Die Hard makers celebrate film's 30th anniversary in style

A special screening of John McTiernan's action thriller Die Hard on its 30^th anniversary was organised in the shadow of the film's famous 'Nakatomi Tower'. 20th Century Fox celebrated the film's special milestone on July 28 with an outdoor screening at the foot of Fox Plaza in Century City, which stood in for the famed fictional tower. Hundreds gathered on the roof of an adjacent parking garage at dusk as the gleaming structure provided a picturesque backdrop. Many fans were spotted wearing T-shirts emblazoned with a few of the film's unforgettable lines.

"It was kind of the star of the film," said Bonnie Bedelia, one of the film's actors. 

Reginald VelJohnson, who was also present at the screening, said, "They always come up to you and tell you about their favourite thing in the film, and I'll have to think a minute to remember what they're talking about! But I watch it and I see things I didn't even know were there before. It's the kind of film that always surprises you when you watch it."

Recalling how she was cast in the film, Bedelia said, "I was not looking to do an action movie. I said, 'That's not me. That's Sharon Stone or something. I'm just a gal.' They didn't want a glamour puss. They wanted someone who was pretty and could look like a leading lady, but had gravitas and you could believe was at a high level at a corporation, and yet could also look like she'd be married to a cop in New York. They were having a hard time casting it."

Penned by Steven E de Souza and Jeb Stuart, the film was released in 1988. It cost $28 million to make, but reaped $140 million internationally, setting the template for a number of blockbusters that have since followed.