On December 2, Matt Rife released Matt Rife: Unwrapped – A Christmas Crowd Work Special on Netflix. Filmed in Phoenix, Arizona, it mixes holiday cheer with risqué crowd interactions. Comedian Erik Griffin directed it. Rife wears Santa-themed pants. He shares funny stories on gifts, traditions, and audience tales, including magic tricks and a surprise proposal.
Rife united Home Alone‘s Macaulay Culkin and Charlie Sheen for a viral promo video. It marked his first collaboration with both. He pitched it to Culkin’s team via Live Nation. They approved the script fast. They shared a four-and-a-half-hour lunch. Filming started a week later. Rife called it a “Christmas miracle.” Both stars acted professionally. They switched to character instantly. Off-camera, they joked about Sheen’s career, paranormal hobbies, and Rife’s Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum purchase.
The special blends naughty and nice audience moments. Examples: a mom on her son’s habits, a couple on sex with parents. Wholesome bits stay light, not sentimental. Rife hit back at crowd work authenticity critics. He prioritizes fans during sold-out tours. Tapings brought luck, like a top magic trick and Gaddafi-linked proposal (cut but posted online). He picked Christmas nostalgia for his tour. It adapts his Lucid dream format for broad holiday appeal.
Rife writes The Chasm, a solo climbing mockumentary with Dan Lagana. Filming starts early 2026. He stars with Julia Garner in a high-stakes drama. He predicts awards for it. Buying the Haunted Museum was his “naughtiest” act—dark and thrilling. Top performances rank as his “kindest.”
