The movies of 1988

This was a movie that not only gambled millions,but also made Bruce Willis one of the top action superstars of the 1980's. And this was the movie that cemented his career. And this was the original that spawned three sequels make this one of the most runaway blockbuster masterpieces that had audiences flocking to see when it came to theatres in the summer of 1988. "Die Hard" piles very known element of the action genre onto a flimsy story of the New York cop who rescues hostages from a Los Angeles office tower on Christmas Eve. Partly an interracial buddy movie(on the style of the Lethal Weapon movies)this was partly the sentimental tale of a ruptured marriage,the film is largely a special effects carnival full of machine-gun fire,roaring helicopters,and an explosion tank. It also has a villain fresh from the Royal Shakespeare company,a ruthless thug from the Bolshoi Ballet and a hero who carries the him the smirks and wisecracks that made this film of the top ten action flicks of all time. "Die Hard" was basically
"The Towering Inferno" by way of "The French Connection" in a "Lethal Weapon" style that goes beyond the cop buddy finesse and then some. What makes Die Hard worked is the toughness and all out action that is non stop with something unexpected at ever turn. The producers(Lawrence Gordon and Joel Silver),and the director(John McTiernan) were also responsible for other action flicks that exploded onto the 80's,most notably for some that starred one of the top action buffs of the era..Arnold Scwarzenegger(of "Commando","Predator" films).
Here they have grafted Bruce Willis smart aleck wit and tough New Jersey-New York attitude and here he not only commands the film he conquers it.
The movie is slow in the first half-hour,and that is when John McClane(Bruce Willis),lands in Los Angeles to visit his estranged wife(Bonnie Bedelia)and goes to her office Christmas party. Minutes later a group of six terrorists shows,planning to steal six million dollars in bonds. The terrorists have crack a difficult computer code before getting into the vault,so there is plenty of time for McClane to play the hero and save the hostages. Bruce Willis' true expertise is in banter,so the direction of John McTiernan shrewdly blends bursts of action with some hilarious comic dialogue. McClane races up and down elevator shafts. He kills one terrorist,taking his machine gun and citzens' band radio.. Now he can have a running conservation with Al,the sympathetic black cop(Reginald VelJohnson of Family Matters fame)becomes part of the only buddy film where the friends don't meet until the end of the story. Meanwhile back in the executive suite,there is Hans,the ruthless terrorist leader in a very well tailored suit. In the film's greatest surprise,Hans' character(played by Alan Rickman)comes out to be one of the greatest villains of all time...ruthless,manipulative and just pure evil. He makes a perfect snake. "Who are you?" he superciliously asks McClane via radio. "Are you just another American who saw too many movies as a child?"

Yes,he did. McClane is a movie maverick who worships his idols like Roy Rogers and John Wayne. Here,he walks around in sleeveless undershirt,a tattoo on his left bicep,getting sweater,dirtier,and bloodierby the minute. A great part of the film is watching the down-and-dirty cop match wits with the aloof master criminal. The final action sequence in breathtaking,as FBI helicopters buzz the rooftop and McClane swings down the side of the high-rise and crashes through a window. While below fellow officers from the LAPD just stand there to look like imbeciles. But the scenes move with such relentless energy and smashing special effects that action-genre fans hoped for and this movie did not disappoint. AFI's top 100 action movies of all time.

The 20th anniversary of one of the greatest sports movies ever made and this was the movie that cemented Kevin Costner as one of the top boxoffice stars of the 1980's.
Filmed on location at the historic Durham Athletic Park and other locations in North Carolina.