As far as movies go, Die Hard (1988) is regarded as a firm favourite amongst many. The film is filled to the brim with explosive action scenes, great characters, and memorable dialogue. In fact, Die Hard has so many great lines, that barely a scene goes by without one of the characters uttering a killer quote.
Keen to highlight the awesome dialogue in Die Hard, I am presenting a run-through of great quotes from the movie. These are the best lines from the film, which will remind you why Die Hard is a superb picture ideal for a revisit.
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John McClane – “Welcome to the party, pal.”
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John McClane – “You throw quite a party. I didn’t realize they celebrated Christmas in Japan.”
Joseph Takagi – “Hey, we’re flexible. Pearl Harbour didn’t work out so we got you with tape decks.”
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John McClane – “Come out to the coast, we’ll get together, have a few laughs…”
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John McClane – “I’m a cop from New York.”
Hans Gruber – “New York?”
John McClane – “Yeah. I got invited to the Christmas party by mistake. Who knew?”
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Supervisor – “Attention, whoever you are, this channel is reserved for emergency calls only.”
John McClane – “No fucking shit, lady! Does it sound like I’m ordering a pizza?”
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Hans Gruber – (Reading sweatshirt) “Now I have a machine gun. Ho ho ho.”
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Dwayne T. Robinson – “I’ve got a hundred people down here, and they’re covered with glass.”
John McClane – “Glass? Who gives a shit about glass? Who the fuck is this?”
Dwayne T. Robinson – “This is Deputy Chief of Police, Dwayne T. Robinson, and I am in charge of this situation.”
John McClane – “Oh, you’re in charge? Well, I got some bad news for you Dwayne, from up here it doesn’t look like you’re in charge of jack shit.”
Dwayne T. Robinson – “You listen to me, you little asshole, I’m…”
John McClane – “Asshole? I’m not the one who just got butt-fucked on national TV, Dwayne. Now, you listen to me, jerk-off, if you’re not a part of the solution, you’re a part of the problem. Quit being a part of the fucking problem and put the other guy back on!”
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Joseph Takagi – “You want money? What kind of terrorists are you?”
Hans Gruber – “Who said we were terrorists?”
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Harry Ellis – “Hey babe, I negotiate million dollar deals for breakfast. I think I can handle this Eurotrash.”
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Theo – “All right, listen up guys. ‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except… the four assholes coming in the rear in standard two-by-two cover formation.”
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Sergeant Al Powell – “In fact, I think he’s a cop. Maybe not LAPD, but he’s definitely a badge.”
Dwayne T. Robinson – “How do you know that?”
Sergeant Al Powell – “A hunch, things he said. Like being able to spot a phony ID.”
Dwayne T. Robinson – “Jesus Christ, Powell, he could be a fucking bartender for all we know.”
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Hans Gruber – “The following people are to be released from their captors: In Northern Ireland, the seven members of the New Provo Front. In Canada, the five imprisoned leaders of Liberte de Quebec. In Sri Lanka, the nine members of the Asian Dawn movement…”
John McClane – “What the fuck?”
Karl – “Asian Dawn?”
Hans Gruber – “I read about them in Time magazine.”
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John McClane – “Who’s driving this car, Stevie Wonder?”
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John McClane – “Is the building on fire?”
Sergeant Al Powell – “No, but it’s gonna need a paint job and a shit load of screen doors.”
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Hans Gruber – “This time John Wayne does not walk off into the sunset with Grace Kelly.”
John McClane – “That was Gary Cooper, asshole.”
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Harry Ellis – “Hey, what am I, a method actor? Hans, babe, put away the gun, this is radio, not television.”
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Holly Gennero McClane – “After all your posturing, all your little speeches, you’re nothing but a common thief.”
Hans Gruber – “I am an exceptional thief, Mrs. McClane. And since I’m moving up to kidnapping, you should be more polite.”
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Dwayne T. Robinson – “We don’t know shit, Powell. If there’s hostages, how come nobody’s come to us with ransom demands, huh? If there’s terrorists in there, where’s their list of demands? All we know is that somebody shot your car up. It’s probably the same silly son of a bitch you’ve been talking to on that radio.”
Sergeant Al Powell – “Excuse me, sir! But what about the body that fell out the window?”
Dwayne T. Robinson – “Well, who knows? Probably some stockbroker got depressed.”
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And finally…
Hans Gruber – “Mr. Mystery Guest? Are you still there?”
John McClane – “Yeah, I’m still here. Unless you wanna open the front door for me.”
Hans Gruber – “Uh, no, I’m afraid not. But, you have me at a loss. You know my name but who are you? Just another American who saw too many movies as a child? Another orphan of a bankrupt culture who thinks he’s John Wayne? Rambo? Marshal Dillon?”
John McClane – “Was always kinda partial to Roy Rogers actually. I really like those sequined shirts.”
Hans Gruber – “Do you really think you have a chance against us, Mr. Cowboy?”
John McClane – “Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker.”
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If you’re a fan of the Die Hard movie series (and who isn’t?), then you may wish to know that the book that inspired the original movie is currently available in paperback.
The novel, Nothing Lasts Forever, by Roderick Thorp provided the basis for Die Hard and therefore helped kick-start one of the best-loved action movie franchises. The 245-page book is available in paperback, as well as on Kindle.
Nothing Lasts Forever is available from all good book stockists, including Amazon UK and Amazon US.
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I hope these quotes have given you a shot of nostalgia. If you’ve not watched Die Hard in a while, now is the perfect time to give it a re-watch.
And for more more treats, be sure to take a look at the recommended reads below. Here you will find further movie-related content to make your day sparkle.
Read more:
- Explaining the ‘four gallon’ puzzle in Die Hard with a Vengeance
- Is Lethal Weapon a Christmas movie?
- 60 Christmas movies to watch this holiday season
Disclaimer: I earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.
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