Top 10 The Goonies Facts That Will Ruin Your Childhood
#10: Corey Lost a Role to Corey
Corey Feldman was among the 80s’ most prominent child actors, landing roles as Pete in “Gremlins,” Teddy in “Stand by Me,” and Elliot’s best friend in “E.T.”... the latter of which was scrapped from the script. Feldman still got to work with Mr. Spielberg on projects like “Goonies,” in which he played the wisecracking Clark “Mouth” Devereaux. Feldman was tailor-made to play the character, but the role almost went to another Corey. During the auditions, Feldman first crossed paths with Corey Haim, who was also going for Mouth. While Haim didn’t get the role, he later co-starred with Feldman in films like “The Lost Boys.” Thus, the “Two Coreys” were born, although their friendship ended in tragedy when Haim died of pneumonia in 2010.
#9: Josh Brolin’s Idea of Method Acting
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Before he was Thanos and Cable, Josh Brolin made his feature film debut as big brother Brand in “The Goonies.” Being his first role, Brolin was just starting to become more acquainted with acting techniques like Stanislavski’s system. The teenage Brolin had a rather bizarre grasp on method acting, however. In an Ask Me Anything on Reddit, Brolin revealed that he approached producer Steven Spielberg, saying, “I wanted to climb the walls of the tunnels and that it represented my mother’s womb, for some odd reason.” Spielberg didn’t indulge Brolin’s desire to go method, suggesting, “Why don’t you just act.” In retrospect, Brolin seems to identify with where the more experienced Spielberg was coming from, calling this his “craziest on-set story.”
#8: A Reference to a Deleted Scene Shatters the Continuity
Watching “Goonies” for the first time, one particular line might’ve caught you off guard. Talking to the press, Data says that the octopus was the scariest part of their adventure. While the line flies by fairly quickly, it leaves more than a few viewers asking, “What octopus?” In a deleted scene, an octopus attacks Mouth and Stef by the pirate ship. Fortunately, Data fends it off with the immortal tune, “Eight Arms To Hold You.” The silly-looking special effect was removed, although it’d get a shout-out in the film’s novelization and inspire video game levels. It’d even be included in TV airings. Within the original film’s context, though, Data’s line leaves a gaping plot hole. Didn’t anyone think to cut the line or redub it?
#7: Struggles of Playing “The Fat Kid”
“The Fat Kid” was an 80s movie staple, Chunk being the gold standard. This trope was mostly phased out as people grew more cautious of body shaming. Plus, it can be pretty rough for the actor. Jeff Cohen, who auditioned for Mouth before being deemed more of a Chunk, bit off more than he cared to chew. Remember when Chunk drowns his feelings in whipped cream? Cohen claims he got sick, reflecting, “Say you do fifty takes, that’s fifty hits of the whipped cream.” Upon hitting puberty, Cohen dropped the weight. Since Hollywood saw him as “The Fat One,” though, Cohen’s acting career ended when he went from Chunk to Hunk. He’s doing quite well as a founding partner at a law firm, however.
#6: John Matuszak’s Time in the Makeup Chair
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Even if you knew John Matuszak from his football days, he was completely unrecognizable as the deformed Sloth. Matuszak sadly died of an accidental overdose four years after the film’s release, but his co-stars remember him as a good sport and “gentle giant.” Matuszak’s commitment is only more commendable when you consider what that part entailed. He had to go in super early for makeup, which took five hours to apply. In addition to the uncomfortable makeup, Matuszak had to synchronize his real eye with Sloth’s remote-controlled prosthetic eye to maintain even blinking. He could only see through one eye and eating was also a struggle. In one instance, the kids splashed Matuszak, meaning the makeup needed to be redone. Yet, he reportedly never complained.
#5: One-Eyed Willie’s Skull Was Allegedly Real
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In one of the film’s most memorable moments, Mikey finally finds the skeleton of One-Eyed Willy, who lives up to his nickname. Adding to the scene’s haunting nature, Sean Astin possibly wasn’t acting against a prop. In 2002, a website cited a cast list claiming that the skull of One-Eyed Willy was real, although the rest of his body was fake. The skull supposedly belonged to a man named Raul Woo, who died of lead poisoning. It’s hard to say if there’s any truth to these accusations or if it’s just an online rumor. Considering that real skeletons were used in “Poltergeist,” though, it wouldn’t be that far-fetched for another Spielberg production to strive for authenticity. In any case, it’s a legend worthy of Willy.
#4: Chunk Had Chickenpox
The Truffle Shuffle is perhaps Chunk’s most rewatched moment. When filming the classic scene, Jeff Cohen requested that the set be cleared, as he was embarrassed about shaking his gut in front of everyone. Director Richard Donner granted Cohen’s request. Had there been more people on set, though, perhaps someone would’ve caught the red dots on Cohen’s stomach. Cohen revealed years later that he got chickenpox before shooting commenced. Fearing that they would recast the part, Cohen kept his condition a secret and showed up for the gig as if nothing were wrong. While Cohen’s illness isn’t noticeable for most of the film, you can spot traces of his chickenpox when he lifts his shirt. We hope nobody contracted the disease on set.
#3: What the Bats Were Made Of
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The Goonies come across many threats, including falling boulders, collapsing floors, and - of course - bats. Why’d it have to be bats? Growing up, you might’ve shared in the Goonies’ terror when Brand pulls back the rock and the legion of winged menaces come swarming out. However, the bats become infinitely less scary when you consider what they’re constructed of. Turns out they were mostly bow ties and black papier-mâché wads that they shot out of an air cannon. With this knowledge, the scene isn’t as quite eerie as we remember. Still, it’s a better effect than the octopus.
#2: Why Chunk’s Tears Were Real
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Although Speilberg instructed Brolin not to go Stanislavski, Jeff Cohen actually did a little method acting. When the Fratellis interrogate Chunk, he cries out a long confession. While the scene is darkly funny, Cohen’s sadness was genuine. To summon authentic tears, Cohen thought about his mother dying. One of Cohen’s co-stars also helped him get the waterworks going. According to Robert Davi, who played Jake Fratelli, Joe Pantoliano, who played his brother Francis, pinched the hairs on the back of Cohen’s neck to make him cry. However, Cohen believes that Davi is the true culprit… and a liar! Either way, someone pulled Cohen’s hair. Oh, and in case you were wondering, Cohen’s mother was okay and she played Chunk’s mother in the ending.
#1: The Map Had Real Blood on It
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The map to One-Eyed Willy’s rich stuff traces back to 1632. Feeling that the prop map didn’t look over 350 years old, production designer J. Michael Riva dumped coffee on it. Riva thought a pirate map should also be sprinkled with blood, but the crew couldn’t find red paint on short notice. They resorted to cutting their fingers to produce the real deal. We wonder if Sean Astin knew this when he kept the map after shooting. Astin claims that his mother, Patty Duke, accidentally threw out the map. Astin also theorized that a friend could’ve taken it or it got lost when his mother moved from 266 Denzel Avenue, Los Angeles. Perhaps one day, a group of kids will find it in an attic.
