Before DVD commentary or special features on laser discs, before the internet and imdb, there were only a few outlets to get some interesting behind-the-scenes tidbits on our favorite films. As a kid my favorite outlet for this super secret information was the one-shot souvenir magazines that littered gas station spinner racks every summer to coincide with the latest blockbusters. One that I missed out on as a kid was the official magazine for the Goonies, but thanks to Vinnie Rattolle (there’s a lot of wonderful there) and the wonderful splendeferousness of the internets, I’ve been able to right that injustice…
Most of these magazines were pretty similar in structure. They acted as one part story book with an extended film synopsis and lots of stills both from the finished film and some choice behind the scenes shots, but they were also a treasure trove of trivia. They also served as an extension of the film credits providing some background on the cast and filmmakers…
Mixed in with some of the odd bits of actor trivia (I wonder if Jeff Cohen is still collecting hats), there are also some interesting little details about the characters. I think this is the first time that fans got a chance to see these characters full names, Lawrence “Chunk” Cohen, Brand & Mikey Walsh, Andrea “Andy” Carmichael, Stephanie “Stef” Steinbrenner, and Clark “Mouth” Devereaux. Curious though, we don’t get to know Data’s full name in these passages, though the internet psychics say it’s Richard “Data” Wang. Similarly the intertron fact machine has also revealed that Sloth’s real name is Lotney Fratelli.
It’s also interesting to note in the mini Richard Donner interview it’s revealed that Spielberg directed all the second unit work on the film. I knew he was a hands-on producer, but this is just more evidence that he really took a hand in working on all these projects. It also illustrates his involvement in the script writing. The basic idea was his, and he was involved in the process with Chris Columbus to flesh out the story. On a side note, I just realized that Columbus really has a thing for crazy contraptions and booby traps; just take a look at all of Randall Peltzer’s inventions in Gremlins, all the craziness in Home Alone, and Data’s arsenal of gadgets…
I don’t know about anyone else, but around the time that Goonies came out in 1985 the last thing in the world I would have been watching was probably MTV, and because of this I never managed to catch the crazy 12 minute, Donner-directed music video for Cyndi Lauper’s contribution to the film, Goonies ‘R Good Enough. If I’d had a copy of the magazine I would have known about it though…
Thank the makers that Warner Brothers saw fit to include this insane bit of Goonies history on the 2001 DVD release of the flick. Now everyone can bask in the glory of Lauper & company’s zany reinterpretation of the Goonies adventure. The video reunited Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, Sean Astin, Jeff Cohen, Martha Plimpton, and Ke Huy Quan (I’d be willing to bet that Kerri Green was either busy filming Summer Rental or Lucas at the time) as the Goonies who help Cyndi Lauper on an adventure to save her family’s gas station from a bunch of evil wrestling heels and a team of Benihana chefs. It’s not quite on the level of say Michael Jackson’s Thriller, but it sure blows Jackson’s Moonwalker out of the water. You can catch the video here.
I’ll take a deeper look at the magazine this weekend…
