the number of times I was like...OMG...how do you not know...but then you got it before the bell, and it made my day. This was a great review. "Dark Goonies" is how I'll refer to this film from now on.
Rest in Peace, River Phoenix. He was such a phenomenal young actor, and I always cry along with him when he confesses to Gordie about the milk money. He had already accomplished so much in his 23 years, even earning an Oscar nomination. He would have been so proud of his brother Joaquin for his own successful career.
Yeah… River was the James Dean my generation, the coolest cat, but also quite troubled. Both went out too damn quickly, 24 for James and 23 for River, their short lives always remind me of the classic rock song Shooting Star, like the lines to Roy in Blade Runner, “The light that burns twice as bright, burns half as long… and you have burned so, very brightly…”
definitely no way he wouldn't have an oscar by now if he'd lived. one of the tragic short careers where I'm most curious to see where it would have gone.
@@joeb918 "He had Marlon Brando in his right hand, saying 'Fuck You!' - and Montgomery Clift in his left hand, crying 'Help Me!'" - Dennis Hopper (on James Dean)
He's right as far as straight adaptations go. Christine is better too. I'd go for The Running Man, but it's such a departure that I don't think it counts.
@@DystOptimistIn order to know that you sure must've read a lot of his books for someone that seems to very much not be a fan. (and to OP, I know King said that at the time - at a screening, to Rob Reiner - but is there any evidence it's _still_ true ? Even after Shawshank, Misery etc. ?)
I heard he said the same thing about The Shawshank Redemption. And the Dead Zone. And Carrie. And Misery. And The Green Mile. And The Shining... Bottom line, I don't doubt King has a favorite "adaptation" - and I suspect it may even change from time to time.
All of the young actors were amazing in this movie. Chris and Gordie's friendship warms my whole heart, especially when he encourages him to write, and my heart always breaks when Gordie has a nightmare of his dad telling him that he should have died instead of his brother.
Hi Jen, sorry I couldn’t make today’s premiere but I just wanted to leave this message to say Thank you for everything you do and for always entertaining us. Your reactions have really helped me these last few months and they are the highlight of my day. I honestly don’t know what I would do without them. You are the absolute best Jen, never stop being you.
10:09 "Like the Goonies, but like with guns and dead bodies and their dads beat them." I think that's exactly how Rob Reiner pitched this script to the studio.😊
Pretty sure the Goonies had guns...The first scene, The jail break. And dead body...guy in freezer. I think she needs to re-watch the Goonies and see that it is actually dark in some sense. Both great movies.
@@cloudwatcher608 isn't there some independent study about the Goonies taking place on the same day as some other iconic 80s film? I want to say BTTF, but I'm not sure.
Either you had brothers you were close with, or you had boys who were close friends while growing up, as you seemed to just get so much of their perspectives, antics, and behaviors. One of the best reactions to this movie I have ever watched.
"Stand by Me" is a song originally performed in 1961 by American singer-songwriter Ben E. King and written by him, along with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who together used the pseudonym Elmo Glick.
This is such a great movie that just sticks with you. This is an example of a movie that has a soul. The movie is so deep and I think it resonates with many people growing up regardless of the era. The saddest part about this movie is how you can have such great friends and share some extremely deep and dark adventures, yet you can still drift apart from each other as you grow up. This is an A+ movie because those actors absolutely lift and carry this movie to another level.
Last week was the 38th anniversary of this movie. Wil Wheaton was off by a day when he announced that anniversary. His wife, Anne, corrected him as she clearly remembered going to see it for her birthday, which is August 8th.
38 years! Oh. I showed this film when it came out. I mean... I KNOW I'm old, but for some reason, this "life-long favorite" being from that long ago is strangely surprising. So many films, so many years. Huh. :)
That first song they sing on the railroad tracks, “a knight without armor”, is the theme song to “Have Gun, Will Travel” (popular tv and radio series). They would have known it quite well. Also, younger generations wouldn’t catch this, but in the last scene, Gordie didn’t click save before turning off the computer.
When I was a kid I thought Paladin's name was Will Travel - LOL! The song is actually The Ballad of Paladin by Johnny Western. he changed his last name from Westerlund.
• The money they had would have the buying power of over $25 in today's money. • The bully was Keifer Sutherland. Vern was played by Jerry O'Connell. Chris was River Phoenix. Gordie was played by Will Wheaton (who played Westley Crusher on Star Trek TNG). Teddy was played by Cory Feldman. This movie was the start of many careers.
For extra-fun Star Trek-related trivia, this cast features a 2nd future Trek actor: Jerry O'Connell, who plays Commander Jack Ransom in 'Star Trek: Lower Decks'. He's also married to Rebecca Romijn, who plays Una Chin-Riley in both the 'Star Trek: Discovery' and 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' series.
This movie is an all time classic, an excellent adaptation of Stephen King’s Novella “The Body”. The acting is incredible and RIP River Phoenix, he delivers one of the best performances ever.
A true classic. No special effects, no thousands of cuts, "just" a great story with fantastic actors and the feeling that we too could have hung out with them in that small town. We grew up before the internet era, riding our bikes outside all day and going on adventures. The closing scene is also true, although not for everyone.
That is the infamous Ace Merrill, this movie is FAMOUS for giving him one of his ONLY screen appearances dispite the shadow he casts throughout King lore. He's been everything from a main novel character to a background mention in random shorts, we even get familiar with some of his family-- this movie is pretty much the only time he's ever been cast and seen.
"I just realized it in the lasr scene!" 🤣🤣🤣 I missed the beginning of the premiere and assumed you spotted him in the beginning... That's so funny Jen!
Interestingly enough, Jerry O'Connell does enter the Star Trek universe as well, but in the interests of not spoiling it for Jen, I won't say when and where.
Jen watches a 2 hour movie staring Wil Wheaton.. and doesn't recognize him until the last few minutes of the movie!!! 😅😅😅 We almost had to revoke her application to Starfleet!!!!
There are two future Starfleet Officers in Stand by Me... Gordie and Vern. Jerry O'Connell is the voice of Commander Jack Ransom in Star Trek: Lower Decks.
I can't imagine the movies River would have been lead in the last 30+ years had he lived. He was only 23...died the fall I started college...on August 26th I turn 50, on August 23, River would have turned 54. Such a talent, lost too young.
He was an old man in a young man's body, l've always identified a lot with this, I often say I was old before I was young. I can see him commanding attention from the small screen to the big screen in roles that have a main lead that needs a deep sense of history, of having experienced and soaked up life, but also if you look closely into their eyes a vulnerability, something detached and broken that's covered over by the rest of their more overt put on personality.
I remember someone rhetorically asking "I wonder which roles that went to Leo Dicaprio River Phoenix would've played." Obviously there would have been other actors and roles, but the core question really makes you think of what he would have done down the road.
He probably lived about as fast as Johnny Depp and Tom Sizemore and others, but they continued to live a lot of years. So year, Phoenix should have made more impactful movies
When he played a young Indiana Jones in the Last Crusade you could really tell that kid would go places. It's sad he had so many demons early on he tried to suppress with drugs.
@@msmilder25 I was finishing my Science Degree the year he died. I was so utterly devestated as I had only recently seen him in the movie Sneakers. So awful, and a terrible loss to the acting profession.
If River Phoenix hadn't died, he'd have had the career that Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt had, since many of the films that Leonardo DiCaprio starred in were originally meant for River, such as The Basketball Diaries and Titanic. James Cameron initially wrote Jack Dawson with River Phoenix in mind.
@@robbob5302James Cameron was already developing the Titanic script when he was working on True Lies in 1993. His planned Spider-Man film project ended up getting scrapped by the studio, so he went into Titanic instead. River Phoenix was still one of the most popular young actors in Hollywood at the time, so a lot of what Cameron wrote for Jack Dawson was with River in mind, until River died in October of 1993.
You know what I love about you Jen, not only do you get a lot of the deeper references and pop culture from long ago which makes your reactions better, but you never try to apply modern sensibilites to older movies. You never stifle your laughter or pander to a modern audience. Its very genuine and enjoyable to watch, like someone you would enjoy watching a movie with in real life. Keep it up😊
What everyone forgets when they watch _Stand By Me_ is we see the story about Chris Chambers' murder at the beginning of the movie. It's the one the camera focuses on in the newspaper the adult Gordie is reading. Whenever a girl/woman asks me what it's like to be a boy, I tell them to watch _Stand By Me._ It's a very good representation of the life of a male child and his tight-knit friend group. It's chilling that the actor who played Chris, River Phoenix, also died tragically young.
"'Have Gun Will Travel' reads the card of a man / a knight without armor in a savage land" Part the theme song to the amazingly awesome western TV show "Have Gun Will Travel", which aired from 1957 to 1963. It was partly written by Gene Roddenberry and was where he refined a lot of the ideas he would later use on "Star Trek". Everyone should check it out.
Both River Phoenix and Wil Wheaton get me every time with their big cry moments, as they were relatable when I was a kid and still so as an adult looking back. I'm glad this film still resonates and that scenes like with the leeches, the bullies and the train on the trestle bridge can still set one on edge.
Stand By Me (the song) was written by Ben E King in 1962, about 25 years before this movie was made (although it was set in the late 50s). This movie always takes me back to being a teenager I. The mid-80's and the friends I used to hang around with. Riding our bikes all day, miles and miles away from home. Just doing whatever we wanted...as long as we didn't get in trouble. Lol. A very bittersweet movie, and an amazing coming of age film with incredible performances. Basically, a lovely film.
Saw this on VHS as a kid and never forgot it. So many memorable scenes. I think it came down to being the type of kid who wished he could go on a big adventure with friends. I didn't have many.
0:11 Nope, Stand By Me was originally released in 1961 by Ben E. King, but it had a major resurgence in the 80's due to this movie (cracking the Billboard Top 10 both times). As a chubby nerd at the time, I specifically remember not slow-dancing to it at the Winter Semi-Formal in the Gym. Not that I'm bitter or anything. 😉😁
My lab partner in anatomy class, who was a junior, agreed to go to my senior prom with me just so I could go (I wasn't going to attend otherwise). I wasn't all that more successful in college, though I did finally manage to lose my virginity. It really wasn't until my mid-twenties that I actually had much luck in dating.
This movie came out when I was the same age as those kids... After almost 40 years, and even watching the scene as part of your reaction, the moment where Chris vanishes as present-day Gordie describes his death chokes me up every. single. time.
@jenmurrayxo, Your reaction was great, and your epiphany was fun. However, the greatest thing about this reaction, is that you are wearing the same shirt as Verne. Brilliant! We love you, Jen!
I grew up in a very small town in the 60s and 70s, in Northern Ontario, had to make your own fun. Cruising around on your bike, having fun, it was a simpler time then. I miss those days, great time to grow up, miss my favourite Black Cat gum especially.
This movie now has _two_ actors that have played main characters on Star Trek. Jerry O'Connell, most well known for Sliders, voices the first officer on Lower Decks (and his wife, Rebecca Romijn, plays the first officer on Strange New Worlds).
Jerry O'Connell (Vern) is probably someone you would recognize today. Look him up online when you get the chance, and you'll be surprised at how he looks today, and might even recognize him from the various shows he's been in.
I love this movie: it’s so well done and hugely nostalgic for me. I grew up in the sixties, in the eastern U.S., but the music, the kids, and their hijinks are exactly right. This is how it was. We never went on an overnight adventure like that, but we played in the woods and went on 5-mile bike rides starting at age 10. It was a different world. The bridge incident really gets me. We had a trestle, only about 50 yards long, but our big dare was to climb down the wooden girders and hold on as a freight train passed overhead. Sometimes they could be 100 cars. The song they sang that you didn’t know was the theme of a very popular western at the time, “Have Gun---Will Travel.” It was my favorite TV show in reruns in the early sixties. I showed this movie to my daughter when she was about 12, telling her, “This shows the true spirit of boys at that age.”
"Stand by me" is one of those movies that gives me nostalgia for a time and place I have never experienced. It reminds me of my own childhood, of taking the bike through the neighborhood, meeting with friends.
"Everybody eat shit!" If you are interested, you might consider reading the novella this was based on -- few people write about childhood as well as Stephen King. It was originally part of a collection that also produced the story that was made into the Shawshank Redemption. This was lovely, Jen. Thank you!
This hit me harder than I expected. I had 'friends' that did the same sort of teasing as they boys do in this. It went too far for me at times. The ending, when he says you never have friends like when you were 12, hit me hard too. I miss the freedom and joy of that age. (For me it was maybe about 10 before we moved across town to a new school.) We have a 10 y/o daughter and I love watching her grow up and have the kind of friends I had back then.
Funny seeing Wesley Crusher so young in this. And young Indiana Jones (River Phoenix played him in "The Last Crusade") too. Based on a short story called "The Body", it was directed by Rob Reiner who was on a major roll at this time. Every movie he came out with at this time has become a timeless classic, from "This is Spinal Tap" to "The Princess Bride" to "Misery", they are all classics now.
The boys were singing the the theme from the TV Show "Have Gun, Will travel", a cowboy show starring Richard Boone from 1957 through 1963. The television version of the series starring Richard Boone was rated number three or number four in the Nielsen ratings every year of its first four seasons.
I always kinda group this movie with The Sandlot because they capture that feel of being a kid during the summer. Though they are very different vibes, they're both about bonding with your friends and having adventures when life seemed so much more simple.
I really felt for Teddy. His dad was at Normandy and suffered PTSD. This is why he abused Teddy. It was not understood back then. It was called Shell Shocked. If you follow up on Vern, Jerry O’Connell, you’ll see he grew up to be quite the heart throb. He played Sheldon’s older brother on Big Band Theory.
So many future stars. The tragic River Phoenix, future Trek Universe inhabitants Wil Wheaton & Jerry O'Connell...... the cast. The director. Stephen King has never had such a talented team interpret his work. Thanks for reminding me of this underrated classic - which I had totally forgotten. I think this may have been the first Castle Rock reference btw.
Perfect movie - no notes. I was in junior high when this came out, and this movie always takes me back to those days with my buddies. The last line has lived in my head since then, and I reflect on it often.
The Song stand by me was Written and sang by Ben E. King. It was recorded in 1960 and released in 1961. The movie was made in 1986. So no the song stand by me came out way before the movie was ever made.
Such a classic movie! I was lucky enough to have met Jerry O'Connell (Vern) in 2008 at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles for a gig I donated some stuff my company makes to.
I didn’t grow up in the 50’s, but the late 70’s through the 80’s, and my friends and I were always running around just like this. It was so much fun being outside pretty much every day exploring the small town we grew up in, walking everywhere until we learned how to ride a bike, then riding bikes everywhere until we got our driver’s licenses. Such a great time, especially doing all of the stupid things that we did as kids, since we didn’t have cell phones or social media, or anything like that, just being with really good friends, making lifelong memories.
Rob Reiner is the other director, along with Frank Darabont, who have both given us multiple good King adaptations. There's so much in this story that got expanded and fleshed out, in terms of the small town 50's kid's lives and some of the stuff with the dead brother / invisible son idea, when King wrote IT too.
Solid commentary about young boys . Going from 6th to 7th grade is a transition in life that’s difficult for girls to understand. The summer between Elementary to Middle School also coincides with the onset of puberty in many boys. School would let out for the summer before Memorisl Day and resume the Tuesday after Labor Day. First you went to a new school, moved class rooms, rotated teachers and had gym not recess. Then you saw boys in all different levels of changes. Then we had to shower after gym and that was traumatic. Suddenly anatomy, hair growth , and facial hair was important. This movie hits about how the world changes after that summer. I will never forget seeing a kid show up with a mustache. Not too big bit a mustache. Of course he was sent home to shave but it made him a legend for a couple of weeks.
When they took their shortcut and dealt with the leaches At the Royal River... That was the same river that Andy Dufresne threw his gun into at the beginning of Shawshank Redemption. Also, years later, Keifer Sutherlands character, Ace Merrill ended up in Shawshank, himself.
I was waiting the whole video for you to recognize baby Wesley Crusher. I kept thinking back to the teaser in the title, "is she talking about Wil or something else?" Another excellent reaction.
"Have gun, will travel, reads the card of a man A knight without armor in a savage land..." The kids were singing the theme song of a Western TV series called, "Have Gun, Will Travel". The song's on RUclips.
Outstanding film and soundtrack. Very much reminds me of my friends when i was the same age back in the 80s. Always cherish the friends you made before everyone eventually grows up and is forced to be molded by the world for better or worse.
What never sat well with me about this movie was Eyeball not giving a damn that Ace was casually going to slit his brother’s throat and is just like ok let’s go home.
He would've told himself Ace wouldn't _really_ have done it (we usually struggle to believe our friends are capable of genuinely bad acts until they actually do them).
I never thought there a reaction about this movie,this movie is one of my favourite during my childhood era,my story quite same as this,it just our group little bit bigger around 14-18 person,went do same thing like that,suck by leeches,swallowing bugs,mosquito bite are normal among us,climbing trees,hiking,fishing,many more,eventhough we all broke we happy we share that time,what i remember most during lunch everbody brings a plate of food from their house,some walking some riding bicycle,sharing eating together under shady tree,remembering those memory made me cry nowadays not just it hard to find those day todays but thinking there also someone we know who is no longer around us..that why this movie is so close to me..
14:31 The adult actor is a guy named Dick Durock, he starred in a couple of cheesy movies from the eighties, called Swamp Thing & The Return of Swamp Thing, he played Swamp Thing. I think that you should check them out sometime, they’re pretty fun.
Awesome, this is a great movie. If you can, try to find the picture and picture commentary that is from 25 years later. It has the director Rob Reiner and also Wil Wheaton and Corey Feldman talking about making this movie and it’s quite awesome to hear their thoughts about this movie. Side note fun fact: I also recall listening to Jonathan Frakes talk about how many of the cast of TNG were… intimidated is not the right word, but it was weird for a bunch of older adult actors who were basically just starting out to being on a show where the two most well known actors were young kids that were hugely already popular. Those kids being Wil because of this movie and the other one being Levar Burton who was really well known for his role on Roots and his show Reading Rainbow.
The song "Stand By Me" originally came out in the 60s, but it had a resurgence after this movie came out (like the *NSYNC song "Bye Bye Bye" has had after the release of Deadpool And Wolverine).
I haven't seen this, but my brother loves it. It's why he loves Wil Wheaton as an actor as much as I do from Star Trek. That's why I knew what the realization would be and skipped to the end to watch it.
Another great coming-of-age movie that has a bit less somber tone but still conveys the nostalgic impact is The Sandlot (1993). You've probably already heard the well-known catch phrase for the movie, whether you know it or not. For an older movie, (release-wise), but less old-school (setting-wise), also check out The Goonies (1985). If somber tone is what you're looking for, The Outsiders (1983) is a classic, and undoubtedly, you'll recognize some "catch phrases" that originate with The Outsiders.
Great reaction Jen, this is still in my top 20 movies of all time, Wil Wheaton and River Phoenix give great performances and proof that some of Stephen Kings best works are not all Horrors
That song the boys were singing is the theme of _Have Gun -- Will Travel_ (1957), a popular western TV show. It was before their time, but I'm sure it was in reruns all the time, and in fact the show is still being rerun today if you know where to look (digital subchannels or streaming).
Yes that was the Great “ Will Wheaton” !! I had never seen him before but I loved him the most in this movie!!! He had a terrible childhood just like his character!! He never wanted to be an actor, his parents forced him to do it, they took his money and ignored him and never gave him any love or attention!! Oh I feel bad for him!! Will was a semi regular on The Big Bang Theory and Mayim Bialik was on there and now she has a podcast and Will was on it and he told all of this…
That train scene always gets me. It's obvious the train driver isn't even trying to stop the train, doesn't even seem to be trying to slow down - so he appears quite determined to run those kids down! 🤨
Hey Hey there Jen Murray 😊. Hope you are doing well. Pretty cool seeing this again. It's been 33 or so years since I've first watched it. Love ❤ your reaction as always. Have a good night.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Make sure you stay til 25:45 to see my epiphany 😂😂😂😂
1980's Playlist: ruclips.net/p/PLQHhQlj8i5drsQx2uSifPV3sKWZEJrnyx
I'm glad that you got your epiphany, Jen. ☺️😄
I wouldn't have Missed it anyway, I always stay to the End of Your Videos😇sometimes I even hang around for a little while after...👌
LOL I was 30 seconds in and I knew it was "That's Wesley!" your epiphany
Jen was just keeping us on our toes 😀 leaving us hanging to the last second Genius 🔥
the number of times I was like...OMG...how do you not know...but then you got it before the bell, and it made my day. This was a great review. "Dark Goonies" is how I'll refer to this film from now on.
As someone born in the late 1950’s, this movie and The Sandlot capture the essence of boys growing up in this era.
You forgot My Bodyguard and Breaking Away.
Best put down in any movie EVER. You Play Ball Like A Girl!!! I felt that in my soul.
@@chetstevensqTwo overlooked, but great, films.
As a girl not around then, who loves this and the sandlot, I'm delighted to have that confirmation 😊
@@chetstevensqsecond hand lion
Rest in Peace, River Phoenix. He was such a phenomenal young actor, and I always cry along with him when he confesses to Gordie about the milk money. He had already accomplished so much in his 23 years, even earning an Oscar nomination. He would have been so proud of his brother Joaquin for his own successful career.
Yeah… River was the James Dean my generation, the coolest cat, but also quite troubled. Both went out too damn quickly, 24 for James and 23 for River, their short lives always remind me of the classic rock song Shooting Star, like the lines to Roy in Blade Runner,
“The light that burns twice as bright, burns half as long… and you have burned so, very brightly…”
definitely no way he wouldn't have an oscar by now if he'd lived. one of the tragic short careers where I'm most curious to see where it would have gone.
@@joeb918
"He had Marlon Brando in his right hand,
saying 'Fuck You!' - and Montgomery Clift
in his left hand, crying 'Help Me!'"
- Dennis Hopper (on James Dean)
Joaquin only did acting because of his brother. Apparently he's said so in interviews.
@therealvalus, I’ve never heard that quote before, but it’s bloody brilliant and accurate!
Stephen King considers Stand By Me to be the best adaptation of one of his books.
You mean made better. Every single one of his adaptations are better than the book. The only author to hold that distinction.
He's right as far as straight adaptations go. Christine is better too.
I'd go for The Running Man, but it's such a departure that I don't think it counts.
@@DystOptimistIn order to know that you sure must've read a lot of his books for someone that seems to very much not be a fan.
(and to OP, I know King said that at the time - at a screening, to Rob Reiner - but is there any evidence it's _still_ true ? Even after Shawshank, Misery etc. ?)
@anonymes2884 yeah, I was a child once.
I heard he said the same thing about The Shawshank Redemption. And the Dead Zone. And Carrie. And Misery. And The Green Mile. And The Shining... Bottom line, I don't doubt King has a favorite "adaptation" - and I suspect it may even change from time to time.
All of the young actors were amazing in this movie. Chris and Gordie's friendship warms my whole heart, especially when he encourages him to write, and my heart always breaks when Gordie has a nightmare of his dad telling him that he should have died instead of his brother.
It's kinda tough watching Gordies breakdown ("he hates me") knowing that Wheaton has said in the years since he wasn't really acting.
Indeed, he was channeling something quite realistic.
I grew up near where this was shot. So I get a double whammy of nostalgia, the universal themes of coming of age, and everywhere looks like home.
The song they were singing together at the beginning of their hike was the theme from a 1950's TV Western series called Have Gun - Will Travel.
I thought it was called Paladin
@@robbob5302 nope, that was the name of the lead character played by Richard Boone.
This is a great character study of youthfulness, and what you leave behind as a kid once you're an adult.
When TNG premiered, we were all, it’s the main kid from “Stand By Me”!
Hi Jen, sorry I couldn’t make today’s premiere but I just wanted to leave this message to say Thank you for everything you do and for always entertaining us. Your reactions have really helped me these last few months and they are the highlight of my day. I honestly don’t know what I would do without them. You are the absolute best Jen, never stop being you.
Thank you D! Glad to hear if they help in any way and thank you for all you do for the channel. Hope you're feeling well :)
10:09 "Like the Goonies, but like with guns and dead bodies and their dads beat them." I think that's exactly how Rob Reiner pitched this script to the studio.😊
Pretty sure the Goonies had guns...The first scene, The jail break. And dead body...guy in freezer. I think she needs to re-watch the Goonies and see that it is actually dark in some sense. Both great movies.
Funny that as a native Oregonian both movies are known for their shooting locales in the state, Goonies in Astoria and Stand By Me in Brownsville
@@cloudwatcher608 isn't there some independent study about the Goonies taking place on the same day as some other iconic 80s film? I want to say BTTF, but I'm not sure.
Either you had brothers you were close with, or you had boys who were close friends while growing up, as you seemed to just get so much of their perspectives, antics, and behaviors. One of the best reactions to this movie I have ever watched.
You got Wesley Crusher, a Goonie, young Indiana Jones and Rebecca Romijn's husband as our 4 young adventurers! 😁
Rebecca Romijn’s husband?! You mean a SLIDER. 😊
"Stand by Me" is a song originally performed in 1961 by American singer-songwriter Ben E. King and written by him, along with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who together used the pseudonym Elmo Glick.
This is such a great movie that just sticks with you. This is an example of a movie that has a soul. The movie is so deep and I think it resonates with many people growing up regardless of the era. The saddest part about this movie is how you can have such great friends and share some extremely deep and dark adventures, yet you can still drift apart from each other as you grow up. This is an A+ movie because those actors absolutely lift and carry this movie to another level.
"And Bertram? Bertram got way into the sixties, and nobody ever saw him again." 😂
"I think we're about to see some vomit here."
Yes, Jen. Yes we are.
🎶It's raining puke! Hallelujah!🎶
Last week was the 38th anniversary of this movie. Wil Wheaton was off by a day when he announced that anniversary. His wife, Anne, corrected him as she clearly remembered going to see it for her birthday, which is August 8th.
38 years! Oh. I showed this film when it came out. I mean... I KNOW I'm old, but for some reason, this "life-long favorite" being from that long ago is strangely surprising. So many films, so many years. Huh. :)
That first song they sing on the railroad tracks, “a knight without armor”, is the theme song to “Have Gun, Will Travel” (popular tv and radio series). They would have known it quite well.
Also, younger generations wouldn’t catch this, but in the last scene, Gordie didn’t click save before turning off the computer.
When I was a kid I thought Paladin's name was Will Travel - LOL! The song is actually The Ballad of Paladin by Johnny Western. he changed his last name from Westerlund.
He may have just turned off the monitor. Plus some auto-save every so-many mins
• The money they had would have the buying power of over $25 in today's money.
• The bully was Keifer Sutherland. Vern was played by Jerry O'Connell. Chris was River Phoenix. Gordie was played by Will Wheaton (who played Westley Crusher on Star Trek TNG). Teddy was played by Cory Feldman. This movie was the start of many careers.
For extra-fun Star Trek-related trivia, this cast features a 2nd future Trek actor: Jerry O'Connell, who plays Commander Jack Ransom in 'Star Trek: Lower Decks'. He's also married to Rebecca Romijn, who plays Una Chin-Riley in both the 'Star Trek: Discovery' and 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' series.
I want to comment: "I like Vern and his wife in Star Trek". A little bit of hiding the info :P
He also had a great TV show of his own - Sliders!
This movie is an all time classic, an excellent adaptation of Stephen King’s Novella “The Body”. The acting is incredible and RIP River Phoenix, he delivers one of the best performances ever.
Very much this. I had a chance to see this a kid their age in theater but missed out. :(
A true classic. No special effects, no thousands of cuts, "just" a great story with fantastic actors and the feeling that we too could have hung out with them in that small town. We grew up before the internet era, riding our bikes outside all day and going on adventures. The closing scene is also true, although not for everyone.
That is the infamous Ace Merrill, this movie is FAMOUS for giving him one of his ONLY screen appearances dispite the shadow he casts throughout King lore. He's been everything from a main novel character to a background mention in random shorts, we even get familiar with some of his family-- this movie is pretty much the only time he's ever been cast and seen.
Keifer with that platinum hair is iconic. King loves a disgusting bully and Keifer can crush those villain roles.
Wait...doesn't he show up in Needful Things? I coulda sworn his name is in the credits
@@ashscott6068 He is also is Season 2 of Castle Rock
He is also is Season 2 of Castle Rock
I haven't read his books, only seen the movies, didn't know Ace has more appearances.
"I just realized it in the lasr scene!"
🤣🤣🤣
I missed the beginning of the premiere and assumed you spotted him in the beginning... That's so funny Jen!
lol I was waiting for that!
last*
This is one of the few, if not the only one, that really captures the way boys relate with each other.
I was like “She doesn’t recognize Wesley Crusher yet???”
Interestingly enough, Jerry O'Connell does enter the Star Trek universe as well, but in the interests of not spoiling it for Jen, I won't say when and where.
I saw this movie as a kid in the 80s but it wasnt until I was an adult that I could fully appreciate its layers and tones I couldnt see as a kid.
Jen watches a 2 hour movie staring Wil Wheaton.. and doesn't recognize him until the last few minutes of the movie!!! 😅😅😅 We almost had to revoke her application to Starfleet!!!!
she didn't even recognized Kiefer Sutherland
@@JohnDoe-dh4fi I said the same 😂
There are two future Starfleet Officers in Stand by Me... Gordie and Vern.
Jerry O'Connell is the voice of Commander Jack Ransom in Star Trek: Lower Decks.
This is one of my all time favorites. Corey Feldman, River Phoenix, Jerry O'Connell, and what's his name 😂 are great in this
Wesley Crusher 😂
@@Krisgenx Shut up, Wesley!
Hwil Hweaton
Will Wheaton
@@Mike-Conza one L only
I can't imagine the movies River would have been lead in the last 30+ years had he lived. He was only 23...died the fall I started college...on August 26th I turn 50, on August 23, River would have turned 54. Such a talent, lost too young.
He was an old man in a young man's body, l've always identified a lot with this, I often say I was old before I was young. I can see him commanding attention from the small screen to the big screen in roles that have a main lead that needs a deep sense of history, of having experienced and soaked up life, but also if you look closely into their eyes a vulnerability, something detached and broken that's covered over by the rest of their more overt put on personality.
I remember someone rhetorically asking "I wonder which roles that went to Leo Dicaprio River Phoenix would've played." Obviously there would have been other actors and roles, but the core question really makes you think of what he would have done down the road.
He probably lived about as fast as Johnny Depp and Tom Sizemore and others, but they continued to live a lot of years. So year, Phoenix should have made more impactful movies
When he played a young Indiana Jones in the Last Crusade you could really tell that kid would go places. It's sad he had so many demons early on he tried to suppress with drugs.
@@msmilder25 I was finishing my Science Degree the year he died. I was so utterly devestated as I had only recently seen him in the movie Sneakers. So awful, and a terrible loss to the acting profession.
If River Phoenix hadn't died, he'd have had the career that Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt had, since many of the films that Leonardo DiCaprio starred in were originally meant for River, such as The Basketball Diaries and Titanic. James Cameron initially wrote Jack Dawson with River Phoenix in mind.
Dicaprio is better actor.
I did not know that.
@@robbob5302James Cameron was already developing the Titanic script when he was working on True Lies in 1993. His planned Spider-Man film project ended up getting scrapped by the studio, so he went into Titanic instead. River Phoenix was still one of the most popular young actors in Hollywood at the time, so a lot of what Cameron wrote for Jack Dawson was with River in mind, until River died in October of 1993.
You know what I love about you Jen, not only do you get a lot of the deeper references and pop culture from long ago which makes your reactions better, but you never try to apply modern sensibilites to older movies. You never stifle your laughter or pander to a modern audience. Its very genuine and enjoyable to watch, like someone you would enjoy watching a movie with in real life. Keep it up😊
What everyone forgets when they watch _Stand By Me_ is we see the story about Chris Chambers' murder at the beginning of the movie. It's the one the camera focuses on in the newspaper the adult Gordie is reading.
Whenever a girl/woman asks me what it's like to be a boy, I tell them to watch _Stand By Me._ It's a very good representation of the life of a male child and his tight-knit friend group.
It's chilling that the actor who played Chris, River Phoenix, also died tragically young.
"'Have Gun Will Travel' reads the card of a man / a knight without armor in a savage land"
Part the theme song to the amazingly awesome western TV show "Have Gun Will Travel", which aired from 1957 to 1963. It was partly written by Gene Roddenberry and was where he refined a lot of the ideas he would later use on "Star Trek".
Everyone should check it out.
They were singing the theme song to "Paladin", a TV western from the '50s.
Have Gun Will Travel was the name of the program...Richard Boone's character was named Paladin.
@@laurelg9586 Ahh, that's correct. I only ever watched the reruns with my dad when I was a kid.
You also didn’t notice that the narrator (Wil Wheaton’s adult self) was Richard Dreyfus… He played Hooper in Jaws…
Richard Dreyfus is one of my favorite actors--saw him for the first time in The Goodbye Girl with Marsha Mason...
Both River Phoenix and Wil Wheaton get me every time with their big cry moments, as they were relatable when I was a kid and still so as an adult looking back. I'm glad this film still resonates and that scenes like with the leeches, the bullies and the train on the trestle bridge can still set one on edge.
Stand By Me (the song) was written by Ben E King in 1962, about 25 years before this movie was made (although it was set in the late 50s).
This movie always takes me back to being a teenager I. The mid-80's and the friends I used to hang around with. Riding our bikes all day, miles and miles away from home. Just doing whatever we wanted...as long as we didn't get in trouble. Lol. A very bittersweet movie, and an amazing coming of age film with incredible performances. Basically, a lovely film.
Recognize the man at the “very” beginning and the narrator: Richard Dreyfus from “JAWS “ ( the shark expert)
Jen loves music so much, she really should watch Dreyfus in Mr. Holland's Opus. She'd love it! :D
Saw this on VHS as a kid and never forgot it. So many memorable scenes. I think it came down to being the type of kid who wished he could go on a big adventure with friends. I didn't have many.
0:11 Nope, Stand By Me was originally released in 1961 by Ben E. King, but it had a major resurgence in the 80's due to this movie (cracking the Billboard Top 10 both times).
As a chubby nerd at the time, I specifically remember not slow-dancing to it at the Winter Semi-Formal in the Gym. Not that I'm bitter or anything. 😉😁
I was the short, skinny nerd. I asked out three girls in school and got rejected all three times. Not that I'm bitter or anything, either.
@@TheYakusoku Cheers, Brother. 🥃
My lab partner in anatomy class, who was a junior, agreed to go to my senior prom with me just so I could go (I wasn't going to attend otherwise). I wasn't all that more successful in college, though I did finally manage to lose my virginity. It really wasn't until my mid-twenties that I actually had much luck in dating.
This was my absolute favorite movie growing up as a kid in the early 90s
“Just like Goonies except with guns, dead bodies and their dads beat them.” 😂 Thank you Stephen King.
2:48 "Dead bodyyy! *[whispers]* Subscribe."
This movie came out when I was the same age as those kids... After almost 40 years, and even watching the scene as part of your reaction, the moment where Chris vanishes as present-day Gordie describes his death chokes me up every. single. time.
@jenmurrayxo, Your reaction was great, and your epiphany was fun.
However, the greatest thing about this reaction, is that you are wearing the same shirt as Verne. Brilliant! We love you, Jen!
I grew up in a very small town in the 60s and 70s, in Northern Ontario, had to make your own fun. Cruising around on your bike, having fun, it was a simpler time then. I miss those days, great time to grow up, miss my favourite Black Cat gum especially.
Northwestern Ontario or Northeastern Ontario?
This movie now has _two_ actors that have played main characters on Star Trek. Jerry O'Connell, most well known for Sliders, voices the first officer on Lower Decks (and his wife, Rebecca Romijn, plays the first officer on Strange New Worlds).
The song Stand By Me was way before this movie.
Jerry O'Connell (Vern) is probably someone you would recognize today. Look him up online when you get the chance, and you'll be surprised at how he looks today, and might even recognize him from the various shows he's been in.
Sliders was awesome. Second best use of a Rhys-Davies in sci fi.
He was good in the 2001 film Tomcats.
And let's not forget JOE'S APARTMENT (1996).
I love this movie: it’s so well done and hugely nostalgic for me. I grew up in the sixties, in the eastern U.S., but the music, the kids, and their hijinks are exactly right. This is how it was. We never went on an overnight adventure like that, but we played in the woods and went on 5-mile bike rides starting at age 10. It was a different world. The bridge incident really gets me. We had a trestle, only about 50 yards long, but our big dare was to climb down the wooden girders and hold on as a freight train passed overhead. Sometimes they could be 100 cars.
The song they sang that you didn’t know was the theme of a very popular western at the time, “Have Gun---Will Travel.” It was my favorite TV show in reruns in the early sixties.
I showed this movie to my daughter when she was about 12, telling her, “This shows the true spirit of boys at that age.”
"Stand by me" is one of those movies that gives me nostalgia for a time and place I have never experienced. It reminds me of my own childhood, of taking the bike through the neighborhood, meeting with friends.
"Everybody eat shit!"
If you are interested, you might consider reading the novella this was based on -- few people write about childhood as well as Stephen King. It was originally part of a collection that also produced the story that was made into the Shawshank Redemption. This was lovely, Jen. Thank you!
This hit me harder than I expected. I had 'friends' that did the same sort of teasing as they boys do in this. It went too far for me at times. The ending, when he says you never have friends like when you were 12, hit me hard too. I miss the freedom and joy of that age. (For me it was maybe about 10 before we moved across town to a new school.) We have a 10 y/o daughter and I love watching her grow up and have the kind of friends I had back then.
Funny seeing Wesley Crusher so young in this. And young Indiana Jones (River Phoenix played him in "The Last Crusade") too. Based on a short story called "The Body", it was directed by Rob Reiner who was on a major roll at this time. Every movie he came out with at this time has become a timeless classic, from "This is Spinal Tap" to "The Princess Bride" to "Misery", they are all classics now.
Did jen notice? I'm 18 minutes in.
@@MarkMonforti Check the time stamp in her pinned comment. (She did finally realize who it was and confirmed with the credits).
The boys were singing the the theme from the TV Show "Have Gun, Will travel", a cowboy show starring Richard Boone from 1957 through 1963. The television version of the series starring Richard Boone was rated number three or number four in the Nielsen ratings every year of its first four seasons.
Missed the premiere due to dinner commitments, but glad you so thoroughly enjoyed the movie, Jen! Great acting from such a young cast!
I always kinda group this movie with The Sandlot because they capture that feel of being a kid during the summer. Though they are very different vibes, they're both about bonding with your friends and having adventures when life seemed so much more simple.
I really felt for Teddy. His dad was at Normandy and suffered PTSD. This is why he abused Teddy. It was not understood back then. It was called Shell Shocked.
If you follow up on Vern, Jerry O’Connell, you’ll see he grew up to be quite the heart throb. He played Sheldon’s older brother on Big Band Theory.
So many future stars. The tragic River Phoenix, future Trek Universe inhabitants Wil Wheaton & Jerry O'Connell...... the cast. The director. Stephen King has never had such a talented team interpret his work.
Thanks for reminding me of this underrated classic - which I had totally forgotten.
I think this may have been the first Castle Rock reference btw.
I have owned a copy of this movie on tape or disc ever since it was released on video in 1986, one of my favorite movies of all time.
Perfect movie - no notes.
I was in junior high when this came out, and this movie always takes me back to those days with my buddies.
The last line has lived in my head since then, and I reflect on it often.
jerry o'connell looks so different to now he was great as quin in sliders
Sliders fans unite!
Great show, too bad it was cancelled after only two seasons.
The Song stand by me was Written and sang by Ben E. King. It was recorded in 1960 and released in 1961. The movie was made in 1986. So no the song stand by me came out way before the movie was ever made.
Kiefer Sutherland sure did a good job of making us dislike Ace.
Such a classic movie! I was lucky enough to have met Jerry O'Connell (Vern) in 2008 at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles for a gig I donated some stuff my company makes to.
I didn’t grow up in the 50’s, but the late 70’s through the 80’s, and my friends and I were always running around just like this. It was so much fun being outside pretty much every day exploring the small town we grew up in, walking everywhere until we learned how to ride a bike, then riding bikes everywhere until we got our driver’s licenses. Such a great time, especially doing all of the stupid things that we did as kids, since we didn’t have cell phones or social media, or anything like that, just being with really good friends, making lifelong memories.
So glad you watched this one! Great reaction as always!! 👏 👏
Rob Reiner is the other director, along with Frank Darabont, who have both given us multiple good King adaptations. There's so much in this story that got expanded and fleshed out, in terms of the small town 50's kid's lives and some of the stuff with the dead brother / invisible son idea, when King wrote IT too.
Such a great story. Thanks for sharing this one, Jen.
Solid commentary about young boys . Going from 6th to 7th grade is a transition in life that’s difficult for girls to understand. The summer between Elementary to Middle School also coincides with the onset of puberty in many boys. School would let out for the summer before Memorisl Day and resume the Tuesday after Labor Day. First you went to a new school, moved class rooms, rotated teachers and had gym not recess. Then you saw boys in all different levels of changes. Then we had to shower after gym and that was traumatic. Suddenly anatomy, hair growth , and facial hair was important. This movie hits about how the world changes after that summer. I will never forget seeing a kid show up with a mustache. Not too big bit a mustache. Of course he was sent home to shave but it made him a legend for a couple of weeks.
When they took their shortcut and dealt with the leaches At the Royal River... That was the same river that Andy Dufresne threw his gun into at the beginning of Shawshank Redemption.
Also, years later, Keifer Sutherlands character, Ace Merrill ended up in Shawshank, himself.
3:57 lol perfect response by you to match the scene
I was waiting the whole video for you to recognize baby Wesley Crusher. I kept thinking back to the teaser in the title, "is she talking about Wil or something else?" Another excellent reaction.
Jen you vibe so much with Vern your shirts even match!
@@debbyemerson3877 Yeah, Jen would bring a brush. 😁👍
Another Great reaction Jen! This movie is phenomenal. You rock girl!😊🤙🏾
"Have gun, will travel, reads the card of a man
A knight without armor in a savage land..."
The kids were singing the theme song of a Western TV series called, "Have Gun, Will Travel". The song's on RUclips.
Outstanding film and soundtrack. Very much reminds me of my friends when i was the same age back in the 80s. Always cherish the friends you made before everyone eventually grows up and is forced to be molded by the world for better or worse.
What never sat well with me about this movie was Eyeball not giving a damn that Ace was casually going to slit his brother’s throat and is just like ok let’s go home.
He would've told himself Ace wouldn't _really_ have done it (we usually struggle to believe our friends are capable of genuinely bad acts until they actually do them).
He either thought there was no way he would do it, or there was a chance in which he would cut him too. Boy is just a through and through pussy.
Watch film again.
When Ace pulls out the knife, Eyeball says, "Hey! C’mon man."
I never thought there a reaction about this movie,this movie is one of my favourite during my childhood era,my story quite same as this,it just our group little bit bigger around 14-18 person,went do same thing like that,suck by leeches,swallowing bugs,mosquito bite are normal among us,climbing trees,hiking,fishing,many more,eventhough we all broke we happy we share that time,what i remember most during lunch everbody brings a plate of food from their house,some walking some riding bicycle,sharing eating together under shady tree,remembering those memory made me cry nowadays not just it hard to find those day todays but thinking there also someone we know who is no longer around us..that why this movie is so close to me..
14:31 The adult actor is a guy named Dick Durock, he starred in a couple of cheesy movies from the eighties, called Swamp Thing & The Return of Swamp Thing, he played Swamp Thing. I think that you should check them out sometime, they’re pretty fun.
The song about 5:15 is the theme from the show _Have Gun, Will Travel,_ for which Gene Roddenberry wrote.
Ben E. King had the hit song Stand by Me in 1962, so it was quite a bit older than the movie.
Awesome, this is a great movie. If you can, try to find the picture and picture commentary that is from 25 years later. It has the director Rob Reiner and also Wil Wheaton and Corey Feldman talking about making this movie and it’s quite awesome to hear their thoughts about this movie.
Side note fun fact: I also recall listening to Jonathan Frakes talk about how many of the cast of TNG were… intimidated is not the right word, but it was weird for a bunch of older adult actors who were basically just starting out to being on a show where the two most well known actors were young kids that were hugely already popular. Those kids being Wil because of this movie and the other one being Levar Burton who was really well known for his role on Roots and his show Reading Rainbow.
I think I might have that. I have a DVD with a pretty good amount of extras on it that I snagged at Goodwill for $1.50. One of my best finds.
The song "Stand By Me" originally came out in the 60s, but it had a resurgence after this movie came out (like the *NSYNC song "Bye Bye Bye" has had after the release of Deadpool And Wolverine).
Such a magical movie. So timely, yet still somehow timeless.
I haven't seen this, but my brother loves it.
It's why he loves Wil Wheaton as an actor as much as I do from Star Trek. That's why I knew what the realization would be and skipped to the end to watch it.
(Vern) a young Jerry O'Connor played Quinn Mallory in the Sci Fi show SLIDERS.
This came out when I was just about to enter junior high. It was huge for all of us
Another great coming-of-age movie that has a bit less somber tone but still conveys the nostalgic impact is The Sandlot (1993). You've probably already heard the well-known catch phrase for the movie, whether you know it or not. For an older movie, (release-wise), but less old-school (setting-wise), also check out The Goonies (1985). If somber tone is what you're looking for, The Outsiders (1983) is a classic, and undoubtedly, you'll recognize some "catch phrases" that originate with The Outsiders.
Great reaction Jen, this is still in my top 20 movies of all time, Wil Wheaton and River Phoenix give great performances and proof that some of Stephen Kings best works are not all Horrors
That song the boys were singing is the theme of _Have Gun -- Will Travel_ (1957), a popular western TV show. It was before their time, but I'm sure it was in reruns all the time, and in fact the show is still being rerun today if you know where to look (digital subchannels or streaming).
HAVE GUN -- WILL TRAVEL aired from 1957 to 1963, so it's precisely right for the time period of this movie (which is set in 1959).
@@oliverbrownlow5615 Oops, looks like I got the wrong time period.
Yes that was the Great “ Will Wheaton” !!
I had never seen him before but I loved him the most in this movie!!!
He had a terrible childhood just like his character!! He never wanted to be an actor, his parents forced him to do it, they took his money and ignored him and never gave him any love or attention!!
Oh I feel bad for him!!
Will was a semi regular on The Big Bang Theory and Mayim Bialik was on there and now she has a podcast and Will was on it and he told all of this…
When you reconized Will Wheaton I thought you were making the Chris Chambers connection to the news paper at the beginning
The song they keep singing is the Theme Song to Have Gun Will Travel. A western from the early 60's.
Another awesome video Jen.
That train scene always gets me. It's obvious the train driver isn't even trying to stop the train, doesn't even seem to be trying to slow down - so he appears quite determined to run those kids down! 🤨
Hey Hey there Jen Murray 😊.
Hope you are doing well. Pretty cool seeing this again. It's been 33 or so years since I've first watched it. Love ❤ your reaction as always. Have a good night.