Celebrate Friday By Doing The Truffle Shuffle! "The Goonies"

The Goonies (1985)
Rated PG for Language and Sheer Awesomeness

Starring Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman, Kerri Green, Martha Plimpton, Jonathan Ke Quan, Robert Davi, Joe Pantoliano, Anne Ramsey

Directed by Richard Donner

The Goonies: Mikey (Astin), Chunk (Cohen), Mouth (Feldman)and Data (Quan) are facing the end of their stay in Astoria Oregon.  The bank is foreclosing on their houses to create a  big money making deal and there is no room for these houses.  But when they discover a treasure map, the boys embark on one last mission: to uncover the lost pirate treasure of One-Eyed Willie.  However, when they cross paths with the dangerous Fratelli family, they may lose more than just their homes if they aren't careful.

I Think This Review Will Go Well!

There are very few movies I would classify as "Perfect" or "As Close to Perfect As You Can Get".

The Goonies makes either of those lists, all day, every day.

A well-written story by Steven Spielberg and Chris Columbus, it was helmed by Richard Donner who I have mentioned often that he is one of my favorite directors of all time.

It's not just one of the best 80s movies of that generation, it can stand toe to toe with the best of any decade.

Hard to believe it's going on 30 years old.

The great thing about The Goonies, and what helps make it timeless?

Before There Was Twerking...

It's a wonderful thrill ride/coming of age/fun/adventure story that is great for kids, and kids of all ages. 

When those kids grow up and have their own kids, they introduce them to the magic of this movie, and the bond between family and movie grows stronger with each passing viewing.

Or at least, that's what's happened in our household.

There are scenes that are burned indelibly into the pop culture consciousness...

The Truffle Shuffle?

Chunk's blender confession?

Data's pinchers of peril?

Heck, Mouth's "You're Ruining My Joke" gag gets used around the house all the time whenever someone stomps on someone Else's punchline.

Still A Better Pirate Movie Than Anything With Johnny Depp In It.

Any plot holes you can find within the movie are minor and don't detract or distract from the film.

Heck, about the only thing I would like to see is the octopus scene that was mentioned at the end but apparently removed from the film.

If you have never seen it, run, don't walk to your nearest capability to view this film.

If it's been awhile, dust it off and play it again, especially if you have any kids now and they've never had the privilege of seeing the movie.

It is currently streamable if you are an Amazon Prime member.


Final Grade: A+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I own it and it gets watched at least once a year, if not more than that. :)

The Twelve Reviews of Christmas...Day Nine: "Scrooged"

Yule Love It!

The Story:

Frank Cross (Bill Murray) is the youngest TV executive in network history. He has big plans for a live performance of A Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve.  Ah, but when Frank is visited by the ghost of his former boss (John Forsythe), it's only a matter of time before his world is turned upside down as he lives his own version of Dickens' classic tale.

Will Frank learn a valuable life lesson, or is he doomed for all eternity?

Richard Donner directs yet another personal favorite of mine.  I tell you, he's possibly the most underrated movie director of the 80s/90s.

While Murray gets acclaim for his later dramatic roles, this is my favorite role that he has done in his career.  Yep, better than Caddyshack, Stripes and Ghostbusters, to name but three.

He's funny, but in reactionary ways only, which is a great skill for an actor to pull off.

That he seems to be having a nervous breakdown due to the ghosts adds to the comedy of the film.

Unlike versions of the ghosts, these 3 aren't exactly nice or sentimental with Frank.  In fact, Carol Kane as the Ghost of Christmas Present is downright brutal with Frank.

:)

Naturally, Frank learns that the life he could have had with Claire (Karen Allen) is his one big mistake, and that's why I don't consider Scrooged to be a straight adaptation of A Christmas Carol.

  Does it borrow, oh yes, liberally.

But here, Frank, unlike Scrooge, gets the chance to rectify that moment in his life where things went wrong, and win back the love of his life.

Great performances across the board, and if you don't like this movie...

You have no Christmas spirit.

;)

Available to stream instantly on Amazon if you have Prime membership.

Final Grade: A+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor:  It is owned already and is watched at least once every holiday season.  I'm thinking there will be an upgrade to Blu Ray to keep it lasting forever in the near future.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas..."Lethal Weapon"

I'm too old for this...

The Story:

Veteran cop Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) is nearing retirement.  He finds himself saddled with a new partner, a burn-out, possibly suicidal maniac, Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson).  The two are pulled into a suicide which leads them back to an old Army buddy of Roger's.  The question then becomes, who is going to kill the cops first, the bad guys, or each other?

Come on, how much of a plot synopsis do you want me to give to Lethal Weapon?

It's over 25 years old and is a classic in its own rights.

If the film didn't define it, it at the very least redefined the entire Buddy Cop action flick.

Want to take film-making 101 for making that kind of movie, look no further.

First, get two polar opposites that bicker and squabble with each other, but come to depend and work well with each other by the end of the film.

Literally put them on death's door or as much of a physical wringer as you can muster, and you'll see what they are made of on the inside as well as how tough they are on the outside.

This was Shane Black's first feature movie that he wrote, and he knocked it out of the park on his first try.  He's kept the Christmas feeling over the rest of the movies he's worked on, most recently with Iron Man 3.

Aside from pairing Glover and Gibson together, they also put them opposite Gary Busey who is simply unleashed on the screen as possibly the most psychotic villain to plague 80s cops.  If Die Hard had the suave Hans Gruber to counteract the everyman John McClane, Lethal Weapon offered up Mr. Joshua as the psychopath who could channel Riggs inner rage, and give in to it.

You have to believe that the villains can beat the hero, and literally our heroes limp across the finish line when it's all over.

Tying this all together is Richard Donner.  If push comes to shove, I will say that he is, for overall body of work, my favorite director of all time.  His movies are nearly always entertaining and in a way, timeless.  While this movie is made in the 80s, it could just as easily be now, or earlier.  That's just how Donner works, and his movies age really well.

Plus, much like Die Hard, it's got a Christmas theme, so it's a way to get some adrenaline during the holidays pumped into your system.  Normally I try and squeeze these into holiday viewing when I'm wrapping gifts for the kids.  Now that they've figured out how great Die Hard is, I wonder when they'll come waiting to see this one?!

Final Grade: A+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I love 'em, I own 'em!

100 Greatest Movies of All Time...That I Own. # 8 ~ The Goonies

Welcome back, Richard Donner.

I told you, he's my favorite director of all time.

And this time, he's back, with probably the quintessential movie for kids that were growing up in the 80s:

The Goonies.

The story:

A group of kids (The Goonies!) face eviction from their homes in lovely Astoria, Oregon.  The evil banker is buying up all the property and plans on leveling the area and developing.  On their last night together, they find the pirate map of One-Eyed Willie, and decide to see if they can find the treasure and maybe save their parents from having to move.  If the task of finding Willie's treasure isn't daunting enough, they will have to contend with getting past the Fratelli's...a no-good family of thieves who just so happen to be hiding out exactly where the Goonies need to go to find the treasure.

Talk about a fun movie!

: )

The cool thing about the Goonies, while it is set in the 80s, it is another one of those that has a timeless feel to it.  Ignore any minor topical reference, and the film could be taking place...now.

Which might be why it still resonates with each generation that has sat down to view it, usually with their parents.

Especially if their parents grew up in the 80s and watched it when it first came out.

Yes, every kid likely has known a Mikey, Chunk, Data or Mouth in their time growing up.  Some of you may have even been that kid.

What we didn't get to do was find One-Eyed Willie's treasure or be chased down by a crazed family of Italians.

But I bet we would have wanted to. : )

Or in our own way growing up, we probably embarked on a "Goonie-Enough" mission with our friends.

Unfortunatly, the world is much darker now than it was in the 80s, and we can't let our children roam like the Goonies were able to in the 80s.

Thankfully, they can escape for a bit through the movie, and hopefully that will be good enough.

:: cue Cyndi Lauper soundtrack ::

: )

100 Greatest Movies of All Time...That I Own. # 13 ~ Scrooged

Back on the list, a few old favorites:

Bill Murray.
Richard Donner.

Christmas Movies.

In fact, this begins the Holy Trifecta of Christmas movies, so if you're not a fan of the Yuletide Season, then you may want to take a few days off.

Lumps of coal will be delivered accordingly...

: )

So anyway...

For those that haven't seen this film:

It's a spin on A Christmas Carol, for starters.

Bill Murray plays Frank Cross, the youngest executive in network television history.  To celebrate the season, he plans an extensive, live production of A Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve.

Bah, humbug!

However, Frank begins to be visited by the Christmas Ghosts....and then all bets are off.

Will Frank get the message, or will it be too late for Mr. Cross?

If you only watch one film version of A Christmas Carol...

It should probably be A Muppet Christmas Carol.

: )

But if you want an adaptation of A Christmas Carol, here you go!

The framework of Dickens' tale remains intact, and yet they built all of their new story on top of it.

Bill Murray is a genius in his role as Cross.  It's fun to see him through flashbacks when he was less of an ogre towards people and is genuinely caring.  He makes you care that Frank Cross does not go down the path of Christmas-Yet-To-Come.  His redemption, unlike Scrooge, happens live via satellite to millions of people (and pets) who are watching.

Pretty powerful stuff.

The rest of the all-star cast is tremendous as well.

It's a holiday mainstay at the house.  Our only complaint, we really want to see Lee Majors' film, The Night the Reindeer Died!!  : )  (Though I maintain the Day the Reindeer Died would be the better title)

So get ready this holiday season to watch Scrooged.  And if you haven't seen it in a few years, give it a whirl...

Yule Love It!

100 Greatest Movies of All Time...That I Own. # 27 ~ Lethal Weapon

 

 

 

The buddy picture.

Or more specifically, the buddy cop picture.

It's been represented by Jackie Chan (twice) thus far.

And while there have been similar films before, and since, I will hold this one up as the blueprint for how to do it correctly.

The adventures of a pair of polar opposite detectives: Suicidal crazy-man Riggs, and straight-laced family man Murtaugh are on the case, and the bad guys had better watch out.  Because if these two don't kill each other first, the bad guys won't stand a chance!

And yeah, that's like the plot, in a nutshell.

It might seem formulaic, and on the surface it is, but as any great chemistry experiment will tell you, when you get a good formula, it works.

So you start with my favorite director, Richard Donner triumphantly returns to the countdown.  He takes a tight script and turns it loose with these two stars.

First, Mel Gibson.  Again, I'm not here to judge Mel on anything but what he does on screen.  I would have to say this was his first big break, in a real bona-fide action vehicle, if you want to discount the 3rd Mad Max sequel, and I'm fairly certain that most filmgoers do.

So yes, I would say Mad Max (# 2) brought Gibson to attention, and his next films proved he could act, but it was Lethal Weapon that turned him into a star.  You believe the desperation and manic ability that he brings to the screen.

Likewise, Danny Glover is the polar opposite to Gibson.  For me, I knew Glover from Silverado (just missed the countdown) but it seems like that's a pretty nice gig to really get your first starring, or at least co-starring role with this franchise.

Much like Superman, Donner is going to get you with some no-names or familiar faces, and let the story bring you along.

He succeeds.

And in the process, made an unconventional Christmas movie that still holds up today.

As for the rest of the franchise, aside from Chris Rock in the 4th film, I'm still a big fan.  Chris Rock is annoying.  Can he be funny? Yes.  A broken clock can be right twice a day also, but I would prefer one that works.

I would have preferred another actor in that role.

That's all I'm saying.

And Joe Pesci?  Leo Getz is awesome.

: )

I believe I've already mentioned that I love Rene Russo, so yeah, I'm a big fan of the entire franchise from start to finish, which I don't always say about every movie series I've seen (especially ones where George Lucas is involved...).

100 Greatest Movies of All Time...That I Own. # 56 ~ Maverick

Saddle up, and ride back to the Old West...

As seen by a big screen remake of a popular television series!

Generally, by nature, these remakes are frowned upon by movie fans as proving that Hollywood is bankrupt of ideas.  However, when done correctly, they can be quite enjoyable.  One remake that just missed the list, The Brady Bunch movie, took everything that was great about the show, and simply transported them into the modern world.  The world was meaner, but the Brady's were very much, the Brady's.  It was hilarious and fun.

So too, was Maverick.  The essence of the television character was brought forth to the silver screen, with a different actor taking the role.  Thankfully, this wasn't a Legend of the Lone Ranger fiasco.

Richard Donner, arguably my favorite director of all time, hits the countdown once again.  He brings with him an old favorite, Mel Gibson, in the title role of Bret Maverick.

Maverick of course was made famous by James Garner on television back in the "Good Ol' Days" of glorious black and white television.

In an unprecedented move with remakes, where the original star(s) gets a brief cameo or maybe a speaking line, Donner goes out and brings in James Garner to play Marshall Zane Cooper in a fun, meaty role.

Rounding out the the main cast is Jodie Foster as the potential love interest/thieving gambler and Jame Coburn as the Commodore, who schedules the riverboat gambling cruise that is the central point of the whole movie.

The movie, is just plain fun.  It never takes itself too seriously, but never makes fun of the Maverick franchise.

Now, as for the elephant in the room that I've danced around the entire time...

Mel Gibson.

What he said or did one drunken night will not taint the performances he has provided to me as an audience over the years.

Am I disappointed?  Sure.

I'll hope it was more of an accident/one-time thing than try to believe something darker and more sinister about him.

Besides, if I disliked actors/directors/musicians based on politics/religion/bad habits...


The world would quickly become VERY boring.