Internet Discovers Unexpected Connection Between 'Christmas Vacation' and 'Hocus Pocus'

Sammi Burke
·2 min read
2

Chevy Chase hides behind the tree in a scene from the film 'Christmas Vacation', 1989. (Photo by Warner Brothers/Getty Images)

The internet is rediscovering the magic of Hollywood after fashion designer Kiel James Patrick recognized a stark similarity between two classic holiday films.

"Just realized my two favorite movies are somehow connected 😳🤯," he wrote alongside a video, uploaded to Instagram on Dec. 21, 2023, which began with a clip of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation playing on an older model television.

“I was today years old when I noticed this in Christmas Vacation,” Patrick wrote over the clip, which began with Beverly D’Angelos’ character, Ellen, watching her husband, Clark, played by Chevy Chase, try to figure out his holiday lights display.

“There’s something oddly familiar about the Griswold family home,” he added. As the fully-lit facade came into view, Patrick popped Hocus Pocus into the VCR instead, noting, “But it couldn’t be the same one though…Right???”

Sure enough, as Max and Binx chat before a massive white house tucked behind a wrought iron fence, Patrick adds, “Notice the Griswolds’ house behind Max and Binx in this scene? Could it be that the Griswolds are actually from Salem, Massachusetts?”

“What’s the connection here?” he added before the video ended, later joking in the comments, "I think Clark is Max’s grandpa. Yup. 100%."

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A post shared by Kiel James Patrick (@kjp)

Many commenters argued over the location of the house, with some convinced it's a residential property located in the spooky town. It is not, however, a real building in Salem, unlike some of the other homes used in the cult classic Halloween film. Instead, it was constructed on a private lot owned by Warner Bros. Studios. As another follower pointed out, the house was also used in the film Lethal Weapon.

According to Los Angeles Magazine, it's also been featured in American Beauty, ER, and Pleasantville, just to name a few, and has gone through several makeovers over the years, no longer instantly recognizable as the Griswold family home.

Now that's what we call a little Hollywood sustainability!

Next: 7 'Hocus Pocus' Filming Locations You *HAVE* To See in Real Life