“Hey you, guys!”
Behman Zakeri bellows from his porch at unsuspecting tourists to ‘The Goonies’ home in Astoria, Oregon. Zakeri had spotted them coming up the driveway and practically ran to the front door to shout at them.
The tourists are shocked but pleased as they wave back. More than likely, they were not expecting such a friendly greeting.
Zakeri lives in Kansas and ended up with the winning bid of $1.65 million to buy the home from the 1985 movie ‘The Goonies,’ one of the most iconic filming locations in movies.
He tells KIRO 7 News he still remembers the first time he saw the movie in the summer of 1985 with his best friend and neighbor, Michael.
“My mom took me, him, my brother, Ali, and my sister, Sara, who was a little baby,” Zakeri recalled. “The movie just immediately resonated with me.”
He said at that moment, the movie embedded in his heart. “We immediately thought we were ‘goonies,’” he said. “Just treasure hunting, like kids, when you’re a kid, you roleplay, and you make stuff up. The imagination of a kid is priceless.”
Zakeri recalls they would go into homes as children and try to get to the lowest point, just like where Chunk and Sloth ended up in the basement of the Fratelli’s hideout in the movie.
He said since they were living in Kansas, they didn’t even know if Astoria was a real town.
“We thought maybe it was one of those fake towns they make in Hollywood,” he said.
Zakeri said his favorite Goonie is Chunk. “Because of all the laughs, because of all the humor.” One of the most memorable scenes from the movie, Chunk doing the Truffle Shuffle on the front lawn before he’s let into the house will be memorialized at the house.
Zakeri said he’s working with a team of designers to recreate the Rube Goldberg-style machine right outside the front door. It will be automated, so the bowling ball will not have to be reset each time.
He recalls coming to Astoria for the 30th anniversary of the movie and meeting with the then-owner of the home, Sandi Preston. “‘I’m going to buy this house,’” Zakeri said he told her in 2015. “’You and a million other goonies,’” she replied.
Zakeri said he was actually outbid by $100,000 on the house. The other bidder? Adam F. Goldberg, creator of The Goldbergs. But Sandi decided that Zakeri was the right person, saying, “‘Behman is the guy that is going to do the right thing for the house.’” Zakeri recalls her saying.
He said it’s a big mistake to own a house this famous and keep it to yourself.
“These need to be either a museum or Airbnbs or something where the world can come in and enjoy it. That’s the ideal scenario,” he said.
Zakeri said Goldberg is such a fan and has reached out. He offered to Zakeri screen-used props to have at the house, but Zakeri turned it down, saying the house wasn’t ready for them yet.
The home was built in 1896, and by the time The Goonies came around, it was in severe disrepair. Zakeri said he learned the owner at the time was approached by Steven Spielberg and director Richard Donner about renting the home for the movie. The owner said sure and wanted to charge them $50 a month. Spielberg offered $750.
When Sandi bought the 3-bedroom, 2-bath house, it was in need of repair. Doors in the movie were walled over because she couldn’t get the doors to close. The kitchen was blocked off to make room for appliances. The inside of the home doesn’t resemble what is seen on the big screen.
But Zakeri hopes to change that.
Inside is sparse. He has a couch of the same type that was used in the movie; it just needs to be reupholstered. There is a calendar from the movie on a wall, but it’s not in the right place. He also has a statue of David, just like the one Chunk knocks over in the movie. But this one has a special, eh, attachment. The penis that Chunk breaks off and glues back on upside down is a magnetic member on Zakeri’s statue, allowing him to present it in any direction.
He said he had plans to restore the house personally, but that’s on hold because of another opportunity.
Zakeri said he’s working with a production company for an “extreme makeover” of the house to redesign it back into the original movie set.
His wife, Liz, may be upset when they take apart the kitchen to put a hallway back in, but she understands it’s all part of the process.
The most difficult part of a makeover will be the attic. The pulldown steps going up to the attic are still there and functioning. However, the room at the top was converted to a room by the previous owner. It’s also a lot smaller than the attic in the movie since that was filmed on a set.
Getting fans up there could also be a concern since the ceiling is very low and cramped.
Zakeri said he wants the world to come and enjoy the house; it’s for the Goonies, not just him and his family. If he’s there when you’re there, come say hi.
“That’s the ideal scenario,” he said.