It's December 1, so we think it's absolutely fine by now to say: Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals! And of course, cometh the season, cometh the seasonal movies: we all have our favorites, but near the top has to be the original Home Alone, the bonafide classic that made a twinkly Christmas star outta Macaulay Culkin. And if, as a kid, you ever held lofty ambitions of taking over the lavish McCallister residence for a night of junk food-fuelled debauchery, now's your chance, apropos of a special offer at AirBnB.
That's right: from December 7 at 1 p.m. C.T., you'll have the chance to book yourself in for an overnight at the MacCallister home while they're, ahem, "away on vacation". Hope they've remembered everyone this time! The listing reads, apparently written by older son Buzz McCallister (Devin Ratray):
"Many Christmases ago, the McCallisters went to Paris – well, most of us. Though we’re older and wiser now (I’ve even got my own security firm), we’re never too old for holiday hijinks. So while we’re away on vacation (all of us, this time), I’m inviting one crew of mischief makers to let their inner eight-year-olds run free in my childhood home on Dec. 12. *This is not a contest. Guests are responsible for their own travel."
What about the house itself? Well, the first words to jump to mind for us were "camp" and "kitsch," and it's definitively both of those: the internal color scheme is a garishly festive red-and-green, with the place echoing the Whoville sets of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas more than anything else. The wallpaper is similarly tacky, formed of grandma patterns colored with a sickly cherry rouge. But hey, at least it's secure: there's even a paint can dangling over the stairs, just in case you need to keep out some violent ruffians.
And, mustache-twirling, beard-stroking critiques of the gaudiness aside, whoever decorated the house has clearly gone the extra mile in making it feel appropriately Christmassy, so hey, props to them.
The interesting offer comes in the wake of the release of Home Sweet Home Alone, which went straight to Disney+ last month to, uh, generally poor reviews. Our verdict? "Home Sweet Home Alone proves that this franchise is no longer what the French call “les incompétents,” but this franchise still has some work to do in order to get back to its glory days," said critic Ross Bonaime, concluding with a passable C rating.
Home Sweet Home Alone is available to watch on Disney+ now.