"Die Hard" is most definitely a Christmas movie

My buddy Ed continues to feed me blog-worthy material, this time through an email with the attention-grabbing subject line "I hope you're sitting down." The email contained nothing other than a link to an article that Ed knew would provoke me: "Jan de Bont explains why 'Die Hard' isn't a Christmas movie." Jan de Bont was the cinematographer for Die Hard, and the article is well worth a read for all of the inside scoop on how the film was shot and other matters. But the article gets its clickbait title from de Bont's opinion that “I’m not sure if the spirit of Christmas is fully embraced by that movie, to be honest. To really call that a Christmas movie — it’s a little far-fetched.” Wow, it's like the man never watched his own movie.

Let's get this out of the way right up front:

 

The movie starts with John McClane carrying a big stuffed bear through an airport on his way from New York to Los Angeles to spend Christmas with his family. The remaining 98% of the movie is set during the Nakatomi Corporation's annual Christmas party. If it's not a Christmas movie, why does John put a Santa hat and write "HO - HO - HO" on one of the bad guys he takes out? The end credits run to "Let It Snow," for Pete's sake. Sorry, Jan, Die Hard is not only a Christmas movie, it's the Christmas movie.* (And the director, John McTiernan, says so, too, in this 12-minute video explaining “how Die Hard became a Christmas movie.”.)

 

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*If for some odd reason you prefer less explosions and machine-gun fire in your Christmas movies, I can also recommend A Christmas Story and Miracle on 34th Street (the original 1947 version with Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle). If you want a redemption story, try the underrated The Family Man instead of It's a Wonderful Life  for a change.

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I picked up a two-pound bag of Brussels sprouts the last time I went to Trader Joe's. I used one pound to try out Alton Brown's recipe for Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Cranberries, which I liked but wasn't wowed by. I decided to just roast the second pound but was surprised to see I'd never posted the recipe, since that's the way we've most often had Brussels sprouts over the years. I know you guys won't be lining up to make this one, but it's convenient for me to have it here and I'm hoping you'll all develop sufficiently refined palates to appreciate them one day. 😄

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Time:

1 pound Brussels sprouts

2 tablespoons (27 grams) olive oil

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons water

    1. Place a rack in the center of oven; heat to 450 degrees.

    2. Trim a thin slice from the bottom ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Cut the sprouts in half from top to bottom, unless they’re only an inch long or less. In a medium bowl, toss the sprouts with the oil. Add a few good pinches of salt and a few grinds of pepper, then toss again.

    3. Place the sprouts on a 9-by-13-inch quarter-sheet pan, with the cut sides facing down. Add the water to the pan, then cover tightly with aluminum foil. Roast for 15 minutes. Remove the foil, then roast until the sprouts are crisp and brown on the outside and tender inside, about 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate, and season to taste. Serves 2 or 3. The recipe can be doubled and made in a 13-by-18-inch half-sheet pan.