The fictitious gangster drama which gave Kevin McCallister and the world the line, “keep the change, ya filthy animal,” would be 82 this year, according to Home Alone' cinematographer Julio Macat.
The backstory to the gangster "film," “Angels with Filthy Souls,” which plays in the holiday classic “Home Alone” has finally been told. The fictitious gangster drama, which gave Kevin McCallister and the world the line, “keep the change, ya filthy animal,” would turn 82 this year, if it were a real film, according to "Home Alone" cinematographer Julio Macat.
Macat spoke to The Hollywood Reporter to give some secrets about the phony film that Kevin watches when his parents left him home alone. Many viewers of “Home Alone” believed “Angels with Filthy Souls” was a real film from the 1930s, including funny man Seth Rogen.
“My entire childhood, I thought the old-timey movie that Kevin watches in 'Home Alone' … was actually an old movie," Rogen tweeted.
Macat said the film is based off the Warner Bros. classic “Angeles with Dirty Faces,” which stared James Cagney and was directed by “Casablanca” auteur Michael Curtiz.
"We really wanted to do an homage to the movie [Angels With Dirty Faces], but we really didn't watch it a lot," Macat said. "We just wanted the feel of a classic gangster film."
Creating the fake film, which was supposed to be set in the 1930s, was made easier by the backdrop of "Home Alone" itself. Since “Home Alone” is set in Chicago, there were many places to find inspiration and sets, Macat said. He used 35mm film and special lighting techniques to give it the classic Hollywood black-and-white look.
Macat, who has filmed over 40 movies including “The Nutty Professor,” “Tango and Cash" and “So I Married an Axe Murderer,” said that making “Home Alone” and the fake gangster flick remains his favorite project.
"I once said jokingly to [director] Chris [Columbus], 'Dude, write the script for 'Angels With Filthy Souls,'" he said. "I want to shoot that movie!"
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