'Home Alone' is one of those classic Christmas films that is loved by everyone, especially the 90s kids. The sweet little Kevin McCallister, his terrible parents, and his criminal genius have become such iconic parts of festive pop culture that it is impossible to go through December without seeing some sort of reference to the saga. And with the arrival of the festive season this year, the actor, Macaulay Culkin, is once again home alone, 28 years after his first traumatic experience, recreating some of the iconic moments from the first film.
His recreation of the legendary scene is a part of the promotional campaign for Google, who are advertising their new product, Google Assistant. The device is a voice activated home assistant, much like Amazon's rival product, Alexa, which can be linked to other devices or electrical appliances in the home.
The video pays several homages to the 1990 Christmas classic, with the actor putting on aftershave (and using the device to add extra to his shopping cart), and ordering pizza (then paying online with the same device) and once again using the voice from the same film to get rid of the delivery boy.
Luckily for Culkin, despite the considerable amount of time passed since his debut Christmas appearance, he has not forgotten how to get rid of unwanted guests and, this time with the help of Google Home, he pulls of his classic tricks to scare off the thieves once again (although this time it seems to have been a lot easier, and involved a lot fewer injuries).
28 Years Later
We apologise in advance for having scared anyone with the news that 'Home Alone' in fact was released nearly 30 years ago. Time flies, and certainly in Culkin's case. While the advert successfully recreates several scenes from the classic, it is clear that the actor is definitely not the sweet little eight year old he once was.
The actor, currently aged 38, has moved far past that stage in his life, although he clearly still knows how to laugh at himself, with this little self-parody. Culkin is apparently not such a big fan of the film which turned him into one of the most famous child actors in Hollywood, but as he told Jimmy Kimmel on the Tonight Show, he will concede to watching it for his girlfriend, and ends up "muttering the lines under [his] breath" the whole time. Imagine being able to use the same trick for 28 years to impress girls...
'Home Alone' is definitely best left as a jewel of the past and a beautiful Christmas memory, thanks to Chris Columbus and Culkin. However, with the trend in Hollywood of making remakes, sequels, reboots and the like, it wouldn't be surprising if 'Home Alone' was added to the list of classics which are dragged from the dust and given a new coat of 21st century paint. But let's be honest, even with a fancy modernised touch (like Google Home) the nostalgia of the 90s in those first films will always have the number one spot in our hearts.
