Monday Movie Classics: The Goonies (1985)

A little while back I was having a conversation with a neighbor who is around my age.  She was going on about The Goonies, and how it was one of her favorite movies.  I never heard of it, and for some reason my brain said "Gremlins."  Why did she like Gremlins so much?  That movie freaked me out as a kid.  It just didn't make any sense.  "And I really like the adventure," she said, "and the treasure hunt."  By this point I was just baffled.  We were having two different conversations, and instead of clarifying the mental mishap, I nodded my head and walked away.

A little time passed and I was reading the new American Girl Courtney books, based in 1986, and again The Goonies kept getting mentioned.  Then I started noticing memes.  Articles here and there popping up.  "Where are they now," and so forth.  Sean Astin was in it?  Wow he's young.

It just came to a point that I had to finally see it.  This apparent quintessential 1980's film I somehow missed and knew nothing about.  

The Goonies is on HBO MAX.  Convenient.  No excuse, it was time.  Last week I turned it on, opening credits roll, and the sudden realization:  Wait, this is a Steven Spielberg movie?!! Okay, how did I not know about this film?  And I just looked on IMDb... Chris Columbus wrote the screenplay, and I'm done.

The movie wasn't at all what I expected.  I thought it would just be some pie in the sky sentimental tale about a group of boys in the 1980's, kinda like The Sandlot.  Instead it was an adventure, mystery story with a little bit of everything.  

The movie starts with the general "meet all the cast doing character defining cast things," so we know what we're dealing with and get a good primer.  The story picks up when all the young characters venture into Mikey's (Sean Astin) attic, where they look through all his Dad's stuff: Pirate paraphernalia, paintings, artifices, and a treasure map.  There's a lore, a legend, of a hidden treasure near their town, that no one has found.  And since Mikey's family is about to lose their home, and he's really depressed and wants one last, good adventure, he's determined to find the lost gold and gems. 

The small group joins on the adventure, later including Mikey's brother Brand (Josh Brolin), and a couple of girls, all the while thwarting some criminals in the process, and the whole thing turns into a race against time.  Solving mysteries and avoiding booby traps. 

Through the movie I kept getting Indiana Jones/Hook vibes.

In the end I'm kinda shocked I never heard of The Goonies, and it's nice to finally know what it's all about.  It's just a fun little adventure flick.  And now I need to re-watch Gremlins, because my memories are so morphed on the subject.  How did I confuse the two?!

Sarah

Classic Movie Monday: The Last Starfighter (1984)

The Last Starfighter, which came out in 1984, probably wouldn't be considered by many to be a classic movie.  It's classic to me because, according to my Dad, it was the first movie I ever saw at the theater.  Granted I was only two, it was a drive in, and I kept climbing over the seats, front and back again, so I don't remember a thing.  But I do remember seeing The Last Starfighter as a kid when a little older, and it does hold a special place in childhood memory.

For those who may not be familiar with The Last Starfighter, it begins in a trailer park in California, and at a small convenient store sits an arcade game, Starfighter, which was meant for Las Vegas, but was delivered to this humble place by mistake.  Alex often plays this game, when he's not helping his Mom, helping those in the trailer park, or hanging out with friends.  He just wants to leave his home and go to a major college, instead of the city college his friends will attend.  Alex then gets a letter telling him his loan request was rejected, losing hope for the future, and simply confused.

One evening as Alex plays Starfighter he's about to beat the high score, and it becomes a community event.  Everyone from the trailer park gathers around, shouting and cheering, and when he does beat the game there's a huge celebration.  It's just amazing he was able to focus with all those people around him.  Well, turns out the game was merely a training tool to find those on Earth who can become Starfighters.  There's a galactic war about, Earth unaware, and suddenly Alex is flown to space to face his destiny.  

The Last Starfighter is campy fun.  It's silly!  Highly predictable.  There's a point where the movie seems to drag on a little.  And goodness, those special effects did not age well!!  The computer graphics, which was cutting edge in 84, looks really cheap now, but I can suspend belief.  (It's a testament to Star Wars and the use of practical effects).  There are things that are in that movie that wouldn't make it into a children's film today, such as the little bits by Alex's little brother who reads Playboy.  

In the end The Last Starfighter is endearing, good ol' nostalgic fun, and so 80's.

 Sarah

Accessories from American Girl's Newest Historical Character: Courtney from 1986

 Courtney is American Girl's latest historical doll, coming to us from 1986.  She's a gamer, loving to spend time at the arcade in the mall, has seen Star Wars dozens of times, loves The Goonies, and is sad when she can't go over to her friends house to play the new Super Mario Brother's game.

With the release of every new character comes the doll, countless clothes, and accessories.  I didn't get the doll or clothes, but I did get four accessory sets and book.

 

The book, front and back.  There's only one book, though there will be a second book, yet to be announced.  Courtney Changes the Game only has 120 pages, which is short compared to Nanea's, Melody, and Maryellen's original first book.  Nanea's first book originally had 216 pages, though there were no pictures, but it was shortened to 144 pages with pictures for a re-release.  That seems the direction American Girl wants to take the books.  I do like the pictures in Courtney Changes the Game, it's just a shame that fleshed out stories will suffer because of it.  There's so much more material in the original American Girl books.

Courtney's Care Bears Sleeping Bag Set: $36

I was quite the Care Bear fan girl growing up.  I had the pajamas, bed comforter, bears, and other odds and ends.  And this sleeping bag looks really, really familiar.  I don't know if it's based off of an actual item from the past, but I swear I had this as a kid.  Such a flashback.

Comparing American Girls Bedtime Bear to World's Smallest Tenderheart Bear, as I've seen many people online mention that they have the World's Smallest Care Bears.  Just showing that there is a size difference between the two, though Care Bears come in many sizes, so it's all good, and World's Smallest has a nice variety.

Courtney's School Supplies: $30

No, these aren't Lisa Frank--that would have been cool--though these seem to be modeled after the popular stationary line.  This comes with a binder, 2 folders, paper, erasers, sticker sheet, pencil case, and pencil's.  I loved me some Lisa Frank in the day, and was obsessed with her dolphin line.  That would have been amazing, but licensing and all that.  I love the pencil case, as I loved this style of case when I was younger.  Brings back so many memories.  Be careful when opening it as the connecting plastic seems fragile and thin.

 Courtney's PAC-MAN Lunch Set: $25.

I love this so much!  On my first day of school, Kindergarten, I had a plastic lunchbox.  Don't remember the character, but light blue box color comes to mind.  And on the first day of school my Mom took me to a corner gas station store and bought me chocolate milk, and then poured it into my thermos.  It's such a nice memory, and I felt super special.

This set comes with a thermos where the lid twists off.  Unfortunately you can't put the food items and thermos in the lunch box at the same time.  Then there's a ham and cheese sandwich, wrapped brownie, cheese puffs, and apple slices.

This was literally my lunch, though with a peanut butter sandwich instead, from elementary through college.  PB sandwich, a Sara Lee snack, Apple or other fruit, and some form of chips (cheese puffs did make it in the lunch a few times).  Our family couldn't afford the hot lunch, so everyday, except for when the cafeteria did that square size pizza, I was a cold lunch girl.  And I can't eat peanut butter sandwiches anymore because of it, except on certain occasions, but it saved me so much money in high school and college.

So much fun!

 

Courtney's Sleepover Accessory Set: $50

This is my favorite set.  The boombox requires 3 AAA batteries.  You can turn the dial and it makes radio sounds.  It comes with 4 mini cassette tapes, and each side plays a song when it's in the machine.  They're original songs, a mix of vocal and instrumental, with an 80's flare.  Think Tiffany not Chicago.  Unfortunately there isn't an AUX hole to connect it with a device, like Nanea's 1940's radio has.  It's fun playing swing music on it.  So I was hoping there was a way to connect a device to the boombox, but there isn't.  Am I the only one who keeps an aux cable at the ready?

There's also a bowl of tortilla chips, a couple fruit punch cans, a doodle book with drawings on every page plus a pen, and a cootie catcher.  The back side of the cootie catcher had the instructions, but I still got confused.  I forgot how to make them!!!!  So I had to look it up on YouTube. -_-;; Heh.

(I somehow got on a YouTube channel that's playing random 80's songs, and Glory of Love from Karate Kid II is playing.  Memories!!  You know, I never saw that movie, but this song got SO MUCH airplay.  We Built This City just came on!  Gah!  I'm losing it!  How can I not dance around!!!??? Best. Song. Ever.)

So tiny.

And just the little pamphlet that came with the sets.

 

Definitely a trip down memory lane.

 

Kids React to the 80's!

My brother told me about this Youtube video, "Kids of Today vs 1980's technology," and I had to see it!  Gave me a real good laugh.  Makes my childhood feel quite retro.

And below is another such video with more kids, and more 70/80's technology, but it's all in French.  Regardless, it's still funny to watch.  I'm feeling nostalgic!