Die Hard 'til Midnight

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Overall rating
 
9.8
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.7(9)
Audio Editing
 
9.9(9)
Visual Editing
 
9.9(9)
Narrative
 
9.9(9)
Enjoyment
 
9.8(9)
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(Updated: March 26, 2018)
Overall rating
 
9.6
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
9.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
10.0
Enjoyment
 
9.0
I initially saw this during the Christmas period, a short while before the edit was "officially" released. It was great fun to watch it then during "prime" season, but although I'm one of those who consider Die Hard to be a classic Christmas movie, to me it's also a film that can be enjoyed all the year round.

The premise is quite simple, and in a lot of ways doesn't involve any huge changes to the film; but then again, I believe that was the editor's intention. As I believe Sinbad has stated, Diehard is one of his favourite films, and his main goal was simply to put a different spin on things and not make any drastic changes to the narrative. I believe he has succeeded in this. It still very much feels like the Die Hard you know, only with a more real-time feel. The side-by-side scenes flow wonderfully well, successfully creating a pacing more akin to the 24 TV series. I believe the editor struck the balance just right, putting in enough of these changes to create a different experience, but not so many that the new transitions come across as intrusive. The classic 24 ticking clock is also masterfully and sparingly used, adding an extra element of expectation and anticipation during key moments in the film.

Quality was top-notch, my only qualms being with things that are inherent in the source blu-ray, and therefore no fault of the editors.

Visual editing was flawless, as far as I could tell. Although the premise is simple, I imagine that getting it to work in practice was pretty challenging at times. Titles and added "24" style fonts also blended well.

Audio is nearly as excellent, especially considering what the editor has needed to achieve. The balance between audio on the scenes running side-by-side is a hard thing to perfect, and for the most part is spot on. There are times where audio from one scene can overpower another slightly, but I believe the editor has done the best he can to refine this. Action scenes are sooooo much louder than the rest of the film, but this, once again is a problem inherent in the source material. However, I believe that if the editor wanted to spend more time on it, he could probably make the decibel leap between scenes a little less shell shocking.

The narrative is fine in the original film, and remains unhindered in this version. Scenes run side-by-side, but the editor has wisely picked moments in the film where it is not vital for the viewer to be paying attention to both simultaneously.

Enjoyment is down a point, but it's chiefly subjective. I can't say that I LOVE Die Hard, but I do think it's a good film. For me, the original is 8/10, and I've added an extra point because I really enjoyed what the new "24" spin added. The only thing remaining being that I felt that the film could do with a tiny bit more streamlining. 12 minutes have already been removed, almost purely due to the nature of the edit (many of the scenes now running side by side), but despite there being a more "accelerated" and "real-time" feel, the film still doesn't feel quite as tight to me as it could be. If I would change anything, I would literally just do a handful of minor trims here and there, because for me there are sections of the movie that drag ever so slightly. Then again... I may have just forgotten to take my "B+" hat off ;)

In conclusion, a great edit of a good film. Unique, refreshing and clearly done with a high respect for the source material. It's great to finally see it on IFDB, and I hope to see it garner more attention once we hit December.
T
Top 50 Reviewer 103 reviews
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Overall rating
 
9.6
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
10.0
Enjoyment
 
9.0
Sinbad delivers on his promise! More suspense and more urgency, without over-using the split-screen or the clock. They're not gimmicks, they really enhance the experience. The film even could have had a few more split-screens in the final act. For added drama and to speed up moments that feel long-winded for a 2018 audience.

Video transitions are outstanding. The sparsely inserted clock and variety of split-screen enhances the viewing experience. On a projection screen the 720p resolution is soft but consistent.

As noted by Scribbler, the source audio has overly loud effects compared to the dialog. The edit does not mitigate that so I adjusted the volume frequently. The audio transitions work impressively well during split-screen.

Could the film improve even more? For my taste: yes. But this is already a compelling improvement on the original. For everyone who saw this in the '80s, watch this and enjoy an improved blast from the past. For everyone else, watch this edit and enjoy while marveling at the hairdos and sweaters of the' 80s.
Owner's reply January 01, 2019

Thank you for the very positive review Lapis! Agree on the softness of this 720p version, the original source isn't the best in terms of its HD upgrade but a little extra detail is lost in cropping the movie to 16:9 to facilitate the splitscreen. Agree too I would have liked to have added a little more split screen in the climax it had to be done quite surgically to avoid the action on screen becoming hard to follow or sometimes the audio created a big barrier or simply the locations of certain actors. All very valid points though sir! It was a fun experiment and theres a few other movies I think could fit the format well such as 'Speed' I'd love to see a similar edit from a fellow faneditor of that. Many thanks for taking the time to review.

L
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Overall rating
 
10.0
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
10.0
Enjoyment
 
10.0
I haven't seen 24 and I'm not someone who thinks Die Hard is the action to end all action films, but this is a very well done edit by Sinbad. Split screen is a hard thing to get right and it works here, adding suspense and moving the film along at a faster pace. Would definitely recommend.

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
Digital
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 2 0
Overall rating
 
9.8
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
10.0
Enjoyment
 
10.0
I remember many years ago when it was rumored that one of the initial ideas for A Good Day to Die Hard was a crossover with 24. After watching this, I kind of wish that actually did happen because the style of editing 24 goes for, what with the split-screen and real-time, works shockingly brilliantly with this film, adding to the urgency, suspense, and excitement of the scenarios and action, and miraculously without coming off as a pointless, cheap gimmick. This is great stuff.

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched?
Digital
Owner's reply May 01, 2019

Thankyou for the great review!

I'm really glad you liked it, I actually only became aware there was talk of a 24/Die Hard crossover after making the edit, I guess my instincts were right lol

Thanks Again
Sinbad

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Overall rating
 
9.6
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
9.0
Narrative
 
9.0
Enjoyment
 
10.0
Sinbad brings the style and pacing of 24 to the Die Hard franchise. Some skifull editing ensures we see this blockbuster action set-piece tackled from various different angles, with the clocks adding a sense of urgency. A slice of real time and real fun to be had.
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