The bizarre deleted scene from ‘The Goonies’ that included a giant octopus
Released in 1985, The Goonies is one of the most beloved family-friendly comedies ever made, treasured by adults and children alike for decades. The movie was famously directed by Richard Donner, with Steven Spielberg providing the classic story.
The Goonies follows a group of kids from Oregon, desperate to save their homes from closure. However, while embarking on their mission, they discover a treasure map leading them towards the mysterious hidden fortunes of a pirate named One-Eyed Willy. Once they make their way to an abandoned restaurant that forms part of the quest, the children find out that the building is the hideout of the Fratelli crime family, who also want the uncover the treasure.
With plenty of loveable characters and equally comedic and tender moments, The Goonies remains one of the era’s most iconic movies, providing inspiration for future shows like Stranger Things, which contains multiple easter egg references to the film. After all, Sean Astin, who played Mikey in The Goonies, has a significant role in Stranger Things. The children from the science-fiction show are directly inspired by The Goonies kids, and certain scenes are direct homages to sequences from the ’80s film.
For example, in Stranger Things, when the characters head down to the underground tunnel, the Duffer brothers deliberately reference when the Goonies children explore the caves where One-Eyed Willy’s ship can be found. However, fans of the movie might not know that Donner originally included a scene down in One-Eyed Willy’s cave where some of the kids come into contact with an octopus.
The scene was cut from the final edit, although this octopus is mentioned by Data when the kids recall their adventures to the police and reporters. Yet Data wasn’t lying. While swimming through the cave, Mouth and Stef argue before a giant octopus sweeps her up and pulls her underwater. The rest of the Goonies attempt to free her before Data, played magnificently by Ke Huy Quan, swims down and places a cassette in one of the monster’s orifices. Suddenly, it lets go and begins to dance.
Although it’s a rather funny scene, the moment feels totally unnecessary, and it’s over almost as quickly as it started. The effects on show are not the greatest, and, of course, the scene is wholly unrealistic. By not seeing the event occur, Data’s claims seem even more outrageous, yet we know that, after everything we’ve witnessed throughout the film, he’s probably not lying. And clearly, he wasn’t.
Check out the deleted scene below.
