’s the difference?” Ellis explains, “Let’s put it in my terms: you’re here on a hostile takeover, you grab us for some greenmail, but you didn’t expects some kind of poison pill was going to be running around inside the building! Am I right?”

Hans looks at Karl. Karl looks at Hans.

“Hans!’ says Ellis, “Bubbe — I’m your white knight!”

Hans shakes the cobwebs out of his head. “I must have missed 60 Minutes. What are you saying?”

Ellis pats Karl on the shoulder. “The guy upstairs is f—ing things up, huh?” Ellis sits down.

Hart Bochner as Harry Ellis

Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber

Bruno Doyon as Franco

Alexander Godunov as Karl

John tells Al over the radio that he’s feeling unappreciated.

“Hey, look,” says Al, “I love ya. So do a lot of the other guys.”

McClane laughs.

“So, you hang in there, man – – you hear me?” asks Al. “You hang in there.”

“Yeah, thanks Pardner,” replies John.

Back in the party room on 30, Holly watches Ellis snort more cocaine.

“What are you doing?” she says to Harry, alarmed.

“I’m tired of sitting here,” says Harry, buttoning the top button of his shirt, “waiting to see who gets us killed first – – them, or your husband.”

“What are you going to do,” says Holly, not really asking a question.

“Hey Babe,” replies Ellis, “I negotiate million dollar deals for breakfast. I think I can handle this Euro trash.”

Harry turns toward one of the henchmen. “Hey, sprechen sie talk, huh?”

Meanwhile, Hans is having a heated discussion with Karl in Holly’s office.

“If you listened to me, he’d be neutralized already,” says Hans.

“I don’t want neutral,” replies Karl, “I want dead.”

There’s a knock at the door. Franco brings in Harry Ellis.

“Hope I’m not interrupting,” says Harry, smiling.

“What does he want?” says Hans to Franco.

Ellis snorts. “It’s not what I want,” he says, “it’s what I can give you.”

Unseen, Karl looks down at his gun, but Hans shakes his head ‘no.”

“Look,” says Ellis, “let’s be straight, okay?”

IN THIS MINUTE:

Hart Bochner as Harry Ellis

Bonnie Bedelia as Holly Gennaro McClane

Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber

Bruno Doyon as Franco

Alexander Godunov as Karl

Bruce Willis as John McClane

Al Powell is talking to John McClane on the radio.

“Our spotters say you got two with that blast,” says Al.

“Is that him?” says Robinson. Robinson walks up to Sgt. Al. “Is that him?”

“Yes, sir,” replies Al.

“Give me that,” says Robinson, grabbing the mic. “Now, you listen to me, mister – I don’t know who in the hell you think you are, or what you’re doing, but you just destroyed a building! Now, we do not want your help! Is that clear? We don’t want your help I’ve got a hundred people down here, and they’re covered with glass.”

“Glass?” says McClane, “Who gives a s— about glass? Who the f— is this?”

“This is Deputy Chief of Police Dwayne T. Robinson,” says Robinson, “and I am in charge of this situation.”

“Oh, you’re in charge,” says McClane. “Well, I’ve got some bad news for you, Dwayne: from up here, it doesn’t look like you’re in charge of jack s—!”

“You listen to me, you little a–hole,” replies Robinson, “I’m gonna–”

“A–hole?” says McClane, “I’m not the one who just got buttf—-d on national TV, Dwayne.”

Argyle, listening in on the limo’s CB, laughs.

“Now, you listen to me, jerkoff,” continues McClane, “you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem! Quit being part of the f—ing problem and put the other guy back on!”

Robinson shoves the mic back at Al and walks away.

“Hey, Roy,” says Al, “How are you feeling?”

“Pretty f—ing unappreciated,” begins McClane

IN THIS MINUTE:

Bruce Willis as John McClane

Paul Gleason as Dwayne T. Robinson

Reginald VelJohnson as Sgt. Al Powell

Billowing smoke fills Olympic Boulevard.

The police at the command post poke their heads above the patrol cars to assess the scene.

“Holy s—,” says Robinson

The armored car is a smoking wreck on the Nakatomi stairway.

“My God!” says Thornburg, “Tell me you got that!”

“I got it, I got it!” replies his cameraman.

“Eat your heart out, Channel Five,” whispers Thornburg.

“We’ve had an update on the terrorist takeover of the Nakatomi building,” says a news anchor, as video footage fills the screen. “Sources say the terrorist leader  ‘Hans’  may be this man, Hans Gruber, a member of the radical West German Volksfrei movement.  Strangely, the Volksfrei leadership issued a communique an hour ago,  saying that Gruber had been expelled from that organization -”

“Al, Al, do you copy?” asks McClane on his walkie-talkie.

Sgt. Powell picks up his microphone. “Are you all right?” he asks. McClane laughs.

“Yeah,” says John, “I’m fine.” He coughs.

“What was that?” asks Al.

“Remember that plastic explosive I told you about?” says McClane.

“Yeah?” says Powell.

“There you go,” explains McClane.  “Is the building on fire?”

“No,” replies Al, “but it’s going to need a paint job and a s—load of screen doors.”

IN THIS MINUTE:

William Atherton as Roger Thornburg

Bruce Willis as John McClane

Paul Gleason as Dwayne T. Robinson

Reginald VelJohnson as Sgt. Al Powell

McClane unwraps a brick of C-4. The detonators are scattered on the computer chair. He sticks a single detonator in the brick.

“F— it!” says McClane, and jams all the other detonators into the brick.

“Mach schnell! Mach los!” shouts Fritz to James. James runs to get more shells, but the missile box nearby is empty.

Meanwhile, McClane grabs a computer CRT and ties it to the office chair containing the C-4 and the detonators.

“See if you can take this under advisement, jerkweed,” says McClane.  He rolls the chair toward the elevator.

Meanwhile, James returns to the place where he and Fritz dropped the other missile box.

McClane, at the open elevator door, says, “Geronimo, motherf—–r!” and pushes the chair into the shaft.

The chair tumbles, end over end, into the darkness at the base of the shaft.

Suddenly a brilliant explosion heads back up the elevator shaft. James, on the 32nd floor, is flattened by the explosion.

Flames shoot out of the building on the second floor of Nakatomi Tower.

On the 30th Floor, Holly and the other hostages hear the muffled roar of the explosion and see windows crack.

The explosion continues up to the roof of the building.

Robinson and the others in the police command post take cover.

McClane, watching the explosion rise up the elevator shaft, suddenly realizes he’s in the wrong place.  The flames shoot his way.

“Oh SH–!” he yells, leaping out of the way. The explosion knocks him across the computer room.

Hans watches the carnage from Holly’s office.

“They’re using artillery on us!” says Franco.

“You idiot,” replies Hans, “It’s not the police – – it’s HIM!”

Billowing smoke fills Olympic Boulevard.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Wilhelm von Hornburg as James

Hans Buhringer as Fritz

Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber

Bruce Willis as John McClane

Paul Gleason as Dwayne T. Robinson

Bonnie Bedelia as Holly

Bruno Doyon as Franco

The armored car erupts in flame.

“Oh my God!” says Theo, “The quarterback is toast!”

“Alright, alright, alright, Rivers, Rivers!” says Mitchell into his microphone,”Hang on, Rivers – – that’s an order!”

Hans picks up his walkie-talkie. “Hit it again,” he says.

“Hans, you mother f—-r!” says McClane, “You made your point! Let ’em pull back!” John looks out the window at the flaming car.

“Thank you, Mister Cowboy, I’ll take it under advisement,” replies Hans, “hit it again!”

McClane looks around the room for something to stop the carnage, but he is 34 floors above the car. He looks at the elevator door. Putting down his gun, he grabs a chair near a computer terminal, then puts the satchel full of detonators on the chair.

Next, McClane grabs a fire axe.  He swings the axe and cuts a hole in the elevator door.

“Fire,” says Hans, into his walkie talkie.

Fritz fires another missile at the armored car. It explodes in a ball of flame. Hans watches the fireball through an office window.

Meanwhile, McClane has opened the elevator door. He braces the door open with the fire axe.

McClane looks down the elevator shaft. “F— me,” he whispers.

“Let’s go!” says Robinson at the command post. “Get them outta the car! Don’t you know they’re burning?”

The armored car is a flaming wreck. The SWAT team meanwhile is sprawled on the plaza, screaming in pain.

McClane unwraps a brick of C-4. The detonators are scattered on the computer chair.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Wilhelm von Hornburg as James

Hans Buhringer as Fritz

Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber

Bruce Willis as John McClane

Paul Gleason as Dwayne T. Robinson

Clarence Gilyard, Jr as Theo

Bruno Doyon as Franco

The armored car reaches the entrance to Nakatomi Plaza.

Franco, on the 30th floor with the hostages, waves his machine gun at them and yells, ” All of you, get back! Get the f— back!”

Meanwhile on the 35th floor, James shoves his cartload of missiles out of the freight elevator.

“Get over there!” yells Theo, watching the action on the security monitors.

“Schnell! Schnell” yells Fritz at James. “Macht Schnell!”

“Ah Scheisse!” replies James, as one of the missiles falls off the cart.

“[Just leave it!]” says Fritz in German. “[Hurry! Hurry! Faster! Make it fast! Stop here!]”

Fritz and James park the cart and grab the launcher tripod equipment. They hurry to a nearby window. James stands the tripod upright, while Fritz uses a nail gun to brace the tripod into the floor.

The LAPD armored car accelerates toward the Nakatomi Tower.

James plugs the launcher into the tripod, while Fritz attaches ignition cables.

James opens a missile case and removes a warhead.

LAPD’s armored car gets closer to the tower.

“Ya, I see him!” says Fritz, looking through the targeting scope of the launcher.

The armored car is almost at the entrance to the tower. It makes a right turn to climb the steps to the lobby.

“Ready!” says Fritz.

“Momen!” says James, trying to steady the launcher.

The armored vehicle starts to climb the steps, knocking down a row of handrails. The vehicle pauses on the first landing.

“[Go ahead!],” says James in German.

“[Now!]” says Fritz in German.  He presses the FIRE button.

The missile flies down into the plaza, striking the armored car. There’s an eruption of flame.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Wilhelm von Hornburg as James

Hans Buhringer as Fritz

Clarence Gilyard, Jr as Theo

Bruno Doyon as Franco

Far down Olympic Blvd, the lights of a large vehicle shine brightly.

The SWAT team continues using a cutting torch on the lobby doors.

Ulie, behind the candy counter, takes aim with his machine gun.  He hits several SWAT team members and shoots out the windows of the lobby doors.

The wounded SWAT team members scream in pain.

Captain Mitchell listens from the command post on his headset. “Rivers, Rodriguez – report!” he says.

Theo, watching the security monitors, says, “Whoa – wait a minute, wait a minute… what have we here, gentlemen?”

Bright lights of a large vehicle on Olympic Blvd get closer.

“The police have themselves an RV,” says Theo.

The armored LAPD vehicle weaves its way past news vans and police cars.

“Southeast corner,” says Theo.

James, shouting orders in German, loads missiles into the freight elevator.

“Oh, Jesus Christ!” whispers McClane, on the 34th Floor as he watches the armored car approach. He turns, hears the elevator motor,  but then realizes it’s not stopping at his floor.

The armored car reaches the entrance to Nakatomi Plaza.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Wilhelm von Hornburg as James

Reginald VelJohnson as Sgt. Al Powell

Matt Landers as Capt. Mitchell

Carmine Zozzora as SWAT leader Rivers

Bruce Willis as John McClane

Clarence Gilyard, Jr as Theo

Dennis Hayden as Eddie

Al Leong as Ulie

Captain Mitchell, Dwayne T. Robinson, and Sgt. Al Powell watch on from their staging area.

“We’re ready,” says Mitchell to Robinson.

“Kick ass,” says Robinson.

“Go!” says Mitchell into his microphone.

“Right,” replies SWAT leader Rivers. “Let’s do it,” he says to his men. The SWAT team advances on the front entrance to the Nakatomi lobby.

One of the SWAT members attempts to pick on the lock on the door.

Ulie looks at Eddie, and makes a hand sign with a closed fist.

Upstairs, one of the henchmen opens up with a machine gun. Ricochets bounce off the arc lights.

“They’re shooting at them!” says Robinson.

“It’s panic fire,” says Mitchell. “They can’t see anything.”

“They’re shooting at the lights!” states Sgt. Al. One of the arc lights explodes and goes dim. Several more get blown out in the same manner.

“They’re going after the lights,” states Robinson. Powell rolls his eyes. “Call them back,” says Robinson.

The SWAT member trying to pick the lock announces “It’s not happening,” and retreats.

“Mike!” shouts Rivers at another officer, who’s holding an acetylene torch. “Burn it!” he says to Mike. Mike lights his torch.

“Don’t be impatient,” says Hans into his walkie-talkie. Ulie finishes his Crunch bar. “Just wound them,” orders Hans.  There’s a shower of sparks from the officer with the torch.

“Get ’em back!” says Robinson, “They’re sitting ducks up there.”

“No, no,” replies Mitchell. “They’re almost in.”

“Get ’em back!” repeats Robinson.

“Almost in,” replies Mitchell.  Powell glares at the two of them.

“Send in the car,” says Mitchell into his microphone. “Send in the car.”

Far down Olympic Blvd, the lights of a large vehicle shine brightly.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Reginald VelJohnson as Sgt. Al Powell

Matt Landers as Capt. Mitchell

Carmine Zozzora as SWAT leader Rivers

Bruce Willis as John McClane

Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber

Clarence Gilyard, Jr as Theo

Dennis Hayden as Eddie

Al Leong as Ulie

De’voreaux White as Argyle