[upbeat music playing] If you’re a Home Alone fan then stick around
because you’re about to discover 15 behind the scene facts about Home Alone 2 – Lost in New York.
[Film clapper sound, music continues]
The Talk-boy cassette recorder didn’t actually work because it was just a prop.
However, a working version was later released by Tiger Electronics
to appease all the kids who begged their parents to get one after seeing the movie.
The Plaza’s real phone number was used in the movie.
Movies almost always use fake phone numbers that begin with 555.
But in Home Alone 2 The Plaza decided to use their real number instead,
and as you might imagine their reservations went through the roof once the movie came out.
Macauley Culkin made big bucks on the sequel.
The child star was paid $4.5M to play Kevin again, which at the time was the biggest
salary ever paid to a twelve-year-old actor.
The original title wasn’t going to be "Home Alone 2".
It was actually going to be "Alone Again".
But director Chris Columbus changed the title because he didn’t want people to think
it was going to be a remake of the original.
However I don’t think he succeeded because the sequel is still suspiciously similar to the first movie anyway.
Unlike the first "Home Alone", the sequel used real snow.
Most Christmas movies use fake snow to have more control over the weather elements.
However, a blizzard hit the "Home Alone 2" set before the shoot,
so the snow you see in the movie is real.
Temperatures got to be so cold that several of the cameras froze during filming.
The airport scenes were more difficult to shoot than the first film.
The airport had to stay operational during filming,
and Macaulay Culkin's celebrity status required extra security due to fans and paparazzi.
Actress Sandra Macat who played Santa's Elf in "Home Alone" can be spotted in "Home Alone 2"
where this time she played an airport employee.
There are several celebrity cameos in the movie as well.
The most obvious one you may already know about is Donald Trump, who owned the Plaza Hotel at the time.
Ally Sheedy from The Breakfast Club also made a cameo.
You can spot her as the airport agent that Kevin tries to talk to once he realizes he’s in New York.
Another more hidden cameo is of the Yoda puppeteer Frank Oz
who can be seen putting money into a donation can right after Marv steals some money with his sticky glove.
The hotel pool where Kevin loses his swim trunks is not The Plaza pool.
It’s actually the pool at the Four Seasons in Chicago.
For all you fans of the “Angels with Filthy Souls” scenes,
"Home Alone 2" was the last film the “Johnny actor” Ralph Foody did before passing away.
At least he went out with a bang!
[Comedy drum hit sound used for lame jokes]
Duncan’s Toy Chest is based on another famous toy store, which was FAO Schwarz in Manhatten,
but those scenes were actually filmed in Chicago.
The Rookery building was used for the exterior shots,
while the interior shots were filmed at Chicago’s Uptown Theater.
The movie helped change the interior decor of the Plaza Hotel.
Some of the carpet was removed from The Plaza lobby
so they could film Kevin sliding on the floor into the elevator.
Donald Trump reportedly liked the new look so much that he left the floor that way after filming had wrapped.
Not once during this movie or "Home Alone" do the two crooks ever mention Kevin’s name.
Harry recognizes his name on the backpack,
but they still only call him “kid”, “little buddy”, or other such names throughout the movie.
Daniel Stern got a taste of pigeon.
While filming the scene where the two crooks get attacked by pigeons,
Daniel Stern reported that part of a bird accidentally touched the inside of his mouth.
Yuck!
Which "Home Alone" movie is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below.
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