Customer Reviews

Ghostbusters

5 star:		(88)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Academic parapsychologists (Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis) find themselves out of work due to budget constraints. They ban together to form a company that to form a badly needed service. They become ghost busters. We follow them from their humble beginnings to their meteoric rise to new heights.

On the way we see what may be a blooming love story staring a possessed Sigourney Weaver (of "Alien" 1979 fame). There is also a token appearance by the Staypuff man. And who is the key master.

Lost of fun classic that was a first of its kind. There have been many stories similar but the combination of characters and actors is unique.

Even today you hear "Who ya gonna call?"

Ghostbusters was a huge hit back in 1984, and the ubiquitous presence of Ray Parker, Jr.'s theme song was a seemingly nonstop presence on the radio for months and months - I'm still trying to get that silly song, which seemed awfully cool at the time, out of my head. I was a kid when the film was released, so it's no surprise the film was funnier to me then than it is now, but Ghostbusters has actually aged fairly well. Typified by Bill Murray's deadpan manner, the humor here is all about delivery and timing and atmosphere. It appears as if Bill Murray is making up at least half of his lines as he goes along, which means he is in top form. Dan Aykroyd plays second fiddle in the lineup, but Aykroyd has always played a mean second fiddle. I wouldn't be able to identify Harold Ramis by name just by watching him perform, but he's definitely a full-fledged member of the Ghostbusters comedy tri-fecta (not to mention co-writer with Aykroyd), which actually becomes a foursome midway through the film with the addition of Ernie Hudson. I still can't say I care for Sigourney Weaver all that much, but she certainly adds something to the film as the guys' first customer, the object of Dr. Venkman's (Murray) affections, and eventually the conduit for Zuul's incarnation into the world of man. Supporting actors? Ghostbusters has you covered with Annie Potts as the Ghostbusters receptionist and Rick Moranis as the rather hapless Louis Tully. Up until his possession by a demonic dog, Moranis still seems to exude a little of his Bob McKenzie persona (although he does not imbibe copious amounts of beer or utter the word "hoser" a single time).

As far as I know, Ghostbusters is the only film in which the Environmental Protection Agency comes very close to causing the end of the world. Everything's going great until EPA agent Walter Peck (William Atherton) shows up at Ghostbusters HQ and accuses the guys of storing hazardous waste on the premises - which eventually results in the shutdown of the ghost storage system and, in short order, ghostly anarchy all across New York City. Things had looked gloomy early on when Dr. Venkman (Murray), Stantz (Aykroyd), and Spengler (Ramis) lost their university positions and research grants, but three mortgages later they had landed on their feet with the formation of their unique ghostbusting business. Sure, one could question the legality of atomic-powered backpacks and untested laser-like weapons that could theoretically give time and space the mother of all hiccoughs, but there's no question that they did get the job done. Even if it means getting slimed by some pesky green monsters, the guys soon gain national exposure by effectively putting poltergeists and disagreeable spirits out of business. Then the EPA comes along, releases of all the trapped troublemakers into an atmosphere already saturated with very bad vibes, and the next thing you know ancient Sumerian demons are moving into penthouse apartments and laying plans for hell on earth.

Obviously, the entire story is played for laughs, from the silly sliming hijinx of the ghosts to Murray's indubitably subtle style of non-serious intellectualism. You can't even take Dr. Veckman seriously as a scientist, as he's more concerned with picking up chicks than actually learning anything - until his newest love interest starts hovering four feet above her bed. That's sort of a wake-up call.

Admittedly, all of this craziness was funnier when I was twenty years younger than I am now, but Ghostbusters has actually aged extremely well - even in terms of the special effects. Vintage comedy never goes out of style, and that's why most of us, for decades to come, will be incapable of thinking anything other than "Ghostbusters" whenever we hear the words "Who you gonna call?" and cannot help but laugh whenever anyone happens to utter the phrase, "Yes, it's true."

This is a great movie that came from the minds of the SNL crew. Just like the reviews says, it's Poltergiest meets the Exorcist. I'm proud to say that this movie was apart of my generation. If you haven't check this out, please do so. It is so worth it.

No need to tell anyone that GHOSTBUSTERS was the best comedy of the 80s (and probably better than anything in the 90s). Without resorting to adolescent potty humor (like PORKY'S or AMERICAN PIE), GHOSTBUSTERS relied on a super script, powerful directing, and the best acting jobs of the cast's careers. It did NOT rely on the special effects. As another reviewer perfectly put it, the special effects served the plot, not the other way around.

What I do need to tell you is that what makes this set worth the price is the gravy: all those extras, like the interviews, special effects demonstrations, and storyboards. The transfer to dvd is great and the enhanced soundtrack complete the value.

The movie is classic. Period. Nuff said. End of discussion. Bill Murray is a legend. Every man should have at least one Bill Murray DVD in his collection, and if you only have one, then Ghostbusters has to be it. Sure others will go on about Caddyshack and blah, blah, blah. Those people are idiots. Sure Cadyshack was great, but it is no Ghostbusters. Ghostbusters started a completely new genre: modern sci-fi comedy.

The DVD itself is great. Nice menus, engaging commentaries, etc., but the DVD still feels a little "light" on extras for such a classic movie. Hopefully it'll get the royal DVD treatment on it's 20th anniversary release.

This film phenomenon still holds up two decades later, with still passable special effects and great lines and performances from a very talented cast -- Bill Murray at his acerbic best, Rick Moraniss, Dan Ackroyd, Sigourney Weaver et al. DVD extras are very good and include: a text commentary (which works very well), a video, an original making-of featurette and a 1999 featurette, a sfx featurette, trailer, drawings and storyboard comparisons and 10 deleted scenes. The film can only be heard or subtitled in English.

Revisit your past -- you won't be disappointed!

It is said that the role of Peter Venkman was originally written for John Belushi, but we'll never know how he would have performed in the role. Fellow "Saturday Night Live" alum Bill Murray stepped into the role and ran away with the movie. Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd fit into the story like a glove in Ivan Reitman's masterpiece, but Bill Murray steals his every scene - which means most of the movie - with a performance full of dead-pan, ironic, world-weary, been-there-done-that hilariousness.

He has a sarcastic remark for every occasion, and the audience is the only one in on the joke every time.

When prospective girlfriend Dana Barrett (played by Sigourney Weaver, who gets a plum opportunity to show off her comedic skills) gets possessed by an evil demon, she is transformed into a slinky seductress. Bill Murray has come over to her apartment and in his hilarious dead-pan manner lets the audience know that he recognizes all is not normal with Ms. Barrett. As hilarious and sarcastic as Venkman is, he's at least a gentleman of sorts and doesn't take advantage of the situation when the demon tries to seduce him.

"Do you want this body?" Sigourney-demon asks him.
He pauses for a perfect beat before replying:
"Is this a trick question?"

The special effects don't look like the CGI visions that have been on screen for a couple of years (this was 1984) yet they're part of the fun. Even so, the special effects serve the story rather than up-staging it, and when the movie was initially released I remember howling with the audience after the first special-effect ghost "attacks" Bill Murray and leaves him on the floor in a glistening mess.
"He SLIMED me!" Venkman yelled, and we laughed our heads off.

This disc is not dated by contemporary references - it's just as hilarious today as it was in 1984, and it'll probably be just as funny 100 years from now. The DVD comes with extras that add to the fun, and in the commentary tracks Ivan Reitman and Harold Ramis show that "Ghostbusters" was an absolute highlight in all of their lives.

Mine too.

"We've been going about this all wrong. This Mr. Stay-Puft is o.k. He's a sailor. He's in New York. We get this guy layed we won't have any trouble." - Pimpin' ain't easy in "Ghostbusters"

After 20 years since its 6/8/84 release, "Ghostbusters" became the biggest surprise hit of the summer of '84 and has generated a hit sequel, a popular cartoon series, a #1 hit single, by Ray Parker Jr., thats an ode to parapsychology, the world over (I ain't 'fraid of no ghost!) and has mass produced legions of no ghost t-shirts. The film showcases the best talent from its principal cast and "Ghostbusters" is one of Ivan Reitman's best films to date.

After being kicked out of NYU, three Parapsychologists decide to go into business for themselves, becoming an elite team of paranormal investigators & iliminators known, thru out the New York tri-state area, as the "Ghostbusters". There first case is a big one, as an ancient evil, known as Gozer, the Gozarian, awakens and is hellbent on ruling Earth, starting with the great state of New York.

The cast is great, with Bill Murray giving one of his best performances to date. Writer, Dan Aykroyd wrote "Ghostbusters" with John Belushi, Eddie Murphy and John Candy in mind. But, with the tragic death of Belushi, the meteoric popularity of Murphy (and his salary), & Candy not coming to grips with his character (he wanted Louis Tully to speak in a German accent with him owning, like, five Rottwielers for some unknown reason) Aykroyd retooled "Ghostbusters" with Murray, himself, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson as the team and Rick Moranis as the accountant geek who has a diehard crush on Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver). The film is loaded with one-liners that would fit right at home emblazoned on a t-shirt. The effects hold up well over the twenty years and I only spotted two or three effects that actually look cheesy.

After the film became a success, in late summer'84 & as a test, the producers decided to take the commercial the "Ghostbusters" use in the film (Are you troubled by strange noises in the middle of the night?), taking the 555 number and exchanging it with an operating toll free 800 number. The results were 1,000 calls an hour, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, over a six week test. The total of all calls is approx. 1,008,000 calls!!

The word Gozer comes from an actual haunting in New England, that, oddly enough, is also the film "Poltergeist" is loosely based on. Thru out the haunting the word Gozer would appear, mysteriously, on walls and belongings all thru the house with no essential meaning of the word.

The 1999, 15th anniversary DVD release of "Ghostbusters" is the best format to watch the film (rumor has it that Columbia/Sony may release a 20th anniversary edition in late '04 early '05). The DVD features deleted scenes, trailers, a great trivia track that runs at the bottom of the screen while the movie is being shown, and commentary by Harold Ramis (co-writer), Ivan Reitman (director), and Michael C. Gross (co-producer).

"Ghostbusters" is still a great film that deserves shelf space in any great DVD collection.

After 20 years, they still are ready to believe you.

After 20 years GHOSTBUSTERS holds up even with the pre-digital special effects, etc. The film works because it is just plain funny, inventive (the E.P.A. are the baddies in the film...How inventive is that?!), and original. Also it has a great cast (with Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, and Annie Potts) and great New York City locations (even though the Ghostbusters headquarters, the abandoned fire house, is actually a Las Angeles location). The DVD has all the "bells and whistles", but there is something missing and that the producers of the disc did not include the music video for Ray Parker's theme song. This was a top-ten video back in 1984 and was played constantly on MTV and all other music video shows way back when. It was just as funny as the film as all four Ghostbusters (Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson) appear with singer Ray Parker Jr. near the end of the video dancing down Times Square. If the music video had been included, the DVD would have been complete. Otherwise the film itself is a classic that has stood the test of time.

20 years after Ghostbusters original release, symmetrical book-stacking and the stay-puft marshmallow man are still fabulous comedy chaos. Dan Akroyd, Harold Ramis and Bill Murray head off the Ghostbusters cast as paranormal scientist's on their own for the first time who decide to do what other than go into business catching and imprisoning ghosts. (Credit for screenwriting goes to Akroyd and Ramis.) Joined by Sigourney Weaver, the would be girl friend of the uncouth Dr. Venkman (Murray) who, incidentally, becomes possessed by a demigod, and Rick Moranis, this all-star cast provides classic one liners that are still hilarious after two decades.

Not only downright funny, this movie was credited with Academy Award nominations for Best Song and Best Visual Effects, and it still gives a great show. This is a comedy classic that will always remind us who we're going to call.