Released in the summer of 1985, The Goonies has gone on to be one of the most memorable movies of the entire decade. Part comedy, part adventure, and part coming of age, The movie is the story of a group of friends who have nicknamed themselves The Goonies. After uncovering an old treasure map, the group decides to embark on one last adventure before they’re forced to relocate due to property foreclosure. What starts as an innocent childhood adventure quickly turns into something more serious when the Goonies run into the Fratellis, a local crime family. Once they realize that the treasure they’re looking for is actually real, things get even more intense. While the movie is now considered a classic and has plenty of scenes that viewers will never forget, there were also some awesome scenes that simply didn’t make the cut. Over the last few years, some of these scenes have resurfaced and one of them shows a pair of gorillas stealing a car. If you’re a fan of The Goonies, this is one scene you’ll definitely want to see. Although there were lots of scenes that didn’t make the final cut for The Goonies, there are two in particular that have become the most well-known.
The Gorilla Car Thieves
One of the most popular deleted scenes from The Goonies is one in which two gorillas, Bonzo and Bertha, escaped from the zoo ended up stealing Troy’s (Steve Antin) car. So, how did the gorilla get out of the zoo? Apparently, the Goonies were the ones responsible. An article on Yahoo! states, “As scripted by screenwriter, Chris Columbus, and seen in the finished film, one sequence requires the kids to bang on underground pipes, causing havoc in the country club above them. What we don’t see is that their underground vandalism also frees several zoo animals, including Bonzo and Bertha.” In addition to their joyriding, Bonzo and Bertha were also supposed to appear in other parts of the movie.
Why the Scene Was Deleted
One of the important details we forgot to mention about the gorilla scene from The Goonies is the fact that there were no actual gorillas involved in the movie. Instead, the gorillas were stunt doubles who were dressed in costumes. Evidently, people who saw the footage felt like the costumes simply didn’t look real enough. The film’s director, Richard Donner, said, “I don’t think the gorilla suits really worked as we would have liked”. Sadly, the footage has been lost to history.
The Octopus
Another deleted scene that has become legendary over the years involves an octopus. According to Cinema Blend, “The scene was meant to take place in the final act of the movie just as the Goonies escape the Fratellis and jump from One-Eyed Willy’s pirate ship. In the final version of the movie, the group swims to safety just as the grotto begins to cave in, but the deleted scene adds one more obstacle: a giant octopus.” The octopus eventually brushes on two of the Goonies and pulls them under water. Data (Jonathan Ke Huy Quan) comes up with the idea to put his Walkman in the octopus’ mouth. Surprisingly, this tactic actually works and the octopus starts dancing and swims away.
Why the Scene Was Deleted
Like the gorilla scene, the octopus just didn’t look real enough. Its movements were awkward to the point where it was actually distracting. This is because the octopus was nothing more than a giant puppet. To be honest, this scene sounds a little cheesy and could’ve ended up ruining the film as we know it, so I don’t think there’s any love lost about this one not making the final cut. However, anyone who has seen The Goonies will probably remember when Data says “The octopus was very scary”. When asked why this was kept in the film even though the scene was cut, Richard Donner told Assignment X, “It was fun and it baited the audiences…it keeps people guessing. You’re asking about it.”
The Octopus Didn’t Die With The Deleted Scene After All
The octopus may not have been good enough to make it all the way to the final cut of the film, but it still ended up getting some screen time. The octopus appeared in the music video for Cyndi Lauper’s song, “The Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough” which was part of the movie’s soundtrack. As you’ll be able to see in the video, the octopus concept certainly didn’t age well.
Watch Lost Footage From The Goonies
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