Podcast
Die Hard On A Blank
Hosted by Philip Gawthorne and Liam Billingham · EN
Welcome to the party, pals! This is DIE HARD ON A BLANK, the podcast that explores the influence of DIE HARD on action cinema -- one action movie at a time. In each episode of DIE HARD ON A BLANK, hosts Philip Gawthorne and Liam Billingham discuss one major mainstream action movie that was released after DIE HARD. Phil and Liam break down the story, heroes, villains, action, humor and the 'DIE HARD DNA' that infuse each film, including common cast and crew members. They rate each film and hand out DIE HARD-themed awards. For casual fans and action movie die hards, DIE HARD ON A BLANK is a fun movie discussion podcast that treats the action genre with real respect and love. DIE HARD ON A BLANK is produced by Liam Billingham and Philip Gawthorne. Mike Mayer and Michael Sugar are the executive producers. Tyson Hubley makes our artwork and videos. You can follow Die Hard On A Blank on Twitter and Instagram here. Follow @liamgbillingham and @philipgawthorne on twitter. You can e-mail us with questions at diehardoab@gmail.com
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25episodes
Episodes
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3000 MILES TO GRACELAND!
Jun 4, 202501:26:53Tap to summarizeIt’s Die Hard in Las Vegas!This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK, we strap on our snakeskin boots and bullet belts for a dive into 3000 MILES TO GRACELAND - the loud, chaotic, Elvis-themed heist movie that somehow manages to sneak in a surprising amount of DIE HARD DNA!Two career criminals, Michael Zane (Kurt Russell), and Thomas Murphy (Kevin Costner) team up to pull a casino robbery in Las Vegas during an Elvis convention. However, the botched heist results in a high body count and in the aftermath, the psychotic, self-serving Murphy betrays Michael and the rest of the crew, sparking an expansive feud between the two men, who each try to reclaim their ill-gotten gains from the other, leaving an escalating trail of carnage in their wake.We explore how this underrated oddity isn’t merely a post-Tarantino shoot-’em-up, but a film obsessed with American archetypes - outlaws, lawmen, lone wolves, and false idols. We also dig into the maximalist performances from Kurt Russell and Kevin Costner, the mythic cowboy framing, and how the film situates itself in the lineage of Western icons reimagined for the modern age. Is it Die Hard in a jumpsuit? Tune in and find out!3000 MILES TO GRACELAND trailer:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdEFmGB--kQAt the time of release, 3000 MILES TO GRACELAND is streaming on Philo and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms, as well as on physical media.Click here to subscribe to our Patreon feed 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES! Sign up on the website (instead of the app) to save $$$!www.patreon.com/48hoursofbuddymovies Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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CHILL FACTOR with Matt Strohl!
May 21, 202501:43:37Tap to summarizeIt’s Die Hard on an ice cream truck!I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK, we’re trying to keep our collective cool as we discuss the 1999 buddy-comedy/action-misfire CHILL FACTOR! Joining us on our adventure is none other than special guest Matthew Strohl, a professor at the University of Montana and author of the books Hard to Watch and Why It’s Ok To Love Bad Movies! When an experimental military chemical weapon nicknamed "Elvis" accidentally falls into civilian hands, a hapless ice cream truck driver (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and down-on-his-luck diner cook (Skeet Ulrich) team up to keep it away from the ruthless mercenaries who are trying to steal it. The catch is that if "Elvis" heats above 50 degrees, it will detonate with catastrophic consequences – forcing the unlikely duo to outrun the bad guys and keep the temperature under that threshold, all while attempting to safely deliver the precarious device to a military facility! We start by analyzing the film’s DNA, which includes genetic links to a myriad of movies including DIE HARD, SPEED, THE ROCK, THELMA & LOUISE, and most surprisingly, A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT. Backed by Matt’s spirited defense case, we try to give this much maligned (and largely forgotten) motion picture its day in court, applying the thesis espoused in his excellent books to the film. Against the odds, this approach leads to a passionate (and unexpectedly deep) discussion about how we choose to engage with art…as CHILL FACTOR becomes a living example of “why it’s okay to love to bad movies”! But the fun doesn’t stop there...because as always we wrap things up with the DIE HARD OSCARS and the DOUBLE JEOPARDY trivia quiz!CHILL FACTOR trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYNiikB4wvIAt the time of release, CHILL FACTOR is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV/iTunes, YouTube, Fandango and all the usual platforms, as well as on physical media. It is also available in its entirety on YouTube at the following link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7ede9OJ6pwClick here to subscribe to our Patreon feed 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES! Sign up on the website (instead of the app) to save $$$!www.patreon.com/48hoursofbuddymovies Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES SEASON 2 ANNOUNCEMENT
May 16, 202500:13:04Tap to summarizeJoin us for a very special bonus episode as we announce the next season of 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES, then subscribe at patreon.com/48hoursofbuddymovies! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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ARLINGTON ROAD with Bilge Ebiri!
May 7, 202501:57:31Tap to summarizeIt’s Die Hard on a suburban street!This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK, we’re looking into the most sinister street in America…ARLINGTON ROAD! And to investigate this mysterious neighborhood we enlisted special guest and returning DHOAB all-star Bilge Ebiri!After saving their son’s life, widowed college professor and terrorism expert Michael Faraday (Jeff Bridges) gradually begins to suspect that his seemingly perfect new neighbors - Oliver and Cheryl Lang (Tim Robbins and Joan Cusack) - are involved in a domestic terror plot. As he mounts a rogue investigation into their lives, Faraday’s obsession with uncovering the truth spirals into paranoia, isolation, and a deadly battle of wills, one that threatens not only his life, but that of his young son Grant (Spencer Treat Clark). During this wide-ranging discussion about this eerily prescient film, the guys go into detail on the career of boomer icon Jeff Bridges (with Bridges scholar Bilge) and discuss the genius of casting Tim Robbins against type as a terrifying villain. ARLINGTON ROAD trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfbBavo86qsAt the time of release, ARLINGTON ROAD is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango and all the usual platforms!Click here to subscribe to our Patreon feed 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES! Sign up on the website (instead of the app) to save $$$!www.patreon.com/48hoursofbuddymovies Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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DEEP BLUE SEA with Justin LaLiberty!
Apr 23, 202501:30:18Tap to summarizeIt’s Die Hard underwater…with sharks!This week on DIE HARD ON A BLANK, we’re diving headfirst into one of the wettest, wildest, and wackiest Die Hard riffs of the late '90s: DEEP BLUE SEA (1999), directed by none other than Renny Harlin! We’re joined by special guest Justin LaLiberty - director of operations for Vinegar Syndrome and a key figure in the ongoing physical media renaissance - to talk shark attacks, elevator shafts, and Samuel L. Jackson’s iconic “interrupted monologue” moment!From the unmistakable DIE HARD FRANCHISE DNA, to the undersea siege structure and classic containment premise, we trace just how much Deep Blue Sea swims in McClane-infested waters! We also discuss the unusual, uneven career of Thomas Jane, the effervescent magic of LL Cool J, and that bizarre Ronny Cox “cameo”! It’s DIE HARD in an underwater lab full of brain-enhanced sharks, and it might just be the most fun you can have in a Renny Harlin flick that isn’t Die Hard 2!DEEP BLUE SEA trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSz9MDN-iacAt the time of release, DEEP BLUE SEA is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Apple TV, Fandango and all the usual platforms!Click here to subscribe to our Patreon feed 48 HOURS OF BUDDY MOVIES! Sign up on the website (instead of the app) to save $$$!www.patreon.com/48hoursofbuddymovies Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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