Die Hard On A Blank

For this episode, Phil and Liam are joined by special guest Blake Howard, film podcaster extraordinaire and the disruptive innovator behind One Heat Minute productions, to discuss the 1994 action-thriller THE RIVER WILD.

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.

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It’s Die Hard in a skydiving spy caper!

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.

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It’s Die Hard in the war on drugs!

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.

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Welcome to the party pals! This is DIE HARD ON A BLANK, a podcast from Sugar23 that explores the influence of Die Hard on action cinema. In each episode, screenwriter Philip Gawthorne and film podcaster Liam Billingham will talk about one major action movie that was released after DIE HARD - the official sequels, the various imitators, all the way up to recent releases like VIOLENT NIGHT. They'll discuss action icons like Jason Bourne, James Bond, Jack Ryan and Ethan Hunt, and stars like Harrison Ford, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Denzel Washington, Tom Cruise, Nicolas Cage, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Wesley Snipes, Keanu Reeves, Charlize Theron and of course, Bruce Willis. If you're a casual fan or action movie die hard (get it?), Die Hard On A Blank is for you. Available wherever your get your podcasts and also right here.

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It’s Die Hard in an action comedy spy romp!

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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It’s Die Hard in Boston! This week on the show, Phil and Liam break out their ropiest accents to discuss the 1994 action-thriller BLOWN AWAY, starring Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones. “It’s Die Haaad in Boston! What - you think you better than me or somethin’?”Jimmy Dove (Jeff Bridges), a veteran member of the Boston bomb squad, is planning to retire and settle down with his partner Kate (Suzy Amis) and her daughter Lizzie, when escaped prisoner Ryan Gaerity (Tommy Lee Jones) targets him and his fellow team members in a relentless urban bombing campaign. We come to learn that Jimmy and Ryan have a dark history together that traces back to the troubles in Northern Ireland, where they were both complicit in bombing attacks that had tragic consequences for all involved. Propelled into theatres in the summer of 1994 by its bombastic trailer, BLOWN AWAY was ultimately something of a box-office disappointment, and received heavy criticism for some of the accent work, as well as what was perceived as insensitive Irish stereotyping. However, as Phil and Liam unearth through their incisive analysis, there’s much more going on in this flawed but fascinating film than meets the eye.Boston-native Liam can speak to this film’s evocative cultural milieu from his personal experience growing up as an Irish-American in Massachusetts. He gives his two cents on what the film gets right, what it gets wrong, and what it might be saying about the Irish immigrant experience in America. The guys then take a scenic tour through the nine circles of hell, exploring the film’s striking Catholic imagery, its literary allusions, and its powerful themes of guilt, shame, and suffering.The boys consider dying the LA River green en route to the ‘Die Hard Oscars’, a special guest makes an appearance in the ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz to represent the embattled AI community, and due to popular demand, Marco returns…with a vengeance!BLOWN AWAY trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3N-e9BLZFoAt the time of release, BLOWN AWAY is streaming on Max, DirectTV, Cinemax, and AppleTV/Paramount +, and is available to rent or buy through Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Vudu, RedBox, AMC and all the usual platforms.Phil on Eye Of The Duck! Liam on Cows In The Field! Blake Howard/Ethan Warren's Jim Henson documentary!

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It’s Die Hard on a bus!For the show’s 20th episode, Phil and Liam are joined by special guest Kris Tapley - film journalist for Variety, host of the 50 MPH podcast and the world’s foremost expert on this week’s film: SPEED!When hotshot LA SWAT cop Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves) incurs the wrath of mad bomber Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper), Payne responds by rigging a city bus with a unique explosive device, that will arm when the vehicle hits 50mph…and detonate if it drops below it. The first question to ask here is: is this the greatest premise of all time?Kris climbs aboard and takes the boys on a guided tour – via elevator, bus and subway train - of this classic film, examining every nut, bolt and mechanism. They also take a few scenic detours to explore the road not taken…with alternative directors, casting choices, and action sequences.Among other things they will discuss the enduring appeal of Keanu Reeves, the magic of Sandra Bullock, the genius of Dennis Hopper, and the litany of superb supporting performances, from the likes of Jeff Daniels, Joe Morton and Glenn Plummer. They get deep on the creative team, the bus passengers, and even the folks on the elevator get some attention. (Spare a thought for poor Richard Schiff – the unfortunate train driver.) The boys jump on the 2525 bus to make it to ‘The Die Hard Oscars’ in the nick of time, and Liam and Kris duke it out in the trivia section with a tailor-made ‘pop quiz’. They also answer the most burning question of all: is Speed really just ‘Die Hard on a bus’? Or does this astonishing film transcend such a term?Join us for an unbridled celebration of that rare beast: a perfect action movie. Don’t forget your muffins!SPEED trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCh_sxggMFo At the time of release, SPEED is streaming on Fubo and USA and is available to rent or buy through Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Vudu, DirectTV and all the usual platforms.

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It’s Die Hard in a future shock satire!For this week’s episode, Phil and Liam are joined by special guest Nick De Semlyen, editor of Empire magazine and author of the excellent book THE LAST ACTION HEROES. Together they unfreeze DEMOLITION MAN – a deceptively sophisticated sci-fi movie that explores, deconstructs and satirizes action movie archetypes.In a dystopian LA, renegade cop John Spartan (Sylvester Stallone) apprehends his psychotic arch nemesis Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes) during a chaotic assault, but Spartan is wrongly blamed for a large number of civilian deaths, and both men are placed in a new cryogenic-penitentiary. When they are awakened 36 years later, Spartan and Phoenix find themselves in a peaceful and seemingly utopian future society, where they quickly resume their violent feud…exposing the sinister truth about this brave new world in the process. Stallone is one of the central figures in Nick’s book, and together the guys analyze the disparity between Sly’s screen persona and who he is in real life – something that Nick can speak to from personal experience. Nick also discusses the insights gained when he interviewed the film’s director, the mercurial Marco Brambilla, a wildly talented artist who seems to have an interest in exploring weighty philosophical themes, and there’s some beefy discussions about the rest of the film’s eclectic cast, that includes Wesley Snipes, Sandra Bullock, Nigel Hawthorne, Denis Leary and Jack Black, who appears briefly as ‘Wasteland Scrap #2’! The boys grab a quick Taco Bell before heading over to ‘Die Hard Oscars’ in their futuristic tuxedos, and Liam and Nick collaborate to great effect in the ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz! So alleviate your boggles, enhance your calm and listen now! DEMOLITION MAN trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B5v6QZ5R3g(“That looks like a good movie…”)At the time of release, DEMOLITION MAN is streaming on Max and is available to rent or buy through Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Vudu, DirectTV and all the usual platforms.

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Liam and Phil went out to the coast to to have a few laughs this week, so they decided to share an underheard early gem from the podcast: the ORIGINS OF DIE HARD episode.Thanks to everyone who has listened, shared, or told us they like the show. Special thanks to our amazing guests so far. We'll be back in two weeks with DEMOLITION MAN.It's Rambo in a Towering Inferno! In part two of this inaugural episode, Phil and Liam discuss ‘The Anatomy of an Action Movie’, using DIE HARD as an example to analyze the essential components that make an action movie successful (or not). They also discuss DIE HARD’s diffuse origins and influences throughout cinema and literature, with a particular focus on Roderick Thorp’s book ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’ - the 1978 novel upon which DIE HARD was based. This episode also marks the first edition of the ‘DIE HARD OSCARS’, where Phil and Liam assign special awards in a variety of bespoke action-movie categories. There’s just enough time for a DIE HARD-themed trivia quiz, before the boys offer their respective opinions on the most burning question of all: is DIE HARD a Christmas movie?!DIE HARD ON A BLANK is created and hosted by Phillip Gawthorne. Liam Billingham produces and co-hosts the show. Mike Mayer and Michael Sugar are the executive producers. Tyson Hubley makes our artwork and videos. Special thanks to Sukee Chew and everyone at Sugar23.You can follow Die Hard On A Blank on Twitter and Instagram here. Follow @liamgbillingham and @philipgawthorne on twitter. You can e-mail us with questions or comments at [email protected]. Get in touch! We want to hear from you!

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It’s Die Hard in a serial killer thriller!Or is it Die Hard in a murder mystery? Or Die Hard in a family drama? Or Die Hard in the great American play?! To make sense of all this, Phil and Liam are joined by special guest Sean Fennessey, the host of The Big Picture and a regular guest on The Rewatchables.  The plot of Striking Distance speaks to its surprising level of complexity. After he testifies against his own partner for use of excessive force, Pittsburgh homicide detective Thomas Hardy (Bruce Willis) is exiled from the tight-knit police department and ends up working for the River Rescue division, where he becomes embroiled in a hunt for a serial killer who is dumping bodies in the water. As he launches his own unofficial investigation into the crimes with new partner Jo Christman (Sarah Jessica Parker), Hardy comes to suspect that the killer may be the very same man who murdered his police captain father years earlier.As the son of a cop himself, Sean has a particular insight on the film’s subject matter, which captures a very specific cultural milieu in co-writer/director Rowdy Herrington’s home town of Pittsburgh. They also discuss Sean’s feelings about Die Hard, his thoughts on Bruce Willis’ complicated career, and his fascinating real-life encounter with Dennis Farina, who plays (Willis’ Uncle) Nick DeTillo, in what might be the movie’s standout performance, even amongst a stellar supporting cast that includes Tom Sizemore, John Mahoney, Brion James, Andre Braugher, Tom Atkins and Robert Pastorelli.There’s also in-depth analysis of the film’s possible influences – from iconic 1970s filmmakers like Alan J. Pakula and Sidney Lumet, to great American playwrights like Arthur Miller and Eugene O’Neill – and to the films and TV shows that it may have subsequently influenced – such as CopLand, We Own The Night, Pride & Glory and The Wire. Are the guys giving this largely forgotten film too much credit? Possibly…but that’s up to you to decide!The ‘Die Hard Oscars’ provide some typically strong candidates for awards recognition, before Sean and Liam compete in the ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz!STRIKING DISTANCE trailerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PbX4LXD6EsAt the time of release, STRIKING DISTANCE is available to rent or buy through Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Vudu, DirectTV and all the usual platforms.

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