Ghostbusters (1984)

 

Ghostbusters

When I was 11 years old, I went to watch “Ghostbusters” in the local cinema. I do not remember why I went alone, but it was the first time I was in the cinema without any friends or family. When the stone creatures came alive, I got so frightened that I left the cinema, not very proud of my self. You might have thought such an experience would scar me for life and maybe it has. Today it is one of my favourite movies of all time, somewhere in top 10 or so.

Doctors Stanz (Dan Aykroyd), Venkman (Bill Murray) and Spengler (Harold Ramis) conduct highly dubious and not quite productive research in the paranormal at Columbia University, when they get thrown out of their protected world for being just that. Stanz and Spengler are tech nerds while Venkman is just a deucebag.  Left to themselves they form a paranormal investigation unit, the Ghostbusters, to catch and remove paranormal pests.

After a slow start, the trio gets busy as something is staring to unravel in the city, starting with a demonic god living in the fridge of Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver). Catching ghosts is messy business, involving lots of slime and mayhem, but the Ghostbuster becomes good at it with their beam guns and traps.

As a crescendo builds, it becomes clear that two things are threating the future of mankind: The god Gozer, brought forth by the mating of the Gatekeeper (Weaver) and the Keymaster (Rick Moranis), the destroyer of worlds, and Walter Peck (William Atherton), the dickless, from the EPA, who wants to shut down the Ghostbusters facility. Even with the addition of a fourth member, Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson), this is an uphill battle (literally).

This is a fun story and a very eighties one at that. As “Ghostbuster” follow a well proven story arch, there are not terribly many surprises to the plot, but then again I like those rather predictable eighties movies. What makes “Ghostbusters” stand out is how fun that ride is along that plot.

The fun is partly based on the premise. It is a loony idea to have a bunch of grown men running around in a city in coveralls, chasing ghosts. Just plain wacky. Yet, the only one of the three who is not taking it seriously is Venkman, but then again, he takes nothing serious. Ramis and Aykroyd both go all in with their characters and that in itself is totally hilarious. Then you have a demon inside Sigourney Weaver’s fridge and Rick Moranis as the little accountant who is being possessed by... something badass. Just the thought makes me chuckle.

Moranis’ line “Okay, who brought the dog?” we find can be used on so many occasions and it always makes us laugh.

The other big source of the fun is the play between Ramis, Aykroyd and Murray. A lot of it is the awesome script, but in three lesser hands this could well have fallen flat. I happen to be a fan of all three and having them together is just pure joy.

Then there is the wrapping of the movie. The iconic music, the montage, the crowds, the setting and I get transported back to a better and happier time, even if it was prone to giant marshmallow men and refrigerator dwelling demons.

If there is something wrong in your neighbourhood

Who are you gonna call?

GHOSTBUSTERS!!!

Highly recommended.

It also feels like a good Halloween movie.