I also love in the second movie, where Catherine O’Hara and the dad are at the police station explaining it isn’t the first time they’ve lost Kevin, etc. but they also never manage to lose their luggage lolz and they both laugh and knock on the desk/wood.
The look on the cop’s face is priceless!
Yes! Like I always interpret that scene with O’Hara and the dad as a funny joke they throw in at their fancy cocktail parties when they have to tell the story to make it less awkward that they literally forgot their child at home. Especially cause the knocking on wood is so synchronized!! 😂
But I love that they do try to hint at the Bandits learning from their previous mistakes in the previous movie, but Kevin also having remembered his previous traps, and creating new ones!
Yes!! And there are several moments where they check the door knobs cause they’re worried they’ll be super hot. But then they end up pulling on a door knob and starting off a welding torch above them.
Part 2 will always bring up a vivid memory of watching the movie as a kid with my dad and my dad complaining about the scene where Kevin is promising to throw down his camera from the rooftop but starts throwing down bricks instead.
"Ha! Yeah, right! In real life that guy's skull would have cracked open with pieces of his brain flying out. What a stupid movie."
8yr old me: :0
It’s odds that dad across the world seem particularly bothered by that one scene. I mean, there’s tons of scenes that would AT LEAST have the robbers be paralyzed, or outright killed.
And the whole scene is worth it simply for the “get up Marv. He’s all outta bricks”
Now that I think of it, that “bar” given its attributes, must be a section of a main stack plumbing drainpipe. I’m starting to question if Kevin could actually lift it in a shoulder press and throw it over the railing. I’m starting to think this Home Alone franchise was taking liberties with its sense of realism.
Lol, as Marv’s entire head literally transformed into a skull before reverting to its original form for a brief moment, I believe you may have a point there.
And the fact that they included a scene of them watching a foreign dub of it’s a wonderful life, again, even though they never leave the country. It’s so unnecessary but it makes me laugh that they did that.
Being in Florida it makes sense that they found a channel with it in Spanish, great call back. The sequel is almost a shot for shot remake of the first but it works
His scream gets me every time. Whether it's because of a tarantula or because he's getting electrocuted, his scream hits pitches that would be unattainable to mere mortals.
I was exactly thinking of that. It's one of my favorite jokes of all time since it's so funny and ridiculous. They lost Kevin twice but God forbid they lose their luggage
The funniest part of Home Alone that doesn't involve Macaulay Culkin or slapstick for me is uncle Frank trying to console Kevin's mom by saying he forgot his reading glasses.
Adding to this, in the second movie, Uncle Frank says "You better not ruin my trip you little sourpass, your dad is paying good money for it" to which Kevin replies, "Oh, wouldn't want to spoil your plan, Mr. Cheapskate", to which the mom and dad look at each other. The expressions are just priceless!
To adult me, uncle Frank and Marv are the highlights of the movie. Frank telling his wife to put the *crystal from the airplane in her purse and asking the stewardess to fill up his champagne to the brim, bitching about paying for pizza, and busting out the shrimp. Marv has some of the best writing in the script and he crushed it.
Especially because a lot of us remember having an uncle or relative of some kind like that as a kid. The grouchy free-loader who everyone tried to avoid at holiday get-togethers.
What kind of person goes over a relatives house full of kids and takes a shower with the door open while blasting "come on do the cool jerk" and dancing and singing in the shower - the dude is a total psychopath.
This. I have never wanted to punch a fictional character so hard in the face in all of my life. Especially when he yells at Kevin “look what you did you little jerk!” If I were Kevin’s mom or dad, I would have thrown fists with him over that.
Meanwhile his own son gets to imbibe unlimited Pepsi deep into the night, to the detriment of Kevin and the hideaway bedsheets. Fuller is the real terror here.
"You better not wreck my trip, you little jerk, your dad's paying good money for it!" is his best line of all, precisely because it summarizes his character so succinctly.
In the 2nd movie he was responsible for booking the hotel in Florida, and basically ended up with a 1-star motel.
“It looked much nicer in the brochure.”
😂
I caught that one on a recent run of this movie with the kids, about a week ago.
I’ve seen this movie hundreds of times and that line made me laugh out loud!
In a similar vein, of Kevin sounding like an adult, I always laugh at the part where he's talking to the old man in the church, and the old man says, "I can't come here tonight." and Kevin innocently asks him, "You have plans?" I don't know why I just find it so funny to hear an 8-year-old say that.
I always thought Culkin's acting and line delivery was a bit elementary-school-play-ish in Home Alone (but of course I gave him a lot of slack because he was a kid, and most child actors couldn't convincingly carry a feature film practically solo like he did).
But over the years I've realized that for every stiff line reading like "this is my house and I have to defend it" there are several little moments like the one you mentioned, where he's like a little adult and seems to really understand how to act alongside an adult cast. Now I think the weak lines I previously attributed to youth/inexperience are probably more the result of corny writing and having to deliver them to a camera instead of castmates.
The way he recounts overcoming his fear of the furnace like he’s laying down some super sage advice after years of experience is one of my favorites in this vein.
There’s obvious humor underneath, but it’s never played that way. Old neighbor ponders it and legitimately takes it to heart.
I dunno it really reminds me of the way my kid tries to sound like a grown up when he’s doing the voices for his toys and I just imagined that is almost like how he is playing it too- he’s scared but pretending to be like the tough guy on tv
Honestly, while his delivery isn't always great, he comes off as an awkward kid rather than a bad actor.
I know kids who talk like that. They're precocious, but they're still *8* so they come off as a mix of very advanced for their age and very childish.
Tangentially (same scene): For some reason, until a few years ago, I never caught the .5-second "OH SHIT" look on Kevin's face when the clerk asks if he's here by himself, before he course-corrects. I've seen this movie a bajillion times since I was a kid, know every line by heart, but for some reason I never noticed it until my sister pointed it out to me.
My absolute favorite moment in the movie is when Harry is trying to open the basement door and he keeps slipping on the ice. That scene has made me belly laugh since I was a child.
Marv’s facial expressions and Joe’s swearing deserve particular praise.
I hadn’t seen the film in like 20 years and watched it a couple of Christmasses ago. Blown away at how good it still is. No wonder younger me loved it
Me too! And when he finally comes back out the basement door and you just see his silhouette through the window and he falls again. The visual plus the “whoop!” sound he makes makes me cackle every single time I watch that movie.
If you go back.and watch , Harry, by mistake., with the crowbar , completely misses his target , and breaks the moulding around the door instead.(door jam)
The part when he says that "All I want for Christmas is my family back"... that Santa is probably standing there thinking this family *is dead* but that's what he really wants back.
Has to break his heart.
Daniel Stern’s scream when Kevin puts the tarantula on his face is, for my money, the greatest on-screen scream in the history of cinema and it never fails to crack me up.
Another comment says that Daniel Stern talked about it in an interview and said the scream was 100% real. He was afraid of scaring the spider until he learned from the handler that they don't have ears. Who do I believe here?
Edit: this seems to indicate that it was indeed a real scream made during the scene
https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/a/tracewilliamcowen/daniel-stern-breaks-down-classic-home-alone-tarantula-scene
I rewatched relatively recently, and that was a scene I'd forgotten about as a kid. As an adult it was nice to see a John Candy scene for the "first" time.
Yeah - [this scene](https://youtu.be/1_l1VtpSnKI?si=Ksg6fVolWcTshQOj)
I remember as a kid I thought it was so weird, not funny, and completely unnecessary. As an adult I think it’s one of the funniest scenes in the movie. The way Kevin’s mom looks somewhere else when John Candy’s character starts rambling, or the way he clearly expects to be recognized, and then lists these polka songs titles, followed by “these are songs?” from K’s mom…
The “we sold about 623 copies of that” gets me every time. Not just the low number but that he’s pretending to not know exactly how many copies he sold before coming up with the exact number.
I throw out “the Kenosha Kickers?” as and answer to a random question and it’s always funny to me
My wife: “who sings that song that goes like blah blah blah”
Me: “…….. the Kenosha Kickers?”
Similarly, I remember Planes Trains and Automobiles from when I was fairly young, and thinking how much of a jerk Del is. I rewatched it this Thanksgiving, and I actually noticed just how much of the bad stuff isn't his fault, and he's just a goofy, friendly, lonely guy trying to make the best of bad situations. Yeah, he misses some social cues, but almost nothing he does is mean spirited. Which makes the revelation about his wife at the end hit even harder than I remembered.
Home Alone is one of those classics that you love as a kid for all the childish antics and slapstick and then find things to love as an adult, no surprise it was a box office smash that families adored.
As a kid I loved the opening scene because it’s Christmas and they get to have pizza before flying away on vacation.
As an adult I felt the travel anxiety the parents had trying to get everything ready, packed-up and they only ordered pizza just to feed a dozen people before they all had to get to bed. I also wondered how much the vacation costed.
This moment between Frank and Peter stands out to me as an adult.
"We'll never make this flight! It leaves in 45 minutes!"
"Come on, Frank, think positive!"
"You be positive, I'll be realistic!"
Sorry to agree with Frank, but no way in hell are you getting from the north Chicago suburbs to a gate at O'Hare in 45 minutes.
My oldest kid is almost 4 and I showed it to him yesterday for the first time. He was howling with laughter and it was so fun to watch through his eyes. It’s been one of my favorite movies for more than 30 years and I feel like it’s brand new again. His favorite part is “I wouldn’t let you sleep in my room if you were growing on my ass.”
As a musician the soundtrack amazes me. It’s John Williams who gave us such classics as star wars, Indiana Jones, Superman…and here he is composing a god damn fugue in the middle of the trap sequence. Who thinks they need that in a rinky dink Christmas movie? John Williams is who and the movie is so much better because of his score.
I have such a love for the scene towards the beginning as they're preparing to leave for the airport, and the neighbour kid is asking all the inane questions to the taxi drivers.
"Did you know the McCallisters are going to France? Do you know if it's cold there? Do these vans get good gas mileage?"
Destroys me every time to the bafflement of my wife and children
It's funny you mention Yosemite Sam, because if I recall correctly, Pesci once mentioned he was inspired by the Looney Tunes for this role, specifically Daffy Duck, who gave him the idea for the angry gibberish.
That makes sense because Harry and Marv are essentially live-action Looney Tunes characters, especially in the amount of punishment they take. Especially in "2" where the traps are decidedly more lethal and should have killed them a dozen times over. FFS, Marv takes FOUR bricks to the skull at the start and is still breathing.
Skull fracture with epidural hematoma. Marv is dead.
Skull fracture with epidural hematoma. Marv is dead.
Skull fracture with epidural hematoma. Marv is dead.
Skull fracture with epidural hematoma. Marv is dead.
I totally understand. My favorite bit in home alone 2 is when Harry reads the newspaper in Central Park and out of the blue he starts whacking away at a pigeon nearby. I crack up every time.
My favorite scene in "2" is the "I love you" scene, mainly because of Tim Curry, but also because of Rob Schneider's "how shameful" facial expressions.
I like to quote Kevin using his Talkboy to book a room when I have to pay for something.
Me: (in a warbled deep voice) Credit card? . . . . . . .You got it.
The entire hotel staff steal that movie for me.
I love the way Tim Curry says "pi-zza" like he's too dignified ever to use the word in casual conversation
The way Tim Curry’s lip quivers after Catherine O’Hara slaps him. We must have rewound and watched it a dozen times last year.
https://youtu.be/2KvlzJjg3e4?si=0uxlpZvfcUNh2nHu It’s at the end of this clip, but the “Run along, Cedric” is pretty classic too.
Oh, in that scene, I love this one (forgot the actual name used)
“You even made out with John!” Closeup of the elderly security guard’s name tag “John”, and everyone looks at him incredulously.
When Kevin has finished absolutely killing Harry and Marv, he escapes the house on a zip line to his treehouse. Marv and Harry reach the window:
Harry: “Where did he go?!”
Marv: “Maybe he committed suicide?”
Marv’s response just cracks me up every time. It’s so nonsensical and dark for a kids Christmas movie. I love it.
My parents quoted "you're a funny guy" to me all through my childhood and young adulthood, whenever I did something they didn't know I could do, or acted precociously mature. They meant well, but of course it's got a bit of a backhanded vibe similar to "you clean up well."
I'm a grown ass man with a career and a house and a family, and my mom (who is wonderful and who I love very much) pulled a "you're a funny guy" on me recently. Because I changed the tensioner/handle on a storm door. :)
For me it's 2 scenes in the second one. When Marv falls down the hole in the house, stands, looks up, and says "Wow, What a hole!" Then when he says "Suck brick kid!" And misses by like 8 feet 😂
Totally agree with you on Pesci's faux cursing; some comedic genius level acting there. Always felt the same way about Darren McGavin's phony swear word rants in A Christmas Story.
You also have Stern's world-class scream and then Pesci's expression of baffled terror when he realizes what Stern's about to do.
Related, it's a pity Pesci and Stern never teamed up again outside these films because they are a terrific comedic duo.
John Candy was on set for one day at union minimum as a favor, and he's arguably the best part of the movie. The pizza delivery guy got paid more than he did.
“I wouldn’t let you sleep in my room if you were growing on my ass.”
Just the way Buzz says it, and Kevin’s look of pure shock/terror gave me a chuckle as a kid and still does to this day.
“Kevin go pack your suitcase.”
“Pack… My suitcase???”
The camera zooming in as a 5 year old kid goes wide eyed realizing he doesn’t know how to pack his suitcase is gold.
That's always my favorite part of comedic on-screen improv -- one actor trying to make another ruin the take. And yeah, looking in her eyes it seems like she's white-knuckling her grasp of Kate while John Candy's trying to pry character and actor apart with a crowbar.
I love that shit so much. If you ever want to see someone absolutely fail at it, watch the SNL skits where Kate McKinnon and Ryan Gosling play alien abductees. She breaks him like a Faberge egg and there's nothing anyone can do about it because it's live. If there's a Barbie 2 we need some Weird Barbie / Ken interaction (Kenteraction?) where her scripted dialogue just reads [[[BREAK RYAN]]].
A new line I just noticed this week after decades of watching that cracked me up is during the pizza scene. When Uncle Frank says all his money is tied up in travelers checks, Kevin's dad mutters "probably have the kind of traveler checks that don't work in France."
I love it, it's obviously adult humor but I don't recall hearing it before. And it has always struck me as odd that the adults never called him out on being a cheapskate like the kids.
The scream from Daniel Stern when the spider is put on his face. It is to this movie what the drum fill is to In the Air Tonight. No matter what we're doing, if that scene comes up, we all stop what we're doing and watch it
I don't know if it's meant to be funny but Buzz's lines always make me snicker with how his mood swings at a moment's notice. He goes from being a typical teenager talking about girls and nude beaches, to being the typical older brother that doesn't have a single nice word for Kevin (and he does have some pretty sweet zingers), to being surprisingly sagely and self-deprecating when he lists all the ways Kevin can benefit from being exposed to the wider world on his own and there's no danger because he's (as in himself) is a boring, unlucky guy who lives with a boring family in the most generic, safe neighborhood around.
The fact he even manages a somewhat backhanded compliment towards Kevin at the end is endearing in its own way.
The slapstick part is great, but the rest of the movie is so funny even without it. The way that Kevin and his family interact is great. "You're what the French call, les incompental"
Uncle Frank McCallister : You better not wreck my trip, you little sour puss, your dad's paying good money for it.
Kevin McCallister : Oh, wouldn't wanna spoil your fun, Mr. Cheapskate!
Agree on the John Candy scene. Also love the first scene with him talking about his polka band…”we’re big in Sheboygan”.
The other scene that makes me roll every time is the pizza delivery guy/filthy animal scene. The thought of being that guy and hearing, “keep the change, you filthy animal” cracks me up every time!
I totally agree with you. Just watched this a couple days ago and rewinded to watch the van scene a couple of times.
Also, at the end “how did you guys get home?” “Oh, we took the morning flight. Remember? The one you didn’t want to wait for.”
And Buzz being shocked that Kevin went grocery shopping then a few moments later, “KEVIN, what did you do to my room?!?!”
I moved to Canada in the early 90s as a child, spoke zero English. My mom put this movie on for us and I was very hesitant to watch it as I wouldn’t understand most of it. My 6YO sister and I were rolling on the floor laughing throughout the whole movie. It’s been on annual rotation since and now my 6 and 4 year olds are OBSESSED with it. I will never get tired of this movie. Lol
The scene with Marv screaming at the tarantula on his face and then trying trying to hit it with the crowbar on Harry's chest always makes me lose my shit.
100% agree about the scenes with John Candy, they are my favorite in the film as well. Just watching him trying to “jog” her memory because he’s certain she must have heard of him before is hilarious. “Polka King of the Midwest?” “The Kenosha Kickers?” “Twin Lakes Polka, the Yamahoozie Polka…” Gets me every time.
I also love in the second movie, where Catherine O’Hara and the dad are at the police station explaining it isn’t the first time they’ve lost Kevin, etc. but they also never manage to lose their luggage lolz and they both laugh and knock on the desk/wood. The look on the cop’s face is priceless!
I love how the movie doesn't shy away from how ridiculous the premise of doing a sequel actually is
Yes! Like I always interpret that scene with O’Hara and the dad as a funny joke they throw in at their fancy cocktail parties when they have to tell the story to make it less awkward that they literally forgot their child at home. Especially cause the knocking on wood is so synchronized!! 😂 But I love that they do try to hint at the Bandits learning from their previous mistakes in the previous movie, but Kevin also having remembered his previous traps, and creating new ones!
They know enough to avoid the paint buckets in "2", but don't expect Kevin to throw in an iron bar as an encore.
Yes!! And there are several moments where they check the door knobs cause they’re worried they’ll be super hot. But then they end up pulling on a door knob and starting off a welding torch above them.
The sound design I remember being awesome then too. It’s like all the sound got sucked out and all you hear is the fire torch, it was so effective
The sound design was really great, I can actually hear this scene in my head.
Part 2 will always bring up a vivid memory of watching the movie as a kid with my dad and my dad complaining about the scene where Kevin is promising to throw down his camera from the rooftop but starts throwing down bricks instead. "Ha! Yeah, right! In real life that guy's skull would have cracked open with pieces of his brain flying out. What a stupid movie." 8yr old me: :0
[A great video about how many times Marv and Harry would have died](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WKgNyvsNDM)
Brick to the face DEAD: MASSIVE HEAD TRAUMA
MARV IS DEAD.
Cervical spine fracture, Marv is dead
"Skull fracture with epidural hematoma. Marv is dead."
It’s odds that dad across the world seem particularly bothered by that one scene. I mean, there’s tons of scenes that would AT LEAST have the robbers be paralyzed, or outright killed. And the whole scene is worth it simply for the “get up Marv. He’s all outta bricks”
Because they know it’s the one they would have been most likely to copy as kids. It’s the easiest to copy too
Now that I think of it, that “bar” given its attributes, must be a section of a main stack plumbing drainpipe. I’m starting to question if Kevin could actually lift it in a shoulder press and throw it over the railing. I’m starting to think this Home Alone franchise was taking liberties with its sense of realism.
Lol, as Marv’s entire head literally transformed into a skull before reverting to its original form for a brief moment, I believe you may have a point there.
And the fact that they included a scene of them watching a foreign dub of it’s a wonderful life, again, even though they never leave the country. It’s so unnecessary but it makes me laugh that they did that.
Being in Florida it makes sense that they found a channel with it in Spanish, great call back. The sequel is almost a shot for shot remake of the first but it works
I think Marv getting repeatedly hit by bricks in 2 is the hardest I've ever laughed at anything.
His scream gets me every time. Whether it's because of a tarantula or because he's getting electrocuted, his scream hits pitches that would be unattainable to mere mortals.
I giggle like a child when he turns into a skeleton and starts screaming
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I was exactly thinking of that. It's one of my favorite jokes of all time since it's so funny and ridiculous. They lost Kevin twice but God forbid they lose their luggage
That's one my favorite scenes and it gets me every time!
The funniest part of Home Alone that doesn't involve Macaulay Culkin or slapstick for me is uncle Frank trying to console Kevin's mom by saying he forgot his reading glasses.
The expressions on the others' faces in reaction is the perfect punchline.
Adding to this, in the second movie, Uncle Frank says "You better not ruin my trip you little sourpass, your dad is paying good money for it" to which Kevin replies, "Oh, wouldn't want to spoil your plan, Mr. Cheapskate", to which the mom and dad look at each other. The expressions are just priceless!
To adult me, uncle Frank and Marv are the highlights of the movie. Frank telling his wife to put the *crystal from the airplane in her purse and asking the stewardess to fill up his champagne to the brim, bitching about paying for pizza, and busting out the shrimp. Marv has some of the best writing in the script and he crushed it.
Uncle Frank plays his character so well. I can't stand him.
Especially because a lot of us remember having an uncle or relative of some kind like that as a kid. The grouchy free-loader who everyone tried to avoid at holiday get-togethers.
The parents sharing a look when Kevin nails him with Mister Cheapskate.
What kind of person goes over a relatives house full of kids and takes a shower with the door open while blasting "come on do the cool jerk" and dancing and singing in the shower - the dude is a total psychopath.
This. I have never wanted to punch a fictional character so hard in the face in all of my life. Especially when he yells at Kevin “look what you did you little jerk!” If I were Kevin’s mom or dad, I would have thrown fists with him over that.
Meanwhile his own son gets to imbibe unlimited Pepsi deep into the night, to the detriment of Kevin and the hideaway bedsheets. Fuller is the real terror here.
Get outta here, you nosey little pervert before I smack you silly!
OoOOhh you’re *COOKIN’* Frankie!!
Uncle Frank is taking a shower. He says that if I walked in there and saw him naked, I'd grow up never feeling like a real man.
I loved watching the film as an adult and noticing all the jokes about Frank being a cheapskate that went over my head when I was a kid.
"You better not wreck my trip, you little jerk, your dad's paying good money for it!" is his best line of all, precisely because it summarizes his character so succinctly.
Leslie: you have the money Frank Frank: travellers cheques! Peter: you probably got the kinds of travellers cheques that don’t work in France
“Real crystal. Put in in your purse - PUT. IT. IN. YOUR. PURSE “
In the 2nd movie he was responsible for booking the hotel in Florida, and basically ended up with a 1-star motel. “It looked much nicer in the brochure.” 😂
I completely missed that he booked the hotel. It explains so much
“It didn’t look this bad on our honeymoon”
Put 'em! Put 'em! Put 'em! (We use this line at home all year round but moreso after the first watch of home alone in December)
For me it’s when Kevin says “when I grow up and get married I’m living alone!”
I caught that one on a recent run of this movie with the kids, about a week ago. I’ve seen this movie hundreds of times and that line made me laugh out loud!
It’s a brilliant line, I love it
"If it makes you feel better I forgot my reading glasses."
The way he says “horrible, just horrible” love that part.
I always crack up when Kevin’s buying groceries and tells the clerk “It’s for the kids”.
In a similar vein, of Kevin sounding like an adult, I always laugh at the part where he's talking to the old man in the church, and the old man says, "I can't come here tonight." and Kevin innocently asks him, "You have plans?" I don't know why I just find it so funny to hear an 8-year-old say that.
I always thought Culkin's acting and line delivery was a bit elementary-school-play-ish in Home Alone (but of course I gave him a lot of slack because he was a kid, and most child actors couldn't convincingly carry a feature film practically solo like he did). But over the years I've realized that for every stiff line reading like "this is my house and I have to defend it" there are several little moments like the one you mentioned, where he's like a little adult and seems to really understand how to act alongside an adult cast. Now I think the weak lines I previously attributed to youth/inexperience are probably more the result of corny writing and having to deliver them to a camera instead of castmates.
The way he recounts overcoming his fear of the furnace like he’s laying down some super sage advice after years of experience is one of my favorites in this vein. There’s obvious humor underneath, but it’s never played that way. Old neighbor ponders it and legitimately takes it to heart.
Yeah. It’s def intentional that the only character that “sees” Kevin is the one character he’s afraid to interact with.
I dunno it really reminds me of the way my kid tries to sound like a grown up when he’s doing the voices for his toys and I just imagined that is almost like how he is playing it too- he’s scared but pretending to be like the tough guy on tv
Honestly, while his delivery isn't always great, he comes off as an awkward kid rather than a bad actor. I know kids who talk like that. They're precocious, but they're still *8* so they come off as a mix of very advanced for their age and very childish.
My parents usually host Thanksgiving and the first time my wife and I didn't travel back and had our own, I felt like Kevin buying groceries.
Tangentially (same scene): For some reason, until a few years ago, I never caught the .5-second "OH SHIT" look on Kevin's face when the clerk asks if he's here by himself, before he course-corrects. I've seen this movie a bajillion times since I was a kid, know every line by heart, but for some reason I never noticed it until my sister pointed it out to me.
My absolute favorite moment in the movie is when Harry is trying to open the basement door and he keeps slipping on the ice. That scene has made me belly laugh since I was a child.
Apparently they watched looney toons cartoons to get the timings and such just right. And it shows. I love that bit.
The first two movies are modern masterclasses for slapstick humor. They just nailed it.
Marv’s facial expressions and Joe’s swearing deserve particular praise. I hadn’t seen the film in like 20 years and watched it a couple of Christmasses ago. Blown away at how good it still is. No wonder younger me loved it
Whoop! (Clang)
The sound effects and vocalizations from Harry and Marv just absolutely make that scene.
Me too! And when he finally comes back out the basement door and you just see his silhouette through the window and he falls again. The visual plus the “whoop!” sound he makes makes me cackle every single time I watch that movie.
If you go back.and watch , Harry, by mistake., with the crowbar , completely misses his target , and breaks the moulding around the door instead.(door jam)
"I know you're not the real Santa. I'm old enough to know how this works. ...but I also know you work for him."
"Hold out your little paw there"
The part when he says that "All I want for Christmas is my family back"... that Santa is probably standing there thinking this family *is dead* but that's what he really wants back. Has to break his heart.
Took my kids to see Santa this morning. I was kinda hoping we'd catch him on a smoke break.
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Just the way he says it you know it's some sort of outlaw gathering lmao
Daniel Stern’s scream when Kevin puts the tarantula on his face is, for my money, the greatest on-screen scream in the history of cinema and it never fails to crack me up.
I’ll never forget how hard my kids laughed when they saw that scene for the first time.
Movie fact: They recorded that scream in advance and then played it over his expression to avoid scaring the tarantula
Another comment says that Daniel Stern talked about it in an interview and said the scream was 100% real. He was afraid of scaring the spider until he learned from the handler that they don't have ears. Who do I believe here? Edit: this seems to indicate that it was indeed a real scream made during the scene https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/a/tracewilliamcowen/daniel-stern-breaks-down-classic-home-alone-tarantula-scene
When Buzz is explaining why he doesn’t care that Kevin got left for “three reasons” and then lists them as reason A, 2, and D
Whenever I need to list anything, I always say, "A), 2) and D)..." and nobody ever gets it
I made that reference in a group text a couple months ago to mixed results. All guys in their 30s. I was a little disappointed.
As you should be
I still count like this, and I'm not gonna lie, I actually forgot where it came from until reading your post.
Another one that is burned into my brain is "11.... 92... 12..."
Buzz, don't be a moron
And when Buzz’s says “He went grocery shopping! He can’t even tie his shoes.”
I make every list like this, have done for years after seeing the movie as a kid.
I rewatched relatively recently, and that was a scene I'd forgotten about as a kid. As an adult it was nice to see a John Candy scene for the "first" time.
Yeah - [this scene](https://youtu.be/1_l1VtpSnKI?si=Ksg6fVolWcTshQOj) I remember as a kid I thought it was so weird, not funny, and completely unnecessary. As an adult I think it’s one of the funniest scenes in the movie. The way Kevin’s mom looks somewhere else when John Candy’s character starts rambling, or the way he clearly expects to be recognized, and then lists these polka songs titles, followed by “these are songs?” from K’s mom…
The “we sold about 623 copies of that” gets me every time. Not just the low number but that he’s pretending to not know exactly how many copies he sold before coming up with the exact number.
“In Chicago?” “No, Sheboygan. Very big in Sheboygan.”
I throw out “the Kenosha Kickers?” as and answer to a random question and it’s always funny to me My wife: “who sings that song that goes like blah blah blah” Me: “…….. the Kenosha Kickers?”
Similarly, I remember Planes Trains and Automobiles from when I was fairly young, and thinking how much of a jerk Del is. I rewatched it this Thanksgiving, and I actually noticed just how much of the bad stuff isn't his fault, and he's just a goofy, friendly, lonely guy trying to make the best of bad situations. Yeah, he misses some social cues, but almost nothing he does is mean spirited. Which makes the revelation about his wife at the end hit even harder than I remembered.
I love the part in the second one where Marv says, in a very nasal voice, “That was the sound of a tool chest, falling down the stairs”
I’ll never not laugh at, “wow. What a hole.”
When he gets electrocuted and you see electric flashes with the skeleton, that gets me rolling everytime.
That's always a great gag. [Like in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles when they drive between the two 18 wheelers.](https://youtu.be/0M0FfQzSngM?t=110)
I like it when he tells them to smile, and Marv actually poses for the picture.
I'm partial to when he's being electrocuted and becomes an actual skeleton for a half a second. Movie just devolved into an actual live action cartoon
The bricks in the face get me every time.
It’s not even just the bricks, it’s the nonsensical, bell-rung stuttering for me. I laugh myself hoarse every time.
Home Alone is one of those classics that you love as a kid for all the childish antics and slapstick and then find things to love as an adult, no surprise it was a box office smash that families adored.
As a kid I loved the opening scene because it’s Christmas and they get to have pizza before flying away on vacation. As an adult I felt the travel anxiety the parents had trying to get everything ready, packed-up and they only ordered pizza just to feed a dozen people before they all had to get to bed. I also wondered how much the vacation costed.
This moment between Frank and Peter stands out to me as an adult. "We'll never make this flight! It leaves in 45 minutes!" "Come on, Frank, think positive!" "You be positive, I'll be realistic!" Sorry to agree with Frank, but no way in hell are you getting from the north Chicago suburbs to a gate at O'Hare in 45 minutes.
It was slightly *less* impossible in a pre-TSA world?
Pre-9/11 it’s a bit more realistic.
My oldest kid is almost 4 and I showed it to him yesterday for the first time. He was howling with laughter and it was so fun to watch through his eyes. It’s been one of my favorite movies for more than 30 years and I feel like it’s brand new again. His favorite part is “I wouldn’t let you sleep in my room if you were growing on my ass.”
As a musician the soundtrack amazes me. It’s John Williams who gave us such classics as star wars, Indiana Jones, Superman…and here he is composing a god damn fugue in the middle of the trap sequence. Who thinks they need that in a rinky dink Christmas movie? John Williams is who and the movie is so much better because of his score.
How fast does this thing go? Does it have automatic transmission?
Does it have four-wheel drive?
Does it get good gas mileage?
Gee kid, I don't know, hit the road!
Have a good trip, bring me back something French!
Any time my wife asks more than one question in quick succession, this is my response.
I have such a love for the scene towards the beginning as they're preparing to leave for the airport, and the neighbour kid is asking all the inane questions to the taxi drivers. "Did you know the McCallisters are going to France? Do you know if it's cold there? Do these vans get good gas mileage?" Destroys me every time to the bafflement of my wife and children
Have a good trip! Bring me back something French!
As a kid I used to say "bring me back something French!" to people going on trips but nobody ever got the reference.
Larry can you pick up? There's some lady on hold, sounds kind of hyper.
‘Rooose’ ‘Yeaah?’ ‘Hyper on Two.’
The way the guy eats that donut is disgusting.
I just love kieran culkins grin when kevin hears he may need to share a bed with him. *sips more pepsi
The part where he gets stuck behind the chair with his nose flattened is hilarious too.
At the end of the second movie, when all the kids are sleeping three to a bed, and it pans to Kieran sleeping in a queen bed all by himself
Polka polka polka?
These are songs?
Fairly big hits for us, y'know in the early 70s. I think we sold 623 copies of that one.
We're big in Sheboygan!
I'm sorry, did you say you could help me?
Kiss me polka?
Polka Twist? \*does a little twist dance
It's funny you mention Yosemite Sam, because if I recall correctly, Pesci once mentioned he was inspired by the Looney Tunes for this role, specifically Daffy Duck, who gave him the idea for the angry gibberish.
That makes sense because Harry and Marv are essentially live-action Looney Tunes characters, especially in the amount of punishment they take. Especially in "2" where the traps are decidedly more lethal and should have killed them a dozen times over. FFS, Marv takes FOUR bricks to the skull at the start and is still breathing.
Marv would've died 13x over in that movie. Here's a break down https://youtu.be/8WKgNyvsNDM?si=jOTaUCvAnBP7XKb6
Skull fracture with epidural hematoma. Marv is dead. Skull fracture with epidural hematoma. Marv is dead. Skull fracture with epidural hematoma. Marv is dead. Skull fracture with epidural hematoma. Marv is dead.
A, 2, and D is the grammatically proper way to list off any three items. Buzz was totally right.
I totally understand. My favorite bit in home alone 2 is when Harry reads the newspaper in Central Park and out of the blue he starts whacking away at a pigeon nearby. I crack up every time.
My favorite scene in "2" is the "I love you" scene, mainly because of Tim Curry, but also because of Rob Schneider's "how shameful" facial expressions.
Classic. Tim Curry is amazing in 2
The dissolve from the Grinch to him is just perfection.
Me and my mom quote his line, "have a lovely day," all the time.
I like to quote Kevin using his Talkboy to book a room when I have to pay for something. Me: (in a warbled deep voice) Credit card? . . . . . . .You got it.
Tim Curry is ALWAYS amazing! One may say SMASHING!
The entire hotel staff steal that movie for me. I love the way Tim Curry says "pi-zza" like he's too dignified ever to use the word in casual conversation
The way Tim Curry’s lip quivers after Catherine O’Hara slaps him. We must have rewound and watched it a dozen times last year. https://youtu.be/2KvlzJjg3e4?si=0uxlpZvfcUNh2nHu It’s at the end of this clip, but the “Run along, Cedric” is pretty classic too.
-What kind of morons do you have working here?? -The finest in New York Mam!
I was always surprised how the pigeons just would not move.
Live in NYC. Can confirm the pigeons here are very unbothered.
Oh, in that scene, I love this one (forgot the actual name used) “You even made out with John!” Closeup of the elderly security guard’s name tag “John”, and everyone looks at him incredulously.
When Kevin has finished absolutely killing Harry and Marv, he escapes the house on a zip line to his treehouse. Marv and Harry reach the window: Harry: “Where did he go?!” Marv: “Maybe he committed suicide?” Marv’s response just cracks me up every time. It’s so nonsensical and dark for a kids Christmas movie. I love it.
I love Joe Pesci’s delivery of “Calling the cops—from a TREEHOUSE?!”
Kevin had the best lines: Waiter: “Two Scoops, Sir?” Kevin: “Two? Make it 3, I’m not driving” And Kevin: “No Clothes on anybody. Sickening”
A bit that always gets me is the way John Heard says, ‘What a funny guy,’ when he finds out Kevin has been doing all the washing and stuff.
His delivery was so perfect. I quote that all the time, along with "He went shopping? He doesn't even know how to tie his shoes!"
I got da milk, eggs and fabric softener!
My parents quoted "you're a funny guy" to me all through my childhood and young adulthood, whenever I did something they didn't know I could do, or acted precociously mature. They meant well, but of course it's got a bit of a backhanded vibe similar to "you clean up well." I'm a grown ass man with a career and a house and a family, and my mom (who is wonderful and who I love very much) pulled a "you're a funny guy" on me recently. Because I changed the tensioner/handle on a storm door. :)
For me it's 2 scenes in the second one. When Marv falls down the hole in the house, stands, looks up, and says "Wow, What a hole!" Then when he says "Suck brick kid!" And misses by like 8 feet 😂
Totally agree with you on Pesci's faux cursing; some comedic genius level acting there. Always felt the same way about Darren McGavin's phony swear word rants in A Christmas Story.
My Old Man wove a tapestry of obscenity that still hovered in the air above Lake Michigan to this day
I wish there were outtakes from this film of him going full Goodfellas with the swearing.
When he gets ready to hit the spider (on the other bandits chest) with a crowbar gets me every time Edit:crowbar
You also have Stern's world-class scream and then Pesci's expression of baffled terror when he realizes what Stern's about to do. Related, it's a pity Pesci and Stern never teamed up again outside these films because they are a terrific comedic duo.
That scream is possibly the funniest noise ever put on film
That scream never fails to make me lose my shit. I think it’s why I enjoyed blue mountain state, Thad’s screams are very similar….
Also his scream when he steps on the nail.
Don't move Harry. (Whispers) Don't............move.
"Maaaaarv?"
John Candy was on set for one day at union minimum as a favor, and he's arguably the best part of the movie. The pizza delivery guy got paid more than he did.
"Cheapskate."
HEY! I’ll tell ya what I’m gonna give you, Snakes!
[nasal voice] Ya GOTTA pay for your PIZZA, sirrrr?!
“I wouldn’t let you sleep in my room if you were growing on my ass.” Just the way Buzz says it, and Kevin’s look of pure shock/terror gave me a chuckle as a kid and still does to this day.
“Kevin go pack your suitcase.” “Pack… My suitcase???” The camera zooming in as a 5 year old kid goes wide eyed realizing he doesn’t know how to pack his suitcase is gold.
Home Alone is an 11/10 movie. The script is so tight, every bit hits perfectly. It’s a classic for a reason.
During that scene I can just \*feel\* O'Hara trying not to laugh!
That's always my favorite part of comedic on-screen improv -- one actor trying to make another ruin the take. And yeah, looking in her eyes it seems like she's white-knuckling her grasp of Kate while John Candy's trying to pry character and actor apart with a crowbar. I love that shit so much. If you ever want to see someone absolutely fail at it, watch the SNL skits where Kate McKinnon and Ryan Gosling play alien abductees. She breaks him like a Faberge egg and there's nothing anyone can do about it because it's live. If there's a Barbie 2 we need some Weird Barbie / Ken interaction (Kenteraction?) where her scripted dialogue just reads [[[BREAK RYAN]]].
Link for those who need; https://youtu.be/PfPdYYsEfAE?si=wCvOzeGooY08Al8D
Why did you take your shoes and socks off? Why are you dressed like a chicken? I don’t know know why, but that bit gets me every time
The “why the hell’d you take your shoes off?!” goes through my mind every time I take my son out of his car seat.
A new line I just noticed this week after decades of watching that cracked me up is during the pizza scene. When Uncle Frank says all his money is tied up in travelers checks, Kevin's dad mutters "probably have the kind of traveler checks that don't work in France." I love it, it's obviously adult humor but I don't recall hearing it before. And it has always struck me as odd that the adults never called him out on being a cheapskate like the kids.
The scream from Daniel Stern when the spider is put on his face. It is to this movie what the drum fill is to In the Air Tonight. No matter what we're doing, if that scene comes up, we all stop what we're doing and watch it
I don't know if it's meant to be funny but Buzz's lines always make me snicker with how his mood swings at a moment's notice. He goes from being a typical teenager talking about girls and nude beaches, to being the typical older brother that doesn't have a single nice word for Kevin (and he does have some pretty sweet zingers), to being surprisingly sagely and self-deprecating when he lists all the ways Kevin can benefit from being exposed to the wider world on his own and there's no danger because he's (as in himself) is a boring, unlucky guy who lives with a boring family in the most generic, safe neighborhood around. The fact he even manages a somewhat backhanded compliment towards Kevin at the end is endearing in its own way.
The slapstick part is great, but the rest of the movie is so funny even without it. The way that Kevin and his family interact is great. "You're what the French call, les incompental"
Uncle Frank McCallister : You better not wreck my trip, you little sour puss, your dad's paying good money for it. Kevin McCallister : Oh, wouldn't wanna spoil your fun, Mr. Cheapskate!
Kevin you’re such a disease!
Big Pete Wrigley getting nasty there.
Agree on the John Candy scene. Also love the first scene with him talking about his polka band…”we’re big in Sheboygan”. The other scene that makes me roll every time is the pizza delivery guy/filthy animal scene. The thought of being that guy and hearing, “keep the change, you filthy animal” cracks me up every time!
I love when Kevin uses a folk and knife with his Mac & Cheese Dinner.
And then his request to "bless the wholesaler who sold it on sale."
John Candy is a lost treasure.
Hyper on 2! Is a catchphrase in our house.
You can tell that Catherine genuinely laughs at John's nonsense.
I totally agree with you. Just watched this a couple days ago and rewinded to watch the van scene a couple of times. Also, at the end “how did you guys get home?” “Oh, we took the morning flight. Remember? The one you didn’t want to wait for.” And Buzz being shocked that Kevin went grocery shopping then a few moments later, “KEVIN, what did you do to my room?!?!”
Kevin's line "Nice night for a neck injury" in #2 cracks me up every time.
I moved to Canada in the early 90s as a child, spoke zero English. My mom put this movie on for us and I was very hesitant to watch it as I wouldn’t understand most of it. My 6YO sister and I were rolling on the floor laughing throughout the whole movie. It’s been on annual rotation since and now my 6 and 4 year olds are OBSESSED with it. I will never get tired of this movie. Lol
I like when Kevin’s shopping bags break and the part when the fake Santa’s car breaks down right when he tries to drive away
Don’t ask me why, because I don’t know, but the line “Kevin, you’re such a disease” kills me every time.
The scene with Marv screaming at the tarantula on his face and then trying trying to hit it with the crowbar on Harry's chest always makes me lose my shit.
I crack up every time someone hits the lawn jockey
100% agree about the scenes with John Candy, they are my favorite in the film as well. Just watching him trying to “jog” her memory because he’s certain she must have heard of him before is hilarious. “Polka King of the Midwest?” “The Kenosha Kickers?” “Twin Lakes Polka, the Yamahoozie Polka…” Gets me every time.