Unfortunately, at the moment, it’s hard to think about “Ghostbusters” without being reminded of the volatile digression that has become the conversation surrounding the upcoming reboot of the 1984 classic. As is likely common knowledge for even those living under rocks by now, certain corners of the internet got worked up about Paul Feig‘s female-led remake after the first trailer landed a few months back and that vocal few turned the admittedly bland promo (which had nothing to do with the gender of the leads, and entirely with the material) into the most disliked in YouTube history.
In my opinion, the new “Ghostbusters” doesn’t look all that terrible, and no matter what happens with the new one, nothing will have actually changed about the old one at all (sorry, no one’s childhood is being ruined). Which should serve as a relief, because Ivan Reitman’s 1984 film is something of an anomaly: a four-quadrant film that never feels anything but genuine and sincere, a laugh-out-loud comedy that never so much as bends beneath the weight of its conceit, while featuring one of the finest Bill Murray performances.
Though, it’s worth noting, that before all that, “Ghostbusters” was nothing more than a mediocre script by co-stars Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. So, to help parse apart how a so-so script became a cinematic classic, Lessons From The Screenplay has put together a new eight-minute video essay. “How ‘Ghostbusters’ Became ‘Ghostbusters’” runs through how the success of the original movie rested almost entirely on the well-rounded premise and the structure Aykroyd and Ramis built to convey it. Because, as is common with comedies, much of the magical banter between the central characters was improvised, meaning the dialogue on the page didn’t matter much, but the story did, maybe even more than ever.
It’s a fascinating video essay, especially as we gear up for Feig’s reboot, which hits screens in just a little over a week. Because, as it becomes clear, for all intents and purposes Feig and co. have whipped together a similar concoction of comedy stars at their prime, solid direction, and a smashing premise. Hopefully they’ve got the story structure to carry it.
So, while we all eagerly await what will ideally be another bright spot in this lackluster blockbuster season, check out “How ‘Ghostbusters’ Became ‘Ghostbusters’” above and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments below.