You can have your Citizen Kanes and your Taxi Drivers, there is only one film to rule them all. A film of adventure and love, of fortunes lost and friends made. A film that speaks to old and young from ages past, present and future...we are of course talking about the very zenith of cinema...THE GOONIES!
The film has turned 30 (cue grasping of nearest mantle piece) but to ease the pain of this realisation, here are our Top 5 Goontastic facts about the making of a masterpiece.
1. Surprise Surprise
While One Eyed Willie’s ship was being built it was hidden on another set behind tarps, so that the kids couldn't see it. Director Richard Donner was hoping to get a real reaction from them when he revealed it, cameras rolling, but Josh Brolin was so surprised that he let an s-bomb slip, meaning the scene needed to be reshot. Speaking of expletives, in the scene where rocks are falling from the cave ceiling, and Data screams "Holy S-H-I-T!", he spelled the word rather than saying it because his mother made him promise not to use any bad language in the movie. Hmph!
2. The Mighty Sloth
The late John Matuszak, who plays Sloth, was an American footballer before he was an actor, spending most of his sporting career at Oakland Raiders. Sloth wears an Oakland Raiders t-shirt (pictured) in the film. Matuszak's make-up took 5 hours to complete. One of the eyes was mechanically operated by remote control. Someone would count down, and Matuszak would blink his other eye in synchronisation.
3. The Oath that never was
The Goonies Oath that was cut out goes as follows:
I will never betray my goon dock friends
We will stick together until the whole world ends
Through heaven and hell, and nuclear war
Good pals like us, will stick like tar
In the city, or the country, or the forest, or the boonies
I am proudly declared a fellow Goony.
NB - "Goon dock" is where thew word Goonies comes from.
4. Agent Data
Producer Steven Spielberg regularly references James Bond in his movies. In The Goonies, Data's belt has "007" inscribed on it. He also listens to the James Bond theme before sliding on the rope over to Mikey's.
5. Everyday I'm Trufflin'
Jeff Cohen, who played Chunk, is now an entertainment attorney at Cohen Gardner LLP. Cohen ran for class President at U.C. Berkeley with the slogan "Chunk for President." He got chicken pox before shooting commenced. Cohen showed up to the set anyway, afraid that they would have replaced him otherwise. You can see some pox on his chest and stomach during the truffle shuffle. WE LOVE YOU CHUNK!
