Released: 1984
Directed by: Ivan Reitman
Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd & Sigourney Weaver
If you were like me and for whatever reason missed this movie growing up, here's the recap: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd & Harold Ramis start a ghost exterminator service - Ghostbusters. Their secretary, Annie Potts (who plays GiGi in GCB) shouts "We got one!" The Ghostbusters are off to The Sedgewick Hotel with their untested & unlicensed nuclear devices.
They capture the first ghost, being sure not to cross nuclear device streams. They're successful & we're treated to a montage of their success & fame. They can hire another Ghostbuster, Ernie Hudson!
Anyway so Sigourney Weaver, who looks beautiful, hires the Ghostbusters. She has an awesome apartment which is apparently the center for paranormal spirit including frying eggs on the counter & a nasty creature in the fridge! Apparently, a doctor way back years ago performed unnecessary surgeries and had seances on the roof.
Zuul, a demigod, possesses her and her dorky neighbor played by Rick Moranis! Zuul declares herself/himself to be The Gatekeeper. The Keymaster, which kind of reminds me of the Gmork from The Neverending Story, possesses Rick Moranis. While you don't see it, the whole dialogue has some pretty heavy sexual undertones, and let's just say the key goes into the lock to open the gates of hell.
The EPA comes around and tries to shut down the Ghostbusters, you know because they're using unlicensed nuclear devices. They come in, incest the containment grid is deactivated, and all of the ghosts they captured in the montage are now released into New York City. The Ghostbusters are arrested, the Mayer frees them, because well there are ghosts on the loose.
Back to the apartment, The Keymaster & The Gatekeeper joined & Gozer arrived. Gozer kind of looks like a Banshee from Mass Effect 3 & David Bowie had a kid. Gozer asks if the Ghostbusters are Gods, Dan Aykroyd says "No." Oops. However, she says that the destructor will take whatever form they chose. Aykroyd is unable to close his mind off and thinks of the Stay Puft Marshmellow Man.
The Ghostbusters merge the energy streams, risk their own lives, and banished Gozer sealing the gate. Weaver & Moranis are freed from their possessed state. The Ghostbusters are met with thunderous applause & everyone lives happily ever after, until the sequel.
Science
-I
love that you can't mix streams, but if they do in the end, it works to kill
Gozer. I love in the beginning that they are using untested, unlicensed nuclear
devices. When they're nuclearizing their first ghost, it kind of reminded me of
a demonic Pokemon.
Chemistry
-The
team doesn't work together a whole whole lot, but the individual characters are
highly entertaining. You have Bill Murray who is incredibly jaded and
eventually gets the girl. I definitely appreciate his sarcasm. As a
psychologist, he's clearly not thrilled about picking up ghost
juices.
-Dan Aykroyd is the loveable goof of the group. While the other two are trying to negotiate a price for the firehouse, he yells how awesome it is. Then there's the whole - if a demigod asks you if you are a god...you say Yes!
-Harold Ramos is the awkward member of the group. He's the brainiac of the group, and thus has hindered social ability. He collects "spores, molds, and fungus."
Fun
Ultimately, this movie is fun. It's lighthearted, has a
montage, the "bad thing to hault the group" isn't earth shattering. The public
never loses faith in the Ghostbusters, like in many superhero movies. The only
real obsticale is the EPA. There are cameos from Larry King & Casey Kasem.
There is a happy ending, and the theme song is beyond awesome. I mean
seriously...that song is great. If you say "Who you gonna call?" Anyone remotely
alive during the 80's and earlier can shout "Ghostbusters!" I'm not sure if kids
today would get it, but they should.
