Die Hard On A Blank

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It’s Die Hard on a prison plane!

(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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It’s Die Hard in the middle of nowhere!

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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It’s Die Hard in a museum…with a monster!

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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It’s Die Hard in a plane (with very few passengers)!

 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! 

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It’s Die Hard in a tunnel!

 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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It’s Die Hard on the USS Enterprise!

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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It’s Die Hard in a ghost town!

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!

 

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Phil and Liam jump on the mic to talk about some guest appearances they have coming up, read a lovely (and crazy!) e-mail from a guest, and wrap about the future of the show.

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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It’s Die Hard on Alcatraz!

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!

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