10 Fun Facts About ‘The Goonies’ You Probably Never Knew
Can you guess how long it took to bring Sloth to life?
When a developer threatens to force a group of kids and their families out of their Oregon neighborhood to build a country club, the ragtag bunch known as “The Goonies” join forces to turn things around. Soon the young crew, consisting of future A-listers like Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman and Martha Plimpton discover a treasure map leading them to the fortune of famed pirate One-Eyed Willy… and it could just be the key to saving their homes.
The adventure they embark upon to find this hidden treasure is far from simple, and along they way, they face threat after threat in their pursuit of the fortune that could save their lives as they know it.
Here, take a look at these fun facts about the 1985 cult-classic, The Goonies.
‘The Goonies’ fun facts
1. Bringing Sloth to life was no easy task
The role of Sloth was played by John Matuszak, but creating the character, known for his distorted facial features, was no walk in the park. As a matter of fact, it took five hours in the makeup chair each day to make the transformation.
2. ‘The Goonies’ was Josh Brolin’s film debut
A young Josh Brolin brought to life the character of Brand, Mikey’s older brother who reluctantly accompanies the crew on their journey.
Since his Goonies debut, the actor has gone on to star in major blockbusters including No Country for Old Men (2007), Sicario (2015), Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and more.
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3. A swear-worthy surprise
CGI wasn’t as prevalent as it is today, so the set with the incredible pirate ship featured in the film was a sight to see. Wanting to capture this young actors’ real reaction to seeing it, they kept it hidden until the time of filming. However, an f-bomb dropped by Josh Brolin ruined that initial shot.
4. A commitment to his role
Jeff Cohen played the beloved part of Chunk. However, before filming, he contracted chicken pox. Worried they would re-cast his part, he still showed up to work (and the spots can actually be seen on him during the “truffle shuffle” scene).
5. Hometown celebrations
During the weekend closest to June 7, the town of Astoria, Oregon, where some of the movie was filmed, celebrates “Goonies day.”
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6. A different side of the biz — Goonies facts
Jeff Cohen, who played Chunk, is still involved in the entertainment industry — just not as an actor. The famed face is now an entertainment lawyer.
7. A Gremlins crossover — Goonies facts
Written by Chris Columbus, who also wrote Gremlins, Chunk makes a reference to the film when the police mention one of his previous prank calls to them, in which he talks of little creatures that multiply when wet.
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8. A career before ‘The Goonies’
John Matuszak, who played Sloth, was actually a pro football player before he turned to acting. With the Oakland Raiders, he won two Super Bowls!
9. One man’s treasure is another woman’s trash
Sean Astin took home with him the treasure map that was used in the film — but his mother eventually mistook it for trash and threw it in the garbage.
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10. A movie blunder — ‘Goonies’ facts
At the end of the film, Data references an octopus they faced on their journey. In this instance, he was referring to a deleted scene featuring an attack by an octopus.
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