There's no denying that Ghostbusters (the 1984 original film, directed by Ivan Reitman and written by two of the film's stars, Dan Ackroyd and Harold Ramis) is a classic comedy. Even more, it's an unprecedented culmination of comedy, improvisation, horror, science-fiction, and special-effects. After all, Reitman, Ackroyd, and Ramis, along with Bill Murray and Rick Moranis, have been involved with some of the most acclaimed comedy films and T.V. shows of the era, including "Saturday Night Live" (1975-present), "SCTV" (1976-1981), Animal House (1978), The Blues Brothers (1980), Caddyshack (1980), National Lampoon's Vacation (1983), Stripes (1981), and Trading Places (1983). This marked the first time they've all worked together on the same project.
In essence, Ghostbusters is unquestionably the quintessential film to effectively balance improv comedy and special effects, further paving the way for future films like Men In Black (1997) and most of the films in the Marvel Universe. It's quirky characters remain iconic, from the carefree Peter Venkman (the always-ingenious Murray) to fascination-fanatic Ray Stantz (the always-intellectual Ackroyd); the Twinkie-loving, plays-it-straight Egon Spengler (the professor-like Ramis); new-recruit Winston (Ernie Hudson); motormouth Lewis Tully (80s/90s dad Moranis); the beautiful Dana Berret (Ellen Ripley herself, Sigourney Weaver); and deadpan receptionist Janine (Annie Potts). And who could forget those Ghostbuster jumpsuits, complete with the now-famous ghost logo and proton packs? Not to mention the various iconic lines and moments, many of which were reportedly ad-libbed by Murray.
The screenplay went through several drafts before arriving to the finished film that fans and critics know today. (This video brilliantly examines the initial script to the finished product, including the film's premise and designing principle, which could have gone several creative and bizarre ways.) But the concept remained the same throughout: four men as parapsychologists hunt ghosts in New York City. In the end, it became a "going-into-business" story that Reitman stated should be grounded in a familiar reality. The script even uses real-world newspapers and real-life figures to make the story more relatable. Yes, it's set in the 1980s with T.V. tubes and all. But it still holds up.
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| "Why worry? Each of us is wearing an unlicensed nuclear accelerator on his back." |
Said characters (minus Winston, who would join later) start out as university parapsychologists who are soon fired for being, of all things, unprofessional, and decide to set up their unique business: catching and entrapping the paranormal and all things that go bump-in-the-night. And their timing couldn't be more impeccable, as their business oddly begins to boom, and as EPA reps get angrily concerned and residents begin to get possessed by dark forces, including evil minions who are awaiting the coming of a destructive force, which eventually takes the Godzilla-like form of a corporate mascot. "Well, there's something you don't see every day," says Venkman, during the climactic showdown.
Yes, this film is a comedy. It's as scary as it is funny, and not meant to be taken seriously. And yes, it's a movie. But even so. When writing these film reviews, I always try to keep a discerning perspective in tact (as my mission statement for this blog will tell you). And that's certainly no different in the case of comedy, as it is for horror or any other genre, as well as when it comes to movies for families and/or children. Especially when you really consider this film's handling of spirituality and other related references, which seem to focus more on Old Testament-type destruction and "Sumerian, not Babylonian" havoc, including the fact that many of these characters are occasionally clueless when it comes to dealing with the supernatural. As PluggedIn writer Paul Asey concluded in his retrospective review of the film, "I'm just saying we should all think through what we're watching, no matter how goofy."
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