As anyone who’s studied “Die Hard” knows, the film contains a rock-solid sense of structure, with its composition, blocking, dialogue, and performances working in total concert with each other to set up and pay off every element introduced in the movie. As such, its opening titles, which stretch from the very start of the movie to eight minutes into the film, contain a wealth of information about the characters, spaces, situations, and themes to follow. From a Businessman (Robert Lesser) telling John McClane (Bruce Willis) to make “fists with your toes” to get over jet lag to the establishment of the Nakatomi corporation and its Christmas party, the opening of “Die Hard” is a true holiday table setter.
Right as the titles are beginning to come to an end and the Nakatomi building looms closer, Argyle (De’voreaux White), the limo driver hired to shuttle McClane to the building, suggests throwing on some music. As the strains of Run-DMC’s “Christmas in Hollis” plays over the limo’s sound system, McClane rolls his eyes. “Don’t you got any Christmas music?,” he complains, given that it’s Christmas Eve. “This is Christmas music,” Argyle replies with assurance. The rest of the titles follow over an establishing shot of the limo pulling up at the front entrance of Nakatomi Plaza while the song continues.
With this moment, McTiernan, writers Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza, and “Die Hard” itself are announcing its intentions and seeking to preemptively quell naysayers. The choice of “Christmas in Hollis” is to demonstrate how this film is going to be energetic, irreverent, hip, and even a little subversive, all while still retaining a holiday theme. In this fashion, Argyle might as well be talking to the audience, insisting that “this IS a Christmas movie” while the film deviates from the typical holiday scenes of cold, snowy streets, family dinners at suburban homes, the exchanging of gifts, and so on. “Christmas in Hollis” even encapsulates this expanded definition of what Christmas is, with Run-DMC relating their tale of an East Coast, Black-culture-infused holiday celebration. With this scene, this dialogue, and this needle drop, “Die Hard” cements its status as an official Christmas movie right from the jump.
