Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 1897

Lin-Manuel Miranda Recorded a Vulgar Voicemail Message for Jon Stewart (for Charity)

If we could have any celebrity both write and record a personalized voicemail message for us, we’d be hard-pressed to dream of anyone better for the job than Lin-Manuel Miranda. But sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for, because the message he recorded for and about Jon Stewart was not quite as whimiscal as the former Daily Show host might have imagined.

Miranda was unable to appear in person on HBO’s Night of Too Many Stars, Hollywood’s star-studded fundraiser for autism programs hosted as always by his friend Stewart. But he still wanted to help contribute to the great cause, so the two are teaming up with Omaze to make that happen. One lucky winner will be rewarded with a personalized voicemail message written and recorded by the Hamilton creator. And as though you needed any more enticement than that to enter the contest, Miranda gave a glimpse of his talents with a message he recorded for Stewart himself…

That said, Stewart might chose not to use it, since it’s particularly brutal. Be warned: this is NSFW.

Sometimes a “personalized message” can be too personal. However, something tells us Miranda won’t be so tough on the person who wins the actual contest, so don’t let this be a reason not to participate, especially since you can enter for a donation for as little as $10. But honestly, wouldn’t it be amazing to get your very own crass diss track from Lin-Manuel Miranda? As long as it wasn’t then broadcast on HBO to the whole world.

Would you want Miranda to write a positive or negative voicemail message for you? Tell us why in the comments below.

Featured Image: HBO

More fun from the ‘net!

“Don’t Stop Believing” gets a jazzy cover
Watch a bus completely ruin this shot of an imploding stadium
The latest gameshow craze: Japan’s Slippery Stairs!

 

Weird Al Covers The Ramones “Beat On The Brat” with Accordion

Weird Al Yankovic might be best known as the all-time king of musical comedy, but the reason he is still going strong over three decades after his debut album is because in addition to being hysterical he’s a damn fine musician too. That’s why we’re not surprised his new cover of The Ramones‘ “Beat on the Brat” is a worthy punk tribute to the original. And that includes the accordion part.

This is a track from the upcoming album Dr. Demento Covered in Punk, a two-hour punk rock tribute to the legendary radio host designed to recreate the format of his show. It will include performances from Joan Jett, The Misfits, Fred Schneider of the B52s, William Shatner (it’s amazing) and the late Adam West. And today we got a sneak listen at what we can expect from it with this cover featuring Weird Al on vocals and accordion (who knew an accordion could be punk?), with backing from the band Osaka Popstar.

We hope there are some classic punk rock fans who will consider it an overdue honor to have Weird Al cover a song from The Ramones, especially one from their 1976 debut album. Al’s vocals also sound particularly wonderful in this rendition.

Dr. Demento Covered In Punk from Demento Records, which will include “over thirty different, never before released, all-new ‘punk’ cover versions of ‘mad music and crazy comedy’ songs famously heard on the airwaves of the legendary Dr. Demento Show,” hits stores on January 12, 2018. It also features original artwork by Neil Camera, the artist for Topps’ Garbage Pail Kids. You can pre-order it here or via iTunes, and if you do you’ll get Weird Al’s “Beat on the Brat” now.

While a straight, non-comedic cover of a Ramones song by Weird Al might sound demented to some, it’s exactly what we’d expect from a great musician.

What do you think of the song? What other punk songs could use an accordion? Tell us your best ideas in the comments below.

Featured Image: College Humor

Everything Coming to Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu in December 2017

It’s almost time to say goodbye to 2017, but there’s still one more month to get through before we close out the year of streaming. Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime are saving a lot of great stuff. December will bring us one of Marvel’s biggest blockbusters of the year, as well as a Netflix original film that could have easily been released in theaters. Fans will also get a chance to catch up with the complete seasons of several TV series before diving into a selection of holiday movies and specials.

Netflix

“It’s showtime, A-holes!” That’s right, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is heading to Netflix a mere seven months after its theatrical release. It’s not the only big movie coming next month. Netflix’s original film, Bright, is a potential blockbuster that’s skipping theaters. In that movie, Will Smith plays a cop whose partner is an orc (Joel Edgerton) in a version of modern Los Angeles populated by fantasy characters and ordinary humans.

Fortunately, Netflix isn’t skimping on the TV side in December. There are new seasons of Netflix originals The Crown, and Trollhunters, as well as outside favorites like Halt and Catch Fire, TURN: Washington’s Spies, Peaky Blinders, and The Magicians.

Available on December 1

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
All Hail King Julien: Season 5
A StoryBots Christmas
Dark: Season 1
DreamWorks Home: For the Holidays
Exporting Raymond
Forbidden Games: The Justin Fashanu Story
Full Metal Jacket
Hitch
Nacho Libre
Sahara
The Farthest – Voyager in Space
The Little Rascals
The Wackness
The Young Victoria
V for Vendetta
TURN: Washington’s Spies: Season 4

Available on December 5

Craig Ferguson: Tickle Fight
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Available on December 6

Trolls Holiday Special

Available on December 8

El Camino Christmas
The Crown: Season 2

Available on December 11

Catwoman
The Magicians: Season 2

Available on December 12

Disney’s The Santa Clause
Disney’s The Santa Clause 2
Disney’s The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
Judd Apatow: The Return

Available on December 14

41 Dogs in My Home
Ainsley Eats the Streets: Season 1
Halt and Catch Fire: Season 4

Available on December 15

Discovering Bigfoot
Erased: Season 1
Freeway: Crack In The System
Neverlake
Pottersville
Reggie Yates Outside Man: Volume 2
The Haunting of Helena
Trollhunters: Part 2
Ultimate Beastmaster
Wormwood

Available on December 18

Hello, My Twenties!: Season 2

Available on December 19

Miss Me This Christmas
Russell Howard: Recalibrate
The Indian Detective: Season 1
You Can’t Fight Christmas

Available on December 21

Peaky Blinders: Season 4

Available on December 22

72 Dangerous Animals: Latin America: Season 1
Bright
Dope: Season 1
Fuller House: Season 3, New Episodes
The Toys That Made Us: Season 1

Available on December 23

Creep 2
Myths & Monsters: Season 1

Available on December 25

Planet Earth II

Available on December 26

Todd Barry: Spicy Honey
Travelers: Season 2
Beat Bugs: New Year’s Eve Countdown 2018
Larva: New Year’s Eve Countdown 2018
Pororo: New Year’s Eve Countdown 2018
Puffin Rock: New Year’s Eve Countdown 2018
Skylanders Academy: New Year’s Eve Countdown 2018
Trollhunters: New Year’s Eve Countdown 2018
True and The Rainbow Kingdom: New Year’s Eve Countdown 2018
Word Party: New Year’s Eve Countdown 2018

Available on December 27

Pusher

Available on December 29

Bill Nye Saves the World: Season 2: Part 1
Killer Legends
La Mante: Season 1
Shelter
The Climb

Available on December 31

Dave Chappelle: Equanimity
Fun Mom Dinner

Hulu

If you’ve been meaning to catch up FX’s trippy Marvel series, Legion, then Hulu has an early Christmas gift for you. The entire first season of Legion is arriving next month, alongside a new season of Hulu’s original series, Shut Eye, and the fifth season premiere of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., courtesy of ABC. Also this month, Hulu is bringing out the Christmas movies and few Disney films, including The Black Cauldron, an under-appreciated mid-’80s selection. Both volumes of Kill Bill will also be available next month, for a different kind of holiday treat.

Available on December 1

3 Ninjas
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
Aliens of the Deep
Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now Redux
At Close Range
Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction
The Black Cauldron
Bloodsport
Breakheart Pass
The Brothers Grimm
Buffalo 66
Chicago
Child’s Play
Chilly Christmas
Coopers Camera (AKA Coopers’ Christmas)
The Count of Monte Cristo
Crazy/Beautiful
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Downhill Racer
Driftwood
Extortion
The Falcon and the Snowman
The Final Cut
George of the Jungle
Hammett
Hannibal
Heaven’s Gate
The History of Comedy: Complete Season 1
Hitch
I’ll Be Home for Christmas
The Improv: 50 Years Behind the Brick Wall
In & Out
In Enemy Hands
In the Line of Fire
Inside Number 9: Complete Season 2
Jack
Kill Bill: Volume 1
Kill Bill: Volume 2
L7 Pretend We’re Dead
The Last Warrior
The Missing
Mississippi Burning
Moonstruck
Mr. Wrong
One Magic Christmas
P2
Penelope
Primal Fear
Puppetmaster: Axis Termination
Robocop
Robocop 2
Robocop 3
Rocky
Rocky II
Rocky III
Rocky IV
Rocky V
S.F.W.
Sarafina!
Searching for Bobby Fischer
Searching for Sugar Man
Silence
The Silence of the Lambs
Space Jam
Stealing Harvard
Stigmata
The Three Musketeers
The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
Three Men and a Baby
Titanic
Total Recall
Tree Fu Tom: Complete Seasons 3 & 4
Trust Me: Complete Season 1
Valkyrie
The Water Horse
The Wine Show: Complete Season 2
Winnie the Pooh, A Valentine for You

Available on December 2

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season 5 Premiere (ABC)

Available on December 3

Cop Land
Sweet Home Alabama
The Rules of Attraction

Available om December 4

Frontera
Superbad

Available on December 5

The Great Christmas Light Fight: Season 5 Premiere (ABC)
Iron Protector

Available on December 6

Shut Eye: Season 2 Premiere
Killers

Available on December 8

Crank: High Voltage
Defining Moments: Season 1 Premiere (ESL)
The Great American Baking Show: Season 3 Premiere (ABC)
Legion: Complete Season 1 (FX)
Legion of Brothers

Available on December 9

Dave Made a Maze

Available on December 11

Steven Universe: Complete Season 4 (Cartoon Network)

Available on December 13

Vengeance of an Assassin

Available on December 14

Bunheads: Complete Season 1 (Freeform)

Available on December 15

40 Days and 40 Nights
The Crow
Everest
Kate and Leopold
The Limehouse Golem
Score
Tears of the Sun

Available on December 16

The Next Step: Complete Season 5B (BBC)

Available on December 18

Graves: Complete Season 1 (Epix)
Made In Chelsea: Complete Seasons 1-13 (E4)
Mighty Magiswords: Complete Season S1A (Cartoon Network)
Ragnarok

Available on December 19

Decorating Disney: Special (Freeform)

Available on December 20

Kim Dotcom: Caught in the Web

Available on December 22

Goat
Monster Trucks

Available on December 23

Clarence: Complete Season 3 (Cartoon Network)
Banksy Does New York

Available on December 25

The Hollow One
United Shades of America: Complete Season 2 (CNN)

Available on December 29

Gilbert
Rings

Available on December 30

The Art of the Game: Ukiyo E Heros

Available on December 31

Always Watching
Anarchy Parlor
Osiris Child: SFv1
Pilgrimage
Solace

Amazon Prime

There is no Jean-Claude Van Damme and there never was, according to the premise of Amazon’s new Jean-Claude Van Johnson original series. The whole action icon phase of Van Damme’s career was just a cover for his “Johnson” persona, who was once among the best espionage operatives in the world. As you might have guessed, this is a comedy, with some of Van Damme’s signature action as well.

Other Amazon Prime highlights for December include Stronger, a recently released drama starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Tatiana Maslany. Amazon’s The Grand Tour is also getting a second season in December, as Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May reunite for another round of automobile mayhem. For movie lovers, Titanic, Nightcrawler, Rings, and the first five Rocky films are among the latest additions to Amazon Prime’s lineup.

Available on December 1

Apocalypse Now
At Close Range
Basic Instinct 2
Bloodsport
Brothers Grimm
Child’s Play
Dr. Strange
Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Hammett
Hannibal
Hitch
Hulk Vs.
In & Out
In Enemy Hands
Moonstruck
Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow
Planet Hulk
Rocky
Rocky II
Rocky III
Rocky IV
Rocky V
Searching for Bobby Fischer
Silence
Stigmata
The Final Cut
The Heartbreak Kid
The Invincible Iron Man
The Silence of the Lambs
The Weight of Water
Thor Animated Movie: Tales of Asgard
Titanic
Ultimate Avengers II
Ultimate Avengers the Movie

Available on December 3

Class: Season 1

Available on December 4

The Royals: Season 3

Available on December 5

Stronger

Available on December 8

Crank 2: High Voltage
The Grand Tour: Season 2

Available on December 9

It Comes at Night

Available on December 10

Nightcrawler
Rosewater

Available on December 12

Foreman

Available on December 14

Thursday Night Football: Broncos vs. Colts

Available on December 15

Jean-Claude Van Johnson: Season 1

Available on December 18

Doctor Who Christmas Special

Available on December 21

Humans: Season 2
Woodshock

Available on December 22

Monster Trucks

Available on December 23

Anne of Green Gables: Season 2
Banksy Does New York
Someone Marry Barry
Teen Wolf: Season 6

Available on December 25

Thursday Night Football: Steelers vs. Texans

Available on December 29

Rings

Available on December 31

Brawl in Cell Block 99
Solace

Which shows and movies are you looking forward to watching in December? Share your picks in the comment section below!

Images: Netflix/Marvel/Amazon Studios

The Writers Panel #361: Frankie Shaw & Sarah-Violet Bliss

Frankie Shaw (creator, SMILF); Sarah-Violet Bliss (co-creator, Search Party).

Follow @BenBlacker and Like the show on Facebook!

Breaking Down the Good, Bad, and “Alright!” from JUSTICE LEAGUE

After years of anticipation, DC’s super team finally came to theaters this past weekend. But did Justice League do justice to fans who waited a long time to see the superhero squad in a live-action film? On today’s Nerdist News Talks Back we answered that by breaking down all the good, the bad, and the “alright!” from the film.

Host Jessica Chobot led the Nerdist League team of Rachel Heine, Dan Casey, Brendon Schulze, and Amy Vorpahl on today’s show to discuss the DCEU’s biggest entry to date. What did everyone think of the movie overall? Did the added comedic elements from Josh Whedon help? Could we easily spot his reshoots, or did his scenes blend well with Zack Snyder’s? Did he cover up some of the movie’s problems, like Henry Cavill’s mustache? And what should Warner Bros. follow this up with?

While moviegoers seem to think the characters all worked, did they work as a team? Which new character was our favorite? Would we like to have seen more about Cyborg’s backstory? Did the Batman/Wonder Woman romantic tensions feel forced? What did we make of Ben Affleck’s performance? Was this his swan song as “the Batman?” And did the Flash’s schtick start to wear thin by the end?

But what about the villains? Was Steppenwolf scary enough, or did he call out to his “mother” a little too often to frighten us? Did the movie raise the stakes enough with his battles against the Amazons and Atlanteans? Was Darkseid built up enough, or was his future role in the franchise too undersold? Was there anything that could have been done to make Steppenwolf a more dangerous foe, like rely less on CGI?

Finally, what did we make of the two post credit scenes? Are we excited for Joe Manganiello‘s Deathstroke? Does that moment have us more excited for the future of the DCEU? Could the more lighthearted first end credits scene actually be a clue as to what type of team Lex Luthor wants to put together? Or does the disappointing box office mean we might not even get a JL2? And what was our favorite moment? Who was our MVP? What about the parts we didn’t like?

Even though today’s show had a special early start, remember that normally Nerdist News Talks Back airs live weekdays at 1:00 p.m. PT on our YouTube and Alpha channels. Viewers who tune in live get to be a part of the conversation.

So my man! Make sure you join us live every day. The show is stronger when you’re a part of it, just like with the Justice League and Aquaman.

We still want to hear from you about both the movie and today’s show, so talk back to us in the comments below with your thoughts.

Images: Warner Bros.

Keep fighting Steppenwolf with more Justice League stories!

Ben Affleck stole Batarangs from the set.
How hard was it to remove Superman’s mustache?
Justice League is the first fun film in the DCEU.

Add Millennium Falcon Waffles to Your Balanced STAR WARS Breakfast

“You’ve never heard of Millennium Falcon waffles? It’s the breakfast that made the Kessel Brunch in less than 12 platefuls.” We assuming that’s about how the commercial for this Star Wars–themed waffle iron would go. (After all, Star Wars ads have certainly done weirder things in the past.) Corny commercials aside, the idea of shaping your breakfast into the most famous ship in the universe is pretty darn awesome. Take a look:This delightful kitchen appliance with the ability to convert globs of batter into crispy YT-1300f light freighters comes to us via a recent post on io9 and is vying for a good spot on our holiday wish lists. The waffle iron is being sold on Amazon for $40 which is pretty standard for nerdy waffle makers.

Anyone who’s ever made waffles knows that it’s never an entirely mess-free process. Truth be told, waffles rarely ever turn out as immaculately as they look in the advertisements. However, the Falcon iron and the similar BB-8 iron from Think Geek, which we featured last year, seem to boast fairly straightforward designs. Neither iron shows off any tricky crevasses into which stray batter might get unfortunately lodged, other than maybe the cockpit. Still, even that’s forgivable, considering how pumped we are to get the opportunity to sink our teeth into tasty Rebel Alliance insignia-branded breakfast treats.

What do you think of this breakfast gadget? Better than BB-8? Less evil than the Death Star? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

Images: Amazon | Pangea Brands

More Star Wars fun!

The Last Jedi will be the longest Star Wars movie yet
Mark Hamill surprised Star Wars fans on a Disney Parks ride
Ceres’ crater looks just like BB-8!

The Most Important JUSTICE LEAGUE Easter Eggs You Missed

Warning: This post contains spoilers about the Justice League movie and the post-credits scenes. Check back with us after you’ve seen the movie!

From the Fourth World to Gotham City, the Justice League movie has opened up new chapter for the DC Extended Universe. Earth’s greatest superheroes have finally been united, and we think that they have a bright future ahead of them now that most of the DCEU’s inherent darkness is in the rear-view mirror. Justice League also kept the superhero movie tradition alive with copious nods to the previous films and comics. Today’s Nerdist News is breaking out our Mother Box to tell you about the best easter eggs that you may have missed.

Join host and Queen of Atlantis, Jessica Chobot, as she dives deep into Justice League‘s well of references. Perhaps the most pleasing connections came from composer Danny Elfman, who not only resurrected his own Batman theme, he also reused John Williams‘ classic Superman march at the film’s pivotal points. Alfred has a fun line about “exploding wind-up penguins” that seemed like a callback to Batman Returns, while a security guard during the Flash‘s visit to his father was none other than Marc McClure, the man who played Jimmy Olsen alongside Christopher Reeve in Superman and its sequels.

There were many subtle Batman shout outs as well, including the glimpse of Black Mask’s Janus Cosmetics as well as Ace Chemicals, a company tied to the origin of the Joker. Gotham Central star Detective Crispus Allen even gets a cameo while speaking to Commissioner Gordon about the alien sightings in Metropolis. And the Flash’s line about being able to speak “Gorilla sign-language”? That’s got to be related to Gorilla Grodd. There’s even a Captain Cold nod when a diagnostic screen shows us that the Flash’s suit has a resistance to cold during Bruce Wayne’s visit to Barry Allen’s lab.

As it turns out, there really was a Green Lantern in Justice League, just not in the way that we expected. During that flashback battle, the alien Green Lantern was joined by Zeus and Hercules in the fight against Steppenwolf in ancient times. With the Atlanteans and the Amazons, that’s almost a proto-Justice League right there.

The end-credits scene teased one of the Justice League’s greatest threats: a team of the world’s deadliest villains. But we’re honestly not sure which evil team that we’ll get. The Injustice League is the best guess, but Lex Luthor and Deathstroke could also bring together the Secret Society or even the Legion of Doom. Meanwhile, the mid-credits scene paid homage to the classic Superman and Flash footraces, which Flash has almost always won.

Finally, and this was a deep cut that was easy to miss, Justice League was released on November 17, which was 25 years to the day of The Death of Superman storyline. Considering that the film borrowed several elements from that story, it seemed like a natural choice.

What’s your favorite Justice League easter egg? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: Warner Bros.

Unite the Three…Additional Posts!

Ben Affleck stole batarangs from the set
Just how much work was it to CGI-out Superman’s mustache?
What the post-credits scene means for the DCEU

For Ten Grand, an Official Colonel Sanders KFC Internet Escape Pod Is Yours!

If you thought there was no metal dome cage scarier to enter than Thunderdome, you were wrong. Think personal Thunderdome, only hugged by an enormous replica of one Colonel Harland Sanders. What are, we chicken? YES. Emphatically so.

Officially, this architectural innovation is described as an “Internet Escape Pod,” intended for Cyber Monday, to keep out all wireless signals as you huddle inside the 7-foot wide by 6-foot tall steel mesh cage. But, as KFC admits…

In case you haven’t noticed, our specialty is fried chicken, not internet-blocking cages. Although we have done our best to ensure total internet escape, a special person with a gizmo has to test our cage before we can claim total and utter signal impenetrability. Upon installation, every effort will be taken to ensure it fully blocks your device. You have the Colonel’s word.

Assembly is included, and yes, you can add this to your cart at KFC’s official online store. It may turn out to be a prank, but the process to purchase it is entirely legit.

As a nice touch, the door handles on the tent look like pieces of chicken:

It’s only $10,000, which is a bargain, and if you think otherwise, show us any other stainless steel cages with fast food mascots atop them that are cheaper. You can’t. Not in this reality.

Will two men enter and one man leave? There might not be room enough for two fully grown men inside to begin with, but one person and some chicken? Yeah, that’s probably doable. And that chicken won’t be escaping except inside a belly.

Do you need to be imprisoned by the Colonel to keep you away from online sales? Give us your best excuses in comments.

Images: KFC

FEED YOUR HEAD WITH MORE FOOD STORIES!

KFC is making a smartphone.
Remember when Hodor worked for Col. Sanders?
Not everyone loves KFC; Jake Gyllenhaal’s mad at them.

THE LAST JEDI’s Kelly Marie Tran Heard She Got the Part on Her Lunch Break

Chasing your passion isn’t always easy. It can involve long hours, double shifts, or taking odd jobs to keep bills paid. In other words, it can be exhausting. But when you make it? All of that work can be worth it. Kelly Marie Tran, a.k.a. Rose Tico in The Last Jedi, was definitely in the middle of the grind when she landed the role in the upcoming Star Wars movie. She talked to Entertainment Weekly (EW) about her acting history and about how she was almost ready to give up.

But then auditions for The Last Jedi happened. After multiple auditions and callbacks, she got the part. And the best part? She found out while on lunch break from her day job. She was working as an office assistant and left to meet with Episode VIII writer and director Rian Johnson. He told her she got the role, but then of course, said she couldn’t tell anyone. “I went back to work and answered phones and answered emails, like nothing happened,” Tran told EW.

Take a tour of @lucasfilm with #TheLastJedi’s @kellymarietran! Swipe

5 Reasons We Still Love HOME ALONE 2 After 25 Years

Today marks 25 years since Home Alone 2: Lost in New York hit theaters, two years after the original became an instant holiday classic and one of the all-time smash comedy hits at the box office. Despite not achieving the same success as the original, either in ticket sales or critical acclaim, the film did turn a nifty profit for 20th Century Fox.

But who cares about what the movie meant for the studio’s bottom line. The important thing is the film still has a loyal group of fans who love it and consider watching it an important annual Christmas tradition. We know because we’re in that group too. So in honor of today’s anniversary, and the start of the holiday season, here are 5 reasons we still love Home Alone 2 after 25 years.

5. There’s no Better Setting than New York City at Christmas Time

Christmas lights and holiday decorations can make any place feel magical, but there’s no place like New York City in December. That’s why the change in setting from the McCallister house to the Big Apple is about a big an upgrade as you can get from a sequel. You go from a decorated home to the greatest city in the world at its best.

There’s also no more perfect spot for Kevin and his mom to reunite than in front of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. We’re huge suckers for this scene and it always makes us tear up.

4. Tim Curry Plays a Hilarious Villain

Not only does the film bring back the former Wet Bandits Harry and Marv played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern (now known as the Sticky Bandits), it also adds Tim Curry to the cast as the smarmy hotel manager who doesn’t quite believe Kevin’s story. He’s hysterical in every scene. Even while you’re rooting against him you’re still kinda on his side because he’s so likable despite being so bad.

3. There’s a Giant Toy Store!

The Home Alone movies are both a) Christmas movies and b) kids’ movies, so what could possibly be a more amazing place to include than the world’s biggest, greatest-looking toy store. It’s impossible to watch Kevin in there and not turn into a kid yourself.

Even better is that the store is not used a sign of everything wrong with the commercialism of the season like the one in Jingle All the Way. The store’s owner is donating proceeds from holiday sales to kids in need, and Kevin cares about stopping the Sticky Bandits from robbing it for that reason. It’s a great message while also letting viewers geek out like little kids.

2. It Makes More Sense Than the Original

The movie might reuse the same formula from the first film, but the original has a monster plot hole that’s tough to ignore–Kevin would never be able to hide at home by himself for that long. That required the police to put in about 30 seconds effort trying to find a missing child. It makes no sense.

Finding Kevin in New York City is at reasonably difficult, you know, since there are millions of people there. Even when his dad’s “stolen” credit card points to him being at the hotel, Tim Curry chases him off because his character is an awful idiot, so the film addresses how Kevin can be on his own for so long.

Not to mention Harry and Marv’s reasons for facing off against Kevin are far more defensible this time. Why didn’t they just rob a different house in the first one? Their need for revenge here is at least sort of logical.

1. It Has All the Best Elements of a Christmas Movie

Beyond the holiday setting the things that make a great Christmas movie are the themes of goodwill, family, second chances, redemption, and selflessness. Between Kevin’s relationships with his mother, the pigeon lady, and the kindly old toy store owner, the film touches on all of those.

Though Home Alone 2 is a comedy, it is far more defined by its heart. No one should be alone on Christmas, and the film never forgets that. And that’s why we still love it after all these years.

But what do you think? What’s your favorite scene from the movie? How does it compare to the original? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

Images: 20th Century Fox

Want to Spend More Time With Home Alone?

Here’s how much the booby traps from Home Alone would mess you up
Home Alone Funko figures are too cute