Are you familiar with The Goonies subculture? Well are you? I thought I was, but then did a little surfing and discovered that the cult following that this silly little film has produced over the last 19 years is nothing short of staggering. There is a Goonies sequel in the works. The city of Astoria, Washington, where the entire film was shot, has markers on many of the main locations as fans come from all over the world to visit. There are even little conventions from time to time. The Goonies’ cult following is alive and well, and I’d be frightened if I didn’t love the movie so much myself. I saw it twice in the theatre in 1985, had the Commodore 64 game, and had this poster on my bedroom wall.
I feel comfortable admitting all of this, because the webmasters of thegoonies.org make me look like James frigging Dean on the comparative nerdery scale. They get full credit though – the site is well designed, engaging and their forum is obviously a haven for Goonies fans around the world. And check out this cool but obsessive film they made about their own trip to Astoria. One of the guys edited himself into the movie in a few spots. I briefly felt sorry for him, but then remembered I was inside my glass house writing about the Goonies on a Saturday night – and decided not to throw any stones.
Would a Goonies sequel be a complete trainwreck? It’s got all the characteristics. But Richard Donner has made many great flicks over the years, and I think there’s at least a snowball’s chance it’d be decent. Unfortunately neither John Matuzak (Sloth), or Anne Ramsey (Mamma Fratelli) made it out of the eighties alive. But I have great idea – Donner could help get the sequel green-lit if he got one actor to play both parts. They’d save a bundle. I have the perfect candidate in mind. Dick – for heaven’s sake – call me.
Sloth love Chunk!