Goonies Trivia Facts Everyone Should Know
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When you think iconic kid's movies, you probably think The Goonies and when you think of '80s movies you also think The Goonies. Why? Because it's one of those rare movies that supersedes both its genre and time period. It became an instant classic that we'll forever reference and have no problem re-watching... over and over again.
It's high time to revisit Sloth, Mouth, Chunk, Data, and the rest of the gang and look back at some fun facts you may not know about The Goonies!
The Goonies was mostly shot on location in Oregon
Almost entirely in sequence in Astoria, Oregon on a 5-month shooting schedule. Other locations, like the tunnels and the cave with One-Eyed Willy’s pirate ship, were shot on massive sound stages in Burbank, California.
That Water Slide Was Real
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Remember the water slide the Goonies rode to get into the cave with One-Eyed Willy's ship? Not only was that water slide real and functioning, but the cast and crew (including Richard Donner himself) would sneak in after hours to take it for a spin.
The Gang's Excitement for the Ship Was Candid
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Director Richard Donner wanted an authentic reaction from the kids when they saw Willy's ship for the first time. So, the very first time any of them saw it was when they come across it in the film. Unfortunately, the initial reaction had to be reshot because so many of them swore in excitement.
There's a Reason Data Spells Out "S-H-I-T"
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When Data falls from the ceiling of the cave he screams out "holy s-h-i-t" (he literally spells it out). Adorably, this was because he promised his mother he would not curse in the film.
There's a Reason One-Eyed Willy Looked So Real
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One-Eyed Willy was a real human skull! He now permanently resides in Richard Donner's home (next to the model of the pirate ship).
The treasure map was speckled with real blood
Production designer J. Michael Riva thought the prop treasure map looked too new, so to make it look more than 300 years old he spent an afternoon aging it. After pouring coffee in the map, he wanted to add blood, but the prop department was out of paint. In a quick bit of improvisation, Riva cut his finger and dripped his own blood along its edges.
Sloth was an actual tough guy
John Matuszak, who played Sloth, was the first overall pick in the 1973 NFL draft and won two Super Bowls with the Oakland Raiders before turning to acting. As a nod to Matuszak's former team, Sloth can be seen wearing a Raiders T-shirt early in the movie.
Sloth's Superman T-shirt is a nod to Richard Donner.
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At the end of the movie, Sloth triumphantly rips his vest and other shirt off to reveal a Superman T-shirt underneath, which works well within the context of the scene but also serves another purpose. It’s an inside joke about director Richard Donner, who rose to fame after directing Superman: The Movie in 1978.
It took a long time for John Matuszak to become Sloth
Makeup artists needed five hours every morning to transform the football star into Sloth
Sloth loves Errol Flynn
The pirate movie Sloth watches while chained in the basement is the 1935 Errol Flynn adventure Captain Blood.