Episode 93 – The 'Is "Die Hard" a Christmas Movie?' Debate

Roughly since 2007, the assertion that Die Hard -- a movie that takes place at Christmas -- is a Christmas movie has been met with either strong support or opposition. On this episode, along with Ted Haycraft and writer/director Tyler Savage, we discuss the history of the heated debate, while also debating ourselves:

• has this debate ever happened IRL, off of Twitter?;

• if so, were the debaters online journalists or bots?;

• have any of these IRL debates lasted any longer than three minutes?

• and did the debate’s resolution involve anything other than the participants realizing it all comes down to one’s own definition of a “Christmas movie”?

Also:

• the careers of Steven E. de Souza and John McTiernan;

• their assertions in the debate, along with Bruce Willis’s and his mom’s;

• Die Hard’s origin as a sequel to a novel that was adapted into The Detective, starring Frank Sinatra;

• and the film as a progression in action filmmmaking.

Tyler Savage’s latest film, Stalker, is currently streaming on Hulu, while his first feature, Inheritance, is currently streaming on Amazon Prime. His latest short, “Oddities,” starring Adrienne Barbeau, Logan Miller, and Ariela Barer, is currently making its festival run for 2023.

Episode 47 – 'Nothing Lasts Forever' & 'SNL' Cinema

Filmmaker Kyle Smith is back, along with first-time guest co-host and old friend of the show (and me), writer and performer Dustin Levell, to pick and talk one of Saturday Night Live’s founding filmmakers, Tom Schiller, his lone feature film, and its bizarre underground relegation. On this episode, we also discuss:

• Schiller’s self-description as a “foreign” director,

• how out of place this style is from SNL’s current formatted format,

• why SNL films are less about format than characters,

• and how truly amazing it is that a movie with these stars and filmmakers was shelved at the height of the comedy boom that SNL helped create.

Also:

• If this is or isn’t Lorne Michaels first produced narrative feature,

• is or isn’t the first “SNL movie,”

• what its failure to even secure a release might have done to Michaels other produced films,

• the relationship between him and Schiller,

• the filmmakers from Adam McKay to Christopher Guest that have sprung from SNL ranks,

• and outsiders who’ve made short films for the show such as Robert Altman, Paul Thomas Anderson, Martin Breast, and Jim Jarmusch.

Kyle Smith is writer/director of the films Blue Highway and Turkey Bowl, which debuted at the 2011 SXSW Film Festival. Currently in development on his third feature, you can find Kyle and his film thoughts on Letterboxd.

Dustin Levell is a Chicago-based comedy writer, performer, and stage director.

Nothing Lasts Forever made its television premiere on Turner Classic Movies, which means it will hopefully air again in the future. Bootlegs are also available for purchase.