Goonies Saturday, June 5, 2010

I've posted a few photos here, and I've uploaded more to this Picasa album. You can click through them with the arrows at the top and read the captions. For the opening of the Oregon Film Museum in the old jail, the City staged a reenactment of the jailbreak at the beginning of the The Goonies film.

First, Mayor Willis Van Dusen introduced State Senator Betsy Johnson, and she applauded the opening of the museum. They noted that the museum was dedicated in honor of all of the films made in Oregon, but that June 7th would forever be Goonies Day in Astoria and today was their day at the Museum.

Willis Van Dusen introduced the actors. I didn't catch the name of the guy in the white hat, but an anonymous commenter thought it might be Joe Pantoliano, who played one of the Fratelli brothers, and I think that's right. Next (plaid shirt) is Curtis Hanson ("Mr. Perkins"), then Jeff Cohen in a black shirt ("Chunk", with his daugter in the blue shirt. I found a link to the Goonies cast then and now, so have fun with the facces! Everyone seems to be having a good time. The mood was laid-back and fun. You'll see more pictures of the actors in the album.

Oh, look. In the middle of this photo there's a guy in a hat racing from the jail to a waiting black jeep. Note the red gas can.

There's a hot pursuit . . . and you can see more in the photo album. Note pirate hats in the foreground.

At the other end of town are The Goon Docks - right next door to my shop, Tapir and Friends Animal Store (which has no sign and has reverted to its roots as an online-only business).

At The Goon Docks, you can buy tickets and memorabilia.

It's nice when the town gets together and has a good time. The crowds even left me a place to park. The weather was as gorgeous yesterday as it is rainy so far today. I haven't been out yet, but I can see from my window that The Goon Docks are again filled with people.

Here's a web site I found showing more location pix for several of the movies made in Astoria. There's an index list here. Just look for these titles: Free Willy, Kindergarten Cop, The Ring 2, and of course, The Goonies. It doesn't cover all movies made here, but you'll enjoy seeing stills from the films as well as the locations.

Here is a YouTube video interview with Curt Hanson and Jeff Cohen uploaded during the weekend.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Sturgeon Boats and Goonie Stuff

I think that for the next few days, I'm going to post several photos for each day - the regular daily photo, and then some Goonies stuff. Today's first photo is of people out early in the morning fishing for sturgeon on the misty river. I've already seen several weather changes, and it's hard to tell what kind of day it will be. The sparkles in the background are reflections of sunlight on the Washington side of the Astoria-Megler Bridge.

By the way, The Goonies wasn't the only movie shot in Astoria. There were quite a few more. Currently on every store video shelf is The Road. An important scene at the beach next to a wrecked ship was filmed at the Peter Iredale. If you go west from Astoria, that's where you'll meet the Pacific Ocean. The crew didn't even have to bring in the driftwood, because it was already there, as you'll see from the linked posts. They did bring in a lot of other set dressing, though, because we don't usually have Apocalyptic garbage on the beach :)

Below are a few photos I took while doing errands yesterday evening.

The door and interior of Video Horizons display Goonie memorabilia and a sign announces a costume party tonight.

Video Horizons' windows are filled with Goonies. I'm glad I picked up my weekend movies LAST night. I may try to go look at the costumes tonight, but I'm making no promises.

A new thrift shop on 7th Street across from the post office gets into the spirit.

I've been meaning to show you this Victorian-era brick church (First Baptist) for some time, but there are always cars in the way. I'm showing it now because the gray building to the left is the Goonies' Jail.

Here's the jail from the other side. It will have its grand opening as the Oregon Film Museum this morning, but as of last night they were still working on it. The words along the top are new. I think there was some text there during the filming, but I'm not sure. Typically there was none.

I only watched the first part of the movie because, unlike so many people around the world, I couldn't stand it. I usually don't give up on a movie part way through, but in this case, I did. I remember the jail scenes at the beginning, though, and I think there was a shot from this back corner. I wonder how they got rid of all those wires, or if they left them in the movie.

Didn't somebody's father work at a museum? They used the Flavel House across the street from the jail as the location for the museum. It's not such a stretch, as the Flavel House is - actually - a museum.

Here's the Flavel House from 7th Street.

See Weekend Reflections from around the world.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Shadows and Reflections

May 25, 2010

When I glanced up from the computer, I discovered one of the most glorious displays of evening light we've had all year. The drizzle and mist over the river caught the sun's fading light, turning the river into a wonderland.

The black mark in front of the hills of Washington is a buoy on the river.

Zooming changes the color of the sunset. In this case, it became more dramatic, but less real. This is how it came out of the camera - I didn't tweak. What I really liked and tried to capture was the momentary straightness of the sun's reflection over the water as it poured through the gap in the hills. Between my first shots and this one, the sun moved just enough to take one of the piers of the bridge into its path.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

The Goonies' 25th Anniversary Celebration: June 3-7, Astoria, Oregon

May 26, 2010

This is the place. I found out the other day that headquarters - or The Goondocks, as they're calling it - will be in the old Englund Marine building right next door to my shop at 15th Street and the River Walk. Does that mean there will be 30 people converging on the nextdoor parking lot? 300? 3,000? I have no idea, but I'll definitely keep you posted. Today's photo is the window of Englund Marine. (I've left the image large so you can read the poster if you click on the image.) With the "We've Moved" sign removed from the glass, the empty store will come alive for the long weekend, and will be the location for ticket sales, souvenirs, and treasure maps. June 3 to 7 will will be festive and interesting around here, I'm sure. I'll keep my camera at the ready. You can read more about events and plans on this web site.

By the way, the reflections in the window are Hunt's Furniture Store (in front; now under new ownership and renamed Roby's Furniture and Appliance), and Owens-Adair Apartments (the taller building in the back with a pointed roof), a care and housing facility for seniors. It was at one time St. Mary's Hospital, now in a much bigger building a few blocks away. If you look again, you might see the looming shape of the photographer.

See more Weekend Reflections.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Colors on the River

Astoria, Oregon ~ April 2, 2010

There are so many color schemes on the river, and one of my favorites occurred today between rain and hail storms. The sun came out for awhile to find that the water had turned muddy and the clouds across the river were still dark. It almost has the feel of an enclosed set or sound stage.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

A ruby red crane

When you want to do heavy lifting on the river, you bring out the crane barge. It doesn't move under its own power, so you also bring out the tow boat (on the right). The crane spent the weekend behind the old (now empty) Englund Marine building shown here, then it moved off and docked at the Maritime Museum. It has two huge metal pilings suspended from it. I haven't asked around, so I don't know if it's planning to do some work, or if it's just finding available places to dock until it goes to work again.

The pilings you see here are from earlier buildings, now gone. The seagulls, cormorants, herons, and (in season) ducks love to roost here.

For other photos featuring red, take a look at Ruby Tuesday.

The old Englund Marine

The dumpster and the dumpster-sized cardboard recycling bin have been taken away, and the business has moved out. They have a new, larger building at the west end of town near one of the marinas, which is fitting for a marine supply company. "The old Englund Marine" is a current landmark. In another post, I talked about how everyone gave directions in relation to the old (completely gone) Safeway store. Englund Marine is the same way. Just to the left, 15th Street feeds onto the River Walk, which here looks basically like a parking lot. I lease the downstairs of the building just peeking in at the left of the photo for Tapir and Friends Wildlife World Gift Shop (aka The Animal Store). You wouldn't believe how many times I've given the location as "15th Street and the River Walk," only have the person blank out on me. "You know where the old Englund Marine is?" I ask, and they come back to life. "Oh, yeah, you're the place next door to Englund's in the old radio station building?" "Yes, that's us." (Note the radio tower, which stands a few yards out in the river.) Currently the other side of Englund's is open water with some pilings and an interesting concrete platform that the seagulls enjoy. Another pic for another day. The river's edge is where the red parking barriers are, and the whole building and the area in front are built on pilings.

I actually took this photo last May when the grass was greener. It's amazing how a few clear days dried it right up. But it's been overcast, and now it's rained for a couple of days. The trolley tracks and the River Walk are again wet like you see in the photo. I wonder if the grass will revive.

There are big (and controversial) plans afoot for what will be built here in the next year or so. I've already lamented the impending loss of images like this one showing the side of the old structure ("A shimmering moment in time"). I'll let it go at that for now. I want to learn more about it before I start talking. These properties are not owned by individuals but are leased from the state for something like 99 years.

A shimmering moment in time

I dug this one out of the archives from June 28, 2007. I took it from our back deck on one of those evenings when the light was so perfect that nothing could go wrong. The building in the sun's glow was a marine supply company, since moved, leaving this place temporarily empty. The lousy economy may have saved this romantic old building that seems so much a part of the river for at least another year. There is a condo in the works, of course to be much taller and wider and view-blocking than the current building, and I wish the reprieve could last forever. The structure on the left is the base of a still-active radio tower, a landmark that can be seen from almost any part the north side of Astoria.

This is my contribution for Mellow Yellow Monday.