Home Alone was the most pirated classic Christmas movie of 2022

[Shawn Knight]

In brief: As millions settled in for the long holiday weekend, many donned pirate hats in search of something to watch for free over the break. Christmas movies are always a hit this time of year, and 2022 didn't disappoint in that regard.

TorrentFreak, which collected data from BitTorrent over the past weekend, has compiled a list of the most pirated classic Christmas movies and a clear winner emerged. Home Alone, starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern, topped the list followed by its sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, in second place.

The Grinch, Elf and How the Grinch Stole Christmas rounded out the top five, in that order.

Home Alone hit theaters in November 1990. Culkin played protagonist Kevin McCallister, a young boy who defends his home against burglars after accidentally being left behind when his family goes on vacation to Paris for Christmas. The film crushed it at the box office, raking in $476.7 million while simultaneously launching Culkin's acting career. It stood as the highest-grossing live-action comedy until it was overtaken by The Hangover Part II in 2011.

Home Alone has since become a holiday tradition for millions, as evident by it topping TorrentFreak's list. It continues to resonate with viewers and has stayed fresh for well over 30 years thanks in part to modern toy tie-ins like those from Funko and Lego.

Last year, the real-life home where the film was shot, was made available for a one-night stay on Airbnb.

Check out this behind-the-scenes video filmed during the making of Home Alone

Several sequels followed but none starred Culkin and only one ever made it to theaters. Most consider anything outside of the first two movies to be flops simply trying to capitalize on the franchise's name.

Those interested in re-watching Home Alone or checking it out for the first time have plenty of legal avenues to do so. The film is readily available on Disney+ for streaming or can be purchased outright through services like Prime Video, iTunes or YouTube.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/97078-home-alone-most-pirated-classic-christmas-movie-2022.html

 

[ColdSoup]

Perhaps if movie studios and their lobbying groups weren't such anti-consumer dumb dumbs, people would actually buy more movies outright. I don't mind paying $20-$30 for movies I like but won't ever consider paying for a digital copy that will inevitably get deleted or revoked during a future licensing dispute.

 

[texasrattler]

The movie can be had for under $10. It's always on TV through Nov and Dec non stop. Can also been seen throughout the year.
I'm sure streaming services may have it.

Wouldn't be my top or first choice to pirate.

 

[m4a4]

Wouldn't be my top or first choice to pirate.

At this point, it's just waaaaay more convenient to download it locally (if you'd want to watch it).

Then you don't have to worry about finding a copy, or finding where it's streaming.

 

[qking]

"Several sequels followed but none starred Culkin"....ummm except Home Alone 2 which of course, is a sequel.

 

[texasrattler]

At this point, it's just waaaaay more convenient to download it locally (if you'd want to watch it).

Then you don't have to worry about finding a copy, or finding where it's streaming.

I have the movie as it was one of my fav along with the sequel. I also have it on my dvr. Just like Die Hard tho, you can get burned out watching your fav movie over n over.

Home Alone is a great movie but Home Alone 2 has some of the funniest moments in comedy. I laugh everything even know what's coming.

 

[p51d007]

Never watched it.

 

[yRaz]

At this point, it's just waaaaay more convenient to download it locally (if you'd want to watch it).

Then you don't have to worry about finding a copy, or finding where it's streaming.

It's a shame when pirating is more convient than using all of the services we pay for. I have 2 streaming services, I have Amazon prime and I have Netflix. Amazon prime I have because I order stuff all the time so I'm not actually paying for it, just the shipping. And Netflix is a weird one because my credit union gives you a Netflix account when you get approved for their credit card.

 

[sdms96825]

Never watched it.

You should. Both are hilarious.

 

[BobDolesGhost]

"Several sequels followed but none starred Culkin"....ummm except Home Alone 2 which of course, is a sequel.

Ya, author completely flubbed that. Home Alone 2 starred mostly the same case as the 1st, even the bad guys: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. "Kevin's" family was cast the same even

 

[Ecurb]

When I could download a song from Amazon for $1 and have my own copy to store and play as I wished I was no longer interested in mucking through the internet to find songs of dubious quality. I wish movies were the same ($5-$10 purchase like at Redbox), as I don’t want the DVD, jewel case, inserts, just the movie in full resolution including full sound. Streaming is fine, but movies come and go on those services and trying to find a movie across multiple services almost makes me miss cable TV (not!). I don’t know how many times I rented a movie on Amazon prime (ugh, firestick search) when I already had it on another streaming service. Significant pirating is a reaction to inefficient and mispriced markets.

 

[TempleOrion]

You should. Both are hilarious.

IMHO they're some of the worst mainstream movies ever made. Never understood the love for them; but it's just a personal/cultural thing I guess. Can't believe ppl would bother pirating them, they're shown all the time, everywhere!

 

[VitalyT]

Q: How did Culkin ruin his career?
A: He grew up.

 

[sdms96825]

IMHO they're some of the worst mainstream movies ever made. Never understood the love for them; but it's just a personal/cultural thing I guess. Can't believe ppl would bother pirating them, they're shown all the time, everywhere!

You've clearly never watched Bridges of Madison County. lol

 

[Olivia Simmons]

Watched every time whenever it streams on television around Christmas time.