Check Out A Video From Mondo Mystery Movie Event ‘Die Hard;’ Plus New Gallery Announcement
“Please take off your shoes at the front door.“Was this a Japanese restaurant or a film screening? A sign with that request was on the door at the Crest Theater in Los Angeles Saturday night asMondohost theireleventh Mystery Movie. The reason for shoe removal would become obvious seconds later as patrons entered the theater to see “glass” all over the floor. Yup, we were about to watch a 35mm print ofJohn McTiernan’s classic 1988 action filmDie Hardand the glass on the floor was just one of the many surprises the Mondo team had in store, in addition to the poster.
Below, read more more and watch a video from the event. Plus, Mondo announces their latest gallery show,the first solo show ofLaurent Durieux, featuring posters forThe Birds, Forbidden PlanetandBack to the Future.
Here’s a video made from the event.
Mondo Mystery Movie 11: DIE HARDfromMondoonVimeo.
The festivities began hours before the 7 p.m. screening as a limo, with a large teddy bear in the back seat, pulled up to the Crest Theater and brought fans who’d lined up early on a little trip. Complete with fully stocked bar, the limo drove from Westwood to Century City, by the building most people call Nakatomi Plaza. It’s actually called Fox Plaza, the company who just so happened to release the film in 1988, but it still looks just like it did 25 years ago.
When the doors opened a few hours later, all attendees were forced to take off their shoes and tiptoe down aisles filled with shards of glass. It was not real glass, of course. The substance was a hard rubber that looks and breaks like glass, but is actually safe. After many photos taken and concessions consumed, everyone took their seats and patiently waited for the festivities to begin.
For most Mondo Mystery Movies, there aren’t as many super obvious clues to what the film is. If you readour previous reportof the six that happened in Los Angeles a few years back, attendees literally didn’t know what the film was until seconds before. Since everyone had guess this wasDie Hard, Mondo had to provide some extra surprises. The biggest was Sgt. Al Powell himself,Reginald VelJohnson, in attendance to introduce the movie. (See a video of him at the event here.) They then screened a pristine 35mm print ofDie Hard.
After the film, the big moment finally happened. The reveal of the poster everyone had paid for sight unseen.
That’s the regular and variant versions ofDie Hardby Belgian artistLaurent Durieux, taking the film’s action and holiday connotations and summing them up in a striking, detailed image. It’s a beautiful piece that was also created in a silver variant (right), metal ultra variant, and one of a kind glass variant, which was given to the lucky attendee who had Hans Gruber’s detonators under their seat, another fun surprise.
The show then ended with the announcement that Durieux would be having his first U.S. solo show this February in Austin at the Mondo Gallery and here are a few images from that.
It’ll take place July 15, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. and run through March 1. In addition toThe BirdsandForbidden Planet, the press release promisesBack To The Future!!!!
Mondo once again stepped up their game for the eleventh mystery movie. It was a fun, exciting event that ran as smoothly as Hans Gruber’s plan without John McClain. I for one am dying for the next one.
