Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters

Several years ago in a pub in Putney, London, my friend Dominic told me that his mate was making a documentary on Ghostbusters and was at that time travelling the states carrying out interviews.

I've waited patiently for this and it's finally here, and wow! What an achievement. So many films about films spend too much time interviewing critics and film specialists, and the odd cast member who could be bothered to show up. This one gets pretty much everyone and it's hugely insightful.

Great stories from actors, puppeteers, stunt men and William Atherton. Insight into the creative processes that worked out how to put proton packs, ghosts and giant Marshmallow men on to the screen.

A wonderful labour of love and a timeless record of one of the films that really managed to bottle lightning.

I can't wait for the sequel!

Fun insights (puppeteers), charming interviews (Weaver is a treasure), and general good-natured celebration just barely make this a documentary worth throwing on. If treated like a DVD extra, it's everything you could want...except for one glaring omission...

I think it's a huge credit to the filmmakers (Anthony and Claire Bueno) that they were able to elicit such fond reminiscing from the cast and crew of Ghostbusters - the making of which has become at this point, well-trod subject matter. As documentaries go, it's very tech-heavy, but everyone on camera is personable and clearly happy to be there, and I enjoyed myself considerably. Though Bill Murray's absence is inescapable, I applaud the efforts of all involved to coalesce and make up the difference. There's some real heart to this.

The icing on this dessert is the late Harold Ramis, and it is an undeniably joy to see him again.

With the holiday season over,I searched The Electric cinema (the oldest working cinema in the UK) site to see what screenings they were kicking 2020 off with. Having enjoyed the first Ghostbusters & the animated shows, (yet to see the second film!) I was happy to find a doc on Ghostbusters 1 was playing soon,with a Q&A from the makers, leading me to find out if If there's something strange,In your neighbourhood.

View on the film:

Taking 12 years to make, (just like Boyhood!) directors Anthony Bueno & Claire Bueno set their Proton packs to a stunningly detailed examination of the first Ghostbusters, with the Bueno treating everyone from the cast,to the puppeteers with equal importance. Along with footage from the film and production photos, the Bueno's use delightfully quirky animation, which along with bringing to life recollections from the cast/crew, also links to the history animation has with Ghostbusters.

Detailing the hours of cut footage in a 50 minute Q&A after the screening, the Bueno's unveil fascinating behind the scenes archive material which has been unseen until now, from original concepts designs, models, and test runs on how the ghosts looked/moved, (Stay Puff sure got crispy!) to interviews going into the changes made to Ernie Hudson/Sigourney Weaver's plot lines.

Whilst Rick Moranis (who has retired) and Bill Murray, (who has a rep in Hollywood for being a jerk,he stopped Ghostbusters 3 from being made for decades) don't appear, the Bueno's easily overcome this with fantastic interviews from Dan "Crystal Head Vodka" Aykroyd and visual effects art director John Bruno, to Harold Ramis final interview about the first Ghostbusters.

It's more like 7 and a half for me. I'm a big fan of the original movie and I had big expectations for this doc. I wish it was more about the writing, characters and themes, instead it delves more deeply into the making of the special effects. Of course they were revolutionary at the time and it's an important aspect of the movie, but I could have done with less details (the part about making Slimer feels neverending). It's still interesting and rich though.