Ep. 18 - Who Ya Gonna Call!

This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] J.J.: Welcome back to another episode of Back to the Movie Theater! I'm J.J.

[0:05] Olaf: And I'm Olaf!

[0:07] J.J.: Today, we're diving into a classic that perfectly fits the Halloween spirit.

[0:12] Olaf: That's right! We're talking about the 1984 classic, Ghostbusters!

[0:17] J.J.: So grab your proton pack, snack on some Twinkies, and get ready to bust some ghosts with us!

[0:23] Olaf: I mean, who you gonna call, right?

[0:26] J.J.: Exactly! Ghostbusters is such an iconic film.

[0:30] Olaf: It really is. The blend of comedy, action, and supernatural elements is just perfect.

[0:36] J.J.: And let's not forget the memorable characters.

[0:39] Olaf: Absolutely! Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson brought such life to their roles.

[0:46] J.J.: Each character has their own unique personality that adds to the dynamic of the team.

[0:51] Olaf: And the chemistry between them is just electric.

[0:54] J.J.: You can tell they had a lot of fun making this movie.

[0:57] Olaf: Speaking of fun, the humor in Ghostbusters is timeless.

[1:02] J.J.: It really is! The one-liners and comedic timing are still hilarious today.

[1:07] Olaf: Plus, the special effects for the time were groundbreaking.

[1:11] J.J.: They really set the standard for supernatural films that followed.

[1:15] Olaf: And who could forget the iconic theme song?

[1:18] J.J.: "Who you gonna call?" It's instantly recognizable!

[1:22] Olaf: It’s one of those songs that gets stuck in your head for days.

[1:26] J.J.: For sure! And the way it ties into the movie is just brilliant.

[1:30] Olaf: So, what are some of your favorite moments from Ghostbusters?

[1:34] J.J.: Oh man, there are so many! I love the scene where they first capture a ghost.

[1:39] Olaf: That scene is classic! The excitement and chaos are just perfect.

[1:43] J.J.: And the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man is such an iconic villain.

[1:47] Olaf: Right? It’s such a unique choice for a monster.

[1:50] J.J.: It really captures the spirit of the film—fun and a little absurd.

[1:54] Olaf: Exactly! And the way they handle the ghostbusting technology is so creative.

[1:59] J.J.: The proton packs and ghost traps are just so cool.

[2:03] Olaf: They really made ghost hunting seem like an adventure.

[2:06] J.J.: And the humor throughout keeps it light-hearted.

[2:09] Olaf: It’s a perfect blend of scares and laughs.

[2:12] J.J.: So, let’s dive deeper into the characters and their arcs.

[2:16] Olaf: Great idea! Each character has their own journey throughout the film.

[2:20] J.J.: Starting with Peter Venkman, played by Bill Murray.

[2:24] Olaf: He’s such a charismatic character, always with a witty remark.

[2:28] J.J.: And his interactions with the other characters are hilarious.

[2:31] Olaf: Then we have Ray Stantz, played by Dan Aykroyd, who is the heart of the team.

[2:36] J.J.: Ray’s enthusiasm for ghostbusting is infectious.

[2:39] Olaf: And he’s the one who really believes in the mission.

[2:42] J.J.: Exactly! And then there's Egon Spengler, played by Harold Ramis.

[2:46] Olaf: Egon is the brains of the operation, always focused on the science.

[2:50] J.J.: His deadpan humor is a perfect contrast to Peter’s antics.

[2:54] Olaf: And we can’t forget Winston Zeddemore, played by Ernie Hudson.

[2:58] J.J.: Winston brings a grounded perspective to the team.

[3:02] Olaf: He’s the everyman who just wants to help out.

[3:05] J.J.: Together, they make such a great team.

[3:08] Olaf: And their camaraderie is what makes the film so enjoyable.

[3:12] J.J.: So, what do you think makes Ghostbusters stand the test of time?

[3:16] Olaf: I think it’s the combination of humor, memorable characters, and a unique premise.

[3:21] J.J.: Plus, the nostalgia factor for those who grew up with it.

[3:25] Olaf: Definitely! It’s a film that appeals to multiple generations.

[3:29] J.J.: And it’s become a cultural phenomenon, inspiring sequels and spin-offs.

[3:34] Olaf: It really has! Ghostbusters is a franchise that just keeps on giving.

[3:38] J.J.: So, are you ready to dive into some trivia about the film?

[3:42] Olaf: Absolutely! Let’s see how much we really know about Ghostbusters.

[3:46] J.J.: Alright, let’s get started!

[13:05] J.J.: Yeah, I was just gonna say, you get the Columbia logo, the lady holding the torch, and you just start to hear these little otherworldly sounds from the music. I can't even explain what they are.

[13:20] Olaf: I know, I was trying to sing them, but I don't want to do that either because I'm not going to do it justice. So I can just hear them in my head at the moment. And then it opens up on to the New York Library, and we've got our little librarian just going about her day. But you're following her, and you've got Elmer Bernstein's music playing, and it's like, oh my gosh, you're kind of getting on the edge of your seat. You don't know what's going to happen. She goes down into the library basement, putting books away, and your first inkling that, uh-oh, something's about to happen, some books start levitating back and forth behind her from shelf to shelf.

[14:06] J.J.: Which from an effect standpoint, of the time, you get the books going from shelf to shelf, and that's your sort of, there's sort of this buildup of what we're going to see happen in this one little scene, just from an effect standpoint, and what they were able to do is pretty amazing. And then she's going past all the index cards, and the drawers start opening, and the cards just go everywhere. And then she starts running away, and then we get our first big scare. We don't see anything, we just see her reaction. And then it goes perfectly into the title of the movie with the big ghost logo, Ghostbusters. You've got Ray Parker Jr.'s theme song. What a fantastic cold open. It sets a great tone. We don't know what's happening, we don't know what's going on, but we just saw something really cool, really spooky, and now it's like, boom, here we go. We're off to the races.

[14:59] Olaf: We're off to the races, and then we get this introduction of Pete Venkman, and before we even see Pete Venkman, we get to see his door to his office, where it says—

[15:10] J.J.: At Columbia.

[15:12] Olaf: Well, they call it, they shot it at Columbia, but I think the name of the college is something else. They were like, don't mention us. You can shoot here, don't use our name.

[15:22] J.J.: Don't use our name. But I think initially on Venkman's door, they were going to have a bunch of different vulgarities and profanities on the door, and Ivan Reitman was like, we want to make this more of a family friendly, so they just have, burn in hell, or something like that.

[15:39] Olaf: Yeah, burn in hell, Venkman. Before we even see him. And then, what a classic scene, the shock therapy.

[15:47] J.J.: The negative effects on ESP. This scene, so I've gone on record on this show and in life, when I say growing up watching movies, the reasons why I like Back to the Future and Marty McFly are characters that I can sort of relate to and go, yeah, this guy. Now, you would think that at this moment right now, I'm going to say, and then I saw Pete Venkman and I went, yes, Bill Murray, that's it. I'm not talking about Bill Murray, you guys. I'm talking about the guy who's getting electrically shocked. I would watch this scene and I'm like, this dude is, this guy.

[16:28] Olaf: Wow, I was not expecting this.

[16:30] J.J.: I know, the guy who gets electrically shocked. I'm like, this would be me. Not because I'm this guy who's trying to get five bucks to get electrically shocked, but this is a kind of guy that I could play. I can relate to this guy, who's just the short guy with the crazy hair, who's just like, he's really sitting next to the pretty girl, just trying to.

[16:54] Olaf: Trying his best and actually doing well, and sadly, not knowing. The scene is fantastic. You could study this scene in acting class because it's just so well done and Bill Murray is just firing on every cylinder in this.

[17:12] J.J.: And it's such a small way, in such a small way. It's so fantastic, but what makes me laugh the most in this whole scene is when your guy that you're talking about—

[17:23] Olaf: I know exactly what you're going to say.

[17:26] J.J.: He's like, I don't like this, and Bill goes, don't worry, we only have 75 more to go.

[17:36] Olaf: Well right before that, he gets shocked and his gum spits out of his mouth. And then he puts the gum back in his mouth, I tell you, man. Who knows how long that scene had been going on before we came in. He says to the girl, you're five for five. So like, they've only just started.

[18:00] J.J.: They're going to do this 80 times. You can keep the five bucks.

[18:06] Olaf: And he storms out. I'll tell you what the effect is, it's pissing me off.

[18:14] J.J.: I didn't know you were going to begin with this electric chest. Well, I'd say my theory is true.

[18:18] Olaf: Oh, man. You talk about the cold opening. That cold opening with this scene to introduce Bill Murray's character is perfect. It's just perfect.

[18:28] J.J.: Well, then we get Ray.

[18:41] Olaf: Ray comes barging in, getting in the way of Bill hitting on the young, beautiful student. So he's like, hey, we got to go to the library. Ten people just saw this freeform floating apparition.

[18:56] J.J.: I'm not even going to try.

[18:57] Olaf: I'm not even going to try.

[19:00] J.J.: That's great, Ray. That's great. You and Egon go down there and get all of whatever you need to do.

[19:04] Olaf: No, you're coming with us. And so they show up. Egon's already there.

[19:09] J.J.: Right. And they go to interview the little librarian who had the ghost encounter. I love this scene because, honestly, Bill Murray is playing it straight. He's not necessarily going for a laugh.

[19:21] Olaf: Right.

[19:22] J.J.: He's like, I don't believe in ghosts.

[19:26] Olaf: Right.

[19:27] J.J.: You have just said that you've seen one. As a scientist, let me ask you some questions first. He's like, have you or anyone in your family had a history of mental illness or some other stuff?

[19:39] Olaf: My uncle thought he was Saint Jerome.

[19:42] J.J.: Well, I'd say that was a big yes. And then he's like, Alice, are you currently menstruating?

[19:51] Olaf: What does that have to do with anything?

[19:52] J.J.: And the head of the library is like, what does that have to do with anything? He's like, back off, man. I'm a scientist. That's just so fantastic.

[20:00] Olaf: Oh, yeah. I mean, when you see a really great comedy movie, they'll always ask, well, was all of this scripted? Did you guys get a chance to improvise or ad lib? And a lot of times they'll be like, no, everything was on the page. Everything that we shot was on the page.

[20:16] J.J.: For Bill Murray, a lot of his was ad lib.

[20:20] Olaf: Improvised.

[20:21] J.J.: Yeah.

[20:22] Olaf: Yeah. And in fact, almost like none of the scenes are scripted. Most of them had ad libs and Bill Murray, for sure. So you have to think at that particular scene, one, how many times are they shooting that? And two, how many different things is he saying that they ended up like not using?

[20:37] J.J.: Yeah.

[20:38] Olaf: Yeah. It's brilliant. And you get even more absolute, subtle killer jokes as they go down into the basement to investigate the paranormal experiences. And Bill Murray is killing me in all of this.

[20:55] J.J.: But he's nailing it so well because of Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd.

[21:00] Olaf: Yeah.

[21:01] J.J.: That's the only way it works. The three of them are just nailing these scenes, and it's so great because it feels so visceral and real and natural. And their chemistry is just off the charts.

[21:14] Olaf: Yeah. The casting of these three. Obviously, Dan Aykroyd was going to be in it because he came to the table with the script.

[21:21] J.J.: Harold Ramis.

[21:22] Olaf: Well, yeah, because it was supposed to be him and John Belushi.

[21:25] J.J.: Right.

[21:26] Olaf: And Ramis wasn't even going to be in it. And then once he finished rewriting, he goes on. He felt like he was the only one who could play Egon. But yeah, John Belushi was supposed to play Pete Venkman. And Winston was supposed to have a much bigger role.

[21:40] J.J.: Right.

[21:41] Olaf: And it was supposed to be Eddie Murphy.

[21:42] J.J.: Right.

[21:43] Olaf: And then he said no.

[21:44] J.J.: Well, because he got Beverly Hills Cop.

[21:46] Olaf: Yeah.

[21:47] J.J.: And so then they expanded Bill Murray's role and cut down Winston's role. But the fact that, you know, I think it helps that Bill and Dan were on SNL together and Harold Ramis and Bill Murray had already done Stripes together. So you've got this really amazing shorthand that would only allow the subtlety of these jokes to work as well as they do.

[22:10] Olaf: So they're down in the basement. They're checking out everything. Venkman is just not having it. He's not buying any of it. And then at one point, Ray says easily one of my favorite lines of most movies, because it's so subtle and stupid and it makes no sense, but it cracks me up every time.

[22:27] J.J.: Okay.

[22:39] Olaf: But they were looking at the books being stacked the way they were, and Venkman's like, yes, no human being would stack books this way. All of a sudden, Ray goes, listen, do you smell something?

[22:51] J.J.: And I just love that.

[22:57] Olaf: Because it's totally two different senses. Listen, do you smell something? It's so dumb and I love it.

[23:05] J.J.: Yeah. This one is easily, I mean, there's so many lines in this movie from different scenes of this movie that from various characters of this movie that are classic. Now the guys have turned a corner and they find the paranormal, spooky, ghostly librarian reading a book. And the three of them are just standing there and Bill Murray sells this so well, because all of a sudden this thing, he's like, none of this is real. This is all dumb, is suddenly there in front of him while the other two are just stunned.

[24:00] Olaf: And he's like, so what are we going to do? And the two of them just look at each other and he's like, can you come over here and speak to me, please? Get over here, Francis. And they have no idea how to handle a ghost. They've never seen one.

[24:15] J.J.: What I love is that it's almost like how they would talk to a girl. They're trying to figure out what the best calculation is. They're looking at their devices like, no, just go and talk to the girl. Like go and talk to the ghost. This is what you've been waiting for your whole career.

[24:30] Olaf: They're so lost. They're like, well, we never actually thought we'd have to catch one or let alone communicate with one or see one. And then Egon and Ray realizing, well, obviously Venkman's going to be the one that has to talk to her.

[24:39] J.J.: Well, then she's so the ghost is so dismissive of Venkman, too. He's like, hello. His face is just like, yeah, oh, God, it was it's such a great scene. I love it so much.

[24:51] Olaf: Yeah. And then he's like, all right, we need to think of something else. And then Ray's plan is, OK, follow me. I got it. And they're just going with they have no idea what he's going to do. And he yells, get her, get her.

[25:05] J.J.: And then the ghost just transforms into this monster and chases them out of there. So great.

[25:11] Olaf: So fantastic. What I love is the sort of the cap to that scene, which is in the next scene where you get to see Ray sort of coming down from that high of the, you know, encounter when Venkman's like, get her. That's what you were going to say. And you see Ray's face of like, you know, this sort of excitement, like, oh, yeah, I don't know. I just I didn't know what to do. It is like the first thing he came up. It's so genuine.

[25:40] J.J.: So now here we go. The guys are like, all right, we're going to go into business for ourselves. And, you know, now it's like, OK, let's come up with some money. And they put three mortgages on some farmhouse that Ray had in his family.

[25:54] Olaf: Yeah.

[25:55] J.J.: Yeah. And we get to the iconic headquarters.

[25:58] Olaf: Yeah. The firehouse, which is the firehouse, the hook and ladder, which they use, obviously, the exterior of hook and ladder eight in New York City for the exteriors. And I actually got to go to it a couple of years ago.

[26:11] J.J.: Really cool, they've got the exterior and they've got the Ghostbusters sort of sign out there still.

[26:16] Olaf: Yeah, and it's an actual fire station still, but they sell some Ghostbusters merch and you can take pictures and stuff. The last time I was in New York, I was like, I've never gone to see the hook and ladder. Yeah, let's actually look up where it is. Yeah, and I'm like around Central Park. Oh no, and I realize when I look it up how far away it was. Yeah, it's way downtown. I'm never gonna make it. I didn't have that kind of time.

[26:42] J.J.: Well, it's also kind of disappointing. It's kind of, it's not hidden, but it's not just there. Like you got to get off the subway, you got to hook around a corner, and then it sort of pops up right there because it's not this big elaborate station, but it is pretty cool to kind of come up to it and see it.

[27:04] Olaf: Yeah, I would love to go. I don't know when I'll be in New York again, but so they end up buying the firehouse mainly because Ray liked the fireball, so it's like, I guess we'll buy it.

[27:16] J.J.: And now we get introduced to the rest of our ragtag team here. We get to meet the wonderful, the beautiful, the amazing Sigourney Weaver.

[27:23] Olaf: Yes, this was her first foray into comedy as far as films. She'd been doing these serious roles.

[27:31] J.J.: Yeah, she'd done some like comedy theater stuff, right? She always wanted to.

[27:37] Olaf: Yeah, she always wanted to sort of stretch her legs in the film world in comedy and just hadn't been given an opportunity. And she came in for the audition and ended up doing an impression, impersonating a dog for the role, and Ivan Reitman was like, you got it, you're perfect. So it was crazy that she had to audition because by then she was so well known anyway, right?

[28:00] J.J.: But again, it was probably one of those things where if you only knew her in the world of film as a dramatic actress, how are you going to know if she's going to be able to pull this stuff off? And then she, you know, like you said, she gets on the desk and acts like a dog. Perfect, that's what we need. She's incredible in this. I mean, she's another one of those perfect ingredients for this movie.

[28:20] Olaf: Well, because she's also not playing for laughs either. No, like she's a very capable character. She's not like screaming and needing help. I mean, she needs help, but she's a smart, intelligent, independent woman living in New York. And, you know, she has clearly, this character's clearly lived there for a long time. She knows her way around. Yeah, she's carrying her cello everywhere with her and carrying a bag of groceries.

[28:48] J.J.: What I find interesting is you had mentioned earlier Bill Murray, when he's with the two other guys, he is sort of playing it sort of straight. He's not playing for laughs, but when he's with Sigourney Weaver, she is playing it even straighter to counter his, and he's dialing it up a little bit, but not a lot, but because he doesn't have to, right? He's just playing that lovesick puppy.

[29:07] Olaf: Yeah, I know what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna prove to solve your little problem here. We also get introduced to Lewis Tully.

[29:12] J.J.: Lewis Tully, Rick Moranis. Rick Moranis is so perfectly cast in this movie because it wasn't even supposed to be him.

[29:28] Olaf: It wasn't even him. It wasn't even supposed to be him. It was like supposed to be John Candy.

[29:32] J.J.: John Candy? I can't imagine that. I can't, only because even had they, even had in the, uh, some of the drawings for the scenes, storyboards, images of John Candy as the character. Like he obviously could have been great in this part. It would have been a totally different dynamic, a totally different character.

[29:49] Olaf: Yeah, but that's why he left. The ideas he had weren't vibing with what they were doing. I think he even suggested Rick Moranis. The fact that Rick Moranis is in it gives you such a different dynamic just in height because he's so short in stature. The amazing contrast he has with Sigourney Weaver and the fact that he loves Sigourney almost like that puppy, like, "Hey, oh hey, Dana," like every time she walks by the door. "Oh hey, Dana, hey, hey."

[30:25] J.J.: And then he constantly locks himself out. "I heard your TV on, so I just turned mine on even louder." No, no, your TV was on and it was really loud and the landlord was complaining, so I crawled out onto the ledge to try to disconnect the cable, but I couldn't get in. So then I went home and turned mine up. He lives across the hall, like what's he doing?

[30:49] Olaf: I know, that's like how long did it take him to scale the wall around to her side of the building? This character for me, if I had Michael J. Fox on one hand and then I get Rick Moranis as Lewis Tully, yeah, it's this perfect. I love it because in his mind, he's a successful accountant clearly. Where he lives, I mean, he lives in Central Park West. I mean, he may not have any friends, but he doesn't seem unsure of himself. You know, he's very, in his own way, confident. He's not insecure.

[31:31] J.J.: Yeah, to a certain degree. I mean, he's just, he's just the way he is.

[31:36] Olaf: He is, yeah. Oh man. So we get to learn a little bit about the two of them just in their brief encounter in the hallway before she goes in. And then all of a sudden spooky stuff happens, which then causes her to go see the Ghostbusters. She meets the team. Now when we get back to the firehouse, they're more established. Janine is now hired on.

[31:49] J.J.: I wish we could, is there a deleted scene where we see Janine get hired or anything? Or is like, we just, is Janine just there?

[32:02] Olaf: Because there are some deleted scenes, but I don't believe that is one of them. So there's no like, we don't know why or how she got this job because Annie Potts is great in what she's asked.

[32:13] J.J.: Fantastic in this. Her interaction with Bill Murray right off the get-go is like, "Type something! We're paying for all this stuff!" Ghostbusters, don't look at me with those bug eyes, Janine.

[32:26] Olaf: Sorry about the bug eyes comment. Yeah, and then she's flirting with Egon.

[32:33] J.J.: Oh yeah, he's like, "I collect spores, mold, and fungus." There is a deleted scene there because the relationship between Egon and Janine was supposed to be much more developed, and they try to do it through moments of the film, but it just never, it was mostly just cut out.

[32:46] Olaf: Yeah, just I think for time and for pacing. But then Dana, she comes in, she tells them all about her problem. They go back to her apartment with Finkman and Toad, and he's here to check it out, or he's here to check her out. I mean, check out the apartment. And he's got a wand with a squeeze ball on the end. What is that?

[33:13] J.J.: No idea. It looks like he's an exterminator. Even she's like, "Are you sure you're using it right?" And he's like, "I think so." You're more of a game show host. And so don't really find anything, but she is like, "All right, you can go." And he's hitting on her, so now Bankman's pledged himself to solve Dana's problem.

[33:35] Olaf: And we get back to the firehouse, they're eating their dinner. He's like, "I'm gonna need some petty cash so I can take our only client out to dinner." This dinner right here represents the last of the petty cash. And then he's like, "All right, slow down, chew your food." And then it happens, they get their first real customer. So now we get to see Ecto-1.

[34:06] J.J.: Yeah, the great shot of the light hits the license plate right before it takes off. That is a really cool shot because prior to that, it's not like what are we, we don't know that, I mean, unless they showed it in the trailer that the car they're driving, I mean, so this is the first.

[34:21] Olaf: Well, we saw the car, but it hadn't been done up yet.

[34:27] J.J.: Right, but we hadn't seen it all decked out with the paint job. It was like, it was black and breaking down.

[34:33] Olaf: Yeah, oh, it comes out, it looks fantastic. So iconic with a great song, "Cleaning Up the Town." It's such a great tune, yeah, and it fits so well with this scene all the way to the hotel.

[34:40] J.J.: Oh, the hotel, I tell you, this might be an extra episode because we're just at the hotel.

[34:47] Olaf: I know, I'm looking at the block.

[34:53] J.J.: Oh man, so they get to the elevator, they're going up to check out this disturbance. There's a guy waiting on the elevator. He's like, "What are you guys supposed to be, some sort of cosmonauts?" Exterminators? No, no, we're exterminators. Somebody saw a cockroach up on 12. Must be a big cockroach that bites your head off, man. And then they all get in. He's like, "You coming?" He's like, "I'll get the next one."

[35:16] Olaf: Oh my gosh. And they get out of the elevator and they're like, "All right, I think we should split up." And Bankman's like, "Yeah, we could do more damage."

[35:29] J.J.: That's after they've torched the, uh...

[35:30] Olaf: Yes. So fun fact about this part. So they hear a noise and they turn around, they just start firing their proton packs, and it turns out it was just a maid in her cart, and the cart just explodes, and she's hiding behind it. And then she comes out and she goes, "What the hell are you doing?" Now her response was genuine because the prop guys had set up the pyro explosives on the cart had done a greater amount than what had been anticipated.

[36:02] J.J.: Got it.

[36:10] Olaf: So she had no idea when all those explosions were going up. I think if you look carefully when she pokes her head out from behind the cart, she's looking at the camera.

[36:16] J.J.: That would make more sense.

[36:21] Olaf: She's looking at the operator behind the camera. Yeah, so they're out looking for ghosts, and then Ray is the first to see what originally was called Onion Head, right? Or the ghost of John Belushi was what they sort of tailored the ghost.

[36:35] J.J.: Yeah, it was an homage to him. It was a homage, a spirit of John Belushi because the ghost character did everything in excess. Yeah, the eating thing was definitely a take from Animal House, Belushi eating at Animal House. But that's why, you know, Slimer is, you know, and the effects guys said that the costume smelled so bad that that's where the Onion Head nickname came from. It didn't actually get the name Slimer until the cartoon, right? The Real Ghostbusters came out like a year or two later.

[37:06] Olaf: Yeah, side note, I love that cartoon.

[37:12] J.J.: Loved that cartoon. Yeah, it's fantastic.

[37:26] Olaf: So we get our first look at Slimer. He runs away, right? Runs into Bankman and then, uh, slimes him. No, the great part about that whole thing is Bankman slowly just grabs the radio. "Come in, right?" He's an ugly little spud, isn't he? I think, I think he can hear you.

[37:45] J.J.: They get called by Egon. It's like, "Hurry up, get down here." It just ran into the ballroom, and they're watching this thing. It's circling the chandelier. They take some shots at it with their proton packs. The chandelier just crashes to the ground. You hear so much noise, and the hotel manager in the outside of the room, he's locked outside of the room like, "What is happening?" They're supposed to be having a huge...

[38:13] Olaf: Oh yeah, it's all set up. They got all the place settings, the tables are...

[38:19] J.J.: Yeah, and then we get some important information from Egon, right? The crossing the streams set up, which up to this point we haven't really needed any exposition because everything seems to sort of be taking care of itself, or the reason why we don't get it is because these guys are just making it up as they go along.

[38:36] Olaf: You know, they're making it up as they go.

[38:40] J.J.: Yeah, but now we have some stakes plus a nice little bit of foreshadowing. Yes, Egon's like, "I have some important news I forgot to tell you. Don't cross the streams." Right? That could be very bad. And Bankman's like, "I'm fuzzy on the whole good-bad thing. Can you explain this more?" And he's like, "Basically, imagine all life ending or something like that." Okay, that's bad. Good note, good note. Yeah, important safety tip. Thanks, Egon. And then they do it. They trap their first...

[39:17] J.J.: Slimer is our first ghost victim and they extorted a whole bunch of money out of, yeah, the man is like 5,000.

[39:24] Olaf: I won't pay it.

[39:27] J.J.: Oh, that's all right. We can just put it back into the ballroom.

[39:30] Olaf: Yeah.

[39:37] J.J.: And then we get our montage, our montage where they're on the streets. Apparently, now there just happened to be ghosts infiltrating New York City everywhere. They're hitting newspaper, yeah, magazine.

[39:45] Olaf: They shot this montage the very first day of shooting, all of the running around the city, and they were running around the city shooting this montage without permits.

[39:57] J.J.: So there's like scenes where police officers are actually chasing them.

[40:03] Olaf: Ackroyd's driving the Ecto-mobile, you know, you can see the people in the background, just regular workers on the street like, "What is happening? What's going on here?" Then we finally get at the end of that montage, we get Winston. He shows up, he gets hired. That's where we, she's going through a whole list of things that you might believe in, and he's like, "If there's a steady paycheck involved, I'll believe anything you want."

[40:31] J.J.: Yeah, your boy Ernie Hudson, he's so good in this even though it's such a small role, which he wasn't aware of when he got it. Like when he was offered it, he read what was supposed to be the script and so he was all-in, and then when he got there, they had downsized the role considerably and they had told him, "Look, this is what it is now. We've expanded Bill Murray's role a little bit." And so even he was on record years later saying, "If there's a steady paycheck..."

[40:58] Olaf: He had a bit of a love-hate relationship with the success of the movie because he just felt like his character was just kind of there and not doing much, which I completely agree with watching it. I'm like, this dude is not a scientist like these other three. They just needed extra help, but they also didn't give him enough to do. I mean, they throw him with Ray for the back half of the movie to give, but I will say, oh, he's not having a lot to do, he nails everything. Like he totally fits in the scenes he's in.

[41:28] J.J.: I agree. He doesn't feel out of place and that's a credit to him as an actor. And I don't forget about him either. It's like once he shows up, he's there.

[41:36] Olaf: But what's interesting to me is even in the second one when the guys get busted for going down into the subway, he's not there.

[41:43] J.J.: Oh, yeah, I don't know where he was, but they clearly didn't invite him.

[41:48] Olaf: Well, he went down in the subway. He went down later. He's like, "I'm good. I'm alright."

[41:55] J.J.: No, but we do get Winston, you know, he sort of introduced into the fold and then we get taken downstairs to where they store the basement.

[42:04] Olaf: Yeah, to see the containment unit. And it's so funny too because like when you're a kid, you remember the cartoon, and in the cartoon, the containment unit is huge. And in this movie, it's quite small. It's just this panel.

[42:20] J.J.: Yeah, it's bad. Like because it's all apparently, it's like in the actual structure of the building, which they clearly built when they bought the firehouse. So we learn a little bit more about that. We learn about how the containment unit works and that it's also getting quite full. This is the famous scene where they reference a Twinkie, and Ernie Hudson's like, "That's a big Twinkie."

[42:47] Olaf: We also get introduced to our villain, one of our villains of the movie, Walter Peck.

[42:56] J.J.: William Atherton, cast perfectly by William Atherton, so perfectly that when the movie came out, he couldn't like walk on the streets because, you know, people would be yelling at him because they do be fair, most of his roles are that character. Like, yeah, Real Genius, he was terrible. He hadn't done yet.

[43:17] Olaf: Die Hard, he was...

[43:20] J.J.: Which he had no, I agree. I mean, this was like, this sort of gave him those opportunities. Like he did this and then he did Real Genius, and then he did Die Hard. I don't know if I've seen him in anything prior to this that I'm like, "Oh, yeah, he was in this before Ghostbusters." He nails these roles so well. Like I want to know what you do here because he's not even, he's so slimy, but he's not even over-the-top about it.

[43:46] Olaf: No, like when I watch it, this, yeah, he's just, he knows the assignment.

[43:49] J.J.: He knows this character and how they are, and he nails it. "You didn't say the magic word."

[43:55] Olaf: What is the magic word?

[43:57] J.J.: "Please may I please see your storage facility?"

[44:04] Olaf: So then we get what kicks everything off. We go back to Dana's apartment, and this is when Lewis is having his party at his place. Dana's getting back, showing up to meet with Bankman to talk about, well, she thinks they're gonna talk about Zool and the history of the building and all that stuff. He later shows up with flowers whenever he's thinking it's a date, so we're back in her apartment. She's getting changed, her mom calls.

[44:30] J.J.: Like that scene in A Nightmare on Elm Street where Freddy Krueger's pushing through the wall kind of deal, and she gets taken. She gets attacked by a terror dog, and all these hands come out of the chair she's sitting in and drag her into the kitchen, and she's like, "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God."

[44:54] Olaf: All these hands come out of the chair she's sitting in and drag her into the kitchen.

[45:03] J.J.: We did, whoa, what happened? And then we cut to the party where Lewis has invited everybody at the party, our clients, because he's like an accountant. He clearly doesn't have any friends, but that's okay because he's invited all of his clients to this party. But what's great about this shot is as Lewis is mingling through the party, talking to all of his guests about certain things, it's one continuous shot that never cuts away.

[45:29] Olaf: That's almost entirely improvised by Rick Moranis.

[45:34] J.J.: I want to say that he used to be an accountant at one time, and that's how he knew to come up with all the stuff that he's talking about. What I think is hilarious is that he's introducing all of his clients to each other, but he's almost like giving out what I would consider to be like personal information, information that you wouldn't give out as an accountant.

[45:57] Olaf: He is so, and then he, you know, "Oh, hey guys," he takes the coats, he throws the coats in the closet, and that's where we get to see our first real look at one of the terror dogs.

[46:08] J.J.: That is, you know, come to life from the top of the building, and then you hear the big growl of the terror dog. He's like, "Alright, who brought the dog?" And this thing bursts out of the closet, and everybody's freaking out.

[46:21] Olaf: What I find hilarious is he's the only one that leaves his own party. Like it's not like they all start running out the door. He's like the only one.

[46:25] J.J.: Yeah, he runs out. He's like, "Oh, there's a bear loose in my apartment."

[46:36] Olaf: So we see before we cut away from Louis, we get to see him get sort of attacked as he's banging outside what looks to be Tavern on the Green in Central Park at the restaurant, and everybody sort of looks, and they can only see Louis. They don't see the, you know, dog that's attacking, and so that in typical New York fashion, Louis sort of slides down the glass, and everybody just goes back to eating their dinner like, you know, "Okay," and we cut back to the apartment where Bill Murray shows up.

[47:06] J.J.: Yeah, he shows up, knocks on the door, and Sigourney Weaver, hair done up, everything. She's now the gatekeeper. She answers the door. "Are you the key master?" He's like, "Nope. Nope." Slams the door.

[47:22] Olaf: Knocks again. "Are you the key master?" "I am." "Well, I'm a friend of his. Tell me to meet him here."

[47:31] J.J.: The whole apartment's like transformed, so he's like, "Okay, something's..." Well, you can see the sort of the slime residue all over the walls, and so she thinks he's the key master, so she wants to procreate with him so they can bring about the coming of Gozer, and he's like, "Well, I have a rule. I never get involved with possessed people." "Well, it's more of a guideline than a rule."

[47:56] Olaf: What I love is you get the, you know, "I want to speak to Dana," and she's like, "There is no Dana, only Zuul."

[48:03] J.J.: And he's like, "I'm gonna ask you one more time." What a lovely singing voice.

[48:07] Olaf: I used to say that all the time to my son when he was younger because we had watched the movie.

[48:11] J.J.: What a lovely singing voice. But then she starts to levitate.

[48:14] Olaf: Levitates, which they had her on like some sort of body cast, and then they had her sort of, they did a practical stunt with her.

[48:21] J.J.: Elevator, because Ivan Reitman had experience with theater, live theater, and that's where he got the idea to do it that way.

[48:30] Olaf: Yeah, because there's like a pole coming out from the curtains that holds up the cast that she's in to levitate and stuff.

[48:36] J.J.: Yeah, so we find Lewis Tully now as the key master wandering around New York trying to find the gate. Well, he's not that far because he just runs into Central Park, gets attacked at the restaurant, and comes back out, and that's where all of like the horse-drawn carriages are waiting to pick people up. He just starts talking to this one horse.

[49:01] Olaf: Yeah, he gets picked up by the cops, and the cops don't want to put him in lockup because he's so weird, so they're like, "Hey, these Ghostbusters are all about weird stuff. We'll bring him there," right? And so Egon is there, Egon and Janine.

[49:15] J.J.: So now we learn through a phone call between Bankman and Egon that they've got the key master and the gatekeeper, and we have to get these two together. And he goes, "I think that would be very dangerous."

[49:29] Olaf: But right before anything else can happen, Peck shows back up. He's got a court order, and he's here to shut things down.

[49:37] J.J.: Yeah, and they go down with a cop and an electrician down to the storage unit to shut it off, and all hell breaks loose. This big glowing beam shoots out through the roof of the firehouse, and all these ghosts get let loose into the city, and we get like a fun little montage of all these cool...

[49:57] Olaf: You get this sort of '80s montage because even like the music is very '80s now.

[50:03] J.J.: Let's talk about that because Elmer Bernstein, he does the classical score for this and just nails it, and then they throw in some other pop tunes throughout the movie, and they're all great. And this scene in particular, the music is so cool.

[50:17] Olaf: I love it. I was like, "I love this song." So I go and I try to find it, and I finally figure out what it is, and it's called "Magic." They only use in the movie the good part of the song. I was never a fan of the song.

[50:32] J.J.: I'm really not a huge fan of the scene.

[50:33] Olaf: I mean, for what it's trying to accomplish, I can get behind it. You see all the ghosts, you get that sort of mystical vibe permeating through the city. You see Sigourney Weaver wake up, and she's sort of doing a thing.

[50:47] J.J.: We get to see Lewis make it to Dana's apartment, and he gets up there.

[50:52] Olaf: Sigourney just plants a big old fat kiss on him. She dips him, which is even better, and then they sort of make their way up the stairs, and then it cuts to them in jail.

[51:07] J.J.: So now they're in jail where we get a little bit more explanation, a lot of exposition about the history of the building that Dana lives in and Gozer and Zuul and all that stuff.

[51:19] Olaf: Yeah, it's a great scene because they're all get something to do. They're all interacting. Plus you have all these criminals just in the cell with them.

[51:26] J.J.: Oh, yeah, everybody engaged, everybody getting this.

[51:32] Olaf: So be good for goodness sake.

[51:35] J.J.: Whoa.

[51:39] Olaf: You get a, you get Reginald VelJohnson pre-Die Hard as the police officer who, you know...

[51:46] J.J.: Well, the mayor wants to see you.

[51:50] Olaf: Oh, got to go, guys. Mayor wants to...

[51:53] J.J.: They go across town into the mayor's office where all hell's breaking loose because there's ghosts everywhere, right? Walls in the 54th precinct are bleeding.

[52:01] Olaf: I love how he delivers that line.

[52:22] J.J.: Welcome back to the show! Today, we’re diving into the Halloween spirit as we talk about the classic 1984 film, Ghostbusters.

[52:52] Olaf: That's right! Grab your proton pack, snack on some Twinkies, and get ready to bust some ghosts with us!

[53:22] J.J.: I mean, who you gonna call, right? Ghostbusters is such an iconic film, and it really set the standard for supernatural comedies.

[53:52] Olaf: Absolutely! The blend of humor, horror, and a bit of science fiction is just perfect. Plus, the cast is legendary.

[54:22] J.J.: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson really brought their characters to life. Each one has such a unique personality.

[54:52] Olaf: And let’s not forget about Sigourney Weaver! She was fantastic as Dana Barrett.

[54:54] J.J.: Right? Her transformation into Zuul is one of the most memorable moments in the film.

[54:56] Olaf: It really is! The special effects for the time were groundbreaking, and they still hold up today.

[54:58] J.J.: They do! And the humor is timeless. I mean, who doesn’t love the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man?

[55:00] Olaf: Exactly! That scene is iconic. It’s a perfect example of how the film balances comedy with the supernatural.

[55:02] J.J.: Speaking of balance, the chemistry between the Ghostbusters themselves is fantastic.

[55:04] Olaf: For sure! You can tell they had a lot of fun making this movie, and that energy translates to the audience.

[55:06] J.J.: And the theme song! It’s one of the most recognizable songs in movie history.

[55:08] Olaf: Definitely! It’s catchy and perfectly captures the spirit of the film.

[55:10] J.J.: So, what’s your favorite scene from Ghostbusters?

[55:12] Olaf: I’d have to say the scene in the library when they first encounter the ghost. It sets the tone for the whole movie.

[55:14] J.J.: That’s a classic! The suspense and then the comedic reveal is just brilliant.

[55:17] Olaf: And the way they use the ghost trap for the first time is so memorable.

[55:18] J.J.: It really is! The whole concept of ghost hunting was so fresh and exciting back then.

[55:20] Olaf: And it’s still relevant today! Ghostbusters has spawned sequels, reboots, and even an animated series.

[55:22] J.J.: It’s amazing how this film has become a cultural phenomenon.

[55:34] Olaf: For sure! And it’s great to see new generations discovering it.

[55:36] J.J.: Absolutely! So, if you haven’t seen Ghostbusters yet, what are you waiting for?

[55:38] Olaf: Exactly! It’s a must-watch, especially around Halloween.

[55:40] J.J.: And if you have seen it, it’s always worth a rewatch.

[55:42] Olaf: Definitely! There’s always something new to appreciate in it.

[55:44] J.J.: So, let’s get into some trivia about the film!

[55:46] Olaf: Yes! I love trivia. Did you know that the original script was much darker?

[55:48] J.J.: I did! They had a different tone in mind before they decided to lighten it up.

[55:50] Olaf: Right! And the original title was supposed to be "Ghostbusters" but they had to change it due to legal issues.

[55:52] J.J.: That’s interesting! It’s hard to imagine it being called anything else.

[55:54] Olaf: I know, right? The name has become synonymous with ghost hunting.

[55:56] J.J.: So, what’s your favorite Ghostbuster gadget?

[56:00] Olaf: I’d have to go with the proton pack. It’s just so iconic!

[56:02] J.J.: Agreed! It’s the ultimate ghost-hunting tool.

[56:04] Olaf: And the sound it makes when it’s activated is just so satisfying.

[56:06] J.J.: It really is! The sound design in this film is top-notch.

[56:07] Olaf: For sure! It adds to the overall experience.

[56:09] J.J.: So, what do you think makes Ghostbusters stand the test of time?

[56:12] Olaf: I think it’s the perfect mix of humor, action, and memorable characters.

[56:15] J.J.: Absolutely! It’s a film that appeals to all ages.

[56:16] Olaf: And it’s just so much fun to watch!

[56:19] J.J.: So, if you’re looking for a great Halloween movie, Ghostbusters is the way to go.

[56:22] Olaf: Definitely! And don’t forget to grab some Twinkies while you’re at it!

[56:25] J.J.: Yes! Snack on those while you enjoy the film.

[56:27] Olaf: So, that wraps up our discussion on Ghostbusters.

[56:30] J.J.: Thanks for joining us today! Be sure to subscribe and follow us on social media.

[56:33] Olaf: You can find us on Instagram and TikTok at @backtothemovietheater.

[56:35] J.J.: And check out our website at bttmtpodcast.com for more content.

[56:38] Olaf: Until next time, keep watching those movies!

[56:41] J.J.: And remember, who you gonna call?

[56:44] Olaf: Ghostbusters!

[56:46] J.J.: See you next time!

[56:49] Olaf: Bye!

[56:53] J.J.: Bye!

[56:56] Olaf: Bye!

[56:59] J.J.: Bye!

[57:00] Olaf: Bye!

[57:03] J.J.: Bye!

[57:05] Olaf: Bye!

[57:08] J.J.: Bye!

[57:10] Olaf: Bye!

[57:13] J.J.: Bye!

[57:16] Olaf: Bye!

[57:17] J.J.: Bye!

[57:18] Olaf: Bye!

[57:19] J.J.: Bye!

[57:20] Olaf: Bye!

[57:22] J.J.: Bye!

[57:27] Olaf: Bye!

[57:28] J.J.: Bye!

[57:30] Olaf: Bye!

[57:33] J.J.: Bye!

[57:35] Olaf: Bye!

[57:36] J.J.: Bye!

[57:38] Olaf: Bye!

[57:40] J.J.: Bye!

[57:41] Olaf: Bye!

[57:43] J.J.: Bye!

[57:44] Olaf: Bye!

[57:46] J.J.: Bye!

[57:47] Olaf: Bye!

[57:49] J.J.: Bye!

[57:51] Olaf: Bye!

[57:52] J.J.: Bye!

[57:53] Olaf: Bye!

[57:55] J.J.: Bye!

[58:00] Olaf: Bye!

[58:02] J.J.: Bye!

[58:08] Olaf: Bye!

[58:11] J.J.: Bye!

[58:13] Olaf: Bye!

[58:15] J.J.: Bye!

[58:19] Olaf: Bye!

[58:22] J.J.: Bye!

[58:25] Olaf: Bye!

[58:26] J.J.: Bye!

[58:28] Olaf: Bye!

[58:45] J.J.: Bye!

[59:14] Olaf: Bye!

[59:38] J.J.: Bye!

[1:00:03] Olaf: Bye!

[1:00:28] J.J.: Bye!

[1:00:58] Olaf: Bye!

[1:01:28] J.J.: Bye!

[1:01:58] Olaf: Bye!

[1:02:28] J.J.: Bye!

[1:02:58] Olaf: Bye!

[1:03:28] J.J.: Bye!

[1:03:58] Olaf: Bye!

[1:04:28] J.J.: Bye!

[1:04:58] Olaf: Bye!