Ghostbusters 1984

For my first review, I've chosen Ghostbusters from 1984.  This year marks the film's 30th anniversary and a restored and remastered version will return to more than 700 movie theaters on Aug. 29. Cool huh? You should see it in your local theater. Just saying, you don't have to.

(See my video review on my YouTube Channel - HERE)

Starring Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray and the late Harold Ramis, as a group of parapsychology professors who get booted from their cushy jobs at a New York university and decide to open a business where they become spirit exterminators. Ernie Hudson and Annie Potts join the team in their refurbished firehouse and the group earn notoriety tearing around Manhattan capturing ghosts, goblins and slimers.

Dana Barret, portrayed by Sigourney Weaver, becomes their biggest client, and Murray's love interest when she starts hearing voices in her refrigerator. Her neighbor, Louis Tully, played by the hysterical Rick Moranis, never captures Weaver's interest - that is until they are both possessed by spirits! It seems their apartment building is some sort of conduit to a supernatural world.

The Ghosbusters race to save Dana and Louis and the battle is a funny spectacle! Great visual effects and funny, quotable lines! I don't want to give anything away. See it yourself and find out what happens. I'll only say this, it's a happy ending.

To sum up, for me, there's a check list for what makes a great movie, and Ghostbusters has all of it. It has the heroes, the villain, friendship, romance, adventure (my favorite), great special effects, and most of all, fun.

RIP Harold Ramis 1944-2014

Thumbs up.

Fun Fact: Almost none of the scenes were filmed as scripted and, in fact, almost all of the scenes had at least one or two ad-libs. Most of Bill Murray's lines are ad-libs.

PARENTS SHOULD KNOW:  This film has some cursing in it. Some 4-letter words are tossed around, but it's not too vulgar. There is a scene where one of the Ghostbusters, ummm... has a night time visit from a ghost, but you don't actually see anything and little kids won't get that it has anything to do with sex.  In one scene, Dana says she wants Peter "inside her" but nothing physical happens. The scene only lasts a few seconds and nothing graphic or lewd happens. There is some cigarette smoking too. Despite all the ghosts and goblins they aren't too scary. Some smaller children might find the two big dog beasts a little scary, but it's pretty obvious they aren't real.