"Ghostbusters" by Ivan Reitman: a review

When Ghostbusters was released on June 8, 1984 it became a cultural phenomenon almost immediately. It was nominated for two Oscars: Best Effects: Visual Effects and Best Music: Original Song. However it was much more popular with the general population than just with the critics.

This sci-fi action spoof features three unemployed parapsychology professors who decide to band together to open up a ghost removal service. The three personalities play off each other when Dr. Peter Venkman is shown to be the wise cracking, flirtatious, never take anything serious character comes up against his two counterparts in Ray Stantz and Egon Spengler who both take their work deadly serious. Their first encounter with an actual ghost in the library shows that they have no idea how to actually capture a ghost, which doesn’t stop them from mortgaging Ray’s house to rent an abandoned fire station and convert it into their new headquarters.

They find an old ambulance to haul their gear, and develop proton packs which they think will be able to trap ghosts and then find that they are actually getting clients asking them for assistance. They didn't need much resume support. Their first real client involves destroying most of a hotel with their notoriously unstable proton packs before emerging triumphantly for the cameras with the ghost captured. It isn’t long until Peter’s love interest is possessed by a demon named Zuul who is looking for the key master. After the EPA shuts down the Ghostbusters command station, the city is suddenly infested with all sorts of ghosts and supernatural activity. This predicament leads the mayor to personally ask for the ghostbuster’s assistance to save the city.

They return to Dana’s apartment to find that a god by the name of Gozer has converted the top floors of Dana’s apartment building into a temple, and that the god will assume the form of whatever thought crosses their mind, and unfortunately Ray had one momentary second of weakness where he thought of the Stay-Puft marshmallow man. The group is now assaulted by a ten story tall Stay-Puft marshmallow man who climbs the building in a King-Kong style. In a last ditch effort to destroy the monster they cross the streams and create a huge explosion which rains molten marshmallow all over the street, but they find that they have destroyed the monster and closed the portal to the cheers of the on looking crowd.

Ghostbusters movie directed by Ivan Reitman In the year of 1984. This film holds up probably more than any other comedy in existence.