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Why do people think that Die Hard is a Christmas movie?

Ballpoint Ren

Ballpoint Ren

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
1,425
Canada
I just finished watching Die Hard for the first time last night and its just straight up unsettling that there are people who will claim that it's a Christmas movie. Just because the movie takes place on Christmas Eve doesn't mean that the movie is about Christmas. Die Hard could have taken place on any other holiday or occassion and the movie would still work without any major changes to the plot, but some people out there are still gonna call this a holiday classic just because John McClane put a santa hat on a dead terrorist.
Anyway, Die Hard is an awesome movie, but anyone who says it's a Christmas movie should never be allowed to watch it again. Yippie-ki-yay, motherfuckers.
 
onyx

onyx

Member
Dec 25, 2017
2,523
Well, it is a Christmas movie. Just like Shazam is a Christmas movie.
 
Distantmantra

Distantmantra

Member
Oct 26, 2017
11,143
Seattle
McLaine is trying reunite with his family on Christmas. Family is a big theme in the film. A lot of the film's score is Christmas music.
 
JetmanJay

JetmanJay

Member
Nov 1, 2017
3,500
It takes place on Xmas Eve and ends with a Xmas song. Sorry it doesn't fit your snowy, reindeery, Santa Clausy, definition of Xmas. We do it differently here in LA, haha.
 
Keldroc

Keldroc

Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,977
Because people don't understand that setting isn't theme. Die Hard is a movie that takes place during Christmas, but it is not a Christmas movie, with the exception that if you watch it every Christmas, you have made it your own Christmas movie. But you could do that with any movie regardless of setting, so that's not any kind of argument that Die Hard is, in fact, a Christmas movie. You could change the reason McClane is in town to a graduation or birthday or wedding and the story remains the same. Christmas is completely irrelevant to the story.
 
deimosmasque

deimosmasque

Ugly, Queer, Gender-Fluid, Drive-In Mutant, yes?
Moderator
Apr 22, 2018
14,157
Tampa, Fl
It's not about Christmas, it is set a Christmas.

The reason it's held up as a Christmas movie for some (including me) is because it's nice to watch a movie set a Christmas that doesn't have some ridiculous Christmas message to it. Just a fun movie, set during Christmas.

There are thousands of movies about Christmas that completely suck. Let's just have one good action movie we have a tenuous at best connection so we can have some additional fun at Christmas.

Seems an odd thing to argue about.
 
OP
OP
Ballpoint Ren

Ballpoint Ren

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
1,425
Canada
JetmanJay said:
It takes place on Xmas Eve and ends with a Xmas song. Sorry it doesn't fit your snowy, reindeery, Santa Clausy, definition of Xmas. We do it differently here in LA, haha.
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That's a very low bar for Christmas spirit.

Keldroc said:
Because people don't understand that setting isn't theme. Die Hard is a movie that takes place during Christmas, but it is not a Christmas movie, with the exception that if you watch it every Christmas, you have made it your own Christmas movie. But you could do that with any movie regardless of setting, so that's not any kind of argument that Die Hard is, in fact, a Christmas movie. You could change the reason McClane is in town to a graduation or birthday or wedding and the story remains the same. Christmas is completely irrelevant to the story.
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tenor.gif
 
Menome

Menome

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,396
Home Alone 2

  • Takes place at Christmas but could have happened at any time of year.
  • Features gratuitous violence.
  • Has the main character just wanting to get back together with his family.
  • "Merry Christmas, You filthy animal!"
 
Nif

Nif

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
1,716
Keldroc said:
Because people don't understand that setting isn't theme. Die Hard is a movie that takes place during Christmas, but it is not a Christmas movie, with the exception that if you watch it every Christmas, you have made it your own Christmas movie. But you could do that with any movie regardless of setting, so that's not any kind of argument that Die Hard is, in fact, a Christmas movie. You could change the reason McClane is in town to a graduation or birthday or wedding and the story remains the same. Christmas is completely irrelevant to the story.
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A Christmas Carol could have taken place around Easter. Not sure why people call it a story about Christmas. It's practically a Halloween story.
 
Violence Jack

Violence Jack

Drive-in Mutant
Member
Oct 25, 2017
41,657
Couldn't you say that about quite a few Christmas movies? Home Alone 1 & 2, Gremlins, Lethal Weapon, The Long Kiss Goodnight, etc. The setting being Christmas is enough for a lot of people to consider it a Christmas movie. Just let folks be happy.
 
lake

lake

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,289
Did you even watch it? 90% of the plot revolves around Bruce Willis desperately tracking down a nostalgic childhood Christmas ornament his elderly mother accidentally shipped to a quirky German guy (Alan Rickman). Globetrotting missed connections ensue, as well as plenty of eggnog, until there's nary a dry eye when (spoilers, I guess) Willis and Rickman smash together in their famous embrace at the climax. That's pretty fucking Christmas-y!

Probably beat out only by Human Centipede imo
 
OP
OP
Ballpoint Ren

Ballpoint Ren

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
1,425
Canada
lake said:
Did you even watch it? 90% of the plot revolves around Bruce Willis desperately tracking down a nostalgic childhood Christmas ornament his elderly mother accidentally shipped to a quirky German guy (Alan Rickman). Globetrotting missed connections ensue, as well as plenty of eggnog, until there's nary a dry eye when (spoilers, I guess) Willis and Rickman smash together in their famous embrace at the climax. That's pretty fucking Christmas-y!

Probably beat out only by Human Centipede imo
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This is a good post.

Kevers said:
What is your opinion on Gremlins?
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Never seen it actually! I was today years old when I learned that it takes place on Christmas.
 
Hyun Sai

Hyun Sai

Member
Oct 27, 2017
14,562
Hmm, now I'm torn between Die Hard and Batman returns for best Christmas movie. Hmmm...
 
ColdSun

ColdSun

Together, we are strangers
Administrator
Oct 25, 2017
3,290
So you're saying Home Alone isn't a christmas movie because it could have taken place at Thanksgiving?


Home Alone, Die Hard, Gremlins are all amazing Christmas movies.
 
Huey

Huey

Member
Oct 27, 2017
13,177
It's really just facetious. It's just a great fucking action movie that has some Christmas elements so it's fun to watch in the season. Don't overthink things just because memes.
 
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