Ghostbusters Rereleased

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Reviewed by Vicky Mansfield

Ghostbusters, 1984


Screening – BFI preview theatre, Friday 21st October 2011.

Directed and Produced by Ivan Reitman.
Written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis
Starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis and Rick Moranis

Re-released in 2K Digital with 5.1 Surround Sound by Park Circus Films.

I must confess to having been a very un-cool 9 year old and as such I had little time for films like Ghostbusters back in the 80’s. I have vague memories of kids at school raving on about a giant marshmallow man and have always regretted not buying into it at the time. It was with great pleasure that I saw Park Circus were re-releasing the original version of this classic. I have of course seen it in the interim years and I wondered how it would stand up to today’s audiences.

It’s a basic film to 2K digital transfer and this was evident on screen with a couple of the pitfalls that can come with this, things such as the audio appearing to be very slightly out of sync in a couple of places. The picture was grainy but this is how most films looked during this period due to the film stock. You only have to return to other classics such as Aliens for evidence of that. I personally like the fact that Park Circus haven’t re-mastered it to within an inch of its life. There’s something about these films that work better for me if they don’t have the soulless perfection of modern ‘print’ quality. The graininess, slight picture shake and even audio imperfections don’t distract because it comes from an era when you’d expect to see this. It’s a reminder that you’re watching a modern classic. On the flip side of course, digital film doesn’t deteriorate and it doesn’t become pitted or scratched after a few screenings or a mishap and it was nice to watch the film knowing it wouldn’t get any worse. Notably, the ‘print’ was clean. It was a decent transfer. This is probably better suited to today’s audiences so I believe it will keep everyone happy.

The first thing I noticed was the certificate, 12A. The original release was a PG. The BBFC guidelines state that it ‘Contains moderate sex references’. I had to remind myself that the 12A cert is a fairly new thing. If the original 1984 release had been classified 12, it would have lost half its audience.

The film itself did not disappoint. From the opening moments of a librarian walking through a maze of bookshelves unaware of the supernatural chaos in her wake to the iconic Stay Puft Marshmallow ending, the film was a joy to watch. It was far funnier than I remember and the jokes still stand up today. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis as the three hapless scientists ham it up in just the right quantities to produce hilarious, three dimensional characters, while Sigourney Weaver never fails to please with her serious take on Dana, the young musician who finds a monster in her ice-box and handles it in the organised manner you’d expect from someone with a very practical disposition. The rest of the cast offer hilarious and convincing support to the main characters. The special effects are as cheesy and dated as you’d expect but that just adds to the overall appeal of this classic comedy.

I would heartily recommend this film to children and adults alike for a fun, nostalgic evening out.

For further details, visit the Park Circus website.

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