The Ghostbusters appeared on the couch of The Joe Franklin Show , WOW, they made the big time!

Rating: 5/10 (11 July 2019)

During the 80's I owned and operated an Ice Cream store in Queens, New York. The hours were long and I would usually arrive home around midnight where I would watch TV to all hours of the morning. I found myself watching the same shows almost every evening for decades. One show I watched religiously was the Joe Franklin Show on WOR TV. Joe was shown locally in the New York City market. Moreover Joe Franklin was the longest running late night talk show in American history, some 47 years. Joe was coined the "King Of Nostalgia" or "The Wizard Of Was". Joe would flash old movie posters and have forgotten film stars pop in from time to time reminiscing about the old days. Joe had a wide range of guests from world renown artists Salvadore Dali and the Beatles John Lennon. From local celebrities to the famous names in Hollywood, i.e. Sinatra and Bing Crosby. President John Kennedy sat on the famed couch back in the early 60's. Enough about Joe and on to Ghostbusters, I first learned about this phenomenon by also listening to the nationally broadcast all night Larry King show out of Washington, D.C. along the Mutual Radio Network. Between Franklin and King I had a thing for nocturnal media. Larry King also personally promoted this ghostly, comedy, action film mainly because he had a cameo in the film. The publicity department At Sony/Columbia Pictures did a phenomenal job promoting this film especially with children. The popular Ray Parker theme song with the famous catch phrase "Who you gonna call?" hit the air waves of the radio medium. Ghostbusters is unique in the fact that special effects and comedy are a slippery slope to combine . Special effect require precise timing. As for comedy it's usually spontaneous. In this film the two styles meld well together. I noticed the fine tuned editing in the Capra style making the movie less choppy. Having a nice flow.. Our story begins with three Columbia professors Bill Murray as Dr. Peter Venkman, Dan Aykroyd as Dr. Ray Stantz, Harold Ramis as Dr. Egon Spengler who delve into the paranormal with experiments of a different nature. Venkman asking his female subject is she menstruating? Well the time has come as our scientist's government funding runs out and they are banished from the University. Out on the street pounding the pavement realizing that there is negative energy in the way of Ghosts and the unexplained, People complain about haunting s from their premises. The three realize there is a need for ghost busting. People will pay at any cost to eradicate these paranormal beings from their property or the ghosts in and around New York. The Three go into business and call themselves the Ghostbusters. The three purchase an old firehouse and hire a receptionist (Annie Potts). Annie does a fair job with her New York accent. The three promote their business on TV and are summoned to a Hotel ballroom . They travel in a makeshift ambulance and enter the lobby in jumpsuit uniforms with back packs and laser guns ready to take down a green goblin. They catch the creature and suck him into a box and store him away in there nuclear chamber at the firehouse. The E.P.A. finds out about it and tries to shut them down. Meanwhile on another front; Venkman has eyes for musician Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) who live in a detailed elaborate 20 story apartment with gargoyles on the roof located on Central Park West. Dana calls Venkman to inspect her re-fridge as she claims it haunted watching eggs fry in the case. Dana would eventually be possessed by a ghost. Nerdy and meek Neighbor accountant Louis Tully (Rick Moranis) is throwing party as a tax write-off. One of the stone structures comes to life and ends up chasing Tully out of the apartment and into Tavern On the Green. Evidently there apartment building is a conduit to the next world. Tully eventually becomes possessed as the Ghostbusters are log jammed by the avaricious E.P.A. investigator William Peck (Walter Atherton) who earlier lets out all the Ectoplasm and Ghosts.at their firehouse headquarter having no regard for their service, calling it a hoax. The ghosts and goblins terrorize New York including a hot dog stand. The mayor of New York concedes giving the Ghostbusters permission to resume and restore order in this Ghost ridden city. The screenplay is chock full of funny lines provided by the genius of Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd. Bill Murray has his share of punchlines, (mostly ad-libs) to round out the dialogue. Honorable mention for our fourth member of the Ghostbusters, Winston played by Ernie Hudson who tells the mayor, "I've only been with this company for a couple of weeks, but these things are real. Since I've joined these men, I've seen s--t that will turn you white!" In my opinion I wouldn't consider this movie scary at all.. Bring your kiddies along for the ride. If your all alone pick up the phone or stay up and watch re-runs of the Joe Franklin Show at the conclusion of this movie.