That Highly Anticipated November Release From Netflix Is Quite Spectacular
No, I’m not talking about THE IRISHMAN (though it does fit the hed). I’m talking about Netflix’s fun, new spin-off documentary series, “The Movies That Made Us” and, specifically, the DIE HARD episode. Like its predecessor, the entertaining nostalgia-fest “The Toys That Made us”, the show goes behind the scenes and tells you the history of how a particular movie got made. It’s not some serious deep-dive into cinematic classics but rather a funny, sometimes goofy 45-minute look at the soup-to-nuts process involved in making a movie that will eventually become a cultural touchstone.
The first season gives us the goods on HOME ALONE, GHOSTBUSTERS, DIRTY DANCING, and DIE HARD. I haven’t watched them all yet but I can tell you that the DIE HARD one is fan-fucking-tastic. The ep talks to the screenwriter who had to write the movie on the fly, the hilariously deadpan stunt coordinator, surly director John McTiernan, lovable Reginald VelJohnson, and a shitload of other talking heads who each add something unique to the show. Clips of the movie are interspersed throughout the ep as well as some pretty cool behind-the-scenes footage that most people never saw before.
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Viewers are also bombarded with non-stop tidbits and ‘holy shit, I never knew that’ moments, such as Frank Sinatra being the original choice to star in this adaption of Roderick Thorp’s page-turner “Nothing Lasts Forever”. Thankfully, DIE HARD opted for a MUCH different ending than the book. The show also goes into detail about pulling the wool over Alan Rickman’s eyes just before the pants-shitting iconic shot of him [spoiler alert] falling out of Nakatomi Plaza.
Like DIE HARD itself, “The Movies That Made Us” episode of DIE HARD is funny, entertaining as hell, and even hits you in the feels a little bit. Rather than spill more beans about it here, I’ll just implore to watch it the next time you’re on Netflix. And also like DIE HARD, you’ll want to watch it again right away.
As a dedicated Patrick Swayze disciple and a guy who believes that DIRTY DANCING is the most erotic PG-13 movie produced by Hollywood, I also enjoyed the hell out of that episode. Like DIE HARD, DIRTY DANCING’s studio didn’t exactly have high hopes or the producers’ confidence in the male lead. There was enough on-set and off-set bullshit to fertilize the entirety of Kellerman’s Resort. The female lead had issues with…dancing.
But despite all of the hiccups, the cast and crew, buoyed by the handsome hunk Swayze and his sex-drippin’ dance moves, turned this low-budget, late-summer release into a worldwide phenomenon that still melts hearts like mine and Captain Cons when we catch it during one if its 759 weekly airings on cable. “The Movies That Made Us” ep shows us why DIRTY DANCING is timeless and forever irresistible. Even if DD isn’t your cup of tea, the story behind it is worth drinking in.