'Home Alone 2: Lost In New York'
The Ringer's Bill Simmons and Kyle Brandt rack up the room service bill at The Plaza Hotel as they rewatch the 1992 comedy 'Home Alone 2: Lost In New York,' starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, and Daniel Stern.
Cast
Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McAllister
Joe Pesci as Harry
Daniel Stern as Marv
Tim Curry as Hotel Concierge
Catherine O'Hara as Kate McAllister
John Heard as Peter McAllister
Rob Schneider as Bellhop
Kieran Culkin as Fuller McAllister
Brenda Fricker as Pigeon Lady
Eddie Bracken as Mr. Duncan
Directed by: Chris Columbus
Written by: John Hughes
Music by: John Williams
Notes
- Budget of $28 million, grossed $359 million – third highest grossing film of 1992, behind 'The Bodyguard' and Aladdin.
- Macaulay Culkin was paid $4.5 million plus 5% of the gross. He was the biggest child star of the 1990s – hosted SNL, appeared in Michael Jackson's music videos.
- Daniel Stern wrote a book with anecdotes about Culkin on set – Culkin didn't know how to play tag or throw a ball. Chris Columbus learned lessons from Culkin's situation and applied them to the Harry Potter films.
- The Talk Boy (tape recorder prop) was designed by Tiger Electronics as a prop for the film, became the best-selling toy of 1992.
- Pesci suffered actual burns to his head filming the scene where Harry's hat catches fire. The pigeon attack used 300 real pigeons; a pigeon got into Daniel Stern's mouth.
- Donald Trump required a cameo plus a production fee to allow filming at the Plaza Hotel. The Plaza doesn't actually have a pool – those scenes were shot in Chicago.
- Joe Pesci in 1992 was in 'My Cousin Vinny', 'Home Alone' 2, and 'Lethal Weapon' 3 all in the same year, coming off 'Goodfellas'.
- Entertainment Weekly had a real doctor assess Harry and Marv's injuries: 'at best brain damage, at worst death.'
- Culkin's father negotiated that Macaulay would only do 'Home Alone' 2 if they also let him do The Good Son.
- William Goldman wrote a 1992 essay saying sequels now need to be 'exactly like the original' – people want comfort.
- The World Trade Center appears in the film; it was cut from TV broadcasts for about 15 years after 9/11.
Categories
Quote from Rog's review:
“Cartoon violence is only funny in cartoons. Most live action attempts to duplicate animation have failed because when flesh and blood figures hit the pavement we can almost hear the bones crunch.”
Called it 'unoriginal.' Both hosts disagreed strongly.
- Kyle: The chaos/destruction scene – Kevin beating up Harry and Marv in the brownstone. 'Give me the chaos.'
- Bill agrees it's the marquee sequence. Other contenders: Kevin fools hotel staff with the Talk Boy, the family losing Kevin at the airport, Kevin's first minutes in NYC.
- Winner: The Talk Boy (best-selling toy of 1992).
- Also: clock radios, paper boarding passes, the World Trade Center, benevolent Trump cameo, Rob Schneider as a bellhop, Coca-Cola Classic cans.
- The Plaza Hotel as a movie location. The entire cast returning for the sequel.
- Tim Curry as the perfect creepy hotel boss. Kieran Culkin as Fuller (knowing his Succession future).
- The fear of losing your kid in an airport – resonates more when you're a parent.
- No CGI for the pigeon attack (300 real pigeons). John Williams scoring. NYC at Christmas.
- Uncle Frank's behavior toward Kevin (including a deleted scene where he pulls Kevin's pants down).
- Pesci's fake swearing ('jumba jumba' instead of actual curse words).
- Tim Curry's character waltzing into a room watching someone shower.
- Michael Jackson visiting Macaulay Culkin on set.
The helicopter shot pulling back to reveal the NYC skyline with the World Trade Center.
- The entire premise: the parents losing Kevin AGAIN after already leaving him behind in the first movie.
- The oversleeping gag, paper boarding passes, Kevin not noticing he's alone on the plane, the mom being 'reprehensibly calm.'
- Kyle: Kevin wants to be alone – he orchestrated being separated, never tries to find his parents, is disappointed when his mom finds him at Rockefeller Center.
- Kyle: Harry and Marv are lovers.
- Bill: The movie is about a little kid fighting off the dangers of child trafficking – everyone is coming after him.
Chris Columbus wanted Gene Wilder for Mr. Duncan (the toy store owner). Wilder turned it down; Eddie Bracken was cast instead.
- Clear winner: Eddie Bracken as Mr. Duncan (also 'Roy Wally' from 'National Lampoon's Vacation').
- Also discussed: Ralph Foody as 'Johnny' in the gangster movie, Rob Schneider, Tim Curry.
- Macaulay Culkin: Yes – three hits in a row, almost $400 million, heading into The Good Son. It went down from here.
- The Plaza Hotel (pop culture standpoint): Definitely.
- Daniel Stern: Yes – 'City Slickers', Wonder Years narration, but this is the peak.
- Pesci 1992: Unbelievable year coming off 'Goodfellas'.
- Fake movies in real movies: Angels with Filthier Souls discussed among candidates.
Hanks would be better for the physical comedy as Marv (the Daniel Stern role).
- Duncan's Toy Chest has no night security, no cameras, no alarm.
- Kevin's props are too elaborate for a 10-year-old to assemble. Kevin lowers himself down a 5-story rope.
- The TV/VCR trick wouldn't fool anyone in real life (tiny 17-inch TV speaker).
- Kevin gives the Pigeon Lady a Christmas ornament instead of food or shelter.
Kyle's pick (winner): The airport 'boarding guy' who says 'Boarding! But make sure he finds his family.' Puts everything into one line – Kyle calls it the guy's '8 Mile moment.'
If you hate your family, just run away and steal your dad's credit card. Kevin is having the best Christmas of his life away from the McAllisters.
- Bill: 'Home Alone' 1.
- Kyle: The Good Son (1993, Macaulay Culkin as an evil child opposite Elijah Wood). Bill enthusiastically agrees.
Kevin McAllister / Macaulay Culkin – the entire enterprise depends on him.