A Few Words About A few words about…™ The Goonies - in 4k UHD Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

Not may people know this, but Anne Ramsey (who plays Mama Fratelli) was originally cast as the mother on The Partridge Family, but was released from her contract after the the initial episode (which never aired), and replaced with another actress. Purportedly, she came off as "too sweet."

Fortunately she can be seen in The Goonies, directed by Richard Donner, and presented by Steven Spielberg. It's one of those wonderful films.

Many young actors were cast, who found their way to continuing careers. Makes me think of The Outsiders.

The film was shot on location in Oregon.

For release was blown up to 70mm, which may give you some indication of how well it was shot.

Shot on film (you remember that stuff), it has now become fodder for a wonderfully produced new 4k UHD Blu-ray, that is so magnificently resolved that it will test the limits of your panel or projection device.

Add it to that short list of films that meet the 4k criteria for perfection.

Image – 5

Audio – 5 (DTS-HD MA 5.1)

Pass / Fail – Pass

Upgrade from Blu-ray - Yes, it's perfection

Very Highly Recommended

RAH

 

[Tino]

Great news! Thanks.

 

[B-ROLL]

Not may people know this, but Anne Ramsey (who plays Mama Fratelli) was originally cast as the mother on The Partridge Family, but was released from her contract after the the initial episode (which never aired), and replaced with another actress. Purportedly, she came off as "too sweet."

Fortunately she can be seen in The Goonies, directed by Richard Donner, and presented by Steven Spielberg. It's one of those wonderful films.

Many young actors were cast, who found their way to continuing careers. Makes me think of The Outsiders.

The film was shot on location in Oregon.

For release was blown up to 70mm, which may give you some indication of how well it was shot.

Shot on film (you remember that stuff), it has now become fodder for a wonderfully produced new 4k UHD Blu-ray, that is so magnificently resolved that it will test the limits of your panel or projection device.

Add it to that short list of films that meet the 4k criteria for perfection.

Image – 5

Audio – 5 (DTS-HD MA 5.1)

Pass / Fail – Pass

Upgrade from Blu-ray - Yes, it's perfection

Very Highly Recommended

RAH

This may be of interest to some ...

 

[Malcolm R]

Anne Ramsey was a great character actress. Another we lost to cancer too early (she was 59 when she passed), shortly after she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Throw Momma From the Train.

 

[jim_falconer]

 

[Powell&Pressburger]

Some have reported frozen grain over the opening jailbreak sequence.

Any comments?

 

[Christian D66]

I might check this out in 4K, but I was so caught up in Spielberg 80's fever I cut sophomore class to see this opening day -- and had my first major theatrical letdown. Not funny, racist (I was 13 and groaned at the Mexican maid scene) and Donner's typical uninspired direction bolstered by obvious Spielberg second-unit. There's some nifty things in there but the proof this is not a good film outside nostalgia is that it was not a big hit and no sequels despite being set up as a series. I was there with the audience, sharing the collective disappointment with the utterly silent crowd. We raised the roof on TEMPLE OF DOOM and this wasn't even a crowd-pleaser. Chunk did become President of my class at Berkeley though!

 

[Ejanss]

I might check this out in 4K, but I was so caught up in Spielberg 80's fever I cut sophomore class to see this opening day -- and had my first major theatrical letdown. Not funny, racist (I was 13 and groaned at the Mexican maid scene) and Donner's typical uninspired direction bolstered by obvious Spielberg second-unit. There's some nifty things in there but the proof this is not a good film outside nostalgia is that it was not a big hit and no sequels despite being set up as a series. I was there with the audience, sharing the collective disappointment with the utterly silent crowd.

...That's what I KEEP TELLING 'em, but they NEVER BELIEVE ME!!!

Ohh, lord, did we hate this movie when it came out:
It's one thing to have a movie about obnoxious 12-yo's, it's another thing to have it seem like it was written by obnoxious 12-yo.'s. The villains were more weird and disturbing than lovably hatable, Sloth seemed more mentally-retarded than lovable-Frankenstein, the plot was non-existent (would you believe it was supposed to be Spielberg's "live-action tribute to Pirates of the Caribbean"?...Take that, Johnny Depp!), and...okay, Richard, we GET it, Chunk broke the piece off the statue, in the name of humanity, will you please let it go and move on??
The opening chase was clever, but after that, the only laughs it got were unintentional ones at an early Chris Columbus trying to give the girl characters more "Santa Claus speeches" from Gremlins.

So, why is it considered a "classic"? (Apart from Warner's need to market any 80's movie we remember?)
Not so much for the movie itself, as the fact that, for kids who weren't there and think "80's movie" is literally a genre--and they don't mean "Terms of Endearment" or "Out of Africa"--this is the Default 80's Movie: Spielberg's name as producer, and kids on bikes.
Why do you think "It: Chapter One" wanted so badly to be "set in the 80's", with their ten-speeds at the ready? Why do you think "Stranger Things" quickly devolved into trying to remember whether Rubik's Cube and Crystal Pepsi came out in the same year?

 

[Tino]

I might check this out in 4K, but I was so caught up in Spielberg 80's fever I cut sophomore class to see this opening day -- and had my first major theatrical letdown. Not funny, racist (I was 13 and groaned at the Mexican maid scene) and Donner's typical uninspired direction bolstered by obvious Spielberg second-unit. There's some nifty things in there but the proof this is not a good film outside nostalgia is that it was not a big hit and no sequels despite being set up as a series. I was there with the audience, sharing the collective disappointment with the utterly silent crowd. We raised the roof on TEMPLE OF DOOM and this wasn't even a crowd-pleaser. Chunk did become President of my class at Berkeley though!

My experience seeing it in ‘85 was quite the opposite. The sold out crowd I saw it with roared with laughter throughout and cheered at the end. My friends and I loved it and had no issues with it at all. And calling it “proof” that it’s not a good film due to boxoffice?? Well we all know how that argument plays out.

 

[Tino]

.That's what I KEEP TELLING 'em, but they NEVER BELIEVE ME!!!

That’s because it’s not true!

 

[JoshZ]

the proof this is not a good film outside nostalgia is that it was not a big hit and no sequels despite being set up as a series.

I'm not particularly a fan of The Goonies, but the film made $124 million from a $19 million budget and was in the domestic Top 10 for the year. Let's not try to pretend it was a bomb when it was decidedly a box office hit.

Ohh, lord, did we hate this movie when it came out:
It's one thing to have a movie about obnoxious 12-yo's, it's another thing to have it seem like it was written by obnoxious 12-yo.'s.

How old were you when you first saw it?

 

[Tino]

The Goonies, but the film made $124 million from a $19 million budget and was in the domestic Top 10 for the year. Let's not try to pretend it was a bomb when it was decidedly a box office hit.

Exactly. Which in 2020 dollars equals close to $300 million dollars.

 

[B-ROLL]

Exactly. Which in 2020 dollars equals close to $300 million dollars.

!

 

[Tino]

Some have reported frozen grain over the opening jailbreak sequence.

Any comments?

Just watched that scene. Did not notice any frozen grain. Looks great.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

I'm not particularly a fan of The Goonies, but the film made $124 million from a $19 million budget and was in the domestic Top 10 for the year. Let's not try to pretend it was a bomb when it was decidedly a box office hit.

"Hit" depends on expectations to some degree, and the hype for "Goonies" was through the roof.

It was 9th in the US with $61 million, and that was well below expectations. "Goonies" was supposed to be a massive hit but it just wasn't.

No, it didn't bomb, but $61 million US was way lower than that film should've done. "Back to the Future" - a less hyped project - made more than 3 times more money.

"Goonies" reminds me of 1990's "Dick Tracy": a heavily promoted "blockbuster" that produced decent box office but that failed to live up to expectations. "Tracy" wound up in 9th place for its year as well, much lower than anticipated.

If "Goonies" had really been a sensation in 1985, why no sequel?

 

[Wayne_j]

I couldn't find this release at Best Buy, Target, or Barnes and Noble so I ordered from Amazon.

 

[Bryan^H]

Picture is beautiful, bit rates through the roof. I was disappointed by the lack of Atmos, but with the DTS Neural X on my receiver, it added a bit to the height channels. Sounds great.
No special features on the UHD disc? O....K, looks like I will hold on to the standard BD for those.
Overall, I'm very happy.

 

[Ejanss]

How old were you when you first saw it?

Are you saying it would have been more coherently written/directed, or less shrill and gratingly unfunny, if I was personally under 16?

Or are you just implying that kids who were at the time, or since then on video, liked it because they didn't know any better?
As that would rather fall into line with my judgment.

(I will, however, confess I have never seen The Sandlot, but don't recall good critical reviews for that one either.)

"Goonies" reminds me of 1990's "Dick Tracy": a heavily promoted "blockbuster" that produced decent box office but that failed to live up to expectations. "Tracy" wound up in 9th place for its year as well, much lower than anticipated.

Well, "Tracy" was also a mess, but it was a GOOD mess. Warren Beatty meant well with his performance and comic-strip design, but his quirky-sophisticate style is the last director in the world you would hire for a tongue-in-cheek action epic. (Um, how about not covering a fun retro-action montage with a slow Stephen Sondheim torch song, Warren?)
Now, if they'd given Beatty's design to Joe Johnston, fresh off of "The Rocketeer"...

Goonies, OTOH, was in the "True Mess" category.

 

[Christian D66]

My experience seeing it in ‘85 was quite the opposite. The sold out crowd I saw it with roared with laughter throughout and cheered at the end. My friends and I loved it and had no issues with it at all. And calling it “proof” that it’s not a good film due to boxoffice?? Well we all know how that argument plays out.

I have no doubt another audience might react different and younger kids would eat it up. Yes it made money but the film promises a sequel that doesn't come and it was not well-reviewed. I watched audiences as much as the film growing up and you can tell when the film connects. I loved BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA and THE THING opening day but I could feel the disconnect. I didn't like GHOSTBUSTERS or BACK TO THE FUTURE opening night but the crowds were electric.I think Cinefantastique nailed THE GOONIES in their review and Harlan Ellison wasn't nice either about the effect of Spielberg on 80's films. THE GOONIES shoulda worked but yeah, those villains were....what? I did like the theme song though and Ke Huy Quan. But it needed a big octopus.

 

[Ejanss]

I have no doubt another audience might react different and younger kids would eat it up. Yes it made money but the film promises a sequel that doesn't come and it was not well-reviewed. I watched audiences as much as the film growing up and you can tell when the film connects. I loved BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA and THE THING opening day but I could feel the disconnect. I didn't like GHOSTBUSTERS or BACK TO THE FUTURE opening night but the crowds were electric.

So could I: Whatever the heck Big Trouble was supposed to be felt sloppily self-indulgent for John Carpenter, Kurt Russell (what is with that freakin' John Wayne voice??), and writer W.D. Richter, and The Thing was...too icky, and too focused on weird-effects to deliver on its promise of "the original paranoid short-story, that the 50's movie didn't do!" (And Russell still acting goofy.)
Oh, and Blade Runner looked cool, but didn't make one danged lick o' sense on first viewing, and do not make me relive the experience of Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai, which narcissistically convinced itself it was a "quirky cult film" the day it opened.

Ghostbusters, OTOH, everyone Bill-Murray quoted on the way out of the theater, and for a week afterwards (remember the college t-shirts of "Back off, man, I'm a scientist"?), and Back to the Future not only kept pulling script tricks out of its hat, but may have been the film that secretly captured the zeitgeist vibe of the Reagan 80's.
(The days when we were trying to be cool, but somehow found ourselves stuck back in our parents' 50's.)

Moral: Not EVERY classic beloved 80's movie was Spielberg-esque Kids On Bikes, or vice versa.
If it were, "D.A.R.Y.L." and "Explorers" would be showing in Fathom screenings.

I think Cinefantastique nailed THE GOONIES in their review

Oo, I never kept my issues (except for an '82 Dark Crystal one)--What'd they say?

THE GOONIES shoulda worked but yeah, those villains were....what?

Let's see, IIRC, one of them sang opera, I think, 'cause, like, they were Italian? That's about as far as I got.
Oh, and Anne Ramsey kept threatening to cut out their tongues, which is now tragically ironic.