die Geisterjaeger

Very rarely can you pull off a successful blend of two separate movie genres,but the makers of Ghostbusters were overwhelmingly so.On the one hand,you have the comedic charm of Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd,and on the other,a genuine ghostly spookiness that makes you want to hide under a blanket.I recently bought a copy and watched it for the first time in several years,and it's still just as fresh as it was in it's initial release in 1984.It has a great supporting cast for Murray and Aykroyd,including the always great Sigourney Weaver,Rick Moranis,Ernie Hudson,and Harold Ramis,who is just as talented behind the camera as he is in front of it.Watch it with your family,but keep an eye on younger children,as the spookiness may be more than they can handle. Great stuff.

The first thing that needs to be said is that Ghostbusters (1984) is possibly the funniest film ever. That's quite the bold statement to make but with good cause. This film holds up probably more than any other comedy in existence. You know how there are those movies that you see that are hysterical the first few times you see them? This one just keeps on coming. I remember when I was a kid, I wore our copy of Ghostbusters out. At the time, I thought it was a horror movie (I wasn't the brightest bulb) so I watched it constantly (Being that I am a horror buff) never realizing what it truly was. I hadn't yet caught on to a lot of the humor. About eight years later, I noticed that I hadn't seen the film for forever and a day. I popped it in and oh my God...I just about died with laughter.

This movie has something for everyone. Director Ivan Reitman said that he found a comedic formula for films...it works as follows: There's the brain, the heart, and the mouth. Ghostbusters scored with all of them. As the brain of the bunch, Egon Spengler's (Harold Ramis also co-wrote it) use of witty humor is hilarious. If you have the right mind set, almost everything Spengler says is laugh out loud funny. At the heart of the Ghostbusters is Dan Aykroyd's (Who created the idea for the film) lovable fool, Ray Stantz. Ray has a tenacity for saying simple minded things and using very little logic and yet somehow the man got a P.H.D. (Probably through studying habits, despite ignorance.) There's a line that he says involving a smell in the beginning of the movie that I am chuckling at just thinking about it. This of course leaves Bill Murray (He was nominated for a Gloden Globe) as the sarcastic Peter Venkman (The mouth of the beast.) Peter is likely the one that gets the most laughs because he, being the mouth that he is, never stops making fun of everything. It's like Rodney Dangerfield in the party scene in Caddyshack but a whole lot funnier and continues the rest of the movie. The film also produces some laughter out of the minor characters as well. The scatological humor toward the end of the film between Rick Moranis (In a role intended for John Candy) and Sigourney Weaver is quite laughter inducing. Ernie Hudson in one of his first big roles has a few good lines as the other Ghostbuster, Winston Zeddmore (The only one who's not a doctor) and William Atherton of Die Hard fame plays the ultimate annoyance as Walter Peck. Not to be forgotten in the mix is Annie Potts as Janine who has some rather memorable humorous lines, for instance the one I've written to summarize the movie. Numerous other well known faces are seen on screen too, which includes John Belushi (Or rather his continuation of the character Bluto, from Animal House) as the principal image used for the now famous 'Disgusting Blob,' Slimer. Like any good comic will tell you, good comedy is generally about setting up the other guys around you. Well, it just so happens that the characters all work well with each other to set the great comedic moments staged in this film.

Not to be forgotten however in all the funny one liners and set ups is the overall film. Ghostbusters was nominated for numerous awards including Oscars for best song (Courtesy of Ray Parker Jr.) and special effects, which are now slightly dated but possibly work even better with the wacky style being consistent with the rest of the movie. Along with Parker, there are numerous other great songs including a song by The Bus Boys that climbed charts and a rather creepy seeming song (But works well) by Mick Smiley. Another thing that should not be forgotten is the horror elements of the film. Though purposely outrageous, the effects do serve as some potential scare moments. Among the most frightening involve stop motion animated puppets called Terror Dogs. Though the scares are few, they do work fairly well (They had me convinced as a youngster) bringing enough threat to the ghosts that haunt New York City. The story itself is interesting as well, involving some intriguing mythology of Sommeria among other countries.

Where some films tend to only work a few times, Ghostbusters is consistent. Although, I've found movies such as CLUE, Dr. Strangelove or Airplane to be funnier at different times in my life, this one still makes me laugh even after seeing it hundreds of times. From the opening scares to the ending credits, it will almost surely reel you in. I've laughed harder at some moments in other films but it's rare that I find one that's funnier throughout. Even those films lose their edge after you see them a few times...this one just doesn't. If you haven't seen it, do so. You will almost certainly be glad you did. If you have seen it and didn't like it, try watching it again in a few years. It's almost sure to grow on you eventually. I dare anyone to sit through this movie and not laugh once, no matter how many times they've seen it. If you don't laugh, you're either trying really hard to hold back, have a very odd sense of humor or are dead! It's just that funny. Although I don't rate films, I would easily rate this one a five out of five, placed among the classics. Believe it or not, I think that it belongs alongside Citizen Kane and Lawrence of Arabia. It also spawned an entertaining sequel in 1989. Enjoy!

That's a big Twinkie.

One of Murray's best films for lines, still quotable, more than a decade later.

As a comedy, the pacing is terrific, the cast is top-notch, and it brought together Murray and Ramis, who made Groundhog Day (nuff said!).

Bill Murray is one of the best wise guys in the business. I was amazed to find out on the GHOSTBUSTERS 15th Anniversary DVD that Murray had little to do with the dialogue his classicly blase, fiercely cynical 'Dr. Venkman' cuts loose throughout this good comedy. Credit Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis with "getting into Bill's mind" as Ramis puts it and presenting Murray with a gag-a-second character. Murray also lends his own comic genius through his delivery and facial gestures (especially with his classic cross-eyed, curled-lip look). Together with a fun premise and above average special effects, GHOSTBUSTERS will never be a relic of the 80's and should always be a refreshingly humorous spook show.

Murray rules the screen, mauling his geeky para-psychologist partners and hitting on a young blonde while conducting shock therapy experiments on her. Aykroyd uses his standard machine gun delivery of obscure (or should I say made up) facts and anecdotes and Ramis is just enough for the ultra-dork 'Egon'. The funniest element in GHOSTBUSTERS happens to be Rick Moranis in a splendid role as a small-time accountant who has parties for clients only and becomes mixed up in some extremely supernatural events. Along with Sigourney Weaver, Moranis has the most difficult physical tasks to topple.

This was a picture I loved when I was a kid. I must have went some 12 to 15 years before I saw it again and I was alarmingly impressed. It has endured. The special effects are not only good, but they are comedic and add even more laughs throughout the 'Busters turbulent jobs. The DVD version has tons of goodies included and is an essential addition to any Saturday Night Live fan's movie library. SNL is the very essence and reason for GHOSTBUSTERS, where Murray and Aykroyd starred. Director Ivan Reitman created his meal ticket here and can pretty much do any comedy he wants now.

It is a shame John Belushi was not around to play one of the 'Busters, for he was originally cast. The movie is already well-paced and engaging so just imagine how frenzied the pace would have been with Belushi. Regardless, GHOSTBUSTERS is one for the kids, teens, and adults alike. It has spanned these phases for me and still works wonderfully.

RATING: ***

For it's time, Ghostbusters would have to be a classic. Visiting such realms as the supernatural, is sure not meant to be funny, but this film does stretch that rule a little. Thankfully it does, as it allows those among us (like me), who do not believe in ghost and goblins, to sit back, relax and enjoy the funny antics of these ghost-busting heroes. Although it might be a little dated in the new millennium, 'Ghostbusters' is still one of the 'great comedies of the 1980's' in my view.

When the University downsizes the parapsychology department, Doctors Venkman, Stantz and Spengler make the leap from scientists to Ghostbusters, investigators and exterminators of paranormal pests! When the bewitching Dana Barrett discovers her refrigerator has become a portal into the spiritual dimension, our heroes come face to face with an ancient evil force with plans to raise hell in Manhattan.

When reviewing a movie, I try to be as fair as I can be. However I feel that by only viewing a movie once, we can not comprehend or appreciate the work that has gone into it, as a lot of work goes into bringing a movie to 'life'. For me that is no more apparent than with this classic hit. The time spent doing the script, special effects, production designs all have their merit and make this movie great. It is not just actors doing their job, as that is only one small part of the movie.

Most of 'Ghostbusters' success must be given to director Ivan Reitman. He did a fabulous job directing the Ghostbusters. I am certain that he left no stone unturned when it came to getting this film right and I am so glad he did. What also made this film more unique was that two of its stars wrote one very very good script. I am of course talking about Dan Akroyd and Harold Ramis. Their originality and comedy on paper, made watching this film a real joy. It is not often that stars write good scripts, but this time these guys got it right.

The cast that this film has was amazing to say the least. The four Ghostbuster characters were all different, which made them great to watch. I love the way that director Reitman summed up the Ghostbusters. He said of the three main guys that, Bill Murray was the 'mouth' or the smart ass of the film, while Dana Barrett says of Dr Venkman, ' you're more like a game-show host' and I have to agree with that, Dan Akroyd was the 'hands', meaning the person who was very hands-on when came to the ghostbusting, and finally Harold Ramis was the 'Brains' or the smartest one of Ghostbusters. Add in the cheery Ernie Hudson, who played Winston Zeddemore, making them the perfect team.

However, the Ghostbusters are a little different when it comes to doing their job. They have funny facilities, which only they could invent, a car that is as wild and conspicuous as its owners are, while the tools that they use to trap there supernatural phenomenon are weird and crazy. I love the traps, 'nuclear accelerators' and other bits and pieces they simply refer to as 'toys', when they are anything but that.

Then take into consideration the other great roles in this film, as without them this film would not be as good. Sigourney Weaver was very 'spiritual' when came to being the normally delightful Dana Barrett. I really enjoyed the onscreen chemistry between her and Bill Murray. Rick Moranis played the moronic '' as only he can. I always think of him as the man from 'Little shop of horrors', but there is no doubting his acting talents. Add in the very 'unusual' and eccentric Receptionist Janine, who was amusingly portrayed by Annie Potts. I love it when she screams 'we got one'. Yet I still say my favourite character in the Ghostbusters, over the silly Venkman (who is second), is the funny ghost Slimer. While Murray is as insane as the ghosts were in this movie, Slimer steals the show in my view. He is wild, 'slimes' people and makes the Ghostbusters all the funnier. Whoever invented Slimer is a genius!

There are some very funny scenes and lines in this movie. I love how we are introduced to the first ghost in the movie, who is part of the library in New York, then the mayhem and chaos we see slimmer cause in the Hotel is classic cinematography. The Venkman line at the end of the scene is priceless as he says 'we came, we saw, we kicked its ass!' Throw in scenes with the monsters that run around New York terrorising people, the unlocking of ghosts by the Environmental Protection jerk and the Marshmallow Man are all hilarious parts to a movie that is full on from start to the finish.

I wish I had been old enough to see the opening of 'Ghostbusters' in the cinema, as I am sure it would have had a huge cinema release. When I remember the Ghostbusters two things come to mind. One is the hypnotic tune 'Ghostbusters' written and performed by Ray Parker Jnr., and two is that my mother and one of her friends said that they banned their children from viewing such rot. I certainly missed out on seeing many great facets of what the Ghostbusters spawned, such as two ingenious cartoons. I sort of understand what they were on about, but I would have preferred being allowed to watch it and then just forget about it. This film has a lot to like about, it is funny, crazy and a little bit different. If you are yet to see what the great fuss is about the 'Ghostbusters', then please do yourself a favour and pick up a copy today. Yes, they are ready to believe you!

CMRS gives 'Ghostbusters': 5 (Brilliant Film)