Die Hard On A Blank

It’s Die Hard in a multiverse! This week we’re discussing Tony Scott’s “science-fact” time-travel movie DÉJÀ VU with the help of special guest Scout Tafoya!

After a catastrophic terrorist attack on a ferry in New Orleans leaves hundreds of innocent people dead, local ATF agent Doug Carlin (Denzel Washington) becomes drawn into the massive, multi-jurisdictional investigation into the bombing. During this process, FBI agent Paul Pryzwarra (Val Kilmer) invites Doug to join a cutting-edge, secretive unit who are using state-of-the-art surveillance technology to create a flowing, temporary 360-degree “time window” in an attempt to find the culprit. However, Doug gradually discovers that this so-called “time window” is actually a form of time-travel, which therefore creates the meta-physical possibility that this terrible attack could - at least theoretically - be stopped. When Doug begins to develop feelings of love for Clare Kuchever (Paula Patton), one of the victims of the attack, he becomes yet further determined to test the boundaries of known physics in a concerted effort to stop the attack from happening, save the lives of those affected, and create a new timeline.

Appropriately enough (given the film’s subject matter), the guys discuss their deep love for this wildly underrated modern masterpiece from multiple perspectives: as a riff on other classic pictures from film history, as meta-textual self-examination, and as a profound study of the human condition. They get into it all: the themes, the performances, the visuals (wow) and why this film is so much more than the sum of its (spectacular) parts. As always they guys study the film’s ‘DIE HARD DNA’, hand out awards in the ‘DIE HARD OSCARS’ and wrap things up with a suitably convoluted edition of the ‘DOUBLE JEOPARDY’ trivia quiz. So grab the goggle rig and strap in for a journey of mind, body and soul that stretches the boundaries of known physics…and movie podcasts!

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxdS8TP37I4

At the time of release, DÉJÀ VU is streaming on YouTube TV and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms! It is also available on physical media!

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It’s Die Hard in a bank! This week we’re discussing Spike Lee’s outstanding heist movie
INSIDE MAN with the help of our own “inside man” Randy Wilkins, a frequent Spike collaborator who actually worked on this movie!

When calculating master thief Dalton Russell (Clive Owen) puts in motion what he claims is the perfect robbery and takes multiple hostages inside a Wall Street bank, eccentric NYPD detective Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) is assigned to lead the hostage negotiations. However, the fragile situation is complicated yet further when the enigmatic high-level fixer Madeleine White (Jodie Foster) is tasked by the bank’s owner Arthur Case (Christopher Plummer) to retrieve a mysterious artefact located inside a safe deposit box. In order to save the hostages and diffuse the crisis, Detective Frazier must navigate a complex spider’s web of hidden agendas, misdirection and politics both inside and outside the besieged bank, as well as locking horns with the calm, calculating robber who appears to be much smarter than anyone else involved…including himself.

The guys get into Randy’s long-standing professional relationship with Spike Lee and how he came to work on this particular picture, then move into the ‘DIE HARD DNA’ section where the many connections between the two films are discussed. They break down what makes this film unique in the over-saturated ‘heist movie’ genre, examine its political themes, and discuss the three central performances of Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster (as well as the wider cast). Awards are handed out in the ‘Die Hard Oscars’ and as always events culminate with the ‘Double Jeopardy Trivia Quiz’, where the scores can really change!

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G7n7O5pel0

At the time of release, INSIDE MAN is streaming on Starz and Philo in the US and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms! It is also available on physical media!

Click here to subscribe to our Patreon feed 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES!
www.patreon.com/48hoursofbuddymovies
Pre-order NO ESCAPE on 4K (featuring our commentary track) here:
https://shop.umbrellaent.com.au/products/no-escape-1994-4k-blu-ray?srsltid=AfmBOoqnRCaCPMg02WCWvNPTkK_8_fwYeelYFr90HpRlEuQQZ0025adT

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It's DIE HARD on the Radio, Part 2: Radio Harder! We were invited back on OJ Borg's show on BBC Radio 2 where we gave OJ an 'Xmas Action Movie Quiz' for Midnight Mastermind! Check out the video (or just listen!) here and find out if the scores DID really change.
See you in the new year!

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It’s Die Hard on the streets! This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK we’re discussing Richard Donner’s 2006 action-thriller/character study 16 BLOCKS, a film that some fans consider an alt-universe DIE HARD sequel! To get to the bottom of this we enlisted special guest Mitchell Beaupre, head of editorial at Letterboxd and an avowed 16 BLOCKS (and FREEJACK) fan!

Aging, alcoholic New York City detective (Jack Mosley) is a depressed deadbeat waiting for death when he’s given an unwanted but seemingly routine assignment: to transfer petty criminal Eddie Bunker (Mos Def) from a jail cell to court, where he is planning to testify to a grand jury. However, after he saves Eddie from an assassination attempt, Jack comes to discover that everyone – including his own NYPD colleagues - seem to want Eddie dead. In dire need of redemption, Jack becomes determined to get Eddie to court on time, no matter what the cost or the consequences…

The guys discuss the abundant DIE HARD DNA (and 48 HRS connections) and place this performance in the wider context of Bruce Willis’ career. They discuss the historic importance of LETHAL WEAPON-helmer Dick Donner making a DIE HARD-adjacent movie, and examine the film’s thematic interests, tonal inspirations, and ultimate ambitions. They discuss the film’s supporting cast, including Mos Def/Yasiin Bey as the interestingly named ‘Eddie Bunker’, podcast favorite David Morse as corrupt cop Frank Nugent, and David Zayas as the trigger-happy Bobby Torres. Awards are dispensed in the ‘Die Hard Oscars’ and as always events culminate with the ‘Double Jeopardy Trivia Quiz’, where the scores can really change!

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqffzRFzdco

At the time of release, 16 BLOCKS is streaming on Hoopla in the US and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms! It is also available on physical media!

Click here to subscribe to our Patreon feed 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES!
www.patreon.com/48hoursofbuddymovies
Pre-order NO ESCAPE on 4K (featuring our commentary track) here:
https://shop.umbrellaent.com.au/products/no-escape-1994-4k-blu-ray?srsltid=AfmBOoqnRCaCPMg02WCWvNPTkK_8_fwYeelYFr90HpRlEuQQZ0025adT

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It’s Die Hard in a diner! This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK we’re discussing David Cronenberg’s masterful 2005 film A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, a story that begins (and ends) with a DIE HARD-type scenario…and goes deep and hard on the consequences of surviving such an event.

Mild mannered family man Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) owns and runs a diner in the small, Norman Rockwellian town of Millbrook, Indiana, where he lives a quiet, happy life with his wife Edie (Maria Bello) and their two children, teenage son Jack (Ashton Holmes) and a young daughter Sarah (Heidi Hayes). However, Tom’s seemingly idyllic existence is shattered when he thwarts an attempted robbery at the diner, killing two murderous criminals in the process. The local media laud Tom as a hero, and the subsequent press attention results in the appearance of sinister Philadelphia mobster Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris), who believes that “Tom Stall” is in fact “Joey Cusack” a fellow mobster from his past. As Fogerty and his henchmen begin threatening Tom and his family, much of the subsequent tension stems from the uncertainty as to who Tom really is…and what he intends to do about this escalating threat to those he loves.

The guys discuss their favorite Cronenberg films and where this particular picture fits within the auteur’s oeuvre. They talk about the myriad DIE HARD connections in the ‘DIE HARD DNA’ section, discuss its various themes, its provocative presentation of violence and sex, and the remarkable performances. Awards are handed out in the ‘DIE HARD Oscars’ and events culminate with the ‘Double Jeopardy’ quiz!

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_GSE_ZsUNw

At the time of release, A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms! It is also available on physical media and is part of the Criterion Collection!

Click here to subscribe to our Patreon feed 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES!
www.patreon.com/48hoursofbuddymovies

Pre-order NO ESCAPE on 4K (featuring our commentary track) here:
https://shop.umbrellaent.com.au/products/no-escape-1994-4k-blu-ray?srsltid=AfmBOoqnRCaCPMg02WCWvNPTkK_8_fwYeelYFr90HpRlEuQQZ0025adT

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