die hard v. hard boiled

don't make me decide!! i need to see hard boiled without shitty dubbing, although tbh the shitty dubbing doesn't really damage the point of that movie

die hard, boil harder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRQHDPk7vy8

the look of 80s/early 90s HK films is one of my favorite film aesthetics ever, plus that music...is it cause of cheap film stock? lack of post processing? who knows?

die hard is the best tho

http://images-3.redbubble.net/img/art/size:large/view:main/2490554-2-yippie-ki-yay.jpg

i've only seen it on youtube but the climax to 'a better tomorrow 2' is more kickass than most anything in hard boiled

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NU6dnnM36Y

^^^righteous

the famous 2:43 single take from hard boiled (although they are cheating cause they use slo mo)

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

hah I will have to hunt down ABT 2, wonder if my library has it. I remember in alex in SF repping for it some time ago too xp

love 'em both but die hard is kinda the inspiration

don't know if you can make that argument rogermexico; John Woo had been doing his style of action film since at least 1986, two years before Die Hard

Hard Boiled in a landslide for me. Mad Dog is one of the great henchmen of all time (love his scene after the warehouse shootout when he lights a cigarette by leaning into a burning car)

C'mon. Die Hard is a fun action movie but Hard Boiled is a cinematic ode to poetic violence. No competition.

i kind of get the feeling that hard boiled will get more love here on ilx so im throwing my weight behind die hard which is just one of those movies that never, ever gets old

Does Die Hard feature a jazz clarinetist named Tequila? But on the other hand, does Hard Boiled feature Alan Rickman as an urbane Euro-terrorist?

Too hard.

Hard Boiled

Agree that the climax of A Better Tomorrow 2 is best of all three though.

"love 'em both but die hard is kinda the inspiration"

Not really.

just watched die hard again the other night; unmitigated classic, gets my vote

die hard for fuck's sake.

it isn't 1993, we don't have to pretend hong kong action films are interesting.

lol jokes but i did see 'triangle', which david bordwell said was hot shit, and it was about as good as 'die hard 4' only without a trace of lol.

close call but die hard has a better lead villain (anthony wong doesn't have much to do here and apparently he didn't like working for john woo).

i guess the next poll should be 'die hard 2' vs 'the last blood' aka 'hard boiled 2' (UK title)

This is actually a really good, er, face off, but I'd have to go with "Die Hard," a definitive '80s films that has aged shockingly well. Just absolutely solid. Woo ... I'm kind of torn on him. The "poetic violence" element is worthy of discussion, of course, but I love the ironic beats of "Die Hard" more than Woo's style. I mean, both are preposterous flicks, but "Die Hard" seems to recognize it more, if that makes any sense.

Uh I'm pretty sure that Hard Boiled recognizes its ridiculousness.

I mean every single cop-action movie stereotype is in that movie! It's a treasure trove of ridiculousness.

this is a for real difficult choice. Have watched Die Hard most Xmases for about ten years. Hard Boiled also a perennial favourite tho.

die hard: better story, Hans fucking Gruber. Hard Boiled: better action scenes, Chow Yun Fat and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai are pretty awesome, better score.

I'm truly unsure how aware Woo is of his own ridiculousness. His films are so stylized but also so earnest, and if the presence of every single cop-action cliche in a film means the director recognizes its ridiculousness, then Michael Bay is a post-modern master.

"Hard Boiled" is kind of an ultra-violent cartoon. But "Die Hard" is practically a comedy.

Hard Boiled no contest. I hate Bruce Willis

there's an intolerable smugness present in everything he does, really irritates me.

it's not present in die hard

die hard is really good, and i think woo kind of sucks. how about some more slo-mo to pad things out? ok! be impressed!

if this was the killer vs. die hard then bruce would be goin down, but as it is die hard has to take it

srsly shakey if smugness is what you hate about willis you should love die hard!

in re "inspiration" i'm not taking down woo at all, but die hard is four years ahead and hard boiled nods to it pretty directly. i'd actually have more trouble with die hard vs the killer tbh. all great, no losers here, etc.

xpost feelin a hoos here tbh

glad to see die hard supporters coming out of the woodwork--the movie is undeniably radical, one of the greatest american action movies

max otm

die hard completely changed the paradigm for action flix and broek hearts of a whole bunch of actors who'd been lifting and tanning way too much in the hopes of becoming the next sly/arnie

plus reginald veljohnson!!

plus yippie kai yay motherfuckers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpG9YaPF-nM

"what do you want it to say on your tombstone, john?"
"how about......yippe...ki....yay...mother...fucker"

argyle is great in die hard

"then Michael Bay is a post-modern master"

It's pretty hard to argue that Michael Bay is unaware of his films' ridiculousness. Not saying that makes him a post-modern master.

Anyway at the point where a baby is peeing out a fire it's kind of hard to argue that a movie is a 100% straight.

see I watched Die Hard the other day (the inspiration for starting this thread) and I don't think it's aged particularly well. there are three good things about it imo: bruce willis, alan rickman, and johnson and johnson. I found the whole fake camaraderie between willis and Al to be 10x more cringeworthy than even the most broish love scenes in a john woo movie. also the veiled cryptoracism (am I using ilx newspeak right?) against the japanese

eh i thought nakamura came off OK in the movie? unless theres something im forgetting

there's the "do you even celebrate christmas in japan" with the "we couldn't get you with pearl harbor so we're selling you tape players instead" plus according to wikipedia nakamura's password is a reference to one of the carrier ships in pearl harbor. I mean I realize on one level it's supposed to be 'joeks bruv' but I don't like the insinuation that no matter how americanized nakamura is his loyalty lies first with japan, which I think reflects the uneasy tension between japan and america back in the late 80s

the fake camaraderie IS cringeworthy but srsly it's a movie from 1988... i forgivenore a lot of that stuff the same way i forgive the weird speech rhythms in Bringing Up Baby...

yeah I was surprised to see so many people repping for reginald valjohnson, all those "all the boys down here are rooting for you" and "you got kids" lines were...ugh. and the ending with reginald shooting the bad guy after the whole "I shot a kid" bit!

I think my problem with Die Hard is that it never has the courage to turn into a full out and out satire/comedy, willis & rickman basically will it into a good movie by sheer force of charisma. think it would have been much better as a verhoeven piece

there's the "do you even celebrate christmas in japan" with the "we couldn't get you with pearl harbor so we're selling you tape players instead" plus according to wikipedia nakamura's password is a reference to one of the carrier ships in pearl harbor. I mean I realize on one level it's supposed to be 'joeks bruv' but I don't like the insinuation that no matter how americanized nakamura is his loyalty lies first with japan, which I think reflects the uneasy tension between japan and america back in the late 80s

― 囧 (dyao), Wednesday, December 9, 2009 7:58 PM (25 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

hm i guess i forgot about this. at least he comes off way better than the beardo yuppie guy.

yeah I was surprised to see so many people repping for reginald valjohnson, all those "all the boys down here are rooting for you" and "you got kids" lines were...ugh. and the ending with reginald shooting the bad guy after the whole "I shot a kid" bit!

what is the matter with these scenes? besides troubling politics i guess

http://www.filmdope.com/Gallery/ActorsG/6581-5002.gif

pls list other token black hacker geniuses

"T/S movie you like vs. movie you haven't seen"

Pretty easy taking sides then.

http://www.drivl.com/app/webroot/img/articles/gus_400.jpg

http://www.lasplash.com/uploads/2/transformers-caught.jpg

http://www.impossiblefunky.com/images/archives/issue_9/hack1.jpg

http://www.ugo.com/images/galleries/sweatmovies_filmtv/1.jpg

Lamar from Revenge of the Nerds plays one in Extreme Prejudice.

HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTTS

* Smart Brother from Undercover Brother.
* In the first Die Hard film, the computer hacker is black, wears glasses, and doesn't have any combat skills. He spends most of his time making basketball references, as if to prove that he's black.
* Anthony Anderson as Glen Whitman in the 2007 ''Transformers movie.
* Ving Rhames in the Mission Impossible movies. Like other iffy examples of the trope, he's not really a nerd at all. In fact, he's arguably a Scary Black Man who happens to be a super-hacker as well. Most likely his race is a reference to Barney Collier in the original TV show, who really is a nerd.
* Brian in The Day After Tomorrow puts a lampshade on it: "Sir, I am president of the electronics club, the math club, and the chess club. Now, if there is a bigger nerd in here, please point him out."
* Wybie from Coraline though his entire racial background is only mentioned in a deleted scene. Your mileage may vary, however, as to how nerdy he really is, as opposed to simply awkward and lonely.
* Dean Cain, the villain of How High. A subversion of sorts, since he's repressing an inner Soul Brotha, which is unleashed by THC.
* Sonar man Jonesey in The Hunt For Red October.
* Dee Jay from the god awful live action Street Fighter movie.
* Miles Dyson in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, is a genius black man in a nerdy field, though he displays no nerdy qualities.
* Ray Arnold, played by Samuel L Jackson, in Jurassic Park is the park's chief engineer, a nerdy field, though he displays no nerdy characteristics. Contrasting him is Wayne Knight's character Dennis Nerdy Nedry, who is a standard, fat, white computer nerd.

above c+p'd from here

I get all the die hards and lethal weapons confused
but Hard Boiled is the shit's tits. gotta go for my boi on this one

love both. vote for woo.

x-post I'm 35, man. Close enough?

courtney b. vance didn't play a hacker in the hunt for red october, but he did play an expert sonar operator.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/04/GeordiLaForge.jpg/250px-GeordiLaForge.jpg

^^^not a token character fwiw

True. And "Star Trek" has always been multi-culturally minded. Just wanted to post that pic.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

THANK YOU SYSTEM.

love both of these a whole lot but am voting die hard because it's a christmas movie and tis the season or whatever

also when they show it on tbs - the broadcast via which i will surely watch it in the next few days - mcclain says 'yippy kay yay my friend' which is just awesome

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

https://bluecashewkitchen.com/shop/images/T/AGV18AZ.jpg

Just watched Die Hard as Xmas eve entertainments

yeah I was surprised to see so many people repping for reginald valjohnson, all those "all the boys down here are rooting for you" and "you got kids" lines were...ugh. and the ending with reginald shooting the bad guy after the whole "I shot a kid" bit!

his whole character arc is learning to shoot people again!!

yeah it's still lame tho

i wasnt saying that in its favour really

Yippies, Up Against the Wall Motherfuckers, and CIA = Yippie Kai-Ai Motherfuckers

oh great, bbc3 is showing 'e hard with a vengea'

possibly not in the proper aspect ratio.

you racist bastards

lol

die shart

i can't believe this

http://i.imgur.com/7HxQAy3.jpg

Kinda surprised by Louis's woo enthusiasm

Speaking of which, I initially took this thread to be pitting die hard against hard target

Hard Boiled no contest. I hate Bruce Willis

― mr. strawman spotter (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, December 9, 2009 3:30 PM (6 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

a better tomorrow 2 vs a good day to die hard vs tomorrow never dies

i totally forgot that anthony wong played the bad guy

http://i.imgur.com/ByyUddN.jpg

when does he not?

Speaking of which, I initially took this thread to be pitting die hard against hard target

― a mom shaped pom (wins), Friday, May 27, 2016 6:14 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

if the fabled director's cut of Hard Target was available then i'd have no problem pitting it against these two

is it even sexier than this

http://www.gifwave.com/media/56298_jcvd-hard-target-punching-the-snake-beating-the-seent.gif

so beautiful

rly want to see HB at the cinema - thread revival got me to chase the trailer on YT

i totally forgot that anthony wong played the bad guy

― 龜, Saturday, May 28, 2016 3:31 AM (one year ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

when does he not?

― like $500 billion in stuffed fart sales and I have an idea (contenderizer), Saturday, May 28, 2016 3:53 AM (one year ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Infernal Affairs, Beast Cops, The Mission, Exiled, Vengeance, Full Contact (sort of not a bad guy), etc...

i voted for Die Hard, still might, but i love Hard Boiled. i saw every other Woo classic before i saw this one, but one day my video store got a subtitled copy of this one in and I rented it and i wanted to pass out from delight after i watched it. i don't know how much i paid to find a copy of it on tape, but it was worth it.

just the way Woo will film a pretty simple moment like a guy on a dock taking a shot at Tequila, missing, and hitting a post while the latter dives out of the way. or Tony Leung diving through a half-built car while it blows up around him, hit by a shotgun. it's beautiful.

oh yeah this

https://68.media.tumblr.com/76706accdbc1eff1cb1626d65f958658/tumblr_oc5u3fazmu1tbcweeo1_400.gif

saw the mission for the first time recently ,what an awesome movie

If you are in the mood for a John Woo B-movie, check out that Blackjack 'tv pilot film' from 1998 that is on Amazon. That thing is a doozy. It stars Dolph Lundgren and Kate Vernon (aka Mrs. Tigh from Battlestar Galactica) as Dolph's psychologist/lover along with Fred Williamson showing up in a smaller role. It's pretty wacky and kinda like Xena or Hercules in quality, but the action scenes do have some Woo style gun action.

I feel like Neil S. never got proper credit for this:

Too hard.