SparkNotes Movie Club Discussion: Ghostbusters

Glad to see you made it back in one piece. Now that we’ve all seen Ghostbusters, it’s time to take a closer look at this one-of-a-kind, classic movie. In this post, I’ll not only ask a few questions, but provide my own answers. Wanna fight about my answers? Meet me at the mall in 35 minutes. Or simply shout at me from the comments section below. I'm anxious to see what you thought of the movie.

1. What did you think about the movie overall, on a scale of 1 to 10?
I give it a solid 8.5.

2. How does it compare to The Princess Bride?
I think Ghostbusters is a more consistent movie. There are parts of The Princess Bride that I find bit boring. (Just a bit. Don’t hate me.) But Ghostbusters starts off strong and doesn’t slow down until the credits roll, and even then I found myself dancing and cheering to the music. Plus, there are a lot of stories about princesses and pirates, but how many stories are there about middle-aged men killing ghosts for a living? Ghostbusters is more unique.

3. How scary was that library ghost?
OK. It’s not as scary as I remembered it. In fact, it’s beyond laughable. But when I was little kid, that monster freaked me out. But so did Large Marge from Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. So now you know I was the world’s wussiest child. (I still have the trophy in my dad’s house!)

4. If the Ghostbusters were formed in the 1980s, who was busting the ghosts for the previous centuries, and how did they do it?
People were tougher back then. They didn't have air conditioning or antiseptic. Maybe our ancestors simply caught ghosts with their bare hands. My grandma said she once killed an owl that flew into her house with her bare hands. So there ya go.

5. Did the product placement take you out of the experience?
During the live-blog, after Bill Murry investigates the refrigerator, one witty viewer wrote something along the lines of, “Now I’m thirsty for Coca-Cola and mineral water.” That made me laugh. It’s hard (impossible?) to avoid product placement in movies today, but when you watch older flicks from the 80’s, it’s sometimes funny to see how outdated and forced these in-film advertisements look.

6. How amazing was Rick Moranis as Louis, the nerdy accountant?
I give him a 10 out of 10 on the amazing scale. During the live-blog, someone said he was a creep because he kept asking Dana out despite being shot down again and again. To me, he made a good film even better with his over-the-top performance. Plus Louis knows how to get great bargains on seafood. And his last line, “Does anyone want to interview me? Hello?” was both hilarious and sad. Poor Louis. If there were a Louis action figure, I would display him proudly in my conservatory. (I hope to one day live inside the mansion from Clue.)

7. Who is your favorite Ghostbuster? (And yes, you can pick Ray…if you really, really want to.)
Egon wins. He’s the straight man for all of Venkman’s jokes, but he stays straight with a wink and smile that tells the audience, “Hey, I know Venkman is making fun of me, but I don’t care. I’m smart. I’m freaking Egon!” And Egon Spangler is the best character name of the 1980s. Even better than E.T. and Yoda.

8. Explain the plot.
No. It involves an old building, a gatekeeper, and a key master. And after watching this movie a bunch of times, that’s all I really understand.

9. Where did the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man come from? And the answer isn’t “Ray’s imagination.”
We all know that Ray thought of the monster. But we never see where Mr. Puft came from. Was there a big scary portal? Did he just snap onto the streets of New York out of thin air? Was he living in the Hudson River this whole time, just waiting for Ray to think about him? Hmm…

10. Did everyone else see that scene with Ray and a ghost sharing a “special hug”?
What the hell was that? It’s such an odd scene. It starts out with harp music, and the screen kind of wiggles, suggesting that it was a dream Ray was having. But it’s really out of place. It’s part of the montage featuring the theme song as we watch the heroic Ghostbusters rise up from being the laughingstock of the city, to becoming the heroes of New York…and then suddenly Ray has (dream) sex with a ghost? Why is that scene there? And why do I not remember ever seeing it before?

11. Big budget, high-concept comedies, such as the recent Land of the Lost, never really connect with audiences the way Ghostbusters did. What made Ghostbusters different?
Better music. Plus, Will Ferrell is OK, but he doesn’t compare with Bill Murray.

12. What was your favorite scene?
The moment when the mayor realizes the Ghostbusters are the city’s only hope, after Bill Murray delivers my favorite line as he describes what will happen if the ‘Busters don’t intervene: “Human sacrifices, dogs and cats living together…mass hysteria!”

13. If Ghostbusters 3 ever gets made, will you see it?
Eh. Maybe. It depends on the creative team behind the film. If they get everyone back together, and learn from the mistakes of Ghostbusters II (i.e. no walking Statue of Liberty) it might work. But I’m not chomping at the bit to see it.

14. What would you change about the film?
I’d include more scenes with Louis, and I would explain what the proton packs actually do to the ghosts.

15. What do the proton packs actually do to the ghosts?
I don’t know. Someone during the live-blog said the proton blasts weaken the ghosts. The Ghostbusters used the beams to lasso Slimer. But it’s not very clear how they managed to do that. The beams also blew up the marshmallow man…somehow. It seems the ghost trap is the most important part, not the actual beams of nuclear power. So why don’t they just toss the traps around instead of shooting the ghosts with laser beams first?

16. What shape am I thinking of?
Circle. No wait! Um…yeah. I’ll go with circle.

17. Which was your favorite ghost?
Stay Puft. But was he really a ghost or was he a giant demon? Hmm. Runner-up: The subway ghost with the long arms that looked like an evil Muppet.

18. What should I bring to my friend’s Memorial Day picnic?
I’m thinking of making cornflake candy. But I ALWAYS make cornflake candy. Before you answer, you should know that I’m out of brown sugar.

19. If the Ghostbusters died and came back as ghosts, would they feel obligated to bust themselves?
Don’t want to reveal my answer, because I explore this very topic in my forthcoming fan fiction aria entitled, “The Hunter Becomes the Prey: Egon’s Lament.”

20. What movie shall we watch next month? Are you tired of 80’s movies?
And a reminder: Indiana Jones and the Monkey-Robot isn't a real movie, despite my birthday wish.

Answer Dan's 20 questions in the comments!

Related post: SparkNotes Movie Club: The Princess Bride