‘Goonies’ Director Flaunts His Anti-Fur Stance

by Michael dEstries April 22, 2011
Categories: Animals, Fashion
Tags: jeff cohen, richard donner.

Richard Donner – the genius director behind such films as “Superman”, “Lethal Weapon”, and “Goonies” – is apparently also something of an animal rights activist and anti-gun supporter. In other words, every hardline conservative’s worst nightmare.

Anyways, this all came to light for me after watching a great new video over on Yahoo! about Jeff Cohen – who played “Chunk” in “Goonies” – and how he’s now a big-time entertainment lawyer. It’s kind of a touching story – and Donner, who has supported his career choice the whole way, wears an anti-fur button in the interview.

Apparently, he’s also fond of placing his views in movies. For instance, in “Lethal Weapon 3″, an 18-wheeler has an anti-fur advertisement on the side. There are also anti-fur stickers in the locker room and on a t-shirt worn by one of Murtaugh’s daughters. Likewise, in the movie “Conspiracy Theory”, the newsstand that Mel Gibson visits every morning has an anti-fur sticker on it.

Anyways, check out the video on Jeff Cohen below. For any “Goonies” fan like myself, it’s pretty awesome to see Chunk all grown up and doing well!

About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

View all posts by Michael dEstries →

Michael Raymer

Think twice before you lionize Richard Donner. I mean, it’s nice that he’s anti-fur. But how he justifies being anti-gun and then filming 4, count ‘em FOUR blockbuster movies (the Lethal Weapon series) that are nothing more than gratuitous, gun-based violence is beyond my comprehension. He is basically the gun equivalent of PETA holding meetings over a steak dinner.
- Billy Leigh
  
  You sir are very wrong about the Lethal Weapon series being nothing but gratuitous, gun based violence. Just because a film contains characters killing each other with guns doesn’t define it being gratuitous. The series has a lot of heart and is about character more than people shooting each other.
  
  Lethal Weapons 3 was a message from Donner about the circulation of guns on the streets. All the Lethal Weapon films have messages in them. First about drugs, second about apartheid, third about guns and the fourth about immigration.
  - Michael Raymer
    
    ….interspersed with gratuitous gun violence throughout. And how exactly do you make a point about guns (LW3) when you have Mel Gibson rolling around on the ground emptying his Beretta into everything that moves? Or the handgun bullets that shoot clear through a bulldozer blade? Care to illuminate us on what message was sent?
    
    Donner made a fortune off of Americans love of guns and gun violence in movies (including mine). He wasn’t the first and won’t be the last. But don’t try to paint him as anything but a hypocrite.
    
    “Just because a film contains characters killing each other with guns doesn’t define it being gratuitous.”
    
    Yes it does. THAT is exactly the definition. Jeez, keep coming back Billy. You’ll fit in nicely around here.