Ghostbusters (1984)

***This page is dedicated to the director of Ghostbusters Ivan Reitman, who tragically died in his sleep after he could see the film's legend. (October 27, 1946 - February 12, 2022)***

***Ghostbusters*** is a 1984 comedy horror film with an ensemble cast including Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, the late Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis and Sigourney Weaver. The film was written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film was directed by Ivan Reitman who would also direct the sequel *Ghostbusters II*.

## Plot

After the members of a team of scientists (Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray) lose their cushy positions at a university in New York City, they decide to become "ghostbusters" to wage a high-tech battle with the supernatural for money. They stumble upon a gateway to another dimension, a doorway that will release evil upon the city. The Ghostbusters must now save New York from complete destruction.

## Why Busting Feels Good

1. Creative idea about ghost exterminators.
2. Our main characters have superb chemistry (such as Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler, and Winston Zeddemore).
3. The iconic and memorable theme song that spawned many covers from several artists, like Walk the Moon and No Small Children.
4. Spectacular special effects.
5. There are plenty of funny moments.
	* Peter: Egon, this reminds me of the time you tried to drill a hole through your head. You remember that? Egon: *[without hesitation]* That would have worked if you hadn't stopped me.
6. There are also plenty of memorable dialogue.
	* "*It's true, your honor: this man has no dick*".
	* "*There is no Diana, there is only Zuul*."
	* "*When someone asks you if you're a god, you say YES!*"
	* "*Dogs and cats living together... MASS HYSTERIA!*"
	* "*Back off, man, I'm a scientist.*"
	* "*I ain't afraid of no ghost!*"
	* "*If there's a steady paycheck in it, I'll believe anything you say.*"
7. The film subtly commentates on Capitalism with some referring to *Ghostbusters* as "the most libertarian Hollywood blockbuster of all time", as every government official is abrasive and/or ineffectual and gets in the way of the film's working-class heroes, a group of small businessmen who are motivated in large part by financial gain.
8. The ghost designs are awesome, especially on Slimer.
9. The scene where the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man goes berserk in the third act was exciting and his fate was interesting.
10. The Ecto-1 car is another great iconic '80s movie car along with the DeLorean from *Back to the Future*, which was released the following year in 1985.
11. Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and Slimer are very entertaining and likable villains.
12. The poster is one of the most iconic in film history.
13. The scene where the ghosts are released from the containment is awesome especially the giant beam of light that shoots out of the Firehouse.

## Bad Qualities

1. The CGI may not have aged well by today's standards.
2. **Executive Meddling**: The reason Winston is a lesser character compared to other Ghostbusters—when Ernie Hudson signed on, Winston was in the script from page eight (rather than toward the end of Act 1), and was by far the most technically competent and qualified of the Ghostbusters. Aykroyd apparently still blames himself for Hudson's character being sidelined.
3. Walter Peck is a pretty unlikable character since he has no reason to suspect that the ghostbusters are doing anything illegal.

## Reception

*Ghostbusters* received positive reviews from critics and audiences. The film currently holds a 97% "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes with an average of 8.1 out of 10 and a critic consensus that reads "An infectiously fun blend of special effects and comedy, with Bill Murray's hilarious deadpan performance leading a cast of great comic turns". Roger Ebert gave the film a 3.5 out of 4 stars and stated in his review, "This movie is an exception to the general rule that big special effects can wreck a comedy...rarely has a movie this expensive provided so many quotable lines". Both he and Gene Siskel gave the film a thumbs up.

### Box Office

*Ghostbusters* grossed $13.6 on its opening weekend and would overall gross $295,212,467 worldwide.

## Trivia

* Peter Venkman, Stay Puft and Slimer are playable characters in *LEGO Dimensions*.
* It was released the same day as Gremlins (1984).

## External links

* Template:IMDb
* Template:Rotten Tomatoes