Ghostbusters

The passing of Harold Ramis this week has had moviegoers marveling at how he was involved with some of the most iconic American comedies of the last 35 years, starting with National Lampoon's Animal House. Earlier this month I coincidentally looked back at Groundhog Day, which was his crowning directorial achievement. In his honor, I pulled Ghostbusters out of my collection, as I hadn't seen it in quite a while and this year marks its 30th anniversary.

Ghostbusters really was a phenomenon. I'm not sure it invented a genre--the action comedy--but it redefined it, as the film works as both a summer blockbuster, complete with big special effects and stuff blowin' up, and a sly comedy. Above all, the film hits the heights of cool, as the premise was irresistible--a bunch of paranormal researchers form a squad that will rid your place of ghosts.

The touches are all right, starting with the cast of characters. Bill Murray is the ostensible star, cementing his persona as the wisecracking guy who doesn't seem to care about things until the chips are down. Dan Aykroyd (who looks so baby-faced here) kind of takes one for the team and plays it straight, while Ramis, in his most prominent acting role, is the nerdy Egon Spengler, who is always serious and has a hobby of collecting spores, molds, and fungus.

The accoutrements are all perfect, too. The old firehouse used as headquarters, the old hearse as their vehicle, Annie Potts as their secretary, and the jargon tossed around about phantasms and vapors. Aykroyd, whose interest in the occult was the spark that lit the flame, did his research.

The film, even in in repeat viewings, is a joy. I still chuckled at many lines, including Murray saying "Back off man, I'm a scientist," or Ramis, who is resolutely deadpan, saying "I blame myself." The special effects and the overall look of the picture have a dated feel, which is to be expected, but some of the set pieces, such as the ghost in the library and the whole Stay Puft Marshmallow Man segment, are still fun to watch.

I think most of all, the film leaves us with a wish that there really were Ghostbusters, and they would be just like the guys in the movie. That's a kind of movie magic that's rare. Bless you, Harold Ramis, for your comedy gifts.