Movie-of-the-Day # 288 - Home Alone

[Dback Jon]

A little Christmas time movie.....love Catherine O'hara!

Now and forever a favorite among kids, this 1990 comedy written by John Hughes (The Breakfast Club) and directed by Chris Columbus (Mrs. Doubtfire) ushered Macaulay Culkin onto the screen as a troubled 8-year-old who doesn't comfortably mesh with his large family. He's forced to grow a little after being accidentally left behind when his folks and siblings fly off to Paris. A good-looking boy, Culkin lights up the screen during several funny sequences, the most famous of which finds him screaming for joy when he realizes he's unsupervised in his own house. A bit wooden with dialogue, the then-little star's voice could grate on the nerves (especially in long, wise-child passages of pure bromide), but he unquestionably carries the film. Billie Bird and John Candy show up as two of the interesting strangers Culkin's character meets. Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern are entertainingly cartoonish as thieves, but the ensuing violence once the little hero decides to keep them out of his house is over-the-top. --Tom Keogh

 

[Dback Jon]

Trivia for
Home Alone (1990)
The concept for this movie originated during the filming of a scene in Uncle Buck (1989) in which Macaulay Culkin plays a character who interrogates a would-be-babysitter through a letterbox.


The movie that Kevin watches on video tape is not a real film, but footage especially created. It was called "Angels With Filthy Souls."


The role of Uncle Frank was written for Kelsey Grammer.


Joe Pesci's character, Harry Lime, is named after Orson Welles's character from the film The Third Man (1949).


Jeffrey Wiseman who plays the inquisitive neighbor, Mitch Murphy, auditioned for the role of Kevin MacAllister.


Entered into The Guinness Book of World Records as the "Highest Box Office Gross - Comedy", accumulating $533,000,000 internationally.


The posters and DVD cases for the movie had Culkin with his hands on his face and screaming, based on the famous painting "The Scream"by Edvard Munch.


The issue of Playboy that Kevin finds in Buzz's room is from July 1989.


Joe Pesci kept forgetting that he was filming a "family" movie during his characters on-screen outbursts so director Chris Columbus advised him to say "fridge" instead of the "F-word".

 

[Bada0Bing]

This movie never gets old. I end up watching it every year around this time. I haven't seen 2-4 though.

 

[thirty-two]

I hadn't seen this movie in YEARS until this past Thanksgiving.

I forgot just how much this movie rocks.

Great choice!

 

[Bert]

Watched this with the kids over Christmas weekend.

So good, just a fun, funny movie from my childhood that I get to share with my kids. GOod times!

That being said,,,, I swear, the only thing that ever annoyed me about this movie still does. I can handle the leaving without Kevin, the shenanigans, the robbers, the booby traps, the comical villains. It's all just good fun! So many funny scenes.

But I swear to God, everytime that freaking cop goes to the house to find their missing child and does NOTHING but ring the doorbell, waits 10 seconds and then goes; "MEH! The doors are locked, tell em to count their kids again!" and the woman on the radio is like 10-4! Case CLOSED! And Dude Just LEAVES. lol

lol It just kills me. Most incompetent police EVER!

 

[Covert Rain]

Watched this but somehow have not gotten to Home Alone 2 which my family also loves.

 

[Bada0Bing]

Watched this but somehow have not gotten to Home Alone 2 which my family also loves.

Just watched it again. I haven't see the sequels either. My kids had 2-4 on DVD, but they looked pretty awful.

 

[StreetTruckinTitan]

When my children were growing up this movie would be fun to watch just to see & hear them laugh. Now after the kids are grown and out of the house I just find this movie irritating. There is a reason why they left this kid home alone more than once.

 

[Shaggy]

Just watched it again. I haven't see the sequels either. My kids had 2-4 on DVD, but they looked pretty awful.

You're missing out. 2 isn't as good as one but still funny.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Do you guys remember how much of a phenomenon this movie was when it came out?

I remember going to see it when I was 16 on a Saturday night with a bunch of friends. And the theater was packed with people of all ages, mostly adult and was ROLLING the entire time.

It made 285 million bucks back in the day. That’s over 600 million dollars adjusted for inflation today. That’s INSANE.

 

[Covert Rain]

Do you guys remember how much of a phenomenon this movie was when it came out?

I remember going to see it when I was 16 on a Saturday night with a bunch of friends. And the theater was packed with people of all ages, mostly adult and was ROLLING the entire time.

It made 285 million bucks back in the day. That’s over 600 million dollars adjusted for inflation today. That’s INSANE.

One of my favorite Christmas movies. I know people who went to this movie multiple times. Many people including my wife had no idea it was a John Hughes movie until years and years later.

Anything after part 2 is not even a real Home Alone movie. Comparing the garbage that followed part 2 is a disservice to the first two films.

 

[Chaplin]

This is one of two movies I watch every year at Christmas.

 

[Bert]

1990... I was 10 years old. This was the coolest, funniest, best, most amazing movie I had ever seen! (at that time) lol

Ahh to be that kid again, completely oblivious to the thunderous "CHOO CHOO" of the absurdity train.

This was my favorite movie for atleast 2 years. Watched it a hundred times atleast and thus, especially around the holidays,,, it will always have a special place in my heart.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[crisper57]

Christmas Even 1990, I knew nothing about this movie, other than the poster of the kid with his hands over his face. Don't remember a single trailer or commercial. My dad took me and my brother to see it so mom could do some last-minute gift wrapping in peace. I love this movie!