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It’s Die Hard in a police station!
This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK we’re battening down the hatches with Ethan Hawke and Laurence Fishburne as we discuss the 2005 remake of ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13!
After a botched undercover drug bust results in the deaths of two of his fellow team members, traumatized Detroit cop Jake Roenick (Ethan Hawke) now works an unambitious desk job, where he oversees a quiet, remote precinct that’s about to be decommissioned. However, when a busload of prisoners – including notorious gangster Marion Bishop (Laurence Fishburne) - are forced to take refuge at said precinct because of a brutal New Year’s Eve snowstorm, Jake suddenly finds himself called back into action when mysterious masked gunmen assault the police station…
After comparing and contrasting this film with John Carpenter’s original 1976 classic (itself a loose remake of RIO BRAVO), the guys discuss the myriad DIE HARD (and DIE HARD 2) DNA on display in this pressure-cooker siege scenario, while musing on the possibility that the echoes of previous wars (Vietnam, the Iraq invasion) may be reverberating inside both versions of the story. They also discuss the idea of the “action-horror” subgenre in this surprisingly gory picture, as well as Ethan Hawke’s post-TRAINING DAY action-hero run. Awards are handed out to the stellar ensemble cast in the DIE HARD OSCARS section, and as always the episode culminates with a cheeky edition of the DOUBLE JEOPARDY trivia quiz!
TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isoX0zcyG-4
At the time of release, ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 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!
The original 1976 version is also currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Fubo, Roki, Pluto TV, Kanopy, Shout TV, Plex and The Criterion Channel!
Click here to subscribe to our Patreon feed 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES, where we’ve discussed other John Carpenter classics such as BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA and THEY LIVE!
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It’s Die Hard in a taxi!
This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK we’re taking a ride with Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx as we discuss Michael Mann’s exemplary 2004 thriller COLLATERAL!
Fastidious cab driver Max (Jamie Foxx) picks up a mysterious passenger named Vincent (Tom Cruise), who, impressed with Max’s driving and knowledge of the sprawling city, offers to hire him for the night while he makes a few stops around LA. However, Max soon discovers that Vincent is in fact a contract killer, who then forces Max to drive him around the city so that he can assassinate a list of people involved in a massive federal case. As an ordinary guy pitted against a skilled and ruthless hitman, Max must somehow find a way to survive and stop Vincent from completing his deadly mission.
After outlining the surprisingly dense and detailed amount of ‘DIE HARD DNA’ in this jazz-infused LA neo-noir, the guys wrestle with a fundamental question: is this the greatest thriller ever made? They get into the film’s philosophical themes, discuss the remarkable against-type performances from the two leads (and the stellar supporting cast) and place this film in context within Michael Mann’s filmography. The guys wrap things up with a highly competitive edition of the DIE HARD OSCARS (there’s a ton of love for Mark Ruffalo) and the always entertaining DOUBLE JEOPARDY trivia quiz!
TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JDf2zIFgO8
At the time of release, COLLATERAL is streaming on Paramount Plus and Kanopy 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!
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It’s Die Hard in a phone booth!
This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK we’re in a glass case of emotion with special guests Katie Walsh and Blake Howard as we discuss the 2002 high-concept thriller PHONE BOOTH, starring Colin Farrell and Forest Whitaker!
Slick, sleazy, unscrupulous celebrity publicist Stu Shepard (Colin Farrell) lies for a living, hustling on behalf of his clients while strutting the streets of New York, and constantly making and taking phone calls with the help of a young intern named Adam (Keith Nobbs). However, while visiting one of the city’s few remaining phone booths to secretly call a young actress he is trying to sleep with behind his wife’s back, Stu suddenly finds himself in the middle of a terrifying situation…when an unidentified “Caller” (Kiefer Sutherland) informs Stu that he will kill him with a sniper rifle unless he remains in the phone booth and follows all his demands…
As the two hosts of the MIAMI NICE podcast, our friends Blake and Katie are no stronger to the joys of Colin Farrell…nor of director Joel Schumacher, whose life, career and filmmaking style are all discussed at length. We also get into the film’s long and tortured development history, other directors who were considered to helm Larry Cohen’s long-gestating screenplay (including Michael Bay), and of course, the surprisingly high amount of “Die Hard DNA” crammed into that confined space. We hand out some awards in the “Die Hard Oscars” and wrap things up with the “Double Jeopardy Quiz”…where the scores can really change. Schumacher stans rise up!
TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUqTCsjCsA8
At the time of release, PHONE BOOTH is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms!
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It’s Die Hard with dragons!
After a summer hiatus, DIE HARD ON A BLANK is back with a vengeance and we’re bringing the heat…because this week we’re exploring Rob Bowman’s 2002 monster mash REIGN OF FIRE, with the help of returning special guest Rob Hackett!
As a young boy, Quinn Abercromby is visiting the construction of an underground tunnel in London, when he stumbles on a horrifying discovery – a dormant dragon – who attacks and kills the construction workers, including his mother. Twenty years later, what’s left of humanity is hanging by a thread following the rise of the dragons, and the now adult Quinn (Christian Bale) is the de facto leader of a group of survivors, who have adjusted to their grim new reality and live a remote existence in a castle in Northumberland. However, their existence is disrupted by the arrival of mysterious American soldier Van Zan (Matthew McConaughey), who claims to be a dragon slayer…and who might hold the key to humanity’s salvation.
As a top executive at James Wan’s production company Atomic Monster (who recently merged with Blumhouse), Rob is uniquely positioned to provide expert insight into a film that falls somewhere between a blockbuster and a genre picture. The guys also discuss the history of dragons on film and in popular culture, the story’s mythic underpinnings, and its exploration of different cultural attitudes to crises, as embodied by a Brit (Bale) and an American (McConaughey). Is this a WW2 analogy? Is it about post-9/11 gloom? Or is it just a kick-ass monster movie? The guys get into it all and much more! Damn it’s good to be back!
TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUXQ2f3GAXA
At the time of release, REIGN OF FIRE is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms, and is available on physical media from selected outlets!
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DHOAB is on summer hiatus! However, to continue to hear our beautiful voices, sign up for 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES at patreon.com/48hoursofbuddymovies. Use code DHOABBREAK40 to get your first month for $3! To wet your whistle, we're giving you our on episode on LETHAL WEAPON 2 today, for free.
This week on 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES, we tackle one of the defining entries in the genre — LETHAL WEAPON 2! For Liam, this one’s personal: a formative film that helped shape his love of buddy movies and action cinema. We unpack the evolution of Riggs and Murtaugh’s partnership, from antagonistic sparks in the first film to full-blown brotherhood here, and how that emotional core elevates the surrounding mayhem. We dig into Richard Donner’s slick direction, Joel Silver’s architectural in-jokes, the reverberating echoes of Shane Black’s voice in the heavily re-written script, and the film’s perfect cocktail of gunfights, jokes, and toilet-based suspense. Plus: the politics of apartheid-era villains, the joys of Joe Pesci’s scene-stealing turn, and how this sequel helped codify the rhythms and tropes of the modern buddy action movie. A foundational text — and a very special episode! You won’t be “immune” to the vibes of this one!
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbFE2P3tASI
At the time of release, LETHAL WEAPON 2 is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube and Fandango and on physical media through selected outlets.
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CREDITS
"Miami Nights - Extended Theme" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
police2.wav by guitarguy1985 – https://freesound.org/s/70938/ – License: Creative Commons 0
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It’s Die Hard in a brownstone!
This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK we’re breaking into PANIC ROOM with the help of a specialist: Shahir Daud - filmmaker, Fincher fanatic and host of the long-running show THE ONLY PODCAST ABOUT MOVIES!
On their first night after moving in to a luxurious New York ‘townstone’, recently divorced single mother Meg Altman (Jodie Foster) and her 11 year-old daughter Sarah (Kristen Stewart) are terrorized by a trio of mysterious burglars. When Meg and Sarah become aware of the intruders, they seek refuge in the house’s high-tech ‘panic room’, only to discover that the thing the thieves want most is inside that very room.
Despite being more of a Hitchcockian thriller than a traditional action movie, PANIC ROOM is nonetheless filled with DIE HARD DNA – right down to the bearer bonds (the economics of which we’re still trying to understand). The guys place this film in context among the wider careers of both director David Fincher and writer David Koepp, and analyze if it explores any of the thematic obsession of both of these storied creators. They discuss the performances of the movie’s eclectic cast and go deep on Fincher’s groundbreaking filmmaking techniques. As always events culminate with the DIE HARD OSCARS and the delightfully devilish DOUBLE JEOPARDY TRIVIA QUIZ. Fincher-philes rise up!
TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp2kKzrCm44
At the time of release, PANIC ROOM is streaming on Fubo, and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms!
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It’s Die Hard in a war zone!
This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK…it’s war! Not just on screen, but also between Phil and Liam, have very different opinions about this divisive film!
During a disastrous mission in Somalia, a group of U.S. soldiers find themselves besieged by scores of enemy militia in the city of Mogadishu, a situation that is compounded when not one but two Black Hawk helicopters crash in the middle of the war zone. With the situation worsening by the minute, inexperienced Staff Sgt Matt Eversman (Josh Hartnett) must use all his skills and determination to bring his men home, save the pilots, and honor the Army Ranger credo: ‘No Man Left Behind’.
As our hosts debate the relative merits and demerits of this undeniably powerful picture, the conversation also widens into a larger discussion of whether any film can legitimately be an anti-war movie or whether all war films are inherently propagandistic on some level. The boys also discuss some of their own brushes with military personnel and how that informed their views about this film…and Phil even recounts his own experience of flying in a Black Hawk! As always, events culminate with the Die Hard Oscars and the Double Jeopardy trivia quiz. Helo heads rise up!
TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GfBkC3qs78
At the time of release, BLACK HAWK DOWN is available to stream on Netflix, Hoopla and Kanopy and is available rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms, as well as on physical media!
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It’s Die Hard in a military prison!
This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK, we are storming THE LAST CASTLE with returning special guest Jason Bailey, author of GANDOLFINI: Jim, Tony and the Life of a Legend.
When decorated three-star U.S. Army General Eugene Irwin (Robert Redford) is sentenced to a term in a military prison overseen by Colonel Winter (James Gandolfini), both men gradually slide into a destructive power struggle…and when Irwin witnesses Winter’s brutal tactics firsthand, he eventually leads the prisoners in a full on uprising against his opposite number.
As we examine Rod Lurie’s highly underrated 2001 siege drama, we dig into the film’s resonant themes of anti-authoritarianism, courage under fire, and personal honor, and debate whether this might be that rare bird: a pro-military movie with liberal politics.
But mostly, we dive deep on James Gandolfini’s extraordinary performance as one of the most human and sympathetic “villains” in modern action movie history — a turn that may just be his best ever big-screen role. Plus: the Die Hard Oscars, Double Jeopardy trivia, and some inside baseball on the off-screen relationship between Gandolfini and Robert Redford during the film’s difficult shoot. Lurie Lads rise up!!
ORIGINAL TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsxA8Euaiw0
At the time of release, THE LAST CASTLE is available to stream on Paramount Plus and is available rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms, as well as on physical media!
Click here to subscribe to our Patreon feed 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES!
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It’s Die Hard in a bank!
This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK, we plug into SWORDFISH — the slick, post-Matrix cyber-thriller produced by Joel Silver and directed by Dominic Sena. With Hugh Jackman hacking mainframes under extreme duress, John Travolta dropping pseudo-Brechtian monologues, Halle Berry delivering the most famous topless scene of the early 2000s, and Don Cheadle constantly violating people’s civil rights, it’s a film that dares to ask: does it matter if a movie makes no sense, as long as it’s entertaining? We also dig into Swordfish's dense meta-layering and debate the broader question: when is too much meta actually bad for the form? As always we break the film down in detail in our ‘Anatomy of an Action Movie section’, hand out some ‘Die Hard Oscars’ and wrestle with some ‘Double Jeopardy’ brain teasers…heck, there’s even a Vinnie Jones impression thrown into the mix for good measure! What more could you possibly want?!
SWORDFISH trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFwtY1bxlNc
At the time of release, SWORDFISH is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms, as well as on physical media!
Click here to subscribe to our Patreon feed 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES! Sign up on the website (instead of the app) to save $$$!
www.patreon.com/48hoursofbuddymovies
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It’s Die Hard in Las Vegas!
This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK, we strap on our snakeskin boots and bullet belts for a dive into 3000 MILES TO GRACELAND - the loud, chaotic, Elvis-themed heist movie that somehow manages to sneak in a surprising amount of DIE HARD DNA!
Two career criminals, Michael Zane (Kurt Russell), and Thomas Murphy (Kevin Costner) team up to pull a casino robbery in Las Vegas during an Elvis convention. However, the botched heist results in a high body count and in the aftermath, the psychotic, self-serving Murphy betrays Michael and the rest of the crew, sparking an expansive feud between the two men, who each try to reclaim their ill-gotten gains from the other, leaving an escalating trail of carnage in their wake.
We explore how this underrated oddity isn’t merely a post-Tarantino shoot-’em-up, but a film obsessed with American archetypes - outlaws, lawmen, lone wolves, and false idols. We also dig into the maximalist performances from Kurt Russell and Kevin Costner, the mythic cowboy framing, and how the film situates itself in the lineage of Western icons reimagined for the modern age. Is it Die Hard in a jumpsuit? Tune in and find out!
3000 MILES TO GRACELAND trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdEFmGB--kQ
At the time of release, 3000 MILES TO GRACELAND is streaming on Philo and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms, as well as on physical media.
Click here to subscribe to our Patreon feed 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES! Sign up on the website (instead of the app) to save $$$!
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It’s Die Hard on an ice cream truck!
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK, we’re trying to keep our collective cool as we discuss the 1999 buddy-comedy/action-misfire CHILL FACTOR! Joining us on our adventure is none other than special guest Matthew Strohl, a professor at the University of Montana and author of the books Hard to Watch and Why It’s Ok To Love Bad Movies!
When an experimental military chemical weapon nicknamed "Elvis" accidentally falls into civilian hands, a hapless ice cream truck driver (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and down-on-his-luck diner cook (Skeet Ulrich) team up to keep it away from the ruthless mercenaries who are trying to steal it. The catch is that if "Elvis" heats above 50 degrees, it will detonate with catastrophic consequences – forcing the unlikely duo to outrun the bad guys and keep the temperature under that threshold, all while attempting to safely deliver the precarious device to a military facility!
We start by analyzing the film’s DNA, which includes genetic links to a myriad of movies including DIE HARD, SPEED, THE ROCK, THELMA & LOUISE, and most surprisingly, A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT. Backed by Matt’s spirited defense case, we try to give this much maligned (and largely forgotten) motion picture its day in court, applying the thesis espoused in his excellent books to the film. Against the odds, this approach leads to a passionate (and unexpectedly deep) discussion about how we choose to engage with art…as CHILL FACTOR becomes a living example of “why it’s okay to love to bad movies”! But the fun doesn’t stop there...because as always we wrap things up with the DIE HARD OSCARS and the DOUBLE JEOPARDY trivia quiz!
CHILL FACTOR trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYNiikB4wvI
At the time of release, CHILL FACTOR is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms, as well as on physical media. It is also available in its entirety on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7ede9OJ6pw
Click here to subscribe to our Patreon feed 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES! Sign up on the website (instead of the app) to save $$$!
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Join us for a very special bonus episode as we announce the next season of 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES, then subscribe at patreon.com/48hoursofbuddymovies!
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It’s Die Hard on a suburban street!
This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK, we’re looking into the most sinister street in America…ARLINGTON ROAD! And to investigate this mysterious neighborhood we enlisted special guest and returning DHOAB all-star Bilge Ebiri!
After saving their son’s life, widowed college professor and terrorism expert Michael Faraday (Jeff Bridges) gradually begins to suspect that his seemingly perfect new neighbors - Oliver and Cheryl Lang (Tim Robbins and Joan Cusack) - are involved in a domestic terror plot. As he mounts a rogue investigation into their lives, Faraday’s obsession with uncovering the truth spirals into paranoia, isolation, and a deadly battle of wills, one that threatens not only his life, but that of his young son Grant (Spencer Treat Clark).
During this wide-ranging discussion about this eerily prescient film, the guys go into detail on the career of boomer icon Jeff Bridges (with Bridges scholar Bilge) and discuss the genius of casting Tim Robbins against type as a terrifying villain.
ARLINGTON ROAD trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfbBavo86qs
At the time of release, ARLINGTON ROAD is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango and all the usual platforms!
Click here to subscribe to our Patreon feed 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES! Sign up on the website (instead of the app) to save $$$!
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It’s Die Hard underwater…with sharks!
This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK, we’re diving headfirst into one of the wettest, wildest, and wackiest Die Hard riffs of the late '90s: DEEP BLUE SEA (1999), directed by none other than Renny Harlin! We’re joined by special guest Justin LaLiberty - director of operations for Vinegar Syndrome and a key figure in the ongoing physical media renaissance - to talk shark attacks, elevator shafts, and Samuel L. Jackson’s iconic “interrupted monologue” moment!
From the unmistakable DIE HARD FRANCHISE DNA, to the undersea siege structure and classic containment premise, we trace just how much Deep Blue Sea swims in McClane-infested waters! We also discuss the unusual, uneven career of Thomas Jane, the effervescent magic of LL Cool J, and that bizarre Ronny Cox “cameo”! It’s DIE HARD in an underwater lab full of brain-enhanced sharks, and it might just be the most fun you can have in a Renny Harlin flick that isn’t Die Hard 2!
DEEP BLUE SEA trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSz9MDN-iac
At the time of release, DEEP BLUE SEA is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango and all the usual platforms!
Click here to subscribe to our Patreon feed 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES! Sign up on the website (instead of the app) to save $$$!
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It's Die Hard in a simulation!
This week, hosts Phil and Liam are following the white rabbit into one of the most prophetic and influential movie of the 90s - The Matrix (1999) - with special guest Matt Zoller Seitz, the renowned Editor at Large of rogerebert.com. He is a Features Writer at New York Magazine, and is the author of many books, including books on Wes Anderson, Mad Men, The Sopranos, and many more. Matt not only loves this movie, but talks eloquently about how it changed his life.
Released in the banner year of 1999, The Matrix follows Thomas Anderson, a mild-mannered software engineer who moonlights as a notorious hacker known as Neo, discovers to his horror that the world he lives in is actually an elaborate simulated reality created by intelligent machines who have subjugated humanity. Guided by the enigmatic resistance leader Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and the skilled warrior Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), Neo learns the truth about the Matrix and his potential role as "The One," a prophesied savior who can bend, and perhaps break, its rules. As he battles powerful Agents led by the ruthless Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving), Neo must embrace his destiny and free his mind to prevent the machines' enslavement of humanity.
We talk about the film's unexpected connections to Die Hard (Kinda blowing Matt's mind), the movie's philosophical complexity (Plato! Descartes! Baurdrillard!), it's appropriation by both the right and left-wing, and if it can be seen, 26 years on, as being somewhat optimistic. We also talk about the culture-chaning action, the amazing performances by Reeves, Moss, Fishburne, and Weaving, and how the movie's style hasn't aged a day.
So call your operator and strap in for one of our most mind-blowing episodes yet!
Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts!
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It’s Die Hard under martial law!
This week, hosts Phil and Liam are taking on one of the most provocative and eerily prescient action-thrillers of the ‘90s - The Siege (1998) - with special guest Jason Bailey, the esteemed film critic, author, and podcaster whose work has appeared in The Playlist, The New York Times, Vulture, Vice, Rolling Stone, Slate, and more. Not only is Jason a brilliant film thinker, but he might know our show even better than we do!
Released three years before 9/11, The Siege follows Denzel Washington’s no-nonsense FBI agent as he tries to stop a wave of terrorist attacks in New York, while navigating political interference from Annette Bening’s enigmatic CIA operative and the creeping authoritarian overreach of Bruce Willis’ hardline general. Meanwhile, Tony Shalhoub delivers one of the film’s most deeply human performances, grounding the story’s complex, often unsettling politics.
We dig into the film’s depiction of New York City, what it gets right, wrong, and unexpectedly prophetic, and how it reckons with issues of surveillance, civil liberties, and national security in ways that still feel shockingly relevant today. We also break down the performances of the four leads, the film’s tense, procedural thriller mechanics, and where it sits in the broader landscape of '90s action films that flirted with real-world geopolitics.
So strap in for one of our most in-depth, thought-provoking episodes yet!
Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts!
THE SIEGE trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dDVppzDwJA
At the time of release, THE SIEGE is streaming on the Starz app and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango and all the usual platforms!
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It’s Die Hard in a casino!
This week, hosts Phil and Liam are stepping into the swirling, neon-drenched chaos of Brian De Palma’s SNAKE EYES (1998) - joined by none other than Travis Woods, the highly acclaimed film writer who is literally writing the book on De Palma.
During a high-profile boxing match in Atlantic City, corrupt local detective Rick Santoro (Nicolas Cage) witnesses the assassination of the U.S. Secretary of Defense, who was being guarded by his best friend, US Navy Commander Kevin Dunne (Gary Sinise). With thousands of people trapped inside the casino, and a hurricane on the way, the building becomes a deadly pressure cooker, and as Santoro unearths a dark conspiracy, he must decide whether to take a pay off and look the other way…or risk everything to expose the truth.
What follows is a pressure-cooker thriller set almost entirely inside this one building, packed with impossibly complex tracking shots, split diopters galore, and some of the most ostentatious filmmaking flexes of De Palma’s career. We break down how Snake Eyes really is both “Die Hard in a casino” and “Die Hard 2 in a casino”, why it’s a perfect showcase for Cage’s full-throttle charisma, and how De Palma - the king of cinematic maximalism - injects pure operatic style into a film that’s basically one long unraveling conspiracy. Plus, Travis takes us deep into De Palma’s career, his recurring themes of surveillance, voyeurism, and deception, and where Snake Eyes fits amidst the great man’s remarkable legacy. So throw on your loudest suit, place your bets, and join us as we go all-in on this gloriously demented, spectacularly sleazy thriller! Here comes the pain, baby!
SNAKE EYES trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VucLIxy23TA
At the time of release, SNAKE EYES is streaming on Fubo and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango, Plex and all the usual platforms!
Click here to subscribe to our Patreon feed 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES! Sign up on the website (instead of the app) to save $$$!
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It’s Die Hard in a police station!
This week, hosts Phil and Liam are locked into a high-stakes discussion on The Negotiator - the 1998 action-thriller starring Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey in a battle of wits, words, and tactical mind games!
When he becomes inveigled in a corruption scandal involving suspected embezzlement of the Chicago P.D. pension’s fund, expert hostage negotiator Danny Roman (Samuel L. Jackson) decides to turn the tables and takes hostages at the Internal Affairs bureau, in an effort to find the truth and clear his name. Sensing that he has enemies in his own midst, Roman demands that the only negotiator he will speak to be Chris Sabian (Kevin Spacey), a mysterious stranger from an entirely different district. But can Sabian be trusted? And how do you negotiate your way out when everyone assumes you are the real villain?
In this tightly wound pressure-cooker thriller, we break down how The Negotiator cleverly inverts the Die Hard formula - putting the good guy in control of the siege, with a besieged skyscraper, hostages, FBI interference, and a whole lot of air shaft action! We explore the film’s copious Die Hard DNA, from over-the-radio showdowns and ill-fated SWAT assaults to computer hacking, power shutdowns, and even a debate about old Western movies between the two adversaries! We also highlight the killer supporting cast, the film’s “Glengarry with Guns” energy, and why F. Gary Gray deserves more love! Plus, we dig into the importance of the Chicago setting and discuss how the film channels The Fugitive with its “wrongly accused” narrative - shoutout to Andrew Davis! Chicago forever! As usual we hand out our Die Hard Oscars to worthy candidates and wrap things up with some ‘Double Jeopardy’ brain teasers!
THE NEGOTIATOR trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnSk9xrOf2M
At the time of release, THE NEGOTIATOR is streaming on Amazon Prime Video in the UK. In the US it is streaming on Plex and is available to rent or buy on YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango and all the usual platforms.
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It’s Die Hard on an asteroid!
This week, hosts Phil and Liam are going ballistic with a very special guest: Brad Peyton, director of blockbuster smashes such as San Andreas and Rampage!
When NASA discover that a massive ‘global killer’ asteroid is heading inexorably towards Earth, the boffins hatch an audacious plan to save humanity by landing a team on the asteroid and blowing it up from the inside. However, the only person capable of performing this Herculean task is expert oil driller Harry Stamper (Bruce Willis) and his rowdy team of roughnecks, who must somehow learn to become astronauts in 12 days in order to complete this seemingly impossible mission!
In this suitably epic episode, we dive deep into the history of the disaster movie genre with none other than Brad Peyton, the director behind San Andreas and Rampage. From the towering spectacle of The Towering Inferno to the genre-defining Die Hard, we explore how disaster films evolved into high-stakes, character-driven blockbusters offering enormous spectacle. Brad, a passionate cinephile, makes a compelling case for Michael Bay as an American auteur, breaking down the director’s signature visual style and bombastic approach to storytelling. We also discuss how Armageddon took the concept of “Bruce Willis saves the day” the day to the maximum extreme, pushing the limits of what a disaster movie could be.
This was a wide-ranging, emotional, and inspiring conversation, as Brad shared his insights on crafting large-scale destruction while keeping the human stakes front and center. He walks us through his approach to making a great disaster movie, the delicate balance of tension and spectacle, and why audiences are drawn to stories of survival against impossible odds. Things also got personal, as the guys discussed the power of cinema to uplift and entertain, and how, at their core, disaster movies remind us of resilience, courage, and the human spirit. This is an episode you won’t want to miss – it’s our biggest, most bombastic episode yet!
ARMAGEDDON trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-8eEniEfgU
At the time of release, ARMAGEDDON is streaming on Fubo and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango and all the usual platforms. Click here to subscribe to our Patreon feed 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES! Sign up on the website (instead of the app) to save $$$!
www.patreon.com/48hoursofbuddymovies
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.