"I've seen s*** that will turn you white!" (Ghostbusters (DVD))

Member Name: Ataraxia

Product:	Ghostbusters (DVD)
Date:	22/02/09 (38 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Characters, comedy, action, fun for all the family.

Disadvantages: Effects are a little dated (but who cares)

Despite the vastly inferior special effects by today's standard, Ghostbusters really hasn't aged at all. No matter how many times you've seen it, you'll still want to watch it over and over again and laugh in admiration at the leading characters; this was a milestone in the genre of Sci-Fi Comedy, and one of the most definitive movies of the 1980s.

Ghostbusters is actually a lot more intelligent than the title first suggests. It involves three scholars, (Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis) specializing in parapsychology, being kicked out of University for their unorthodox approach to research, and then deciding to go into business for themselves. They buy into an run-down fire station, refurbish an old ambulance, and walk around with [unlicensed] nuclear accelerators on their backs. After a slow start to business, the calls come flooding in, from people reporting numerous sightings of paranormal activity within New York City; one of which is from Dana Barrett (the gorgeous Sigourney Weaver) who asks them to investigate a strange occurrence in her kitchen.

Venkman (Murray) immediately takes a shine to Dana, and decides to investigate her apartment for himself. Soon enough, the team learn that the demonic figure inside her fridge is a demigod called "Zuul", which then possesses Venkman's love interest to the point that she's searching for the "Keymaster", in order to open up the gateway to a new revelation of spirits.

What's so great about Ghostbusters is its unbelievable premise is handled specifically for laughs, rather than attempting to convince the audience of a paranormal presence within our everyday world. This, however, doesn't mean to say that Ghostbusters is dumb- not at all - it's characters are logical as well as being extremely funny and likeable, making the film great fun for all the family.

Bill Murray has to be the star of the show: he's sarcastic, witty, and generally hilarious at every opportunity. Ackroyd and Ramis (who did the screenwriting) are also funny given the opportunity, holding their own as influential characters, and making the film so endlessly quotable ("Listen! You smell something?") There are also great supporting roles from Weaver, Ernie Hudson (as the token black Ghostbuster), Rick Moranis (as the geeky neighbour to Dana), Annie Potts as receptionist Janine, and, of course, Slimer.

After this original, the long running cartoon show The Real Ghostbusters was developed for television, and the sequel Ghostbusers 2 was released five years later in cinemas. Only the Ninja Turtles ever came close to topping my love for the franchise back in the 1980s; Ghostbusters was such a fantastic film, an important film, and I'm not even ashamed to say that I still have great admiration for it today, in my mid-twenties.

Summary: One of the most definitive movies of the 1980s.