# Resolved: Die Hard 1 is not a Christmas movie, it's a Halloween movie. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 20, 2018, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-die-hard-1-is-not-a-christmas-movie-its-a-halloween-movie/826447 "2018-12-20T21:47:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-die-hard-1-is-not-a-christmas-movie-its-a-halloween-movie/826447/21 "2018-12-21T03:11:46Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Die Hard is not a Christmas movie. It is THE Christimas movie. How do I vote for this poll option? ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-die-hard-1-is-not-a-christmas-movie-its-a-halloween-movie/826447/22 "2018-12-21T03:21:35Z")
I don’t see why it can’t be a Christmas action movie. Interesting things to note: both the first and second movies take place at Christmas, both of which are based on unrelated novels which also take place at Christmas. The third movie just brings in a random Gruber relative. The fourth takes place on Independence Day. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-die-hard-1-is-not-a-christmas-movie-its-a-halloween-movie/826447/23 "2018-12-21T03:39:02Z")
I’ve seen Die Hard three times. Each time towards the end of December. It’s a Christmas movie to me. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-die-hard-1-is-not-a-christmas-movie-its-a-halloween-movie/826447/24 "2018-12-21T03:39:41Z")
I voted that it is a Christmas movie. Because Bruce Willis says it is not. He knows why. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-die-hard-1-is-not-a-christmas-movie-its-a-halloween-movie/826447/25 "2018-12-21T06:31:15Z")
**[Kanye West from South Park]** **Fenris** , some might say, not me though, I agree with him completely, needs to be boxed up and wrapped with some Calvin and Hobbes wrapping paper and then tied up with a green sparkly bow and placed under the World Tree until the apocalypse. Or at least until my hot chocolate is ready in about 42 seconds. Either way, this outrageousness can not stand, hold up, my hot chocolate is ready\*\* [/Kanye West from South Park]\*\* ---
**Author:** ![split\_p\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19b73/32.png) [@split\_p\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/split_p_j)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-die-hard-1-is-not-a-christmas-movie-its-a-halloween-movie/826447/26 "2018-12-21T07:11:05Z")
I saw it in theater at 16 years old when it came out. To me it’s all in what Hans line to Theo: “It’s Christmas, Theo. It’s the time of miracles.” I always saw this as the miracle for Hans is opening the safe, the miracle for John being able to take him down basically solo. I know the movie kind of hand waves the time lock issue, but I always think of the story as some thing that could only happen on Christmas, like a modern fairy tale. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-die-hard-1-is-not-a-christmas-movie-its-a-halloween-movie/826447/27 "2018-12-21T11:25:31Z")
It’s definitely not a Halloween movie. Even if _it was_ horror, being horror doesn’t not make it a Halloween movie. Being set on Halloween makes it a Halloween movie. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-die-hard-1-is-not-a-christmas-movie-its-a-halloween-movie/826447/28 "2018-12-21T15:01:14Z")
People who think it’s a Christmas movie are likely addicted to Friends too, and as we all know, friends don’t let friends watch Friends. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-die-hard-1-is-not-a-christmas-movie-its-a-halloween-movie/826447/29 "2018-12-21T15:09:19Z")
If _Die Hard_ is a Christmas movie, then so is _Kramer vs. Kramer_. And _Psycho_ is a movie about women taking showers. A Christmas movie is a movie _about_ Christmas. It’s not one where Christmas is just an interchangeable background element. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-die-hard-1-is-not-a-christmas-movie-its-a-halloween-movie/826447/30 "2018-12-21T15:38:50Z")
\*\*This poll shows a complete lack of understanding about movies being in more then one genre. \*\* It is a Christmas-time Action movie, in fact it is The Christmas-Time Action Movie! Wonderful Life is probably the most watched “Christmas Movie” of all time, it is not a movie about Christmas and wasn’t even a Christmas time release. But it is a “Christmas Movie”. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-die-hard-1-is-not-a-christmas-movie-its-a-halloween-movie/826447/31 "2018-12-21T15:52:40Z")
I never considered "_It’s a Wonderful Life_ a Christmas movie, since I first saw it in July. It was a surprise to discover other people did. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-die-hard-1-is-not-a-christmas-movie-its-a-halloween-movie/826447/32 "2018-12-21T15:59:15Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I never considered "_It’s a Wonderful Life_ a Christmas movie, since I first saw it in July. It was a surprise to discover other people did. But most people do consider it a Christmas movie. It ends up in most top 10 Christmas movie lists. * * * This is probably one of the dumbest debates though I have ever seen. The Die Hard thread here is years old, you see the debate all over the internet. If many millions of people consider it part of their Christmas traditions at this point, it is pretty much a Christmas Movie. I hate those blowup lawn decorations and think they look like cheesy crap and they’re not that old. None of that means it isn’t a part of Christmas now. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-die-hard-1-is-not-a-christmas-movie-its-a-halloween-movie/826447/33 "2018-12-21T16:32:38Z")
Reality is Die Hard is more of a HallMark movie - Woman has relationship issues, gets in trouble, man rescues her, solves problem - they leave happy together. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-die-hard-1-is-not-a-christmas-movie-its-a-halloween-movie/826447/34 "2018-12-21T16:42:54Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > A lot of people think that a blockbuster that was released in mid-summer is a Christmas movie simply because it takes place on Christmas. This is absurd. Hm, what seems absurd to me is placing a movie in a genre based on its release date. What makes a movie a Christmas movie is the contents of the movie, not the date that it appeared in theaters. Do you really remember the release date of every movie you’ve seen? _Miracle on 34th Street_ was released on June 4, 1947. Does that mean it’s not a Christmas movie? ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-die-hard-1-is-not-a-christmas-movie-its-a-halloween-movie/826447/35 "2018-12-21T19:54:48Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > …snipped…_Miracle on 34th Street_ was released on June 4, 1947. Does that mean it’s not a Christmas movie? More of a ‘Department Store Movie’ genre, like that ‘Elf’ movie. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-die-hard-1-is-not-a-christmas-movie-its-a-halloween-movie/826447/36 "2018-12-21T19:58:39Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > Please read OP before voting in poll > > A lot of people think that a blockbuster that was released in mid-summer is a Christmas movie simply because it takes place on Christmas. This is absurd. It’s the same sloppy thinking that makes people say “Sound of Music” which takes place across at minimum a full year and probably two is a Christmas movie because of the single line “Brown paper packages tied up with string…” Yes, and I have heard the Thin Man trotted out as a Christmas movie. Most of the time, people have their tongue in their cheek. But you do make a point, there is a difference between a Christmas Film and a Movie that happens to be set around the time of Christmas. It’s a Wonderful Life is one film where you can argue it’s both. But no, Die Hard is not a Christmas Movie. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-die-hard-1-is-not-a-christmas-movie-its-a-halloween-movie/826447/37 "2018-12-21T20:01:30Z")
I just wanted to also point out that at the end of the final action scene in Die Hard, they’re all holding hands, just like the Who’s in Whoville. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-die-hard-1-is-not-a-christmas-movie-its-a-halloween-movie/826447/38 "2018-12-21T20:11:30Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > And _Psycho_ is a movie about women taking showers. It isn’t? That’s the only part I watch. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-die-hard-1-is-not-a-christmas-movie-its-a-halloween-movie/826447/39 "2018-12-21T22:14:37Z")
> [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](#): > > I just wanted to also point out that at the end of the final action scene in Die Hard, they’re all holding hands, just like the Who’s in Whoville. But also at the end of Die Hard, there’s like a 3 minute slo-mo scene of Bruce Willis and Reginald VelJohnson bounding into each others arms as the music rises into a crescendo just like I’d imagine happens in Brokeback Mountain. And yet, the movie isn’t a gay movie (nothing wrong with a gay themed movie, this just isn’t one). In exactly the same way it isn’t a Christmas movie because…a christmas tree is in one scene. Seriously–the John/Al slo-mo love scene is really just out of place. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-die-hard-1-is-not-a-christmas-movie-its-a-halloween-movie/826447/40 "2018-12-22T09:53:30Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Die Hard is not a Christmas movie. It is THE Christimas movie. It is not only “THE Christmas movie”; [POST=20650551]it is arguably the unauthorized sequel to _A Christmas Story_.[/POST] Go ahead, tell me I’m wrong. But in your heart, you know it is true. > [@Chronos](#): > > Yes, it’s set at Christmastime, but is that in any way relevant? As I understand it, it’s only relevant in so far as the hostages were there for a Christmas party. But would the movie have been substantially different if it were set in (say) May, and the party was for some guy’s retirement? It isn’t the specific events (even the setting at a Christmas Eve party) that make it a Christmas movie; it is the themes; specifically, those of the conquest of generosity over greed; of family over division; of hope over despair; and the redemption of a man who, despite his manifest flaws and weaknesses seeks to be a better husband and father. (And the John McClane of the original _Die Hard_ is definitely a very human and flawed character who suffers real pain and fear, and yet sacrifices himself—quite literally, when jumping from the top of a burning building—despite it) Hans Gruber, in contrast, is the consumate Grinch, who aspires to ruin the holiday cheer of others, not only in crashing the office party but setting forth a plan to shut down the power to a whole grid segment (never mind how ridiculous that is) so that he can collect his treasures and enrich himself at the expense of others. The film occurs on Christmas Eve, has Christmas music, evokes many Christmas sayings and memes (“Ho-ho-ho…now I have a machine gun”) and actually represents the true meaning of Christmas (sacrifice and coming together over materialism and selfishness) better than many supposed Christmas classics. It is really impossible to reject _Die Hard_ as a Christmas movie in any objective way that does not also eliminate other widely accepted Christmas movies. It may not be the film you choose to watch while trimming the tree, but it definitely evokes and references Christmas themes and ideals. Stranger [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-die-hard-1-is-not-a-christmas-movie-its-a-halloween-movie/826447.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-die-hard-1-is-not-a-christmas-movie-its-a-halloween-movie/826447.md?page=3)