Ghostbusters (1984)

After Drs. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Raymond Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), and Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) are kicked out of the university, the trio goes into business exterminating poltergeists and supernatural pests of all planes. Discovering their first client (Sigourney Weaver) lives in the penthouse that seems to be the gateway from some hideous evil means the ghostbusters must stop a coming disaster of biblical proportions.

The charm of Ghostbusters lies in its simplicity. Unpretentious but authentic, Ghostbusters perfectly combines key elements for success. Dialogue, character development/casting, scoring.  It’s spot-on.

Bill Murray and his dead-pan delivery are priceless. As Venkman, the lady killer parapsychologist, he kills with highly quotable one-liners throughout the film. Aykroyd plays the naive straight-man with his scientific jargon. Ramis, the silent partner, gets a few one-liners of his own amid an otherwise dour shift. The chemistry between these three is unbeatable. Supporting cast including Weaver, Annie Potts, Rick Moranis, the eventual ‘token black’ ghostbuster played by Ernie Hudson, and the dick-less EPA inspector all add layers of interest and humor.

The combination of director Ivan Reitman and writers Murray/Ramis (I forgive you for Stripes) is tight. Reitman paces Ghostbusters well, keeps it from jumping the shark, and reigns in our cast without harming them or the film. The special effects, while dated, are charming and add another layer to love. The culmination of the Stay-Puft marshmallow man is great. (Apparently, I’m the only one left who didn’t see that coming.) Equally fun is Weaver’s evolution to David Bowie.

After viewing Ghostbusters for the first time, it is remarkably easy to see why the film continues to pervade pop culture 20+ years later. This is a film that makes you want to watch. As I see it, Reitman has made an absolute classic worthy of your love and mine.