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Ghostbusters wasn't just a movie: it was a phenomenon. Dan Aykroyd was the brain behind this deliriously inventive comedy as well as starring alongside the always brilliant Bill Murray and co-writer Harold Ramis. Ivan Reitman called the shots on this tale of paranormal pest control that went on to smash box office records in 1984. The 1989 sequel failed to recapture the magic, but surely the original deserves a better Special Edition release than this stingy DVD boxset.
Who You Gonna Call?
Reitman and Ramis headline the audio commentary on disc one, but they conveniently forget about Ghostbusters II and the non-attendance of Dan Aykroyd is a glaring omission since it was all his idea. Thankfully the two Rs are on good form and dispense some information about the development of the script. Apparently Aykroyd's original 40-page treatment was set in the future and he'd hoped to star in it alongside his Blues Brothers co-star John Belushi. Sadly he died shortly afterwards. Lightening the mood, Reitman explains why the final casting achieved a perfect balance for the story: "Harold was the brains, Danny was the heart and, of course, the mouth was Murray." Regarding the cultural impact of the film, Ramis says, "Tall hair was 'in' for a while," adding, "Punk intellectuals with glasses and big hair always wanted my autograph."
Spectre Spectacular
A featurette on the making of the film only lasts 10 minutes and there is no behind-the-scenes footage. Instead cast and crew (sans Bill Murray) reflect on the reasons why people connected with the story and its ectoplasmic subject matter. Aykroyd spends much of the time trying to convince us that ghosts are "real" and can be explained through quantum physics (the concept came to him after reading a physics paper on the paranormal). Reitman takes a more pragmatic stance, saying, "For this movie to be successful we had to really believe in the [supernatural] occurrences - like a giant marshmallow man walking down Central Park West..." Aside from the credibility issue, Aykroyd faced a daunting challenge in striking the right balance between laughs and the scary stuff. But he reckons it was no problem, because "so much comedy comes out of fear and tension anyway".
Three behind-the-scenes galleries complete the bonus menu for Ghostbusters but the sequel on disc two is merely accompanied by two episodes of the animated spin-off series. It seems strange that - except for passing observations in the commentary - there is absolutely nothing on visual effects. Murray's absence is also very disappointing (ditto damsel-in-distress Sigourney Weaver). While those who do appear offer some decent insights, this so-called Special Edition package is otherwise as thin as a ghostly apparition.
EXTRA FEATURES
