Great Movie: ''Ghostbusters''

There is a fine line between insulting silliness and inventive silliness in comedy. Very few comics can straddle that line successfully. And, throwing in the concept of chasing ghosts invites even more danger of slipping on the banana peel of humor. Therefore, when the occasion does arise when silliness and invention crash at the safe intersection, we must salute the brilliant achievement in this form of comedy. With our pants around our ankles, of course...... ''Ghostbusters'' was released in the summer of 1984 and quickly became the highest grossing comedy in history [ until ''Home Alone'']. The concept of the movie was beyond simple: three parapsychologists get kicked out of college and are forced to start up their own business. Their business? Well, it is ridding homes and public places of pesky ghosts. They are ghost exterminators, flushing the dreaded spirit away with high-tech gadgets and gizmos. They store these captured ghosts in a storage tank in the basement of their building, a converted firehouse. At first, the business has no customers. They are in danger of losing everything, until, one late night, they are summoned to a swank hotel that has a history of strange psychic behavior. Through trial and hilarious error, they outfox the gremlin and he is their first capture. Soon, all of New York is swarming with these devils and the Ghostbusters are swamped for business. They add on a fourth ghostbuster and eventually, have to save the civilized world from doom and destruction........ This all works remarkably well. The comedy flows smoothly, mixing the sly one-liners with funny and crisp special effects. Usually, these two do not go together successfully. Nowadays, it standard that the special effects are the star, and, the characters--- what there are of them--- take the backseat to all the action. But, ''Ghostbusters'' was too smart to limit this to one set formula. First and foremost, the whole idea came from the brain of a comic genius, Dan Aykroyd. Aykroyd, as he has proved for several years on ''Saturday Night Live'', has a truly original comic mind. He seems to be tuned into galaxies that the rest of us do not encounter. When he travels these new destinations, Dan usually brings back a concept that has never been even thought of before. Or, if it has [ and, chasing ghosts in movies goes back in time to every great comedian] then, he puts a new spin on the formula. Originally, the film was to be a vehicle for him, John Belushi, and Eddie Murphy. It was to take place in the future, with the ghostbusters fighting different aliens in different solar systems. That concept died when his partner, Belushi, died [ Dan was actually writing a line of dialogue for John when he got the word of his best friend's death]. The idea sat on the back burner for a year, when Dan dusted it off and gave the script to Bill Murray. Murray liked it, and, when Harold Ramis and Ivan Reitman  came on board, the idea of the future was abandoned and the ghostbusters would be fighting their prey in modern times. Also, they made the conscious decision to feature Bill Murray as the central and lead force of the movie. Bill Murray, with his odd-ball observations and goofball charm, would be the perfect commentator on describing the weird events as they happened, like Groucho Marx would have........ These guys all knew each other for years. Murray and Ramis went back to ''Second City'' in Chicago, and, later on, Ramis would direct Murray in ''Caddyshack'', co-write ''Meatballs'' and ''Stripes'' for him [ and co-star in ''Stripes'']. Aykroyd and Murray would, of course, soar into the Comedy Hall Of Fame with the original ''SNL''. And, Reitman made his bones by co-producing ''Animal House'' and directing ''Stripes.'' Each was proven comic gold. And, they knew comedy. How to aim high-brow and low-brow. Both elements, if worked deftly by its creators, can spark a great comedy...... Which is what happened. To plum the depths of analysis of this simple comedy, and find something profound, would be an exercise in wasting my fucking time. This is a comedy, pure and simple, and, does very well, what is the backbone of comedy: to entertain and to make the people laugh. Nothing else. There are no deep and everlasting messages to a good comedy. Sometimes, the human behavior from the vehicle can make a lasting impression on the viewer, but, that is an added treat to the mix. The job of a comedy is to make the audience laugh. We all have various styles of comedy that tickle our funnybones. Some broad comedy works, like the Three Stooges and the ''Naked Gun'' movies. Some people laugh at the sophomoric and moronic humor, like Adam Sandler, and....... Adam Sandler, and....... Adam Sandler. You cannot tell someone what is funny, it is the territory of the viewer's mind to decide. ''Ghostbusters'' is an old idea updated in a fresh way, with many hilarious scenes and moments........ Start with the opening scenes with Bill Murray giving a rigged ESP test to a pretty college co-ed. There is some poor male sap sitting next to her trying to take the test seriously, but, Murray only has eyes for the hottie. This is the type of scene Bill Murray excels at: playing the leering, wise-ass in control of the situation. There is a look of joy on his face in every scene in the movie because Murray knows that he is in charge and is expressing our [ the audience] thoughts. That is the common thread of the movie and its strength, Bill Murray being a smartass. He seems to be winking at the audience--- never in a condescending or arrogant way--- that he knows this is silly business, and, to just relax, sit back, enjoy the show, and, he will comment and react for us on the screen. He has played this role many times in his career, sometimes, successfully, sometimes, he shoots a blank. Not here. His leering at the co-ed, and, after, Sigourney Weaver, who has a real problem of a ghost inhabiting her fridge, is comic gold. I mentioned Groucho earlier. I think Murray was channeling Groucho in this role. All he needed was a cigar....... This humor guides the movie from one charming comic nugget to another. Bill Murray tries to seduce [ in his own way] Sigourney Weaver when he checks out her apartment. He is rejected, for now. Eventually, after the hotel ghost is captured and the other ghosts come fast and furious, Weaver is reintroduced again with the same problem. Only this time, the ghost has entered her body and soul. This sets up a hilarious moment for Murray to play. He arrives at her apartment, unaware of her condition, for what he assumes is a date. Soon, he sees her condition. Does it scare him and make him run away? No. This is Dr. Venkman, folks. He doesn't get scared. He just wants to know, in his wonderful deadpan delivery, if they are still gonna go out. Even after her being possessed, his character is still trying to get laid. He has second thoughts quickly, however, when he hears her deep, possessed, Devil-like voice intone ''I want you in me!'' He replies, ''Sounds like you have two or three people in there with you already.'' Only Bill Murray could get a laugh off of that...... There are other standout comic scenes, the Mayor's office, Rick Moranis and his nerdy character, the EPA jerk [ played in a great smarmy way by William Atherton] and, finally, the last fifteen minutes or so on the rooftop. It is here that we learn Dan Aykroyd's favorite childhood memory in the form of a 40 story ''Stay Puff Marshmellow Man''. This apparition, which is the movie's biggest and most satisfying laugh, came from that furtile mind of Mr. Aykroyd. I like that he gave himself this biggest laugh, for he selflessly gives all the big moments in the movie to his friend, Murray. The look on all of their faces in priceless, as it sinks into them all that the destruction of the world will be because of a giant marshmellow man. For this one brilliant idea alone, Dan Aykroyd deserves automatic admission into Heaven...... Flashback to the scene when they capture their first ghost in the hotel ballroom. We first see the ghost in the corridors, eating like a slob off of the dessert wagon. Then, in another favorite moment, he confronts Bill Murray and slimes him. The story behind this is actually a tribute. This ghost would become known as ''Slimer'' in the ''Ghostbusters'' cartoon show. But, the actors all called it ''the ghost of John Belushi''. Dan, Bill, Harold, and Ivan all wanted their beloved, departed friend in the movie. They couldn't get him in the flesh, but, they could recreate him and his habits. It seems right that the first ghost they catch--- and, the last ghost you see on the screen before it goes to the credits--- is that free spirit Belushi......... This movie has become a generational movie for the ages. Little kids grow up on it. And, the adults can enjoy it with their kids. It successfully covers all the age bases and demographics of an audience. There are little frights in the movie, but, they are fun frights..... The movie made millions of dollars and spawned a sequel in 1989. The offspring, ''Ghostbusters 2'', sadly, lacks the charm and spirit of its parent movie. There are a couple of funny moments [ and, must be seen for the courtroom scene, where the ''Scoleri Brothers'' are introduced]. The movie made money, but, nothing like the first film. The fun of the original was it surprises and good-natured fun. The sequel seemed to be made purely for money, always a dangerous thing for a comedy. There is talk of a third movie. So far, Bill Murray is not willing to do it. And, if he says no, then, who ya gonna call??????