Interiors (1978) - Allen's first serious film is enjoyable, smart; perhaps too much so

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A sparse, minimalist and entirely textual poster for Woody Allen's Interiors

A New York family with a mentally unstable mother and three adult daughters. The matriarch's husband, the father, requests a temporary separation, which eats through the mother. Meanwhile the daughters deal with each their own issues.

 

Interiors is written and directed by New-Yorker master filmmaker Woody Allen (What's Up, Tiger Lily? (1966)), whose 8th feature it is.  

Good performances outline this dark film, - both thematically and literally speaking, although the central theme is elusive. Allen's writing is, as usual, solid, smart and adroitly carried out; the color choices and production design speaks volumes as to the family's problems.

This feels like Allen 'doing Bergman', (Swedish master filmmaker Ingmar Bergman that is), one feels, and being extraordinarily serious. It is well done, but it doesn't leap from the screen, so to speak, but rather may feel a bit sterile. Interiors is good nevertheless.

 

Related posts:
 
Woody Allen: 2016 in films - according to Film Excess

Café Society (2016) - The greatest living American filmmaker hands us another splendid gem

Irrational Man (2015) - Allen's pleasant morality tale divertisement

2014 in films - according to Film Excess

Magic in the Moonlight (2014) - Allen's irresistible French Riviera romance

2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
Blue Jasmine (2013) - Allen presenets Blanchett, a woman under the influence

Fading Gigolo (2013) - Turturro's pleasant turn as a high-end NY prostitute  (as actor)

To Rome with Love (2012) - Woody Allen's slightest film to date  

2011 in films - according to Film Excess

Midnight in Paris (2011) - Allen's zany (and a little depressing) crowd-pleaser  

Cassandra's Dream (2007) - Allen's well-laid but inconsequentiel English cul-de-sac  

Match Point (2005) - Allen takes London with pensive thriller hit 

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Top 10: The best big flop movies reviewed by Film Excess to date  
Anything Else (2003) - Perfect contemporary relationship comedy 

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001) - Allen's hypnotic, noirish shenanigans 
Celebrity (1998) or, Stars in New York

Mighty Aphrodite (1995) - Sorvino soars in funny Allen dramedy (writer/director/co-star) 
Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) - Sin and guilt up for laughs and rumination in unspectacular Allen work 

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) or, Manhattan Struggles and Wonders 
Broadyway Danny Rose (1984) or, Keep Your Heart   

Top 10: Best comedies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Annie Hall (1977) or, My Relationship with Alvie Singer   

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (1972) - Allen's curious sex comedy is a riot
Bananas (1971) - Woody Allen's South American misadventure is still a barrel of laughs   
Casino Royale (1967) - The packed spy spoof frontrunner, a film very much of its time (as actor)

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 3.1 mil. $

Box office: In excess of 10.4 mil. $ (North America alone)

= Uncertain but likely a big hit (projected return of 4.64 times its cost)

[Interiors premiered 2 August (New York) and runs 92 minutes. Shooting took place from October 1977 - January 1978 in New York. The film grossed 10.4 mil. $ in North America, and gross numbers from its foreign markets are regrettably not reported. It sold 41,636 tickets in the small market Denmark, coming to approximately 133k $. A conservatively projected foreign gross of 4 mil. $ would result in a 14.4 mil. $ world gross, which would rank the film a big hit. It was nominated for 5 Oscars, winning none: It lost Best Actress (Geraldine Page (Loving (1983, TV-series))) to Jane Fonda in Coming Home; Supporting Actress (Maureen Stapleton (Passed Away (1992))) to Maggie Smith in California Suite; Art Direction - Set Decoration to Heaven Can Wait; Director to Michael Cimino for The Deer Hunter and Original Screenplay to Nancy Dowd, Waldo Salt and Robert C. Jones for Coming Home. It won 1/2 BAFTA awards, was nominated for 4 Golden Globes and won a National Board of Review award, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 4/4 star review, translating to 2 notches over this one. Allen returned with Manhattan (1979). Page returned in Harry's War (1981); Stapleton in The Runner Stumbles (1979). Interiors is fresh at 78 % with a 6.90/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Interiors? 

Hope and Glory (1987) - Boorman's fond WWII childhood memory picture

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A boy in shorts runs joyously through a street with blimps in the sky above him on this bright poster for John Boorman's Hope and Glory

An English family during World War II have to learn to get used to the rationing, the bombings and the widespread uncertainty, but for the children it is a most thrilling time!

 

Hope and Glory is written, co-produced and directed by great English filmmaker John Boorman (Having a Wild Weekend (1965)). It is based on his own childhood memories.

The film gives a highly unconventional, positive angle to wartime England, and Hope and Glory is outstandingly picturesque, (with cinematography by Philippe Rousselot (Beast (2022))), definitely encouraging and life-affirming. It has infectious performances and fun moments. In fact as a war picture, Hope and Glory is sometimes too jocular for my taste, but its charms makes it a winner nonetheless. 

 

Related post:

 

John Boorman: Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977) - Boorman stuns with truly abysmal sequel

Hell in the Pacific (1968) - Boorman's boring two-man turkey 

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 9.3 mil. $

Box office: In excess of 11.57 mil. $ (only North America, the UK and Denmark)

= Uncertain, but likely a big flop (projected return of 1.61 times its cost)

[Hope and Glory premiered 21 August (Montréal World Film Festival) and runs 113 minutes. Reportedly the street set constructed for the filming was the biggest built in the UK in 25 years. Shooting took place from August - October 1986 in England, including in London. The film grossed 10 mil. $ in North America and approximately 1.5 mil. $ in the UK (845k £). It made around 70k $ in Denmark, where it was not a major film. If the final world gross was 15 mil. $, the film would rank as a big flop. It was nominated for 5 Oscars: It lost Best Art Direction/Set Decoration to The Last Emperor, Cinematography to Vittorio Storaro for The Last Emperor, Director to Bernardo Bertolucci for The Last Emperor, Picture to The Last Emperor and Original Screenplay to John Patrick Shanley for Moonstruck. It won 1/13 BAFTA nominations, 1/3 Golden Globes and a National Board of Review award, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 3/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. Boorman followed the film up with a sequel many years later, Queen & Country (2014), his last film. Boorman first returned with Where the Heart Is (1990). Sebastian Rice-Edwards, who plays the protagonist Billy, never returned to the screen. Hope and Glory is fresh at 96 % with an 8.30/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Hope and Glory?

Hearts in Atlantis (2001) - Beautiful photography and performances drive Hicks' King adaptation

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A mysterious story teaser and a very popular star in Anthony Hopkins reach for our interest on this poster for Scott Hicks' Hearts in Atlantis

Bobby is a quick-witted 12 year-old boy in 1960. He lives with his inattentive mother, when a strange man named Ted moves into their house, and a series of experiences follow for Bobby.

 

Hearts in Atlantis is written by William Goldman (Chaplin (1992)), adapting the novella Low Men in Yellow Coats from the story collection Hearts in Atlantis (1999) by Stephen King (Roadwork (1981)), and directed by Scott Hicks (The Wanderer (1974)).

Behind the quizzical poster is a surprisingly good film, really beautifully photographed (by Piotr Sobocinski (Ransom (1996))), with customary neat period music. It is a rare King adaptation largely without supernatural/horror elements, (SPOILER except for the fact that Ted has psychic abilities.)

There is eminent acting between Anthony Hopkins (Red Dragon (2002)) as the melancholy-wise Ted and Anton Yelchin (Green Room (2015) as the irrefutably intelligent and charming Bobby. There are also good supporting performances from Hope Davis (Wayward Pines (2015-16)) as the flawed mother, Mika Boorem (House (2007, TV-series)) as the girl, and from Celia Weston (The Intern (2015)) and Alan Tudyk (Playing God (2021)) in single scenes.

A perfect ending is missed, as Hicks insists on an unnecessary, laughable framing story, where good David Morse (Wall Street (2014, TV movie)) as adult Bobby spells it out for us without a shade of subtlety that the events we have just witnessed would become decisive for his later life. That ending is a shame.

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 31 mil. $

Box office: 30.9 mil. $

= Huge flop (returned 0.99 times its cost)

[Hearts in Atlantis premiered 7 September (Toronto International Film Festival) and runs 101 minutes. Shooting took place from October 2000 - February 2001 in Virginia. The film opened #3, behind fellow new released Don't Say a Word and Zoolander, to a 9 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it left the top 5 in its second weekend and grossed 24.1 mil. $ (78 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Spain with 1.3 mil. $ (4.2 %) and Australia with 1.1 mil. $ (3.6 %). Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5/4 star review, translating to a notch over this one. Hicks returned with No Reservations (2007). Hopkins returned in Bad Company (2002). Hearts in Atlantis is rotten at 49 % with a 5.80/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Hearts in Atlantis?

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) - Cameron outdoes himself with amazing adventure

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Central characters and a dazzling image of high adventure from the film make up this poster for James Cameron's Avatar: The Way of Water

Many years after US Marine Jake Sully joined the Na'vi people of Pandora in his Avatar body, he has built a family with Neytiri with 4 children. But now the human 'sky people' force them to leave their home and seek sanctum with the Metkayina 'reef people'.

 

Avatar: The Way of Water is written by Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver (Eye for an Eye (1996), both) and Ontarian master filmmaker, co-writer/co-producer/director James Cameron (Piranha II: The Spawning (1981)), with Josh Friedman (The Black Dahlia (2006)) and Shane Salerno (Armageddon (1998)) contributing story elements. It is Cameron's 11th feature and the sequel to his Avatar (2009), still the highest-grossing film of all time (2.923 bil. $.)

One of the longest-anticipated films in history, Avatar: The Way of Water arrives at a critical time for the theatrical business, and hopefully it will reinvigorate it and bring some patrons back in the cinema seats. It is pretty much all you could have hoped for and actually a greater film than the first one. My history with Avatar is that it completely blew me away in 2009, but that I have later revisited it in more humbling home surroundings and found that its simplistic, cliched narrative politics worked against its visual magic.

That seems less the case in Way of Water, although the militaristic-industrial humans are still the villains. The simple romance story of the first film is now enlarged to be a family story with wider themes of parenthood, rebellion/coming-of-age, unity, loss and love giving meaning to most every minute of the film's epic span. The story, which echoes both Cameron's Aliens (1986) and Titanic (1997), is good, and it doesn't matter so much if you aren't clear the first time around at every turn who each blue character is, because more than a plot- or character-driven vehicle, Avatar movies are visual adventures. The 3D technology, accelerated frame rate and especially the completely amazing wonders of mechanical and natural designs that the film throws at us are exhilarating on a level that few films can match. You've simply gotta see Avatar: The Way of Water at the cinema to go to this new water world of Pandora.

It is hard to critique the performances of a film that's so much motion-capture and so little live-action. How do we know if the strong performances are really thanks to the actor and not a team of expert animators, basically? Sam Worthington's (Everest (2015)) Sully has less adventure in Way of Water as he wrestles with fatherhood and protecting his family. Zoe Saldana (Missing Link (2019)) is fierce as the more intuitive Neytiri. Jack Champion (Truck Slut (2018, short)) is a new, charismatic member as the caught-in-the-middle boy Spider. Edie Falco (Landline (2017)) is a welcome addition as General Ardmore and likely to return. And Stephen Lang (Death in Texas (2020)) is fantastic as the evil ex-Marine Quaritch.

The late James Horner's (Titanic (1997)) original theme is wonderful. The action is fabulous and thrilling, the sense of wonder is rare and powerful, and Avatar: The Way of Water also has moments of moving poignancy. 

You have no business doing anything but going to a cinema to see this movie! Off with you!

 

Related posts:

James Cameron: The 2000s in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 
Top 10: The best action movies and TV-series reviewed by Film Excess to date
Top 10: The best adventure movies reviewed by Film Excess to date    

Avatar (2009) - Cameron's simplistic action-adventure wins with visuals 

Solaris (2002) - A suffering space question mark (co-producer)
Aliens (1986) or, Alien War

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: Reportedly 350-400 mil. $

Box office: 441.7 mil. $ and counting

= Too early to say

[Avatar: The Way of Water premiered 6 December (London) and runs 192 minutes. Production was announced in 2010. The release was delayed 8 times, as writing, visual effects technology, especially concerning shooting motion capture underwater, and other issues dragged out, until the corona pandemic hit and further complicated matters. Shooting took place from September 2017 - September 2020 in California, including in Los Angeles, and New Zealand, including in Wellington. The film opened #1 to a 134.1 mil. $ first weekend in North America. Cameron has stated that it will need to break 2 bil. $ globally to be considered a success. The film was shot back to back with Avatar 3, set to release in December 2024. The future of Cameron's further two planned sequels are as of yet uncertain due to their enormous costs. The film has won an AFI award, is nominated for 2 Golden Globes and won a National Board of Review award, among other honors. Cameron is returning with Avatar 3 (2024). Wortington returns in The Georgetown Project (2022); Saldana in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023); and Lang in Avatar 3. Avatar: The Way of Water is certified fresh at 78 % with a 7.10/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Avatar: The Way of Water? 

Anastasia (1997) - Splendor!

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+ Best Musical of the Year

 

What could be thought of as a malevolent god above looms on this grand poster for Don Bluth and Gary Goldman's Anastasia

Anastasia is only a very young princess in the Russian royal family, when the revolution splits said family apart. As an adult she goes to Paris, where she learns of her true ancestry.

 

Anastasia is written by Susan Gauthier (The Carol Burnett Show (1991, TV-series)), Bruce Graham (Twisted (1986)), Bob Tzudiker, Noni White (The Lion King (1994), both) and Eric Tuchman (Eureka (2010-12)) and directed by Texan master filmmaker Don Bluth (The Secret of NIMH (1981)), whose 8th film it was, and Gary Goldman (All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)).

The real-life story is taken up and spun around into a fantastical, original story, - really a fantasy about learning something truly fantastical (such as that you're really a Russian princess), and that very wild hopes can come true, - which moves several times in this great first Fox Animation feature, a film you'll have to made of stone not to be touched by.

The plot also has weak sides, - mostly in relation to the villain scenes, - and the mix of traditional cel animation and computer animation is sometimes very clear, (take it as a part of the technical development process of the time.) But Anastasia also has ravishing songs and enormously beautiful drawings and colors and is a an over-all lavish production, and a gift for every romantic out there.

 

Related post:

 

1997 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 53 mil. $

Box office: 139.8 mil. $

= Box office success (returned 2.63 times its cost)

[Anastasia premiered 14 November (New York) and runs 94 minutes. The film is Fox Animation's first feature and highly historically inaccurate. Production took place in Phoenix, Arizona. It opened #2, behind Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, to a 14.1 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 2 weekends in the top 5 (#3-#4), grossing 58.4 mil. $ ( 41.8 % of the total gross). Reportedly more than 50 mil. $ was spent marketing the film in partnerships with commercial partners. Disney attempted to drown out Anastasia at the box office with several releases and re-releases of popular titles. More than 8 mil. home video copies of the film were sold in North America. The film was nominated for 2 Oscars: Best Song (Journey to the Past by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens), lost to My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion, James Horner and Will Jennings from Titanic, and Best Score: Musical/Comedy (Stephen Flaherty, Lynn Ahrens, David Newman), lost to Anne Dudley for The Full Monty. It was also nominated for 2 Golden Globes, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 3.5/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. Bluth and Goldman returned with Anastasia spin-off, Bartok the Magnificent (1999, video) and theatrically with Titan A.E. (2000). Meg Ryan (Sleepless in Seattle (1993)) returned in City of Angels (1998); John Cusack (City Hall (1996)) in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997); and Christopher Lloyd (Cadillac Ranch (1996)) in The Animated Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1998, video), The Ransom of Red Chief (1998, TV movie) and theatrically in My Favorite Martian (1999). Anastasia is certified fresh at 86 % with a 7.10/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Anastasia?

Home Alone (1990) - Columbus, Hughes, Culkin and co. take Christmas and home defense to the next level

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The charm and instant likability of Macauley Culkin sells the whole movie on this poster for Chris Columbus' Home Alone

Kevin McCallister's monstrously large family forget him in Chicago, when they head off for Christmas in Paris; meanwhile two mean crooks plan a mass-burglary scheme in their neighborhood!

 

Home Alone is written by John Hughes (Pretty in Pink (1986)) and directed by great Pennsylvanian filmmaker Chris Columbus (Adventures in Babysitting (1987)).

Macauley Culkin's (Richie Rich (1994)) charm and talent as a performer makes this otherwise somewhat grotesque film a celebration of entertainment for all ages, and particularly for the young. The slapstick humor that becomes dark comedy strikes some, but it is funny!

Joe Pesci (Raging Bull (1980)), Daniel Stern (Viva Las Nowhere (2001)), John Candy (Splash (1984)) (hilarious as the leader of a polka band that Kevin's mother comes into contact with) and Roberts Blossom (Always (1989)) as Marley, the old next-door neighbor are also terrific. Probably unintentionally the Home Alone films also show that meaning is best found outside of the family bonds, a point which I rather like. This is especially because Kevin's family is so awful, and his parents so negligent and stressed out as to virtually prick adult viewers in their eyes.

Home Alone is wildly unrealistic. - But jump on anyway. This wacky contraption is a ball!

 

Related posts:

 

Home Alone franchise: Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) - The coolest kid in the world incites kiddie bellylaughs once again

Chris Columbus: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) - Potter and Co. return for handsome if overlong first sequel

Top 10: Best family movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

Top 10: Best dramedies reviewed by Film Excess to date 
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) - Columbus and Robin Williams score with a truly great family jewel

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) - The coolest kid in the world incites kiddie bellylaughs once again 

The Goonies (1985) - Sweet child performances drive Donner's beloved, uneven adventure (writer)
Gremlins (1984) - Dante's 1980s puppetry classic (writer)

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 18 mil. $

Box office: 476.6 mil. $

= Blockbuster (returned 26.47 times its cost)

[Home Alone premiered 10 November (Chicago) and runs 103 minutes. Hughes had promised Warner Bros. that he could make the film for 10 mil. $. When it turned out to be impossible, he had made a secret deal with Fox already, and they went in and paid for finishing the film - and thereby snatched the extremely lucrative distribution rights for the Home Alone franchise before a competing studio that must have regretted their refusal to pay up for years after. Culkin was paid 110k $ for his performance. Shooting took place from February - May 1990 in Paris, France and in Illinois, including in Chicago. Candy did his cameo as a favor to Hughes and shot his scenes in one 23 hour-long day for just 414 $. The film opened #1 to a 17 mil. $ first weekend in America, where it remained #1 for 11 consecutive weekends and then stayed in the top 5 for another 4 weekends (#3-#4-#4-#5), grossing 285.7 mil. $ (59.9 % of the total gross). It was the highest-grossing film of the year in North America, where it sold 67.7 mil. tickets, and the 3rd highest-grossing of all time (at the time), after E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Star Wars. It was also the highest-grossing live-action comedy until The Hangover Part II (2011) and highest-grossing Christmas movie until Dr. Seuss' The Grinch (2018). It was nominated for 2 Oscars: Best Score (John Williams), lost to John Barry for Dances with Wolves, and Song (Somewhere in My Memory, Williams and Leslie Bricusse), lost to Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man) by Stephen Sondheim from Dick Tracy. It was also nominated for 2 Golden Globes and a Grammy, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 2.5/4 star review, translating to a notch under this one. It also made 150 mil. $ on video sales in North America initially. The film spun a franchise which continued with the same filmmakers and cast in Home Alone 2: Alone in New York (1992). Columbus returned first with Only the Lonely (1991). Culkin returned first in Only the Lonely; Pesci in The Super (1991)); and Stern in The Simpsons (1991, TV-series)) and theatrically in City Slickers (1991). Home Alone fresh at 67 % with a 5.80/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Home Alone?

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) - The coolest kid in the world incites kiddie bellylaughs once again

♥♥♥♥

 

The popular trio from the first film reappear around a skyscraper on this amusing poster for Chris Columbus' Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

Kevin's McCallister's family is heading to Florida for a Christmas vacation, but at the airport Kevin gets into the wrong plane and ends up in New York, and there he is reunited with the ugly crooks from the first Home Alone!

 

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is written and produced by John Hughes (Beethoven (1992)) and directed by great Pennsylvanian filmmaker Chris Columbus (Adventures in Babysitting (1987)). It is the sequel to runaway hit Home Alone (1990) by the same filmmakers with an also returning cast.

Very, very unoriginal, Home Alone 2 almost feels like a remake of the original film, - but then that film was also so bloody good that it doesn't matter much. Macauley Culkin (Saved! (2004)) is still the cutest, coolest kid in the universe here, although we this time around have no patience with his unacceptably aloof, stressed-out parents. As characters they basically deserve a slow suffocation death for their negligence to their kid.

Luckily Kevin's a go-getter and a tough cookie. SPOILER His friendship with the pigeon lady of Central Park and the moving ending to Home Alone 2 melts hearts as butter, again some movie magic that is largely due to Hughes' script and Culkin's performance and over-all angelic appearance.

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is well staged with funny bits also from Tim Curry (The Secret Moonacre (2008)) and Rob Schneider (Noah (2012)) at the Plaza Hotel where Kevin takes residence, - and lots of violent slapstick gags which are fairly tasteless but nevertheless get me chuckling mirthfully every time.

 

Related posts:

 

Chris Columbus: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) - Potter and Co. return for handsome if overlong first sequel

Top 10: Best family movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

Top 10: Best dramedies reviewed by Film Excess to date 
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) - Columbus and Robin Williams score with a truly great family jewel

The Goonies (1985) - Sweet child performances drive Donner's beloved, uneven adventure (writer)
Gremlins (1984) - Dante's 1980s puppetry classic (writer)

 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 28 mil. $

Box office: 358.9 mil. $

= Mega-hit (returned 12.81 times its cost)

[Home Alone 2: Lost in New York premiered 15 November (California) and runs 120 minutes. The script was part of Hughes' 6-picture deal with Fox. Culkin was paid 4.5 mil. $ for his performance, 40 times the 110k $ he got for the first film - plus 5% of the film's gross (17.94 mil. $ if the world gross was the gross decided on/8.67 mil. $ if it was the North-American gross alone); a new record pay for a child actor of only 11 years old. Daniel Stern (City Slickers (1991)) was paid 1 mil. $. Shooting took place from December 1991 - May 1992 in New York, California and Illinois, including in Chicago. Donald Trump got himself a cameo in the film in exchange for letting the shoot take place at his Plaza Hotel. The film opened #1 to a 31.1 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it stayed #1 for another 2 weekends and remained in the top 5 for another 4 weeks (#2-#3-#3-#3), grossing 173.5 mil. $ (48.3 % of the total gross). The film was the 2nd highest-grossing of the year in North America, behind The Bodyguard, and the 3rd highest-grossing of the year worldwide, behind The Bodyguard and Aladdin. Roger Ebert gave it a 2/4 star review, translating to 2 notches under this one. The Home Alone franchise was cemented with Home Alone 3 (1997) with a script by Hughes but a new director and cast. Columbus returned with Mrs. Doubtfire (1993). Culkin returned in Darlene Love: All Alone on Christmas (1992, music video) and theatrically in The Good Son (1993); Joe Pesci (The Death Collector (1976)) in A Bronx Tale (1993); and Stern in The Wonder Years (1988-93) and theatrically in Rookie of the Year (1993). Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is rotten at 35 % with a 4.50/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Home Alone 2: Lost in New York?