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A new youngster is 'Home Alone' with thieves on ABC Family By Jay Bobbin © Zap2it different characters and actors, but thanks to the original movie, countless viewers know what to ex- pect from anything with the title "Home Alone." The John Hughes-writ- A sequel may have ten, Chris Columbus-direct- ed 1990 comedy — which famously made a star of Macaulay Culkin as a re- sourceful youngster outwit- ting thieves who invaded his family's home — has yielded three follow-ups, two for theaters and the other for television. Now there's another: ABC Fam- ily debuts "Home Alone: The Holiday Heist" Sun- day, Nov. 25, with the first "Home Alone" immediately preceding it. In the new tale, instead of Culkin's Kevin, it's a just-relocated boy named Finn (played by Christian Martyn) who fends off crooks along with his sister (Jodelle Ferland) when what the siblings initially think are ghosts haunting their new home turn out to be burglars (Malcolm McDowell, Debi Mazar, Ed- die Steeples). Seven-time Emmy winner Ed Asner also is in the cast, along with Ellie Harvie and Doug Murray as the children's parents, who are stuck elsewhere as the kids mount their defense. Forever legendary to film lovers as the viciously anarchistic Alex in director Stanley Kubrick's "A Clock- work Orange" four decades ago, McDowell embraces the chance "Home Alone: The Holiday Heist" gives him to be more humorous for a broader age spec- trum. "I enjoyed making it very much," he confirms. "I wasn't really expecting too much out of it because it's a kids' thing, but we actu- ally had a lot of fun. "I'd worked with the director (Peter Hewitt) be- fore, and we worked up in Winnipeg, which is quite a beautiful city. It was very comfortable and very nice doing it ... though it was all-night shooting, which wasn't that great. I'd also worked with Debi Mazar, her having been on 'Entou- rage,' but I don't think we ever got to play a scene together there. We bonded on this, and it was great." McDowell also praises young co-star Martyn as "very good, the equivalent of Macaulay Culkin, who was extraordinary in that part. That's very hard to follow." Martyn explains that he because that's the kind of character this is, and the kind that people want to see. My mother's known for 12 years (in other words, since Martyn was born) that I've always wanted to be acting and doing 'Home Alone,' and now, I wonder if this will be my new reputa- tion." It well could be for Broadway in the comedy "Grace" until early January. However, the two acting veterans didn't cross paths physically on the latest "Home Alone." "The day he arrived, I Martyn, who has done voices for the animated Canadian series "Monster Math Squad" and "Franklin and Friends." He says he enjoyed matching talents with a long-time performer such as McDowell. "He re- ally played his character how I thought he should have, kind of a comedic but smart bad guy. He's funny, but he's not stupid." As with many parents "did an audition in Toronto, then they wanted to see me again with the director, because they didn't have him yet the first time I audi- tioned. And apparently, he liked me. Yay!" Comparisons to Culkin are inevitable, Martyn real- izes, and that's OK with him. "I kind of tried to play it like an overanimated kid, Meet Your Goshen Advertising Representative Penny Seegers Contact Penny At 574.533.2151 Ext. 339 Nobody Covers Your Hometown Better Christian Martyn and Jodelle Ferland star in "Home Alone: The Holiday Heist" Sunday on ABC Family. 2 The Goshen News • Viewer's Choice • Monday, Nov. 19, 2012-Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012 whose children have been entertained by the film, usually multiple times, McDowell is quite familiar with the first "Home Alone." He says, "I have young kids, so of course, they've seen it. And they love it. A kid puts one over on the grown-ups, so they squeal with delight. I have five chil- dren in total, but the three young ones will really enjoy this." Recently given a Life- time Achievement Award for his horror and fan- tasy work by the nonprofit sCare Foundation that as- sists homeless and impov- erished youth, McDowell is happy to share a project with Asner, who's on left," reports McDowell. "Ac- tually, I met his son at the forecourt of the hotel as I was leaving for the airport. I know Ed, and I love him. To me, he's an icon, and the work that he's done through the years is incred- ible. He's such a wonderful actor and activist and per- son, I'm really sorry I didn't get to hang out with him." Also just seen in a re- turn guest shot on CBS' "The Mentalist," McDowell has been doing consider- able television work. That has encompassed regular runs on ABC's reboot of "Fantasy Island," NBC's "Heroes," and TNT's con- tinuing "Franklin & Bash" ... as well as HBO's now- finished "Entourage," for which McDowell hopes he'll be summoned back for the much-rumored fea- ture-film spinoff. "Honestly, it's not Catch the Craze & Save! Save on Rentals • Breakfast Get Free Glass Cleaner Save on a Quilt Find these great savings plus more on Coupon Craze! In The Goshen News every Monday, Online everyday! something I planned out," McDowell maintains of his home-screen appear- ances. "I used to work a lot in independent movies, because they were made for more mature audi- ences than the usual fare from the studios. Then the financing for those mov- ies kind of got wiped out, along with everything else, with the meltdown. Nobody covers your hometown better 114 S. Main St., Goshen 574-533-2151 www.goshennews.com Employment Ad Today! 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