Ghostbusters (titled on-screen as Ghost Busters) is a 1984 fantasy-horror-science fiction-comedy film about three eccentric New York City parapsychologists-turned-ghost exterminators. The film was released in the United States on June 8, 1984. It was produced and directed by Ivan Reitman and stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts, and Ernie Hudson. With inflation adjustments, the film’s original release grossed over US$500 million in the U.S., making it one of the highest grossing films of 1984 and the 31st highest grossing film of all time, domestically.[1]
It was followed by a sequel, Ghostbusters II (1989), and two animated television series, The Real Ghostbusters (later renamed Slimer! And the Real Ghostbusters) and Extreme Ghostbusters. Ramis, who co-wrote the first two films, has confirmed that a script for a potential third film is being developed by Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg, the writing team best known for their work on Curb Your Enthusiasm and the American version of The Office. Judd Apatow (who is co-producing the upcoming Ramis-directed The Year One) is also slated to be involved on some level. In addition, the original films’ four main castmembers may have minor on-screen roles.
In 2000, readers of Total Film magazine voted Ghostbusters the 44th greatest comedy film of all time. The American Film Institute ranked it 28th in its list of the top 100 comedies of all time (in their “AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Laughs” list). In 2005, IGN voted Ghostbusters the greatest comedy ever. In 2006, Bravo ranked Ghostbusters 76 on their “100 Funniest Movies” list.
Reviews
Ghostbusters was well-received and holds a 93% Fresh Rating at Rotten Tomatoes. Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film three-and-a-half stars out of four and wrote, “This movie is an exception to the general rule that big special effects can wreck a comedy … Rarely has a movie this expensive provided so many quotable lines”. In her review for the New York Times, Janet Maslin wrote, “Its jokes, characters and story line are as wispy as the ghosts themselves, and a good deal less substantial”. Newsweek magazine’s David Ansen wrote, “Everyone seems to be working toward the same goal of relaxed insanity. Ghostbusters is wonderful summer nonsense”. In his review for Time, Richard Schickel praised the three lead actors: “Of the ghost wranglers, the pair played by Writers Aykroyd and Ramis are sweetly earnest about their calling, and gracious about giving the picture to their co-star Bill Murray. He obviously (and wisely) regards Dr. Peter Venkman as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop fully his patented comic character”.
