#john amos

[kemetic-dreams]

[soupy-sez]

COMING TO AMERICA (1988) dir. John Landis

[mimi-0007]

John Amos

[fitsofgloom]

Skill of The Black Tiger Battle Warrior

[deadpresidents]

Favorite West Wing character? Favorite West Wing scene?

It's tough to pick a favorite character from The West Wing because I really liked so many of the main people. I guess if I was forced to choose, it would be Leo McGarry. Josh and Toby aren't too far behind, but John Spencer was always incredible and I loved Leo.

Favorite scene? It's pretty impossible for me to pick anything other than President Bartlet yelling at God and then cursing him in Latin inside the church in "Two Cathedrals". That's such an incredible few minutes that I actually remember where I was when I watched it live. Honorable mention to Leo and Admiral Fitzwallace in the Situation Room in "We Killed Yamamoto". John Amos knocks it out of the park in that scene: "You're talking to me about international laws? The laws of nature don't even apply here! I've been a soldier for thirty-eight years and I've found an enemy I can kill. He can't cancel Sharif's trip, Leo, you've got to tell him he can't cancel it."

[forever70s]

cast of Good Times

[citizenscreen]

Florida and James Evans, Sr. (Esther Rolle and John Amos) in “Good Times”

[loveboatinsanity]

[blackinperiodfilms]

In 1977 Alex Haley's Roots series made Primetime Emmy Awards History. 

[oldshowbiz]

The Funny Side (1971)

[soupy-sez]

Coming to America (1988)

[mimi-0007]

[seraphica]

Morning Tree

16-color hand-printed mokuhanga on hand-made 100% kozo washi, by John Amos. [website]

[keeperofdarkness22]

Due occhi diabolici (1989)

[adamwatchesmovies]

Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990)

“How can the same shit happen to the same guy twice?”

You’re right, John McClane, Die Hard 2 is improbable. When the results are this entertaining, who are we to complain? It’s got the hero we love back in full form, big action set pieces that’ll knock your socks off and a worthy adversary of a villain. It's a sequel that satisfies.

Two years after the incident at the Nakatomi Plaza, LA police officer John McClane (Bruce Willis) is waiting for his wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) to arrive at the airport. As her flight approaches, former U.S. Special Forces Colonel William Stuart (William Sadler) and his men hack into the airport’s traffic control system, take over all communication and hold the flights above hostage. They demand General Ramon Esperanza (Franco Nero), recently arrested and on his way to the United States, be delivered to them - or else.

I often see Die Hard listed as “the best Christmas movie”, which I'm almost certain is a gag answer. It’s not really about the spirit of the holidays; it’s merely set during the season. The same applies to this underrated sequel. McClane is back. This time, he feels less vulnerable than he did before but that’s ok. He’s once again out of his element and forced to use his wits to outgun and outmaneuver opponents who outnumber him about 12-to-1. Like before, his wife is being incidentally held hostage. Throughout the film, you’re always worried the villains will find out and that she’ll be used against our hero. You believe Stuart would sink that low. He’s as ruthless as he is good at the whole bad guy thing. The stakes feel even higher than they did last time. We’re not talking about a couple dozen hostages. It’s entire planes full of innocents who don’t even know they’re in danger.

The situation's intensity is cranked way up because of the villains’ plan. They’re not in the airport itself, but they have to be close. While navigating the corridors of red tape put up by the bewildered and panicked airport security, McClane has a mystery to solve. A mystery with a time limit. For now, the planes are circling above but their fuel won't last forever. The stakes and time limit keep the plot moving from one big action scene to the next. The stunts and special effects dwarf everything we saw previously. That’s the right way to go about it. If you can’t be as smart and tense as Die Hard, double-down on the spectacle. It adds up to the same results.

There’s just the right amount of one-liners and jokes to ease the tension before director Renny Harlin puts you through the wringer again. The side characters - played by Dennis Franz, John Amos, Art Evans - are memorable. Their little arcs add a lot of life to this twisty thriller. Just when you think McClane’s gotten a break, some new obstacle pops up. When he does manage to overcome one, the big set pieces will have you pumping your fists and cheering. You just hate those baddies so much that seeing them get riddled with holes, blown up or otherwise taken down makes it feel like a proper Christmas wish come true.

While you might raise an eyebrow at Die Hard 2 initially, in no time at all, it’ll have you nervously stuffing your face with popcorn, wondering how our hero will make it out of this dire situation alive. Here's an idea. In the same way that you should occasionally swap out Home Alone from your holiday roster with Home Alone 2 to keep things fresh, why not do the same with Die Hard and Die Hard 2? (On Blu-ray, February 7, 2020)

[forever70s]

John Amos