I Ain’t Afraid of No Ghost!

There’s recently been some scuttlebutt in Hollywood about the making of a third Ghostbusters movie, potentially including the entire original cast. The cast had previously reunited to add their voices to an as-yet-released videogame and now seem primed to join the latest ill-advised ‘80s revival this time potentially training a new generation of ghostbusters. I’m not a fan of the concept of utilizing an old institution to kick off or reboot a new generation. And I’m fairly certain I’m not alone in that disregard. It’s frequently rumored to be the plot of television and cinema reboots and yet very rarely comes to fruition. There’s a reason. As much of a fan of the ‘80s we are here at Eightiesology, we liked a lot of these properties enshrined in our memories as is.

I’ll probably feature the first Ghostbusters in its own movie-only profile one day but I thought today I’d focus more on the overall phenomenon as it reached into different levels of media. The rumors of the new movie got me thinking that the original movie is really one of the quintessential movies of the decade from the look of the movie to the story and the comedy and of course the actors who took part. It’s also indicative of how different the movie experience was back then than it is today. I’m fine with that. I just don’t think it would work today because a movie like this taps into the cultural zeitgeist of the time. That time is largely different now and to bring the move into a modern context would lose a lot of that point. As an example, though it would be a largely foolish venture, one could conceivably bring Back to the Future back from the past because of the nature of the storytelling which is self-aware of its nostalgia and could even use the ‘80s much the same way it once used the ‘50s. Ghostbusters on the other hand was very much a movie produced of that time, reflective of its stars’ power, indicative of ‘80s New York, and entirely insistent on creating an effective big-time comedic adventure, the type that just doesn’t fly these days.

The movie was successful at creating a number of iconic scenes, characters and effects, as well as essential dialogue that even transcended the ‘80s. For such a comedic venture, the technology used in the movie seemed very plausible and certainly cool to us. I think it likely introduced the hearse to children who suddenly saw the Ecto-1 as a cool mode of transportation wanting one itself. (Of course, who knew at the time what hearses were really used for.) The photon packs and ghost traps really felt like things that could be used to fight ghosts. I don’t recall having as much of a fascination with Slimer as his popularity would dictate but Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man was a huge icon amongst my crowd and one of the most bizarre movie monsters of all time. You don’t typically get that type of abstract ingenuity in comedy these days.



While sorting through tracks for the iMixes, the Ghostbusters theme (by Ray Parker, Jr.) triggered a memory that actually pointed me in the direction of the old video game. As much as I love to talk about sensory memory with music from the ‘80s, typically involving settings and events in my life, one of the strongest triggers may actually be this song and its connection to endlessly playing a video game. My brother and I used to play Ghostbusters game on the Commodore 64 computer. The graphics are laughable now but the intrigue and addiction was as palpable as such for games today.  The game played a midi version of the Ghostbusters them on an endless loop thus engrainin the song in my head, forever associating the song with driving around busting ghosts and ultimately throwing massive fits when I’d constantly lose to that damn Stay-Puft. The title song, though a rip off of a Huey Lewis song, is a brilliant theme song, truly capturing the mood and spirit (pun intended) of the movie within the song itself. “I ain’t afraid of no ghost!” (Sure it’s a textbook example of a double negative, but it’s also tough, inspiring and catchy!)



There was also a pair of competing cartoons, one based on these characters and another, its own entity which always confused me. At the time there were far more compelling cartoons on the air (i.e. Transformers, GI Joe, Thundercats) so despite the popularity of the live-action film, it never fully translated over to the animated side for me. Yet I was very aware of it at the time.

The Ghostbusters sequel, while not nearly as iconic as the first, was still an enjoyable film in the context of this particular universe. It actually arrived some five years later at the tail end of the ‘80s. A lot of my memory of the film revolves around the theme song, “On Our Own” by Bobby Brown, a fantastic song that was also one of the first experiences in my life rapping along to a song. (A rap that, despite the song’s storage away from my ears for years and years, remained on the tip of my tongue to this day.) In this regard, the movie actually works to fit into a Bobby Brown context during the singer’s few relevant years as an actual solo talent (largely revolving around this song and the great Don’t Be Cruel album). Brown and Ghostbusters II join Batman for a primary spot in memories of ’88 and ’89.

I don’t know where they’re going with this idea of Ghostbusters III. Ramis, a director in his own right, has crossed over into the Judd Apatow machine as well as directing a few episodes of The Office. From that television show, a pair of writers has been tapped to script the third GB movie. In some ways, this points towards the film being crafted with careful eyes and humorous ink. But Bill Murray has become an eclectic, quirky existence in offbeat film and shows no signs of fitting into this type of formula anymore. Dan Akroyd has been mostly absent from relevant comedy in eons. And other than Ernie Hudson, I can’t imagine watching the ghostbusters running around New York City without looking incredibly silly.

Maybe they should have let go 20 years ago. After all, the movie IS about ghosts. Shouldn’t they be sensitive to the concept of something haunting us long after its death? Let it rest in peace.

Advertisement