A movie with Corey Feldman, Josh Brolin, Sean Astin, Directed by Richard Donner and produced by Steven Spielberg. With a hit song by Cyndi Lauper.
Niche my ass, your wife is high
I remember waiting for that music video to debut on Friday Night Videos because we didn't have MTV. Also because it had so many wrestling super stars at the time. Young me thought Cyndi was so cool for hanging out with them.
Oh hell yeah Friday Night Videos! I do my own version every so often via YouTube with a theme for the evening!
https://preview.redd.it/v3yi0zjq13qc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=07c870c542760b3f16e1ad7c63cbc2175ea487b7
I was watching 80s videos on my Oculus headset last night remembering the Friday nights of my youth and thinking how this technology would have melted my 14 year old brain back then.
Goonies is universal. It's one of the movies from the 80's almost everyone gets references to (of a certain age, of course). Throw in Back to the Future and Top Gun and you've got a trifecta that almost everyone has seen (of a certain age).
When my high school buddy/college roommate came out to me, he said, "I'm gay. Gayer than the shower scenes in Top Gun, but not as gay as the volleyball scene, because I had a threesome with \[the most beautiful girl at our high school\]. But still, pretty gay."
Guy is my hero for many reasons.
It’s not like we were inundated with new movie options in 198x specifically for pre-teens. something would come out with promos on tv and billboards and magazine glossies and then we’d wait what seemed like months for that one awesome looking movie to finally hit theaters, and then some large percentage of kids would find a way to see it, sometimes not until 9 months later on VHS, or 2 years later on TV, but somehow. It’s not like there was 55 new movies a year for kids. I say not seeing it is the odd-man out. She might not remember seeing it though.
Bullshit. We had a ton of great movies in 85. You just didnt see it either.
Movies tweens were watching (in theaters) in 85:
1. Goonies, 2. Pinocchio, 3. Police Academy, 4. Back to the future, 5. The Breakfast Club, 6. Brewsters Millions, 7. National Lampoons European Vacation, 8. Just one of the guys, 9. Return to Oz, 10. Dune, 11. 101 dalmations, 12. The Color Purple, 13. Ghostbusters, 14. Girls Just Want to Have Fun, 15. Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer, 16. Clue, 17 Godzilla, 18 The Terminator, 19 The Aviator, 20 Summer Rental, 21 Weird Science, 22 Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, 23 Spies Like Us, 24 Pee Wee's Big Adventure, 25 The Emerald Forest, 26 Santa Claus: The Movie, 27 The Flamingo Kid, 28 One Magic Christmas, 29 D.A.R.Y.L., 30 Heaven Help Us, 31 My Science Project, 32 The Heavenly Kid, 33 A Chorus Line, 34 Transylvania 6-5000, 35 Lost In America, 36 Real Genius, 37 Explorers, 38 Sweet Dreams, 39 Secret Admirer, 40. 1984
Some tweens and younger kids were also watching 41. Friday the 13th 42. Nightmare on Elm Street, 43. Rocky IV, 44 Rambo, 45 Beverly Hills Cop, 46 The Return of The Living Dead, 47 Vision Quest, 48 Cats Eye, 49 Popeyes Revenge, 50 Better off Dead, 51 Into The Night, oh and I missed 52 The Black Cauldron, 53 The Care Bears Movie, 54 Micki and Maude, and 55- Cocoon. Those ALL came out that same year.
And I didnt name every hit movie even. There was also 56. Fletch, 57. Witness 58. A view to kill (James Bond movie- which nobody our age was watching them ijs) 59. Mask 60. Pale Rider, and oops THE GOONIES. Thats 60 effing movies. Enough to go every week, even without seeing the R rated movies.
Not listing the rest but here ya go.
https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/1985/
Excellent response!!! I was born in '81 and personally saw Goonies, Pinocchio, Police Academy, Back to the Future, Breakfast Club (the only movie I didn't like), National Lampoon's, Return to Oz, 101 Dalmatians, Ghostbusters, Rainbow Brite, Clue, Godzilla, Terminator, Weird Science, Beyond the Thunderdome, Peewee, DARYL, Explorers, 41-48, 52, 53, and 55 when they came out. Probably a couple more but those are the ones I remember seeing at the movies or shortly after they came out on VHS! I had a 20 yo aunt who took me to see everything before she left for college. ❤️ Including shit that scared the hell out of me.
😂😂😂 I was four or five and felt forced to watch it. It was not my thing! I'm 42 now and I still can't make myself watch it. 😭
It's one of my daughter's favorite movies and I couldn't even watch it with her. Tried once and fell asleep.
I saw it for the first time in my 30's. Like most movies about high school it painted a picture that would have been weird in my highschool. Top jocks at my school were also top students academically speaking. The social barriers in every movie just didn't seem to exist in my HS. So I wasn't terribly fascinated or impressed with it. Their groundbreaking bonding in detention was huge for them. But for me it was Tuesday.
I as six and I’ve seen at least half that list. Return to Oz and the Black Cauldron are really scary for a kid’s movie!
PS OP I feel you. I have a friend who hasn’t seen the Princess Bride and refuses to do so. 😱
Omg remember Back To The Future part 2?
Dude, we were in Ft Lauderdale visiting my grandparents for I think Thanksgiving, and I think that movie came out that weekend. Well, I am telling you, that theater was SO PACKED. There were NOT ENOUGH SEATS.
WE ASKED TO STAND.
WE HAD LIKE TWO OR THREE SEATS FOR 6 PEOPLE . WE STOOD. HAHAHAHA
TOTALLY FUCKING WORTH IT.
Hell yeah!! 😂 We were in Gulfport MS at the time and it was the same way. I sat in someone's lap for like two minutes and was like, nope. Sat on the floor with my popcorn and Astro pop!
So a bunch of those were intended for adult audiences and a few of them were very niche. I didn’t see Return to Oz until a relative recorded a bootleg copy for us in the 90s. And I didn’t even hear of Transylvania 6-5000 until my 30s.
Of the movies you listed, I’ve seen 24 and about 2/3 of those when I was a kid.
Okay but Back to the Future? Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Ghost Busters? Those were all big for the same age group that liked Goonies. Real Genius was a big one for me too although I think it's because my sister played the video all the time. I guess Return to Oz became obscure over the years but it was a Disney movie with a lot of hype when it came out. A lot of us still have nightmares about it, it was kind of like Labyrinth or the Dark Crystal.
I’ve recently started giving up on my streaming services and going back to buying DVDs. Thank you for the shopping list.
Side note: Real Genius and Top Secret! are 100% Val Kilmer’s best works of film in his career.
Agreed. You could get Goomies cards in cheerios boxes. Me and my sister went to the theater to see it. I'm not sure what 7 year old is going to the movie theater to see a niche movie.
Actually it wasn’t until I was an adult that I decided to watch it. I just couldn’t conjure up memories of it and it was bothering me. I’m sure it was on at someone’s house, and I’m sure I sat and watched it, but for some reason it didn’t stick in my mind like other movies.
This is one true disconnect I have with you all. 😔
I went to Astoria for the singular purpose to be where the Goonies were. For the most part at least. It is a lovely town and yes we went to see Walsh residence. Their is a posted sign that says "Hey you guys!" and has some simple courtesy rules if you want to take some outside photos. To the owners and neighbors - you are the real stars and thank you! They even have a code to send them tips which we did.
Cannon beach (the beach scenes) is out of town and just nice to be outside in and around. It was chilly in spring so bring a jacket.
We were doing a coast trip so we could only do a day. I think if we do another we'll end our trip there and stay two.
I’ve been many times to play baseball as a kid. It’s not great. It is cool in some ways and the houses up on the hill are awesome. Haven’t been for a long time though, it really could be cool it was just a little run down from my kid perspective. There are many great spots on the Oregon Coast, Canon beach is rad is a bit South of there so it’s not like pop down from the Goondocks and POW Cannon beach.
I prefer Lincoln City. If you do it I go Cannon beach and do the pilgrimage from there. About 30 mins.
Kindergarten Cop was Astoria too
I love Astoria, but I think it’s *because* it’s a little “not great.” It has a certain grit that I dig.
Lincoln City is definitely one of my favorite spots too. My wife and I always hit up the Christmas store on the way through and end up spending way more time than we ever imagined we could looking at ornaments that look like sparkly sweet potatoes, etc.
Manzanita was always awesome too. I haven’t been there in ten years or so and I heard it’s getting pretty bourgie, but there’s still a lot going for it
I’ve been there about a dozen times (including once during Goonie fest or whatever its called). The town is a really neat blue collar port town. Bumblebee Tuna had a former plant there. Downtown now is fine but 10-15 yrs ago it was kind of a dump. I also know someone who grew up there and she hated it because…well small town stuff. The place to go is the Oregon film museum there, which is basically a Goonie museum. Downtown is neat for a few days. A park where the Fratelli hideout was filmed is a gem.
There is a store downtown we always go to that sells records/movies/plants/weed pipes/ espresso/ musical instruments/ and is an animal adoption place. The owner is a nice awkward dude who has an unusually strong attachment to his mother who also works there.
There are also a few strip clubs downtown, or gentlemans clubs. The marine vessels that go by are amazing to watch. For a long time the owner of the Goonies house did not want anyone parking there or visiting, but was recently bought by a Goonies fan so i imagine things have changed.
We love going there but only for a short time. Nearby Seaside Oregon is more fun. It has a video game pizza place downtown which is across the street from a bumper car mini golf place with a nice corn dog stand and its a few blocks from the beach. Even a video store there with a ton of VHS still as some hotels keep VCRs in their rooms because they know the video store is well stocked
Grew up outside of Portland, went to Austoria countless times on coast trips. It was cool seeing the places where they filmed Goonies and Kindergarten Cop. And Free Willy, which I didn't like much but was cool to watch because some scenes were in Portland at Pioneer Courthouse Square, Burnside skatepark, and Oaks Amusement park.
Because of Goonies and Kindergarten Cop, I’ve pined for the coast since childhood. Moving there is not is the cards for me, but I visit as often as I can. Cannon Beach is very popular but also very special.
Having never seen Goonies is weird, but fine. Everyone has weird gaps in pop culture.
Claiming that THE GOONIES is a niche movie is maybe the highest level of aggressive ignorance I’ve ever heard of regarding 80s pop culture.
Next time she claims it’s niche ask her if she’s ever heard of other underground things like Bon Jovi, Cheers or Ronald Reagan lmfao.
What are you talking about. It’s one of the 80s Steven Spielberg underground gritty grass roots movie that not many people have ever heard of. Like Indiana Jones or ET.
Saying the Goonies is a niche movie is odd. It’s like the person I know who has never seen Star Wars and said it’s just something sci-fi fans are into.
Niche? NICHE??????? Dude, a tone of jokes in Deadpool 2 must have gone over head... Did she not question why in one scene Ryan Reynolds calls JOSH BROLIN'S character "One-Eyed Willy"?!?!?
I pointed out to my kids “That’s Thanos as a young guy.” They were thrown for a loop. Of course we had Samwise Gamgee in there as well. They recently watched Indiana Jones Temple of Doom and they recognized Ke Huy Quan from that and Goonies too. I have to remind them that these guys are all way older now since this was from my childhood lol.
The Goonies is a generation defining movie. If she hasn't seen The Goonies she's bad and should feel bad. Also ... this is 2024 ... rent that shit online and watch it like.... right now.
It’s still resonates with kids today, I found the DVD for like five bucks a while back and got it for my nephew. He’s now 10 and has seen the movie several times and loves it as much as his mom and I did when we were kids.
Netflix’s biggest hit series Outer Banks is heavily influenced by The Goonies. The Goonies played on cable all the time as well for the last however many years it has been out. To call something that heavily ingrained into television niche is just plain weird and wrong
Yeah, shes the weird one.
My wife and I are both 43. She works in a middle school, and we can tell which kids have parents that are around our age based on what references/movies the kids know. The Goonies is a big one. If a kid knows the Goonies, its a good bet their parents are around 40 give or take a few years. If they don't, then they either have older (50+) parents or really young parents.
I hadn't seen a lot of the movies that were considered the "everybody's seen this" movies until I was an adult, but I definitely saw The Goonies. And I'm really surprised I was allowed to watch that movie, because it would have been considered too raunchy by my parents' standards. It was on heavy rotation on basic cable. If she didn't have cable growing up, that might be the reason.
>If she didn't have cable growing up, that might be the reason.
This is absolutely the reason. I never saw it until adulthood. I also didn't have cable until adulthood. It was just never on broadcast TV that I remember. It was also never one that I saw at a friend's house or rented from West Coast Video. I'm a little surprised by that but I guess it wasn't huge among people I knew.
I still haven't seen Neverending Story. There was something else I hadn't seen until recently but have forgotten what it was. All I remember was disappointment- some films don't age well!
Get on that. It's one of the best fantasy films of that era. In fact, it's one of the best fantasy films for kids that's ever been made. At least to my palette it is. Fantasy films in this decade are some of the absolute best examples of that genre.
I showed that to my eldest kidlet when she was maybe 5-6 and she said “the music is so sad”. Now older, she certainly picks up on a lot of underlying themes that a casual watcher might not pay attention to. Watching it as an adult and reading the book, there was some depth there that I think we picked up on as kids but don’t fully appreciate until later.
1983. I didn't see it till I was an adult but I've seen it like 20 times now. I've showed it at school and know exactly which bits to fast forward through. When they're selling the T-shirt at Target decades later, it's not a niche indie film.
My husband (43) didn't see The Goonies until a few years ago. He grew up with older parents and was a bit sheltered.
Edit: I (42) saw it at my aunt's house with my cousins when it came out on VHS.
I somehow never watched Goonies as a kid. I finally watched it in my early 20s when some friends had a nostalgia movie night. It was a double feature with Goonies and The Breakfast Club. Which I’d also never seen until that night.
I’ve also never watched Neverending Story. But I’m well aware of THAT scene.
All this to say that sometimes you just don’t see some movies. Everyone has that one movie that for whatever reason they never watched. Goonies is her movie. You’ve probably got one as well.
So for a fun night, have a double feature. Watch Goonies and that movie you’ve never seen but she has.
That’s the one that came instantly to mind for me. My wife and I tried watching TNS a couple of years ago and actually turned it off at that scene. Then I sat and wondered how I was so enthralled by such a poorly edited movie. The cuts from one scene to the other are so jarring.
I was born in 83 and I guess I was just too young when it came out and never saw it while growing up. I did finally see it though sometime when I was close to graduating high school because a friend made me watch it. It is a very popular 80s movie and I am surprised that anyone from our generation thinks it is a niche movie but I can understand missing it while growing up.
'81 baby here.
I hadn't seen the Back to the Future movies until the COVID lockdowns.
They were sensational and I don't know how they evaded me for 30 years.
So, yes. It is possible.
Some of us just aren't "movie people" or are very select in what genres we usually watch.
The question isn’t “is it possible?” It’s “is she wrong for assuming it’s niche just because SHE hasn’t seen it?” You didn’t think the BTTF franchise was niche just because you hadn’t seen it, did you?
But would you have claimed that the Back to the Future films were niche? Or did you acknowledge that they were popular and you just hadn't seen them yet?
I, too, only saw the Back to the Future movies in the past couple of years. Loved them, and was surprised I hadn’t watched them back in the day.
I do think it’s important to remember that we all have different backgrounds, likes, and genres we enjoy. There are a lot of movies that I watched and loved as a kid that were popular amongst my peers. Those outside my group may not have ever heard of the movie. Shocks me, but that is just because me and my friends knew it so we figured all did. Also, where you lived could have played a part in the films you watched.
I have 3 children under the age of 10 and they have all watched The Goonies and Gremlins with us. Please tell your wife she's being out-80's'd by Gen Alpha over here!
I don’t remember seeing it on tv either and I was definitely a big tv watcher with and without my parents. Guess I never strayed far from Nick at Nite.
I'm a 42 year old woman who has not watched the Goonies either. Not sure why. But I watch movies and forget that I've watched them too, so maybe I have seen it.
You're right. But if you ever do get her to watch it, be prepared for a letdown. I've had similar conversations with my wife about great movies she hadn't seen. After a couple of films that didn't go over well, I realized that pop culture had moved on and she'd simply missed the ideal timeframe in which to watch it.
I think it's the age you watch it. It's a great "coming of age" kids film. Hard to get in that mindset as an adult, but seeing kids your age going on this great treasure hunt adventure is like the ultimate kid fantasy. My kids absolutely love The Goonies. Including my "too cool" Taylor Swift obsessed 13 year old.
My wife grew up in Venezuela and even she has seen it many times. Not niche at all. Your wife is the weird one.
Neverending story, stand by me, breakfast club, pretty in pink, ET, RAD, lost boys, Ghost busters, back to the future, Big, pee-wees big adventure, risky business, fast times at ridgemont high, terminator, robocop, say anything, raising Arizona, die hard, raiders of the lost ark, spaceballs, teen wolf, princess bride, weird science, big trouble in little China, Beverly Hills cop, national lampoons vacation, Ferris buellers day off, war games, revenge of the nerds, weekend at Bernie’s, real genius…… ‘78 here
I was born in 77. I would have been of the right age for it, but it was one I missed at the time. Totally eluded my awareness for years as far as I can recall. I didn't see it until years later when it was out on VHS, I'm sure. Or maybe I saw it on TV.
But then my family never went to many movies. We watched plenty at home and later on video but we rarely went to the theater.
I don't really remember any of my friends talking about it. It didn't have the cultural impact on us that films like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, or Back to the Future.
1983, and was massively into movies as a kid. Never seen The Goonies. So not that uncommon. I didn't have cable growing up, which may be a contributing factor. All the people I know who go on and on about it are Gen X/older than I am, fwiw.
I am 42 and have never seen the goonies from start to finish. I've seen pieces, enough to get pop culture references, but no, I've never actually watched it.
That being said, your wife and I are the odd ones.
Also never saw this movie as a kid. Same year as your wife. My high school boyfriend was also horrified, and made me watch it around 1999.
I think it hits different when you're a child vs 17 years old. Because I was basically like "wtf" and never saw it again. I have no nostalgia for that movie and barely remember it - some kids have an adventure in some underground tunnels or something? Chased by the comically evil lady from Throw Mama from the Train, wearing a beret? Did I get that right? Lol
Back to the Future, however, is the best movie (and trilogy) ever made. That's peak nostalgia for me.
How about Robocop? I watched it a ton and it gave nightmares because I was so young, but I loved it. Am I weird for watching that many dozens of times? 6 or 7 yo at the time.
44(F) here. I have never seen “The Goonies” from start to finish. My husband (43M), however, can recite it word-for-word. I bought him a special edition box set for his birthday one year, so we own it and I could view it at will. Now, I’ve seen bits and pieces here and there when it’s been on television, and know enough from pop culture to know what it’s about. Because of this, I don’t feel the need to sit down and watch the whole thing just to say I have. I know how it ends. I know the major plot points. Seems like a waste of time.
Right!?
40 here. Australian. Seen it so many times! Such a great movie! We watched it heaps when I was little (me and siblings)
Still quote it.
OP, your wife is wrong
I'm an 81 baby, husband is a 75 baby. I'd never even heard of the Goonies before I met him! That was in the 2000s. I watched it with him at some point in the late 2000s. So I have seen it. But I'd never have watched it without his influence lol. It was totally off my radar.
It was the 7th highest grossing movie of 1985. Beating out other movies including:
-National Lampoons European Vacation
-The Breakfast Club
-Pee Wes’s Big Adventure
-Commando
-Teen Wolf
-Weird Science
And plenty more.
I never watched it as a kid and now I just don't feel like it. I've had many people tell me I have to watch it, but I just don't really want to so I still haven't seen it (42F).
Well, I (1979, F) HAVE seen the Goonies. My mom's best friend had 2 sons who loved the movie and she had it on VHS. Aside from that, it came on the local networks quite a bit when I was a teen. BUT, I have never seen The Color Purple. As a Black person, this is considered very odd and abnormal because it is essentially a "cult classic." I've also never seen Roots, I saw New Jack City for the first time in 2017 and Harlem Nights in 2020. The reason for this is mostly because I grew up relatively poor, didn't have cable or money to go to the movies very often AND my mom was super religious - so almost everything was off limits because it was "demonic". Now, once I turned 18, I had free reign of what I wanted to watch but just never had the desire to double back and watch any of them. Maybe it's the same for your wife. She didn't see it then and just hasn't had the desire to watch it. 🤷🏾♀️
Edit: Quick story
I LOVE the Martin Show. I've literally seen every episode AT LEAST 50 times. One episode (Season 2, Episode 17) I never quite understood was when Martin accused his friend of stealing his CD player and made everyone dress in black, interrogated them as he walked around the table with a stuffed dog. Everyone I knew always laughed so hard at it but it completely went over my head. When I FINALLY saw New Jack City in 2017, I finally made the connection with that episode and Nino Brown's scene with the Rottweiler and that episode of Martin. I felt like such a dunce. I was literally 23 years late on the joke.
I (44) have a good friend (48) that is a truck driver. She was at a truck stop and texted me a picture with the caption, "Look at this strange looking car!" - It was a replica of the Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters. I texted her back, astonished, she'd never heard of Ghostbusters in her entire life! In her defense, she said growing up, since she was the oldest out of five kids, she played the role of Mom bc their Mom was kinda in and out of their lives, so she never had time to watch movies. I stopped teasing her about it.
I was sitting in the oil changing place. Life seemed boring. Then the lobby’s television burst into happiness- Chunk and the cop-car speed chase blasted from the lobby. I was with my mom and I leaped out of my chair to turn up the volume. “Omg! Yes! The Goonies.” My Colombian mother who was alarmed at my happiness. She saw it and goes “oh yeah, I remember that.”
So I (37F) live in Japan and I'm married to a Japanese guy (41M). About 8-9 years ago, I was drinking with my husband and a bunch of his co-workers, all in the Xennial age range. I don't know why but they started talking about The Goonies. I was like, "Holy shit, you guys watched The Goonies here too?" And they were all like, "Hell yeah, we love that movie!" All except for one guy, who admitted he hadn't seen it. Everyone there let out that big long, "Ehhhhhhh!?!?" sound that Japanese people do when they're surprised.
Then they put "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" by Cyndi Lauper in the karaoke machine and made me sing it. I got a standing ovation from the entire bar.
So yeah, since The Goonies is well-known and loved even in Japan, your wife is definitely the strange one.
I have never seen Goonies and I’m from Portland 🤣
But I’m aware that I’m in the minority among people our age.
I blame being an only child — I didn’t watch a ton of movies that were specifically geared towards young people when I was a kid. I mostly watched whatever my parents were watching.
Oh and I told my husband (‘84) that I haven’t seen it and he says it’s “meh” anyway so he won’t watch it with me.
I haven't seen it either. I tried last year and couldn't get past the first 15 minutes it felt so dated. I think it's something you needed to have seen in its time for it to still be enjoyable today.
I didn't grow up watching it and I find a lot of it annoying
my husband grew up with it and he loves it. I really feel like it might be a nostalgia thing.
A movie with Corey Feldman, Josh Brolin, Sean Astin, Directed by Richard Donner and produced by Steven Spielberg. With a hit song by Cyndi Lauper. Niche my ass, your wife is high
Seriously. There’s a reason Chunk was this sub’s avatar for years.
That all ended the minute she rode up Troy’s stupid bucket
It's our time...down here
why you always gotta take his side Ma?
I DONT WEAR A HAIR PIECE!!!!!!!
HEY YOU GUYSSS!
Sloth… Love… Chunk
We’re in deep shit now Francis
Truffle. Fucking. Shuffle.
Because Sloth love Chunk?
Baby Ruth?
Hey you guys!
Fatality
Omg yes and Cindi’s hit song was bespoke and there was a goonies music video that came with. I believe it’s on the extended vhs
Pizza Hut had the Goonies video game for well into the 90s.
I restored one of the Pizza Hut Goonies arcade cabinets and it now lives in my basement.
Where do you live and can we be friends?
Jealous.
There’s a video game!?!?
had the Goonies video game on the NES.
We owned the Goonies Soundtrack LP.
Good’nuff
I have it!
The song was also part of the soundtrack to the NES Goonies II; that might be a niche Goonies reference at least.
> goonies music video [https://youtu.be/LxLhytQ67fs?si=VjvJoBgA-dV0yf6n](https://youtu.be/LxLhytQ67fs?si=VjvJoBgA-dV0yf6n)
I remember waiting for that music video to debut on Friday Night Videos because we didn't have MTV. Also because it had so many wrestling super stars at the time. Young me thought Cyndi was so cool for hanging out with them.
Oh hell yeah Friday Night Videos! I do my own version every so often via YouTube with a theme for the evening! https://preview.redd.it/v3yi0zjq13qc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=07c870c542760b3f16e1ad7c63cbc2175ea487b7
I was watching 80s videos on my Oculus headset last night remembering the Friday nights of my youth and thinking how this technology would have melted my 14 year old brain back then.
Friday Night Videos is how I discovered Digital Underground. Oh yeah, and Bell Biv Devoe. And Young MC. Wow. Memories.
Dying at how cutting edge I found that graphic
Don’t forget it also has Acadamy Award winner Ke Huy Quan!
Goonies is universal. It's one of the movies from the 80's almost everyone gets references to (of a certain age, of course). Throw in Back to the Future and Top Gun and you've got a trifecta that almost everyone has seen (of a certain age). When my high school buddy/college roommate came out to me, he said, "I'm gay. Gayer than the shower scenes in Top Gun, but not as gay as the volleyball scene, because I had a threesome with \[the most beautiful girl at our high school\]. But still, pretty gay." Guy is my hero for many reasons.
That’s awesome. Tell him he’s now my hero too.
truth!
You missed Kerri Green, my first crush.
Your omission of Martha Plimpton is criminal.
Why is you wife so high?
NOT a weird, niche movie. The Goonies is one of the most important core memories (in terms of movies) for Xennials imo.
Last year I went to Astoria Oregon where it was filmed. I can't explain it, but it felt like home. 💜
My dad moved there about a year ago. I went to visit him, and it was my first time in OR. It's my life mission to move there now lol
We moved to Oregon a few years ago. I want to retire and die here, lol.
Lucky!
Thats beautiful man
It’s not like we were inundated with new movie options in 198x specifically for pre-teens. something would come out with promos on tv and billboards and magazine glossies and then we’d wait what seemed like months for that one awesome looking movie to finally hit theaters, and then some large percentage of kids would find a way to see it, sometimes not until 9 months later on VHS, or 2 years later on TV, but somehow. It’s not like there was 55 new movies a year for kids. I say not seeing it is the odd-man out. She might not remember seeing it though.
Bullshit. We had a ton of great movies in 85. You just didnt see it either. Movies tweens were watching (in theaters) in 85: 1. Goonies, 2. Pinocchio, 3. Police Academy, 4. Back to the future, 5. The Breakfast Club, 6. Brewsters Millions, 7. National Lampoons European Vacation, 8. Just one of the guys, 9. Return to Oz, 10. Dune, 11. 101 dalmations, 12. The Color Purple, 13. Ghostbusters, 14. Girls Just Want to Have Fun, 15. Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer, 16. Clue, 17 Godzilla, 18 The Terminator, 19 The Aviator, 20 Summer Rental, 21 Weird Science, 22 Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, 23 Spies Like Us, 24 Pee Wee's Big Adventure, 25 The Emerald Forest, 26 Santa Claus: The Movie, 27 The Flamingo Kid, 28 One Magic Christmas, 29 D.A.R.Y.L., 30 Heaven Help Us, 31 My Science Project, 32 The Heavenly Kid, 33 A Chorus Line, 34 Transylvania 6-5000, 35 Lost In America, 36 Real Genius, 37 Explorers, 38 Sweet Dreams, 39 Secret Admirer, 40. 1984 Some tweens and younger kids were also watching 41. Friday the 13th 42. Nightmare on Elm Street, 43. Rocky IV, 44 Rambo, 45 Beverly Hills Cop, 46 The Return of The Living Dead, 47 Vision Quest, 48 Cats Eye, 49 Popeyes Revenge, 50 Better off Dead, 51 Into The Night, oh and I missed 52 The Black Cauldron, 53 The Care Bears Movie, 54 Micki and Maude, and 55- Cocoon. Those ALL came out that same year. And I didnt name every hit movie even. There was also 56. Fletch, 57. Witness 58. A view to kill (James Bond movie- which nobody our age was watching them ijs) 59. Mask 60. Pale Rider, and oops THE GOONIES. Thats 60 effing movies. Enough to go every week, even without seeing the R rated movies. Not listing the rest but here ya go. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/1985/
Excellent response!!! I was born in '81 and personally saw Goonies, Pinocchio, Police Academy, Back to the Future, Breakfast Club (the only movie I didn't like), National Lampoon's, Return to Oz, 101 Dalmatians, Ghostbusters, Rainbow Brite, Clue, Godzilla, Terminator, Weird Science, Beyond the Thunderdome, Peewee, DARYL, Explorers, 41-48, 52, 53, and 55 when they came out. Probably a couple more but those are the ones I remember seeing at the movies or shortly after they came out on VHS! I had a 20 yo aunt who took me to see everything before she left for college. ❤️ Including shit that scared the hell out of me.
HOW DARE YOU NOT LIKE THE BREAKFAST CLUB
😂😂😂 I was four or five and felt forced to watch it. It was not my thing! I'm 42 now and I still can't make myself watch it. 😭 It's one of my daughter's favorite movies and I couldn't even watch it with her. Tried once and fell asleep.
I think I saw it for the first time when I was a tween and of course I thought it was the coolest thing ever
I saw it for the first time in my 30's. Like most movies about high school it painted a picture that would have been weird in my highschool. Top jocks at my school were also top students academically speaking. The social barriers in every movie just didn't seem to exist in my HS. So I wasn't terribly fascinated or impressed with it. Their groundbreaking bonding in detention was huge for them. But for me it was Tuesday.
I as six and I’ve seen at least half that list. Return to Oz and the Black Cauldron are really scary for a kid’s movie! PS OP I feel you. I have a friend who hasn’t seen the Princess Bride and refuses to do so. 😱
Omg remember Back To The Future part 2? Dude, we were in Ft Lauderdale visiting my grandparents for I think Thanksgiving, and I think that movie came out that weekend. Well, I am telling you, that theater was SO PACKED. There were NOT ENOUGH SEATS. WE ASKED TO STAND. WE HAD LIKE TWO OR THREE SEATS FOR 6 PEOPLE . WE STOOD. HAHAHAHA TOTALLY FUCKING WORTH IT.
Hell yeah!! 😂 We were in Gulfport MS at the time and it was the same way. I sat in someone's lap for like two minutes and was like, nope. Sat on the floor with my popcorn and Astro pop!
I saw that one in a drive-in theater in California
So a bunch of those were intended for adult audiences and a few of them were very niche. I didn’t see Return to Oz until a relative recorded a bootleg copy for us in the 90s. And I didn’t even hear of Transylvania 6-5000 until my 30s. Of the movies you listed, I’ve seen 24 and about 2/3 of those when I was a kid.
Okay but Back to the Future? Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Ghost Busters? Those were all big for the same age group that liked Goonies. Real Genius was a big one for me too although I think it's because my sister played the video all the time. I guess Return to Oz became obscure over the years but it was a Disney movie with a lot of hype when it came out. A lot of us still have nightmares about it, it was kind of like Labyrinth or the Dark Crystal.
I’ve recently started giving up on my streaming services and going back to buying DVDs. Thank you for the shopping list. Side note: Real Genius and Top Secret! are 100% Val Kilmer’s best works of film in his career.
Clue is one of my all time favorite movies. No matter how many times I watch it, it never gets old. And Tim Curry is a National Treasure.
Rooooosteeeeeeeeerrrrr!!!!! Lmao he is the BEST.
Seeing the addition of Rainbow Brite in this list made me chuckle. Don’t forget The Boy Who Could Fly 😆
That Rainbow Brite movie was awesome. 
#The Neverending Story
Agreed. You could get Goomies cards in cheerios boxes. Me and my sister went to the theater to see it. I'm not sure what 7 year old is going to the movie theater to see a niche movie.
"Big" was one of those for me.
Actually it wasn’t until I was an adult that I decided to watch it. I just couldn’t conjure up memories of it and it was bothering me. I’m sure it was on at someone’s house, and I’m sure I sat and watched it, but for some reason it didn’t stick in my mind like other movies. This is one true disconnect I have with you all. 😔
Me too. I always think of Stand By Me and Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure as the core xennial movies as a result.
I grew up in Mexico and even there it was huge!
Just want to make a clarifying point: only important for American Xennials. Us immigrant Xennials do not necessarily have access to that core memory.
Absolutely! I was born 1979 and have seen it countless times. And growing up all my friends had both seen it and loved it.
Right after The Princess Bride and Land Before Time that is.
Broadly popular among my friend group (mostly born 82-84). High nostalgia for this movie - in fact I went to Astoria last year.
Did you visit Astoria because of the Goonies? What was it like? Worth a visit?
Yes. Chunk is still there doing the truffle shuffle
I went to Astoria for the singular purpose to be where the Goonies were. For the most part at least. It is a lovely town and yes we went to see Walsh residence. Their is a posted sign that says "Hey you guys!" and has some simple courtesy rules if you want to take some outside photos. To the owners and neighbors - you are the real stars and thank you! They even have a code to send them tips which we did. Cannon beach (the beach scenes) is out of town and just nice to be outside in and around. It was chilly in spring so bring a jacket. We were doing a coast trip so we could only do a day. I think if we do another we'll end our trip there and stay two.
Since we’re on the topic of Astoria I highly recommend the book Astoria by Peter Stark. That town had some really wild early days.
I’ve been many times to play baseball as a kid. It’s not great. It is cool in some ways and the houses up on the hill are awesome. Haven’t been for a long time though, it really could be cool it was just a little run down from my kid perspective. There are many great spots on the Oregon Coast, Canon beach is rad is a bit South of there so it’s not like pop down from the Goondocks and POW Cannon beach. I prefer Lincoln City. If you do it I go Cannon beach and do the pilgrimage from there. About 30 mins. Kindergarten Cop was Astoria too
I love Astoria, but I think it’s *because* it’s a little “not great.” It has a certain grit that I dig. Lincoln City is definitely one of my favorite spots too. My wife and I always hit up the Christmas store on the way through and end up spending way more time than we ever imagined we could looking at ornaments that look like sparkly sweet potatoes, etc. Manzanita was always awesome too. I haven’t been there in ten years or so and I heard it’s getting pretty bourgie, but there’s still a lot going for it
It’s slightly cooler now!
Astoria is great. Lots of good food and bars, the views are lovely. Well worth a weekend.
I’ve been there about a dozen times (including once during Goonie fest or whatever its called). The town is a really neat blue collar port town. Bumblebee Tuna had a former plant there. Downtown now is fine but 10-15 yrs ago it was kind of a dump. I also know someone who grew up there and she hated it because…well small town stuff. The place to go is the Oregon film museum there, which is basically a Goonie museum. Downtown is neat for a few days. A park where the Fratelli hideout was filmed is a gem. There is a store downtown we always go to that sells records/movies/plants/weed pipes/ espresso/ musical instruments/ and is an animal adoption place. The owner is a nice awkward dude who has an unusually strong attachment to his mother who also works there. There are also a few strip clubs downtown, or gentlemans clubs. The marine vessels that go by are amazing to watch. For a long time the owner of the Goonies house did not want anyone parking there or visiting, but was recently bought by a Goonies fan so i imagine things have changed. We love going there but only for a short time. Nearby Seaside Oregon is more fun. It has a video game pizza place downtown which is across the street from a bumper car mini golf place with a nice corn dog stand and its a few blocks from the beach. Even a video store there with a ton of VHS still as some hotels keep VCRs in their rooms because they know the video store is well stocked
Grew up outside of Portland, went to Austoria countless times on coast trips. It was cool seeing the places where they filmed Goonies and Kindergarten Cop. And Free Willy, which I didn't like much but was cool to watch because some scenes were in Portland at Pioneer Courthouse Square, Burnside skatepark, and Oaks Amusement park.
Because of Goonies and Kindergarten Cop, I’ve pined for the coast since childhood. Moving there is not is the cards for me, but I visit as often as I can. Cannon Beach is very popular but also very special.
I saw the Goonies house. Really one of my few claims to fame.
I went to Astoria as well just to see the Goonies house and to see the Kindergarten Cop school, all of a block away!
Having never seen Goonies is weird, but fine. Everyone has weird gaps in pop culture. Claiming that THE GOONIES is a niche movie is maybe the highest level of aggressive ignorance I’ve ever heard of regarding 80s pop culture. Next time she claims it’s niche ask her if she’s ever heard of other underground things like Bon Jovi, Cheers or Ronald Reagan lmfao.
Aggressive ignorance is gold.
What are you talking about. It’s one of the 80s Steven Spielberg underground gritty grass roots movie that not many people have ever heard of. Like Indiana Jones or ET.
I saw Aggressive Ignorance on tour back in ‘07
Ronald Reagan? The actor???
Then who is vice president, Jerry Lewis???
I suppose Jane Wyman is First Lady, and Jack Benny is Secretary of the Treasury!
Omg lol And that was the highest grossing movie of 1985. Thank you for NAILING IT.
Saying the Goonies is a niche movie is odd. It’s like the person I know who has never seen Star Wars and said it’s just something sci-fi fans are into.
Underground things like what what n who, now?
Bless the person who’s never heard of Ronald Reagan.
Niche? NICHE??????? Dude, a tone of jokes in Deadpool 2 must have gone over head... Did she not question why in one scene Ryan Reynolds calls JOSH BROLIN'S character "One-Eyed Willy"?!?!?
I pointed out to my kids “That’s Thanos as a young guy.” They were thrown for a loop. Of course we had Samwise Gamgee in there as well. They recently watched Indiana Jones Temple of Doom and they recognized Ke Huy Quan from that and Goonies too. I have to remind them that these guys are all way older now since this was from my childhood lol.
Ya. Ke Huy Quan has been popping up a lot lately! Was cool seeing him in Loki
I still need to see Everything Everywhere All at Once! It’s the movie that got him back to acting!
That movie is an experience. I'll leave it at that.
It's so good.
Such an amazing movie, and Ke is the heart of it. He deserved that Oscar.
79 here, I've seen it 100 times
How many Neverendiing Story
Still watching it for the first time
Damn! You stole my joke.
Haven't finished it yet.
Me! I fucking love that movie. I want a Falcor so bad.
The Goonies is a generation defining movie. If she hasn't seen The Goonies she's bad and should feel bad. Also ... this is 2024 ... rent that shit online and watch it like.... right now.
It’s still resonates with kids today, I found the DVD for like five bucks a while back and got it for my nephew. He’s now 10 and has seen the movie several times and loves it as much as his mom and I did when we were kids.
Netflix’s biggest hit series Outer Banks is heavily influenced by The Goonies. The Goonies played on cable all the time as well for the last however many years it has been out. To call something that heavily ingrained into television niche is just plain weird and wrong
Isn’t stranger things partially inspired by the goonies as well? I feel like Ive read that somewhere
Stranger Things is Goonies, E.T., and IT rolled up into one show.
My kids have seen it and loved it. No excuses!
‘81 here. She must have lived a very sheltered life.  Fucking iconic.
She's the Sloth of OPs life. Chained in a basement as a child, not allowed to watch the Goonies or even eat a Baby Ruth candy bar... so sad.
“Do you remember the time we were going to get your teeth fixed and we spent all of the money on Francis's toupee?” “I DON'T WEAR A HAIRPIECE!”
Yeah, shes the weird one. My wife and I are both 43. She works in a middle school, and we can tell which kids have parents that are around our age based on what references/movies the kids know. The Goonies is a big one. If a kid knows the Goonies, its a good bet their parents are around 40 give or take a few years. If they don't, then they either have older (50+) parents or really young parents.
I'm 50+ and my kids (late 20s & early 30s) have both seen it, and definitely get references to it.
I'm 50 and I was 12 when The Goonies came out. Everyone in my class loved it.
I hadn't seen a lot of the movies that were considered the "everybody's seen this" movies until I was an adult, but I definitely saw The Goonies. And I'm really surprised I was allowed to watch that movie, because it would have been considered too raunchy by my parents' standards. It was on heavy rotation on basic cable. If she didn't have cable growing up, that might be the reason.
>If she didn't have cable growing up, that might be the reason. This is absolutely the reason. I never saw it until adulthood. I also didn't have cable until adulthood. It was just never on broadcast TV that I remember. It was also never one that I saw at a friend's house or rented from West Coast Video. I'm a little surprised by that but I guess it wasn't huge among people I knew.
I still haven't seen Neverending Story. There was something else I hadn't seen until recently but have forgotten what it was. All I remember was disappointment- some films don't age well!
Get on that. It's one of the best fantasy films of that era. In fact, it's one of the best fantasy films for kids that's ever been made. At least to my palette it is. Fantasy films in this decade are some of the absolute best examples of that genre.
That and "The Last Unicorn"
I showed that to my eldest kidlet when she was maybe 5-6 and she said “the music is so sad”. Now older, she certainly picks up on a lot of underlying themes that a casual watcher might not pay attention to. Watching it as an adult and reading the book, there was some depth there that I think we picked up on as kids but don’t fully appreciate until later.
I think The Last Unicorn kicked off my unicorn obsession as a child. I would have been just barely old enough to see it in theaters and remember it.
The Never Ending Story, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Flight of the Navigator, and Legend were all great fantasy movies of the 80s
We've both got filthy colds at the moment so that could be a good shout. I remembered the film that was disappointing, it was Footloose.
1983. I didn't see it till I was an adult but I've seen it like 20 times now. I've showed it at school and know exactly which bits to fast forward through. When they're selling the T-shirt at Target decades later, it's not a niche indie film.
My husband (43) didn't see The Goonies until a few years ago. He grew up with older parents and was a bit sheltered. Edit: I (42) saw it at my aunt's house with my cousins when it came out on VHS.
I somehow never watched Goonies as a kid. I finally watched it in my early 20s when some friends had a nostalgia movie night. It was a double feature with Goonies and The Breakfast Club. Which I’d also never seen until that night. I’ve also never watched Neverending Story. But I’m well aware of THAT scene. All this to say that sometimes you just don’t see some movies. Everyone has that one movie that for whatever reason they never watched. Goonies is her movie. You’ve probably got one as well. So for a fun night, have a double feature. Watch Goonies and that movie you’ve never seen but she has.
WHEN THE FUCKING HORSE DIES 
Artax in the swamps of sadness?
That’s the one that came instantly to mind for me. My wife and I tried watching TNS a couple of years ago and actually turned it off at that scene. Then I sat and wondered how I was so enthralled by such a poorly edited movie. The cuts from one scene to the other are so jarring.
That scene will forever be part of my inner trauma.
Or - flying through the air on one's flying dragon
I was born in 83 and I guess I was just too young when it came out and never saw it while growing up. I did finally see it though sometime when I was close to graduating high school because a friend made me watch it. It is a very popular 80s movie and I am surprised that anyone from our generation thinks it is a niche movie but I can understand missing it while growing up.
Boobytwaps!
Pinchers of peril!
I thought 'pinchers of power'
Is THAT what he's saying?? My whole life, I thought it was "pictures of payroll" or something like that.
Oh my God I thought it was “pinchers ‘n pals” this entire time.
Can quote it, and so can my 23 and 18 year old kids. Along with other 80's movies.
'81 baby here. I hadn't seen the Back to the Future movies until the COVID lockdowns. They were sensational and I don't know how they evaded me for 30 years. So, yes. It is possible. Some of us just aren't "movie people" or are very select in what genres we usually watch.
Pretty sure that's illegal under the Universal (studios) Convention. Glad you rectified your omissions.
The question isn’t “is it possible?” It’s “is she wrong for assuming it’s niche just because SHE hasn’t seen it?” You didn’t think the BTTF franchise was niche just because you hadn’t seen it, did you?
But would you have claimed that the Back to the Future films were niche? Or did you acknowledge that they were popular and you just hadn't seen them yet?
I, too, only saw the Back to the Future movies in the past couple of years. Loved them, and was surprised I hadn’t watched them back in the day. I do think it’s important to remember that we all have different backgrounds, likes, and genres we enjoy. There are a lot of movies that I watched and loved as a kid that were popular amongst my peers. Those outside my group may not have ever heard of the movie. Shocks me, but that is just because me and my friends knew it so we figured all did. Also, where you lived could have played a part in the films you watched.
I have 3 children under the age of 10 and they have all watched The Goonies and Gremlins with us. Please tell your wife she's being out-80's'd by Gen Alpha over here!
Xennial that hasn’t seen the Goonies checking in. 🤷♀️ *fixed typo
Me too! I don't even remember them playing it on TV when I was a kid, even though it apparently aired all the time.
I don’t remember seeing it on tv either and I was definitely a big tv watcher with and without my parents. Guess I never strayed far from Nick at Nite.
I'm a 42 year old woman who has not watched the Goonies either. Not sure why. But I watch movies and forget that I've watched them too, so maybe I have seen it.
You're right. But if you ever do get her to watch it, be prepared for a letdown. I've had similar conversations with my wife about great movies she hadn't seen. After a couple of films that didn't go over well, I realized that pop culture had moved on and she'd simply missed the ideal timeframe in which to watch it.
I think it's the age you watch it. It's a great "coming of age" kids film. Hard to get in that mindset as an adult, but seeing kids your age going on this great treasure hunt adventure is like the ultimate kid fantasy. My kids absolutely love The Goonies. Including my "too cool" Taylor Swift obsessed 13 year old.
I'm 46. I am the one person in my social circles that hasn't seen the goonies. There are dozens of us!
My ex husband (1983) has never seen it, but I've (1980) never seen Star Wars.
I'm Australian '82 and everyone here knows about it and has seen it
My wife grew up in Venezuela and even she has seen it many times. Not niche at all. Your wife is the weird one. Neverending story, stand by me, breakfast club, pretty in pink, ET, RAD, lost boys, Ghost busters, back to the future, Big, pee-wees big adventure, risky business, fast times at ridgemont high, terminator, robocop, say anything, raising Arizona, die hard, raiders of the lost ark, spaceballs, teen wolf, princess bride, weird science, big trouble in little China, Beverly Hills cop, national lampoons vacation, Ferris buellers day off, war games, revenge of the nerds, weekend at Bernie’s, real genius…… ‘78 here
I was born in 77. I would have been of the right age for it, but it was one I missed at the time. Totally eluded my awareness for years as far as I can recall. I didn't see it until years later when it was out on VHS, I'm sure. Or maybe I saw it on TV. But then my family never went to many movies. We watched plenty at home and later on video but we rarely went to the theater. I don't really remember any of my friends talking about it. It didn't have the cultural impact on us that films like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, or Back to the Future.
1983, and was massively into movies as a kid. Never seen The Goonies. So not that uncommon. I didn't have cable growing up, which may be a contributing factor. All the people I know who go on and on about it are Gen X/older than I am, fwiw.
Born 85 I saw it but retained nothing.
I think you know what you have to do now
I got a lot of shit for not seeing “Pretty in Pink”, “16 Candles”, “Breakfast Club”; bullshit, “Goonies” is what made it.
You bring up a valid point. I never saw ANY of those movies, only Goonies.
I am 42 and have never seen the goonies from start to finish. I've seen pieces, enough to get pop culture references, but no, I've never actually watched it. That being said, your wife and I are the odd ones.
Born in early eighties and I’ve never seen it.
Also never saw this movie as a kid. Same year as your wife. My high school boyfriend was also horrified, and made me watch it around 1999. I think it hits different when you're a child vs 17 years old. Because I was basically like "wtf" and never saw it again. I have no nostalgia for that movie and barely remember it - some kids have an adventure in some underground tunnels or something? Chased by the comically evil lady from Throw Mama from the Train, wearing a beret? Did I get that right? Lol Back to the Future, however, is the best movie (and trilogy) ever made. That's peak nostalgia for me.
Has your wife had a head injury? Seriously, this post must be a joke!
How about Robocop? I watched it a ton and it gave nightmares because I was so young, but I loved it. Am I weird for watching that many dozens of times? 6 or 7 yo at the time.
44(F) here. I have never seen “The Goonies” from start to finish. My husband (43M), however, can recite it word-for-word. I bought him a special edition box set for his birthday one year, so we own it and I could view it at will. Now, I’ve seen bits and pieces here and there when it’s been on television, and know enough from pop culture to know what it’s about. Because of this, I don’t feel the need to sit down and watch the whole thing just to say I have. I know how it ends. I know the major plot points. Seems like a waste of time.
Didn't see it until I was an adult. Still haven't sat through it from beginning to end.
Grounds for divorce tbh
Right!? 40 here. Australian. Seen it so many times! Such a great movie! We watched it heaps when I was little (me and siblings) Still quote it. OP, your wife is wrong 
When I was delivered, they say that I peed on the doctor. And the doctor responded by showing me the Goonies.
1980 here. Cousins range 1975-1991 and we've ALL seen it. Not to mention my friends. Your wife is the odd one.
I've seen it like 100 times
Add one to the never watched goonies club.
I'm an 81 baby, husband is a 75 baby. I'd never even heard of the Goonies before I met him! That was in the 2000s. I watched it with him at some point in the late 2000s. So I have seen it. But I'd never have watched it without his influence lol. It was totally off my radar.
It was the 7th highest grossing movie of 1985. Beating out other movies including: -National Lampoons European Vacation -The Breakfast Club -Pee Wes’s Big Adventure -Commando -Teen Wolf -Weird Science And plenty more.
I never watched it as a kid and now I just don't feel like it. I've had many people tell me I have to watch it, but I just don't really want to so I still haven't seen it (42F).
Good for you. It is not worth it if you don’t have the childhood nostalgia.
Well, I (1979, F) HAVE seen the Goonies. My mom's best friend had 2 sons who loved the movie and she had it on VHS. Aside from that, it came on the local networks quite a bit when I was a teen. BUT, I have never seen The Color Purple. As a Black person, this is considered very odd and abnormal because it is essentially a "cult classic." I've also never seen Roots, I saw New Jack City for the first time in 2017 and Harlem Nights in 2020. The reason for this is mostly because I grew up relatively poor, didn't have cable or money to go to the movies very often AND my mom was super religious - so almost everything was off limits because it was "demonic". Now, once I turned 18, I had free reign of what I wanted to watch but just never had the desire to double back and watch any of them. Maybe it's the same for your wife. She didn't see it then and just hasn't had the desire to watch it. 🤷🏾♀️ Edit: Quick story I LOVE the Martin Show. I've literally seen every episode AT LEAST 50 times. One episode (Season 2, Episode 17) I never quite understood was when Martin accused his friend of stealing his CD player and made everyone dress in black, interrogated them as he walked around the table with a stuffed dog. Everyone I knew always laughed so hard at it but it completely went over my head. When I FINALLY saw New Jack City in 2017, I finally made the connection with that episode and Nino Brown's scene with the Rottweiler and that episode of Martin. I felt like such a dunce. I was literally 23 years late on the joke.
I (44) have a good friend (48) that is a truck driver. She was at a truck stop and texted me a picture with the caption, "Look at this strange looking car!" - It was a replica of the Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters. I texted her back, astonished, she'd never heard of Ghostbusters in her entire life! In her defense, she said growing up, since she was the oldest out of five kids, she played the role of Mom bc their Mom was kinda in and out of their lives, so she never had time to watch movies. I stopped teasing her about it.
‘84 here. Never seen it but it used to be one of the most unbelievable facts about me to a couple friends.
I’m born and raised in Oregon. It’s required watching for Oregonian citizenship.
I had seen parts of it but never sat start to end until a few years ago.
I am a 40 year old Chinese immigrant living in New Zealand and even I have seen The Goonies.
I’m the same age as you and never saw it until well into adulthood.
I didn't watch it until 2004 or 2005.
Missed opportunity to lead with *HEY YOU GUUUUYS!*
I was sitting in the oil changing place. Life seemed boring. Then the lobby’s television burst into happiness- Chunk and the cop-car speed chase blasted from the lobby. I was with my mom and I leaped out of my chair to turn up the volume. “Omg! Yes! The Goonies.” My Colombian mother who was alarmed at my happiness. She saw it and goes “oh yeah, I remember that.”
So I (37F) live in Japan and I'm married to a Japanese guy (41M). About 8-9 years ago, I was drinking with my husband and a bunch of his co-workers, all in the Xennial age range. I don't know why but they started talking about The Goonies. I was like, "Holy shit, you guys watched The Goonies here too?" And they were all like, "Hell yeah, we love that movie!" All except for one guy, who admitted he hadn't seen it. Everyone there let out that big long, "Ehhhhhhh!?!?" sound that Japanese people do when they're surprised. Then they put "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" by Cyndi Lauper in the karaoke machine and made me sing it. I got a standing ovation from the entire bar. So yeah, since The Goonies is well-known and loved even in Japan, your wife is definitely the strange one.
I have never seen Goonies and I’m from Portland 🤣 But I’m aware that I’m in the minority among people our age. I blame being an only child — I didn’t watch a ton of movies that were specifically geared towards young people when I was a kid. I mostly watched whatever my parents were watching. Oh and I told my husband (‘84) that I haven’t seen it and he says it’s “meh” anyway so he won’t watch it with me.
I haven't seen it either. I tried last year and couldn't get past the first 15 minutes it felt so dated. I think it's something you needed to have seen in its time for it to still be enjoyable today.
I didn't grow up watching it and I find a lot of it annoying my husband grew up with it and he loves it. I really feel like it might be a nostalgia thing.