When it’s a Friday night, when you want some uncomplicated entertainment, who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!
Dan discovered that three out of four of them at work were very keen on the film, and suggested watching it again last night. Feeble protest from me. More, “I’ll get the film ready, then.”
Ghostbusters was probably my first real recollection of a film phenomenon. Now, with monthly passes for cinemas, or renting recent releases through the telly, it’s harder to get a sense of a big film even, for all of the efforts of bus advertising to make you think so. My upbringing was one of cinema being a treat, so when you went, you wanted it to be GOOD.
So, what of Ghostbusters? The first time we tried to see it, we queued round three sides of the block to get in to the cinema – and were turned away, with only 10 people in front of us, because the cinema was full. That makes it an Event.
Thankfully we persevered and came back another time, without quite such a queue, and were able to get in. And yes, it was well worth it.
It’s also an early awareness of a film soundtrack being significant. Part of the continuing to enjoy the film, for me, was listening to the soundtrack again…and again…I even bought it on record, which shows that life and technology has moved on just a tad.
But there’s so much humour and enjoyment in the soundtrack, as well as atmosphere – it does what you want it to, in underpinning and enhancing the story.
Despite 80s fashion reappearing (neon socks anyone? Seemingly very fashionable again), and 80s music being played in shops, watching an 80s film does show you that time does move on.
The amount of casual smoking is a bit of a surprise. The haircuts are always good for a giggle. And in a film like Ghostbusters, where a certain amount of ‘kit’ is required for the story, carrying a tape recorder on a strap doesn’t really look like big science any more.
So why watch it? Because the humour is still good. It’s fun to be reminded of just how sharp the timing between Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd is. The effects are there to make you laugh, the slapstick is there too, but the verbal humour still sings, and not many films even bother with that now.
I rest my case. And my photon accelerator.