He bought me the Die Hard collection on Blu-ray for my birthday (as previously mentioned) so now I'm having a marathon.
Up first, movie one.
Not bad for 1988.
The best thing about these new DVDs?
Commentary.
Things I've learned from the Die Hard commentary so far:
The movie is based off a book by Roderick Thorp called "Nothing Lasts Forever" which is actually a sequel to another book - "The Detective" - which was made into a movie in 1968 and it starred Frank Sinatra. Sinatra's contact gave him the right to reprise his role if there was ever a sequel so he was the first person offered the role even though he was 73 at the time the movie was being made. Coincidentally, Bruce Willis made his movie debut in "The First Deadly Sin". He was an extra who walked out of a bar when Sinatra was walking in.
The cinematography is big on triangles. The placement of villains (they often stand in threes), the set layout, and camera shots (also in threes) all show this. Which you don't notice until you're told. The only non-pointed aspect of the entire movie is the vault that they're trying to break into cause it is a round tube.
Other people offered the role before Willis were Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Burt Reynolds, Richard Gere, Harrison Ford and then Mel Gibson. Richard Gere? Really?
The protagonist in this movie is actually Hans Gruber, the bad guy (aka Alan Rickman aka Snape), while the antagonist is Willis' character John McClane. People seem to mix up protagonist, antagonist with hero, villain - the hero isn't always the protagonist. The protagonist is the person who starts the ball rolling so the protagonist is Hans Gruber when he decides to rob the building. And then the antagonist's job is to thwart him, so that's Willis when he tries to stop him from robbing said building. "once you've realized that the hero in these movies is usually making the second chess move you realize your obligation to give serious credence to the plans of the criminal." It's all about the back and forth.
"Dog heavy" is an old Hollywood term that refers to the third villain from the top. It goes back to Westerns, the main villain kills the sheriff, the second villain kills the deputy, and then the third villain does something generically mean, like kick a dog.
only halfway thru, the idiot is about to get shot for saying he knows john.
oh there's another triangle camera shot, ellis to karl to karl's gun.
dig it.
So today was fun.
Sunday at the library.
Morning was dead silent, afternoon picked up...in awkward ways. Internet computers turned off at some of the branches mid-day, there was a hygiene issue which led us to writing up awkward incident reports, Second Sister has decided to get me a stripper pole and leather boots for birthday, just weird stuff.
The last part was a joke.
I hope.
She's held off on buying me something for my birthday until she finds something I will actually like - which I appreciate. Now she's just making stuff up.
I hope.
Excited to sleep in tomorrow. Don't go in until 4 for a whole 2 hours. Afterwards I need to go shopping.
I'm down to just liquor to drink.
Out of both pop and water bottles.
And tap water here tastes weird.
I'm used to water from the farm, this stuff is gross.
See, sounds like excuses from an alcoholic, but the only reason I have a fridge door full of liquor is cause I don't drink it so it builds up.
Not really a big drinker, never have been.
The boyfriend makes fun of me cause I'll have like one drink and it'll last for hours.
I like Amaretto Sours and Margaritas. Possibly wine, mostly Asti. Sometimes other mixed stuff.
Other than that it's pop for me.
But I'll put some flavoring in the water and live with it for a night.
On to the music and then it's back to the movie for me.
It's amusing, you can tell how far into the movie you are by the state of John's clothes. Like first he's in a suit, then he ditches the jacket (and the shoes) so it's a white tanktop, then the tanktop turns red with blood and black with dirt. Eventually he ditches it so it's just the pants. Now he's got the firefighter jacket.
I love Bruce Willis. Definitely in my top ten of male actors.
Others being Brendan Fraser, Adam Sandler, David Spade, Jim Parsons, the list goes on.
On to number movie two.
Songs of the day:
you will know neither of these, but give them a chance.
well, the second one at least.
Until You - Dave Barnes
Hurtful - Erik Hassle
posted this one twice already through the years, but still love it.
Some of my favorites:
Hans Gruber: "And when Alexander saw the breadth of his
domain, he wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer." Benefits of a
classical education.
Hans Gruber: What idiot put you in charge?
Holly Gennero McClane: You did. When you murdered my boss.
[Karl smashes a table of glasses in fury]
Ginny: God. That
man looks *really* pissed.
Holly Gennero McClane: He's still alive.
Ginny: What?
Holly Gennero McClane: Only John can drive somebody that
crazy.
Hans: The following people are to be released from their
captors: In Northern Ireland, the seven members of the New Provo Front. In
Canada, the five imprisoned leaders of Liberte de Quebec. In Sri Lanka, the
nine members of the Asian Dawn movement...
Karl: [mouthing silently] Asian Dawn?
Hans: [covers the radio] I read about them in Time magazine.
and my personal favorite...
[after McClane sets off massive explosion]
John McClane: Is
the building on fire?
Sergeant Al Powell: No, but it's gonna need a paint job and
a shit load of screen doors.
and i'm out.
and i'm out.
