The 20th Century Fox logo appears with the Alfred Newman Fox Fanfare playing.

Title card: “A GORDON COMPANY / SILVER PICTURES RELEASE”

Sunset in LAX. A 747 lands, wheels striking the runway with a screech.

TITLE: “A John McTiernan Film”

Inside the aircraft, a left hand with a wedding band grips the armrest of the aisle seat.

TITLE: “BRUCE WILLIS”

The window seat passenger notices the tight grip of the aisle seat passenger.

“You don’t like flying,” says the window seat passenger, “Do you?”

“What gives you that idea?” says the man in the aisle seat.

CAST:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Businessman: Robert Lesser

After landing at LAX, the man in the window seat smiles at the nervous man in the aisle seat.

“You want to know the secret to surviving air travel?” asks the guy in the window seat. “After you get to where you’re going, take off your shoes and your socks, then you walk around on the rug barefoot, and make fists with your toes.”

The man in the aisle seat looks at the man in the window seat askance. “Fists with your toes?” he asks.

The man in the window seat laughs. “I know!” he says, “It sounds crazy. Trust me, I’ve been doing it for nine years. Yes, sir – – better than a shower and a hot cup of coffee!” He laughs again.

The man in the aisle seat nods. “Okay,” he says.

Passengers begin to disembark. As the man in the aisle seat stands to reach for the overhead luggage, the man in the window seat notices he’s wearing a shoulder holder and carrying a pistol. He stares slack-jawed at the man in the aisle seat.

“It’s okay,” says the man getting his carry-on luggage, “I’m a cop. Trust me: I’ve been doing this for *eleven* years!” The man from the aisle seat pulls a large teddy bear from the overhead bin.

The man with the teddy bear moves past a flight attendant. He looks at her, and she looks back at him.

“Have a very merry Christmas,” says an announcement over the plane’s speakers.

Echoing chimes begin the movie’s title theme.

TITLE ANIMATION: DIE HARD

Passengers are collecting their luggage at a baggage claim carousel.

CAST:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Businessman: Robert Lesser

Flight Attendant: Stella Hall

Passengers are collecting their luggage at a baggage claim carousel. The man with the teddy bear arrives at the carousel and lights a cigarette.

Meanwhile, a well-dressed Asian man in a suit steps out of an executive office. He buttons his suit coat while a chamber quartet plays Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto #3 in G.

TITLE: ALAN RICKMAN

After the man straightens his tie, he welcomes a Japanese businessman and his companions in Japanese.

TITLE: ALEXANDER GODUNOV

After shaking hands, the man moves closer to the quartet. The area is a mezzanine above a large assembly room, decorated with potted trees and an indoor waterfall. A large decorated Christmas tree stands against one wall.

TITLE: BONNIE BEDELIA

The man reaches into his pocket and pulls out several index cards – – notes for a speech.

TITLE: REGINALD VELJOHNSON

“Ladies and gentlemen!” he announces to the assembled guests. “Ladies and gentlemen! I want to congratulate each and every one of you for making this one of the greatest years in the history of the Nakatomi Corporation!” The crowd applauds.

“On behalf of the chief -” continues the speaker.

CAST:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Joseph Takagi: James Shigeta

Ellis: Hart Bochner

“On behalf of the chief executive officer, Mister Ozu, and the board of directors, we thank you one and all and wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!” continues the speaker.

“Happy New Year!” shouts the crowd in replay.

Meanwhile, a woman reading green bar computer printouts walks down an office hallway.

TITLE: WILLIAM ATHERTON

She’s approached by a bearded man in a business suit.

“Hey Holly,” says the man, “What about dinner tonight?”

“Harry,” replies Holly, “it’s Christmas Eve: families, stockings, chestnuts?”

TITLE: PAUL GLEASON

“Rudolph and Frosty?” continues Holly. The man, walking backwards, smiles at her.

“Any of these things ring a bell?” asks Holly.

“Actually,” says Harry, “I was thinking more of mulled wine, a nice aged Brie.. and a roaring fireplace, you know what I’m saying?”

TITLE: HART BOCHNER

Holly turns and looks at Harry, as they stand in her office doorway. She sighs, and steps into her office. Holly looks at her watch and turns to her very pregnant secretary. “Ginny,” she says, “It’s 5:40. Go join the party. You’re making me feel like Ebeneezer Scrooge.”

TITLE: JAMES SHIGETA, BRUNO DOYON, ANDREAS WISNIEWSKI, CLARENCE GILYARD JR, DE’VOREAUX WHITE

“Thanks a lot, Ms Gennaro,” replies Ginny, standing up. “Do you think that the baby can handle a little sip?”

“That baby’s ready to tend bar!” replies Holly. Ginny leaves for the party.

Harry is still in the doorway. “Last chance!” he says to Holly, who’s picked up a phone.

“Bye!” she replies to Harry.

The scene shifts to Holly’s home. A young boy and girl are playing on a kitchen floor. Their phone rings.

CAST:

Joseph Takagi: James Shigeta

Holly Gennaro McClane: Bonnie Bedelia

Harry Ellis: Hart Bockner

Ginny: Dustyn Taylor

Lucy McClane: Taylor Fry

John McClane, Jr.: Noah Land

The scene shifts to Holly’s home. A young boy and girl are playing on a kitchen floor. Their phone rings.

The girl runs to answer the phone. “McClane residence!” she says, “Lucy McClane speaking!”

TITLE: MUSIC BY MICHAEL KAMEN

“Hello, Lucy McClane!” says Holly, looking at family pictures set behind her desk. “This is your mother speaking.”

“Mommy!” replies Lucy, “When are you coming home?”

“Pretty soon,” says Holly, “Pretty soon. You’ll be in bed when I get there, though. Let me talk to Paulina, okay, hon? And NO snooping around the house, looking for presents!”

“Is Daddy coming home with you?” asks Lucy.

Holly pauses for a moment. “Well, we’ll see what Santa and Mommy can do, okay? Put Paulina on. Bye, honey!”

“Paulina!” calls Lucy. A Hispanic woman wearing an apron under a sweater walks toward the phone.

“Ola, Mrs. Holly,” says Paulina.

“Um,” says Holly, “Did Mister McClane call?”

“No, Mrs. Holly,” replies Paulina, “No telefono.”

“Well, he probably just didn’t have time before his flight,” says Holly. “Um, it might be a good idea to make up the spare bedroom just in case.”

Paulina smiles. “Si, Mrs. Holly!”

CAST:

Holly Gennaro McClane: Bonnie Bedelia

Lucy McClane: Taylor Fry

John McClane, Jr.: Noah Land

Paulina: Betty Carvalho

Holly Gennaro McClane is talking to her housekeeper Paulina about making up a guest bed for her husband.

“I do that already!” says Paulina.

“What would I do without you, Paulina?” says Holly as she hangs up her phone. She looks at a family picture on her desk – – with the man from the airplane, John McClane, in the photo. She flips the picture face-down on her credenza.

The scene shifts back to the man walking away from the baggage carousel with his luggage.

TITLE: CASTING BY JAMIE BURCH

TITLE: COSTUME DESIGNER MARILYN VANCE-STRAKER

A tall blonde woman squeals as she leaps into a man’s arms, wrapping her legs around him.

McClane shakes his head. “California,” he says.

TITLE: VISUAL EFFECTS PRODUCED BY RICHARD EDLUND, A.S.C.

As he walks toward the street exit, he’s passed by a long line of baggage carts. McClane spots a young African-American man wearing aviator glasses and holding a sign that says “J. McClane” with the Nakatomi corporate logo on the top of the sign.

“Hey,” he says, “I’m John McClane.”

“Argyle,” says the young man. “I’m your limo driver!” McClane nods his head. There’s an awkward pause.

“Nice bear!” says Argyle. McClane continues to look at driver.

“Okay – – Argyle,” he says.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Paulina: Betty Carvalho

Holly Gennaro McClane: Bonnie Bedelia

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Man at Airport: Jon E. Greene

Woman at Airport: Terri Lynn Doss

Argyle: De’voreaux White

John McClane is talking to the limo driver, Argyle, at the exit to LAX.

“What do we do now?” asks McClane.

“I was, uh, hoping you could tell me,” replies Argyle, removing his sunglasses. “This is my first time driving a limo.”

“Ah, that’s okay,” says McClane, “It’s my first time riding in one.”

The scene shifts to a view from the front of the Lincoln Continental limo, driving along Santa Monica Blvd in Los Angeles. Argyle is driving and McClane is sitting in the front passenger seat.

“Relax,” says Argyle, “We’ve got everything in this mug, man! Look at this: CD, CB, TV, telephone, full bar, VHS… If your friend’s hot to trot,” Argyle points at the teddy bear in the rear-view mirror, parked in the back seat, “I know a few mama bears we can hook up with!” Argyle pauses, and looks at McClane. “Or is he married?” he asks.

“He’s married,” says McClane.

TITLE: FILM EDITORS FRANK J. URIOSTE, A.C.E and JOHN F. LINK

“Okay,” says Argyle. He removes a fast-food bag from the dashboard and tosses it behind them. “Oh, sorry about that – – it’s the girl’s day off.”

TITLE: PRODUCTION DESIGNER JACKSON DeGOVIA

“I didn’t know you were going to sit up front,” says Argyle. “So, does your lady live out here?”

“About the past six months,” replies McClane. He puts a cigarette in his mouth.

“Meaning you still live in New York,” says Argyle, more a statement than a question.

McClane lights his cigarette. “Do you always ask this many questions, Argyle?” says McClane. The tall Nakatomi Tower appears in the distance, in exactly the same location as Century City Plaza is on the Avenue of the Stars.

Argyle laughs. “Sorry, man,” he says, “I used to drive a cab, and people would expect a little chit-chat. So — you divorced?”

“Just drive the car, man,” says McClane.

“C’mon,” says Argyle, “You divorced, separated? She beat you up?”

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Argyle: De’voreaux White

Argyle is grilling McClane about his marital status while driving the limo to Nakatomi Tower.

“She had a good job,” says McClane. “Turned into a great career.” McClane takes a drag on his cigarette.

“And that meant she had to move here,” replies Argyle.

“You’re very fast, Argyle,” says McClane.

“So, why didn’t you come?” asks Argyle. McClane looks up at the looming Nakatomi Tower. He doesn’t respond.

“Well?” asks Argyle, “Why didn’t you come with her, man? What’s up?”

“Cause I’m a New York cop,” replies McClane. “I’ve got a six month backlog of New York scumbags I’m still trying to put behind bars. Can’t just pick up and go that easy.”

“In other words,” says Argyle, “you thought she wasn’t going to make it out here, and she’d come crawling back to you, so why bother to pack, right?” Argyle laughs.

TITLE: DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY JAN De BONT

“Like I said, you’re very fast, Argyle,” replies McClane.

TITLE: EXECUTIVE PRODUCER CHARLES GORDON

“Mind if we hear some tunes?” asks Argyle, popping a cassette into the tape deck. He cranks up the volunme. “Hey,” says Argyle, “that’ll work.”

“Don’t you got any Christmas music?” asks McClane, listening to the driving beat. The Lincoln drives up the entrance road to the Nakatomi Tower.

“This IS Christmas music!” replies Argyle.

TITLE: BASED ON THE NOVEL BY RODERICK THORP

The lyrics of Run D.M.C.’s “Christmas in Hollis begin: “It was December 24th on Hollis Ave in the dark, when I see a man chilling with his dog in the park…”

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Argyle: De’voreaux White

Argyle is playing Run D.M.C.’s “Christmas in Hollis” on the limo’s cassette player as the Lincoln enters the Nakatomi Plaza.

The song continues:

I approached very slowly with my heart full of fear
Looked at his dog, oh my god, an ill reindeer

TITLE: SCREENPLAY BY JEB STUART AND STEVEN E. de SOUZA

But then I was illin because the man had a beard
And a bag full of goodies, 12 o’clock had neared

TITLE: PRODUCED BY LAWRENCE GORDON and JOEL SILVER

So I turned my head a second and the man had gone
But he left his driver’s wallet smack dead on the lawn
I picked the wallet up then I took a pause

TITLE: DIRECTED BY JOHN McTIERNAN

Took out the license and it cold said “Santa Claus”
A million dollars in it, cold hundreds of g’s…

Argyle is talking to McClane as McClane steps out of the limo.

“So,” says Argyle, “your lady sees you, you run into each other’s arms, the music comes up, and you live happily ever after, right?”

“I can live with that,” says McClane, stamping out his unfinished cigarette.

“So, if it doesn’t work out, man,” says Argyle, “you got a place to stay?”

“Eh,” replies McClane, “I’ll find a place.” Argyle takes off his glasses.

“I’ll tell you what,” says Argyle, “I’m gonna pull in the parking garage and I’ll wait. You score, you give me a call on the car phone.” He hands McClane a business card. “I’ll take your bags to the desk. You strike out, I’ll get you a hotel.”

McClane smiles and shakes Argyle’s hand. “You’re alright, Argyle!” he says.

“Just remember that,” Argyle replies, “when you sign for the tip.” McClane closes the limo door and walks toward the Nakatomi Tower entrance.

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Argyle: De’voreaux White

John McClane enters the lavish lobby of the Nakatomi Tower. He looks at a large Christmas tree against one wall. There’s an attendant at the lobby desk. McClane walks toward the desk.

“Hi,” says McClane.

“Good evening,” replies the desk attendant.

“I’m here to see Holly McClane,” says John. The desk attendant points to a video screen with a pencil.

“Just type it in there,” says the desk attendant. There’s a video screen with “NAKTOMI PLAZA” written over the Nakatomi logo and the words “TOUCH SCREEN TO START DIRECTORY”

McClane touches the screen. A new screen pops up: “Nakatomi Plaza Directory – Touch Key with first letter of Person’s Last Name,” followed by the alphabet displayed on buttons.

“Cute toy,” says McClane to the attendant.

“Yeah,” replies the attendant, “If you have to take a leak, it’ll help you find your zipper.”

McClane presses “M” but sees no “McClane” listed. He presses the “Exit” key and goes back to the Alphabet screen. Next, he presses the “G” key and “Holly Gennaro’s” name appears on the list.

“Christ,” says McClane under his breath. He presses the Holly Gennaro button and is shown a map of the 30th floor. “30th Floor,” he says to the attendant.

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Desk Guard: Rick Cicetti

John McClane is looking at the building directory touchscreen, and talking to the desk attendant about getting to the 30th Floor, where his wife Holly Gennaro McClane is located.

“The party,” replies the desk attendant, “They’re the only ones left in the building. Take the express elevator.” He points down the lobby corridor. “Get off where you hear the noise.”

McClane nods, “Thanks,” he says, and resets the touchscreen. Whistling “Jingle Bells,” he heads toward the elevator banks, noticing several video cameras facing him. An idling building guard glances up at John McClane. The guard ignores him and goes back to cleaning his fingernails as he leans against a wall. McClane presses an elevator button and continues to observe the idling guard and the video camera in the corridor. The elevator dings as the car arrives.

Meanwhile in the parking garage, Argyle passes a row of golf carts parked next to a “LOBBY LEVEL P5” sign on the wall. He cuts the wheel of the Lincoln limo and tails the vehicle into a sloppy head-out parking position.

Back inside the elevator, John McClane watches the elevator doors open. As predicted by the desk attendant, a wave of noise and voices hits him as he steps out of the elevator.

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Desk Guard: Rick Cicetti

Elevator Guard: Frank Lerner

John McClane steps out of the elevator and onto the 30th floor. He looks around through the crowd of office partiers. The chamber quartet is playing Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto Number 3 in G.

“Champagne, sir?” asks a waiter. John accepts the drink from the waiter. McClane looks at the two story waterfall, and the chamber music quartet on the mezzanine above. He takes a sip of the drink, shakes his head, and places it on the tray of another passing waiter.

Through the waterfall, John spies two blonde women chatting with a man whose back is turned to him. McClane bumps into another woman accidentally. “I’m sorry,” he says to her. She turns and smiles back at him.

A smiling man suddenly grabs him by the shoulders. “Hey!” he says to McClane, “Merry Christmas!” and kisses John on the cheek before leaving. McClane is puzzled but smiles and wipes his cheek. “Jesus!” says McClane, “f–ing California!”

Up a short flight of stairs, John spots Mr. Takagi.

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Champagne Waiter: Unknown

Kissing Man: P. Randall Bowers

Joseph Takagi: James Shigeta

Up a short flight of stairs, John spots Mr. Takagi. McClane walks toward Takagi.

“Hi,” says McClane, “I’m looking for-”

“-Holly Gennaro,” replies Mr. Takagi.

“Yeah,” says McClane, nodding.

“Then you must be John McClane,” says Takagi, “Joe Takagi.”

“Hi,” replies McClane. They shake hands.

“How was your ride in?” asks Takagi.

“Nice,” says McClane. “Do I have you to thank for that?”

“It seemed the least we could do,” says Takagi. McClane looks around.

“Quite a place you have here,” says John.

“It will be,” says Takagi, “if we ever get it finished! There’s still several floors under construction. Holly went to the vault room to fax some documents. She should be back any minute. In the meanwhile, her office is right back here.” They had down an office hallway to Holly’s office.

Takagi opens the office door, marked with the inscription “HOLLY GENNARO, DIRECTOR CORPORATE AFFAIRS”

Inside the office, Takagi is shocked to discover Ellis seated at Holly’s desk, obviously just cleaning up from snorting cocaine off the desktop.

“Ellis?” says Takagi.

“Uh, I was just making a call and this was the nearest phone,” says Ellis, pocketing his paraphenalia as he walks away from Holly’s desk.

“I want you to meet John McClane,” says Takagi, in a measured tone of voice. “Holly’s husband? You know he’s a policeman?” McClane regards Ellis carefully. “Ellis is in charge of international development,” explains Takagi.

Ellis snorts. “Heard a heckuva lot about you!” he says, shaking hands with McClane.

“You missed some,” says McClane, smirking. Ellis wipes his nose.

“Can I get you anything?” asks Takagi. “Food, cake, some watered-down champagne?”

“No, thank you,” replies McClane. “I’m fine.” He picks up a family portrait from Holly’s desk. “You throw quite a -” begins McClane.

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Joseph Takagi: James Shigeta

Harry Ellis: Hart Bochner

Ellis, Takagi, and McClane are in Holly’s office, waiting for her to return from faxing a document in the vault room.

McClane picks up a family portrait from Holly’s desk. “You throw quite a party, ” says John. “I didn’t realize they celebrated Christmas in Japan.”

“We’re flexible,” replies Takagi, “Pearl Harbor didn’t work out so we got you with tape decks!” Ellis gives a braying laugh. McClane sets the family portrait back on the desk.

“Actually,” says Ellis, “it’s sort of a double celebration. We closed a big deal today, and a lot of it was due to Holly, am I right, Joe-Joe?” Ellis smacks Takagi on the arm.

Just then, Holly enters the office, pausing when she realizes that John has arrived. John looks at her and smiles. Holly closes her eyes, steadies herself, and says, “John.”

She walks awkwardly past Takagi and Ellis. “Have you met everyone?” she asks.

“No,” says Takagi, “we’ve been sticking him with spears!” He laughs. “Of course he has,” says Takagi. Holly closes the distance between her and John. She leans in, stiffly, and John kisses her on the cheek.

“She was made for the business,” continues Takagi. “Tough as nails.”

“I was hoping you made that flight,” says Holly to John. She smiles.

“Show him the watch,” says Ellis, eyeing McClane. Holly turns toward Ellis.

“Later,” she says.

“Well go on!” says Ellis, loudly. “What are you, embarrassed?” Holly ignores Ellis. John and Holly look at each other.

“It’s just a small token of our appreciation of all her hard work,” continues Ellis. He nods, “It’s a Rolex.”

“I’m sure I’ll see it later,” replies McClane, not looking at Ellis. “Is there a place where I can wash up?” John asks Holly.

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Joseph Takagi: James Shigeta

Harry Ellis: Hart Bochner

Holly Gennaro McClane: Bonnie Bedelia

Ellis, Takagi, and McClane are in Holly’s office. John’s just asked Holly if there’s a place he could wash up.

Holly smiles. “Sure,” she says, gesturing toward the hallway.

Meanwhile, a Pacific Courier box truck rumbles up Olympic Blvd toward the Nakatomi Tower, passing the Century City Shopping Center. The truck turns on its headlights as the Sun sets behind it.

Back in the Nakatomi offices, Holly plays with a set of desk scissors while John washes up in an executive washroom. John is now wearing a sleeveless undershirt.

“You’ll have to forgive Ellis,” says Holly, “He gets very depressed this time of year. He thought he was God’s greatest gift, y’know?”

“Yeah, I know the type,” says John. scrubbing his hands with a bar of soap. “I think he’s got his eye on you.”

Holly looks up from the scissors. “That’s okay,” says Holly. “I have my eye on his private bathroom.” John washes his face.

“Where are you staying?” asks Holly. “Things happened so fast, I didn’t get a chance to ask you on the phone.”

“Captain Roberts retired out here,” replies John, unfolding a towel.

“Oh yeah?” says Holly.

“Told me I could bunk in with him,” says John.

“Cappy retired, huh,” says Holly. “where’s he live?”

“Ramona,” says John.

Holly chuckles. “PO-mona,” she corrects John.

“Huh?” asks John, applying deodorant.

“Pomona,” repeats Holly.

“Pomona,” says John.

“Yeah,” says Holly, and pauses. “God, you’ll be in the car half the time.”

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Joseph Takagi: James Shigeta

Harry Ellis: Hart Bochner

Holly Gennaro McClane: Bonnie Bedelia

Holly and John are discussing where John is staying during his California trip.

“Why don’t we make it easy?” asks Holly. “I have a –spare bedroom. I mean, it’s not huge or anything, but the kids would love to have you at the house.”

John smiles. “They would, huh?” he says. He looks at her.

“I would, too,” she admits.

Just then, an office couple stumbles through the door.

“Oops, sorry!” says the girl. They leave. Outside the office, the chamber music quartet plays Beethoven’s Ode to Joy.

Holly looks at John. “I missed you,” she says.

John hangs up the towel he was using and leans against the door frame. “I guess you didn’t miss my name, though,” he says, “except maybe when you’re signing checks?” Holly’s smile disappears. “Since when did you start using ‘Ms. Gennaro?'”

Holly sighs. “It’s a Japanese company,” says Holly. “They figure a married woman’s gonna-”

“You *are* a married woman, Holly,” interrupts John. “You’re married to me!”

“Are we going to have this conversation again?” asks Holly, closing her eyes and shaking her head.

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Holly Gennaro McClane: Bonnie Bedelia

Woman: Cheryl Baker

Man: Richard Parker

Holly and John are having an argument in one of the executive offices of Nakatomi Corporation.

“We did this in July” says Holly, shaking her head.

“We never finished this conversation in July,” replies John.

“You know, I had an opportunity,” says Holly, “I had to take it.”

“Yeah, right,” says John, “No matter what the consequences, no matter what it did to our marriage — you had to take this opportunity.”

“It didn’t do anything to our marriage,” replies Holly, “except maybe change your idea as to what our marriage should be.”

“I don’t think you have a clue about what I think our marriage should be, Holly,” replies John.

“I know exactly your idea of what you think our marriage should be!” replies Holly. There’s a knock at the door. It’s Ginny, Holly’s assistant.

“Miss Gennaro, I-” begins Ginny, opening the door. She freezes when she realizes she’s walked into an argument. “Excuse me,” she apologizes.

“Hi,” says John, sarcastically. Ginny turns toward Holly.

“Um,” says Ginny, “Mister Takagi is looking for you. He – – he wants you to say something to the troops.”

“Thank you,” says Holly. Ginny nods at John and leaves. Holly looks at John.

“Speech time,” says Holly. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” McClane watches her leave, then bangs his head several times on the door frame in frustration.

“That’s great, John,” he says to his reflection in the bathroom mirror. “Good job. Very mature.” He wipes his forehead with a towel.

Meanwhile, the Pacific Courier box truck has made its way to the entrance to the Nakatomi parking garage.

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Holly Gennaro McClane: Bonnie Bedelia

Ginny: Dustyn Taylor

The Pacific Courier box truck has made its way to the entrance to the Nakatomi parking garage. It’s passed by a Mercedes sedan, which heads for the building’s main entrance in the circular drive at the front of the building.

In the front lobby, the desk guard notices the truck enter the lower parking level on his TV monitor. Next, the guard sees the sedan park in front of the main entrance. The two henchmen, Karl and Theo, exit the vehicle. The guard writes something at his desk.

In the parking garage, Fritz looks in the rear-view mirror of the truck.

Back in the lobby, Theo and Karl enter via the revolving door. Theo is discussing a basketball game.

“So, Kareem rebounds, right? Feeds Worthy on the break, over to A.C., then to Magic, then BACK to Worthy, right?” says Theo. Karl pulls out a pistol and shoots the desk guard in the forehead at point-blank range.

“BOOM! Two points!” says Theo. Theo laughs and then leapfrogs over the desk, kicking the body of the guard out of the way with both feet. He pulls out a walkie-talkie. “We’re in,” he says.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Theo: Clarence Gilyard Jr.

Fritz: Hans Buhringer

Desk Guard: Frank Cicetti

Theo confirms “We’re in,” on his walkie-talkie, while Heinrich, the driver of the Pacific Courier truck, acknowledges the message. Heinrich backs the truck into the loading dock.

Meanwhile, Theo leaves the lobby desk for the facilities automation room nearby. He turns on a computer monitor, seats himself at a keyboard, and starts typing commands.

At the same time, Karl approaches the express elevators to the 30th floor carefully, his pistol drawn. He reaches into is pocket and pulls out a device the size and shape of a hockey puck. Karl rolls the puck around the corner to where the elevator guard is standing. The guard glances at the rolling puck, only to receive the glare and noise of its flash and bang when it explodes. Blinded, the guard doesn’t see Karl lining up to shoot him. Karl shoots the guard three times in the chest.

Back in the underground parking garage, Heinrich lowers the truck’s lift ramp onto the loading dock. Eleven men step out of the back of the truck, including Hans Gruber, the goateed leader of the group. They all make their way through the freight entrance.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Theo: Clarence Gilyard Jr.

Heinrich: Gary Roberts

Tony: Andreas Wisniewski

Alexander: Joey Plewa

Eddie: Dennis Hayden

Uli: Al Leong

Franco: Bruno Doyon

Marco: Lorenzo Caccialanza

James: Wihelm von Homburg

Kristoff: Gerald Bonn

Fritz: Hans Buhringer

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

Desk Guard: Frank Cicetti

Theo is typing commands into the facilities management computer. On a nearby computer screen, the six low-rise elevator banks are listed as “LOCKED OUT.”

On another screen, the high-rise express elevators between floors 29 and 34 are also “LOCKED OUT,” with an elevator parked on the 32nd floor. The service elevator is listed at floor 31.

Theo types in another command and finishes with a flourish by clicking the Enter key with an overhand reach from the left.

The automated doors of the parking garage roll shut.

The escalators come to a halt.

Additional parking ramps are cordoned off with automated roll-down gates.

Theo continues to type on the facilities computer. All the parking garage gates are now shut. The building is now a cage and a fortress.

Hans and Eddie step out of the elevator on the Lobby level, while the rest of the henchmen remain in the elevator.

Theo makes some final alterations on the facilities computer, then rips the data cables out from underneath the computer’s desk. Sparks fly, as Theo sings a wordless song while kicking equipment cabinets, knocking out more equipment.

Meanwhile in the lobby, Eddie passes a satchel to Karl, while Karl hands off a key card to Hans.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Theo: Clarence Gilyard Jr.

Heinrich: Gary Roberts

Tony: Andreas Wisniewski

Alexander: Joey Plewa

Eddie: Dennis Hayden

Uli: Al Leong

Franco: Bruno Doyon

Marco: Lorenzo Caccialanza

James: Wihelm von Homburg

Kristoff: Gerald Bonn

Fritz: Hans Buhringer

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

In the lobby, Eddie passes a satchel to Karl, while Karl hands off a key card to Hans.

Eddie steps behind the lobby desk, and puts on the jacket of the dead guard Karl shot.

Hans walks to the front door, and presses a key card against the electronic lock. Hans looks out the window to the front entranceway. He slides the key card down, and a red light appears on the lock. Hans tosses the key card to Eddie at the front desk, while Theo picks up his bag and leaves the desk area. Hans takes a final look out the front windows, and then turns to follow Theo to the elevators.

In the basement, Tony exits a store room into a service hallway, while a sinister version of “Winter Wonderland” plays in the soundtrack. “Links (Left)” he says, in German, “Rechts (Right), wir Links (to the Left…” as he makes his way to a narrow stairwell. Hooking his arms on the railing, Tony slide down to the sub-basement.

At a communications cabinet, Tony pulls out a small, air-powered rotary saw, and cuts through the cabinet lock, above a label that says “PACIFIC BELL – EMPLOYEES ONLY”. After cutting through two cabinet locks, the panels fall open, revealing the punch-down blocks for the building’s telephone system. Tony puts the saw down, and begins to sort through piles of telephone wire bundles.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Theo: Clarence Gilyard Jr.

Tony: Andreas Wisniewski

Eddie: Dennis Hayden

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

Tony sorts through piles of telephone wire bundles in the sub-basement.

Meanwhile, John McClane is expermenting with the “make fists with your toes” technique in the Executive bathroom. “Son of a b-tch,” he laughs. “Make fists with your toes.” He stands up and opens his wallet to find Argyle’s business card. His wallet has pictures of his family, along with a note saying “We miss you, Daddy. Love, Lucy and John” on the back of one of the photos. John continues to stare at the photos.

In the sub-basement, Tony is connecting alligator clips to several of the phone wires. In a small equipment box, he throws switches as he hooks up lines to the equipment box.

Back in the Executive bathroom, McClane picks up a phone mounted on the wall and calls Argyle’s car phone. A blast of Stevie Wonder’s “Skeletons” comes through the phone when Argyle answers.

“Yeah, Argyle,” says McClane.

“Hey, man!” replies Argyle, “How’s it going up there?”

“Alright,” says John. “Where are you?”

The scene shifts to the back seat of the limo. Argyle is sitting in the back seat with the stuffed bear.

“I’m kickin’ it down in the garage,” replies Argyle. “What’s the word with you and your lady, man?”

“Uhh,” says McClane, “vote’s not in yet.”

In the sub-basement, Tony has connected more wires to the equipment box. A series of numbers appear on the LED display of the equipment box: 1735, 1776, 1885, 1973, 1160, and 1973 on the right side, and 1533, 1640, and 1830 on the left side of the box. Tony connects another wire and a four-digit number ending in 5 appears above the 1533 on the left side of the box.

Meanwhile, Karl is donning a face protecter as he walks toward the phone wiring cabinet.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Tony: Andreas Wisniewski

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Argyle: De’voreaux White

Karl puts on a clear face shield and walks down the ramp to the sub-basement, where Tony is connecting alligator clips to wires in the phone cabinet.

“Hey, bruder,” says Karl to Tony, as he flips down the face shield.

“Momen-” says Tony, as Karl starts up the gas saw he’s brought with him.

“Nein! Nein! Nein!” yells Tony over the noise, as he frantically tries to finish his work. Karl ignores his brother and carves through the six cable runs above the phone cabinet, creating a shower of sparks.

Up in the Executive washroom, McClane notices his phone has gone dead. “Argyle?” he says into the silent phone.

Back in the limo, Argyle removes his sunglasses. “Mac, you there?” he says into the phone. “Hello?”

At the phone cabinet in the sub-basement, Tony glares at his brother. Karl smirks and walks back up the ramp.

In the limo, Argyle looks at his car phone and frowns. “You know the number,” he says. “Use it!” He puts the phone back in its cradle.

On the elevator, Marco removes a rifle from his satchel. Franco, Fritz, James, and Alexander stand around Hans at the center of the elevator.

The elevator arrives at the 30th floor. As the elevator doors open, Hans and his crew are greeted by chamber music from the quartet, playing “Ode to Joy.” None of the partiers seem to notice their arrival.

Hans steps out of the elevator with his men.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Heinrich: Gary Roberts

Tony: Andreas Wisniewski

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Argyle: De’voreaux White

Alexander: Joey Plewa

Eddie: Dennis Hayden

Franco: Bruno Doyon

Marco: Lorenzo Caccialanza

James: Wihelm von Homburg

Kristoff: Gerald Bonn

Fritz: Hans Buhringer

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

Hans steps out of the elevator on the 30th floor with his men.

McClane still can’t get the phone in the Executive bathroom to work. He stops on hearing a burst of gunfire in the hallway. A woman screams. Quickly, John grabs his gun and holster and heads for the office door. He opens the door a crack and sees women being chased into the hallway by James and Fritz.

Holly, in the Waterfall Room, looks around at the mayhem.

John tries to assess the situation from behind the office door. He looks right and sees several henchmen with guns. To the left, he spots the exit to the stairwell.

In the office next to McClane’s, the man and woman who interrupted his argument with Holly earlier are being chased out of the room, the woman grasping for her discarded blouse. Fritz and James laugh at the woman.

James and Fritz enter the room that John McClane was in, but he left for the stairwell while the two were distracted by the woman.

McClane, still barefoot, leaps up the stairs to the 31st floor.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Holly: Bonnie Bedelia

John McClane: Bruce Willis

James: Wihelm von Homburg

Fritz: Hans Buhringer

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

McClane, still barefoot, leaps up the stairs to the 31st floor. Cracking the door open, he sees Theo and Kristoff rolling carts through the hallway. McClane closes the door and heads up another level.

Back at the Nakatomi party, Karl is conferring with Hans. The crowd of Nakatomi employees are herded to the edge of the indoor pond with the henchmen shooting into the ceiling.

“Stay calm! Everything’s going to be fine!” says Ellis, mostly to himself. “Everything’s going to be fine!”

Holly and Takagi glare at him, stone-faced.

On the 32nd Floor, John enters an unfinished office area. Metal stud work outlines several rooms. Gun drawn, McClane looks for any of Hans’s men but sees the floor is empty. He finds an office phone on a construction drafting table, but it, too, is disconnected.

“S–t” says McClane, dropping the receiver. “Think!” he whispers, “Think!” He looks out the window and sees a woman chatting on a phone in a nearby apartment building.

Back in the Nakatomi Waterfall Room, Hans is holding a day planner in both hands, and seems ready to make a speech. He holds up one hand to silence the hostages, and holds up his day planner in his other hand to get their attention.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Holly: Bonnie Bedelia

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Ellis: Hart Bochner

Takagi: James Shigeta

Kristoff: Gerald Bonn

Theo: Clarence Gilyard, Jr.

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

Back in the Nakatomi Waterfall Room, Hans is holding a day planner in both hands, and seems ready to make a speech. He holds up one hand to silence the hostages, and holds up his day planner in his other hand to get their attention.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” says Hans, “Ladies and gentlemen…” Hans looks down at his notebook. “Due to the Nakatomi Corporation’s legacy of greed around the globe, they’re about to be taught a lesson in the real use of power. You will be witnesses. Now, where is Mister Takagi?” Hans begins to circle the room.

“Joseph Yoshinobu Takagi,” says Hans. “Born Kyoto, 1937…”

Holly puts her hand on Takagi’s elbow. “Don’t move,” she whispers.

“Family emigrated to San Pedro California, 1939,” continues Hans. “Interned Manzanar, 1942 to 1943. Scholarship student, University of California…”

IN THIS MINUTE:

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Holly: Bonnie Bedelia

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Ellis: Hart Bochner

Takagi: James Shigeta

Kristoff: Gerald Bonn

Theo: Clarence Gilyard, Jr.

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

Back in the Nakatomi Waterfall Room, Hans reading off a biography of Joseph Takagi, the head of Nakatomi Corporation.

“University of California, 1955,” continues Gruber. Hans glares at Ellis, who shakes his head and backs away. “Law degree, Stanford, 1962. MBA, Harvard, 1970. President of Nakatomi Trading, Vice-Chairman, Nakatomi Investment Group…”

“Enough,” says Joe Takagi, standing up behind Gruber.

“…and father of five,” says Gruber, turning toward Takagi.

“I am Takagi,” says Joe. Gruber smiles.

“How do you do?” says Hans, shaking his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Karl steps behind Takagi and grabs him by the shoulder. He shoves Takagi toward the elevator.

Meanhile, John McClane, pistol in hand, opens the stairwell door on the 33rd floor. It’s a room full of computer terminals. He shuts the door and heads upstairs again. “32, construction – – 33, computers,” he whispers to himself.

In the elevator, Tony stands behind Takagi with a machine gun while Karl stands behind Hans. Hans is humming Beethoven’s Ode to Joy.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Tony: Andreas Wisniewski

Holly: Bonnie Bedelia

Ellis: Hart Bochner

Takagi: James Shigeta

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

In the elevator, Tony stands behind Takagi with a machine gun while Karl stands behind Hans. Hans is humming Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. He glances at Takagi.

“Nice suit,” says Gruber. “John Phillips, London.” Takagi looks at him. Hans smiles, “I have two myself.”

The elevator door opens on Floor 31. “Rumor has it Arafat buys his there,” says Hans, stepping off the elevator.

Meanwhile, McClane peeks through the stairwell door on 35 as Uli, Franco, and Marco unload a dolly from the freight elevator. A partially covered stencil on one of the crates says “NSN NOM. GUIDED MISSILE INTERCEPT AERIAL M47 SERIUAL NO 316762.” McClane quietly shuts the stairwell door and heads back downstairs.

On the 31st Floor, Hans enters an art gallery showroom, with antique vases, bowls, crystal, and Shogun-era armor fill display cases. A model of an oil refinery catches Hans’s eye as he walks past it. He also passes by an offshore rig and a turbine engine.

Hans quotes Plutarch: “And when Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer.” Hans pauses in front of a model of Nakatomi Plaza, and chuckles. “Benefits of a classical education,” he says.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Tony: Andreas Wisniewski

Uli: Al Leong

Franco: Bruno Doyon

Marco: Lorenzo Caccialanza

Ellis: Hart Bochner

Takagi: James Shigeta

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

On the 31st Floor, Hans stands with Karl, Tony, and Takagi in the art gallery. Gruber spots a model of a bridge and walks toward it.

“Oh,” he says, “That’s beautiful. I always enjoyed to make models when I was a boy. The exactness, the attention to every conceivable detail. It’s beautiful.”

“Is this what this is all about, our project in Indonesia?” asks Takagi. “Contrary to what you people may think, we going to develop that region, not exploit it.”

McClane slides out of the stairwell as Gruber leads Takagi into another room.

“I believe you,” says Hans to Takagi,”I read the article in Forbes!” Hans holds out his hand. “Mister Takagi, I could talk about industrialization and men’s fashions all day, but I’m afraid work must intrude, and my associate here has some questions for you. Sort of fill-in-the-blanks questions, actually.”

A computer screen with the Nakatomi logo in green appears.

 CEO Workstation
 Nakatomi Socrates BSD 9.2
 Z-Level Central Core
 Preliminary Clearance Approved
 Subroute: Finance / Alpha Access
 Authorization:
 Ultra-Gate Key>
 Daily Cypher>

Takagi looks at Theo, who is seated at the workstation.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Tony: Andreas Wisniewski

Theo: Clarence Gilyard Jr.

Takagi: James Shigeta

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

John McClane: Bruce Willis

On the 31st Floor, Takagi is talking to Theo and Hans. Theo is seated in front of a Nakatomi workstation.

“I don’t have that code!” says Takagi, “You broke in here to access our computer? Any information you could get, when they wake up in Tokyo in the morning, they’ll change it. You won’t be able to blackmail our executives, threaten our profit-”

“SIT. DOWN.” orders Hans. Takagi takes a chair. “Mister Takagi,” explains Hans, “I’m really not interested in your computer. But I need the code key because I am interested in the six hundred and forty million dollars in negotiable bearer bonds that you have locked in your vault. And the computer controls the vault.”

“You want — money?” says Takagi, puzzled. “What kind of terrorists are you?”

Gruber laughs. “Who said we were terrorists?”

IN THIS MINUTE:

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Tony: Andreas Wisniewski

Theo: Clarence Gilyard Jr.

Takagi: James Shigeta

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

John McClane: Bruce Willis

On the 31st Floor, Takagi is talking to Hans.

Waving his pistol, McClane sneaks into the gallery, filled with exhibits of Nakatomi projects. He hunkers down behind the Indonesian bridge model. From his vantage point behind the model, John can see the closed door of the conference room, and hear the muted voice of Hans.

Inside the conference room, Gruber removes the silencer from his pistol.

“Now,” says Hans, “the code, please.”

Takagi, sweating, says, “It’s useless to you. There are seven safeguards on our vault, and the code key is only one of them. You’ll never get it open!”

“Then there’s no reason not to tell it to us,” replies Hans.

“I told you!” says Theo.

Karl looks on. “It’s not over yet,” he says to Theo.

Hans looks at the two briefly, and then back at Takagi. “It’s a very nice suit,” says Gruber, “Mister Takagi.”

IN THIS MINUTE:

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Tony: Andreas Wisniewski

Theo: Clarence Gilyard Jr.

Takagi: James Shigeta

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

John McClane: Bruce Willis

On the 31st Floor, Hans is threatening Joe Takagi with a gun, while complimenting Takagi on his suit.

“It would be a shame to ruin it,” says Hans. Takagi says nothing.

Hans looks up at the ceiling in frustration. “I’m going to count to three,” he says to Takagi. “There will not be a four. Give me the code.”

“One,” he says, putting his hand on the pistol.

“Two,” he continues. Theo looks at his computer console. Karl looks on, unimpressed.

“Three,” says Hans.

“I don’t know it,” says Takagi,”I’m telling you! Get on a jet to Tokyo and ask the chairman, I’m telling you, you’ll just have to kill me.”

“Okay,” agrees Hans, and shoots Takagi through the head. Takagi’s brains splatter the glass doors of the conference room.

McClane is shocked by the sudden violence.

Hans stands up as Takagi’s body falls backwards, toppling over the chair in which he was sitting. “We’ll do it the hard way,” says Gruber. “Tony, see if you can dispose of.. that.”

Losing a bet to Theo, Karl hands the computer hacker a dollar bill.

“Karl, you’d better go and check on Heinrich’s work,” says Hans, “up on the machine floor.”

McClane, forgetting the close quarters under the model table, bangs his head loudly on the underside. Karl and Hans react to the noise. Karl reaches for a gun tucked in his pants, and runs toward the gallery room. Tony follows him. Karl opens the door to the elevator lobby but sees no one. He then opens the frosted glass door leading to the office section.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Tony: Andreas Wisniewski

Theo: Clarence Gilyard Jr.

Takagi: James Shigeta

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

John McClane: Bruce Willis

On the 31st Floor, Hans, Tony, Theo, and Karl are trying to locate the noise of an intruder.

Karl opens the frosted glass door to the office section sees just an empty office. Hans looks at him. “Nothing,” says Karl.

“See to Heinrich,” says Hans. Karl and Tony leave. Without looking at Theo, Hans says, “Now, you can break the code?”

“You didn’t bring me along for my charming personality,” replies Theo. Hans smiles.

Meanwhile, McClane is hiding in an office doorway. “Argyle,” he says to himself, “Tell me you heard the shots and you’re calling the police right now.”

Cut to Argyle, in the back seat of the limo with the stuffed bear, listening to loud tunes and chatting on the phone with his girlfriend.

“Off course I’m still coming by later!’ he says into the phone. “Sweetheart, have I ever lied to you? My boss? He thinks I’m on my way to Vegas! ”

In the machine room just below the roof, Heinrich tells Uli to get up on the pipes. “Marco, you go through here,” he says, pointing at a space between the building’s HVAC condensers. Heinrich puts on an earpiece. “Hans,” he says, “we’re on the roof.”

Uli, flashlight clamped in his mouth, climbs up on the soil pipes.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Tony: Andreas Wisniewski

Theo: Clarence Gilyard Jr.

Takagi: James Shigeta

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Argyle: De’voreaux White

Heinrich: Gary Roberts

Marco: Lorenzo Caccialanza

Uli: Al Leong

In the machine room, Heinrich unspools a yellow cable between the HVAC assembly, while holding a knife between his teeth. He cuts a length of cable, and tosses it to Marco, on the other side of the condensers. Marco, in turn, tosses it to Uli, up atop the soil pipes in the ceiling.

Marco breaks off chunks of C-4 explosive and tosses a chunk to Uli, who sticks the explosive to the ceiling.

Meanwhile, back on the 31st Floor, Theo is giving Hans a timetable.

“Thirty minutes to break the code,” says Theo, “Two hours — two and a half hours for the five mechanicals at the minimum. The seventh block, however, is out of my hands.” Theo unlocks an electronic doorway, that slides to reveal the metal section of a locked, curved safe. Hans folds his arms and regards the safe door and the electronic security panel next to it. He seems distracted.

“I’m sorry?” says Hans.

“The seventh lock,” repeats Theo.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Tony: Andreas Wisniewski

Theo: Clarence Gilyard Jr.

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Argyle: De’voreaux White

Heinrich: Gary Roberts

Marco: Lorenzo Caccialanza

Uli: Al Leong

Theo is talking to a somewhat distracted Hans Gruber in front of the Nakatomi safe.

“The seventh lock,” repeats Theo. “The electromagnetic seal. You do understand the circuits cannot be cut locally?”

“Trust me,” says Hans.

Meanwhile, in the unfinished offices on the 32nd floor, McClane is talking to himself.

“Why the f— didn’t you stop them, John?” he shouts.

“Because then you’d be dead, too, a—ole!” he replies to himself. “Think! Goddammit, think!” McClane looks left and right, then looks up to the ceiling, where a water sprinkler hangs from a pipe. He looks at the wall, where there’s a convenient fire alarm PULL switch.

Down in the lobby, a fire alarm indicator shows that someone’s activated the fire alarm on the 32nd floor.

“We’ve got a fire alarm,” says Eddie into his walkie-talkie.

“Call 9-1-1,” says Hans, walking down the stairs to the 30th floor, where the Nakatomi partygoers are assembled. “Give them the guard’s name and the building code, and cancel the alarm. Then, disable the system.”

Hans continues down the stairs, past Tony. Hans pauses, and glances at Tony. “Eddie,” says Hans into his walkie-talkie, “on what floor did the alarm go off?”

In the machine room above the 35th floor, Heinrich listens in on his earpiece.

“Should we go?” asks Marco.

“Nein,” says Heinrich.

Back in the lobby, Eddie uses a suitcase phone to call 9-1-1.

Far below the 35th floor, four fire trucks make their way up Olympic Blvd, near the Ralph’s supermarket.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Eddie: Dennis Hayden

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Tony: Andreas Wisniewski

Theo: Clarence Gilyard Jr.

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Argyle: De’voreaux White

Heinrich: Gary Roberts

Marco: Lorenzo Caccialanza

Uli: Al Leong

Far below the 35th floor, four fire trucks make their way up Olympic Blvd, near the Ralph’s supermarket.

John McClane, gun in hand, runs to the other window to watch the progress of the trucks.

“Oh, baby,” says McClane, “Come to Papa – – come on!” He laughs with anticipation, and then paces in front of the window, repeating “Come on, baby!” several times. “I’ll kiss your f—ing Dalmatian!” he says.

As the firetrucks pass Ralph’s Supermarket, their flashing lights turn off and they make a u-turn on Olympic Blvd.

“Oh you stupid motherf—ers!” yells McClane. “No! No!” He pounds on the window. “Turn the f—ing truck around!”

Just then, a bell annouces the arrival of the elevator. McClane turns at the sound. Tony arrives, his weapon trained forward at waist level. McClane has disappeared by the time he arrives in the room. Tony turns on all the overhead lights.

McClane hides behind a stack of drywall, his weapon drawn.

Tony looks at a stack of drywall in the middle of the room. “The fire–” he begins.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Tony: Andreas Wisniewski

John McClane: Bruce Willis

McClane hides behind a stack of drywall, his weapon drawn.

Tony looks at a stack of drywall in the middle of the room. “The fire–” he begins, “has been called off, my friend.” He pauses, and studies the stack of drywall sheets. “No one is coming to help you,” he adds, “You might as well come out and join the others.”

He slaps the bolt of his rifle into position. “I promise I won’t hurt you,” says Tony, before firing a burst as he crosses behind the drywall. McClane is nowhere to be found, though.

In the distance, Tony hears a radial arm saw start up. He heads toward the noise. As he arrives at the saw, which is now unpowered and slowing to a stop, Tony suddenly feels a pistol at his neck.

“Drop it, dickhead,” says McClane. “It’s the police.”

“You won’t hurt me,” replies Tony.

“Oh yeah?” asks McClane. “Why not?”

“Because you’re a policeman,” replies Tony.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Tony: Andreas Wisniewski

John McClane: Bruce Willis

McClane has a pistol aimed at Tony’s neck. McClane just asked Tony why he thinks McClane won’t hurt him.

“Because there are rules for policemen,” explains Tony.

“Yeah,” smiles McClane, “that’s what my captain keeps telling me.” John elbows Tony in the head, knocking off Tony’s glasses. Tony shoves John into a post, knocking the gun out of McClane’s hand. John grabs at Tony, while Tony attempts to bring up his machine gun, firing wildly at the floor.

John pushes the machine gun out of Tony’s hands, and Tony responds by ramming McClane’s head through several sheets of drywall. John tries to strangle Tony with the strap to Tony’s bag, and Tony lurches backward, falling with John against the stairwell door. The two tumble down to the 31st floor landing, with Tony breaking his neck on the way down. John lifts up Tony’s head, and Tony is most certainly dead.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Tony: Andreas Wisniewski

John McClane: Bruce Willis

While McClane makes sure Tony is dead on the 31st Floor stairway landing, Theo is attempting to break into the computer with possible passwords. He reads over the military record of one of the board members:

MILITARY RECORD: ASSIGNED AIRCRAFT CARRIER AKAGI
JULY 1940.

CAMPAIGNS AND BATTLES:

PEARL HARBOR; RABAUL; 
DARWIN; JAVA; CEYLON.

MIDWAY - WOUNDED.

Then, the test code “AKAGI” appears to have worked. The computer says:

AKAGI --> ENGLISH TRANSLATION --> RED CASTLE

On the door to the safe, the message "ACCESS CODE ACCEPTED" appears, followed by "LOCK No ONE DISABLED. DO YOU WISH TO PROCEED"

“You bet your ass I wish to proceed!” says Theo, donning safety glasses. Theo starts up a large drill on a moveable stand.

Back upstairs, McClane looks through Tony’s satchel. He finds two ammo magazines, a walkie-talkie, and a Zippo lighter. Putting down the bag, John examines the label on Tony’s sweater, then pats him down for more clues to the gang’s motives and capabilities. He finds a wallet with a California driver’s license, dated 1990. The license has a picture of Tony, and says his name is Richard G. Aronson, 15306 Riverside Dr., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423. Sex M, Hair BLN, Eyes BL, Height 6-0, Weight 195, and a birthdate of 1-6-46.

Some time passes. Tony’s, now barefoot, is tied to a chair in the service elevator. McClane can’t fit into Tony’s shoes.

“Nine million terrorists in the world, and I gotta kill one with feet smaller than my sister!” says John.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Tony: Andreas Wisniewski

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Theo: Clarence Gilyard Jr.

John McClane’s feet are too large to fit Tony’s shoes. McClane kicks off the shoe, and the shoe rolls into a pile of Christmas decorations. John notices a Santa hat, sitting atop a plastic Santa. McClane gets an idea, and smiles.

After a moment, McClane presses the elevator buttons for 31 and 30, then watches as the door closes. He waits as the elevator begins to descend, and then switches the elevators RUN switch to STOP. McClane uses a long pole to open the elevator doors, revealing the shaft space between floors just below Floor 32. He reaches up with the elevator pole and opens the doors to 32, jamming a screwdriver into the doorway to keep the doors open. McClane clambers up the the 32nd floor, then turns around and switches the elevator power back to RUN.

Meanwhile on the 30th Floor, Hans is addressing the Nakatomi employees.

“I wanted this to be professional,” says Hans, eating an appetizer from the Christmas buffet. “Efficient, adult, cooperative – – not a lot to ask. Alas, your Mister Takagi did not see it that way, so he won’t be joining–”

IN THIS MINUTE:

Tony: Andreas Wisniewski

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

Hans is eating an appetizer from the Christmas buffet, as he explains to the Nakatomi employees that Mister Takagi “won’t be joining us — for the rest of his life.”

He continues, “See, we can go any way you want it. You can walk out of here, or be carried out.  But have no illusions: we are in charge. So, decide now – – each of you. And please remember: we have left nothing to chance.”

Just then, the elevator door opens, and a shocked Fritz sees the body of Tony, strapped to an office chair with a Santa hat, and the words “NOW I HAVE A MACHINE GUN HO HO HO” on written on Tony’s shirt.

One of the Nakatomi employees screams at the sight. Hans runs to the elevator, shouting at Fritz, “Get them back!”

Ellis and Holly look on from a distance.

Hans reads the message on Tony’s shirt. He looks puzzled.

“A security guard we missed?” asks Fritz.

“They’re usually tired old policemen, growing fat on a pension. This is something else. ”

IN THIS MINUTE:

Tony: Andreas Wisniewski

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Holly Gennaro McClane: Bonnie Bedelia

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

Fritz: Hans Buhringer

“This is something else,” says Hans, looking at the words scrawled on Tony’s chest. Hans switches to speaking in German as McClane, crouched on the roof of the elevator, listens in.

John peers through a hole in the ceiling of the elevator at Hans.

“We have to do something, Hans,” says Fritz.

“Yes, we do,” agrees Hans. “We have to tell Karl his brother is dead. Tell him to come down. ”

Fritz picks up his walkie talkie and speaks to Karl in German.  On the roof of the elevator, McClane uncaps a Sharpie marker with his teeth, and writes the name “KARL” under the name “HANS” and six tick marks on his arm.

“Franco,” says Hans, “You and Fritz take the body upstairs and out of sight. I don’t want the hostages to think too much.”

McClane hears the door from the other elevator open on an upper floor. He sees someone enter the other elevator, and watches the elevator descend to the 30th floor. Suddenly, McClane’s elevator starts to rise, rapidly. The elevator seems to be accelerating as it ascends.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Tony: Andreas Wisniewski

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

Fritz: Hans Buhringer

John McClane is riding on the roof of an elevator car that’s racing to the top of the Nakatomi Tower. He flattens himself to the rooftop as the elevator reaches the 35th floor.

Shaking his head about not being crushed against the roof, John clambers onto an overhead catwalk above the elevator. He opens a small access panel and steps out of the elevator shaft and into an electrical panel room.  A nude magazine centerfold is plastered on one of the circuit breaker panel boxes. John pauses for a moment to examine the centerfold, then holds his machine gun at port arms and slides the gun strap over his neck as he climbs down a ladder.

Meanwhile, Karl overturns an office desk in Holly’s office on the 30th floor. “I want blood!” he yells at Hans.

“You’ll have it,” says Hans, trying to calm down Karl. “but let Heinrich plant the detonators and Theo prepare the vault. After we call the police, they’ll waste hours trying to negotiate, and then you can tear the building apart looking for this man – – but until then, we do NOT ALTER THE PLAN!”

“And if he alters it?” asks Karl.  Hans says nothing, but raises an eyebrow and moves away from Karl.

Through the office window, Holly and Ellis watch the discussion between Karl and Hans.

“What do you think?” asks Ellis. Holly continues to watch the drama between Karl and Hans.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Karl: Alexander Godunov

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

Harry Ellis: Hart Bochner

Holly Gennaro McClane: Bonnie Bedelia

“Something’s wrong,” says Holly to Ellis. They’re both watching an argument between Hans and Karl, through a window in Holly’s office.

“Cops?” asks Ellis.

“John,” says Holly, smiling slightly.

“John?” asks Ellis. “Aw, Christ, he could f— this whole up! What does he think he’s doing?” Karl continues to argue with Hans.

“His job,” says Holly.

“Bulls—!” replies Ellis. “His job’s three thousand miles away. Without him, we still have a chance. We might be able to get out of here.”

“Tell that to Takagi,” says Holly.

Meanwhile, John climbs the stairs under the heliport back to the rooftop. He looks over the Los Angeles skyline to the West. Seeing nobody on the roof, he pulls out the walkie-talkie he retrieved from Tony’s body.

“Mayday, mayday,” he says into the walkie talkie. “Anyone copying Channel Nine – – terrorists have seized the Nakatomi Building and are holding at least thirty people hostage.”

Back in Holly’s office, Karl and Hans overhear the mayday call.

“I repeat, ” says McClane, “unknown terrorists, six or more, armed with automatic weapons at Nakatomi Plaza.”

IN THIS MINUTE:

Karl: Alexander Godunov

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

Harry Ellis: Hart Bochner

Holly Gennaro McClane: Bonnie Bedelia

John McClane calling for help on the roof of Nakatomi Plaza, via his CB walkie-talkie.

“Century City,” says John.  Meanwhile in Holly’s office, Hans tries to figure out where McClane is radioing from.

“Where’s the best place to transmit?” Hans says to himself.

“Somebody answer me, Goddamnit!” says McClane.

“The roof!” says Hans. “Go – go!” Karl, Franco, and Fritz head out the office door.

Meanwhile, at the LAPD radio room, a 9-1-1 operator and her supervisor look at a monitor.  The monitor says:

“It’s the same address as that fire signal,” says the dispatcher.

“I’ll handle it,” says the supervisor. She keys her microphone. “Attention, whoever you are: this channel is reserved for emergency calls only.”

“No f—ing s— lady! Do I sound like I’m ordering a pizza?” replies McClane.

Meanwhile, Karl, Fritz, and Franco ride the cargo elevator to the helipad.  Fritz takes a drag on his cigarette while Karl assembles his rifle. Franco takes off his jacket.

“No one kills him but me,” orders Karl, as they leave the elevator.

On the rooftop, McClane is still on the walkie talkie. “They have already killed one hostage, they are fortifying their positions while you’re jerking me off on the radio! Now, send a police –”

“Sir, I’ve already told you,” replies the LAPD supervisor, ” this is a reserved channel. If this is an emergency call,  dial 9-1-1 on your telephone.  Otherwise, I’ll have to report this as an FCC violation.”

“Fine,” says McClane. “Report me. Come the f— down here and arrest me. Just send the police now–”

McClane is cut off by a rapid burst of gunfire.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Karl: Alexander Godunov

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

Police Supervisor: Diana James

Dispatcher: Shelley Pogoda

Fritz: Hans Buhringer

Franco: Bruno Doyon

McClane’s radio call is interrupted by a burst of machine gun fire.

The two 9-1-1 dispatchers pull their earpieces off, reacting to the load noise.

“Ow!” says the dispatcher.

Meanwhile, Karl is firing from the helicopter pad at McClane, who is leaping across several tilted projection on the rooftop. McClane slides down the side of one shut projection, toward the Ralph’s supermarket parking lot almost 40 floors below. He screams as he slides off the projection, but lands on a lower deck near aircraft warning lights. He rebounds off a railing and coughs as he looks over the side.

Back at the 9-1-1 office, the supervisor tells the dispatcher, “See if there’s a black and white that can do a drive-by.” The dispatcher types on a keyboard.

Meanwhile at a Mini-Market convenience store, Sgt. Al Powell is gathering up a display of Hostess Twinkies. Al is humming “Let it Snow” as he approaches the clerk at the cash register.

“I thought you guys just ate donuts,” says the clerk, typing on the register.

Al smiles and pulls out his wallet. “They’re for my wife,” he says.

The clerk doesn’t look up as he bags the Twinkies. “Yeah,” he says.

Al counts out the bills. “She’s pregnant,” he says to the clerk.

“Yeah,” replies the clerk.

“Bag it,” says Al, handing over another grocery item.

“Big time,” says the clerk, completing the bag loading. He hands Al his change and says, “Thanks.” Al puts the change in a D.A.R.E. donation can on the counter, and laughs.

As Al leaves, he gets a radio call. “Dispatch to 8-Lincoln-thirty, over,” says the dispatcher.

“This is 8-Lincoln-thirty, come on in, over?” replies Al.

“Investigate a Code Two at Nakatomi Center, Century City,” says the dispatcher. Al pushes open the exit door of the convenience store.

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Police Supervisor: Diana James

Dispatcher: Shelley Pogoda

Convenience Store Clerk: Kip Waldo

Sgt. Al Powell: Reginald VelJohnson

Karl: Alexander Godunov

“8-Lincoln-thirty to dispatch, I’m on my way,” says Al. He walks out of the convenience store, throws his bag of Twinkies in the passenger seat of the patrol car, and then pauses to look up at Nakatomi Tower.  The top of the tower seems to have white flashes of light.

On the roof of Nakatomi Tower, Fritz, armed with an automatic weapon, hunts for McClane. McClane hunkers down behind a metal railing as machine gun fire ricochets off the concrete walls. McClane returns fire. Above him, on the helicopter pad, Karl walks toward the noise of the gunfire, his own weapon aimed at the sky.

McClane continues to back toward the far corner of the roof, not realizing that Karl is closing in from above.  He backs into a space between the helipad and the HVAC shack, where Karl opens up on him with automatic weapons fire. John drops behind the HVAC shack clearing his empty clip and reloading. He looks for a target to fire at, and decides to shoot at the locked door under the helipad. McClane leaps over a railing and heads toward the door.

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Dispatcher: Shelley Pogoda

Sgt. Al Powell: Reginald VelJohnson

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Fritz: Hans Buhringer

John McClane bursts through the door under the helipad, onto a mesh metal catwalk.  As he runs to the end of the walkway, he finds his escape route blocked by a large rotating ventilation fan.

Above him, Karl tries to drop to the other side of the fan, but Karl is met by a hail of bullets from John McClane. Karl motions for Fritz to head downstairs, below McClane’s position on the catwalk.

Meanwhile, John’s solution to get past the fan is to block the rotating blades with his machine gun. As he squeezes through the passageway,  Franco shoots at McClane from the other side, but misses McClane.

Karl, at a run, shoots through the fan blades, but McClane is already making his escape down the catwalk’s ladder on the other side of the fan.  John climbs down the ladder, which is revealed to be the top of one of the elevator shafts. McClane finds himself at the lowest level catwalk, and presses himself up against the vent louvers to avoid being a target.

Karl and Franco double back from the fan room at a run.

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Dispatcher: Shelley Pogoda

Sgt. Al Powell: Reginald VelJohnson

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Fritz: Hans Buhringer

Franco: Bruno Doyon

John McClane opens the door, and recognizes the same centerfold posted on the electrical panel he had spotted earlier. He’s back on the lowest level of the machine room.  Passing by the panel, he pats the pictures with his hand. “Girls,” he says as he walks by.

Below the ladder from the machine room, he spots Karl and Franco. He doubles back to his original entryway, and closes the hatch behind him, hurrying across the catwalk back to the elevator shaft.  Unfortunately, the elevator he rode on top is now many floors below.

“S—,” says McClane. “Where the f—?”

On the other side of the elevator shaft, Karl and Franco hurry down the stairs, Karl leading the way.

Meanwhile, seeing no chance to get to the elevator in this shaft, John seeks another way down. He looks at a mesh screen leading to another shaft. Using the butt of his rifle, he pounds at the mesh screen until it falls down the other shaft.

Listening to the amount of time it takes for the screen to hit bottom, McClane whispers, “Oh my God.” He starts unbuckling the rifle strap from the rifle.

Meanwhile, Fritz is on his walkie-talkie, in conversation with Hans, in German.

“Did you catch him?” asks Hans in German.

“No,” replies Fritz, in German, “but he’s trapped in the elevator shaft.”

Karl and Fritz enter the electrical room.

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Fritz: Hans Buhringer

Franco: Bruno Doyon

Karl and Fritz enter the electrical room.

“Where is he now?” asks Hans, on the radio.

“He’s in the elevator shaft,” says Karl. Fritz responds to Hans in German.

“Perfect,” replies Hans. “The elevators are locked off. He can’t escape. Just shut him in and come back down.”

Meanwhile, McClane enters the far elevator shaft through the now-open panel. “Oh f—!” he whispers as he looks down. Sitting on the ledge of the panel opening, he turns around and grabs  his rifle from the floor.

On the walkie-talkie, Hans is trying to get his men to come back downstairs. “Karl,” he says, “the police are probably on their way already. Karl!”

McClane braces his rifle across the open panel and feeds the rifle strap down the shaft behind him.  He grabs the strap and starts to shift his weight from the ledge to the strap, then lowers himself down to the next level. He tries to reach the next level with his feet, but he’s still too far from the next panel.

“I can stall them,” says Hans, “but not if they hear gunshots. If you lock him in, he’ll be neutralized –” Karl reaches over and shuts off the walkie-talkie.

McClane is literally at the end of his tether.

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Fritz: Hans Buhringer

Franco: Bruno Doyon

McClane is literally at the end of his tether, hanging inside the seemingly bottomless ventilation shaft. The rifle strap is starting to undo itself from the rifle, as McClane clings to the other end of the strap. He tries to reach across the shaft to the other louver, but it’s too far a reach. The rifle begins to bend.

Meanwhile, Karl opens the hatch to the catwalk above the elevator shaft. Fritz and Franco look on.

John tries again to reach the far louver.

Karl walks stealthily across the catwalk, looking down for signs of McClane.

McClane leans farther across the ventilation shaft. The rifle bends more. Suddenly, the strap gives way.

John falls down the shaft, grabbing frantically at the louver. He slips, and falls several more floors. Luckily, he finds purchase on an open louver.

Karl hears the noise and looks at the open vent frame to the ventilation shaft.

John edges up to the open vent. Karl moves closer to the vent frame.

McClane finds himself in a narrow HVAC vent. He reaches into his back pocket and retrieves the lighter he took from the first terrorist he killed. The interior of the vent lights up as he swings the lighter around.

It’s a very long vent.

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Fritz: Hans Buhringer

Franco: Bruno Doyon

Franco: Bruno Doyon

John McClane is squeezed into a very long HVAC vent, looking around with his Zippo lighter.

“Come out to the coast,” he says sarcastically, “We’ll get together, have a few laughs!” He snaps his lighter shut.

The noise travels up to Karl, looking down the ventilation shaft from the top of the catwalk.

McClane pulls himself along by his elbows. “Now I know what a TV dinner feels like,” he grunts.

Karl, Fritz, and Franco rush into the conference room on the 32nd floor, guns drawn. Karl tells Fritz to check the ceiling of the electrical room, while Karl runs to the other side of the 32nd floor.

McClane spies Karl through the louvers of the vent he’s in. Karl aims his gun at the vent. Karl hears a noise, and sprays the vent with bullets, barely missing McClane in the process.

McClane holds perfectly still.

Karl moves closer to the vent, pointing his gun where McClane is hiding.

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Fritz: Hans Buhringer

Franco: Bruno Doyon

Karl moves closer to the vent, pointing his gun where McClane is hiding. Karl begins testing the ventilation segments by pushing on the bottom of the sheet metal.

McClane quietly cocks his pistol and tries to aim at Karl through the vent.

Karl’s tests are getting closer to McClane. He reaches the louver directly under McClane.

Suddenly he’s interrupted by Fritz, who is waving his walkie-talkie. “Karl!” he says, “Come! Der Politzei! Karl – – der Politzei!”

Karl takes a final look at the vent louver, and then follows Fritz.

McClane uncocks his pistol, and sighs with relief.

Meanwhile, Sgt. Al Powell arrives at the Nakatomi Plaza circular drive. One of the gang watches from the roof of the building.

Inside the 31st floor, McClane lowers himself from the ventilation channel and puts his feet on the computer desk below him.

Another member of the gang watches Al arrive in his police car.

McClane, holding his pistol out ready to fire, advances toward the Nakatomi art gallery.

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Fritz: Hans Buhringer

Franco: Bruno Doyon

McClane, holding his pistol out ready to fire, advances toward the Nakatomi art gallery.

He enters the conference room where Takagi was killed, the chair still overturned on the floor.

McClane glances out the window and sees the police car arrive.

“Well, it’s about time,” says John.

Al drives slowly around the circular entrance. “No signs of disturbance, Dispatch,” says Al into his microphone.

“Eight-El-Thirty, roger – possible crank call,” replies Dispatch. “Check the area again and confirm.”

John looks on from the window, puzzled. “Who’s driving this car, Stevie Wonder?” he says.

“I do see a guard inside,” says Al. “I’m going to go in for a closer look.”

“Eight-El-Thirty, roger. Use caution,” replies the dispatcher.

One of the gang members watches Al from a low floor, while holding a rifle aimed at the police car.

“Eddie?” says Hans into his walkie talkie.

“I had a feeling you’d be calling,” replies Eddie.

McClane continues to watch from the window.

Al opens the door of police car 110. Hand on his club, Al approaches the entrance.

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Hans: Alan Rickman

Al Powell: Reginald VelJohnson

Eddie: Dennis Hayden

Hand on his club, Al approaches the entrance to Nakatomi Tower.

Eddie hurries to the locked entrance with a card key.

“Evenin’ Officer,” says Eddie, “what can I do for you?” He smiles at Al.

On the 33rd Floor, Karl, Fritz, and Franco race through the unfinished offices. They meet up with Marco, who tells them that there’s only one police officer. They all laugh.

In the lobby, Al is talking to Eddie.

“We had that false alarm, you know,” says Eddie. “If you ask me, that goddamn computer sent you on another wild goose chase.” Eddie walks back to the guard station. “They’ve been chasing bugs in this system ever since they installed it.” The television is showing a game between Notre Dame and USC on Christmas Eve.

“Aw s—!” yells Eddie, looking at the TV. “Come on – I got fifty bucks bet on those a——s.”

Al glances around the lobby.

McClane leans against the window, looking down at the empty police car, “Come on,” he says, “where’s the f—ing cavalry?”

John picks up a chair and smashes a window. It’s overheard by one of the gang on the roof, who reports the noise on his radio.

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Hans: Alan Rickman

Al Powell: Reginald VelJohnson

Eddie: Dennis Hayden

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Fritz: Hans Buhringer

Franco: Bruno Doyon

John picks up a chair and smashes a window. It’s overheard by James on the roof, who reports the noise on his radio to Heinrich and Marco. Heinrich tells Marco to go to the 34th Floor.

Meanwhile in the lobby, Al is glancing around the room while Eddie watches television.

“You don’t mind if I take a look around, do you?” asks Al.

Eddie waves his hand without turning around. “Naw, help yourself,” he replies. After Al walks toward the elevators, Eddie turns around to see where he’s gone.

Up on the 34th Floor, McClane is smashing the window with a chair. He spots Marco through the conference room window. “Freeze, M-f–er! Drop it!” yells McClane, aiming his pistol.

Marco raises one free hand in response, but doesn’t drop his weapon. “Don’t shoot!” he yells.

McClane continues to yell at Marco to put the gun down. Suddenly behind Marco, Heinrich appears with a weapon drawn. He fires at McClane but McClane dodges out of the way. McClane hides under the long conference table. Marco jumps atop the table and begins walking along its surface.

In the Elevator lobby, Al continues his perusal of the first floor. Around the corner at the second elevator bank, someone is holding an automatic weapon. Al pauses, then says, “Aw, the hell with this!” and walks back to the lobby.

Meanshile, Marco is shooting randomly through the table, and taunting McClane.

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Hans: Alan Rickman

Al Powell: Reginald VelJohnson

Eddie: Dennis Hayden

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Fritz: Hans Buhringer

Heinrich: Gary Roberts

James: Wilhelm von Homburg

Marco: Lorenzo Caccialanza

Marco is shooting randomly through the table, and taunting McClane.

“Ha!” says Marco, “You are dog! No more table! Where are you going, ‘pal?’ Next time you have a chance to kill someone, don’t hesitate!” Marco reloads his gun.

At that moment, McClane fires seventeen shots through the table into Marco. “Thanks for the advice!” says McClane.

In the lobby, Al waves at Eddie as Al leaves through the front door. “Sorry to waste your time,” says Al.

“No problem at all,” replies Eddie, walking Al to the door.

“Merry Christmas,” says Al.

“Merry Christmas to you,” says Eddie.

Back on the 34th floor, John hurries to the window of the conference room.

“Oh, the weather outside is frightful,” sings Al, “dum de dum, delightful…”

At the window, John watches Al getting back into his squad car. “Oh for the love of…” says John, turning around to look for some way to communicate with the police officer.

Al uses his jacket microphone. “Eight Lincoln Thirty to Dispatch,” he says.

“Eight-El-Thirty, go ahead,” replies the dispatcher.

“Yeah, that’s a wild goose chase over here at Nakatomi Plaza,” says Al. “Everything here is okay. Over.” Al goes back to singing, “but nobody has no –”

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Al Powell: Reginald VelJohnson

Eddie: Dennis Hayden

Marco: Lorenzo Caccialanza

Marco is shooting randomly through the table, and taunting McClane.

Al is talking to the police dispatcher on the radio after leaving Nakatomi Plaza.  He climbs into his patrol car, singing “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…”

Suddenly the bloody corpse of Marco crashes through his windshield.

“Goddamnit Jesus H. Christ!” yells Al, throwing his cruiser into reverse. The tires skid on the wet paver bricks.  Machine gun blasts spew from an upper floor. Al reverses wildly through the circular drive.

“Welcome to the party, pal!” yells McClane through the broken window.  More gunfire rips through the top of the cruiser, knocking off the rolling lights. Al backs over sever sapling trees.

In the limousine parked in the garage, Argyle has the music cranked up while he chats on the car phone, oblivious to the mayhem in the front of the building. Al’s cruiser pops over a hill and crashes through some planters, onto a lawn edged by rose bushes.

“There’s automatic rifle fire at Nakatomi!” yells Al into his microphone. “I need backup assistance now! Now, goddamnit, now!” He backs into a steel fence that breaks, dropping the car about ten feet over a retaining wall.

Al, his head covered with blood, pulls himself out of the wreckage of his police cruiser.

Meanwhile, television reporter Richard Thornburg is trying to arrange a dinner date on the phone at his TV studio. “Monica,” he says, “I can get us a table! Wolfgang and I are very close.”

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Al Powell: Reginald VelJohnson

Richard Thornburg: William Atherton

Marco: Lorenzo Caccialanza

Television reporter Richard Thornburg is trying to arrange a dinner date on the phone at his TV studio. “Wolfgang and I are very close,”  says Thornburg. “I interviewed him, for God’s sake!”

Meanwhile, over the police scanner in the TV engineering booth, the LAPD dispatcher is talking to Al.

“Reports of shots fired at Nakatomi,” says the dispatcher, “Two thousand block of Avenue of the Stars. Repeat: officer needs assistance at -”

“I’m in Nakatomi Plaza!” responds Al, “They’re turning my car into Swiss cheese! I need backup assistance now! Now, Goddamn it, now!” Thornburg sits up in his chair and looks at the scanner. He puts his phone down.

Back at Nakatomi Plaza, a dozen police cruisers, sirens blaring,  block all the roadways leading to the tower.

On the thirtieth floor, Ellis grins at Holly. “Never thought I’d love to hear that sound!” says Ellis

In Holly’s office, Hans talks to his confederates. “All of you relax – – this is a matter of inconvenient timing, that’s all,” says Hans. “Police action was inevitable, and as it happens, necessary. So, let them fumble about outside, and stay calm. This is simply the beginning.”

Hans’s walkie-talkie squawks.  He picks it up.

“I thought I all of you I want radio silence,” he growls into the walkie-talkie. “Until further no-”

“Oh I’m very sorry, Hans!” replies McClane.

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Al Powell: Reginald VelJohnson

Richard Thornburg: William Atherton

Harry Ellis: Hart Bochner

Holly Gennaro: Bonnie Bedelia

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

John McClane is talking to a very surprised Hans Gruber on the walkie-talkie.

“I didn’t get that message,” says McClane. “Maybe you should have put it on the bulletin board. I figure, since I’ve waxed Tony and Marco, and his friend here, I figured you, and Karl, and Franco might be a little lonely, so I wanted to give you a call.” McClane pauses to pat down Heinrich’s body.

Karl says to Hans, “How does he know so much about us!” but Hans shushes him.

“This is very kind of you,” says Hans into his walkie-talkie. “I see you are our mysterious party crasher. You are most troublesome — for a security guard. ”

“EEHHNK!” says John. “Sorry, Hans, wrong guess. Would you like to go for Double Jeopardy, where the scores can really change?” McClane continues to rifle through Heinrich’s body, finding a pack of European-style cigarettes. “Hmm, these are very bad for you,” says John to the dead Heinrich.

“Who are you, then?” says an annoyed Hans.

“Just a fly in the ointmen, Hans,” says John, lighting up a cigarette. “A monkey in the wrench, a pain in the ass.” McClane finds several explosive detonators in a satchel, followed by a brick of C4 explosive. “Whoa,” says McClane.

“Check on all the others, DON’T use the radio. See if he’s lying about Marco and find out if anyone else is missing.

McClane looks around the conference room.

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

Heinrich: Gary Roberts

Karl: Alexander Gudenov

John McClane is talking to a very puzzled Hans Gruber on the walkie-talkie. McClane scoops up ammunition into a backpack as he smokes a cigarette.

“Mister Mystery Guest,” says Gruber into his walkie-talkie, “are you still there?” McClane slings the backpack onto his shoulders and looks through the conference room partition.

“Yeah, I’m still here — unless you want to open the front door for me,” replies McClane. He slides the partition open and walks into the next room.

“Ah, no, I’m afraid not,” says Gruber, ” but you have me at a loss. You know my name, but who are you? Just another American who saw too many movies as a child? Another orphan of a bankrupt culture who thinks he’s John Wayne? Rambo? Marshal Dillon?”

McClane checks the floor exits and the elevator bank. “I was always kinda partial to Roy Rogers, actually,” says John. “I really liked them sequined shirts.”

Gruber smirks. “Do you really think you have a chance against us, Mister Cowboy?” says Hans.

The elevator on McClane’s floor pings, as John leaves through the stairwell entrance.

“Yipee-kai-yay, mother f—-er,” he says into the walkie-talkie. Hans puts the walkie-talkie down.

Meanwhile, reporter Richard Thornburgh is talking to his producer. “I can get the jump on everybody if I can get a remote!”

“Sam,” says anchorman Harvey on the microphone to the studio, “I don’t have the new pages. Where’s the Gladden re-”

“Harvey,” says producer Sam, “keep your pants on, will ya?”  Sam brushes past Thornburgh.

“Sam, look, I’m begging you,” says Thornburgh, following Sam out to the studio.

“Simon’s already doing a remote,” says Sam, “with that Salinas thing, but I’m -”

IN THIS MINUTE:

John McClane: Bruce Willis

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

Thornburgh: William Allerton

Sam: Mark Goldstein

Harvey: David Ursin

Reporter Thornburg is pleading with his producer, Sam, for a remote unit to cover the shooting at Nakatomi Plaza. There’s another truck in the area, and Sam tells Thornburg to call the truck and “tell them to swing by or something.”

“I am not sitting on this assignment!” shouts Thornburg, “It’s my story!”

“I don’t want to hear about it!” says Sam, headed to the news studio.

“Alright, Sam – look,” says Thornburg, grabbing Sam by the arm, “I’ll tell you what – – if you don’t want to give me a truck,  I’ll go and I’ll steal a truck!”

“Oh, give us a break, Thornburg,” says anchorman Harvey Johnson.

“Eat it, Harvey!” replies Thornburg. Behind Harvey, a floor director is counting down the seconds to the start of the news.

“Harvey,” says the director, “we’re on the air!”  Harvey stares at the camera. Finally he scoops up some papers on his news desk and smiles.

“Good evening,” says Harvey, “This is Harvey Johnson.” The camera shifts to his co-host.

“And I’m Gail Wallens,” says Gail. “And this is Night Line News at Ten. Our top stories on this Christmas Eve…” Harvey glares at Thornburg.

Thornburg looks at the producer.  “Take Truck Number Five,” says Sam, “Get out of here.” Thornburg nods and leaves.

Back on the 30th Floor of Nakatomi Tower, Karl and his sidekicks exit the elevator, headed to see Hans in Holly’s office.

“He wasn’t lying about Marco,” says Karl, “He’s down on the street. And the other man was Heinrich.”

Hans tries to process all this new information.

“And his bag is missing,” says Karl.

“But he had the detonators…” says Hans.  Hans thinks for a moment, then dials numbers on his walkie-talkie.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

Thornburg: William Allerton

Sam: Mark Goldstein

Harvey Johnson: David Ursin

Gail Wallens: Mary Ellen Trainor

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Theo is drilling into the Nakatomi vault. Hans calls him on the walkie-talkie.

“Theo! Theo!” says Hans. Theo lifts up his safety mask.

“Yo!” replies Theo.

“We may have some problems,” says Hans. “How’s your schedule?” Theo looks at his computer monitor.

“Three down, four to go,” says Theo.

“Then don’t waste time talking to me,” replies Hans.  Suddenly, there’s a voice on the walkie-talkie.

“This is Sergeant Al Powell of the Los Angeles Police Department,” says Al. “If the person who radioed for help can hear me on this channel, acknowledge this transmission.”

Hans looks at Karl. Theo turns off his drill to hear Al better.

“I say again,” shouts Al, over the siren noise of the approaching police cars, “if the person who radioed for help on this channel can hear me, acknowledge this transmission!” Al frantically waves his arm to quiet the approaching police cruisers.

On the 32nd Floor, McClane enters from the stairwell and keys his microphone. “I read you, Pal,” says McClane. “You the guy in the car?”

Al picks up his mic. “What’s left of him,” he replies. “Can you identify yourself?”

McClane replies, “Not now, maybe later. Listen fast: this is a party line and the neighbors’ got itchy trigger fingers.  Alright, here’s the deal: you’ve got thirty or so hostages on the thirtieth floor. The leader’s heres name is Hans –”

“We have to find him and shut him up!” says Franco. “He’s telling them everything!”

“Let him,” says Gruber. “I’m waiting for the FBI to arrive. Until then, he can waste as much time as he likes – – but we must-”

IN THIS MINUTE:

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

Theo: Clarence Gilyard, Jr.

Franco: Bruno Doyon

Karl: Alexander Godunov

Al Powell: Reginald VelJohnson

McClane: Bruce Willis

Hans thinks for a moment, then dials numbers on his walkie-talkie.

“Find the bag, Fritz!” says Hans.

“They’ve got a freakin’ arsenal up here,” says McClane on the walkie-talkie.  Hans puts down his radio. He looks at Karl.

“Go help Ulie,” says Hans to Karl. “We must have the detonators!”

Back at the vault, Theo turns back to his drilling.

On 32, McClane continues to give his status report. “They’ve got missiles, automatic weapons, and enough plastic explosives to orbit Arnold Schwarzenegger. They’re down to nine now, counting the sky diver you met. These guys are mostly European, judging by their clothing labels and — ”  McClane pauses, hearing a noise. ” — cigarettes. They’re well financed, and very slick.”

“Well, how do you know that?” asks Al.

“I seen enough phony IDs in my time to recognize that the ones they got must have cost a fortune,” replies McClane.  He hunkers down behind a computer terminal. “Add all that up, and I don’t know what the f— it means, but you’ve got some bad-ass perpetrators here to stay.”  McClane pulls out another cigarette.

“I hear ya, pardner,” replies Al, as a police cruiser pulls up. “L.A.’s finest are on it – – so, light ’em if you got ’em.”

“Way ahead of you, pardner,” says John, lighting a cigarette.

“So, what do I call you?” asks Al. McClane takes a long drag on his cigarette.

“Call me — ” begins John.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Hans Gruber: Alan Rickman

Theo: Clarence Gilyard, Jr.

Al: Reginald VelJohnson

John picks a code name. “Roy,” he tells Al on the walkie-talkie.

“Well, listen up, Roy,” says Al, “If you think of anything else we need to know, don’t be shy, okay?”  Another officer mops the blood off Al’s forehead. “In the meantime, I want you to find a safe place to hole up and let us do our job, understand?” Theo, at the drill in front of the safe, listens in.

“They’re all yours, Al,” replies McClane.  The safe’s lock mechanism shows three locks have been defeated so far.

Back at the staging area in front of Nakatomi Tower, an Oldsmobile pulls up to the parked emergency vehicles, followed by an LAPD tractor-trailer and a Chrysler Imperial town car. Out of the town car step two men in business suits, the man in the back seat waving a police badge in the air.

“Alright,” says the badge man, “who’s talking to him?”

“I am, sir,” replies Al.  “Sergeant Powell, Al Powell.”

“Dwayne Robinson, Powell,” says Robinson,” what’s the deal here? What do these pricks want?”

“Well, if you mean the terrorists, sir, we don’t exactly know,” replies Al. “We haven’t heard a peep from them.”

“Well, who in the hell have you been talking to?” asks Robinson.

“We don’t know that either, sir,” says Powell. “He won’t give us his name — but he appears to be the one who phoned in the report. He’s killed one terrorist for sure, and he’s claimed he’s capped two others. ”

“He *claims*?” says Robinson, “Powell, has it occurred to you he could be one of the terrorists pulling your chain?”

IN THIS MINUTE:

Bruce Willis as John McClane

Reginald VelJohnson as Al Powell

Clarence Gilyard, Jr. as Theo

Paul Gleason as Dwayne Robinson

Dwayne Robinson is talking about the John McClane situation with Sgt. Al Powell.

“He could be one of the terrorists, pulling your chain,” says Robinson, “or some nutcase in there.”

“I don’t think so, sir,” replies Al. “In fact, I think he’s a cop. Maybe not LAPD, but he’s definitely a badge.”

“How do you know that?” asks Dwayne.

“A hunch,” says Al. “Things he said, like being able to spot a phony ID.”

“Jesus Christ, Powell!” replies Robinson. “He could be a f—ing bartender, for all we know!”

“TV’s here,” says a patrolman.

“Oh s—,” says Robinson. A KFLW news van winds its way through a cordon of police cars.

Meanwhile, in Holly’s office, a portable TV gets plugged in on Holly’s desk.  Holly Gennaro enters the room, accompanied by a gun-toting Franco.

“I have a request,” says Holly to Hans.

“What idiot put you in charge?” asks Hans, without looking up.

“You did,” replies Holly, “when you murdered my boss. Now, everybody’s looking to me. Personally, I’d pass on the job. I don’t enjoy being this close to you. ”

Hans glares at her.
 

IN THIS MINUTE:

Bruce Willis as John McClane

Bonnie Bedelia as Holly Gennaro

Reginald VelJohnson as Al Powell

Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber

Paul Gleason as Dwayne Robinson

Bruno Doyon as Franco

Hans glares at Holly.

“Go on,” he says.

“We have a pregnant woman out there,” says Holly. Hans gives a startled look. “Relax, she’s not due for a couple of weeks. But sitting on that rock isn’t doing her back any good. So, I would like permission to move her to one of the offices where there’s a sofa.”

“No,” replies Hans, “but I’ll have a sofa brought out to you. Good enough?”

“Good enough,” say Holly. “And unless you like it messy, I’d start bringing us in groups to the bathroom.”

“Yes, you’re right,” says Hans. “It will be done. Is there something else?” Holly glances over Hans’s shoulder at the overturned family picture that featured John.

“No, thank you,” says Holly. She turns and leaves. Hans glances at the collection of photos.

“Mister Takagi chose his people well, Mrs…?”  says Hans.

“Gennaro. MISS Gennaro,” replies Holly.  She walks out the door.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Bonnie Bedelia as Holly Gennaro

Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber

Bruno Doyon as Franco

Hans glances at the TV.

“We interrupt this program for a special news bulletin,” says the TV announcer.

“This is Richard Thornburg, live, from Century City,” says Thornburg. A panning shot goes down the side of Nakatomi Tower on the TV. “Tonight, Los Angeles has joined the sad, and worldwide fraternity of cities, whose only membership requirement is to suffer the anguish of international terrorism,” continues Thornburg.

In the limo, Argyle uncaps a bottle of liquor with his mouth, then spits out the cap. The TV in the limo is tuned to Thornburg’s newscast, but Argyle isn’t paying attention. Argyle toasts the stuffed bear.

“Approximately two hours ago,” says Thornburg, “an unidentified group of men seized control of the Nakatomi Building, sealing off all entrances and exits.”

Argyle looks at the TV set.

“All telephone lines have been cut,” continues Thornburg, “and the only communication now possible has been through the use of CB communicators, which the group apparently brought with them.”

Arglye drinks from his tiny liquor bottle.

Thornburg continues, “According to official sources, the perpetrators of this strange building seizure –”

Argyle lunges for the CB radio in the front of the limo. Throwing the switch, he hears police communications.

“Unit Five, hold your position at the main entrance,” says a voice on the radio.

Outside, SWAT teams hurry in front of the building.

“All right, guys, this is what we’ve got: we’ve got Charlie Unit in position by the parking structure. We’re going to send them in through the parking structure,” says the SWAT leader.

Dwayne Robinson interrupts. “Alright, let me ask you something,” says Robinson, “Is this – does this stairway go up to the escalator?”

“Yeah,” says the SWAT leader, “That’s where they’re going. They’re going to go through the lobby, up there,  and try and draw some fire.”

“What’s going on?” asks Al Powell.

“What’s it look like?” replies Robinson. “We’re going in.”

IN THIS MINUTE:

William Atherton as Richard Thornburg

Matt Landers as SWAT Leader Captain Mitchell

Paul Gleason as Dwayne Robinson

De’voreax White as Argyle

Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber

Bruno Doyon as Franco

Sgt. Powell is talking to Dwayne T. Robinson.

“Going in?” says Al. “Man, that’s crazy! There could be over thirty hostages in there, for all we know!”

“We don’t know s—, Powell,” says Robinson. “If there’s hostages, how come nobody’s come to us with ransom demands, huh? If there’s terrorists in there, where’s their list of demands? All we know is: somebody shot your car up, and it’s probably the same silly son of a b—-h you’ve been talking to on that radio!”

“EXCUSE ME, SIR!” shouts Al. “but what about the body that fell out the window?”

“Well, who knows?” replies Robinson. “It’s probably some stockbroker – – got depressed.”

We’re ready for you, Chief,” says the SWAT team leader.

“All right,” replies Robinson. “Light ’em up! Let’s go.”

“All right! Hit your lights!” says the SWAT team leader. Powell watches with growing concern.  “We got approval, Chief?” says the SWAT leader.

“Yeah,” says Robinson. A bank of three floodlights is illuminated.

On the 34th Floor, McClane is looking at the pack of cigarettes he took from Heinrich’s body. Suddenly he notices the light from outside. He puts away the cigarettes and picks up the walkie-talkie.

“Al,” he says, “Al – you still with me, babe? What’s goin’ on?” More lights turn on. “Yo, Al!” repeats McClane.

“I’m here, Roy,” says Al, “but I’m kinda busy right now. I’ll talk to you later.” Al looks up at the building.

“Al,” says John, “What’s wrong? What’s going on-”

“I said, I’ll talk to you-” replies Al.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Reginald VelJohnson as Sgt. Al Powell

Paul Gleason as Dwayne T. Robinson

Matt Landers as SWAT Team Captain Mitchell

Bruce Willis as John McClane

Al is talking to McClane about the situation.  Powell tells him he’ll talk, “later, Roy! If you are who I think you are, then you’ll know when to listen, when to shut up, and,” as another arc light turns on, “… and when to pray.”

“Jesus Christ, you’re coming in,” says McClane, “that’s it, isn’t it? Christ, pal, I told you what kind of people you’re dealing with here!”

“Alright, let’s load ’em up,” says Robinson.

“Lou, go!” says Captain Mitchell.

Meanwhile, in Holly’s office, Hans looks through the mini-blinds of the office window. He picks up his radio.

“So,” says Hans, “they’ll be coming. Everyone get ready. Theo – you are the eyes now.”

In the security office, Theo watches the CCTV monitors.

In the lobby, Eddie gets out a set of keys and lowers the security gates to the elevators.

Back at the LAPD command post, Mitchell is on the radio.

“Rivers!” says Mitchell, “Begin your reconnoiter!”

A group of SWAT officers trot up the hill from the command post toward Nakatomi Tower.

On the 34th floor, McClane watches the action. “S—!” he says, running to another side of the computer room to get a better look.

In the parking garage, Argyle is looking for a way out with his limo.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Bruce Willis as John McClane

Reginald VelJohnson as Al Powell

Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber

Matt Landers as Captain Mitchell

Paul Gleason as Dwayne T. Robinson

Dennis Hayden as Eddie

Clarence Gilyard, Jr. as Theo

De’voreaux White as Argyle

Argyle is driving the limo through the parking garage to find an exit. All the exit gates are closed.

Meanwhile, the SWAT team ascends the hill to the entrance of Nakatomi Tower. One of the SWAT members is stabbed by thorns on a rosebush that’s part of the landscaping.

Eddie and Ulie take up positions in the lobby to defend against the SWAT team.

Ulie stacks clips of ammunition on a newsstand countertop, while Eddie stands behind a wall next to a bank of elevators.

Ulie stands at the ready behind the newsstand. He glances down, and notices the counter is filled with candy. After looking around furtively, he grabs a Nestles’ Crunch bar.

Argyle continues deeper into the parking garage, still trying to locate an exit. At the lowest level, he finds nothing but a concrete wall.

The SWAT teams continue to assemble in front of Nakatomi Tower.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Dennis Hayden as Eddie

Al Leong as Ulie

De’voreaux White as Argyle

The SWAT team assembles next to the arc lights facing Nakatomi Tower.

Theo, humming “Singin’ in the Rain,” is typing on a computer.

Argyle, having checked all blocked exits, parks his car on a lower parking level, next to the loading dock.  He looks at the reflection of the stuffed bear in the back seat. “Shut up,” he says to the bear.

“Let’s go,” says the SWAT leader. The SWAT team approaches the building.

McClane watches the advance from a window on the 34th floor. “Macho a——-s!” he says. “No! No!”

The SWAT team gets closer to the building.

Theo clears his throat, and says into his microphone, “Alright – – listen up, guys:  ‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house…”  Ulie, next to the newsstand, chews on a Crunch bar.

“… not a creature was stirring, except –” continues Theo. Eddie rubs his earpiece and looks around.  Hans listens in from his vantage point in Holly’s office.

” the four a——-s coming in the rear in standard two-by-two cover formation,” says Theo.

Four SWAT members arrive at the entrance to the Nakatomi lobby.

“Okay, we’re all set,” says the SWAT leader.

Meanwhile, Captain Mitchell, Dwayne T. Robinson, and Sgt. Al Powell watch on from their staging area.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Reginald VelJohnson as Sgt. Al Powell

Matt Landers as Capt. Mitchell

Carmine Zozzora as SWAT leader Rivers

Bruce Willis as John McClane

Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber

Clarence Gilyard, Jr as Theo

Dennis Hayden as Eddie

Al Leong as Ulie

De’voreaux White as Argyle

Captain Mitchell, Dwayne T. Robinson, and Sgt. Al Powell watch on from their staging area.

“We’re ready,” says Mitchell to Robinson.

“Kick ass,” says Robinson.

“Go!” says Mitchell into his microphone.

“Right,” replies SWAT leader Rivers. “Let’s do it,” he says to his men. The SWAT team advances on the front entrance to the Nakatomi lobby.

One of the SWAT members attempts to pick on the lock on the door.

Ulie looks at Eddie, and makes a hand sign with a closed fist.

Upstairs, one of the henchmen opens up with a machine gun. Ricochets bounce off the arc lights.

“They’re shooting at them!” says Robinson.

“It’s panic fire,” says Mitchell. “They can’t see anything.”

“They’re shooting at the lights!” states Sgt. Al. One of the arc lights explodes and goes dim. Several more get blown out in the same manner.

“They’re going after the lights,” states Robinson. Powell rolls his eyes. “Call them back,” says Robinson.

The SWAT member trying to pick the lock announces “It’s not happening,” and retreats.

“Mike!” shouts Rivers at another officer, who’s holding an acetylene torch. “Burn it!” he says to Mike. Mike lights his torch.

“Don’t be impatient,” says Hans into his walkie-talkie. Ulie finishes his Crunch bar. “Just wound them,” orders Hans.  There’s a shower of sparks from the officer with the torch.

“Get ’em back!” says Robinson, “They’re sitting ducks up there.”

“No, no,” replies Mitchell. “They’re almost in.”

“Get ’em back!” repeats Robinson.

“Almost in,” replies Mitchell.  Powell glares at the two of them.

“Send in the car,” says Mitchell into his microphone. “Send in the car.”

Far down Olympic Blvd, the lights of a large vehicle shine brightly.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Reginald VelJohnson as Sgt. Al Powell

Matt Landers as Capt. Mitchell

Carmine Zozzora as SWAT leader Rivers

Bruce Willis as John McClane

Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber

Clarence Gilyard, Jr as Theo

Dennis Hayden as Eddie

Al Leong as Ulie

De’voreaux White as Argyle

Far down Olympic Blvd, the lights of a large vehicle shine brightly.

The SWAT team continues using a cutting torch on the lobby doors.

Ulie, behind the candy counter, takes aim with his machine gun.  He hits several SWAT team members and shoots out the windows of the lobby doors.

The wounded SWAT team members scream in pain.

Captain Mitchell listens from the command post on his headset. “Rivers, Rodriguez – report!” he says.

Theo, watching the security monitors, says, “Whoa – wait a minute, wait a minute… what have we here, gentlemen?”

Bright lights of a large vehicle on Olympic Blvd get closer.

“The police have themselves an RV,” says Theo.

The armored LAPD vehicle weaves its way past news vans and police cars.

“Southeast corner,” says Theo.

James, shouting orders in German, loads missiles into the freight elevator.

“Oh, Jesus Christ!” whispers McClane, on the 34th Floor as he watches the armored car approach. He turns, hears the elevator motor,  but then realizes it’s not stopping at his floor.

The armored car reaches the entrance to Nakatomi Plaza.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Wilhelm von Hornburg as James

Reginald VelJohnson as Sgt. Al Powell

Matt Landers as Capt. Mitchell

Carmine Zozzora as SWAT leader Rivers

Bruce Willis as John McClane

Clarence Gilyard, Jr as Theo

Dennis Hayden as Eddie

Al Leong as Ulie

]]> THIS WEEK’S HOSTS:
Mike Carlucci & Tierney Steele Callaghan
of  the Return to Oz Minute

Far down Olympic Blvd, the lights of a large vehicle shine brightly.

The SWAT team continues using a cutting torch on the lobby doors.

Ulie, behind the candy counter, takes aim with his machine gun.  He hits several SWAT team members and shoots out the windows of the lobby doors.

The wounded SWAT team members scream in pain.

Captain Mitchell listens from the command post on his headset. “Rivers, Rodriguez – report!” he says.

Theo, watching the security monitors, says, “Whoa – wait a minute, wait a minute… what have we here, gentlemen?”

Bright lights of a large vehicle on Olympic Blvd get closer.

“The police have themselves an RV,” says Theo.

The armored LAPD vehicle weaves its way past news vans and police cars.

“Southeast corner,” says Theo.

James, shouting orders in German, loads missiles into the freight elevator.

“Oh, Jesus Christ!” whispers McClane, on the 34th Floor as he watches the armored car approach. He turns, hears the elevator motor,  but then realizes it’s not stopping at his floor.

The armored car reaches the entrance to Nakatomi Plaza.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Wilhelm von Hornburg as James

Reginald VelJohnson as Sgt. Al Powell

Matt Landers as Capt. Mitchell

Carmine Zozzora as SWAT leader Rivers

Bruce Willis as John McClane

Clarence Gilyard, Jr as Theo

Dennis Hayden as Eddie

Al Leong as Ulie

]]> THIS WEEK’S HOSTS:
Mike Carlucci & Tierney Steele Callaghan
of  the Return to Oz Minute

Far down Olympic Blvd, the lights of a large vehicle shine brightly.

The SWAT team continues using a cutting torch on the lobby doors.

Ulie, behind the candy counter, takes aim with his machine gun.  He hits several SWAT team members and shoots out the windows of the lobby doors.

The wounded SWAT team members scream in pain.

Captain Mitchell listens from the command post on his headset. “Rivers, Rodriguez – report!” he says.

Theo, watching the security monitors, says, “Whoa – wait a minute, wait a minute… what have we here, gentlemen?”

Bright lights of a large vehicle on Olympic Blvd get closer.

“The police have themselves an RV,” says Theo.

The armored LAPD vehicle weaves its way past news vans and police cars.

“Southeast corner,” says Theo.

James, shouting orders in German, loads missiles into the freight elevator.

“Oh, Jesus Christ!” whispers McClane, on the 34th Floor as he watches the armored car approach. He turns, hears the elevator motor,  but then realizes it’s not stopping at his floor.

The armored car reaches the entrance to Nakatomi Plaza.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Wilhelm von Hornburg as James

Reginald VelJohnson as Sgt. Al Powell

Matt Landers as Capt. Mitchell

Carmine Zozzora as SWAT leader Rivers

Bruce Willis as John McClane

Clarence Gilyard, Jr as Theo

Dennis Hayden as Eddie

Al Leong as Ulie

]]> 40:05 John McClane http://www.diehardminute.com/episodes/minute-075-macht-schnell/ Fri, 12 Jan 2018 02:05:44 +0000 John McClane http://www.diehardminute.com/?post_type=episode&p=733 THIS WEEK’S HOSTS:
Mike Carlucci & Tierney Steele Callaghan
of  the Return to Oz Minute

The armored car reaches the entrance to Nakatomi Plaza.

Franco, on the 30th floor with the hostages, waves his machine gun at them and yells, ” All of you, get back! Get the f— back!”

Meanwhile on the 35th floor, James shoves his cartload of missiles out of the freight elevator.

“Get over there!” yells Theo, watching the action on the security monitors.

“Schnell! Schnell” yells Fritz at James. “Macht Schnell!”

“Ah Scheisse!” replies James, as one of the missiles falls off the cart.

“[Just leave it!]” says Fritz in German. “[Hurry! Hurry! Faster! Make it fast! Stop here!]”

Fritz and James park the cart and grab the launcher tripod equipment. They hurry to a nearby window. James stands the tripod upright, while Fritz uses a nail gun to brace the tripod into the floor.

The LAPD armored car accelerates toward the Nakatomi Tower.

James plugs the launcher into the tripod, while Fritz attaches ignition cables.

James opens a missile case and removes a warhead.

LAPD’s armored car gets closer to the tower.

“Ya, I see him!” says Fritz, looking through the targeting scope of the launcher.

The armored car is almost at the entrance to the tower. It makes a right turn to climb the steps to the lobby.

“Ready!” says Fritz.

“Momen!” says James, trying to steady the launcher.

The armored vehicle starts to climb the steps, knocking down a row of handrails. The vehicle pauses on the first landing.

“[Go ahead!],” says James in German.

“[Now!]” says Fritz in German.  He presses the FIRE button.

The missile flies down into the plaza, striking the armored car. There’s an eruption of flame.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Wilhelm von Hornburg as James

Hans Buhringer as Fritz

Clarence Gilyard, Jr as Theo

Bruno Doyon as Franco

The armored car erupts in flame.

“Oh my God!” says Theo, “The quarterback is toast!”

“Alright, alright, alright, Rivers, Rivers!” says Mitchell into his microphone,”Hang on, Rivers – – that’s an order!”

Hans picks up his walkie-talkie. “Hit it again,” he says.

“Hans, you mother f—-r!” says McClane, “You made your point! Let ’em pull back!” John looks out the window at the flaming car.

“Thank you, Mister Cowboy, I’ll take it under advisement,” replies Hans, “hit it again!”

McClane looks around the room for something to stop the carnage, but he is 34 floors above the car. He looks at the elevator door. Putting down his gun, he grabs a chair near a computer terminal, then puts the satchel full of detonators on the chair.

Next, McClane grabs a fire axe.  He swings the axe and cuts a hole in the elevator door.

“Fire,” says Hans, into his walkie talkie.

Fritz fires another missile at the armored car. It explodes in a ball of flame. Hans watches the fireball through an office window.

Meanwhile, McClane has opened the elevator door. He braces the door open with the fire axe.

McClane looks down the elevator shaft. “F— me,” he whispers.

“Let’s go!” says Robinson at the command post. “Get them outta the car! Don’t you know they’re burning?”

The armored car is a flaming wreck. The SWAT team meanwhile is sprawled on the plaza, screaming in pain.

McClane unwraps a brick of C-4. The detonators are scattered on the computer chair.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Wilhelm von Hornburg as James

Hans Buhringer as Fritz

Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber

Bruce Willis as John McClane

Paul Gleason as Dwayne T. Robinson

Clarence Gilyard, Jr as Theo

Bruno Doyon as Franco

McClane unwraps a brick of C-4. The detonators are scattered on the computer chair. He sticks a single detonator in the brick.

“F— it!” says McClane, and jams all the other detonators into the brick.

“Mach schnell! Mach los!” shouts Fritz to James. James runs to get more shells, but the missile box nearby is empty.

Meanwhile, McClane grabs a computer CRT and ties it to the office chair containing the C-4 and the detonators.

“See if you can take this under advisement, jerkweed,” says McClane.  He rolls the chair toward the elevator.

Meanwhile, James returns to the place where he and Fritz dropped the other missile box.

McClane, at the open elevator door, says, “Geronimo, motherf—–r!” and pushes the chair into the shaft.

The chair tumbles, end over end, into the darkness at the base of the shaft.

Suddenly a brilliant explosion heads back up the elevator shaft. James, on the 32nd floor, is flattened by the explosion.

Flames shoot out of the building on the second floor of Nakatomi Tower.

On the 30th Floor, Holly and the other hostages hear the muffled roar of the explosion and see windows crack.

The explosion continues up to the roof of the building.

Robinson and the others in the police command post take cover.

McClane, watching the explosion rise up the elevator shaft, suddenly realizes he’s in the wrong place.  The flames shoot his way.

“Oh SH–!” he yells, leaping out of the way. The explosion knocks him across the computer room.

Hans watches the carnage from Holly’s office.

“They’re using artillery on us!” says Franco.

“You idiot,” replies Hans, “It’s not the police – – it’s HIM!”

Billowing smoke fills Olympic Boulevard.

IN THIS MINUTE:

Wilhelm von Hornburg as James

Hans Buhringer as Fritz

Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber

Bruce Willis as John McClane

Paul Gleason as Dwayne T. Robinson

Bonnie Bedelia as Holly

Bruno Doyon as Franco

Billowing smoke fills Olympic Boulevard.

The police at the command post poke their heads above the patrol cars to assess the scene.

“Holy s—,” says Robinson

The armored car is a smoking wreck on the Nakatomi stairway.

“My God!” says Thornburg, “Tell me you got that!”

“I got it, I got it!” replies his cameraman.

“Eat your heart out, Channel Five,” whispers Thornburg.

“We’ve had an update on the terrorist takeover of the Nakatomi building,” says a news anchor, as video footage fills the screen. “Sources say the terrorist leader  ‘Hans’  may be this man, Hans Gruber, a member of the radical West German Volksfrei movement.  Strangely, the Volksfrei leadership issued a communique an hour ago,  saying that Gruber had been expelled from that organization -”

“Al, Al, do you copy?” asks McClane on his walkie-talkie.

Sgt. Powell picks up his microphone. “Are you all right?” he asks. McClane laughs.

“Yeah,” says John, “I’m fine.” He coughs.

“What was that?” asks Al.

“Remember that plastic explosive I told you about?” says McClane.

“Yeah?” says Powell.

“There you go,” explains McClane.  “Is the building on fire?”

“No,” replies Al, “but it’s going to need a paint job and a s—load of screen doors.”

IN THIS MINUTE:

William Atherton as Roger Thornburg

Bruce Willis as John McClane

Paul Gleason as Dwayne T. Robinson

Reginald VelJohnson as Sgt. Al Powell

Al Powell is talking to John McClane on the radio.

“Our spotters say you got two with that blast,” says Al.

“Is that him?” says Robinson. Robinson walks up to Sgt. Al. “Is that him?”

“Yes, sir,” replies Al.

“Give me that,” says Robinson, grabbing the mic. “Now, you listen to me, mister – I don’t know who in the hell you think you are, or what you’re doing, but you just destroyed a building! Now, we do not want your help! Is that clear? We don’t want your help I’ve got a hundred people down here, and they’re covered with glass.”

“Glass?” says McClane, “Who gives a s— about glass? Who the f— is this?”

“This is Deputy Chief of Police Dwayne T. Robinson,” says Robinson, “and I am in charge of this situation.”

“Oh, you’re in charge,” says McClane. “Well, I’ve got some bad news for you, Dwayne: from up here, it doesn’t look like you’re in charge of jack s—!”

“You listen to me, you little a–hole,” replies Robinson, “I’m gonna–”

“A–hole?” says McClane, “I’m not the one who just got buttf—-d on national TV, Dwayne.”

Argyle, listening in on the limo’s CB, laughs.

“Now, you listen to me, jerkoff,” continues McClane, “you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem! Quit being part of the f—ing problem and put the other guy back on!”

Robinson shoves the mic back at Al and walks away.

“Hey, Roy,” says Al, “How are you feeling?”

“Pretty f—ing unappreciated,” begins McClane

IN THIS MINUTE:

Bruce Willis as John McClane

Paul Gleason as Dwayne T. Robinson

Reginald VelJohnson as Sgt. Al Powell

John tells Al over the radio that he’s feeling unappreciated.

“Hey, look,” says Al, “I love ya. So do a lot of the other guys.”

McClane laughs.

“So, you hang in there, man – – you hear me?” asks Al. “You hang in there.”

“Yeah, thanks Pardner,” replies John.

Back in the party room on 30, Holly watches Ellis snort more cocaine.

“What are you doing?” she says to Harry, alarmed.

“I’m tired of sitting here,” says Harry, buttoning the top button of his shirt, “waiting to see who gets us killed first – – them, or your husband.”

“What are you going to do,” says Holly, not really asking a question.

“Hey Babe,” replies Ellis, “I negotiate million dollar deals for breakfast. I think I can handle this Euro trash.”

Harry turns toward one of the henchmen. “Hey, sprechen sie talk, huh?”

Meanwhile, Hans is having a heated discussion with Karl in Holly’s office.

“If you listened to me, he’d be neutralized already,” says Hans.

“I don’t want neutral,” replies Karl, “I want dead.”

There’s a knock at the door. Franco brings in Harry Ellis.

“Hope I’m not interrupting,” says Harry, smiling.

“What does he want?” says Hans to Franco.

Ellis snorts. “It’s not what I want,” he says, “it’s what I can give you.”

Unseen, Karl looks down at his gun, but Hans shakes his head ‘no.”

“Look,” says Ellis, “let’s be straight, okay?”

IN THIS MINUTE:

Hart Bochner as Harry Ellis

Bonnie Bedelia as Holly Gennaro McClane

Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber

Bruno Doyon as Franco

Alexander Godunov as Karl

Bruce Willis as John McClane

Ellis wanders in to “negotiate” with Hans.

“It’s obvious you’re not some dumb shmuck, up here to snatch a few purses, am I right?” asks Harry, beginning his sales banter.

“You’re very perceptive,” says Hans, puzzled.

“I watch 60 Minutes,” says Harry. “I say to myself: these guys are professional, they’re motivated, they’re happening – – i.e., they want something, huh? Now personally, I couldn’t care less about your politics. Maybe  you’re pissed off at the camel jockeys, maybe it’s the Hebes, Northern Ireland – – it’s none of my business! I figure, you’re here to negotiate – am I right? ”