Surprising things you didn't know about the 'Home Alone' movies - It's hard to believe that 'Home Alone' (1990) is over 30-years-old. What started out as a simple holiday film for families went on to smash box-office records, spawn a franchise that's now on its sixth movie, and make a superstar of actor Macaulay Culkin. The original movie is still required holiday viewing, and its sequel has stood the test of time, too. But before you cozy up for your festive 'Home Alone' fix, click through this gallery to discover some little-known facts about the films. Go on!

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The iconic aftershave scene was an accident -

Kevin's horrified reaction to applying aftershave is one of the most iconic images of 'Home Alone,' but the hands-to-face scream was actually an accident. Director Chris Columbus told Insider that he had actually asked Macaulay Culkin to pull his hands away from his face as he screamed.

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'Uncle Buck' inspired 'Home Alone' -

While watching Macaulay Culkin filming 1989's 'Uncle Buck,' writer and producer John Hughes was inspired to write a film based around the antics of a young boy.

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The the two movies share a similar moment -

There's a scene in 'Uncle Buck' in which Macaulay Culkin interrogates a babysitter through a mail slot. In 'Home Alone,' he interrogates Daniel Stern's character, Marv, through a doggie door.

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The movie was written with Culkin in mind -

Hughes had Culkin in mind while writing the part of Kevin, but that didn't stop director Chris Columbus from casting around. He auditioned around 200 kids for the role, but none could match Culkin's natural grasp of the character.

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John Candy was on set for just one long day -

'Uncle Buck' star John Candy reportedly filmed his cameo in 'Home Alone' in just one 23-hour day on set. According to Insider, he made his appearance as a favor to Hughes, and earned the minimum studio pay rate for his efforts.

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And he improvised many of his lines -

In a 2020 interview with Insider, Chris Columbus said that John Candy improvised some of his most hilarious lines, at 4:30am!

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The movie held a box-office record for nearly 30 years -

The highest-grossing film of 1990, 'Home Alone' held a box-office record for nearly 30 years. Forbes reported that its US$285.7 million gross domestic takings held the record for highest-grossing single-territory live-action movie for 27 years. Chinese blockbuster 'Never Say Die' broke the record in 2017.

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The BB-gun pellet was painted -

Back in 1990, CGI wasn't commonplace on set, and budgets were tight. Chris Columbus told Insider that the BB gun pellet Kevin shoots Marv with was "an animated effect. A guy with a paintbrush in a basement for six frames hand-painted a BB."

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Culkin can't watch the movie like the rest of us -

In a 2018 interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Macaulay Culkin said he was unable to watch the film without recalling the behind-the-scenes moments on set.

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Watching 'Home Alone' is a Polish holiday tradition -

Every Christmas Eve, millions of Polish families gather around the TV to watch 'Home Alone.' Attempts to remove it from the holiday schedule in 2010 were met with public protests.

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Chris Columbus didn't expect Joe Pesci to sign up -

The director has said he was "stunned" that Pesci took the role of hapless burglar Harry.

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Robert De Niro was considered for the role of Harry -

The production team had originally considered Robert De Niro for the role, before Pesci made the part his own.

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Joe Pesci scared Culkin on set -

The actor would reportedly hide from Culkin on set, in order to make the young actor feel afraid of him.

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And apparently bit him! -

According to Mental Floss, Pesci accidentally bit Culkin during rehearsals for a scene in which Harry says he will bite all Kevin's fingers off.

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There were some F-bombs on set -

Mental Floss also reports that Pesci, more used to gangster movies than family flicks, would drop the odd F-bomb on set. Chris Columbus apparently suggested he should say "fridge" instead.

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Macaulay's younger brother crops up in the movie -

Macaulay wasn't the only Culkin in the movie. In his debut role, younger brother Kieran crops up as Kevin's cousin, Fuller.

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And he didn't grasp the plot -

In a 2020 episode of 'The Late Late Show with James Corden,' Kieran Culkin told the host: "I didn't even know what the movie was about when we were doing it, so it was a fresh, brand-new movie when I saw it."

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Chris Columbus learned lessons about family dynamics -

In a 2013 interview with The Guardian, the director revealed that the Culkin family's notoriously-troubled dynamic taught him a thing or two about casting.

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Some of the stories were "hair raising" -

"I was much younger and I was really too naïve to think about the family environment as well. We didn’t know that much about the family at the beginning; as we were shooting, we learned a little more. The stories are hair-raising. I was casting a kid who truly had a troubled family life."

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Chris Columbus couldn't work with Chevy Chase -

According to Chicago magazine, Columbus was working on the 1989 movie 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation,' but had difficulties working with star Chevy Chase.

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So John Hughes asked him to direct 'Home Alone' instead -

In the 2015 article, written by John Hughes' son James, Columbus said he received two scripts from Hughes around a fortnight later. "One was 'Home Alone,' with a note from John asking if I wanted to direct."

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John Hughes wrote the 'Home Alone' screenplay in just nine days -

In the same article, James Hughes revealed that it took his father just nine days to write the screenplay for one of the biggest movies ever.

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It was inspired by Hughes' travel anxiety -

James Hughes said that his late father "jotted down in a notebook a movie idea, born of traveler's anxiety," amid the bustle of packing for a trip. He came back to the idea two weeks later, asking himself "What would happen if one of the kids had been left behind?"

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The movie spawned a whole lot of merch -

As well as spawning a six-movie (and counting) franchise, 'Home Alone' led to video games, board games, and even a Lego replica of the 'Home Alone' house and its characters.

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The 'Home Alone' snow went to Chicago's Lyric Opera -

The artificial snow from the original 'Home Alone' movie was donated to the Lyric Opera of Chicago, which has used it in several productions.

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Macaulay Culkin made big bucks for 'Home Alone 2: Lost in New York' -

According to NME, Macaulay Culkin received  US$4.5 million for reprising his role of Kevin in the 1992 sequel, the largest amount ever to have been paid to a 12-year-old actor.

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It was originally 'Alone Again' -

NME's 2017 article also reports that the original name for the follow-up was 'Alone Again,' but that Chris Columbus changed the name because he didn't want people to think it was a remake.

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Cameras froze on set -

If the characters look cold in 'Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,' it's for real. It was apparently so cold during filming that some cameras froze on set!

Sources: (The Guardian) (NME) (Chicago Magazine) (Mental Floss) (Insider) (BBC) (Forbes) (ET)

See also: Child star one hit wonders

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