Now, inevitably, someone is going to be reading this and will be confused as to why Die Hard is considered by some to be a Christmas movie. The reason comes from the plot film itself. Released on July 12, 1988 -- firmly a summertime blockbuster release date -- Die Hard follows NYPD detective John McClane as he arrives in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve with the intent of reconciling with his estranged wife, Holly, at her office Christmas party. It doesn't exactly work out that way. McClane, played by Bruce Willis, ends up spending Christmas eve battling terrorists in an LA skyscraper.