There are just three rules Billy (Zach Galligan) has to follow when he is gifted a Mogwai named Gizmo (voiced by Howie Mandel) from his mother Lynn (Frances Lee McCain) and father Randall (Hoyt Axton) for Christmas. After getting to grips with his new pet, a splash of water lands on Gizmo, spawning five more Mogwai’s. Instead of Gizmo being in the company of fellow cute creatures, the pack is led by an evil Gremlin known as Stripe (voiced by Frank Welker), who is hellbent on reeking havoc.

Gremlins has become an absolute staple across the entire movie board. Whether its festive frights or laugh out loud shenanigans, Joe Dante’s 1984 film truly has it all.

In this Movie List from The Film Magazine, we’re counting down the very best of this family film night staple, looking at the most exciting, most funny and most moving side-by-side to decipher the 10 Best Gremlins Moments.

Follow @thefilmagazine on Twitter.

10. Meet Gizmo

Gizmo has become one of cinema’s most beloved creatures. The tiny stature, fluffy coat, and button nose are what make Gremlins the classic that it is.

Gizmo’s introduction may not bear the same intensity as the rest of the film, but it is the moment in which we immediately become invested and attached. When Billy first lays eyes on Gizmo as he peaks out of the box, it would be easy to assume that Gremlins is an easy made-for-tv family movie, little did we know that Gizmo’s introduction is the first in a long line of absurd events.

9. Santa Surprise

Gremlins had a major issue with censorship boundaries. Many scenes were cut, including the death of Lynn, which would have shown her decapitated head tumbling down the stairs to land at Billy’s feet. Instead of that pure nightmare fuel dominating the screen, producers stepped in to create the now beloved PG-13 favourite.

Somehow director Joe Dante managed to keep some disturbing elements intact, such as the seemingly out-of-place scene involving Kate (Phoebe Cates), Billy’s love interest, telling the daunting story of how her father’s corpse was found lodged in a chimney after a Christmas surprise went wrong. The abrupt image is a brief snippet into the dark underbelly of Gremlins that could have been.

Home Alone has been considered a Christmas tradition since the moment Macaulay Culkin slapped his cheeks and yelled at the top of his lungs all the way back in 1990, but seeing the John Hughes-written and Chris Columbus-directed picture develop into a franchise of straight-to-video/dvd glorified holiday specials has given the franchise the proverbial “mixed bag” of good and bad filmmaking. In this edition of Ranked, we’re looking at all 6 Home Alone movies (yes there have been 6) and judging them in terms of quality, enjoyability, critical reception and public perception to rank each from worst to best.

Have a favourite Home Alone movie? Let us know in the comments, and follow The Film Magazine on Twitter.

6. Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House (2002)

The fourth entry to the franchise is nothing short of a disaster.

A clear cash grab intended to capitalise on the burgeoning DVD market, this Rod Daniel (K-9) straight-to-TV feature recasts the iconic roles of Kevin McCallister (once played by Macaulay Culkin) and Marv (originally Daniel Stern) and, as if that wasn’t sacrilegious enough, takes the concept to an entirely different level of absurd. Seriously, if you thought a child defending his house from fully grown men via a series of booby traps was absurd, wait ’til you get a load of this…

In Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House, Kevin McCallister must ignore the instructions of his parents and rescue a crown prince from his old foe Marv and Marv’s wife Vera.

It truly is as bad as it seems…

5. Home Alone: The Holiday Heist (2012)

Home Alone 5 (The Holiday Heist) thankfully didn’t regurgitate the great characters from the first Home Alone in some lame attempt to gather an audience, but much like our previous entry did seem like a film written before the Home Alone branding was ever slapped on it.

In many ways another sorry attempt to grab cash from willing and hopeful consumers, rather than a fitting tribute or loving extension to the Home Alone franchise, The Holiday Heist did actually offer brief glimmers of being something more than that of the franchise’s previous incarnation, notably upping the casting quality to include the legendary Ed Asner (albeit in a cameo) and A Clockwork Orange actor Malcolm McDowell.

The movie was directed by Peter Hewitt, the man who helmed Bill & Ted’s Bogus Adventure just a year after the original Home Alone was released and later directed the absurd British children’s comedy Thunderpants (2002), his work on The Holiday Heist at least attempting to replicate some of the feeling of the first few movies, albeit quite poorly.

Recommended for you: I’m a 90s Kid and I Watched Home Alone for the First Time This Year

Make sure to read 10 Best Home Alone Moments before you read this article.

Alone in the most heavily populated city in the United States, Kevin encounters troublesome hotel clerks and the return of some old foes in this much beloved follow-up to one of the greatest Christmas films of all time.

In this Movie List, we at The Film Magazine are examining Chris Columbus’ iconic Christmas sequel for this, the 10 Best Home Alone 2: Lost in New York Moments.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter for updates on more articles like this one.

10. Kevin Calls Uncle Frank a Cheapskate

The film opens with a scene from a Christmas concert at Kevin’s school, the parents of the children all gathered in the audience to watch the show. Kevin’s solo is coming up.

Buzz (Devin Ratray), Kevin’s horrible older brother, plays a prank on him whilst he is singing, causing the whole auditorium to laugh at Kevin’s expense. 

Back at the house, after the event has unfolded, Buzz is apologising to the family for the prank he pulled and the embarrassment he caused his younger brother. Kevin clocks on to the insincerity of Buzz’s apology and stands up to his family, saying he doesn’t want to spend Christmas in Florida anyway. Uncle Frank (Gerry Bamman) tells him not to ruin the trip that Kevin’s father has paid a lot of money for. 

With outstanding delivery from Culkin, Kevin roasts Uncle Frank with one simple line: “I wouldn’t want to spoil your fun Mr. Cheapskate.”

Hilarious.

9. Marv Smiles for the Camera

Marv (Daniel Stern) and Harry (Joe Pesci) have escaped prison and made their way to New York in an attempt to make the Big Apple their new stomping grounds. They find out about a donation drive happening at a big toy store, and when Kevin clocks on to what they’re doing, he follows them there and catches them in the act.

When he sees them robbing the store, Kevin uses his new polaroid camera to snap a shot of them for proof. He shouts, “Hey Guys! Smile!”.

With brilliant comedic timing, and his trademarked goofiness, Marv looks up at the camera and gives it a big grin. 

Written and produced by the king of 80s movies, John Hughes, Home Alone holds a special place in a lot of our hearts and is a must watch around the festive season each and every year.

Thirty years after Macaulay Culkin shot to superstardom as lonely eight year old child Kevin McCallister, we at The Film Magazine are looking back at the original movie’s very best moments for this Top List of the 10 Best Home Alone Moments.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter for updates on more articles like this one.

10. Headcount Mishap

Chaos has hit the McCallister household when, due to a power outage in the middle of the night, none of the alarm clocks in the house go off – cue the line “We overslept!” From Mr and Mrs McCallister. 

As the fourteen family children pile into the airport transport mini vans, a nosey neighbour comes over to see what all the fuss is about. As he is in the back of the mini van, he clambers over all the seats and starts rummaging through the family’s bags. Megan, the oldest McCallister child, is asked to do a “head count” and miscounts the nosey neighbour as Kevin, who is actually curled up in bed unaware of the madness going on around him.

Thinking that everyone is present and accounted for, the family leave for their vacation, resulting in Kevin being (you guessed it) left home alone.

9. Gus Gives Parental Advice

After an attempt to get on a last minute flight home from Paris, Kate McCallister (Catherine O’Hara) finds herself in Scranton, Pennsylvania and her only ride home is to join a Polka tour who have kindly offered to drop her off in Chicago. 

Gus “The Polka King of the Midwest” Polinski, played by the wonderful John Candy, keeps Kate company as they make their long journey back to the Windy City. In the back of their tour van, Gus gives Kate some much needed comfort in justifying her mistake of leaving Kevin behind and confirms to her that she is a good mother. 

Between two parents, Catherine O’Hara and John Candy share a beautiful moment of comfort and kindness. 

IndieWire – 6th Dec 2019

Stephen Graham, the British star of the likes of This Is England and Walk Like a Panther who recently played a memorable role in Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, is set to join the cast of Venom 2. The film, which will be Sony’s follow up to the 2017 billion dollar hit starring Tom Hardy, is currently keeping details of its plot close to its chest, with Graham’s role yet to be revealed.

Deadline – 5th Dec 2019

New Terrence Malick film A Hidden Life received a rare screening at the Vatican on Wednesday 4th Dec ahead of its North American release on the 13th.

THR – 5th Dec 2019

New DC/Warner Bros project The Batman, from Dawn of the Planet of the Apes screenwriter-director Matt Reeves, has cast Garden State, Green Lantern and An Education character actor Peter Sarsgaard. Though the role Sarsgaard has been given is currently under wraps, suggestions are being made that the actor could be set to play the role of Harvey “Two Face” Dent.

THR – 6th Dec 2019

A new Planet of the Apes movie is being developed at Disney, who now own the rights to the property following their purchase of 20th Century Fox earlier this year. The film, which will be overseen by the director of The Maze Runner 1, 2 & 3 Wes Ball, is suspected to be a franchise reboot, though details are currently unclear in this regard.

THR – 3rd Dec 2019

A Honey, I Shrunk the Kids sequel is in the works at Disney, with the director of the franchise’s original film from 1989, Joe Johnston, being lined up to direct. The project was apparently pitched to Disney by Beauty and the Beast and Frozen star Josh Gad earlier this year, and will reportedly see the actor fill the role of Wayne Szalinksi’s (Rick Moranis’) son.

Variety – 5th Dec 2019

Dakota Fanning and Elle Fanning will co-star as sisters in an adaptation of Kristin Hannah’s “The Nightingale” set to be directed by Inglourious Basterds actress Melanie Laurent.

THR – 4th Dec 2019

Sony’s musical Cinderella, set to star Camila Cabello, has cast ‘Chambers’ actor Nicholas Galitzine as its Prince Charming. Kay Cannon (Blockers) is set to direct.

THR – 5th Dec 2019

The first ever spin-off to one of Disney’s live-action remakes has been given the go-ahead, with Aladdin’s Prince Anders set to get his own standalone film. The film, which will be distributed exclusively by Disney+, will see original actor Billy Magnussen reprise his role.

THR – 6th Dec 2019

Mena Massoud, the lead actor and titular character in Disney’s 2019 live-action remake Aladdin, has said in an interview: “I haven’t had a single audition since Aladdin came out.” Revealing that was tired of keeping quiet about it.

THR – 3rd Dec 2019

Oscar-winning writer of The Big Short, Charles Randolph, is teaming with Blumhouse head Jason Blum to bring a real-to-life story of notorious start-up We Work to the big screen. The film, which is yet to be given a title, will be an adaptation of the reports of Katrina Booker, as well as her upcoming novel.

THR – 2nd Dec 2019

A sequel to 2018 Christmas movie The Christmas Chronicles starring Kurt Russell is heading to Netflix in 2020, with the first movie’s producer, Home Alone and Harry Potter 1 & 2 director Chris Columbus stepping into the director’s chair. Hollywood star Goldie Hawn, the real-life wife of star Kurt Russell, has also been confirmed to be playing the role of Mrs. Claus.

The Christmas Chronicles 2, coming next holiday season pic.twitter.com/zYVPwxKdbk

— See What’s Next (@seewhatsnext) December 6, 2019

The new Ghostbusters film, set to be directed by the son of original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman, Jason Reitman, has been given a full title ahead of its Summer 2020 release date: Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

Empire – 6th Dec 2019

Disney have sent out recommendations to movie theaters/cinemas asking them to warn viewers of prolonged flashing light sequences in their upcoming Lucasfilm release Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The note, put together in conjunction with the Epilepsy Foundation, is something of a rarity in the industry.

THR – 6th Dec 2019

Kathleen Kennedy, the head of Disney subsidiary studio Lucasfilm and the overseer of Star Wars, is set to receive the British Film and Television Academy’s highest accolade, the BAFTA Fellowship award, in recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film.

BAFTA – 6th Dec 2019

Helen Mirren, the British actress who won an Oscar for her performance as Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen, will be honoured by the Berlin International Film Festival in 2020 with an iconic Golden Bear for the festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

4th Dec 2019

Joker actor Joaquin Phoenix has been named the PETA Person of the Year 2019 for promoting welfare rights to animals in trouble. The veteran actor and multi-time Oscar nominee, recently appeared on People for the Ethical Treatment of Animal’s “we are all animals” billboard campaign that looked to raise awareness of the group’s hope to ban travelling animal circuses worldwide.

THR – 2nd Dec 2019

Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite won big at the 2019 European Film Awards this weekend, taking home 8 awards including European Film, European Comedy, Best Director and Best Actress.

TFM – 8th Dec 2019

And finally…

Studio Ghibli films will be available for digital purchase for the first time ever from 17th Dec, following a deal made with GKIDS to make all 21 of the studio’s releases available for purchase through their platform (set to hit HBO Max in 2020).

THR – 2nd Dec 2019

Georgian director Zaza Urushadze, best known for directing 2013 film Tangerines, has passed away aged 53 from a reported heart attack.

Vestink Kavkaza – 7th Dec 2019

Adventures In Babysitting (1987)
Director: Chris Columbus
Screenwriter: David Simkins
Starring: Elisabeth Shue, Vincent D’Onofrio, Penelope Ann Miller, George Newburn, Maia Brewton, Keith Coogan, Anthony Rapp, Calvin Levels

A stood-up babysitter gets more than she bargained for when her efforts to retrieve her stranded bestie at the bus station are sabotaged at every turn.

Chris Parker (Shue) is your typical 80’s teenager, dancing in front of the mirror with a head full of curls and a hunky boyfriend in her picture frame. Unfortunately, Chris’ Camaro-driving dreamboat stands her up and she is left to babysit the Anderson children; Brad (Newburn) and Sarah (Brewton).

When her best friend Brenda (Miller) calls to say she has run away from home and is stuck at the bus station, Chris is blackmailed to taking the children out of the suburbs and into the big bad city. A quick 30 minute drive turns into an all-nighter misadventure. Que giggles.

It would be easy to overlook this movie as a run of the mill comedy caper, but in actual fact there is much more R-rated hilarity in this film than meets the eye (massive over-exaggeration but the F word is used – twice).

It seems that Shue will always wear the 80’s cult crown, cutting her teeth with Karate Kid, Cocktail and Back To The Future II & III but this is arguably her best and most pronounced role.

The film highlights the divide between an easy-going American suburban lifestyle versus the turbulent and often violent crush of New York City. Columbus and Simkins were able to convey the political and social duality of the country through a bunch of children – who are constantly in both the right and wrong places – while still having a cutting sense of humour about it; not an easy feat, but one that could only have been accomplished in this golden decade of film.

As Chris and the kids encounter gang wars, extreme poverty, violence and cruelty, they also encounter love, generosity and compassion. With a soundtrack bluesy enough to have you reaching for the whiskey but upbeat enough to have you dancing with your dog, this film of contrasts is a mile-a-minute laughathon.

Combining a deep and mature understanding of what life may have felt like for a young American woman on the verge of adulthood, with the innocence and bravado of children, Adventures In Babysitting is both thought-provoking and down-right hysterical.

Watch out for Mrs. Anderson’s ridiculously cliche 80’s dress that makes her look like a walking Werthers Original , the hot dog vendor that doesn’t want to slip Brenda a wiener and (my personal favourite) Sarah’s encounter with the bathroom line Viking.

19/24

[DISPLAY_ULTIMATE_SOCIAL_ICONS]

Very quickly I’d like to note that I’m reviewing this movie detached from the book. The two stories are so drastically different that you can either decide to be a literature purist and basically hate the movie (which was my original reaction the first time I saw the film), or you can see them as separate and try to enjoy them as individual creations.

Right out of the gate the film catches your attention. You aren’t introduced to the main characters right away but the story is set up nicely. In one short conversation, the Greek gods Zeus and Poseidon discuss the conflict that the characters will face – returning the lightning bolt – and the consequences if they fail. The scene is set for the events to come in a succinct way that allows information to flow smoothly without feeling rushed.

Unfortunately, the steady pace of the first scene is not kept for long. Over the course of the next half hour, the screenwriters try to familiarize the audience with Greek mythology as quickly as possible and, considering how extensive the mythology is, it’s nearly impossible to do this in a way that flows. The writing is all over the place; there is very little organization in regard to information. This means that some scenes may need to be rewatched in order to understand what’s going on because of their complexity. On the flip side, other scenes feel slow and dumbed down – simplified for a “simple” audience. It can actually be slightly upsetting how the writers treat some elements of the story this way; it’s almost like they’re underestimating their audience.

This is not to say the writing is bad, though. It’s extremely hard to translate so much background information on screen when you can’t verbalize all of the main character’s (Percy’s) thoughts. In fact, there was one scene that was exceptionally well done. Here, the campers at Camp Half Blood play Capture the Flag with an Ancient Grecian twist. Sword play is allowed and encouraged, battle armor is worn, and campers are out for blood, not just the flag. It gives insight into how the demigods train and it emphasizes how important combat was in Ancient Greek culture.

Despite the changes of pace and information, the actors did the best they could when trying to share their knowledge of this fictional world in the most natural way possible. Logan Lerman, who played Percy Jackson, reacted naturally and believably to the new environment he was thrust into. He played his character a bit younger than may be expected but it works to his advantage because Percy is actually supposed to be fifteen. Percy’s, Annabeth’s and Grover’s ages don’t translate all that well because of the “Hollywoodization” of the characters – the actors are all older and prettier than the actual story characters are expected to be (in either the book or film). This is unavoidable, however, and when it comes down to it, it neither adds nor subtracts from the actual storyline and progression of events.

I could take or leave Alexandra Daddario as Annabeth. She wasn’t outstanding but she also wasn’t horrible. Overall she had no impact on me or my feelings towards the film, which, in itself, is very unique. Brandon T. Jackson as Grover on the other hand was a breath of fresh air – he was the funny sidekick that a good film always needs. Sometimes this character archetype can be tiring but Jackson’s acting along with the satyr twist keeps things interesting.

Honestly, I didn’t like this film the first time I saw it. I was offended by how far off from the book it was. Watching it a second time, though – watching the movie as a piece independent from the book – I was able to enjoy it much more. Honestly, I would recommend it. I would recommend it first to the people who were unfamiliar with the novels just because they wouldn’t have conflicts with any changes made to the script (trust me, there are a lot of changes), and I would also recommend it to readers of the series, but I would caution that it’s different and that you have to keep an open mind in order to enjoy it. Yes, it may be confusing or, on the flip side, over-simplified at times but if you’re looking for a way to pass the time and entertain your imagination, this film is for you. It’s because of all this that the film ranks…

13/24