• Home
  • About Me
  • Life
  • Reading
  • Gardening
  • Subscribe by Email
  • Referral Codes

Kimberussell.com

a blog by Kim Russell

December 28, 2020

I loved Die Hard, which is not a Christmas Movie

Last year I bought WM these Die Hard themed Funko Pops as Christmas decor because he, like many on The Internet, believe that Die Hard is a Christmas movie. And I humored him, because I had never seen the movie before.

I didn’t buy the dead-guy-in-the-chair figurine.

But lo! The Friday before Christmas, the Movie Night (non-random) poll served up Die Hard, Gremlins, and Mickey’s Christmas Carol. Die Hard won and I finally got to watch it. I wasn’t expecting much, but friends, I LOVED THIS MOVIE!

I loved the execution of the buddy cop movie where the buddies aren’t together. I loved the Western musical motifs that kept popping up (look at me, watching 30 movies this year and acting like a film connoisseur). And I loved Al Powell’s redemption story, although the cop-kills-kid-by-accident reveal pales in comparison to some of today’s cops who k —ADASDEDARQ#$&*(RUQ# not going there. You know where I’m going.

How can you not cry at this?

Al is amazing. Al is a hero. But after watching I was dismayed that Funko Pop Al got the Twinkie treatment when there was so much more to him.

Al deserves better.

When it was over and I was cheering and hopped up on adrenaline and 80s nostalgia, my friends asked, “So…Christmas movie? Yes?”

NO.

WM and the rest of the Internet are wrong.

Sorry not sorry but to be a Christmas movie, Christmas (or the Spirit/Magic thereof) must be at least a supporting character in the movie, not just the time of year. And Die Hard was set at Christmas time, and occasionally featured Christmas music and the world’s worst Christmas party. But The Spirit of Christmas didn’t save Nakatomi Plaza. John McClane did, with help from Al and Holly.

Case closed. Yippee-Ki-Yay, Mother—


Need some more email in your life? If you’re a regular reader but forget to check in, you can subscribe to a once-a-week email with links to the week’s posts! Click here to sign up!

Posted In: Hobbies · Tagged: christmas, movies


Need some more email in your life? If you’re a regular reader but forget to check in, you can subscribe to a once-a-week email with links to the week’s posts! Click here to sign up!

Comments

  1. Confuzzled Bev says

    December 28, 2020 at 10:32 am

    I’ve never seen Die Hard.
    My boyfriend kept asking whether totally random things were Christmas movies – so like Annie was on “Is this a Christmas movie?”. Chicken Run “Is this a Christmas movie?” It turns out he thought I meant films shown during the Christmas holiday from school?!

  2. Wandering Minstrel says

    December 28, 2020 at 11:01 am

    I love you.
    Die Hard is a Christmas movie.
    You are wrong.
    I love you.

  3. Dani says

    December 28, 2020 at 11:56 am

    Ha, I bought the Die Hard pops for my gf last year and I watched it for the first time last year too. While I still say it’s a Christmas movie because it occurs as Christmas time, I appreciate your reasoning for why it’s not one. I agree that Al deserved better though!

Previous Post What I’m Listening to: Dominick the Donkey
Next Post Show Us Your Books: My Favorite Reads of 2020

Hello!

About Me

I've been blogging for over twenty (2 decades! 2-0!) years and I'm apparently one of the few over-50 female bloggers who haven't sold out to THE MAN yet; hence this blog remains quirky, homespun, and unprofitable. No big. However, if you're from Disney, Doritos, or Dave Matthews Band, I'm open to talk about selling out.

I live in Southern New Jersey with my husband WM, and our dog Murphy. I'm an adult who likes Disney but not a Disney Adult. I used to work a fun (really!) office job in Philadelphia, but since March of 2020 I'm a work from home hermit. So if you're looking for a childless, slightly round, marginally boring GenX woman's blog to follow, you've come to the right place! :)

Archives

Goodreads

Goodreads: Book reviews, recommendations, and discussion

Pinterest

Visit my profile on Pinterest.

Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Webring

Click to visit a random blog!
(webring operated by tinylytics)
the wombsday clock graphic with two teal haired women in white rockers. It has reached 12 months and there are teal and white stars all over the graphic.
Well, that happened.

“I am I because my little dog knows me.” – G. Stein

Copyright © 2025 Kimberussell.com · Theme by 17th Avenue

There are cookies on this site. Continuing to visit kimberussell.com means you're okay with the cookies. Okay?Got it!Nope!Read more