Ghostbusters

by J.D. Cook

In honor of the late great Harold Ramis I have decided to do a short Nutshell Review of possibly the greatest film ever made: Ghostbusters. I do not think in anyway that this is a bold statement to make as it is simply that great. For those of you have never seen it, the film follows a group of recently fired college professors as they enter the business of paranormal eliminations. What ensues is comedic, philosophical and science fiction gold. The movie gave us immortal lines like, “If someone asks you if you’re a god you say YES”. It also spawned film icons like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and Slimer. Oh and let’s not forget the evil exploits of the environmental protection agency, arguably still evil today. I saw this movie at a young age and fell in love with it proving that it has both an ageless and a timeless quality as I still enjoy it to this day. I even find myself discovering new jokes within its frames, that I had lived my whole life without discovering. This movie was a smash hit at the box office when it was released for all of these reasons. It was unlike anything anyone had seen before and still is, as supernatural stories rarely focus on Ghosts as a problem solvable by entrepreneurship. It could be argued that in many ways Ghostbusters is a precursor to the modern super hero films that now dominate the box office. Its formula is essentially the same, heroes’ rise humorously; they end up confronting a great evil and of course win out in the end. You could simultaneously argue that this movie gave rise to Ghost hunting as a huge mainstream sensation. Let’s not forget the fantastic performances by Sigourney Weaver, Ernie Hudson, Rick Moranis and of course by Bill Murray who plays Dr. Peter Venkman, the one Ghostbuster who never seems to be affected by the supernatural situations at hand, or maybe the only one who is. Lastly the two people most to thank for this cinematic gem, the two writers and co-stars. First Dr. Raymond Stantz played by Dan Akroyd, as a side not I have to mention the greatest compliment I ever received from a professor in college was being compared to Akroyd’s character Ray, “The Heart of the Ghostbusters”. Lastly we have Dr. Egon Spengler, the brains of the operation played by the now late Harold Ramis. I’m sure the Ghostbusters will have him on the ‘no-bust’ list for eternity. Thank you for the childhood memories and the fantastic comedies. Rest Easy Harold Ramis.