By Geno McGahee
In the mid eighties, the horror/comedy was trending. GREMLINS came out in 1984 and FRIGHT NIGHT in 1985 and both were friendly horror films. They gave some scares, but were tame enough for the family to enjoy it together. That holds true for the 1984 paranormal activity horror/comedy “GHOSTBUSTERS,” which is, arguably, the most popular of the three titles. Next year, we’ll see a remake of it, which has many fans upset.
Written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, GHOSTBUSTERS was something unique and stacked the deck with a great cast. This was well before every cellar dweller grabbed some sort of meter and traveled into a “haunted” location in search of ghosts. Paranormal investigations weren’t rampant, but the idea compelled the masses and obviously it still does to this day. Many of the modern paranormal investigators ain’t afraid of no ghost.
Three scientists, working at a college in New York City, are attempting to prove that psychic ability and paranormal activity exists. Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murrray), Dr. Raymond Stantz (Aykroyd) and Dr. Egon Spengler (Ramis) are working hard but not producing any true results. Venkman uses the position to get with college girls rather than push the cause forward. He’s close to closing the deal with a young blonde when he has to rush to a library to deal with a ghost. When they return from their close encounter, they are told that the grant has been removed and that the three of them have to leave the college immediately. Venkman brings up the idea that the trio should go into business together and become ghost busters. They do, but it’s rather bumpy initially.
One of the first clients is Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver). She lives in a building that has a deep and dark history and she is paying for it. At one point, demonic arms come out of her chair and grab her. I noticed one of the hands have a firm hold on her left boob throughout the take. I wonder if it was a blind mistake or if the demonic arm guy saw the opportunity to get a cheap feel. I would think that wearing that latex demon arm would take away from the joy of grabbing the boob of Sigourney Weaver. That is something that would need to be done bare-handed. I aint afraid of no tit.
I should get to it now and talk about Rick Moranis. I have hated Moranis in every fucking movie that I have ever seen him in. He plays the same short geek in every role. His voice is annoying. How he had a career is beyond me, but they put him in this movie and he is more annoying than ever before and that says a lot. He plays Dana’s neighbor that has a crush on her and she is avoiding him at all costs. I’m sure Weaver probably did the same when the cameras weren’t rolling. And yes, I hated SPACEBALLS too.
The Ghostbusters begin capturing ghosts and storing them in a containment unit, but EPA investigator, Walter Peck (William Atherton), wants them shut down and will do anything to make it happen. It was nice to see Atherton. I loved him in DIE HARD and DIE HARD 2: DIE HARDER. He plays a jerk incredibly well and, once again, he does great here. Another DIE HARD actor has a minor role here. Reginald VelJohnson played the jail guard in this. He’s always playing cops unless he’s chasing Urkel around. Was he a cop in FAMILY MATTERS? I keep thinking he was a bus driver. Maybe he was a cop. I hated Urkel. I wish Carl Winslow would have beaten that nerd to a pulp and then saved a little for Rick Moranis.
The trio adds Winston (Ernie Hudson) and he’s a great addition to the team. When all hell breaks out and all the ghosts are released, the Ghostbusters hit the streets to clean it up again and they are treated like rock stars. They have a final showdown with the evil spirits including a very large marshmallow man and save the day.
GHOSTBUSTERS does a lot of things right. It’s hard to go wrong with Bill Murray. They knew exactly how to cast him and he soars in roles where he’s arrogant but likable. I especially like him when he’s an arrogant jerk as he was in KINGPIN and we get a little of that here. The setting is awesome. Any film that takes place in New York City has an edge because the city is a character and it automatically interesting. The gritty feel, the unique nature of the film, the cast and the great balance of comedy and scares makes this a must see. Even the terrible song by Ray Parker JR is so bad it’s good.
If you can stomach the terrible presence of Rick Moranis, you will love GHOSTBUSTERS.
Rating: 8/10
