Astoria-based movie lures head of France’s Goonies fan Web site to town”Les Goonies ne pensent jamais a la mort.”

After watching “The Goonies” in French more than 200 times in his 24 years, Frederic China of Lyon, France, knows the line well.

Roughly translated, it means “Goonies never think of death.” That might not be quite as catchy as “Goonies never say die,” but the line and the film have obviously stuck with China, who recently traveled more than 5,000 miles to Astoria to see the haunts of Mikey, Mouth, Chunk and the rest of the gang.

“The Goonies House, it’s my dream,” China said Wednesday, stepping off the porch of said residence, owned by his new friend Sandi Preston. He’s in Astoria for 10 days, staying with a host family and walking around town, absorbing the atmosphere and spotting the sites where the movie was shot.

“I’ve visited all the houses, it’s very different,” said China, who runs France’s only Goonies fan Web site.

Indeed, almost 20 years after the movie’s release, the Goonies House in east Astoria has been remodeled, as has the bowling alley featured during the opening credits. The county jail from which one of the bad guys escaped now houses offices and storage space.

And China said he was surprised to find the Flavel House and the “jail” right next door to each other.

“In my dream it’s not near,” he said.

Still, in the six days that he has been in town, China has taken more than 280 pictures, which he posts on a Web site for his friends back in France to see.

“They’re very jealous. They say that I’m lucky and they love my pictures,” he said.

He said he would like to compile his photos and the tale of his

experiences here in Astoria in a book. It would be the first French Goonies book, he said. He works at a sporting goods store in Lyon now, but said he wants to start a new career, preferably in the movie business or photography.

He is definitely a movie buff.

China first saw “The Goonies” when he was 7, and for a while would watch it daily. He’s slowed down a bit, and only watches it once a month or so these days, but said it still appeals to the kid in him. He tried to start an official Goonies fan club in France, and hoped to hold a convention next year celebrating the 20th anniversary of the movie, but said he was turned down by Warner Brothers.

Still, he’s an avid collector of memorabilia. He has replicas of pirate coins from the movie, the storybook, Goonie trading cards, a souvenir magazine, a big poster in French, a “Members Only” jacket and a rare Spanish Sloth action figure that made the trip with him.

“I love eBay,” China said, referring to the online auction site. “I’m very very very nostalgic; eBay is my temple.”

He said that he’s drawn to the action and “magic” of movies from the 1980s and the real sets and backdrops, which he prefers to the computer graphics-heavy flicks of today. He’s a big Indiana Jones fan, and carries a bag similar to one the adventurous archaeologist slipped a statue into during “The Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

In addition to his Goonies Web site, at (http://goonies.websanslimit.net), which has pictures and quotes and other Goonies-related treasures, he is also at work on another site that explores all of the big movies of the 1980s, at (www.lesouffledupasse.com)

While “The Goonies” isn’t as big in France as it is in the United States, and some people think of it only as a kids’ movie, there are plenty who still get a kick out of the Truffle Shuffle.

“Il y a beaucoup de gens qui adorent le film,” China said. (There are many people who love the movie.) In France as well as Astoria, evidently.