Chocolate? Choc-late

Who can believe in was almost 20 years ago that I saw Goonies at my local mall in the summer of 1985? I was only 7 at the time, but this movie is a classic to our Generation Xers. Hopefully they’ll replay this at theatres next year for a special 20th anniversary, like they did with Star Wars. Even better, is this DVD version with the commentary. You also see some deleted scenes and outtakes, as well as “the making of”. Most of the movies made before the late 1990s didn’t think of keeping the outtakes, as, of course, they didn’t know about the later invention of DVDs. This movie had a wonderful cast listed below:

Actors:
SEAN ASTIN (Mikey Walsh)
JOSH BROLIN (Brandon Walsh)
JEFF COHEN (Chunk)
COREY FELDMAN (Mouth)
KERRI GREEN (Andy)
MARTHA PLIMPTON (Stef)
KE HUY QUAN (Data)
JOHN MATUSZAK (Sloth)
ROBERT DAVI (Jake Fratelli)
JOE PANTOLIANO (Francis Fratelli)
ANNE RAMSEY (Mama Fratelli)


Goonies is about a group of kids whose families’ are about to be evicted by local real estate investors. These kids go out to find an old pirates treasure, hoping there will be enough money to pay off their parents debts. Unfortunately, while looking for a buried treasure they become targets for the Fratelli family, a family who is on the run from the law. This is a kid’s movie with cuss words, though no F words. I heard the S word about three times, only from the fat kid, “Chunk”.

There are many things I love about this classic, and it’s non-stop entertainment from beginning to end. I love the statue scene at the beginning, it was hilarious. A friend of Mikey’s, Data-an inventor, flies through the house on a pulley line and knocks over the mini Michelangelo statue, knocking off the penis. I love how all the kids freak out, and even try to “put it back on”. In addition, it’s funny when Corey Feldman makes false Spanish translations to Sean Astin’s mothers’ house lady. You also meet Chunk, the fat kid who is a well-known liar around his town, and many of the things he’s accused of lying about are actually pretty off-the-wall. These scenes are still as funny today (if not more) as when I saw them back in 1985.

Anyone who has seen Goonies can’t forget Sloth. I actually could never figure out what he was. Was he a human being who was deformed early on in life? He’s cute and friendly, but well-built. You think he’s stupid, but he knows that his family is being mean to him all the time. I love it when he first meets Chunk down. “Sloath”, pointing to himself, “Chunk”, but knocks him down when he touches him. It’s also funny hearing Sloath say “Baby Ruth” and “chocolate” “rocky road” and so on.


This movie brings back 80s memories with the music and the clothing styles, like Corey Feldman’s Purple Rain (from Prince’s 1984 album/movie soundtrack) shirt, silver jacket and black exercise/break-dancing pants. I remember when these things were new and cool back then! It’s also nostalgic to see the old Pepsi logos and the Soloflex strength training machine that Brand was working out on, along with the 80s headband, and extra clothing. (People honestly thought in the 80s that wearing extra clothing when you exercised would burn more fat!)

As well, I would recommend watching the movie with the commentary. They have the kids there (who are adults now) but they don’t have the adults from the movie, that being the Fratelli brothers. You don’t see most of those kid actors anymore, except making occasional guest appearances on television shows. I remember when Corey Feldman was in all the great 80s movies like The Lost Boys, Gremlins, License To Drive, Stand By Me and Goonies.

This was another movie I rented from Netflix. I imagine it would be $15 new, and maybe cheaper if bought used.