There are a couple of signs that tell us it’s the holidays. The weather turns colder. Seasonal lights and decorations start appearing in our stores, and on our neighbor’s lawn. And Die Hard fans begin arguing about whether or not their beloved action classic is a Christmas movie, or not. The fun part is that over the past few years, Die Hard cast members have been weighing in on the debate, making it harder to take a side that’s not shared by OFFICIAL members of the Die Hard family. Are you going to tell Sgt. Al Powell that he’s wrong? I didn’t think so.
Reginald VelJohnson was recently speaking with ComicBook, and voted squarely that Die Hard is a Christmas movie. But in addition to giving his opinion, VelJohnson also explained the history of the debate, and how the cast viewed the movie while making it. The Twinkie-loving, flat-footed beat cop revealed:
When I was filming the film Die Hard, I didn’t even think about it being a Christmas movie. I knew that there was a Christmas theme that was going on in the movie but it wasn’t a major focus of the movie. And I never really realized that it was going to be a Christmas movie until the audience told me that it was. And when the audience said that it was a Christmas movie. I said, ‘Yes and hell yes, it’s a Christmas movie, whatever you want to do. As long as you see the movie, I’m fine with it.’ But now that it’s become a Christmas theme movie, I’m fine with it. They showed it every Christmas and that’s fine with me. I’m okay with it.
So, to the folks making Die Hard, it was a job. Well, of course! You never know how a movie you are working on is going to be received. Die Hard, at the time, was an action thriller starring that funny dude from the TV show Moonlighting. I can almost guarantee that no one making that movie, or heading to theaters to see it, expected it to still be part of the conversation in 2021. And yet, here we are, every Christmas, having this debate. But as Reginald VelJohnson admits, so long as it keeps people talking about Die Hard, for whatever reason, he’s totally OK with it. He said:
Whatever it takes to get these people to watch the movie, I’m fine with it. So if it’s a Christmas movie, you bet I’m on board. Yes, yes, yes.
And so long as it’s not this horrific commercial, which single-handedly tainted the legacy of the good Die Hard movies, and somehow became the worst thing associated with Die Hard. Yes, worse than A Good Day to Die Hard.
Now, pour yourself an Eggnog, slip on your favorite Christmas sweater, and watch Die Hard. Reginald VelJohnson would approve.