I magine pitching a movie like The Goonies. “Hi there,” you smile as you stroll into a room of Hollywood studio execs. “I’d like to make a film that’s part pirate caper, part Indiana Jones treasure hunt, part monster horror, part mob thriller and part coming-of-age drama.” What’s it about, they might ask. “Wait for it… A real estate deal in a small, unglamorous American town!” you reply enthusiastically, at which point security arrive to drag you off the premises for wasting their time. After all, you’d have to be Superman to weave a coherent story out of so many outlandish ideas heaped on top of each other, let alone turn it into a box-office smash, beloved by children and adults for generations to come.

The Goonies didn’t have Superman. The 1985 kids favourite, back in cinemas for one week only from this Friday, had the next best thing: director Richard Donner, who a few years earlier had basically birthed modern superhero cinema with two blockbusters about the Man of Steel (1978’s Superman and 1980’s Superman II). Also fighting the movie’s corner was another filmmaker of superhuman Hollywood heft – Steven Spielberg. Legend has it that Spielberg was working on The Color Purple when the thought struck him: what do children do on rainy days? What adventures might they dream up?

He handed this germ of an idea to Donner and screenwriter Christopher Columbus, who expanded it into a story about a gang of misfits facing a future apart. A deal had been struck to demolish their neighbourhood, the Goon Docks, to make way for an expanding golf resort. That is, unless residents Mikey, Mouth, Data, Chunk and Brand – the Goonies, as they call themselves – could uncover some long-lost local treasure, the loot of a pirate named One-Eyed Willy. They weren’t alone in hunting the sea captain’s mythical gold, however. Hot on their heels were a dysfunctional family of Italian mobsters that included disfigured baby brother Sloth, kept in chains in a dingy underground lair. The race was on, with friendships to be forged, tested and turned into triumph along the way.

The Goonies was greenlit and given a pretty sizeable $19m-budget, because of the filmmaking talent attached to it. On its release, it made its money back three times over: Donner’s movie ended 1985 having grossed $61m, making it one of top 10 box-office draws of that year. It’s since become the definition of a cult classic: the sugar-rush comic quest that felt like Stand By Me sent careening underground, through skeleton-filled caves laced with eye-popping booby traps. Its catchphrases are now part of the fabric of American cinema (“Goonies never say die!”) and almost 35 years on, the film’s cult following hasn’t diminished – nor that audience’s appetite for a long-rumoured sequel. What’s the secret of The Goonies? How did Donner turn such a mishmash of ideas into an unlikely success story, an adventure whose appeal seems destined to never say die?

47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Show all 47 1 /47 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination American Psycho (2000) Starring future Oscar-winner Christian Bale, Mary Harron’s adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis novel – in which the Vice star plays the psychopathic Patrick Bateman - didn’t receive a single nomination. Rex Features 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Before Sunrise (1995) While the final two chapters of Richard Linklater’s Before… trilogy earned screenplay nominations, the film that introduced the world to future married couple Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) was criminally overlooked. Columbia Pictures 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The Big Heat (1953) Fritz Lang had a number of films overlooked by the Academy; this noir, starring Glenn Ford, Lee Marvin and and Gloria Grahame, was one of them. Columbia Pictures 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The Big Lebowski (1998) The Academy’s generosity to the Coen brothers peaked when No Country for Old Men beat There Will Be Blood in one of the ceremony’s closest Best Picture races of all time. It remains surprising that one of their few films to evade any nominations is this endlessly quotable mistaken identity comedy starring Jeff Bridges as The Dude. PolyGram Filmed Entertainment 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Blow Out (1981) Brian De Palma doesn’t exactly make films in the hope of winning award, but his political thriller - based on Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blow Up – would have deserved any Oscar it was nominated for. Filmways Pictures 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Breathless (1960) Breathless' failure to receive a nomination is proof that the Oscars can’t be trusted. Despite being one of the most studied films in the world, Jean Luc-Godard’s French masterpiece has an Academy Award tally of zero. Films Around The World 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Bringing Up Baby (1938) The Academy rewarded many notable screwball comedies, though this Howard Hawks-directed standout starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn - who’d go on to hold the record for most wins - wasn't one of them. Courtesy of BFI 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Don't Look Now (1973) Nicolas Roeg, who directed this Venice-set chiller, is one of the most unfairly overlooked directors in Oscars history. Rex Features 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Donnie Darko (2004) Richard Kelly’s science-fiction mind-bender, which made a star of Jake Gyllenhaal, was a festival favourite upon its debut in 2004. Many expected a screenplay nomination to manifest. Rex Features 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) It wouldn’t be until the 1990s that western films found favour with the Academy. It was ironically thanks to Unforgiven, a film directed by Clint Eastwood whose career flourished after starring in this Sergio Leone film that many consider to be the genre’s peak. 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination La haine (1995) Mathieu Kassovitz’s black-and-white drama – translated in English as Hate – follows three young friends and their struggles living in the suburbs of Paris. 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Halloween (1978) The Academy may not be frothing at the mouth to nominate horror films, but do have previous (see: The Exorcist and The Silence of the Lamb), which makes the absence of John Carpenter’s influential Halloween a glaring oversight. Aquarius Releasing 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Harold and Maude (1971) This offbeat romantic drama was a critical and commercial flop at the time of release, which probably accounts for its lack of Oscar nominations. Today, though, it’s cult following ensures it remains in good favour with film fans. Paramount Pictures 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Heat (1995) On paper, the big screen union of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in Michael Mann’s cop drama was a shoo-in for awards, but no Oscar nominations manifested. Warner Bros 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination His Girl Friday (1940) Yet another Howard Hawks screwball comedy starring Cary Grant that criminally failed to secure a single Oscar nomination. L/Columbia/Koba/Rex/Shutterstock 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Insomnia (2002) While falling short of Christopher Nolan’s best, modest drama Insomnia – made years before Batman Begins – had enough strong performances (Al Pacino, Robin Wiliams, Hilary Swank) to warrant acting nominations. Alas, it received none. Warner Bros Pictures 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Local Hero (1983) Bill Forsyth’s beloved comedy-drama follows the mishaps of an American man sent to buy up a Scottish village where the oil company he works for wants to build a refinery. Forsyth won the Bafta for Best Director, but the film received no such love from the Academy. 20th Century Fox 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination M (1931) You’d be mistaken for thinking the “M” stands for “masterpiece” in Fritz Lang’s German drama that follows the manhunt for a serial killer - not that the Academy agreed. 20th Century Fox 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination A Man Escaped (1956) Robert Bresson’s adaptation of André Devigny’s memoirs charts the French Resistance member’s time as prisoner of the Germans during World War II, and is even more enthralling considering Bresson himself was held captive years before. Gaumont Film Company 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Margaret (2011) Kenneth Lonergan would go on to win an Oscar for Manchester but he Sea, but Margaret - his three-hour plus drama featuring a searing performance from Anna Paquin - failed to secure a single nomination. Fox Searchlight Pictures 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination In the Mood for Love (2000) Wong Kar-wai set the benchmark for romance in film with his acclaimed Hong Kong drama following a man and woman (Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung) who develop feelings for one another after suspecting their respective spouses of having an affair together. defd Deutscher Fernsehdienst 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The King of Comedy (1982) It may have taken him decades to win an Oscar, but the Academy has rarely balked at nominating Martin Scorsese films – especially for films starring Robert De Niro. The King of Comedy was an exception. 20th Century Fox 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The Long Goodbye (1973) Robert Altman’s superior thriller stars Elliott Gould as Raymond Chandler’s private investigator Philip Marlowe in one of the director’s most entertaining films. The director would go on to be the recipient of the Honorary Award in 2006. 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination The Man With Two Brains (1983) He may have hosted several times, but Steve Martin has never been nominated for an Oscar. One film he deserved recognition for was Carl Reiner's 1983 sci-fi comedy, The Man with Two Brains. Warner Bros. 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination A Matter of Life and Death (1946) The Academy Film Archive may have preserved A Matter of Life and Death in 1999, but voters failed to recognise the Powell & Pressburger’s fantasy-romance at the time of its release in 1946. 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Warner Bros 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Paterson (2016) Critics assumed Jim Jarmusch’s Paterson would have been a shoo-in for awards recognition - most notably in the Best Actor category, thanks to a quietly fantastic performance from Adam Driver - but no such luck. Amazon Studios 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Paths of Glory (1957) Stanley Kubrick never won Best Director despite being nominated four times. One of his films that didn’t make the Oscars cut in any category was his black-and-white anti-war film, Paths of Glory. United Artists 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Play Misty for Me (1971) Clint Eastwood would go onto become something of an Oscar darling thanks to Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby and Mystic River, but his directorial debut was ignored by the Academy. 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StudioCanal UK 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Walkabout (1971) Another exceptional achievement in filmmaking from Nicolas Roeg that somehow failed to receive any Oscar nominations. 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination You Were Never Really Here (2018) Notch it down to bad timing, but Lynne Ramsay’s You Were Never Really Here - starring Joaquin Phoenix - is a sensational piece of work worthy of reward. Amazon Studio 47 brilliant films that didn't receive a single Oscar nomination Zodiac (2007) Three years later, David Fincher would go head-to-head with The King Speech's Tom Hooper for The Social Network. In truth, serial killer drama Zodiac is every bit as good as the Facebook drama. Warner Bros Pictures

The Goonies, like the dusty heirlooms in the attic the gang discovers the treasure map in, is something of a relic: an item from another time. And I’m not just talking about the elements of the movie that would be deemed problematic today: Sloth’s facial deformities making him a “monster”; the body-shaming of Chunk, who’s made to perform a belly dance called the “truffle shuffle” by his friends; the racial stereotyping of the film’s Italian (and therefore, obviously, mafiosa) antagonists; Mouth’s terrorising of a poor Spanish maid. The Goonies’ bursting-at-the-seams surplus of ideas is a tradition of film that was alive in the 1980s, but isn’t the kind of film you see anymore.

Of the 15 top-grossing kids films (movies certified 12A or below) released in 2018, six were sequels (The Incredibles 2, Ralph Breaks The Internet, Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle, Hotel Transylvania 3, Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald, Mary Poppins Returns). Two were remakes (The Grinch, Peter Rabbit). Five were based on pre-existing intellectual property (Black Panther, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Ready Player One, Bumblebee, Christopher Robin). Just one film was an entirely original screenplay: yeti comedy Smallfoot, all the way down in 15th.

The Goonies, on the other hand, felt like 15 different original movies hurtling into each other at once, bouncing from genre to genre. There were traces of a teen comedy (the kids smashing the penis off a statue, then gluing it back on upside down). There was romance (pre-Thanos Josh Brolin seeking a very different type of endgame with Kerri Green’s Andy). And there was horror (a frozen corpse, the reveal of Sloth). There were crime-thriller elements (the jailbreak at the beginning) and, of course, an air of pirate adventure (the masterful McGuffin of One Eyed Willy’s treasure).

‘The Goonies‘ featured a pre-Avengers Josh Brolin, far left (Rex)

In a way, this gave the film its innocent feel, the authentic kid-like lens through which it forces the viewer to watch: when you were a kid, did you play with cowboy and indians​ during toy time? Or did you play cowboys and indians and spacemen and dinosaurs and whatever other play things you had at hand? Kids don’t see genre, and neither did The Goonies. It was unbridled imagination reflective of the audience it wanted to entertain.

There was one constant amid all those exciting genre shifts, though: the Goonies’ friendships. On one hand, the characters were drawn with broad strokes, with names to backup the characteristics that define them: Mouth is Mouth because he’s talkative, Chunk is Chunk because he’s overweight, Data is Data because he’s an inventor (and potentially, racial overtones alert, because he’s Asian). Mikey, meanwhile, is Mikey because he’s the group’s everyman, played with wit and warmth by Sean Astin. Their dynamic as a group though felt authentic: they tease and bicker but also support each other, each getting their moment to shine on a quest for riches that wouldn’t have been a success without each of them.

This chemistry was helped by a pretty jovial behind-the-scenes atmosphere, according to the stars of the film. There were flare-ups: “I recall, uh, trying to kill Corey one day,” said Martha Plimpton (Stef) in 2015. “I was sitting at the typewriter doing my homework and he came over and started annoying me. I got up from the typewriter and got you on the floor and started smashing your head on it, shouting, “SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!”,” she told Empire in 2015 at a reunion marking its 30th anniversary. (“It was the first time a woman had ever gotten on top of me,” responded Feldman). Otherwise, it was a fun set to be on, visited by a steady stream of celebrities. Feldman: “Tim Burton and Paul Reubens [aka Pee-wee Herman] would come over. Dan Aykroyd too. Harrison Ford actually came and climbed around the caves with us at one point.”

Critical reaction was mostly positive when it hit cinemas in November. “It’s a fantastical story of buried pirate treasure, told with a slice-of-life approach that lets these kids use words Bogart didn’t know in Casablanca,” wrote the venerable film critic Roger Ebert, praising the film’s intersection of infant and adult themes. “There used to be children’s movies and adult movies. Now Spielberg has found an in-between niche.” The Hollywood Reporter was similarly impressed: “The Goonies abounds with visual excitement,” their original review beamed, praising the “ingenious” imagery of cinematographer Nick McLean and composer Dave Grusin’s intensity-driving score.

Which Goonies Have Gone On To Stellar Careers Since the Cult Classic?

As the years went on, the film grew old and so did its stars. Astin played Samwise Gamgee in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies in the early 2000s before a role in Netflix’s Goonies-indebted Stranger Things. Brolin is now an acting heavyweight who appears later this month as potentially our generation’s most talked-about screen villain in the latest Avengers movie. Chunk actor Jeff Cohen gave up life in front of the camera to found his own entertainment law firm (he’s also now famously lean). The cast’s careers have spun off on different trajectories, but fans’ love for the movie remains untouched. In 2015, the owner of the house in Astoria, Oregon was forced to put up signs asking fans to go away after growing weary of the 1,500 people who are estimated to turn up to the Goonies’ headquarters where Chunk once truffle shuffled to take pictures every day.