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Die Hard
UNITED STATES · 1988

Die Hard

John McTiernan
hostage crisis terrorism lone hero urban siege man versus organization
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Synopsis

High above the city of L.A. a team of terrorists has seized a building, taken hostages, and declared war. One man has manages to escape... An off-duty cop hiding somewhere inside. He's alone, tired... and the only chance anyone has got.

Cinema Atlas Connection
I remember watching 'Die Hard' and being blown away by the craft of it all. The simplicity of the premise, the gradual escalation of the threat, the way the character is completely isolated, physically and emotionally. All those things definitely stuck with me when I was developing 'The Raid'.

I stole very happily from Kurosawa, from Seven Samurai, from Yojimbo, particularly from Kurosawa's camera technique and the blocking of his action sequence.

— John McTiernan  ·  Entertainment Weekly
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