As far as I can remember, as we approach that time of the year when Christmas and New Year’s Eve are just days apart, it would seem to be a tradition to air certain movies, movies that add to the festive cheer and holiday mood that we all seem to find ourselves in during that particular time of the year.

Image sourced from http://www.vox.com

One of these movies happens to be also one of my favourite holiday movies : Home Alone. However, I have to qualify my Home Alone cheer to the first two instalments of the Home Alone franchise : Home Alone and Home Alone 2 : Lost in New York. In so saying, my apologies to the rest of the Home Alone franchise, which to my Kevin-McCallister-aftershave-expression-of-horror, has as many as six instalments attributed to the franchise.

That discovery reminded me of that dialogue from The Big Bang Theory (another favourite of mine), ‘name the sequel before a movie franchise is ruined’. In layman’s terms, you can only milk a cow so much, you know. No offence meant and hopefully, none taken.

The Sticky Bandits, formerly known as The Wet Bandits ; image sourced from http://www.eonline.com

Having watched these two movies on more than a few occasions, you have come to memorize the different traps set by Kevin McCallister for the Wet Bandits, who later on became known as the Sticky Bandits. Not that the name change made any difference to Marv’s and Harry’s, the two unfortunate and bungling burglars, painful retribution experienced at the hands of the defender of the McCallister name.

I must admit that both Home Alone and Home Alone 2 : Lost in New York, gave me a satisfaction of a time well spent. Its a bit like when my friends and I meet. We would re-tell stories of decades past and would laugh all the same, despite it being told over and over again. We never tire of it and I guess, the same goes with your favourite movies.

But I must also admit that over time, what had seemed hilariously funny like when it rained bricks in New York became painfully ‘not that funny anymore’. You unconsciously wince and turn away as you feel the pain from the bricks landing on Marv (that lovable but incompetent bandit)’s forehead, one brick at a time. I guess for Marv, this is the moment when his battle cry ‘Never!’ would be of more use rather than in response to when goaded by a kid.

The classic ‘Angels with Filthy Souls’ ; image sourced from http://www.nestflix.fun

There are many memorable scenes from the two movies that would stick in your mind. The scenes from the movies-within-a-movie, Angels with Filthy Souls followed by Angels with Even Filthier Souls, comes easily to mind. For a while there, I thought they were actual movies made sometime in the distant past. Like the 1930s or thereabouts. D-rated but a movie nonetheless.

Poster of ‘Angels with Even Filthier Souls’ ; image sourced from www. deviantart.com

All the romance associated with those really ridiculously bad movies, what with the over-acting and simple dialogue, went up like a poof when I found out that there were movies specially made for the many scenes in Home Alone and Home Alone 2 : Lost in New York. It may be bad but you can’t help but fall in love with those utterly ridiculously bad but still memorable scenes.

But the one that takes the cake must be the scene when the three ‘best in New York’ hapless hotel employees got questioned and silenced by the McCallisters for scaring their ‘Lost in New York’ kid into the streets of New York. The looks on their faces. Priceless. Hilarious.

The best in New York! ; image sourced from http://www.fanpop.com.

Home Alone was released in 1990 and was followed by Home Alone 2 : Lost in New York in 1992. They may be movies from the 1990s but as anyone will tell you, these kind of movies will last the test of time. Til the next re-run, have a look as to what made these two movies two of the most fun movies to watch during the festive and holiday season : https://youtu.be/mbjJpDn_zY0.