Spooky Specials

Stafers review Halloween movies for upcoming the spooky season

Kashvi Nagpal, Camden Wright

Some movies are considered “classics” for a reason. An ’80s blockbuster about a group of reject seurs or family movie nights. Despite the popularity of such titles, Ghostbusters quickly emerged as a stand-out favorite scientists turned ghost hunters probably wouldn’t blow the tops of box ofce sales or food the streets with eager audiences nowadays, but that’s why Ghostbusters is the epitome of classic movie perfection. It contains all the memorable and nostalgic moments synonymous with classic movies while also retaining its entertainment value for modern audiences. Being one of the original, cheesy Halloween movies, it won’t wow you with its cinematography or special efects nor will it make you cry with its heart-wrenching storyline, but for a movie released in 1984, it’s defnitely worth seeking out in your “nearest parallel dimension.”

In a fctional New York City plagued by the supernatural, enter the namesake group to banish the blight. The Ghostbusters, composed of discredited scientists Dr. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis), Dr. Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) and Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), emerge at the perfect time to fll the role of occult exterminators. As a newfound paranormal presence rises, the Ghostbusters, subsequently joined by newcomer Winston Zeddeman (Ernie Hudson), rush toward certain doom. They fght unfathomable horrors and a disgruntled Environmental Protection Agency employee (William Atherton) along the way, fnally facing their greatest challenge yet at an end of the world showdown as everyone’s soft and tasty friend, the Stay Puft marshmallow man, becomes the vessel of their demise.

Championed by titles such as RoboCop, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and ET, the ’80s have a plethora of movie options for classically inclined connoisupon release, breaking records as the highest-grossing comedy of all time until the acclaimed Home Alone in 1990. It must be said that, like most classics, Ghostbusters does have its fair share of pain points for modern audiences. The humor is often outdated: the pop culture references to work-out videos, Poison and the like aren’t exactly “in” anymore, and to say that the CGI and special efects are a relic of their time would be an understatement; the bringer of destruction guard dogs are signifcantly less scary when they bounce around with the animation quality of the DVD loading screen. However, if you can get past some of the visual struggles the movie is genuinely a joy to watch. It’s not gut-wrenching nor thrilling, but it doesn’t have to be! The often ad-libbed lines from the former Second City Stars are endlessly hilarious despite being a little behind the times, and the constant fow of pseudoscience and history they push with full confdence about ghosts and ancient gods only adds to the experience. If you’re looking for a masterclass on modern movie writing and cinematography, skip this one. However, if you’re looking for a fun movie night for the whole family during the Halloween season, why not enjoy Read another review for the acclaimed Hotel Transylvania on the Statesman website!

some good old-fashioned Ghostbusters? If you still have any doubts, take a page out of Dr. Venkman’s book and ask, “why worry.” It’s monsters and unlicensed nuclear reactors, how could it not be fun?