Released in 1989, a year before Home Alone, René Manzor’s Christmas film 3615 code Père Noël (also known in English as Deadly Games or Dial Code Santa Claus), got a relatively quiet release with only a limited theatrical run. The movie would find a deserved cult success decades later, but it would rise to notoriety for reasons beyond its unique take on holiday films.
The story follows a young boy named Thomas, who finds himself without his parents on Christmas, and then becomes the target of a murderous Santa. The young kid must rely on his smarts and proficiency with gadgets to defend his home using a series of traps. Given the proximity of the two films with a similar story and speculation that John Hughes may have seen the film (which he adamantly denied), this led to rumblings that Home Alone took its inspiration from the French gem without giving proper credit.
While both sides have had their say on the issue, this remains largely unresolved. We will look at the background of Dial Code Santa Claus aka Deadly Games, and see how the controversy came about and if there is any merit to the claims.
The Story Behind Dial Code Santa
While there has been much exploration behind the holiday hit Home Alone, Dial Code Santa Claus is a bit less discussed, despite having several exciting elements that make it an oddity to Western audiences. One of the main points of interest comes from the “3615” in the original title, which will likely confuse most audiences outside its native France.
The French created a unique communication system, similar to e-mail, that predated the Internet. The system was called ‘Minitel,’ and it was free to all French residents. Kiosks placed throughout the country would allow citizens to browse databases, chat on message boards, browse online dating profiles, and even play games online. Around the holiday season, kids could speak directly to Santa through the Minitel system by dialing “3615” to relay their festive wishes or ask questions.
An incident where director Manzor accidentally connected to a sex line became a peculiar spark of inspiration for Dial Code Santa Claus — specifically, imagining a wrong connection for a young child leading to an interaction with a nefarious individual. From that initial concept, Manzor would build the story around an intelligent and well-off kid fighting against a deranged Santa using his family mansion as his base, all while rocking a Ritchie Rich-meets-Rambo persona. As Manzor said about it:
“What if a kid tries to connect to something innocent like a Santa Claus messenger service but is instead transferred to a live chat room with a dangerous individual. He still believes he’s talking to the real Santa Claus, when he’s chatting with a crazy killer.”
Similarities & Differences Between Dial Code Santa Claus and Home Alone
The two movies have overt and subtle differences when compared side by side. At the same time, it is essential to note that Home Alone is in no way a ‘rip-off’ of Dial Code Santa Claus, even if one influenced the other.
Similarities
A quick look at the synopsis of both films shows some apparent similarities: both star a young kid fighting off a home invasion, and both use a series of traps to dissuade the incoming threat. However, the most obvious similarity is that both movies are centered around the Christmas holiday.
Subtle similarities can also be found between the two: Thomas is not technically ‘home alone,’ yet the servants at his house and his grandfather cannot stop the killer Claus, forcing Thomas to become its sole protector. In addition, both Thomas’s and Kevin’s parents are seen as somewhat aloof to their kids’ needs, even if for drastically different reasons. The general build-up and execution of the two movies also hold some similarities, with escalating traps making the invaders more determined and angry.
Differences
Tonally, the two films could not be more different: where Home Alone is a family-oriented comedy, Dial Code Santa Claus is dark and gritty. Notably, people die in Dial Code Santa Claus, and the grim aesthetic and desperation of the killer Santa makes the movie fall more in line with the aesthetics of dark fantasy works of the ’90s like The Never Ending Story. Dial Code Santa Claus may have passed for a kid’s movie then, but by modern standards, Maznor’s work is far too dark for a younger audience.
In comparing Santa Claus to Harry and Marv, there are substantial differences. Dial Code Santa Claus’ killer, played by veteran French actor Patrick Floersheim, is cold, calculated, and barely says anything, evoking the image of a slasher villain. Harry and Marv, comparatively, are bumbling idiots whose personas are integral to what makes Home Alone such an iconic film.
These differences in tone and antagonists ensure that both movies offer drastically different viewing experiences despite the similarities in the story.
Threatening a Lawsuit
Given the similarities between the two movies and the global success of Home Alone versus the obscurity of Dial Code Santa Claus, it is unsurprising that Manzor considered legal action. Imagine yourself in a similar position, and it is easy to see why, both financially and morally, you might want to plead your case.
Maznor did attempt to settle with 20th Century Fox, and after that fell through, he considered legal action, but he understandably dropped the issue. In truth, the lawsuit would likely have been an enormous expense and ultimate loss for the French director trying to go up against the established Hollywood system. Still, his concern and outreach to Fox did bring up the claims of plagiarism with both fans and filmmakers, causing writer John Hughes to speak up on the matter.
John Hughes’ Response
John Hughes was adamant that his inspiration behind Home Alone had nothing to do with Dial Code Santa Claus and that he never saw the film. Much like Manzor’s spark behind coming up with Dial Code Santa Claus, Hughes’s inspiration for writing Home Alone came from a small personal event that inspired a more fantastic story.
When planning for a vacation, John Hughes was making a list of things to pack and the funny idea occurred to him that if he forgot to list his son, he would leave him behind. This was the primary basis behind the film and the choice of making it a Christmas-themed movie was more to capitalize on the success of the season that John Hughes had seen in previous productions around that time of year.
Is Home Alone Inspired by Dial Code Santa?
It is hard to ignore the similarities between the two films, yet the truth will probably never come to light. John Hughes’ passing, combined with the unlikelihood that René Manzor would be able to win a case against the Hollywood system, means viewers will never get a clear answer. However, it is hard not to take Hughes’s word on this one, as the talented screenwriter created many classic hits steeped in his original writing brand. If there was a precedent set that John Hughes lifted ideas from elsewhere, there may be more credence to the claim.
Unfortunately, that means the discussion and speculation will continue. Yet fans of movies taking place during the festive season should still rejoice in this odd coincidence that gave the world two amazing films within a short period which can now be celebrated year-round.
Stream Dial Code Santa Claus aka Deadly Games on AMC+
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