It’s a tradition in our household to religiously put up our Christmas decorations on the 1st of December. The film that accompanies those festivities is always Die Hard, our first movie for the holiday season, kicking off a series of films we take in from then until the big day. This year, Christmas came earlier, and instead of talking about Bruce Willis’ finest hour, we’re having the conversation in July as the 1988 classic kicks off the very first London Action Festival.
Over the next few days, talks, screenings, Q+As, and more take place in the capital for this, the inaugural festival, the first of its kind, at least in the UK. Proceedings kicked off on Thursday evening in London’s Kensington at the Royal Geographical Society building, stationed in the shadows of the world-famous Royal Albert Hall.
The star of the likes of License To Kill and The Goonies, as well as playing Special Agent Johnson in Die Hard, Robert Davi kicked off proceedings in style. An accomplished jazz vocalist, Davi introduced himself out of the room, his unmistakable voice heard before we got to see him. He entered the room singing a Frank Sinatra classic, fitting as Old Blue Eyes was originally offered the John McClane role in Die Hard due to a contractual obligation, as Davi later told us.
In a 20-minute or so set, Davi retold stories between songs, reminiscing about filming Die Hard, before topping proceedings off with a rendition of Vaughn Monroe’s ‘Let It Snow’ which, of course, plays over the end credits of the movie. Wearing Christmas hats, the audience joined in with gusto, lyrics on an overheard screen just in case they struggled with remembering them in the harsh heat of a British summer heatwave.
Then came a screening of the film itself, John McTiernan’s movie projected before a screaming audience, some of who experienced it on the big screen for the first time, and some, rather astonishingly, for the first time. The audience joined in throughout, laughing at every joke and quippy one-liner, cheering at certain beats; the expected Yippie-Kay-Yay, and the commanding first appearance of Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber just two moments when the roof was nearly taken off the Ondaatje Lecture Theatre in this important building in west London.
As Let It Snow bellowed out after two hours of timeless movie fun and adventure, a film which, let’s face it, can be enjoyed at any time of year, the evening was topped off with a Q+A with the film’s director, a guest of honour who will receive a ‘Moving Target’ award over the weekend, John McTiernan. The filmmaker told stories of how the film came his way, how the screenplay changed leading up to, and indeed throughout filming, and answered the ultimate question about the film, whether or not DIe Hard is a Christmas movie.
Obviously, it absolutely is.
The evening kicked off this, the first London Action Festival brilliantly and, if nothing else, reaffirmed that the film is not just one of the best action films ever made, but one of the best movies ever made. It really is an amazing piece of work, all of the moving parts coming together to offer a film that still delights audiences 34 years on.
A perfect opening to a sure-to-be brilliant weekend for action movie fans and general movie fans alike. Welcome to the party, indeed.
The London Action Festival takes place from 28-31st July. More information at the official website.
