tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post6571028907360191794..comments2023-09-15T04:27:57.129-04:00Comments on Commentarama: Film Friday: Ghostbusters (1984)AndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-36191974375248474532012-06-14T02:54:51.447-04:002012-06-14T02:54:51.447-04:00A similar thing with ACE VENTURA and LIAR, LIAR. T...A similar thing with ACE VENTURA and LIAR, LIAR. Two of Tom Shadyac's Jim Carry movies.<br />The former is a story a decent mystery: "Who kidnapped Snowflake?" <br />There's even a big twist at the end.<br /><br />LIAR, LIAR is about a man and his son. Here, I think Jim Carrey shines, especially in the movie's more dramatic moments. <br /><br />There is one moment in the movie that says why it is so good.<br />It is when Max Fletcher (Jim Carrey) blurts out to his angry wife during an argument:<br />"Listen, I'm a bad father!"<br /><br />The look on his face is heartbreaking. He can only speak the truth and the truth has been spoken: He is a bad father. And she responds that he isn't "when you show up."<br /><br />"Listen! I'm a Bad Father! . . . I'm a bad father."<br />"You're not a bad father, when you show up."<br />Link at DailyMotion: <a href="http://www.metacafe.com/watch/an-5fR6Jb2bYhbJmm/liar_liar_1997_confronting_the_truth/" rel="nofollow">VIDEO LINK</a><br /><br />Watch his face at around 1:10, when he realizes what he said and, since its the truth, we know it is not only true but something that he's secretly known all along.<br /><br />Both those lines, his revelation, and her response tell us everything about the main character: He is a bad father and a part of him has known it, but he has the potential to be a good one again.<br /><br />Then, when he fails to make the appointment (they don't buy that he is in jail) he has to go out to the airport and prove his love for his son in one of the greatest moments in Carrey's career: Hijacking a flight-of-stairs.Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01453591141757808708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-3949082582099559652009-08-29T09:59:40.547-04:002009-08-29T09:59:40.547-04:00Individualy, I'm happy to hear I gave you some...Individualy, I'm happy to hear I gave you something to think about! That's my purpose, not just to review movies.<br /><br />I agree with you about that scene being one of the funniest (if not the funniest) in the film. And it works because they build all this tension and then Murray whips out the big tension killing line, and you are as much startled as you are laughing. It's super well done.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-19781050249740716452009-08-29T00:41:27.726-04:002009-08-29T00:41:27.726-04:00Andrew,
You are spot on about what makes GB I gre...Andrew,<br /><br />You are spot on about what makes GB I great, though I never really realized it was the seriousness of the characters and plots that drove the numor. It is interesting that you speak of the gravity of the Mayor's office because to me that is one of the funniest lines in a movie. <br /><br />Is that true?<br /><br />Yes this man ahs no _______.<br /><br />Another movie Akryod was in and did a geat job in although he did not write it was 'My Step Mother is an Alien". This tood a silly premise but handled it seriously. I think another point from both these films is that the monsters were not comic but severe. You got the feeling that the rest of the movie aside if these got a hold of you then you'd be toast. The Zuul scene was actually scary. So the villians were real too. <br /><br />The best line from GB I has to be if the Ghost asks if you are a god, you say YES!.Individualisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11005025873042230314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-59266555112809138092009-08-28T19:12:15.821-04:002009-08-28T19:12:15.821-04:00MightySkip and Andrew: My ex was a government emp...MightySkip and Andrew: My ex was a government employee (assistant criminalist for the Santa Clara and San Mateo Sheriff's Departments). When I really wanted to annoy her, I'd botch some task up, and say "close enough for government work." Worked every time--right up to the divorce.LawHawkRFDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17800255923675295515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-37043664669335613952009-08-28T18:08:23.533-04:002009-08-28T18:08:23.533-04:00Skip, I used to work for Club Fed, and when Men in...Skip, I used to work for Club Fed, and when Men in Black came out, I saw it in a theater in D.C. When Rip Torn tells the guys who failed the test, "you're what we've come to expect from years of government training," I burst out laughing (as did my buddy). No one else in the theater was laughing. . .<br /><br />I like that line, by the way, "back off, man, I'm a scientist."AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-27972588438583260372009-08-28T17:34:43.440-04:002009-08-28T17:34:43.440-04:00There were two lines of this movie I didn’t come t...There were two lines of this movie I didn’t come to appreciate until much later in life. First was the dig at the University system and the line I now use on any academic scientist I ever meet: <br /><br />“You've never been out of college! You don't know what it's like out there! I've *worked* in the private sector. They expect *results*.”<br /><br />And the other line I use constantly: “Back off man, I'm a scientist.”Mighty Skiphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17039266246609027648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-8528402427578958482009-08-28T15:34:11.712-04:002009-08-28T15:34:11.712-04:00Thanks Jed, I always aim to take these from a slig...Thanks Jed, I always aim to take these from a slightly different perspective than just a regular review.<br /><br />It's interesting that Ghostbusters grew on you. I think that kind of shows that your interest in the movie was based on something other than just the jokes.<br /><br />You make a good comparison to Liar Liar and Dumb and Dumber. I feel that way about a lot of the comedies I watched in the past. They were really funny at the time, but now they hardly bring even a chuckle.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-9624077412799435562009-08-28T15:24:11.084-04:002009-08-28T15:24:11.084-04:00What a nice article, Andrew and, in my view, right...What a nice article, Andrew and, in my view, right on point. As I read, I had a couple of thoughts based on your comments. First, Ghostbusters was a movie I didn't love at first view, but actually became more enjoyable with subsequent viewings.<br /><br />Second, I chose (in my mind) to contrast that with the Jim Carey films "Liar, Liar" which cracked me up the first time I saw it, but fell completely flat during a second viewing, and "Dumb and Dumber" which I once laughed at hysterically while in one of those late night silly moods you sometimes get into when partying with friends. I suspect if I teed that one up right now, I would barely crack a smile.Tennessee Jedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10604275115906776992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-23608395540609913342009-08-28T13:53:26.283-04:002009-08-28T13:53:26.283-04:00Andrew: Great analysis. But I personally think t...Andrew: Great analysis. But I personally think the whole movie is classic because of its only genuine star--the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.LawHawkRFDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17800255923675295515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-59065919037909868112009-08-28T11:24:51.888-04:002009-08-28T11:24:51.888-04:00Stan, How about:
"There are those people who...Stan, How about:<br /><br />"There are those people who love Neil Diamond and those that don't." <br /><br />Or,<br /><br />"Are these hand-shucked?"<br /><br />Love that movie.Writer Xhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16505411188186283813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-80537647035340126092009-08-28T11:11:07.062-04:002009-08-28T11:11:07.062-04:00“What about Bob,” loved it. “Leo Marvin, …Dr. Leo ...“What about Bob,” loved it. “Leo Marvin, …Dr. Leo Marvin,” bob screams in the street. Or, “would someone please hit me in the face,” as he prepares for his bus trip. I know I’m out of order but, Perfect Murrayisms.StanHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07395708786509590321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-85315717844472369462009-08-28T10:53:28.073-04:002009-08-28T10:53:28.073-04:00Writer X, I really appreciated his performance and...Writer X, I really appreciated his performance and I loved the concept (havig found myself in some strange places overseas, I see the possibilities with this kind of movie), but I agree, the movie was simply too dull.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-7935950687429842342009-08-28T10:50:36.654-04:002009-08-28T10:50:36.654-04:00It's been so long since I've seen LOST IN ...It's been so long since I've seen LOST IN TRANSLATION (didn't love the film) but it was interesting to see him in such a different role. You always expect humor but in that role he really pulled off self-deprecation. But, unfortunately for my tastes, at least in that movie, it went on a little longer than it should have. I ended up being slightly bored with the story.Writer Xhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16505411188186283813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-91072140319767934262009-08-28T10:45:28.105-04:002009-08-28T10:45:28.105-04:00Writer X, What's interesting to me is when I g...Writer X, What's interesting to me is when I go back and I look at Murray's old films and I realize just how much he carried many of those movies. A lot of those movies weren't very good, except for his ability to pull you in. I'm thinking about Meatballs in particular, which was a much better movie when he was on screen than when he wasn't.<br /><br />On a related note, something I really liked about Lost In Translation, though I was disappointed over all in the movie, was how they used Murray's good will to give you a sense of how out of place these people felt being in a foreign land. Murray really managed to bring that idea home by meticulously avoiding all of the Murrayisms that we've become accustomed do.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-114162967716693262009-08-28T10:21:18.147-04:002009-08-28T10:21:18.147-04:00Andrew, I think you've just nailed it. Except...Andrew, I think you've just nailed it. Except that Murray did it without making it look so obvious. <br /><br />I so loved his character in WHAT ABOUT BOB? There was no romance in that film, but I think that's one of his best films and it's probably the least well known. Go figure.Writer Xhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16505411188186283813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-502620648787281532009-08-28T10:16:36.015-04:002009-08-28T10:16:36.015-04:00Stan & Writer X, I think that Murray was criti...Stan & Writer X, I think that Murray was critical to this film. He's one of those guys who just manages to project an imagine of being a guy that you really want to like. And he uses that well in Ghostbuster.<br /><br />In fact, I think the relationship between Murray and Weaver foreshadows the formula used today, where a sort of geek, loser, aims way above himself and manages to succeed in getting his dream girl by making her laugh. This is a forumla used extensively today, though rarely as well as Murray does it -- probably because Murray wasn't mimicking a formula, this just fit his style of acting.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-34358789788946047962009-08-28T09:58:05.212-04:002009-08-28T09:58:05.212-04:00Writer X, Going back to the Ancient Greeks again, ...Writer X, Going back to the Ancient Greeks again, it has generally been the rule that in a comedy, the ordinary man must succeed, but in a drama someone extraordinary must fall.<br /><br />I think we've blurred that a little more today, but that does seem to have been the formula for a couple thousand years.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-88451810594142256592009-08-28T09:55:03.303-04:002009-08-28T09:55:03.303-04:00I saw this movie with my x-wife on opening night, ...I saw this movie with my x-wife on opening night, it was our last night out, and laugh together, …hallelujah! Great movie, Bill Murray connected on a personal level, he at times seemed to be talking directly to the audience, through the camera, something he uses in a lot of his movies. Harold Ramis is brilliant in most anything he does, he played Egon perfectly, the eggheaded dweeb so entranced is his science to recognize danger. Dan Aykroyd made a great wild eyed enthusiast. The whole cast worked well together in a perfect cinematic presentation given to us by the genius of Ivan Reitman, for the genre. The movie self markets and crosses generations word of mouth, reputation. My son who is twenty-two had to have all things Ghostbusters my daughter, eighteen not so much. Cool flick!StanHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07395708786509590321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-42468496657399460432009-08-28T09:51:30.428-04:002009-08-28T09:51:30.428-04:00Such a good movie. I don't know what it is ab...Such a good movie. I don't know what it is about Bill Murray but he can make me laugh without even saying anything. He's in several of my all time fav movies.<br /><br />You are so right about creating that emotional connection with the audience through effective character development. The same is true when writing a book. <br /><br />Another reason why I think Ghostbusters works so well is because they're all just a bunch of average Joe's. None of them are hearthrobs. In that way, I think the audience can relate better with them. And perhaps that's why the humor works so well too--and the good writing, of course, never hurts.Writer Xhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16505411188186283813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-79547177678998139162009-08-28T09:45:02.726-04:002009-08-28T09:45:02.726-04:00Scott, I'm not sure there is much left in Airp...Scott, I'm not sure there is much left in Airplane or the Naked Gun if you strip out the humor, but you're right, there is a lot more of a real story left than in a movie like Top Secret.<br /><br />As I explain in the article, I think it's no accident that almost every comedy with real staying power is first and foremost, an engaging story with engaging characters, with the laughs being secondary.<br /><br />I think what this does for the film is that it makes it work on a different level for us, a level that isn't as dependent on shock, surprise, or newness. Thus, even when the jokes get so old that you no longer laugh at them, the story is still worth watching.<br /><br />That's not to say that a movie can't be a great movie to watch if it's just based on humor, but it will be more difficult to connect with a large audience and it is likely to get old fairly quickly.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4425587034622601550.post-16170067723098440842009-08-28T09:24:52.017-04:002009-08-28T09:24:52.017-04:00Now you've done it, haven't you? :-)
Ghos...Now you've done it, haven't you? :-)<br /><br />Ghostbusters is one of my favorite films of all time. I can't even recall the first time I saw it but it must've been before I started kindergarten since that year I was a ghostbuster for Halloween (1988). I had all the toys, the trap, the proton pack, the Ecto-1 (and later the Ecto-1A), the firehouse, etc. My brother had the slime blower from the second film. <br /><br />Even today, I'm the proud owner of the original making-of book (purchased on eBay a few years ago) and the limited edition score CD (also released a few years ago, limited to 3000 copies). I purchased the Blu-Ray disc and the movie's never looked better.<br /><br />And you are correct - this isn't a laugh-a-minute comedy like Airplane! though it's interesting you brought that movie up. If you stripped the jokes out of Airplane!, you're still left with a decent disaster movie (Zero Hour!, actually). One of the reasons why I think the ZAZ boys were disappointed with Top Secret! was because the plot really was nonsensical and more dependent on the jokes. Contrast that with The Naked Gun which, again if you remove the jokes, you have a pretty good detective movie.<br /><br />The genius idea Ivan Reitman brought to Aykroyd's first draft was to ground the film in reality. It's basically a going into business story, isn't it? In the DVD commentary, he talks about the "domino theory of comedy" meaning if you set up something small at the beginning (library ghost), the audience will buy the big stuff (marshmallow man) at the end. And yes, when I went to New York a few months ago, I got my picture taken in front of the actual firehouse (14 N. Moore St.).<br /><br />I'll probably have more to say about the film later. I always promise myself "I won't take up too much space with my comments" but that never seems to happen. :-)ScottDSnoreply@blogger.com