• Light/Dark
  • Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.

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

Maturin

Maturin

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,097
Europe
It's a Christmas movie. It's got someone travelling to be with their family with the hope Christmas will bring them together.
Christmas visuals run through the whole movie - the party, trees, toys.
Every opportunity sees a Christmas element thrown in - even the tape McClain uses to stick the gun to his back at the end.
The dialogue is full of references to Christmas.
It has a soundtrack full of Christmas.
The good guys talk about Christmas, the bad guys talk about Christmas "don't you believe in miracles Theo?"

To totally misquote a very early bit of dialogue?
"Don't you have any Christmas movie?"
"Man, THIS IS a Christmas movie."

Me and my wife watch it every Christmas Eve before she heads of to work to do Midnight Mass - she's a vicar. She's as convinced as I am that it is a Christmas movie.
 
Tequila Mockingbird

Tequila Mockingbird

Member
Jan 10, 2018
463
I was browsing Amazon Prime Video last night and they have Groundhog Day in their Christmas Movies category. I showed it to the wife and she asked what was wrong with that. I pointed out it's set in February and she just shrugged and said "it's got snow in it.. That'll do for me".

Some people just have low standards, like (luckily) my wife.
 
Chibs

Chibs

Member
Nov 5, 2017
4,505
Belgium
Look man, I have my traditions and Die Hard is a Christmas movie just as much as Parasite Eve is a Christmas game! /s
 

DeltaRed

Member
Apr 27, 2018
5,746
It is definitely a Christmas movie. It's one of those films you enjoy best on a cold wintery night where you're comfortably wrapped up inside watching John McClane blow fools away.
 
Gundam

Gundam

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
12,801
It's up there with the pineapple is bad on pizza meme as obnoxious who gives a fuck


But to be serious, you can have Christmas as a Theme be Christmas as a Setting and both are valid. Like how Star Wars is Sci Fi in its setting (therefore it is a sci fi movie) but not traditionally sci fi in its theme.
 
Soundscream

Soundscream

Member
Nov 2, 2017
9,229
The first music heard is Christmas bells.
Multiple characters sing Christmas songs.
Multiple Christmas songs are on the soundtrack.
The movie takes place at a Christmas party.
The main characters motivation is to get home to his family for Christmas.


It's a fucking Christmas movie!
 

Deleted member 19218

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
4,323
This is reminiscent of the argument about whether or not super smash Bros is a fighter.

Ballpoint Ren said:
At Thanksgiving.
Dad trying to reunite with his family for the holidays.
Gobble gobble gobble I have a machine gun.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

That doesn't make sense to people outside America though, we don't have Thanksgiving.

I can't recall a single thanksgiving movie actually. So it has to be Christmas if it wants to appeal to a larger audience.
 
BLEEN

BLEEN

Member
Oct 27, 2017
21,862
It's a Christmas movie. Doesn't have to be, but in my opinion it fits the genre like an ill-fitting glove. I'm saying it fits but not well.
 
reminiscingLemon

reminiscingLemon

Member
Nov 18, 2017
1,271
deimosmasque said:
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.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
This is the best take in this entire thread, the only thing thats missing that ill add is that OP sucks, let people enjoy things.
 
Lobster Roll

Lobster Roll

signature-less, now and forever
Member
Sep 24, 2019
34,261
It's a Christmas movie for people who decided to anoint it as one during a younger, edgier time in their life when they were too cool to ever admit to liking a sappy, sentimental, happy ending for all Christmas movie.
 
Solo

Solo

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
15,730
Does it feature Christmas trappings and is watched typically at Christmas?

Son, that's a Christmas movie.
 
Transistor

Transistor

The Walnut King
Administrator
Oct 25, 2017
37,107
Washington, D.C.
deimosmasque said:
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.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Well stated
 
PJV3

PJV3

Member
Oct 25, 2017
25,676
London
It's not a christmas movie, because it's set at christmas with Christmas music and a christmas party and the christmas jokes, blah, blah blah.

Humbug to you too ,op.
 
Shaneus

Shaneus

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,892
Next someone will be saying Trading Places isn't a Christmas movie. Fuck you, too.

A Christmas movie doesn't have to be about Christmas, it just has to play a strong part in the theme or setting. Like Jingle All the Way and a stack of other films.

Javier23 said:
It's a Christmas movie, no one ever said it was a movie ABOUT Christmas.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
The actual right answer.
 
Tobor

Tobor

Member
Oct 25, 2017
28,371
Richmond, VA
If you aren't religious then Christmas is about living your life surrounded by Christmas decorations and trying to have a moment reconnecting to your family.

By that definition Die Hard is absolutely a Christmas movie.
 

Deleted member 6949

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
7,786
He's reunited with his estranged wife and kids on Christmas Eve. It's a legitimate Christmas miracle. Oh gee what a great movie it would be if he was reunited with his family on President's Day.
 
Memento Mori

Memento Mori

Member
Oct 26, 2017
4,850
If you changed the music, the plot, the setting and the dialogue- Die Hard would not be a Christmas film. But as it is, it's a film about a man trying to spend Christmas with his family.
 
Tobor

Tobor

Member
Oct 25, 2017
28,371
Richmond, VA
Maybe if the title was different, this wouldn't be an issue.

Miracle at Nakatomi Plaza
It's a Wonderful Death
Jingle all the Way Down
 
DBT85

DBT85

Resident Thread Mechanic
Member
Oct 26, 2017
16,245
It's a Christmas movie and Hans definitely admitted to committing a crime. At Christmas no less.
 
T002 Tyrant

T002 Tyrant

Member
Nov 8, 2018
8,926
There's no difference between this and Home Alone apart from the main character in Die Hard is likeable and the rating.
 
Fisty

Fisty

Member
Oct 25, 2017
20,182
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles could have just as easily been about Christmas, therefore it is not a Thanksgiving movie

Did I parse the logic correctly here
 
DBT85

DBT85

Resident Thread Mechanic
Member
Oct 26, 2017
16,245
One of my favourite parts is the journalist cunt getting punched in the face by Holly.
 
Rookhelm

Rookhelm

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,684
it's like people who call it a Christmas movie are telling an inside joke, but we're all already in on it
 
OrangeNova

OrangeNova

Member
Oct 30, 2017
12,614
Canada
The plot of the movie is centered around christmas.

The decor in the movie is mostly centered around christmas.

The music in the movie is all christmas music.

There are christmas jokes.

It's a christmas movie?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.