The Rewatchables: ‘Die Hard With a Vengeance’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan

Published 2025-06-24; 2:11:10 by the feed.

Awards and segments (94)

Double feature

  1. pick Die Hard: Pairs it with the original, skipping Die Hard 2 as being in its own universe.
    “I'm gonna go with Die Hard.”
    Bill Simmons · 2:00:17
  2. pick The Siege: Another New York movie with Bruce Willis, who starts out looking like the hero and ends up something else.
    “I got the siege.”
    Chris Ryan · 2:00:26
  3. pick Pulp Fiction: Pulp Fiction is the movie that made this one, putting Sam Jackson and Bruce Willis together.
    “I'll just go Pulp Fiction.”
    Van Lathan · 2:00:57

Most rewatchable scene

  1. floated The opening: New York shots over the song, then the Bonwit Teller explosion.
    “Just shots in New York and yeah, the song, and then all of a sudden, Banwith Tower is exploding.”
    Bill Simmons · 0:33:36
  2. floated McLean wears the sign in Harlem and meets Zeus.
    “Uh, John McLain puts the sign on.”
    Bill Simmons · 0:37:59
  3. floated Simon negotiates with the cops and McLean gets his badge back.
    “Uh, next one, Simon negotiates with John and John gets his badge back.”
    Bill Simmons · 0:41:58
  4. pick The payphone game with the seven wives into the cab ride through Central Park and the subway bomb, treated as one sequence.
    “It's multiple scenes, but I feel like it all ties together. The phone game with the 7 wives into the cab ride, driving through Central Park.”
    Bill Simmons · 0:46:16
  5. floated The elevator showdown with the fake cops during the Fort Knox sequence.
    “The elevator scene.”
    Bill Simmons · 0:52:28
  6. floated On the boat, Irons takes the gun from Sam and shoots him in the leg.
    “I like on the boat just when irons takes the gun from Sam and just shoots him in the leg.”
    Bill Simmons · 0:55:37
  7. pick The cab ride downtown, same sequence as Bill's pick.
    “I have the same sequence that you're talking about. If I had to pick one, I'd probably go cab ride downtown.”
    Chris Ryan · 0:56:02
  8. pick The cab ride downtown, same as the others.
    “Exactly, same thing.”
    Van Lathan · 0:56:07

Ebert review · The hosts read Roger Ebert's take on the film and react to his rating.

  1. pick Die Hard with a Vengeance: Three stars. Fair, though one host would give two on Raj's scale; Ebert faulted the last 40 percent for going sideways.
    “Roger Ebert, our guy, 3 stars.”
    Bill Simmons · 0:31:26

Most 1995 thing · The thing in the movie that most belongs to 1995.

  1. pick payphones: Crucial scenes at payphones and in taxicabs.
    “I got payphones.”
    Chris Ryan · 0:56:15
  2. pick the World Trade Center and the Rodney King references
    “World Trade Center is there, and Rodney King references.”
    unknown · 0:56:24
  3. pick the look of pre-Giuliani New York: One of the last movies where New York is still the gritty New York of the old movies.
    “And, um, the look of New York City.”
    Bill Simmons · 0:56:35
  4. pick the lady saying she is going to marry Donald Trump
    “I have the lady saying, and I'm going to marry Donald Trump.”
    unknown · 0:57:34
  5. pick Bruce and Sam jogging with the Twin Towers behind them
    “Bruce and Sam jogging both with hair with the twin towers behind them.”
    unknown · 0:57:44
  6. pick Bonwit Teller: The department store the movie blows up, which the hosts could not place.
    “And then Bondwit Teller.”
    unknown · 0:57:53

Did this movie need a better title · Whether the title should have been something else; a category the hosts do not always run.

  1. pick Die Hard in New York
    “I mean, if you just called it Die Hard in New York.”
    unknown · 0:59:03
  2. pick Die Hard 3, Simon Says: Another suggestion was Die Hard 3: The Other Gruber.
    “How about Die Hard 3, Simon says?”
    unknown · 0:59:07

What's aged the best · What in the movie holds up best.

  1. winner the Black cop and white cop buddy pairing, with the movie as a racial reckoning: He calls it the thing that has aged best by far; the hosts tie it to 48 Hrs and the OJ trial era.
    “I fucking love a black guy and a white guy working together.”
    Chris Ryan · 1:02:13
  2. pick the hangovers: One of the great hangover movies.
    “Hangovers.”
    Van Lathan · 1:04:38
  3. pick the phone rings and the cop is told to take it
    “Anytime a character, the phone rings and somebody in the police station answers and the cop doesn't want any part of it and they go, I think you better take this.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:04:54
  4. pick hiding Simon until minute 50: Compares it to the shark in Jaws.
    “You know what this movie does great is they hide Simon, like, the shark from Jaws, shows up at minute 50.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:05:15
  5. pick a random passenger getting into the chase cab
    “But somebody's in a cab, and then just a random passenger gets in the cab thinking it's entering a cab, 100% success rate.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:07:12
  6. pick alcoholic hero cops told they look like shit
    “Alcoholic hero cops who have people say to them, Jesus, you look like shit.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:07:38
  7. pick the ticking clocks and the radios going dead
    “I have 2 storytelling mechanisms that have aged the best.”
    unknown · 1:08:10
  8. pick Zeus solving the seven wives riddle
    “So Zeus nailing it is a what's age the best because I'm just so impressed that...”
    unknown · 1:10:35
  9. pick any action movie villain playing Simon Says
    “Uh, and then any action movie villain playing Simon says, sign me up.”
    unknown · 1:11:03

Katya (Chris's flex category) · A character entrance the host wants to single out.

  1. winner Sam Phillips as Katya: Calls it among the three or four greatest character entrances of all time.
    “Her entrance in this film is among the 3 or 4 greatest character entrances of all time.”
    Chris Ryan · 1:11:22

Mallory Rubin Award · Whether the movie needed a better sex scene.

  1. pick the sex scene: Said to have been thrown in because the director figured the film was getting an R anyway.
    “Because they said they threw that in because McTiernan's like, we're getting an R anyway.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:12:38

Big Kahuna Burger Award · Best use of food and drink.

  1. winner aspirin
    “Aspirin.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:13:51

Great shot · The most cinematic shot in the movie.

  1. pick Bonwit Teller exploding
    “For me, bomb wet tower exploding.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:13:57
  2. pick the opening shots of the sun coming up over New York
    “the opening 3 or 4 shots of the sun coming up in New York City”
    unknown · 1:14:02
  3. pick the man cut in half by the wire
    “The fucking guy getting cut in half.”
    unknown · 1:14:15

Best character name · The best name in the movie.

  1. winner Zeus Carver
    “Zeus Carver is pretty tough to beat.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:14:34

When would I have died · The point in the movie where the host would have died, as a flex category.

  1. pick the water jugs puzzle: He cannot figure out the jug solution even after reading explanations.
    “It's when would I have died and it would have been water jugs?”
    Chris Ryan · 1:14:44

Ratso Rizzo Award, most New York quote · The most New York line in the movie, in the spirit of I'm walking here; a new category Chris made up.

  1. winner Walter and Connie on the phone: they don't allow dump trucks on the FDR
    “Connie, Walter, they don't allow dump trucks on the FDR.”
    Chris Ryan · 1:15:57
  2. nominee Why keep calling me Jesus
    “Why keep calling me Jesus? Do I look Puerto Rican to you?”
    Chris Ryan · 1:15:16
  3. nominee The Wall Street guy to the cabbie: 112 Wall Street or I'll have your medallion
    “112 Wall Street, or I'll have your medallion.”
    Chris Ryan · 1:15:23

Butch's Girlfriend Award · The weak link of the film.

  1. pick the finale, which cannot top the opening action: Compares it to the Apocalypse Now helicopter problem; the first 113 minutes are perfect.
    “so this movie has the Apocalypse Now Flight of the Valkyries problem, where like the action in the beginning of the movie is so good.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:16:14
  2. pick Zeus in the last 40 minutes: He should have been sent home; it stops being a buddy cop movie.
    “Why is Zeus involved in the last 40 minutes of this movie?”
    Van Lathan · 1:16:50
  3. pick Holly
    “Stop bringing Holly back into the movie.”
    Chris Ryan · 1:18:39

Casting what-ifs (casting couch) · Almost-castings and recasts.

  1. pick Annabella Sciorra as the Colleen Camp character: Make her McLean's post-divorce ex who works in the department, so the Holly phone calls carry more tension.
    “We make her Annabelle, Shiura.”
    unknown · 1:19:08
  2. pick Sean Connery as Simon Gruber: Said to be the first choice; the hosts doubt it would have worked.
    “We did Fishburne, but that Sean Connery was their 1st choice for Simon Truber.”
    unknown · 1:30:00
  3. pick Joe Pantoliano as Walter Cobb
    “If Joe Pantigliano is in here as Walter Cobb.”
    unknown · 1:34:29
  4. pick San Francisco instead of New York: In LA you would just be stuck in traffic and Simon wins.
    “Could this have been in any other city?”
    unknown · 1:34:51
  5. pick Tom Cruise as John McLean: Easy pick over Hanks; also floated as a blond Simon with a German accent.
    “To me, easy cruise.”
    unknown · 1:44:49
  6. pick Martin Scorsese as director
    “Scorsese or Spielberg, I would say Scorsese.”
    unknown · 1:46:07
  7. pick Philip Seymour Hoffman as Simon: Asked what role Phil Hoffman would have played; the answer given is Simon.
    “What role would Phil Hoffman have played?”
    unknown · 1:46:11

What's aged the worst · What in the movie holds up worst.

  1. pick McLean's headache gag
    “McLean has a bad headache. He mentions it 42 times.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:19:59
  2. pick explosions in the financial district and the Oklahoma bombing timing
    “Uh, and then this whole thing came out around the Oklahoma bombing.”
    unknown · 1:20:11
  3. pick McLean's policing, killing anyone with an Eastern European accent
    “Uh, John gets to the point to where he just, if he thinks it, he just kills you.”
    unknown · 1:20:37
  4. pick the reputation of city services
    “Do you know what actually also has aged the worst is probably the reputation of like city services?”
    unknown · 1:21:15
  5. pick the gold math: it would take 480 dump trucks
    “would have needed 480 dump trucks to take out as much gold as they took out.”
    unknown · 1:21:55
  6. winner the ending: They also discuss the unused alternate ending, in which McLean tracks Simon to Hungary.
    “The ending stinks.”
    unknown · 1:23:45

Overacting Award · The most overacting in the movie; the host's flex category, with the award name garbled in the transcript.

  1. winner Samuel L. Jackson as Zeus Carver
    “I mean, Sam dials it up a couple times. Sam does it up and iron styles it up a couple of times.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:25:26
  2. winner Jeremy Irons as Simon Gruber
    “I mean, Sam dials it up a couple times. Sam does it up and iron styles it up a couple of times.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:25:26

Ed Norton Reverse Dunk Award · Van's flex category: where the movie missed an obvious opportunity.

  1. pick Yankee Stadium with no game going on: The hosts guess the baseball strike is why there was no game.
    “Yankee stadium should have had a game going on.”
    Van Lathan · 1:25:43

Hottest take · The hottest opinion about the movie.

  1. pick Die Hard with a Vengeance: Says this is his favorite Die Hard, though not the best.
    “I wanted to say it, but I didn't have the nuts for it, but this is my favorite one.”
    unknown · 1:27:19
  2. pick the Simon Says gimmick was wasted on this movie: Argues it should have been its own franchise, maybe a horror one.
    “I think they blew it using the Simon says gimmick for this movie”
    unknown · 1:27:58

Best that guy · The best that-guy role in the cast.

  1. nominee Kevin Chamberlin as Charles Weiss
    “The, uh, Kevin Chamberlain is bomb expert Charles Weiss.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:31:37
  2. winner Larry Bryggman as Walter Cobb: Big-time New York theater actor.
    “But I think the answer is Walter Cobb.”
    Bill Simmons · 1:31:46
  3. nominee Anthony Peck as Walsh
    “I had Anthony Peck as Walsh is up there.”
    unknown · 1:32:07
  4. nominee John Doman as the construction foreman: Rawls from The Wire.
    “John Doman, who's Rawls from the Wire, is the construction foreman when they go into the tunnels.”
    unknown · 1:32:12
  5. nominee Elvis Duran: Young Elvis Duran, the radio guy.
    “Like if you if you know you know, is Elvis Duran.”
    unknown · 1:32:22
  6. nominee Phyllis Yvonne Stickney as the woman who says everybody just called 911
    “I have Phyllis Yvonne Stickney.”
    unknown · 1:32:30

Dion Waiters Award · Small role, big impact.

  1. winner Sam Phillips as Katya
    “It's Sam Phillips.”
    unknown · 1:34:04
  2. nominee Joe Zaloom as Jerry, the Chester A. Arthur truck driver: Comes in, solves a riddle, and leaves.
    “Jerry comes in by Joe Zaloom.”
    unknown · 1:34:14

Apex Mountain · Where a person's career, or a thing in the movie, sits on the mountain.

  1. pick Bruce Willis: One side argues 1995 is his peak, when he is a first call alongside Hanks and Cruise, with Denzel probably fourth.
    “Then he has pulp in 94 and this in 95.”
    unknown · 1:41:03
  2. nominee Samuel L. Jackson: No firm answer; maybe when he gets Star Wars in 99.
    “maybe when he gets Star Wars, that's 99.”
    unknown · 1:42:49
  3. nominee Jeremy Irons: Probably the Oscar win.
    “Jeremy Irons probably winning the Oscar.”
    unknown · 1:42:57
  4. pick the Wall Street school system
    “The Wall Street school system?”
    unknown · 1:43:58
  5. pick the gold reserve and Bonwit Teller: Probably the first and last time Bonwit Teller was mentioned in a film.
    “Gold reserve. Bondwit teller, 100%, for sure.”
    unknown · 1:44:05
  6. pick Zeus as McLean's sidekick
    “So this is bigger than Bill Johnson, bigger than Justin Long.”
    unknown · 1:44:32

Picking Nits · Nitpicks of a film they love.

  1. pick everything open at 7:45 in the morning, and Zeus leaving his store unlocked
    “We mentioned everything being open at 745 in this neighborhood is a little dicey.”
    unknown · 1:46:26
  2. pick how Simon knew McLean wore the sign
    “How did Simon know that McLean wore the sign?”
    unknown · 1:47:12
  3. pick McLean covered in injuries and blood
    “I just think McLean is just covered in blood.”
    unknown · 1:49:09
  4. pick McLean never considers the $12 billion
    “So McLean doesn't even think about taking the $12 billion.”
    Van Lathan · 1:50:22
  5. pick the henchmen are all 6 foot 4 German men with crew cuts
    “All 6 foot 4 German dudes with crew cuts.”
    Van Lathan · 1:51:13
  6. pick McLean shot out of the tunnel while Zeus drives by: Called the jump-the-shark moment.
    “We didn't talk about the biggest pick and nit.”
    unknown · 1:51:45
  7. pick Simon hands McLean the aspirin bottle with the address on it
    “And then just gives McLean the aspirin bottle that has the address of where you got the aspirin bottle.”
    unknown · 1:52:49

Unanswerable questions · Questions the movie leaves open.

  1. pick how many tasks Simon expected McLean to complete, and how he knew
    “my unanswerable question for this, which is tied directly to this, is how many of these tasks did Gruber reasonably expect McLean had complete?”
    unknown · 1:48:16
  2. pick the next day's newspaper coverage and lead story
    “What's the next day like with the newspaper coverage?”
    unknown · 1:55:04
  3. pick how Mike and the Mad Dog would react the next day
    “What is the next day, Mike and the dog?”
    unknown · 1:56:44

Oscar pick · Who should have won or been nominated.

  1. pick John McTiernan as director: No case for Irons; 1995 was rough and the movie had no chance.
    “Man, McTiernan.”
    unknown · 1:54:43

Memorabilia · A prop the host would want, or not want, from the movie.

  1. pick Katya's scythe
    “I want her knife.”
    unknown · 1:57:47
  2. pick a movie-used gold bar: The hosts work out that a 25-pound bar would be worth over $100,000 at the day's gold price.
    “I'd want one of the bricks if like a game used diehard gold brick movie, movie used.”
    unknown · 1:57:57
  3. pick the shirt the police station hands McLean
    “I would wear that shirt for my entire alcoholic era of podcasting.”
    Chris Ryan · 1:59:24

Coach Finstock Award · The best life lesson from the movie.

  1. winner beat racism together, then beat the Germans
    “They beat racism, and then they beat the Germans just like we did in fucking 44, baby.”
    Van Lathan · 1:59:12
  2. pick do not count out the divorced alcoholics in your life
    “I was going to say, just don't count out the divorced alcoholics in your life.”
    Chris Ryan · 1:59:19

Who won the movie · Who came out ahead from making it.

  1. winner Samuel L. Jackson
    “I'm gonna, I'm gonna say Sam Jackson.”
    unknown · 2:01:04
  2. winner Samuel L. Jackson: He is the breath of fresh air the franchise needed, and the star is happy to share the screen with him.
    “It's the breath of fresh air that the franchise needed.”
    unknown · 2:01:09
  3. winner Bruce Willis as John McLean: Hard to beat the character of John McLean; another voice adds that Jackson wins because Pulp Fiction no longer looks like a fluke.
    “I'm going to go Willis.”
    unknown · 2:01:36

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