Ranking the Die Hard Films

Since the fifth Die Hard film was released today, I thought it would be fitting to examine the series, which has been around for 25 years.

Die Hard (John McTiernan, 1988)

On a Christmas Eve visit from New York, Officer John McClane (Bruce Willis) plays cat and mouse in a locked-down L.A. skyscraper with a group of terrorists (led by Alan Rickman). Bruce Willis is iconic in one of the best action films ever made. Period.

Die Hard 2 (Renny Harlin, 1990)

McClane fights a unit of rogue military officers (led by William Sadler) who have taken over an airport in Washington, D.C. so that they can extract a foreign drug lord from the U.S. It's a step down from the original, but a worthy follow-up to a genre classic.

Die Hard with a Vengeance (John McTiernan, 1995)

McClane and a man from the neighborhood (Samuel L. Jackson) go head to head with a terrorist (Jeremy Irons) who stages some bombings throughout New York City and robs Wall Street. This is solid entertainment with great chemistry between Willis and Jackson.

Live Free or Die Hard (Len Wiseman, 2007)

With the help of a young computer hacker (Justin Long), McClane must rescue his daughter (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and stop a cyber terrorist (Timothy Olymphant) from accessing important FBI information in the process. It's not on par with the first three, but it's fun seeing an older McClane do what he does best.

A Good Day to Die Hard (John Moore, 2013)

McClane heads to Moscow to find his trouble-making son (Jai Courtney) and becomes entangled in a nuclear weapons conflict, which leads to Chernobyl itself. Despite Willis' lovable on-screen persona, the aging McClane formula seems to have run its course, and the plot is arguably too rushed for its own good.

Ranking & Ratings:

1. Die Hard - ****
2. Die Hard with a Vengeance - ***1/2
3. Die Hard 2 - ***1/2
4. Live Free or Die Hard - ***
5. A Good Day to Die Hard - **

The Evolution of the Top 10

The Seventh Seal (1957)

I love lists. I love making lists, and I love discovering new films that force me to update those lists. It's interesting how one's favorites change over time, and I recently came across some of my old top 10 films of all time lists. Spanning over 3 years, here are five slowly evolving versions of my top 10.

November 2009

1. Citizen Kane (1941)
2. Vertigo (1958)
3. City Lights (1931)
4. The Third Man (1949)
5. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
6. West Side Story (1961)
7. The Seventh Seal (1957)
8. Three Colors: Blue, White, Red (1993-94)
9. American Graffiti (1973)
10. Apocalypse Now (1979)

September 2010

1. 8 1/2 (1963)
2. The Godfather (1972)
3. Citizen Kane (1941)
4. Three Colors: Blue, White, Red (1993-94)
5. West Side Story (1961)
6. Psycho (1960)
7. All the President's Men (1976)
8. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
9. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
10. Bringing Up Baby (1938)

August 2011

1. 8 1/2 (1963)
2. Three Colors: Blue, White, Red (1993-94)
3. Seven Samurai (1954)
4. Metropolis (1927)
5. City Lights (1931)
6. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
7. The Apartment (1960)
8. Vertigo (1958)
9. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
10. The Maltese Falcon (1941)

March 2012

1. The Seventh Seal (1957)
2. Three Colors: Blue, White, Red (1993-94)
3. Seven Samurai (1954)
4. The Apartment (1960)
5. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
6. Through a Glass Darkly (1961)
7. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
8. Before Sunset (2004)
9. The Virgin Spring (1960)
10. The Maltese Falcon (1941)

February 2013

1. The Apartment (1960)
2. Three Colors: Blue (1993)
3. The French Connection (1971)
4. The Seventh Seal (1957)
5. Casablanca (1943)
6. Three Colors: Red (1994)
7. Persona (1966)
8. The Lovers on the Bridge (1991)
9. Rear Window (1954)
10. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)

Top 10 Oscar-Winning Male Performances

Russell Crowe at the 2001 ceremony.

Again, I looked at both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor performances. Unlike the female performances list, two supporting performances made the cut.

10. Christopher Walken, The Deer Hunter

Role: Nikonar "Nick" Chevotarevich

Oscar History: 1 win, 2 nominations

9. Kevin Kline, A Fish Called Wanda

Role: Otto

Oscar History: 1 win, 1 nomination

8. Adrien Brody, The Pianist

Role: Wladyslaw Szpilman

Oscar History: 1 win, 1 nomination

7. F. Murray Abraham, Amadeus

Role: Antonio Salieri

Oscar History: 1 win, 1 nomination

6. Jack Lemmon, Save the Tiger

Role: Harry Stoner

Oscar History: 2 wins, 8 nominations

5. Daniel Day-Lewis, My Left Foot

Role: Christy Brown

Oscar History: 2 wins (to date), 5 nominations

4. Gene Hackman, The French Connection

Role: Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle

Oscar History: 2 wins, 5 nominations

3. Jack Nicholson, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Role: R.P. McMurphy

Oscar History: 3 wins, 12 nominations

2. Robert De Niro, Raging Bull

Role: Jake LaMotta

Oscar History: 2 wins (to date), 7 nominations

1. Marlon Brando, On the Waterfront

Role: Terry Malloy

Oscar History: 2 wins, 8 nominations

Top 10 Oscar-Winning Female Performances

Juliette Binoche at the 1997 ceremony.

In compiling this list, I looked at both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress winners. No supporting ladies made the list, but performances by actresses like Eva Marie Saint (On the Waterfront), Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton), and Mo'Nique (Precious) were in the running.

10. Jodie Foster, The Silence of the Lambs

Role: Clarice Starling

Oscar History: 2 wins, 4 nominations

9. Holly Hunter, The Piano

Role: Ada McGrath

Oscar History: 1 win, 4 nominations

8. Sophia Loren, Two Women

Role: Cesira

Oscar History: 1 win, 2 nominations

 

7. Faye Dunaway, Network

Role: Diana Christensen

Oscar History: 1 win, 3 nominations

6. Charlize Theron, Monster

Role: Aileen Wuornos

Oscar History: 1 win, 2 nominations

5. Hilary Swank, Boys Don't Cry

Role: Brandon Teena/Teena Brandon

Oscar History: 2 wins, 2 nominations

4. Vivien Leigh, A Streetcar Named Desire

Role: Blanche DuBois

Oscar History: 2 wins, 2 nominations

 

3. Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Role: Nina Sayers/The Swan Queen

Oscar History: 1 win, 2 nominations

2. Elizabeth Taylor, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Role: Martha

Oscar History: 2 wins, 5 nominations

1. Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose

Role: Edith Piaf

Oscar History: 1 win, 1 nomination

Top 10 Films of 2012

The Master (dir. Paul Thomas Anderson)

Let's get right to it. 2012 was a solid year for films, ranging from highbrow ones like The Master to genre fare like The Raid: Redemption. In fact, I had a really hard time narrowing my list to ten, so I've included the also-rans below. There are some films, such as Barbara, Sister, The Intouchables, Tabu, and Wuthering Heights, that I won't see for weeks or even months, but this list is pretty close to official.

Note: Some of these are arguably 2011 leftovers, but they are all 2012 U.S. releases.

Honorable Mentions:

Skyfall (dir. Sam Mendes)

Argo, Compliance, Declaration of War, The Grey, Headhunters, The Impossible, Killing Them Softly, The Master, Moonrise Kingdom, Norwegian Wood, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Pitch Perfect, Rust and Bone, Skyfall, Sleepless Night, Zero Dark Thirty

10. The Kid with a Bike (dir. Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne)

The Dardennes are two of my favorite directors, so I'm happy to include this little drama. As a boy in need of a guardian, Thomas Doret gives a terrific child performance, and Cécile De France is simply wonderful as his potential mother figure.

9. Alps (dir. Giorgos Lanthimos)

A fascinating, puzzling satirical exploration of role-playing, this Greek film literally has its main characters play dead people. It's an intriguing film, regardless of what you make of it.

8. The Dark Knight Rises (dir. Christopher Nolan)

I never expected to love this film so much. While I admire Nolan's previous Batman films, his epic conclusion is the one I've been waiting for since I saw Burton's 1989 version. It's thrilling from start to finish, and my new favorite superhero movie.

7. Oslo, August 31st (dir. Joachim Trier)

Trier's intimate look at drug and alcohol addiction features a phenomenal performance from Anders Danielsen Lie (pictured left). If you like Shame (2011), I highly recommend it.

6. Django Unchained (dir. Quentin Tarantino)

Tarantino's version of the old American South is one of his bravest films to date. The film is a visual treat, but the fine performances, delicious dialogue, and brilliant soundtrack are also integral to the film's success. No one else could make this film, and Tarantino completely delivered.

5. Les Misérables (dir. Tom Hooper)

As flawed as it may be, I still find it very moving, with heartfelt performances and stunning production values. Hooper's questionable choices don't ruin the film, and the performances only get stronger on additional viewings/listens. It's one of my favorite movie musicals, so I don't mind sticking up for it.

4. The Turin Horse (dir. Béla Tarr & Ágnes Hranitzky)

Shot in long, unbroken takes, Tarr's black-and-white drama makes up for its lack of dialogue with its powerful imagery. The silence is very effective, but the howling wind and Mihály Víg's haunting score are a welcome soundtrack.

3. Amour (dir. Michael Haneke)

Haneke does so much by deceptively doing so little, and this is a perfect example of that. French veterans Trintignant and Riva deliver two of the year's best performances in this emotionally draining relationship drama.

2. Cloud Atlas (dir. Andy & Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer)

The Wachowskis and Tom Tywker have produced a monumental, ambitious epic that went unnoticed by audiences and many critics. It's technically brilliant, and uses multiple genres to great effect. Wherever you stand on it, its boldness can't be denied, and I was completely engrossed.

1. Holy Motors (dir. Leos Carax)

Among the many films I've seen from 2012, this stands out the most. Equal parts bizarre and captivating, it features one of the best male performances of all time by Denis Lavant. There is much to delight and to disgust, and I can't stop replaying many of its compelling scenes in my head. A triumph of cinematic wonder, it's one of the best movie experiences I had last year.

And that's that! Look out for my personal awards ballot early next week.

Top 10 Oscar Surprises I've Seen Live

Not shocking, but a fun win from last year.

Oscar nominations drop in less than 24 hours, so here's a special list.

I've been an avid fan of the Oscars since I watched the 2003 ceremony, which saw Chicago win Best Picture and a few surprises as well. Also, I've watched the nominations announcement live since 2008, when No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood led the nominees.

Therefore, eligible wins/nods on this list either occurred during one of the winners ceremonies from 2003-2012, or they happened during the nominations telecast since 2008.

Note: I predicted Marion Cotillard's and Tilda Swinton's wins at the 2008 ceremony, and I wouldn't necessarily call them surprises. Otherwise, they'd definitely be on here. And I'm not going near the Crash vs. Brokeback Mountain debate.

10. The Bourne Ultimatum winning 3 awards, including Best Film Editing.

I love the original trilogy with Matt Damon. The technical work is solid, as are the performances and the storytelling.

9. "O… Saya" (Slumdog Millionaire) nominated for Best Original Song.

Love M.I.A. Love the song. This gave the film 10 nominations, which I agreed with at the time. Still amazed that M.I.A. is an Oscar nominee.

8. Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road) nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

A scene-stealing performance from an actor who grew up less than 50 miles from where I did. How cool is that?

7. Adrien Brody (The Pianist) winning Best Actor.

How could I not mention him? At the time, I only knew the setting of the film, but I knew he wasn't the frontrunner. It was a great moment at the Oscars, and one they could repeat if DiCaprio is nominated with 4 previous winners. ;)

6. In the Loop nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.

This hilarious little film based on characters from the BBC's The Thick of It was always a longshot. BAFTA spoke up, and I predicted it in my final Oscar predictions.

5. Exit Through the Gift Shop nominated for Best Documentary Feature Film.

One of my favorite documentaries was thought by many to be too "out there" for the Oscars. Happily, they were wrong.

4. "Lose Yourself" (8 Mile) winning Best Original Song.

Yes, I still love this win, and the song as well. If only Eminem had shown up to perform that year, he could've accepted it. That would've been interesting, to say the least.

3. Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) nominated for Best Director.

Only a Best Picture nomination could've made me happier (or maybe a nod for Amalric's wonderful work). It's one of the most moving, beautiful films I've ever seen, and Schnabel's direction was top notch.

2. In Bruges nominated for Best Original Screenplay.

After the Golden Globe and BAFTA love, I went out on a limb for this nomination, and it came true! It's too bad McDonagh didn't win for his brilliant work, but I was (and still am) thrilled that he was included.

1. The Tree of Life nominated for Best Picture and Best Director.

Again, I went out on another limb for this last year, and it paid off. Malick's gorgeous film was one of my favorites of 2011, so I was overjoyed that the Academy recognized it.