My Childhood Favorite Still Holds Strong!

Rating: 9/10 (29 April 2020)

I love Ghostbusters. The movie has always been a major part of life beginning with childhood. I'm very thankful I was introduced to this movie at such a young age. It is no surprise that the film was the biggest hit of 1984 and then some. The theater life was exceptionally long, but that is no big deal for a movie that helped in changing the landscape of feature films. This movie is considered to be one of Hollywood's first blockbusters. It also proved that special effects and comedy will work well together given the right ingredients (unlike Spielberg's disastrous 1941). These are just two of the main highlights that worked out in the film's favor.
The film was directed by Ivan Reitman, the man behind comedic hits like Animal House and Stripes. He did have a say in the screenplay, which was first drafted by Dan Aykroyd. Aykroyd has always been fascinated with the paranormal. His family wrote books on ghosts or were mediums. His first script was more horror-based, but Reitman convinced him to lighten things up. He brought Harold Ramis (who worked with Reitman previously on the aforementioned films) on board to refine the jokes and add some much-needed humor. The script wasn't entirely used the way it was intended since Reitman wanted his actors to ad-lib. The studio, Columbia thought the film was toast, but boy were they ever proved wrong. Reitman knew the movie was hit at the first audience test screening when they laughed and felt fear during the opening library scene. That scene, with the older librarian being scared out of her wits, is one of the classic all-timers.
The performances are great (especially the deadpan comedic performance from Bill Murray), but the technical side of things were amazing. The editing is a thing of beauty. The film had a very short production leash, so Reitman and his crew had to edit as they go. In a film which could have gone horribly wrong, there is an even mixture of comedy, drama, action, thrills, and chills. In an age where special effects dominate each film, I was still impressed with the special effects. The ghosts looked realistic enough. The Marshmallow Man was giant and scary. The zombie cab driver. And, oh Slimer! Our favorite ghost! He was apparently modeled after the late John Belushi. Finally, the movie would not have been the same without the music. Everyone knows Ray Parker Jr's famous title song. I love that song, too!
Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Raymond Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), and Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) are scientists who work at Columbia University. They are fired after their grant ends. They begin a business to hunt down and capture ghosts. Business is bad at first and the public derides them. When Dana Barrett (Signourey Weaver) notices strange behavior by her Central Park apartment, she hires the Ghostbusters to rid her place from evil. Apparently, the place is a gateway to another world. Her oddball neighbor Louis Tully (Rick Moranis) also notices these monsters. Now business is great, and they even hire Winston Zeddmore (Ernie Hudson) to their team. The EPA associate, Walter Peck (William Atherton) convinces them they are doing the city harm and gets them thrown in jail. When New York City is placed under siege by ancient Sumerian god Gozer, the mayor may have no choice but to release them from jail.
This film also gave belief to the studios that its okay for television folks to star in movies. The main trio were all SNL stars and this movie made bank. Murray had the most experience with movies and he also delivered the funniest performance. It is a deadpan one and his one-liners are brilliant. My favorite is: "human sacrifice, cats and dogs living together, mass hysteria..." If you understand the context, you'll understand the humor. Aykroyd and Ramis, while not given as much to do as Murray, do their best to create memorable characters. The chemistry between the three is definitely the highlight. Signourey Weaver is an odd casting choice giving her dramatic past in films like Alien, but she nailed the comedy when inhabited by the Gozer ghost. Rick Moranis totally got his character and I was down every second. I want to go to one of his parties!
Ghostbusters was a major hit for Columbia and a film that was influential towards culture. It gave studios more confidence that comedy-driven special effect films could work after all. You would not have fun, awesome films like Men in Black if Ghostbusters failed. If you studied New York City history, you'll know that the early 1980's was a horrible time for the city given its propensity for violence and fiscal damage. Reitman said this film was his love letter for the city. It gave the industry a much-needed boost that they could film their productions here. Nearly forty years after its debut, the film holds up very well. It's funny, scary, has great special effects, and it proved why everyone loves Bill Murray.
My Grade: A