Home Alone is the 43rd episode of Screen Junkies comedy series Honest Trailers. It was written by Spencer Gilbert, Dan Murrell, Emma Barrie, Alaina Sapienza and Andy Signore. It parodies the 1990 holiday comedy film Home Alone. It is narrated by Jon Bailey as Epic Voice Guy. It was published on June 26, 2013, to coincide with the holiday season. It is 3 minutes 56 seconds long. It has been viewed over 11 million times.
Watch Honest Trailers - Home Alone on YouTube
"One of the most violent kids' movies ever made, that's one part Ferris Bueller and one part Saw." ~ Honest Trailers - Home Alone
Script[]
From the creator of your older sister's favorite '80s movies (John Hughes) and the Chris Columbus that didn't kill any Indians comes the Christmas classic that cable channels have rerun every holiday season for the last twenty years. Twenty?! God, that makes me feel old. Home Alone.
Deck the halls and gather 'round for a family film about standing your ground, in one of the most violent kids' movies ever made that's one part Ferris Bueller and one part Saw.
This Christmas, travel to the all-white part of Chicago to meet the McCallisters, the worst family ever (Jeff McCallister: Kevin, you're such a disease!). Rejoice in the Christmas spirit as they gang up on this eight-year-old boy (Kevin), then stick him in the attic and leave the country.
Witness years of neglect and abuse take their toll on this small child as he shows all the signs of becoming a sociopath, like manipulation, talking to himself, and trapping two non-violent criminals inside a sadistic world of torture from which there is no escape. But gosh darn it if he isn't just the cutest little thing!
Meet the Wet Bandits: there's Marv, who sounds like he's the narrator from The Wonder Years; and Harry, who sounds like Joe Pesci trying not to curse in a PG movie (shows clips of Harry angrily spouting gibberish). Watch as these bumbling idiots only rob in broad daylight, wear fingerless gloves during a burglary, and are irrationally obsessed with one house (Harry: That's the one, Marvin. That's the silver tuna.) that's really just full of mannequins and poinsettias (shows poinsettias in various scenes). Seriously, there's, like, nothing worth stealing here.
So bundle up and relive the early '90s joy of Micro Machines, Starting Lineup figures, Johnny Carson, 35 mm cameras, landline phones, answering machines, pre-9/11 air travel, and Macaulay Culkin (Kevin slaps his face with after-shave and screams).
Prepare to have your heartstrings tugged, as Kevin, who's been home alone for three days, is finally reunited with his family...then immediately left alone again (the McCallister family disperses throughout the house, leaving Kevin by himself). Well, that was awkward.
Starring Joe Pepsi (Joe Pesci as Harry Lime), Wish Kid (Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister), Little Big Pete (Michael Maronna as Jeff McCallister), Arcade Fire (Daniel Stern as Marv Merchants), The Dad from Home Alone (John Heard as Peter McCallister), Igby Wets Bed (Kieran Culkin as Fuller McCallister), Jasper Beardly (Roberts Blossom as Old Man Marley), John Cameo (John Candy as Gus Polinski), Buzzfeed (Devin Ratray as Buzz McCallister), The Running Mom (Catherine O'Hara as Kate McCallister), and Space Jam (cardboard cutout of Michael Jordan).
Home Alone.
(Kevin watches Old Man Marley hugging his granddaughter from his window; the narrator tears up) Oh, man, this scene always gets me. I'm not crying, you're crying! (sniffles) I really should call my dad.
Trivia[]
Honest Action - Home Alone
- Screen Junkies also produced an "Honest Action" video about Home Alone, in which they asked a doctor to describe the injuries the characters would sustain if they suffered the film's violence in real life. Watch Honest Action - Home Alone on YouTube.
- Screen Junkies have also produced Honest Trailers for several other holiday movies including Elf, The Santa Clause, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Love Actually and Die Hard.
- Screen Junkies have also produced several Honest Trailers for many 1990s movies including Hook, Mortal Kombat, Super Mario Bros., Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: The Movie, Space Jam, Batman Forever, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Secret of the Ooze, Fight Club, The Matrix, Point Break, The Lion King, Toy Story, Forrest Gump, Jurassic Park and others. See list of Honest Trailers for more.
- An Honest Trailer Commentary for this episode was recorded and was available on the Screen Junkies Plus until the website/app was discontinued. Screen Junkies don't currently have any way of releasing the video.
Reception[]
Honest Trailers - Home Alone has a 97.8% approval rating from YouTube viewers. Many media sites remarked on Screen Junkies' dark take on the real nature of the film. JOE wrote that the Honest Trailer "tells a few brutal home truths" about the film, and said Screen Junkies revealed "a lot of disturbing elements that may have gone unnoticed." JOE wrote the Honest Trailer was "quite accurate," and noted that "although harsh, it’s hard to argue with some of the conclusions drawn by the Honest Trailer folks." The Huffington Post found Screen Junkies' take convincing, writing "as much as we hate to admit it, there's a good chance that Kevin MacAllister is a psychopath in training, taking pleasure in maiming burglars after being neglected by his cruel family." Similarly, Jezebel found the Honest Trailer notable for suggesting Kevin is a "nascent sociopath." Barstool Sports declared the Honest Trailer was "truly genuinely absolutely perfect. Every single line, every single description hits the nail on the head."
Production credits[]
Video thumbnail for Honest Trailers - Home Alone
Directed by Andy Signore
Series Created by Andy Signore & Brett Weiner
Episode Written by Spencer Gilbert, Dan Murrell, Emma Barrie, Alaina Sapienza and Andy Signore
Music by Sean Motley
Edited by Dan Murrell
Voiceover Narration by Jon Bailey
External links[]
- 'Home Alone' Gets An Honest Trailer That Reveals How Truly Sadistic Kevin Is - Huffington Post article
- Video: Try not to let the honest trailer for Home Alone ruin your Christmas - JOE article
- Honest Trailers: Home Alone - Barstool Sports article
- Honest Trailer for Home Alone Suggests Kevin Is a Nascent Sociopath - Jezebel article