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After Hours
Die Hard with a Vengeance
Die Hard with a Vengeance
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Pulp Fiction
The Verdict
The Edge
Misery
The Player
The Player
Die Hard 2
Film credit
Bruce Willis
Stats
- Episodes featuring their films
- 9
- Movies in this archive
- 8
Rewatchables episodes featuring Bruce Willis’s films
Die Hard
1988 film
Bill Simmons · Chris Ryan · Jason Concepcion · Sean Fennessey
Aired August 1, 2018
Displaying all 9 episodes
Mentioned in discussions
Half-Assed Internet Research
Dunne’s city experiences; budget and gross; student screenplay; producing partnership; Kafka; nightlife; locations; Powell mentorship
In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 00:09:57Read transcript
- Dunne reportedly recognized the story’s exhilarating, dangerous encounters with strangers from his own life. — Bill Simmons
- Reported $4.5 million budget and $10.6 million gross. — Sean Fennessey
- Joseph Minion reportedly wrote the screenplay as a film-school senior thesis at 21; the later half is described as more strongly shaped by Scorsese. — Sean Fennessey
- Dunne and Amy Robinson’s production partnership and Baby It’s You brought Arquette and Ballhaus connections into After Hours. — Sean Fennessey
- Club Berlin’s doorman dialogue reportedly draws on Kafka’s Before the Law and frustrations making Last Temptation of Christ. — Bill Simmons
- Cafe Central connected the cast and producers; Bruce Willis reportedly tended bar while famous actors socialized without paparazzi. — Bill Simmons
- Heard’s carousing reputation worried Scorsese before the producers persuaded him; already-gentrifying Soho required Chinatown, Little Italy and Tribeca substitutions. — Bill Simmons
- A documentary reportedly recounts Dunne and Carrie Fisher’s youthful sexual encounter as an act of friendship. — Bill Simmons
- A reported Fiorentino/Pellicano/Rossini case is recounted; speculation that it explains her acting hiatus is explicitly only a guess. — Bill Simmons
- Michael Powell’s mentorship reportedly helped Scorsese determine tone and ending; his own professional exile created a kinship. — Sean Fennessey
Who Won the Movie?
Samuel L. Jackson (two choices); Bruce Willis (one choice)
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 02:00:28Read transcript
- Jackson receives two explicit winner choices for refreshing the franchise and bringing out Willis’s willingness to share the screen. — Chris Ryan
- Willis receives a competing choice because John McClane is hard to beat; the Jackson case emphasizes proving Pulp Fiction was no fluke and carrying a major hit. — Bill Simmons
Podcast choices
- Speaker not identified
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Speaker not identified
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Speaker not identified
- Bruce Willis
Apex Mountain
Bruce Willis; Colleen Camp; Sam Phillips; summer action setting; Wall Street school system; gold reserves; Bonwit Teller; Die Hard sequels; McClane’s sidekicks
In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:40:07Read transcript
- Willis receives support for this comeback period: Pulp Fiction and this hit lead into a run of major films and first-call status. — Bill Simmons
- Willis and Demi Moore’s combined stardom adds to the case; Moore’s reported Striptease salary is corrected from twenty to twelve million.
- Jackson’s peak is unresolved among the Pulp Fiction era, Jackie Brown, later-1990s permanence and Star Wars. — Bill Simmons
- Irons’s Oscar win or Margin Call are alternatives; Harlem is rejected as only a brief setting here, with Harlem Knights, The Cotton Club and Hoodlum discussed. — Van Lathan
- Summer as an integral action-movie setting receives qualified support, as do the Wall Street school system, gold reserves and Bonwit Teller.
- Colleen Camp and Sam Phillips receive affirmative support. — Bill Simmons
- Die Hard sequels and McClane’s sidekicks receive clear affirmative answers, with Zeus preferred over the other companions. — Van Lathan
Recasting Couch
Keep the director; consider John Cazale, James Brolin, O.J. Simpson, Tom Hanks, Will Smith, Nicolas Cage, Richard Gere, Bruce Willis, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Chadwick Boseman
In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 01:34:12Read transcript
- The panel initially finds no director replacement and briefly proposes John Cazale, James Brolin, or O.J. Simpson for Larry Butler. — Bill Simmons
- Tom Hanks is proposed as Roy in a 1987 version. — Bill Simmons
- Will Smith is proposed for a 1997 version and questioned as too handsome or heroic. — Bill Simmons
- Nicolas Cage is proposed as another 1997 Roy. — Bill Simmons
- Richard Gere is considered and rejected as too attractive or too old for the 1997 role.
- Bruce Willis is considered and rejected as too old for the 1997 role. — Sean Fennessey
- Philip Seymour Hoffman is proposed for a 2007 version.
- Chadwick Boseman is proposed for a 2017 version.
Apex Mountain
Samuel L. Jackson; Quentin Tarantino; diners;1964 Chevelle Malibu; Ving Rhames; souped-up Acuras; Christopher Walken monologues;1974 Chevy Nova; cinematic coffee; UC Santa Cruz merchandise; Monster Joe’s Truck and Tow
In the discussion (27)
Approx. transcript time · 01:58:29Read transcript
- Jackson is affirmed, including the nomination and subsequent Die Hard 3 role.
- Tarantino is affirmed for the clout and opportunities following the film, while later films remain artistic alternatives.
- Amsterdam is proposed without a resolved answer.
- MacGuffins lose to the Ark of the Covenant.
- Travolta is rejected in favor of Saturday Night Fever’s greater historical fame. — Bill Simmons
- Diners are probably affirmed for the phenomenon despite the film Diner and personal diner habits predating Pulp Fiction.
- Uma Thurman loses to Kill Bill.
- Milkshakes face 1957 and There Will Be Blood alternatives without a settled affirmative choice.
- The 1964 Chevelle Malibu is affirmed. — Bill Simmons
- Bruce Willis is rejected. — Bill Simmons
- Ving Rhames is affirmed for the career transition leading toward Mission: Impossible and Don King. — Bill Simmons
- Tarantino’s three-count gestures are proposed without a settled Apex choice. — Bill Simmons
- Mexican standoffs lose to Reservoir Dogs after an initial True Romance answer is corrected.
- The Twist loses to Chubby Checker.
- Miramax loses to Shakespeare in Love.
- Souped-up Acuras are affirmed.
- Walken monologues are affirmed; Poolhall Junkies, Annie Hall and The Comfort of Strangers are alternatives.
- Modesty Blaise loses to the Monica Vitti film.
- Keitel is rejected, with Taxi Driver, The Piano and Bad Lieutenant discussed.
- The 1974 Chevy Nova is affirmed.
- Jimmie’s coffee and cinematic coffee are affirmed, prompting a joking broader coffee argument.
- UC Santa Cruz merchandise is called elite in an approving response to its Apex nomination. — Chris Ryan
- Monster Joe’s Truck and Tow is affirmed.
- A reported Joe Dante namesake is discussed; a Reservoir Dogs Joe connection is wondered about without resolution. — Sean Fennessey
- Conversations about pigs remain unresolved amid Animal Farm and Babe alternatives.
- The assault scene loses to Deliverance.
- The Ezekiel passage prompts biblical-literacy and misquotation discussion without an affirmative apex conclusion. — Chris Ryan
Half-Assed Internet Research
New York bar; near-miss light; eyedrops; Twelve Angry Men alumni; rehearsal; revised ending; Willis cameo
In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 00:14:59Read transcript
- Barry Reed's novel supplied a framework, but Lumet reportedly disliked it and the film greatly changed it. — Bill Simmons
- Lumet's efficiency and at least three weeks of rehearsal reportedly unlocked Newman, reflecting exacting live-television and Eugene O'Neill work with Mason. — Sean Fennessey
- Mamet's script reportedly ended without revealing the verdict, prioritizing salvation; the hosts prefer the released payoff, Warden's upward gesture and Laura's unanswered calls. — Bill Simmons
- Bruce Willis is reportedly visible smiling behind Newman after the verdict; an Amazon cast overlay alerted a host to the cameo. — Bill Simmons
- Half-assed research identifies the New York Horseshoe bar on Seventh Street,also used for Pentangeli's strangling in GodfatherII and Crocodile Dundee; its former name remains phonetically uncertain.
- The host told his surprised father the bar was in New York; Boston's available bars are lamented,while many film exteriors are acknowledged as Boston. — Bill Simmons
- Newman reportedly narrowly avoided a falling light weighing hundreds of pounds. — Bill Simmons
- Newman proposed eye drops to evoke the redness caused by alcoholism, according to the recalled Lumet account. — Bill Simmons
- Edward Binns and Warden are noted as 12 Angry Men alumni. — Bill Simmons
Half-Assed Internet Research
Linson’s production accounts; locations and gross; Bart’s career; Hopkins’s injury; reality adaptation; Baldwin’s criticism; Fischer; What Just Happened
In the discussion (12)
Approx. transcript time · 00:27:57Read transcript
- Linson recounts Baldwin’s angry refusal to shave his beard and subsequent refusal to speak to the director or producer after finally shaving. — Bill Simmons
- Linson’s account of the studio pitch includes an executive objecting that viewers would not root for a rich man; Mamet developed the bear and betrayal elements to win sympathy. — Bill Simmons
- Alberta and British Columbia are named as filming locations; no budget figure was found, while the gross is reported as 43.3 million. — Van Lathan
- Bart the Bear is described as a 23-year-old star near the end of his career, reunited with Hopkins after Legends of the Fall.
- Bart’s credits are listed as Windwalker, The Clan of the Cave Bear, The Great Outdoors, The Bear, White Fang, The Giant of Thunder Mountain, Homeward Bound, On Deadly Ground, Legends of the Fall,12 Monkeys, Walking Thunder, The Edge and final film Meet the Deedles, plus Grizzly Adams and a Kenny Rogers television movie. — Bill Simmons
- Bart reportedly presented at the 1998 Oscars and was unusually docile and trusted by actors; his trainer recalled Hopkins respecting him as a fellow performer. — Bill Simmons
- Hopkins reportedly combined a neck/back problem and painkillers with hypothermia after river work, causing a roughly 10-day production shutdown. — Bill Simmons
- The film reportedly inspired a Brazilian survival reality show using Charles’s techniques. — Bill Simmons
- Baldwin’s autobiography reportedly praised Mamet’s script but attacked the director for turning it into a dumb action movie. — Bill Simmons
- Jenna Fischer reportedly calls it a favorite she watches annually; informal barbershop recollections illustrate its broad cable familiarity. — Bill Simmons
- A claim on Wikipedia that Bart won an Oscar but could not attend is identified as an obvious joke or false insertion. — Van Lathan
- What Just Happened is described as a 2008 Barry Levinson fictionalization of Linson’s book, including the difficult bear movie and beard dispute; De Niro and Bruce Willis are named. — Van Lathan
Half-Assed Internet Research
Production anecdotes cover Caan, the actors’ rehearsal conflict, adaptations, effects, and King’s addiction metaphor
In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 01:11:02Read transcript
- James Caan reportedly had unusable footage after arriving hungover and reimbursed the studio — Bill Simmons
- Some dialogue is suspected of having been looped, though the reason is uncertain — Bill Simmons
- Stephen King is reported to have called Annie Wilkes his favorite character — Bill Simmons
- Caan preferred discovery during filming while Bates preferred rehearsal; Reiner found a middle ground — Bill Simmons
- A 2015 Broadway adaptation starred Bruce Willis and Laurie Metcalf and used a Goldman script — Bill Simmons
- Castle Rock season two also adapted Annie Wilkes material — Bill Simmons
- A DVD feature described Annie as a broad catalog of mental illness — Bill Simmons
- The hobbling prosthetics used gelatin legs, wires, and openings in the bed for Caan’s real legs — Bill Simmons
- King later explained Annie and the hobbling as metaphors for his drug dependence and inability to escape it — Bill Simmons
What’s Aged the Best?
Early-1990s Los Angeles, the no-stars pitch, cameos, Randall Batinkoff, anonymous threats, and Hollywood-insider jokes
In the discussion (14)
Approx. transcript time · 00:49:37Read transcript
- The pre-internet early-1990s Los Angeles movie world is praised. — Bill Simmons
- Executives recoiling from a movie with no stars is praised. — Bill Simmons
- Jeremy Piven’s pre-hairpiece appearance is highlighted. — Bill Simmons
- Anjelica Huston and John Cusack visibly disliking Griffin is a favorite cameo moment.
- Randall Batinkoff’s funny supporting role and failed star trajectory are highlighted. — Bill Simmons
- The mystery-person postcard device is praised as reliably effective. — Bill Simmons
- Brion James’s studio-chief presence is praised. — Bill Simmons
- Larry Levy attending AA meetings to make deals despite not drinking is praised. — Bill Simmons
- Malcolm McDowell’s cameo is praised. — Bill Simmons
- The movie marks Sidney Pollack’s return to acting before a later run.
- The running assumption that Julia Roberts and Bruce Willis fit every movie is praised. — Bill Simmons
- The Pasadena insult is highlighted. — Bill Simmons
- Griffin being served a different bottled-water brand in each venue is highlighted. — Bill Simmons
- The movie’s insider view of powerful institutions is connected to later storytelling. — Bill Simmons
Most Rewatchable Scene
The opening tracking shot
In the discussion (14)
Approx. transcript time · 00:32:47Read transcript
- The 7:47 opening tracking shot is nominated and ultimately selected. — Bill Simmons
- The opening includes Buck Henry pitching The Graduate Part II. — Bill Simmons
- The opening’s rapid movie-pitch mashups are praised.
- Fred Ward discussing Touch of Evil while admitting gaps in his movie knowledge is praised. — Wesley Morris
- The large party where Sidney Pollack appears is nominated. — Bill Simmons
- The Burt Reynolds party exchange is praised. — Bill Simmons
- Griffin confronting David Kahane at the Rialto and the ensuing murder are nominated. — Bill Simmons
- The hotel-pool Habeas Corpus pitch is nominated. — Bill Simmons
- Griffin’s generic black-tie speech about movies as art is nominated. — Bill Simmons
- The one-year-later Habeas Corpus ending with Julia Roberts and Bruce Willis is nominated. — Bill Simmons
- The final in-car pitch of The Player and Griffin’s homecoming are nominated. — Bill Simmons
- The Pasadena interrogation with Lyle Lovett and Whoopi Goldberg is nominated. — Wesley Morris
- Whoopi Goldberg’s tampon exchange is highlighted. — Wesley Morris
- The lineup scene and Whoopi Goldberg’s pressure on the witness are praised. — Sean Fennessey
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:22:06Read transcript
- Asked who won the movie, the answer is Bruce Willis, who did it again, with no doubt expressed.
Podcast choices
- Speaker not identified
- Bruce Willis
Apex Mountain
Die Hard 2 for Renny Harlin; Oliver North-style villains; evil John Amos; Bruce Willis's pre-thinning hair; Bonnie Bedelia; icicle eye stabbings; public airphones
In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 01:00:08Read transcript
- The segment opens with a death-toll question: the internet says 114, though the crashed flight alone seemed to hold about 200. — Chris Ryan
- Valverde appears in both films, but Commando remains its apex because that movie actually goes there.
- An apex case for Willis rests on this film outgrossing the first, but the earlier Die Hard verdict is unresolved; he spent the capital on risks such as Bonfire of the Vanities, Hudson Hawk, Billy Bathgate, Mortal Thoughts and Last Boy Scout.
- Snowmobile chases are raised, with The Living Daylights and Inception offered as rivals; for Franz, NYPD Blue has to be the apex.
- For Harlin, The Long Kiss Goodnight is the favorite, but this, his most successful film, is his apex; Deep Blue Sea may be what he is best known for, Cliffhanger is loved, and Cutthroat Island pulled him down.
- More apex picks: Oliver North-style villains, evil John Amos, Willis's pre-thinning hair, and Bonnie Bedelia at her 1990 peak with this and Presumed Innocent; airport-set movies come down to this or Airplane. — Bill Simmons
- Icicle eye stabbings get a yes, but Single White Female keeps the top eye stabbing; X is mentioned as a current horror film with a notable one.
- Two late additions: public airphones, and the debate over whether Sadler's fully nude tai chi tops Swayze's half-nude tai chi in Roadhouse, left unsettled. — Chris Ryan
- Die Hard 2 may have invented the recreational taser, but The Hangover, or possibly Jackass, is its apex. — Bill Simmons
Displaying discussions 1 - 12 of 42 in total
Films in the archive
Armageddon
1998
Die Hard
1988
Die Hard 2
1990
Die Hard with a Vengeance
1995
Ocean's Twelve
2004
Pulp Fiction
1994
The Last Boy Scout
1991
The Sixth Sense
1999