'Now I Have a Machine Gun. Ho, Ho, Ho': Why 'Die Hard' is a Christmas Movie

Yippee-ki-yay, movie-lovers!

It's Christmas Day, and I want to say Merry Christmas, and happy holidays to all. It should come as no secret that I love movies, and I love Christmas. So, when it comes to the genre of Christmas movies, nothing tops Die Hard as the best Christmas movie ever.

"But Die Hard isn't a Christmas movie! So, stop saying it is!"

Now, I bet you're one of the people who are really passionate about the idea that Die Hard isn't a Christmas movie. And I don't really blame you; I mean, it's a great movie that takes place on Christmas Eve, but it's also a rated-R film filled with action, bloody gun fights, huge explosions, and language.

But yes, Die Hard is a Christmas movie. And I'm gonna give evidence for it. And by the time you come out of reading this article, you'll look back at your life and wonder where you went wrong.

So, without further ado, let's get this started.

First, I'll look at your perspective. Most Christmas movies usually get released during the holiday season from November to February. Elf was released on November 7, 2003, Home Alone was released on November 16, 1990, It's a Wonderful Life was released on December 20, 1946, and Die Hard was released on...July 15, 1988?

It seems weird to have a Christmas movie that got released in the summer, but it's not the only example. NO ONE denies that the 1947 Miracle on 34th Street is a Christmas movie, and that was released on June 4th.

So, yes. You can have a Christmas movie that wasn't released near Christmas. A Christmas movie is just a movie that gets you in the holiday spirit that you usually watch in November or December. But does Die Hard get you in the CHRISTMAS spirit?

I like Die Hard, but this isn't exactly customary for a Christmas film.

Well, if you ignore the violent, badass action movie stuff, the movie has a great Christmas story.

In the beginning, John McClane is kind of a jerk who argues with his wife over using her maiden name. However, after he is forced into a dangerous situation where he needs to save her life, he realizes how much of a jerk he has been, and he knows he needs to do whatever he can to save her.

Their marriage was in jeopardy, as they were estranged from each other. But in the end, their relationship rekindles, and they embrace. These are themes that seem like they'd be in a Christmas movie, are they not?

We also have John and Powell with a friendship that grows throughout the movie.

They meet while in a dangerous situation, and Powell gives John moral support as he is trapped in a building, and they never meet face-to-face until the very end.

I mean, the guns and crazy action don't seem very Christmas-y, but the story is a nice Christmas story. Now, according to a writer from The Fix, Die Hard doesn't work as a Christmas movie, because if it took place on any other day of the year, the movie would work just as well.

But if you think about it for a second, this isn't the only Christmas movie that this applies to.

Let me ask you: is Home Alone a Christmas movie? Of course it is. And now think: if Home Alone didn't take place on Christmas, would the movie have still worked? Because heck yes it would have.

Think about it: the family left for a Christmas vacation. It could have been on any day of the year. Home Alone is just a movie about a kid alone on Christmas, and yet they rerun it every year on Christmas.

Now, the movie could have easily taken place in the summer, just like Die Hard. But a Christmas element made those movies better. Home Alone was clearly a Christmas movie, and it could have taken place on another day.

I think this is where the skeptics go, "But Die Hard just TOOK PLACE on Christmas Eve! There aren't any other references to Christmas anywhere!"

Well, my simple answer is...yes, there are. John is flying from New York to L.A. to visit his wife and kids on Christmas, because kids typically like having both their parents with them on Christmas morning. He's doing this for his family, and he even bought a giant teddy bear for his kids.

Later, John sends a dead terrorist on an elevator with a Santa hat and a nice little Christmas-themed message written on his sweater.

You may also remember that before he sends Tony in the elevator, John turns and looks at a Santa doll. He smiles.

Also, right before the climax, John sees some tape nearby, while Christmas-themed music plays. The tape has "Season's Greetings" written on it and John uses this Christmas tape to conceal his Beretta 92F.

See? Now, obviously, this isn't a normal Christmas movie where the family gathers around, including your 8-year-old nieces and nephews, and you all watch it together as a family.

Die Hard is more like the kind of movie you watch with your dad and your brothers when you're 16 and older, maybe you might watch this with a bottle of beer, but this is more of a Christmas action movie, which falls under Christmas movies.

The writer from The Fix also said that the movie had no dramatic dinner table scene. That almost sounds like satire, because not all movies need to have this cliché. Elf had no serious dinner table scene, and neither did Die Hard.

But both movies had their dramatic, emotional scenes, and it didn't require a damn dinner table.

Now, I love celebrating Christmas. I got a bunch of stuff and gave my family money, but watching Die Hard is gonna be a great holiday tradition for me, as it is for many.

It's not as funny as Elf, it's more violent than Home Alone, but it's a great movie with a Christmas theme.

And that's it! The sources I used in this article are here:

• 10 reasons why Die Hard is not a Christmas movie – The Fix
• Home Alone – Wikipedia
• Elf (film) – Wikipedia
• Die Hard – Wikipedia
• It's a Wonderful Life – Wikipedia
• Miracle on 34th Street – Wikipedia