Die Hard 2 (with Jorma Taccone)

About this episode

Paul welcomes Jorma Taccone to discuss Die Hard 2, highlighting its underrated qualities and character-driven storytelling.

With Amy reporting from Cannes, Paul welcomes Jorma Taccone for a Dealer’s Choice episode on Die Hard 2, the explosive sequel that takes John McClane to a snowbound airport under siege. Together they make the case for one of action cinema’s most underrated follow-ups, celebrating Bruce Willis’s swagger, Renny Harlin’s direction, and the sequel’s knack for escalating the stakes without losing sight of character. They also dive into the film's practical effects, memorable villains, and why Die Hard 2 remains a textbook example of how to go bigger without breaking what made the original work. You can join the Unspooled conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6 Follow Paul and Amy on Letterboxd for more of their movie hot takes! https://letterboxd.com/paulscheer/ https://letterboxd.com/theamynicholson/ Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is out now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer Check out more of Paul's writing on his Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer Episodic Art by Kim Troxall: https://www.unspooledart.com/ Learn more about the show at Unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter…

People in this episode

Hosts: Paul Scheer, Amy Nicholson

Guest: Jorma Taccone

Topics covered

• action cinema
• film reviews
• Die Hard franchise
• practical effects
• character development
• Cannes

Keywords

• Die Hard 2
• Jorma Taccone
• Paul Scheer
• Amy Nicholson
• action movies
• film analysis
• Cannes
• Bruce Willis
• Renny Harlin

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Unspooled, Discord, Letterboxd, HarperCollins, Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, megaphone.fm

Products: Joyful Recollections of Trauma

Books & works: Die Hard 2

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