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| Who ya gonna call? |
Sony Pictures Entertainment is currently commemorating the 30th anniversary of the “Ghostbusters” franchise with special events and home entertainment releases, including a theatrical re-release of the original 1984 film.
A restored and remastered version of the blockbuster is currently on the big
screen in over 700 locations in the U.S. and Canada for a limited
engagement beginning Aug. 29, just ahead of Labor Day weekend.
On Sept. 16, the “Ghostbusters” 30th
anniversary edition will be available on Blu-ray as well as the
“Ghostbusters II” 25th anniversary edition, marking the sequel’s Blu-ray
debut. For a limited time, fans will also be able to purchase
the two-disc anniversary edition Blu-ray digibook, including both films
and a limited edition gift set that features an exclusive collectible
Slimer figurine.
Since the S.P.A.M. Alternative team of connoisseurs has made a vow in the name of cult movies, they felt it was about time to add the movie to selected list of magnificent reviews handcrafted and made freely available to you in this humble corner of the internet (if the internet has any corner)
The first idea that comes to mind whe it comes to the Ghostbusters film, is that it's
possibly one of the funniest films ever made if not, the most. This film holds up the aging test better than any
other alike comedy from the 80's. You know how there are those movies that you
see that are hilariously funny the first few times you see them? Well, this one just
keeps on coming. I remember when I was a kid, I would ask my dad renting it for me time after time. At that time, I thought Ghostbusters was a horror movie (Being told about ghosts when you're a kid you're most likely to see it that way, aren't you?) so despite watching it many many times, I never realized what it truly was about. I hadn't yet caught
on to a lot of the humor.
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| Ready to save New York. |
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| Mr. Stay Puff! |
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, and as my personal favorite 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.
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. 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.
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| 4:20 eyes! |
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| How demons should look. |
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 the 80's did produce a significant amount of important comedy films (Airplane, The Naked Gun, Police Academy to name a few) that later would become classic franchises in their own right, 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 The Godfather and Star Wars.
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| Ghostbusters headquarters, simply iconic! |
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| The mighty ECTO-1. |
I knew a guy who once said that the only thing wrong with this film is
that
it wasn't the highest grossing movie of all time. In fact, there is
nothing
wrong with this film. The timing is perfect, all the actors are on the
ball
for the duration of the film, and the effects, for their time, are
unparalleled. But it's not just that the film is well-made and technically
proficient, it's also that it's obvious that a lot of time and energy went
in to actually making it great. It's obvious from the opening at Columbia
University that everyone involved with the production is having fun, and
they want us to have just as much fun. Luckily, it works. I have never
seen
a film that is more fun, not to mention endlessly quotable, than
"Ghostbusters." It's become a film that people go back to again and again
for the simple aim of enjoying themselves. It's a film that makes people
feel good and have a good time. Of course, this also extends to the film's
life outside the cinema. Nine times out of ten, you can make a person born
in the 70s or 80s crack up laughing simply by saying "Important Safety
Tip,"
or "It would be bad," or "If someone asks you if you're a god, you say
YES!"
There are hundreds of other quotable lines from the film, but hopefully
you
get what I'm aiming at. The film is a joy to watch, and is one that you'll
want to rewatch countless times.
The S.P.A.M. Alternative team made a list of their top ten favorite quotes from this epic classic. Do you agree with the list?
'Ray. If someone asks if you are a god, you say, "yes!"'
-- Winston
2
"We've been going about this all wrong. This Mr. Stay Puft's
okay! He's a sailor, he's in New York; we get this guy laid, we won't
have any trouble!"
--Peter
3
"I feel like the floor of a taxi cab."
-- Egon
4
"I don't have to take this abuse from you, I've got hundreds of people dying to abuse me."
-- Peter
5
"Generally you don't see that kind of behavior in a major appliance."
-- Peter, after hearing about the demon dog in Dana's fridge
6
"Well, this is great. If the ionization-rate is constant for
all ectoplasmic entities, we can really bust some heads... in a
spiritual sense, of course."
-- Ray
7
DANA: That's the bedroom, but nothing ever happened in there. VENKMAN: What a crime.
8
"I've quite better jobs than this. [Answers phone] Ghostbusters, what do you want?"
-- Janine
9
"[tickling piano keys] They hate this. I like to torture them."
-- Peter
10
"We came, we saw, we kicked its a$$!"
Read More: 10 Funny ‘Ghostbusters’ Quotes | http://thefw.com/funny-ghostbusters-quotes/?trackback=tsmclip
- "Ray, If someone asks if you're a God, you say Yes" -Winston Zedmore.
- "We've been going about this all wrong. This Mr. Stay Puft's OK! He's a sailor, He's in New York, we get this guy laid, we won't have any trouble" -Peter Venkman.
- "I feel like the floor of a taxi cab" -Egon Spengler
- "I don't have to take this abuse from you, I've got hundreds of people dying to abuse me"-Peter Venkman.
- "Generally, you don't see that kind of behaviour in a major appliance"-Peter Venkman,
- "That's the bedroom, but nothing ever happened in there"-Dana Barrett. "What a crime!"-Peter Venkman.
- "Well, this is great. If the ionization rate is constant for all ectoplasmic entities, we can really bust some heads...in a spiritual sense, of course"-Ray Stantz.
- "I've quite better jobs than this. Ghostbusters, what do you want?"-Janine Melnitz.
- [Tickling piano keys] "they hate this, I like to torture them"-Peter Venkman.
- "We came, we saw, we kicked its ass!"-Peter Venkman.
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| Don't cross the streams! |
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| the 1986 animated sequel, The Real Ghostbusters. |
Now, to pay homage properly, our dedicated team of professional researchers have chosen the most interesting Trivia facts you probably didn't (or did) know about the Ghostbusters:
Ghostbusters hot line.
In the middle of the film's initial release, to keep interest going, Ivan Reitman
had a trailer run, which was basically the commercial the Ghostbusters'
use in the movie, but with the 555 number replaced with a 1-800 number,
allowing people to call. They got a recorded message of Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd
saying something to the effect of "Hi. We're out catching ghosts right
now." They got 1,000 calls per hour, 24 hours a day, for six weeks.
The phone number shown in the Ghostbusters ad that Dana sees on
television is 555-2368, a "fictitious number" originating from early
Bell Telephone ad illustrations. It is interesting in this case that the
number 2368, familiar to numerologist theologians and mystics, is the
sum of 888 and 1480, which together denote "Jesus Christ" in Greek
gematria, a coding system that assigns a specific number value to each
letter of the Greek alphabet.
Ghostbusters choir.
The lively chorus shouting the words "Ghostbusters" through the song were made up of the only people Ray Parker Jr. could find quickly enough to help him meet his deadline: his young girlfriend and her friends.
Cameo.
The music video for the song "Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker Jr., directed by Ivan Reitman, featured a number of celebrities who did not appear in the film. They included Chevy Chase; Irene Cara; John Candy; Melissa Gilbert; Ollie E. Brown; Jeffrey Tambor; George Wendt; Al Franken; Danny DeVito; Carly Simon; Peter Falk and Teri Garr. In addition, the Ghostbusters themselves (in costume) danced down Times Square right behind Parker Jr. Cindy Harrell played the girl in the haunted house.
Deborah "Debbie"
Gibson, was an extra in the Tavern on the Green restaurant scene where
Louis (Rick Moranis) is
chased to by The Keymaster beast. She is barely visible with only the
top of her head showing but is sitting at a table adorned with balloons.
She is the patron with a pink ribbon in her hair while a terrified
Louis screams "Let me in!" from the outside.
Onionhead (?)
Though never referred to in the script, the green ghost the guys bust in
the hotel was dubbed "Onionhead" by the crew, because of its horrid
smell. A scene where the ghost haunts two newlyweds showed this
characteristic, but it was cut. Since it was never referred to in the
movie, the writers of the animated show came up for a different name for
the green ghost: Slimer.
Gozer, the entrepreneur?
Gozer was originally going to be played by Paul Reubens,
who turned down the role. In the original script, Gozer took on the
form of Ivo Shandor (the ghost building's architect, who started the
original Gozer cult), who resembled a pale, slender, unremarkable man in
a business suit.
Gozer is based on several things. There's a Gozer Chevrolet dealership
in upstate New York. Gozer was also a name related to a documented
haunting in England, during which the name Gozer appeared mysteriously
throughout the house, written on walls and things. In addition, The demonic voice of Dana/Zuul was performed by director Ivan Reitman. The voice of Gozer was provided by Paddi Edwards.
No Egon Spengler?
Harold Ramis really had
no intention of starring in the film, only writing it. But he decided
to star in this film as Dr. Egon Spengler after he felt he was the best
person suited for the role.
Proton Pack.
The term 'proton pack' was never actually used until the middle of Ghostbusters II (1989) when Spengler, in the subway tunnel said "before we go any further I think we should get our proton packs."
Winston Zeddmore's Resume.
When Janine is interviewing Winston for the job, the scene originally
began with Winston listing his qualifications. According to Ivan Reitman
in the DVD commentary, Winston's qualifications included: An Army
veteran (which meant he would have the courage to face ghosts), a former
paramedic (which meant he would be able to go on call 'at a moment's
notice') and that he was also a construction worker. They decided to
open with Janine's questioning instead as it was considered a funnier
opening. Incidentally, in the cartoon series, The Real Ghost Busters
(1986), there is an episode where the Ghostbusters fight spirits on a
construction site run by Winston's father and he chides Winston for
quiting the construction business to become a Ghostbuster.
Shaving cream marshmallow.
The "marshmallow" goo was actually shaving cream. More than fifty gallons was dumped on Walter Peck (William Atherton), almost knocking him to the ground.
Improvising.
The party scene where Louis Tully (Rick Moranis)
mingles with his party guests (commenting on the price of the salmon,
and so on) is not only taken in one continuous shot, but is almost
entirely improvised.
Headquarters by two.
The firehouse used is actually two different firehouses that are in two
different cities. The exterior is in NY, while the interior is in
downtown Los Angeles. The LA firehouse is very popular with filmmakers
and has been used in many movies.
Walter Peck sucks.
In the DVD commentary, Ivan Reitman says he received a call from William Atherton
complaining that the movie ruined his life. The character of Walter
Peck was so hated that people would talk Atherton as if they were giving
the character Peck a piece of their mind. Apparently more than once,
physical fights had been started with Atherton in bars.
Rush hour.
The schedule for getting the movie into theatres for its scheduled release date in summer 1984 was so tight, director Ivan Reitman
said that the final print included incomplete special effects shots and
errors like "wires showing" but, "remarkably, people didn't care".
Deleted Scenes.
Many sequences were shot but removed from the film (most of them were released as bonus material on laser disc and later on DVD) :
- Several shots in the sequence where Venkman, Stantz, and Spengler are thrown off campus were cut.
- Several scenes throughout the film with Janine and Egon were cut.
- The first time Venkman leaves Dana's apartment, he says to Louis "What a woman."
- The
"green slimer" ghost is discovered by two newlyweds at the Hotel
Sedgewick. Also cut was a Ghostbuster inspection of the room.
- A policeman tries to ticket the Ectomobile, but the car won't let him.
- Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd
play two bums that witness Louis being chased by the terror dog. This
scene was removed because the filmmakers felt the audience would be
confused by seeing Murray and Aykroyd in different roles in the same
movie.
- Ray and Winston inspect Fort Detmerring, where
Ray dresses in an old General's coat and falls asleep. When he awakes,
he sees a female ghost above his bed. This part of the sequence was kept
and used in the montage in the middle of the film.
- Louis encounters two muggers in Central Park during the ghost montage.
- Venkman and Stantz discuss matters with the mayor outside City Hall.
- The
Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man sequence ends with his large hat falling to
the ground. Some deleted shots appear in the film's trailers.
Now, we'll finish today's review with some audiovisual material that will appeal ghostbusters fans for sure.
Here's the original movie trailer:
Here's the 30th Anniversary trailer:
The unforgettable Ray Parker Jr. signature song:
The opening for the classic The Real Ghostbusters cartoon:
'Ray. If someone asks if you are a god, you say, "yes!"'
-- Winston
2
"We've been going about this all wrong. This Mr. Stay Puft's
okay! He's a sailor, he's in New York; we get this guy laid, we won't
have any trouble!"
--Peter
3
"I feel like the floor of a taxi cab."
-- Egon
4
"I don't have to take this abuse from you, I've got hundreds of people dying to abuse me."
-- Peter
5
"Generally you don't see that kind of behavior in a major appliance."
-- Peter, after hearing about the demon dog in Dana's fridge
6
"Well, this is great. If the ionization-rate is constant for
all ectoplasmic entities, we can really bust some heads... in a
spiritual sense, of course."
-- Ray
7
DANA: That's the bedroom, but nothing ever happened in there. VENKMAN: What a crime.
8
"I've quite better jobs than this. [Answers phone] Ghostbusters, what do you want?"
-- Janine
9
"[tickling piano keys] They hate this. I like to torture them."
-- Peter
10
"We came, we saw, we kicked its a$$!"
Read More: 10 Funny ‘Ghostbusters’ Quotes | http://thefw.com/funny-ghostbusters-quotes/?trackback=tsmclip
'Ray. If someone asks if you are a god, you say, "yes!"'
-- Winston
2
"We've been going about this all wrong. This Mr. Stay Puft's
okay! He's a sailor, he's in New York; we get this guy laid, we won't
have any trouble!"
--Peter
3
"I feel like the floor of a taxi cab."
-- Egon
4
"I don't have to take this abuse from you, I've got hundreds of people dying to abuse me."
-- Peter
5
"Generally you don't see that kind of behavior in a major appliance."
-- Peter, after hearing about the demon dog in Dana's fridge
6
"Well, this is great. If the ionization-rate is constant for
all ectoplasmic entities, we can really bust some heads... in a
spiritual sense, of course."
-- Ray
7
DANA: That's the bedroom, but nothing ever happened in there. VENKMAN: What a crime.
8
"I've quite better jobs than this. [Answers phone] Ghostbusters, what do you want?"
-- Janine
9
"[tickling piano keys] They hate this. I like to torture them."
-- Peter
10
"We came, we saw, we kicked its a$$!"
Read More: 10 Funny ‘Ghostbusters’ Quotes | http://thefw.com/funny-ghostbusters-quotes/?trackback=tsmclip
