"Die Hard" for Diehards (Get It?), Part II Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Twice in the film, Sergeant Al Powell (Reginald VelJohnson) sings a Christmas-related song to himself. What's the song?

Answer: Let It Snow

Al seems to forget the lyrics at one point, as he is leaving the Nakatomi building in the mistaken belief that all is well there. Instead of "But the fire inside's delightful," he sings "dum-da-dum, delightful." Seconds later, McClane drops the dead body of a terrorist he has killed onto the hood of Al's patrol car!

At the very end of the film, we get to hear the more familiar Vaughn Monroe version of this song.

2. When John McClane (Bruce Willis) and Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) have their first conversation via walkie-talkie, Gruber surmises that McClane is nothing more than an annoying American who is following in the footsteps of pathetic movie idols. Which actor or character does Hans NOT reference during this particular tirade?

Answer: Arnold Schwarzenegger

John Wayne portrayed numerous "macho" heroes in films. Rambo and Dillon were characters known for their heroism and bravado. Schwarzenegger was never mentioned, even though "Die Hard" was originally envisioned as a sequel to the Schwarzenegger film "Commando"!

3. As I mentioned in my first "Die Hard" quiz, John McClane is called by at least five names in this film. By what name does Al Powell call him, before he learns John's actual name?

Answer: Roy

John tells Hans Gruber that he's always been partial to Roy Rogers, the famed movie cowboy. Hans therefore calls John "Cowboy," but John specifically asks Al to call him "Roy," which he does, right up until McClane's real name is leaked to the press, and subsequently, the police.

4. Deputy Police Chief Dwayne T. Robinson (Paul Gleason), perhaps the most annoying character in the film, initially refuses to believe that the man communicating with Al Powell is in fact a police officer. A little Hollywood in-joke makes its way into Robinson's dialogue as he berates Powell for believing anything the voice on the other end of the walkie-talkie has to say. Fill in the missing word. "Oh, come on, Powell -- the guy could be a __________________, for all we know!"

Answer: bartender

Before he became an actor, Bruce Willis made his living as a bartender in New York City. On his first album (yes, there was more than one, believe it or not), Willis performed a song called "Comin' Right Up" that referenced his experiences as a bartender.

5. When Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) finally deigns to communicate with the Los Angeles Police Department, he plays the role of "terrorist" to a tee, and demands the release of several groups of political prisoners from all over the world. Which is NOT one of the places he mentions in this list?

Answer: Iraq

The "terrorist" language is completely fabricated. Hans is only interested in theft, and doesn't actually know much about the very political prisoners he tells the LAPD he wants released. He even admits to his henchman Karl that he only knows about the prisoners in Sri Lanka because he read about them in "Time" magazine.

6. In one of my favorite scenes in the film, Hans comes face to face with McClane in some kind of industrial area just beneath the roof of the Nakatomi building. Hans tries to trick McClane into thinking that he is an American, and an employee of Nakatomi. What name does he assume during this charade?

Answer: Bill Clay

McClane asks Hans what his name is, and Hans says, "Clay. Bill Clay." McClane looks up at a directory of Nakatomi employees conveniently mounted on the wall behind Hans and sees the name "Wm. Clay". This has always bothered me for two reasons.

1) Why in the world would there be a formal, framed directory in such an unlikely place in the building? That kind of directory is typically found in the lobby, not in an industrial area littered with hissing AC units and roof access, where only maintenance staff would ever go.

2) Hans was never shown looking at the directory, so how did he know to use the name "Bill Clay"? Did he somehow plan in advance for the eventuality that he'd need to assume the identity of a Nakatomi employee? If so, why were we never shown that?

Another in-joke here: McClane, once Hans reveals who he really is, expresses admiration for Hans' ability to mimic an American accent. In real life, the only reason this scene was written into the movie is that director John McTiernan learned, during filming, that Alan Rickman was gifted at mimicking an American accent!

7. At one point, when McClane seems to think that he may not survive, he asks Al Powell to deliver a message to his wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) if he is killed. What is the basic import of the message?

Answer: "I'm sorry."

McClane: "She's heard me say 'I love you' a thousand times, but she's never heard me say 'I'm sorry'." Al assures McClane that he won't have to deliver that message, since he's certain that McClane will make it through this night alive. He's right, but McClane never does say "I'm sorry" to Holly on screen.

8. Al Powell describes himself as a "desk jockey", meaning that he is not a street cop. Why is he not on the street?

Answer: He shot and killed a child.

McClane does ask Powell if he has flat feet, or if he ran over his captain's foot... but the truth of the matter is that Al once shot a child who was brandishing a toy gun, and as a result, he opted to perform administrative duties. (If this is the case, though, why is he still driving a patrol car, and how did he get elected to investigate the complaint at the Nakatomi building?)

9. Who is directly responsible for revealing to Hans Gruber that the man causing him so much trouble is in fact the husband of his hostage, Holly Gennero?

Answer: Dick Thornberg

Television reporter Dick Thornberg (William Atherton) learns that hostage Holly Gennero has a husband who is an NYPD detective, guesses correctly that said husband is the "poison pill" (to quote Ellis) foiling the plans of Gruber, and takes it upon himself to interview the McClane children on live TV, a broadcast that Hans watches.

Thornberg asks the kids if they want to say anything to their parents, and when Hans notices the look on Holly's face, he realizes that "parents" imples two people, and looks at the framed picture behind Holly's desk that she strategically turned face-down earlier in the film. Hans of course recognizes McClane from their encounter near the roof, and knows that he has a new advantage to exploit. It's a chilling moment!

10. Once the FBI shows up, things get even more dangerous for everyone involved. The two agents on the scene seem to be content with the prospect of losing some of the hostages in a planned rescue operation that will also serve as an assault on the terrorists. What percentage of dead hostages do the two agents consider acceptable?

Answer: 20 - 25%

Agent Johnson (Grand L. Bush) and Special Agent Johnson (Robert Davi) estimate that their plan to use attack choppers instead of the unarmed helicopters requested by Gruber will result in a loss of 20 - 25% of the hostages. "I can live with that," Special Agent Johnson says. Both FBI agents wind up dead, of course.

11. Karl (Alexander Godunov) spends a great deal of screen time seething over the death of his brother, and wanting revenge on McClane, the man who killed him. How does McClane eventually kill Karl?

Answer: None of these

McClane thinks he's killed Karl by hanging him with a length of chain, but Karl somehow survives this ordeal, and threatens to open fire on McClane and Holly as the hostages are exiting the Nakatomi building at the end of the film. Al Powell draws his revolver and shoots Karl dead. McClane had nothing whatsoever to do with his death.

12. At the climax of the film, McClane checks his supply of ammunition before making his presence known to Hans and his henchman. How many bullets does he have left?

Answer: two

McClane has exactly two bullets left, and he eventually uses them both expertly, putting one in the henchman's forehead, and the other in Hans Gruber's chest.

(Hey, I can't be the only one who thinks that Gruber's henchman looks like Huey Lewis on steroids, right?)

13. Near the end of the film, it's revealed that Hans Gruber is not a terrorist with political demands at all -- he's merely a thief. How much money does he stand to gain from the complex heist he has been orchestrating throughout the film?

Answer: 640 million dollars

The bearer bonds stolen from the vault at Nakatomi will net Hans 640 million dollars. He reveals this fact to McClane at the climax of the film. Holly calls him a common thief, but Hans corrects her, stating that he is an exceptional thief.

14. John McClane kills or incapacitates all twelve terrorists, including Hans Gruber, himself.

Answer: False

Al Powell kills Karl at the end of the film, and limo driver Argyle (De'voreaux White) knocks Theo (Clarence Gilyard, Jr.) unconscious in the garage of the Nakatomi building. McClane takes out 10 of the 12 all by himself, though. Kudos!

15. Who speaks the last line in the film?

Answer: Argyle

Argyle says, "If this is their idea of Christmas, I gotta be here for New Year's!"

Hope you enjoyed the quiz.

Source: Author enfranklopedia

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor linkan before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

My second quiz about the 1988 film directed by John McTiernan that made Bruce Willis a major league movie star...for better or worse. "Take this under advisement, jerkweed!"

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