Movie Debate #42: Ghostbusters (1984)

[Tulpa | 3,488]

Yeah, I think that's one of the worst effort sanitizing jobs I've seen for a major picture, and it has some stiff competition coming from Tremors.

[mbd39 | 2,017]

2 minutes ago, Tulpa said:

Yeah, I think that's one of the worst effort sanitizing jobs I've seen for a major picture, and it has some stiff competition coming from Tremors.

It would have been 100x better if they'd just blanked or bleeped the words.

 

[Tabonga | 2,313]

17 minutes ago, Tulpa said:

Yeah, I think that's one of the worst effort sanitizing jobs I've seen for a major picture, and it has some stiff competition coming from Tremors.

I think the crown goes to Blazing Saddles on that score. Pretty much totally bowdlerized that classic - adding insult to injury most of the replaced parts (if they bothered to do so) were not even remotely funny,

There is an interesting movie called "Skin Game" 1971 that some view as a precursor in some ways to Blazing Saddles. I don't think they could sanitize it enough to make the weenie crowd happy.  If you can wrap your head around the subject matter it is a good movie if you don't try to make it something it isn't.

 

[Sumez | 2,930]

 

40 minutes ago, arch_8ngel said:

The first movie centers on a much better villain, and the "build-up" of the paranormal stuff is just better all around.

I can get behind that, Gozer is just so memorable, and especially the part with the Statue of Liberty in the second movie feels like a weak attempt at recreate the icon Stay Puft Marshmellow Man. All the good "horror" stuff from the first one is in the tail end of the first movie, though. The villain is more threatening throughout Ghostbusters 2, and I kinda like the silly part about New York having to learn to let go of their negativity , I think that is a nice climax still.

What carries the movies up until that though, is the characters and comedy, and I think that's where the second movie seriously outdoes the first. 

Edited November 2, 2020 by Sumez

[PII | 1,883]

I wouldn't argue with anyone who rated it higher, but I gave it an 8.  @SumezIt is interesting how the film is more revered now than in it's hey-day.  I can't quite put my finger on why it is exactly, but I think that at least part of the reason is that the nostalgia factor is unusually high with this one.  It's unarguably one of those movies that defined the 80's, but for some reason, when I think of this one it seems even more 80's than: Terminator, Goonies, Breakfast Club etc. - take your pick.

Also, whenever I think of this one it always brings to mind Cecil B. Demille's famous quote: "Give me any two pages of the Bible and I'll give you a picture", because I always think of that scene in which Ray and Winston are driving across the Manhattan Bridge discussing the end of days interspersed with shots of the World Trade Center.  The somber quality stands out and it is purportedly the only scene in the movie that is not comedic at all. The track playing at the end of the scene is called "Judgement Day."  The whole ghosts being released from the containment unit plot point is derived from the 'opening of the bottomless pit' story.  Anyway, this is what I usually think of first when thinking of Ghostbusters.  There's a few handfuls of stories that get told over and over, and this is definitely one of 'em.

That scene in Ghostbusters 2 where Rick Moranis asks Annie Potts if she'd like to play Super May-rio Brothers always cracks me up. ;9

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 11, 2022 by PII

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

48 minutes ago, PII said:

I wouldn't argue with anyone who rated it higher, but I gave it an 8.  @SumezIt is interesting how the film is more revered now than in it's hey-day.  I can't quite put my finger on why it is exactly, but I think that at least part of the reason is that the nostalgia factor is unusually high with this one.  It's unarguably one of those movies that defined the 80's, but for some reason, when I think of this one it seems even more 80's than: Terminator, Goonies, Breakfast Club etc. - take your pick.

Also, whenever I think of this one it always brings to mind Cecil B. Demille's famous quote: "Give me any two pages of the Bible and I'll give you a picture", because I always think of that scene in which Ray and Winston are driving across the Manhattan Bridge discussing the end of days interspersed with shots of the World Trade Center.  The somber quality stands out and it is purportedly the only scene in the movie that is not comedic at all. The track playing at the end of the scene is called "Judgement Day."  The whole ghosts being released from the containment unit plot point is derived from the 'opening of the bottomless pit' story.  Anyway, this is what I usually think of first when thinking of Ghostbusters.  There's a few handfuls of stories that get told over and over, and this is definitely one of 'em.

That scene in Ghostbusters 2 where Rick Moranis asks Annie Potts if she'd like to play Super May-rio Brothers always cracks me up. ;9

 

Hard to say it is "more 80's than" Goonies -- though I would agree it is "equally 80's"

But honestly, that makes BOTH of those movies a "9" as an "everyone should watch it" to have insight into decade-defining movies.

[guitarzombie | 923]

So after the "TV" edits posted here I saw a few more.  It got me thinking.  Obviously those scenes were shot during the movie with the intention of showing the movie on TV, instead of just comically overdubbing over it like Die Hard 2.  I wonder if when shown on TV, if thats where it became more of a kid movie?  OR did the toys come out during the same time?  Im under the impression after the movie came out, the TV version was a hit with kids.  Got popular for a cartoon show and thats when the toys came out.  Anyone know the history of this?

[Tulpa | 3,488]

Back in the 80s movies didn't show up on TV or home video until a few years passed. It certainly wasn't like nowadays where a movie barely cools at the box office before the blu-ray is available.

The cartoon came out in 1986 (and I was watching it first run) but I didn't see the movie itself until sometime after that.

[guitarzombie | 923]

20 minutes ago, Tulpa said:

Back in the 80s movies didn't show up on TV or home video until a few years passed. It certainly wasn't like nowadays where a movie barely cools at the box office before the blu-ray is available.

The cartoon came out in 1986 (and I was watching it first run) but I didn't see the movie itself until sometime after that.

Oh thats interesting.  I suppose they were just covering their TV butts for future airings.  I was born in 83, but I can't recall what I saw first.  I probably saw GB first along side the Real GB cuz I got the GB firehouse xmas of 87.

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

38 minutes ago, guitarzombie said:

So after the "TV" edits posted here I saw a few more.  It got me thinking.  Obviously those scenes were shot during the movie with the intention of showing the movie on TV, instead of just comically overdubbing over it like Die Hard 2.  I wonder if when shown on TV, if thats where it became more of a kid movie?  OR did the toys come out during the same time?  Im under the impression after the movie came out, the TV version was a hit with kids.  Got popular for a cartoon show and thats when the toys came out.  Anyone know the history of this?

The cartoon was a BIG DEAL during a time that MAYBE kids get a chance to see the TV version once or twice a year on ABC broadcast.  Cartoon drove the whole toy line.  (and were almost certainly a simultaneous release -- back then, toy lines tooled up and tended to release simultaneously, or just ahead, of the show or movie)

[Reed Rothchild | 9,509]

Did I mention this is G month?  Because it's G month 

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

7 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

Did I mention this is G month?  Because it's G month 

Ghostbusters, Goonies, Gremlins... Ghost Dad?

[Reed Rothchild | 9,509]

Just now, arch_8ngel said:

Ghostbusters, Goonies, Gremlins... Ghost Dad?

Garbage Pail Kids, Grease 2, Gigli... Ghost Dad

[Estil | 1,261]

3 minutes ago, arch_8ngel said:

Ghostbusters, Goonies, Gremlins... Ghost Dad?

Oh yes, Ghost Dad came out right before a certain other Ghost movie...one became an all time classic and the other, well...let's just say the star of that not-so-successful "ghost" movie should've stuck with peddlin' de Jell-O puddin'...

Edited November 2, 2020 by Estil

[Reed Rothchild | 9,509]

Just now, Estil said:

one became an all time classic

That's true.  We've never been able to look at pottery quite the same since.

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

6 minutes ago, Estil said:

Oh yes, Ghost Dad came out right before a certain other Ghost movie...one became an all time classic and the other, well...let's just say the star of that not-so-successful "ghost" movie should've stuck with peddlin' de Jell-O puddin'...

Just looked it up to see that this one has 6% on rotten tomatoes!  Hilarious.  I think I actually watched it in the theater as a kid

[Hammerfestus | 3,820]

Knowing what we know now Ghost Dad ranks a lot higher among scariest ghost movies 

[Tulpa | 3,488]

I still can't believe Ghost Dad was directed by Sidney Poitier.

[JamesRobot | 5,786]

Fucking 10.  

C'mon.  Its Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver, and Rick Motherfuckin Moranis.  Quintessential 80s flick.  

[JamesRobot | 5,786]

@SuperJimtendo 

Get in here and school the masses.

[Tabonga | 2,313]

9 hours ago, Reed Rothchild said:

Did I mention this is G month?  Because it's G month 

Godzilla
Godzilla vs. (fill in blank ad nauseam)

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,104]

12 hours ago, Tulpa said:

Back in the 80s movies didn't show up on TV or home video until a few years passed. It certainly wasn't like nowadays where a movie barely cools at the box office before the blu-ray is available.

The cartoon came out in 1986 (and I was watching it first run) but I didn't see the movie itself until sometime after that.

Same here. I rented the movie as a kid, but it was a few years after the cartoon started.

[RH | 4,895]

Regarding TV edits, I think it's been standard practice for at least 25 years that if you make a movie, you have a couple of takes where your replace the really offensive dialog.

I don't know why, but my favorite was Pineapple Express.  Yes, they made a TV edit and somehow I managed to see it.  A lot of people were called "casseroles" in that one.  That film wasn't high on my priority list so I've still not seen the theater cut.  Even though it's a movie about weed dealing, they managed to make an entire move that was acceptable for a channel like USA.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,509]

14 hours ago, JamesRobot said:

Fucking 10.  

C'mon.  Its Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver, and Rick Motherfuckin Moranis.  Quintessential 80s flick.  

Racist.  You forgot Keith David.

 

(that's a double joke, don't @ me)

[SuperJimtendo | 1,116]

That's so much I could say about this movie, this franchise. That it would be a tldr. This is what cinematic perfection is. Plain and simple.