Blogtober Chapter 28: Many Shuvs And Zuuls Knew What It Was To Be Roasted In The Depths Of The Slor That Day, I Can Tell You!

Oh boy, I'm late today.  But that's okay, because today's film requires no introduction.  You've probably already seen it, and if you haven't, you should.

Unless you're under about 13 or so.  Probably get your parents' approval first.

GHOSTBUSTERS (1984)

Blogtober Qualifications: Ghosts, extradimensional beings, marshmallow monsters, generations of parents showing this movie to their kids then realizing that it's dirtier than they remember

Today we get the longest chapter title yet, as well as the longest qualifications list.  It's funny because the movie's title is only one word.

Okay, so I tried a few times to figure out how to write the summary for today's movie, but does it really need one?  At least, does it need a drawn-out one?

Ghosts start appearing in New York, and Drs. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), and Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) decide to go into business catching them.  That's really all you need to know.

There's other things going on, like Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) and her neighbor Louis Tully (Rick Moranis) being haunted by demon dogs.  There's Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts), the Ghostbusters' snarky secretary.  There's the last addition to the Ghostbusters team, Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson), who's just a regular guy looking for a paycheck.  And there's EPA agent Walter Peck (William Atherton), trying desperately to get the Ghostbusters shut down.

You know all this, and, I say again, if you don't you should.  Go watch it now.  Why?  *claps hands*

Here's why.

I honestly feel silly even talking about the actors, because the entire principal cast is perfect.

Dan Aykroyd as Ray is probably my favorite of the Ghostbusters, if only because of how much he loves what he does.  His enthusiasm is infectious, almost like a little kid.

Harold Ramis as Egon is the biggest brain of the bunch, or at least the most technically inclined.  He features a perfect (I'm gonna be using that word a lot) combination of dry wit and awkwardness.

Winston, as mentioned above, is added later on in the movie, and he's definitely the new guy.  Unlike the original three, he isn't a doctor of anything, and is just a blue collar guy trying to get by.  He does a great job of serving as the team's anchor to the "normal" world.

I go back and forth on Peter Venkman.  As a kid I never realized just how sleazy he is, and as an adult I had to reevaluate his character.  It could be easy to say that he's just a slimeball and move on, but now I think there's more to it than that.  Despite his cynicism, Peter genuinely cares about his friends, especially Ray.  There's even small hints here and there that he can bring himself to care about people he doesn't know, if he can take the time to notice them.

Okay, so there's no denying that he's kind of manipulative when it comes to wooing women, and he's not a little pushy with Dana, who seems like she's clearly not interested.  But I almost wonder if even the sleaze isn't a front for him, as if his whole demeanor is intentionally foolish because it protects him.  And the fact of the matter (by the end) seems to be that Dana is interested.  I think it goes without saying that he is a good person, but I can never quite decide how deep you have to dig to find it.

Let's everyone welcome back Sigourney Weaver!  This is her second movie of the year here at Blogtober, and it's not a disappointment.  In fact, I still have to remind myself that Dana Barrett and Ellen Ripley are the same person.  That's the sign of a good actor.  Dana ultimately doesn't get to do all that much, but what little we get is fun to watch.  And spoilers, she winds up playing what amounts to another completely different character.  Lady's got some range.

Everyone else is great too, and it would be really easy for me to be here all day talking about them.  Janine is rude to everyone (except Egon, around whom her attitude completely changes), but she still shows signs of being kind and caring.  Louis is a total dope, but he knows about finances, and he knows it well.  He's really fun to watch.  And Peck is Peck.  He's slimy and vindictive, but not necessarily actually in the wrong (well, at first).

Seriously, few movies have a cast as consistently great as this one.

The story is a weird genre blend of  blue collar comedy and superhero origin story.  It was pretty novel at the time for featuring the forces of the supernatural and the undead being fought with weapons that are purely man-made and technological.  Usually movies portray this type of evil being fought with magical or holy means, so it was pretty original to see the heroes win with know-how and elbow grease.

The Ghostbusters are also one of many sets of four characters that can be perfectly matched up to the Ninja Turtles in terms of character.  Peter is Raphael, Ray is Michelangelo, Egon is Donatello, and Winston is Leonardo.  Yes, I know none of these personality types originate with the Ninja Turtles, but they are, to me, the most distilled and mainstream.  It's actually a minor hobby of mine to take groups of four characters and align them with the TMNT.  Try it out sometime.

If you haven't seen the movie (and you should), you won't believe this, but the effects still hold up.  All of them, even the ones that aren't practical (though pretty much everything is a blend of practical and visual).  They aren't perfect, but this movie is 33 years old at the time of this writing.  The fact that they hold up as well as they do is astounding.  It really speaks to what can be done when you care about how the effect actually comes across, rather than just doing it because you can.

No, Ghostbusters isn't perfect.  There are things here and there I would change or remove, mostly minor.  But it is a classic, and it more than deserves that moniker.  And hell, if it weren't for the existence of Back to the Future, Ghostbusters would be my favorite '80s action comedy (if you want to call it that).  Go watch it, even if you've seen it before.  Even if you just finished watching it, watch it again.  I don't think you'll regret it.

Tomorrow we're actually going to be talking about this same thing!  Except, wait, not quite.  It says here people don't like the next one.  That's weird.

Until next time!

Current interests:

Listening - Lazer Ryderz Soundtrack (2017)

Playing - Super Mario Odyssey (2017)

Reading - The Complete Books of Blood (Clive Barker, 1984)

Watching - Thunderbirds Are Go! (2015)