With the latest installment/re-boot of the franchise out in theatres, seemingly with good reviews, let's look back at the movie that started it all. Three disreputable ghost-hunting scientists are thrown out of Colombia University. They go into business for themselves and start hunting and trapping ghosts throughout New York City. It isn’t long before they are overwhelmed by their workload and hounded by bureaucrats. There’s something strange in the neighbourhood…
Ghostbusters is considered by many to be the greatest comedy ever made. Its unique blend of comedy, fantasy, science fiction, drama and romance gives the movie broad-based appeal. Few other films have ever been able to match the pop culture infiltration that Ghostbusters has. Since it’s release in 1984, has spawned 2 sequels, 2 cartoon series, comic books and a highly lucrative toy line.
Ghostbusters is definitely in my personal all-time top 10. When I was a kid I had a group of friends who also loved Ghostbusters. We would get together and watch the movie, then we would play Ghostbusters (don't ask me what the rules were, but it was great).
THE EDGE
There are several things about Ghostbusters that haven't aged well. Right at the top of that is its latent sexism. The two main female roles are either the damsel in distress and love interest in Dana Barrett or an exploited employee in Janine Melnitz, their secretary. The scene below is an excellent example of how women are taken up in the film.
Neither Dana nor Janine are able to exercise their own agency and are completely reliant on the male protagonists for their welfare, benefit and/or salvation. Hey, it was the 80s in Regan's America after all!
Speaking about Reagan's America, Ghostbusters also paints an unflattering picture of all levels of government, namely the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and New York City Hall. Through characters like Walter Peck from the EPA and Mayor Lenny Clotch, as either useless and corrupt or meddling and dangerous. It is a governemnt official that causes the pandemonium that drives the
film to it's climax.
Just remember that it took a Cop, Hydro person and an EPA man to send New York City into a frenzy. Then it took a corruptible and seduced Mayor of New York to send the Ghostbusters to fix it all. The scene in the mayor's office is probably the best scene in the movie.
"Lenny, you will have saved the lives of millions of registered voters."
To this day, William Atherton (Peck) cant' go to a bar without someone calling him ‘dickless’ and trying to pick a fight.
Since its release in the summer of 1984, fans have been clamouring for a sequel and they got it in 1989. The biggest critic of that outing and any subsequent appearance of the Ghostbusters franchise is the man who probably benefitted the most from Ghostbusters, and that is Pete Venkman himself, Bill Murray. Murray had decried the sequels following a less than stellar experience on Ghostbusters II. Here he is speaking about it on Letterman.
Whenever, Reitman, Ackroyd or Raimis (may he rest in peace) have been able to get a script written and passed around, it has been a challenge to get Murray to even read it. The effect on the franchise has manifested in many ways. Most noticeable, in the reception of Paul Fiege's female-driven 2016 Ghostbusters re-boot. There are many reasons why that movie was not a success, but without Murray's blessing, it was doomed to come up short of whatever expectations fans and critics might have placed on it. A natural by-product of Murray's attitude, leaves many fans to canonize and sanctify the first movie and the expense of the rest of the franchise.
THE LOWDOWN
There is as much as there is magic and mysticism surrounding the making of Ghostbusters as there is about the movie itself. That being said, making Ghostbusters would have been extremely difficult. In order to get a green light from Columbia, Reitman and Ackroyd had to commit to a summer 1984 release. With less than a year to re-write Dan Ackroyd's 300-page script then, prep, shoot, edit and add the numerous and complicated vfx shots was a mammoth undertaking. Every department would have felt that strain. This would mean long shooting days and 6-day weeks, fortunately cocaine on the craft table was in a thing in those days.
The scenes outside Dana Barrett's apartment on Central Park West were be difficult to shoot. Shutting down Central Park West grinds traffic on the island of Manhattan to a standstill. This pissed off...well, hundreds of thousands of people, including one sci-fi icon. Issac Asimov was a resident of Central Park West at the time of shooting. When Dan Ackroyd saw Asimov walking down the street, he ran up to him and said "Mr. Asimov, I'm a huge fan!"
To which Asimov responded, "...are you responsible for this mess?"
"Ya! We're shooting a movie down the street," replied an excited Ackroyd.
"Oh! Then fuck you!" And Asimov stormed off.
I've worked on a lot of street scenes in my years. It's always hard trying to convince people trying to go about their day to wait for a few minutes while you try to shoot a scene. It's hard in Toronto, in New York, it's even harder, because people do not give a shit about showbiz.
THE JIST
Everybody should see Ghostbusters, you don't have to love it but you should understand the cultural references in it. While parts of it haven't aged well as the others, there is still plenty that is accessible enough for a modern audience to enjoy. Don't forget it remains, a product of its time.
If you're really into Ghostbuster pick up the Blu-ray or DVD. The commentary features Reitman, Ramis and producer Joe Medjuk. It's both hilarious and insightful.
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