Re: The Wing Kong Exchange
When three parapsychology professors are unceremoniously fired from their University they decide to go into business as professional ghost hunters. They find more than they bargained for, as not only is New York City infested with ghosts, an evil demon hell bent on the destruction of all mankind looms on the horizon. Can these guys bust the ghosts and save the day?
"Just three average guys with nuclear power packs on their backs."
Ghostbusters, released in 1984, is one of those movies that pretty much everyone has seen. It’s also one of those movies that everyone loves, for obvious reasons. It’s not only funny, it’s wildly hysterical, and features another batch of incredibly memorable characters as well as a classic movie douchebag. It is certainly one of the most entertaining films you will ever see and, as is the case with the 80’s, there seems to be something for everyone in it. While age seems to damage certain films and tarnish their initial legacy that is not the case with this film, as it seemingly gets better every time I see it. It is, hands down, one of the true great 80’s films and deserves to be seen by everyone.
"Now that is one affectionate dog."
Directed by Ivan Reitman (Meatballs, 70’s schlock masterpiece Cannibal Girls, Stripes) from a script by co-stars Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, it’s nothing short of a comedic gem and is extremely well made and paced throughout. The film stars Bill Murray (Caddyshack), Aykroyd (Trading Places), Ramis (Stripes), Ernie Hudson (Leviathan), Rick Moranis (Honey I Shrunk The Kids), Annie Potts (Pretty In Pink), Sigourney Weaver (Alien) and William Atherton (Die Hard). Holy crap, there is literally no way this movie could have ever failed when you step back and look at that cast. The beauty is that each individual brings something unique to the film and when all the parts are added together, something extremely special happens. There are also lots of rotoscoped ghosts going on in this film, including a creepy cap driver, a nasty librarian and of course, our lovable green friend Slimer. Finally there is the minion of Gozer, Zuul, who takes a most alarming form when attacking our heroes towards the end of the film.
"I'd have the same look on my face that Moranis does."
Starting off with the acting we need to look at each performer’s contribution. Murray’s Venkman is a snide, sarcastic, “game show host” type, as Weaver refers to him as, and instantly brings the laughs with his ESP test scene. Murray’s deadpan delivery really highlights this character and makes him stand out amongst such great company. Ramis is hilarious as the super-nerd, Egon Spengler, who enjoys Tobin’s Spirit Guide almost as much as he does collecting spores, molds and fungus. His delivery of the line “I think this building should be condemned” is so spot on that it makes me laugh every time. Aykroyd plays the bumbling Ray Stantz to perfection as well, and of course has some great lines in that role. His classic “listen…do you smell something?” is a legitimate candidate for funniest line of all time without a doubt. Hudson brings the stability of a foil in his role as Winston, contributing some great dialogue about the end of the world, the twinkie defense and Jesus’ style. Potts is great as the suffering secretary Janine, who has apparently “quit better jobs” than the one she is currently working in. Weaver is wonderful in her role as Dana. Not only is she a great actress and a perfect foil to Murray, she is damn sexy, especially in that orange dress, and the heavy breathing helps too. I think she was one of my first crushes when I was a kid for sure.
Two performances stand out amongst the rest, as is usually the case with these types of films. First and foremost is the absolutely hilarious over-the-top styling of Rick Moranis as Louis Tully. From his great line about taping 30 minute work out and playing it back on high speed so it takes less time, to his party where he only invites clients (I wonder why?) and then announces their financial difficulties to the rest of the guests when they arrive he is certainly MY favourite character in this film. Moranis is an excellent improvisational actor and those talents are on display here in spades. His line “I’ve got to bring this up at the next tenants meeting, there’s not supposed to be any pets in the building” is perhaps my single favourite in the whole film. Once he becomes the “keymaster” he gets to turn up the funny even more, which makes for more hilarity. The other performance that must be credited is William Atherton in the role of Walter Peck. Atherton is no stranger to the role of a douchebag, having played one in Real Genius and of course the wonderful Dick Thornberg from the Die Hard films. Atherton is amazingly convincing as a smarmy, know-it-all city inspector who ends up causing more harm than good by shutting down the team’s containment unit. He is nothing short of brilliant in the role and I honestly hated this dink when I was a kid and laughed every single time Murray said “yes it’s true, this man has no dick.”
"Holy sh*t dudes, this lazer tag game is pretty damn realistic eh?"
It would be criminal to tell you everything that happens in this film, because if you are one of the few who have not seen it I really don’t want to spoil it for you. Suffice to say the laughs are moving at a mile a minute, from the opening scene in the library through to the climactic battle atop the skyscraper. In between we are treated to an entirely new process of cooking eggs, a hilarious running gag featuring Moranis locking himself out of his apartment, gargoyles, massive hotel property damage, some great blues music, an awesome car, a wild music video sequence featuring Akyroyd and a ghost set to the amazing title song, a crapload of marshmallows and so much more. The film has a runtime of 105 minutes and not a second is wasted. Every single thing is put in for a reason, every joke works perfectly and every moment is worth watching more than once. That is the mark of a great comedy, and Hollywood would do well to look at this film and compare it to some of the drivel that is currently passing as “comedy”. The film grossed an awesome $280 million on a budget of $32 million, which are fantastic numbers and of course led to a sequel, which some enjoy while I mostly find it a pale imitation of the original. That being said, it’s still better than a lot of the crap being released today.
"The probabilities of Smores seem pretty good right about now."
Rating Ghostbusters is easy, because it’s so good and so memorable that I feel completely comfortable giving it a high mark. I can’t give it a perfect score because there are some flaws, particularly in the continuity department and in the special effects area as well. Though they are campy and nostalgic, the fact remains that matte rotoscoping is not necessarily pleasing to look at from time to time. This is particularly true with the gargoyle in the closet, in case you were looking for a suitable example. However those complaints are minor and in no way hinder the joyous experience one gets from watching this excellent film. That being said, I will cross the streams and go
9/10 and remember folks, if someone asks you if you’re a God you say “YES!!”
