Home Alone actor Daniel Stern explains his answer to one incessant question about making the holiday movie. The 1990 movie Home Alone is considered a Christmas classic as it follows the story of a young boy left behind by his family who enjoys the holidays by himself at home. However, when home burglars try to break into his home, Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) takes matters into his own hands, which sets the stage for master-planned shenanigans that challenge the housebreakers. Stern played one of the two burglars trying to bamboozle Kevin alongside co-star Joe Pesci.
Speaking with ComicBook.com, Stern clears the air on a constantly asked question about whether he really got hurt on the set of Home Alone. The actor has been inquired about other set things like “was that real tarantula on your face?” and “Did it hurt when you got hit in the face with bricks?” on repeat. The Home Alone star’s simple reply is “You know it’s fake, right? There’s a prop department.” It surprises the actor that people seem to really believe that the stunts on the set of Home Alone really happened. Check out the full quote from Stern below:
“I do get asked a lot, ‘Was that a real tarantula on your face? What’s Joe Pesci like? Did it hurt when you got hit in the face with the iron?’ That one, I guess getting hit in the face, ‘Did it hurt when you got hit in the face with the bricks?’ I think maybe that one. When people started asking me that, I went, ‘You know it’s fake, right? There’s a prop department. I didn’t get hit in the face with bricks.’ They’re like, ‘Oh.'” He adds, “The believability of it is wonderful, but it did concern me to a point when that movie first came out actually, that I started teaching a course in media literacy. Because I was like, are people really believe… I mean, here’s how movies are made, here’s how we make the show, and I’m glad you’re entertained and fun. But I didn’t really get hit in the face, you know that. To teach kids to separate a little bit became a mission of mine. But I think it enhances movie watching. So I guess that’s the long answer to: Don’t ask me if it hurt when I got hit in the face with the bricks.”
What Are Home Alone’s Most Classic Burglar Gags?
While it should be common knowledge that the deadly Home Alone traps are performed as stunts, and the props used to hurt the burglars are fake, it also comes as a compliment to showcase how the Christmas movie was technically well-made with practical effects. The believability is further amplified by the performances of Pesci and Stern, who manifest the pain and torment felt by each of Kevin’s booby traps. These moments can be felt vicariously by audiences who watch the movie, which causes some to question the reality of whether those sequences with the brick or tarantula are real.
Regardless, Home Alone’s classic slapstick gags are the main reasons the festive film is so lastingly likable and evergreen. Throughout the movie, Kevin forces Marv (Stern) and Harry (Pesci) through a series of booby traps as he vies to regain control of the home, leading to several iconic scenes that show the home burglars getting punished. In addition to the tarantula and bricks, Home Alone has several other classic physical comedic moments, including when Marv sticks his head through the doggy door.
Home Alone Burglars: Would Harry & Marv Survive The Boobytraps?
Would Harry and Marv, the Home Alone burglars, survive the many boobytraps set by Kevin? Medical experts weigh in on the damage the thieves sustained.
As Kevin fortifies his home, another iconic image is the map of his booby traps. As the film progresses, the young McCallister attempts to bring this hand-drawn image to life, including heating a door knob and releasing a tarantula. Through it all, Home Alone begets copious laughs as it creates its believable series of gaffs and creative reinforcements to guard his home.
Home Alone
Home Alone tells the story of Kevin McAllister, an eight-year-old who is left behind in his Chicago home when his family flies to Paris for the holidays. Not only must Kevin keep himself safe while his mother flies back across the world, but he must protect his home from the Wet Bandits – serial burglars who are targeting the McAllister House. Kevin must use every trick in the book to keep the Wet Bandits from stealing Christmas before his mother returns.
