Mar 13 2024 68 mins 6
It’s Die Hard in real time!
The ticking clocks are everywhere (and so are the dodgy Christopher Walken impressions) as Phil and Liam discuss the 1995 high-concept thriller Nick of Time!
Mild-mannered accountant Gene Watson (Johnny Depp) arrives via train to LA’s union station, with his young daughter Lynn in tow. Shortly after his arrival, he is apprehended by Mr. Smith (Christopher Walken) and Ms. Jones (Roma Maffia), who claim to be police officers. Smith then informs Gene that he has 90 minutes to assassinate the visiting Governor of California (Marsha Mason)…or they will kill his daughter.
The guys discuss the potency of this compelling premise and unpack where the movie both succeeds and fails in the execution of its concept. They theorize that, not only is the film filled with ‘Die Hard DNA’, but it also has its roots in Hitchcock, and the paranoid political thrillers of the 1970s. They offer their thoughts on the movie’s own political point of view, its thematic ideas, and the intentions of director John Badham. We also get a glimpse into what really goes on inside Phil’s secret ‘Die Hard on a Blank laboratory’ (where his precious Blu-rays are kept into a fortified vault, protected by a time-lock).
As they break down ‘the anatomy of an action movie’, the boys discuss the unusual yet largely effective casting of Johnny Depp as a straight-laced everyman, rhapsodize over Christopher Walken’s terrifying performance as the satanically evil bad guy ‘Mr. Smith’, and talk about the rest of the supporting cast, that also includes the likes of Charles S. Dutton, Clark Johnson, Yul Vasquez and G.D. Spradlin. As the clocks tick down, the fellas race over to the ‘Die Hard Oscars’ to hand out their action movie awards, and complete the ‘Double Jeopardy’ trivia quiz…in the nick of time!
NICK OF TIME trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cP1TllLDgQ
At the time of release, NICK OF TIME is streaming on Hoopla and PlutoTV and is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple/iTunes, YouTube, Vudu, AMC On Demand and all the usual platforms!
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