Retro Flicks – The Goonies

Year Released: 1985

Director: Richard Donner

Cast: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman, Kerri Green, Martha Plimpton, Ke Huy Quan, Anne Ramsey, Robert Davi, Joe Pantoliano, John Matuszak

Plot: Mikey and Brandon Walsh, along with their friends, are about to be forced out of their Astoria homes by developers wanting to make way for a golf course. As the friends prepare to say their goodbyes, they stumble upon a treasure map hidden amongst the accumulated museum artefacts in the Walshes’ attic (their father being the local museum curator). In an effort to save their homes from foreclosure and have one last adventure together, the friends, or “Goonies” as they are better known, begin their journey in search of the hidden treasure of infamous pirate One-Eyed Willie.  What follows is a thrilling adventure ride complete with treasure maps, pirate ships and bad guys, as the Goonies must struggle through a maze of booby-trap filled caves while trying to stay one step ahead of evil crime family the Fratellis who are hot on their heels.

Why it’s a classic: Two words. Truffle. Shuffle. Okay so maybe that oversimplifies things a little too much. This movie still holds a special place in many a twenty and thirty-something’s heart. Grown adults still rattle off much loved quotes from this movie when the situation allows. Watching it as a kid you couldn’t help but be in awe of the wonderful characters and the perilous journey they embark upon. The fact that it is still regularly shown on the TV is a testament to its enduring legacy as arguably one of the greatest adventure movies of all time. With hoards of eighties kids now having their own children this classic will no doubt continue to be enjoyed by new generations because “Goonies never say die”.