VHS Club: The Goonies Trivia

I will never betray my goon dock friends / We will stick together until the whole world ends / Through heaven and hell, and nuclear war / Good pals like us, will stick like tar / In the city, or the country, or the forest, or the boonies / I am proudly declared a fellow Goonie. This was the mantra of the Goonies – cut from the film. But despite the mantra being cut, kids around the world inducted themselves into The Goonies mantra or not. If you were a kid in the 80s, you wanted to be a Goonie. You went outside on your bikes with your friends every weekend hoping for a Goonie adventure. 30 years later, the film still attracts legions of fans to the sites where the movie was filmed, and the cast can get together and easily earn hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity. The movie has stood the test of time, Goonies really never say die. 

The Goonies Trivia

1. Ke Huy Kwan who plays Data, made his film debut in what 198 Steven Spielberg adventure film?
   A: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. He played Shortround. Doctor Jones!
2. In what city was the majority of the Goonies filmed?
   A: Astoria, Oregon. They had a Goonies Day to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the movie. The Lighthouse Lounge where the Fratellis were hiding out was a temporary building built for the movie. The jailhouse in the opening scene is now the Oregon Film Museum. The Walsh home is now restricted to walking visitors only. You can’t drive to it.  

3. The number one hit, The Goonies R Good is a song by what artist?
   A: Cyndi Lauper. Corey Feldman was a fan of Lauper’s and apparently hated the song, calling it “terrible” saying he just couldn’t figure out the connection between the song and the movie. Not making the disconnect any better was the fact that the music video had a bunch of WWF wrestlers including Captain Lou Albano – who was in her Girls Just Wanna Have Fun video – and Rowdy Roddy Piper. 

4. Sloth was played by John Matuszak, who played professionally in what American sports league?
   A: The NFL. He ended his career as a defensive end for he Oakland Raiders. He was a number one draft pick in 1973. He passed away only 4 years after the film in 1989. 

5. Richard Donner shot to fame for directing what 19 super hero film starring Christopher Reeve?
   A: Superman. Sloth on the pirate ship with the Superman shirt on and the Superman theme playing is a not so subtle nod to this. 

6. The police chief refers to creatures from what other Spielberg produced film, when he says “just like that last prank about all those little creatures that multiply when you throw water on them”?
   A: Gremlins. 

7. There was a video game called The Goonies 2 where the Fratellis escape and kidnap the Goonies was released for what game system?
   A: Nintendo. There’s also a mermaid for some reason in the game. 

8. In an infamous deleted scene, what creature was waiting for the Goonies when they came out of the waterslides into the lagoon where One-Eyed Willy’s ship is trapped?
   A: An octopus. The fake octopus looked so bad, they had to take it out. There are also deleted scenes where Troy lights their map on fire and mimes it being a joint. And the original script had a scene with gorillas. 

9. The Goonies was the first and only film role for Jeff Cohen who played Chunk, but who else made their feature film debut in The Goonies?
   A: Josh Brolin. Son of actor James Brolin. Eventually, Thanos, the biggest bad in all of the MCU. There’s also a scene in Goonies where Mikey refers to Brand as Josh accidentally. “There is something buried under there Josh.”

10. Sean Aston who played Mikey had a few memorable roles in his career. Including Samwise Gamgee in Lord of the Rings and what titular character in an underdog sports drama about a standout player on the Notre Dame football team?
    A: Rudy. I got the pleasure of working with Sean Astin in a scene in the film Love and Debate. I was an assistant debate coach. 

11.  Joe Pantoliano or Joey Pants, won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for playing Ralph Cifaretto in what critically acclaimed HBO mafia drama?
    A:  The Sopranos.
12. Anne Ramsey, who played Ma Fratelli, was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for what 1987 black comedy starring Billy Crystal and Danny DeVito?
    A: Throw Momma From the Train.

13. Jeff Cohen who played Chunk, achieved success in as not an actor, but in what profession?
    A: Law. He became an entertainment lawyer. In 2008, he was named to The Hollywood Reporter‘s “Next Generation: Hollywood’s Top 35 Executives 35 and Under.” Before The Goonies started filming, Cohen got chickenpox. He was afraid they would re-cast the role, so didn’t tell anyone he had it. In the “Truffle Shuffle” scene, if you pause the movie, you can see red bumps on his body.

14. Writer Chris Colombus made his directorial debut in what adventure comedy starring Elizabeth Shue as a babysitter who goes on a rescue mission in Chicago?
    A: Adventures in Babysitting. 

15. What song does Ma Fratelli sing to Sloth on the pirate ship to try and calm him – which backfires ?
    A: Rock a Bye Baby. “Break. Fall!” Martha Plimpton called this scene tragic in the DVD commentary.

Tie breaker: How much did The Goonies make in the box office?
A: 125 million.

VHS Club is a monthly screening of a video store era classic at Green Light Cinema in Saint Petersburg, FL, with trivia and prizes sponsored by Screen Fix podcast.