Behind-the-scenes documentaries are far from being a new, groundbreaking piece of filmic art—from countless behind-the-scenes looks at uber-franchises “Star Wars” and the MCU to fascinating peeks into previously untold stories (2015’s excellent ‘Fantastic Four’ doc, “Doomed”) or cult classics (“Jodorowsky’s Dune”). “Ghostbusters” has seen its fair share, such as 2016’s fan-focused “Ghostheads.” And with “Cleanin’ Up The Town: Remembering Ghostbusters,” another attempt to shed some light on the original film and reveal various factoids of which the general public may have previously been unaware, there are some interesting stories to be found, but overall, Anthony Bueno’s film is a forgettable watch for the casual filmgoer and a useless rehash of existing material to which fans have likely already been subject time and again.
Full disclosure—the first job I ever wanted as an apple-cheeked suburbanite was that of a paranormal investigator, better known to the general populous as a Ghostbuster, running about with an unlicensed nuclear accelerator strapped to my back whilst raking up untold amounts of money as I saved the world from the threat of beings back from beyond the grave. I can only imagine how many others once held the same youthful goal, and how much fans of the beloved 1984 sci-fi comedy “Ghostbusters” have remained brand loyal. So, you would think “Cleanin’ Up the Town” is a film tailor-made for a die-hard fan like myself. Well, sadly, that’s not the case.
READ MORE: Fall 2021 Movie Preview: 60+ Must-See Films
Despite being largely unmemorable, “Cleanin’ Up The Town” does succeed in bringing nearly the entire original cast (sans, naturally, the elusive Bill Murray and Rick Moranis) and assorted crew of “Ghostbusters” together for interviews in a manner that immediately makes clear how much these screen legends still love the time they spent making the film, with no shortage of stories or information spewing from the mouths of all that easily warrant a second documentary. It also becomes clear rather quickly that “Cleanin’ Up The Town” has been in the works for some time, with the late Harold Ramis appearing throughout as a talking head, which, while wonderful to see the man again in clearly better times, remains bittersweet every time he pops up with that signature smile ever-present as he waxes poetic on another piece of Ghostbuster trivia.
Though another example of information that’s hardly new to fans and far more plentiful in 2015’s dense “Ghostbusters: The Ultimate Visual History,” seeing the terrifying concept art of various spooks early in their development or discussion of the script’s far-out early drafts never come off as dull. (Did you know the team originally used baton-like wands instead of the weapons we see in the film?) There are even those moments some might consider filler, like interviews with the two actors cast as those unforgettable students from the opening scene who undergo Peter Venkman’s (Murray) ESP assessment or Dana Barrett’s (Sigourney Weaver) nasally-challenged orchestra companion who somehow made the most of his few moments of screentime, yet end up more engaging that one might expect. Also noteworthy, there’s a great story of the animalistic lengths Weaver went to during her audition; that tale alone might be worth taking in a viewing. Plus, it’s hard not to see Willian Atherton and immediately recall his outstanding de facto villain Walter Peck; forget “Die Hard 2” or “Bio-Dome”, “Ghostbusters” remains Atherton’s magnum opus.
Unfortunately, every interesting segment finds itself buried under seemingly endless sections where even the casual fan might find themselves checking their watch. Learning that the eerie sound accompanying the Columbia logo at the beginning was a factory preset from a Yamaha DX7 synthesizer may only appeal to those familiar with the Yamaha DX7 synthesizer, or that parts of the library scene were filmed in different locations, which one doesn’t even need to be a follower of “Ghostbusters” to comprehend. Moments showing how the ghost-catching proton streams were created aren’t exactly pulling back the curtain on any cutting-edge technology of the era, and the doc does spend an unusual, unnecessary amount of time discussing the costumes used for Slimer and the Terror Dogs.
It should be noted that “Ghostbusters” underwent a rights battle due to the existence of a slapstick film/television series which happened to share the same name as Columbia’s version—it’s an intriguing story, but clearly, those behind this doc instead felt it necessary to again trot out Ray Parker Jr. to discuss his creation of the admittedly still-wonderful soundtrack centerpiece or reiterate how Winston (Ernie Hudson) serves as an audience proxy due to his everyman nature. That said, those early drafts appear to have featured far more Winston, and this does indeed remain a shame.
Reviewing documentaries can be inherently tricky, as the subject itself is essentially a lengthy review done by many, and “Cleanin’ Up The Town” dances between the passion of its interviewees to moments where one of Egon Spengler’s (Ramis) college lectures would likely be more captivating. It’s rare to find a team of filmmakers who hold a time in their lives in such high regard, but this level of nostalgic remembrance fails to consistently deliver a start-to-finish engaging look at one of the most classic films of all time. To some, seeing how the brief ghost-catching montage was assembled or the supernatural history of Dan Akyroyd’s family might be enough to give the film a passing grade, but for those expecting information capable of blowing the doors off the Containment Unit, it’s nothing more than a big Twinkie. [C-]
“Cleanin’ Up The Town: Remembering Ghostbusters” is available now.
