12 Days of Christmas - Day 3 - Home Alone (1990)

This I my ultimate Christmas film, it doesn't really feel like Christmas until I've watched this and once I do, that's it the decorations have to go up immediately, while listening to Rocking around the Christmas tree by Brenda Lee.

8 year old Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) gets left behind when his huge family head off to Paris for Christmas.  Initially, Kevin thinks this is the best thing EVER, he has the house all to himself and he can do whatever he wants, that is until the burglars arrive.  The dim-witted Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern) who call themselves the Wet Bandits arrive to rob the McCallisters home, but Kevin has other ideas in mind.

This is why I love 90's films so much. A plot like that these days would get shot to bits, but back then it was enjoyed just for what it was. I think at Kevin's age we've all thought about how great it would be to have the house to ourselves where we can do (and eat!) whatever we want.

I still laugh out loud at this film (although I do still look away for the nail on the stairs part!) the pranks that Kevin pulls on the Wet Bandits are brilliant and there are some classic lines that will stick with me forever:

"Keep the change, you filthy animal"

"You guys give up yet? Or you thirsty for more?"

"Hey, I'm gonna give you to the count of ten, to get your ugly, yella, no-good keister off my property, before I pump your guts full of lead! 1, 2, 10! "

It's probably one of the darker kids Christmas films (maybe that's why I like it!) and actually I recently read an article about how the Harry and Marv would have both died had the 'accidents' happened in real life, you can read it here.

I forgot how dark this film actually is until I saw it at the Giant Screen for a charity showing 2 years ago. I was really cringing at some moments!

So, from a critics point of view, this probably doesn't have the best script, best direction or best editing but for me it has both sentimental and easy watching value.  No effort required (particularly as I have seen it hundreds of times so I know exactly what will happen!).  It's laugh out loud funny in places and cringeworthy in others, I particularly hate having to watch Kevin's mother (Catherine O'Hara) who has to continually explain to people that she left her 8 year old son home alone.

Great quotes, great laughs and a real Christmassy feel - what more could you ask for from a Christmas film.

Home Alone isn't one of the films I'll put on every December, but I loved it so much when I was younger and it's still really enjoyable now.

'My First Movie' Blogathon - Flick Chicks Contribution

How could me and Allie do a blogathon and not contribute ourselves?!

My first movie memory would have to be seeing the Little Mermaid, for what I thought was my Birthday but after checking the release date in the UK, it couldn't have been.  Must have been one of my cousins birthday parties.  Anyway, it was my first ever trip to the cinema and I remember staring in awe at the giant screen in front of me.  Then it actually came on, it was so loud and all consuming I loved every minute of it.  I think I was the only kid in there to sit in silence through the whole movie (unlike Allie you will soon find out!!).  I actually remember be so engrossed in the movie and all the bright colours on the screen, I only snapped out of it when I realised my Mom was actually laughing at me (I think there was a good chance I had my mouth draped open and I may have been drooling - I was only 5 in my defence though!!).

The story is really grown up to be fair for a 5 year old and I think there was a lot that I didn't understand but all the pretty colours and the talking fish made it entertaining enough for me.  As a kid I remember being terrified of Ursula, but watching it as an adult she is by far the best character written.  She is one of the first of the Disney characters to make comments that are 'made-for-adults' something you see a lot more now in animation but back then it didn't happen nearly as much. 

The Little Mermaid has long since been one of my favourite movies, and I think this cemented both my love of cinemas and my love of Disney.   That first experience of hearing the speakers blast on the Dolby Digital advert and the screen light up can never be replicated so I am so glad I can remember it.

My Mom brought me the VHS a few years later and I watched it until the tape literally wore out, it wouldn't play anymore because it had been used so much! Can you believe that I still don't have this movie on DVD?! After writing this, that might have to be my next purchase. And now I know what to get your for Christmas! Just kidding...I got you something even better :D

Over to you Allie.....

I don't actually remember what the very first movie I watched was, but I have a sneaky suspicion that it was Beauty and the Beast. However, I do remember my very first trip to the cinema. It was a very rare occasion that I was taken there, times were hard and as a kid it's very easy to be entertained by one VHS tape being played over and over again. 

In 1994, 5 year old me was taken to see The Lion King. It was an exciting and terrifying time for me. I wasn't a huge fan of the dark, and that advert with the white-hot metal rod being thrusted at the screen still ignites fear in me. Does anyone remember what that advert even was?

Anyway, let me cut to the chase. I thoroughly enjoyed my first cinema experience, but I was 'that kid' during The Lion King. Whilst everyone was holding back tears with dignity, I cried out 'Mummy, is he dead?' and emotionally destroyed everyone in the room. I'm sorry, I really am. Someone else's 5 year old got revenge on me during HTTYD2 if that helps.

I still love The Lion King now, and it's a film my kids will be watching (when/if I have any!). The soundtrack is on my iTunes but do you know what? Like Jenna, I don't think I have this on DVD! I do remember having The Lion King 2 on VHS though. That might just be my most-watched movie of all time, I remember watching it every single Saturday morning until I could recite the entire script off the top of my head.

So, that's enough from us, let's here your first movie experiences! You have until 2nd December to get your posts up, and here's the original post if you need a reminder of the rules.

Blockbusted Blogathon: Tremors (1990) / Mars Attacks (1996)

This will be Flick Chicks first Blogathon and I couldn't be more excited.  This was set up by Katy from Girl Meets Cinema as a way to 'spread shameless love for the B-Movie awesomeness' and that it is doing.

This is the initial post from Katy if you want to contribute to the Blogathon 

I really love these blog challenges, they prompt me to try something different or watch a film again that I haven't seen in years.  This did just that.  My film choice is the 1990 film Tremors with Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward and Finn Carter.

I had forgotten all about this film until I saw it in the Blogathon list but it is not only awesome but it has sentimental value for me too.  This was mine and my Dad's Saturday afternoon movie, we watched it all the time on VHS (I don't think my Mom could stomach it so went to the kitchen to bake or clean!).  Then when the film finished I would play 'Tremors' in the living room, jumping from furniture to furniture to avoid touching the floor.

This scene truly terrified me and I never went on a pogo stick again (and don't think I ever will).  My favourite characters by far were Burt and Heather Gummer played by Michael Gross and Reba McEntire and their insane armoury under their house.  Unfortunately, the monster work wasn't great but I don't think that takes away from this film at all, its less about how scary the monster and more about the tense will it or wont it hear us.  It has all the tension of Paranormal Activity but with an interesting storyline.

I may now watch this film the weekend, probably with my Dad an I will probably play 'tremors' after just for nostalgia.

It's so exciting to be part of a Blogathon! I'm looking forward to reading everyone else's posts once they're posted too. My film choice just had to be Mars Attacks.

 

I think I was about 9 or 10 years old when I first saw this. I was staying the night at my Grandparents' house and was doing my usual 'I can't sleep I'm hungry' routine. My Grandparents had just put this film on, and apparently I assured them that I wouldn't be scared and was adamant that I watched it.

 

Needless to say, it terrified me and I didn't sleep at all that night! At the same time though, I loved it, and I still don't know why. I ran around the house making that alien sound, with my hands in a gun position. I bought the VHS of it, and even convinced my brother who is 5 years younger than me to watch it, but he ran out of the room crying at the cows on fire. I actually think I instilled a fear of cows into him...

 

 

 

Whilst writing this post, I have the biggest urge to watch this film again just for those childhood memories! Maybe I'll invite my brother over...

Thank you Katy for inspiring us to do this post, I'm sure it's the first of many Blogathon posts to come!