Production Photo from Yippee Ki-Yay Merry Christmas! A DIE HARD Musical Parody — Production Photo from *Yippee Ki-Yay Merry Christmas! A DIE HARD Musical Parody*

We at Yippee Productions LLC are firm believers that Die Hard is a Christmas movie. In fact we believe Die Hard is one of the best Christmas movies to watch…albeit after the kids go to sleep. And we think if you look closely, screenwriter Jeb Stuart and director John McTiernan packed the film full of clues to prove it.

Here’s our list of 12 reasons why Die Hard is the best Christmas movie ever.

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Subscribe to the official Yippee YouTube page to watch the professionally filmed full length stage production of Yippee Ki-Yay Merry Christmas! A DIE HARD Musical Parody premiere on YouTube Dec. 17 at 7pm CST.

1) It takes place on Christmas Eve

It’s Christmas Eve at Nakatomi Plaza in downtown Los Angeles. Grizzled blue-color New York cop John McClane has traveled all the way from NYC to rekindle his marriage with his wife, successful business executive, Holly Generic. John meets Holly at her office during the Nakatomi Christmas party. Honestly, this is really all you need to be a Christmas movie, but like the elevator shafts in the building, things get deeper.

2) Gifts are exchanged

John arrives at the party with a teddy bear as a Christmas present for the kids. TBH not the best gift ever, but come on, he’s on a cop’s salary, and at least he remembered something! Holly also gets a gift at the beginning of the film, a Rolex, from her coworker Ellis to celebrate their corporate success that year. Is there anything that better represents the 80s white collar “greed is good” mantra than a Rolex?

3) Speaking of Holly, her name, Holly

Holly was a plant used to celebrate the Winter Solstice and celebrate new growth in Europe. According to WhyChristmas when Christianity arrived holly took on a new meaning with the prickly leaves representing the crown of thorns Jesus wore and the red berries the drops of blood. Broken glass…bloody feet…maybe a stretch, but debatable.

4) Who doesn’t have an Argyle Christmas sweater?

Isn’t it ironic (as Alanis Morissette might say) that the most fly character in Die Hard is named after grandpa socks? We think not. Again, we think the name Argyle is a nod to the classic red and green argyle Christmas sweater. What’s more Christmas than a tacky sweater?

5) Hans is an allude to Hans Christian Anderson

The late Alan Rickman famously stated, “I don’t play villains, I play? Very interesting people.” His iconic character Hans Gruber is no exception. Easily one of the best action movie antagonists ever, the name Hans harkens to the great author Hans Christian Anderson whose works included “The Snow Queen,” “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” and the Christmasy “The Fir-Tree.”

6) The 12 Terrorists of Christmas

Speaking of Hans, what about his international team of terrorists? That’s right, excluding Hans, there are 12 thieves who attempt to steal the 640 million in negotiable bearer bonds. 12 Days of Christmas = 12 Terrorists of Christmas.

7) All those air ducts

Back to our hero who just wanted to come to the coast and have a few laughs, but ended up learning what a TV dinner feels like. Another man who knows a lot about squirming through tight spaces…Santa.

8) Now I have a machine gun. Ho Ho Ho

And who could forget Tony, our German henchman with the shortest hair? McClane was so concerned about Tony getting chilled that he gave him his own little Santa hat for his ears and a festive new Christmas sweater.

9) HANS! I’ve got a present for you

A Santa hat wasn’t the only Christmas swag in McClane’s bag, he also had a lovely roll of Christmas tape. Uses include: wrapping packages to sends Christmas gifts to loved ones and securing Beretta 92Fs to one’s own back. How you tape it there yourself is one of those Christmas miracles.

10) All the heartfelt Christmas tunes

The Die Hard IMDb page lists 4 official Christmas songs on the movie’s soundtrack including: “Winter Wonderland,” “Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!” “Jingle Bells,” and easily the best of the lot “Christmas in Hollis” by Run D.M.C. Note: If you don’t have “Christmas in Hollis” on your holiday playlist, it must be added.

11) The true meaning of Christmas: ditch the Rolex

Remember that Rolex Ellis gives Holly at the beginning of the film? Here’s why it’s important. As Hans dangles out the window of the 30th floor of the Nakatomi building he’s got a death grip on Holly’s wrist supported only by her shiny new Rolex. The Rolex that represents the split between their white collar v. blue collar lives and ultimately their marriage. She and John are saved from Hans’ bullets when John undoes the clasp of the watch sending Hans to his doom. Christmas isn’t about gifts, it’s about reconnecting and spending time with family. (This is essentially what It’s A Wonderful Life is about too.)

12) Yippee Ki-Yay, Merry Christmas!

We love Die Hard so much that we wrote a parody musical to honor it. For the past 7 years we’ve gathered with audiences to celebrate our little holiday tradition. This year we’re thrilled to invite you to join us virtually and stream out little musical free on YouTube starting Dec. 17. All we ask is that you subscribe to our YouTube channel. If that ain’t Christmas, I don’t know what is.

See you at Nakatomi. Yippee ki-yay!

DISCLAIMER: Yippee Ki-Yay Merry Christmas is an unauthorized musical parody and is in no way affiliated with the feature film DIE HARD nor Twentieth Century Fox, Gordon Company, Silver Pictures, nor any of its distributors. Visit our Disclaimer for additional information.