GHOSTBUSTERS was one of my favourite films as a kid; I first saw it when I was about 5, and it scared the hell out of me (that librarian ghost - jeez!). My old VHS tape was worn through by the time I grew up and forgot about it. Now, years later, I decided to give it another spin and discover whether it was one of those films that holds up even when you're an adult...
The answer is a resounding YES! GHOSTBUSTERS is still a great movie, a thoroughly entertaining classic for all ages. It's an out-and-out comedy featuring my favourite performance from a beautifully deadpan Bill Murray, who's perfectly supposed by Dan Ackroyd (who makes a great butt for the jokes),Harold Ramis (as the straight guy),Ernie Hudson (underrated),Sigourney Weaver (a delightful role reversal from Ellen Ripley) and little Rick Moranis, who's always hilarious.
Although the film was made nearly 30 years ago, it hasn't dated in the slightest and the detectives vs. spooks storyline still holds up really well. I just can't get over how well made it is, with scenes that should be ridiculous (such as the climax) just totally gathering you up and immersing you in the experience. I love the Lovecraftian undertones, and the way the special effects are still much, much better than most of the CGI in modern movies. Those stop motion dog-creatures, absolutely fantastic, even now.
Okay, so the sequel wasn't so great, but I'm a firm believer in the fact that no matter how many bad sequels or remakes, you can never spoil the entertainment value of a classic movie. And GHOSTBUSTERS is exactly that: a classic for all ages, a genuine family movie that never panders to a young audience and remains timeless because of it.
Ghostbusters
1984
Action / Adventure / Comedy / Fantasy / Sci-Fi
Ghostbusters
1984
Action / Adventure / Comedy / Fantasy / Sci-Fi
Plot summary
Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz and Egon Spengler work at Columbia University. where they delve into the paranormal and fiddle with many unethical experiments on their students. As they are kicked out of the University, they really understand the paranormal and go into business for themselves. Under the new snazzy business name of 'Ghostbusters', and living in the old firehouse building they work out of, they are called to rid New York City of paranormal phenomenon at everyone's whim. - for a price. They make national press as the media reports the Ghostbusters are the cause of it all. Thrown in jail by the EPA, the mayor takes a chance and calls on them to help save the city. Unbeknownst to all, a long dead Gozer worshiper (Evo Shandor) erected a downtown apartment building which is the cause of all the paranormal activity. They find out the building could resurrect the ancient Hittite god, Gozer, and bring an end to all of humanity. Who are you gonna call to stop this terrible world-ending menace?
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Childhood favourite and all-time classic
Who You Gonna Call?
When you've got uninvited paranormal guests or if you've accidentally intruded on them if you've acquired some haunted living space this film answers the question. Just who you going to call? Ghost Busters.
It all begins innocently enough, parapsychologist Bill Murray has lost his grant money, his university won't let him stay on to conduct all kinds of experimentation. What to do?
In Ghost Busters Bill Murray takes his knowledge and with a collection of some interesting colleagues, Dan Ackroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson forms his own outfit, the Ghost Busters. If you've got intruders from another dimension, they guarantee to get rid of them. They have a first interesting call from the public library at Bryant Park, that's a shakedown cruise for our heroes.
But the real challenge comes from Sigourney Weaver who has all kinds of weird visitors including an ancient Hittite Goddess who emanates right from her refrigerator. That one Murray is going to give his personal attention.
Ghost Busters busted a whole lot of box office back in the day and with good reason. It's a rollickingly funny comedy that doesn't quite come down to the level of Police Academy movies. These comedy veterans from the small screen know their business and they integrate their own personalities into a fine comic unit. A lot like the Crazy Gang comedies from the UK back in the day.
Ghost Busters got two Oscar nominations for Special Effects and for its catchy title song. It's one of those you can't get out of your head once you've seen the film. In fact more than in most films, the song itself almost becomes a character in the film.
It's one of the funniest films in the Eighties and it's one of those that spawned an equally funny sequel. Can't go wrong with either of them.
Imaginative, funny, entertaining- I loved it!
I honestly wasn't expecting Ghostbusters to be as good as it was. I thought it was funny, imaginative and entertaining, and I do completely agree it is underrated. I really liked the soundtrack, and the special effects were truly excellent, considering it was made in the 1980s. The direction was slick and self-assured, and there are a lot of truly funny lines in the script like "Ray, if someone asks you if you are a god, you say yes". I can't count the number of times I was laughing when I watched this film. The performances were brilliant. Bill Murray, who is excellent when he is given a great script, see him in Lost in Translation for evidence, steals every scene he's in, and Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis both gave spirited performances. Also fun to watch were Annie Potts and Rick Moranis, and Sigourney Weaver was her usual charming self here. I will confess when I first saw this I was frightened by the dog like creatures Zuul and Vinz Clortho. I also felt that scenes like the Marshmallow Man (or whatever it was) bit got a bit too silly, but hey, it's all part of the fun. Overall, a hugely entertaining and enjoyable film, which I will award a 8.5/10 Bethany Cox.