Stars: Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, and Sigourney Weaver
Director: Ivan Reitman
Who you gonna call? The movie that debuted the same day as Gremlins and narrowly beat it at the box office - Ghostbusters
Brief synopsis:
Peter Venkman (Murray), Ray Stanz (Aykroyd), and Egon Spengler (Ramis) are failed academics trying to prove supernatural phenomena. They have some luck in the New York City Library, getting ectoplasm and attempting to catch a ghost, but return to their offices at Columbia University to find they are being kicked out. Venkman, ever the con man, manages to convince Ray to take a 3rd mortgage on his house to buy an abandoned fire house and set up their business – Ghostbusters. They even find enough money to hire a secretary, Janine (national treasure Annie Potts).
At first, they receive only a few calls. First, a local hotel calls regarding a specter that has been there for years. The boys may destroy a ballroom and a laundry cart with their proton packs, but they do eventually manage to capture the green ghost, lovingly nicknamed Slimer. Egon also chooses this job to mention that the proton packs are basically unlicensed nuclear reactors and to never cross the streams of power coming from them. Then cellist Dana Barrett (Weaver) sees some weird things in her apartment, including eggs cooking by themselves on the counter and another dimension in her refrigerator. She goes to them for assistance and is instantly put off by the lecherous Venkman. The group promise to look into her problems and get back to her.
But suddenly, it seems like New York City is overrun with ghosts and the ghostbusters find themselves overwhelmed with work. They soon hire another ghostbuster, Winston Zeddimore (the fabulous Ernie Hudson) and are embroiled in a fight with Walter Peck from the EPA…
Spoilers below (you have been warned):
It turns out that Dana’s apartment building is actually the epicenter of the crisis. The building was built by a Gozer-worshipping architect to attract and mask ghostly energy. Peter finally gets a date with Dana but she is possessed by the demon Zuul while her neighbor, Louis Tully (a hilarious Rick Moranis), is possessed by another entity, Vinz. They are eventually turned into demon dogs by the demon Gozer to be her pets. Meanwhile, Peck gets a court order to shut down the containment unit, resulting in all the ghosts who had been caught being released. The mayor sides with the ghostbusters and sets them free.
They then make their way to Dana’s apartment, confronting Gozer. Gozer gives them the chance to choose the way they will die and Ray ends up accidentally thinking of the Stay Puft marshmallow man. The marshmallow man is brought to life, over 50 feet, and makes his way towards the group. Egon encourages them to cross the streams of their Proton Packs, eventually destroying Gozer and the marshmallow man. Dana and Louis return to their human forms and Dana kisses Peter. The Ghostbusters emerge from the building as the heroes of New York City.
My thoughts (with spoilers):
There are certain reviews that have been very easy for me to write. The Thing, which I actively watch multiple times a year, felt like it had been in my head the whole time and I just needed to get the words down on my computer. I had honestly thought that Ghostbusters would be the same way but I was wrong. This is a film that I have grown up with, that I have shared with my kids and grandkids, that has been background noise while I was writing, and that I have quoted in real life. No kidding, one day my supervisor called me to her desk by my name and I said, out loud, “There is no Cristina, only Zuul.” My supervisor didn’t seem to get it but her supervisor laughed out loud in her office and asked me if I just quoted Ghostbusters. Got to have some fun in those cubicles.
So why has this been so hard? Because as I sat down to actively watch it for the first time in years, I found one element taking away from my enjoyment and, surprisingly, that was Bill Murray as Peter Venkman. While his delivery is impeccable and he plays the character perfectly, Venkman is a sleaze beyond measure and he kept giving me the ick. He also does not really have any kind of character arc. He doesn’t do anything to earn Dana’s trust or a date. I wanted her to keep turning him down but it seems like the only reason she says yes is so that we can have a climax to the film. Their so-called romance rings false and I really wanted her to stay as far away from him as possible.
Other than that, this is a great film. The visual effects are amazing and Slimer is a fun little homage to the late John Belushi. The chemistry between the cast is incredible and I will always be a Janine/Egon stan. They should have been together in the second film and I truly believe that the only reason they weren’t was because they needed a storyline for Rick Moranis beyond being their lawyer. In addition, it would have solved many of the issues I have regarding the films that have come out recently in this franchise. There is no explanation for where Egon has been other than out in the middle of nowhere and having abandoned his daughter. Making Janine his wife and the mother of his daughter would have fixed not only the timeline but also allowed a story where Janine, aware of what her husband is doing and supporting him, raises their daughter away from the ghostbusting life to keep her protected. Boom – Egon isn’t a deadbeat dad, we have more of a connection to the first film, and Annie Potts gets the screentime she deserves.
The script is tight and there is not a wasted moment. Comedy is interspersed to break up the tension and give the audience a release, as all good horror films should do. The dialogue is quick and snippy, like a 1930’s screwball comedy. The actors are all game and even the smallest part is perfectly cast. All of them came back together for the lesser sequel which, while still good, is just not up to par with the original. I would actually put the all-female Ghostbusters second in the series as it was funnier to me and honored the original without copying it. Sacrilege I know but this is my personal opinion and I stand by it. I am not a fan of the last two sequels at all, despite containing many of my favorite actors.
Ghostbusters is a classic. It showed be seen at least once by everyone. It will be good for anyone over the age of 10 as it is not too scary. The ghosts are creepy without being gross-out and Slimer even became the lead of the later cartoon series. There is humor for both children and adults so no one feels left out. I know if you are reading this review, you have probably already seen this film at least once but a rewatch is always a good idea.
Other films from 1984 to check out:
Footloose – Friday the 13th victim Kevin Bacon finally gets the lead role he deserves in this classic dance film. A town has banned dancing and this upstart makes it his mission to bring dancing back. Great soundtrack (Heaven Helps the Man is underrated classic) and a fun time. Based on a real town that banned dancing.
Splash – Ron Howard directs this story of a man, a young Tom Hanks, who falls in love with mermaid Daryl Hannah. A stellar supporting cast includes the late John Candy and Eugene Levy. Fun fact: the name Madison was supposed to be joke about commercialism. Instead, it started a trend and is now one of the most popular names for girls.
V: The Final Battle – The better half of the miniseries duo, although I still watch both every few years, this allegory of World War II deals with alien invaders who look like humans but that is just cover for the monsters who lie beneath. The birth scene of a human/alien hybrid is unforgettable and a rare chance to see Robert Englund (aka Freddy Krueger) as a good guy.