[Satan's Screener] Child Bride (1938)

 

My buddy, Moronic Mark [of Midnight Confessions Podcast fame], has returned after a long hiatus to continue his journey of watching some of the worst films ever to save his soul. Unfortunately, his return is for a film that almost broke Mark - 1938's controversial CHILD BRIDE. Watch as Mark deals with watching this infamous movie in his own quirky way. You're a braver man than I, Mark.

[80's September] Midnight Confessions Ep. 33: "Michele Soavi Triple Feature"

Join Rev. Phantom, Moronic Mark and I as we review 3 surreal Italian horror classics from director Michele Soavi: STAGEFRIGHT (1987), THE CHURCH (1989) and THE SECT (1991).








 

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[80's September] Masters of the Universe (1987)

DIRECTED BY
Gary Goddard

STARRING
Dolph Lundgren - He-Man
Frank Langella - Skeletor
Meg Foster - Evil-Lyn
Billy Barty - Gwildor
Courteney Cox - Julie Winston
Robert Duncan McNeill - Kevin Corrigan
Jon Cypher - Duncan (Man-at-Arms)
Chelsea Field - Teela
James Tolkan - Detective Lubic
Christina Pickles - Sorceress of Castle Grayskull

Genre - Action/Adventure/Fantasy

Running Time - 106 Minutes


Anyone who grew up for the majority of the 1980's knows of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe animated show. Prince Adam would raise his Power Sword in the air and turn into the warrior He-Man to protect Eternia and Grayskull from the evil Skeletor. He-Man even had a twin sister named She-Ra, who had a more popular cartoon in the mid-80's, creating a bunch of toys and merchandise that made millions due to children wanting to be part of the phenomenon. Who knew that a failed toy line for 1982's CONAN THE BARBARIAN, which was seen as too violent for children, would create a cash cow for Filmation and Mattel.

Due to the success of the cartoon, it was no surprise that Cannon Films' Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus would produce a live-action movie based on the characters. Cannon Films were pretty successful in the late-70's and early-80's, with their Chuck Norris action flicks, DEATH WISH sequels, and some ninja movies. The mid-80s hurt the studio, as the three-film deal with Tobe Hooper [LIFEFORCE, INVADERS FROM MARS, and THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2] all bombed at the box office. SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE was a huge failure in 1987. Cannon figured that putting some decent money into MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE would help rebuild the studio. If CONAN THE BARBARIAN was a hit with adults, MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE would be a hit with children, right? Unfortunately, MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE underperformed, pretty much spelling inevitable doom for Golan and Globus.

I actually watched both SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE and MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE back in 1987 in a double feature during their releases weeks apart. I enjoyed both films as a six-years-old, although I think SUPERMAN IV is a piece of crap as an adult. However, MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, as flawed as it is, still manages to be a pretty fun watch for the most part. Who knew Eternia cheese still holds up 27 years later?

PLOT
On a planet called Eternia, the villainous Skeletor (Frank Langella) has taken the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull (Christina Pickers) hostage to gain some of her universal power. A warrior named He-Man (Dolph Lundgren) and his allies Man-at-Arms (Jon Cypher) and Teela (Chelsea Field) fight off Skeletor's troops to save a trollish inventor called Gwildor (Billy Barty). Gwildor tells He-Man that Skeletor wants to capture him to obtain an invention called the Cosmic Key, which can open portals to any time and/or place by playing musical notes. When ambushed, Gwildor takes He-Man and his allies through a portal, landing on Earth. However during the travel, the Cosmic Key drops somewhere else. Two teenagers (Courteney Cox and Robert Duncan McNeill) find it, thinking it's a Japanese synthesizer, playing certain notes on it. When Skeletor learns of its location, he decides to bring himself and his troops to Earth to retrieve it - leaving He-Man to save the day once again.

REVIEW

I honestly don't remember much about the Filmation cartoons that were about the He-Man or She-Ra characters. So my opinion on this adaptation is probably skewed due to my ability to separate the film from the cartoons. But as a live-action film aimed for children, MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE doesn't do that bad of a job. The main issue with it is that Golan and Globus planned for something much more epic, like STAR WARS or SUPERMAN. But MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE never comes close to reaching that due to budget and narrative constraints. But I don't think it's as terrible as its reputation would have you believe.

Like I mentioned earlier, the story is a mixed bag for MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE. Fans of the cartoon will dislike it since it changes certain aspects of the character. For one, he's never known as Prince Adam here. He-Man never needs the Power Sword to transform into a great warrior. Hell, He-Man barely even uses his Power Sword here, relying more on laser guns that seem out of character. He-Man's Battle Cat friend, Cringer, is nowhere to be seen unfortunately. No Orko either! BOO! And probably the worst thing is that Eternia is only in the beginning and the finale of the film, with the film taking place mainly on Earth rather than a more special setting that would make the film stand out. In fact, the only thing we really see of Eternia is Skeletor's castle, which looks as generic as one would aspect. I get that there was budget restraints and screenwriter David Odell had to focus on the Earth scenes because they would be cheaper to film. But because of the majority of the setting, it doesn't really feel like a genuine MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE film. It feels like a regular fantasy/sci-fi film with He-Man characters in it.

And while the Earth stuff isn't really all that bad if you give it a chance, I'm not a fan of the film focusing more on the teenagers and the bumbling cops rather than He-Man and Skeletor. I get that the Kevin and Julie characters were added in to have the younger audience identify with someone in the movie. But you're telling me a Swedish buff dude in a codpiece fighting a charismatic skeleton wouldn't bring in an audience?? What kind of world were we living in 1987? Seriously, I can see where Michael Bay found inspiration for the human characters in his TRANSFORMERS franchise. The only difference is that Kevin and Julie are actually likeable characters, who shouldn't be in the story, are at least useful and some way. And Lubic, our skeptic cop friend, is your typical cop who doesn't believe in lasers and talking skeletons even when he's looking at them. But I do dig the accent.

But still, this film should be about He-Man vs. Skeletor! And we barely even get that. Hell, they were only in like one-third of the film to begin with. At least in a TRANSFORMERS film, I see Transformers. You could barely call this a He-Man adaptation. And don't get me started on Gwildor and his Cosmic Key. What can I say? Trolls are big in the 1980s. And he is quite decent as the comic relief. Plus, the idea of the Cosmic Key is cool, Too bad it looked like a Japanese synthesizer.

But I can definitely say that the narrative is fine for what it is. It's not He-Man, but at least it tells a fairly entertaining and easy story to follow. You got some good action sequences, like the music store set-piece and the attack on the city where He-Man rides a hoverboard. You got some decent romance between Kevin and Julie, Skeletor and Evil-Lyn, and Gwildor and the Cosmic Key. You got Teela wearing a tight outfit [growl]. And there is some genuinely humorous stuff going on in the film. I can't fault a film whose heart is in the right place. SUPERMAN IV felt like a cash cow. MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE is a cash cow trying to be a good movie. It just didn't have the right budget and the right way to bring the cartoon to life to make it happen.

The special effects in MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE are pretty dated now. But even so, I thought there was an actual budget put into this film, sort of creating a charming time capsule of 1980's visual effects. We get laser beams. We get explosions. We get characters dissolving out of thin air. We get green screen with He-Man riding a hoverboard through Los Angeles, and Skeletor and his army entering through time portals. The real good stuff comes with Eternia, with some FLASH GORDON inspired sets and costumes, especially Skeletor's gold costume that many dislike, but I actually enjoy quite a bit. Speaking of Skeletor, I think the make-up and costume for the character is pretty near-perfect. Back in 1987, I thought the live-action Skeletor looked great. And I still believe that in 2014. Michael Westmore did some great make-up effects on MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE.

The acting is what it is. Dolph Lundgren's acting may not be stellar, due to the fact that the script doesn't really give him much to do. But I still feel he was the perfect casting choice for the He-Man character for the time. He had a lot of momentum going for him, especially from 1985's ROCKY IV. I just wish he was allowed to act in a better scripted film. Courteney Cox has her acting debut here as Julie, and she's cute and not that bad here. Robert Duncan McNeill, best known for playing Tom Paris on Star Trek: Voyager, is pretty good as well. Meg Foster looks villainously fetching as Evil-Lyn and plays evil well. Jon Cypher and Chelsea Field do what they can as Man-at-Arms and Teela. Billy Barty is a bit humorous as Gwildor, a character you can either take or leave. And James Tolkan seems to be having fun as Detective Lubic.

But MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE belongs to Frank Langella, who brings a theatrical vibe to the role of Skeletor. Langella takes the role completely seriously, having a ball playing the villain, and hamming it up. If Langella wasn't in the role, I think MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE would be a disaster acting-wise. But Langella, who did the role for his children, brings a classic cartoon villain to life perfectly. I wish there was more of him in the film, but when he is on, he's fantastic.

By the way, what was up with those cheap looking SUPERMAN-like credits and score? That's how you try and stand on your own two feet - copying a more popular franchise in a different key. Oh well.

THINGS I'VE LEARNED WHILE HAVING THE POWER OF GREYSKULL

- Any foe of Skeletor is a friend of He-Man and his allies. I had no idea so many hated Lara Flynn Boyle.

- He-Man would rather shoot his gun than swing his sword. While this may work in battle, He-Man's girlfriend is probably unsatisfied in bed.

- Julie was attacked by Skeletor's monstrous forces inside of a school, only to be saved by He-Man. While this entire scene was taken seriously, it's still funnier than any episode of Friends.

- Skeletor and Evil-Lyn have a long thang going on. Then again, Skeletor's probably the perfect guy who can give good bone.

- Evil-Lyn and her forces broke in and destroyed a music store that bought and sold instruments. Considering claims that rock is dead, I think Skeletor is really Gene Simmons.

- Julie was tricked to give Evil-Lyn, who looked like her dead mother, the Cosmic Key. Nice to see Ghostface evolve his M.O. That's more convincing than just using a voice changer to sound like Sidney Prescott.

- To save his friends, He-Man willingly let himself be Skeletor's slave back in Eternia. Man, what a drag...oh.

THE FINAL HOWL

While it's not a great film, MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE still manages to be silly fun for the most part. I can see the critics' point of view - it doesn't adapt the Filmation cartoon all that well, the teen angle takes away from the He-Man stuff, and Golan and Globus' budget couldn't match the epic scale they had planned for it. But for what it is, it has decent action sequences, cool costumes, an easy to follow narrative, and fantastic acting from Frank Langella as Skeletor. The film may not have the power of Greyskull, but it's an 80's time capsule worth playing the Cosmic Key to see every once in a while. A bad fun time.



SCORE

2.5 Howls Outta 4

Midnight Confessions Ep. 32: "Rock N Roll Cinema"

 

This week Rev. Phantom, Moronic Mark and I review ROCK N ROLL HIGH SCHOOL (1979) and KISS MEETS THE PHANTOM OF THE PARK (1978). Plus a discussion on rock star cameos.







 

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[80's September] Cobra (1986)

DIRECTED BY
George P. Cosmatos

STARRING
Sylvester Stallone - Lieutenant Marion 'Cobra' Cobretti
Brigitte Nielsen - Ingrid Knudsen
Reni Santoni - Sergeant Tony Gonzales
Andrew Robinson - Detective Monte
Brian Thompson - The Night Slasher
Lee Garlington - Nancy Stalk
Art LaFleur - Captain Sears

Genre - Action/Thriller/Slasher

Running Time - 87 Minutes


PLOT
Random killings have been happening, to which the media has nicknamed the killer (Brian Thompson) "The Night Slasher". A cynical police lieutenant named Marion Cobretti, aka Cobra (Sylvester Stallone), is a member of the Zombie Squad - a unit of officers that take on the toughest and dangerous jobs other cops refuse to do. Although Detective Monte (Andrew Robinson) wants things done on the up-and-up, Cobra wants to break some rules to catch the culprit. When a model, Ingrid Knudsen (Brigitte Nielsen), is a witness to one of the Night Slasher's crimes, Cobra decides to protect her, hoping the Night Slasher makes himself known so Cobra can strike.


REVIEW

Since this is 80's September, you knew I had to discuss the action genre of the decade. Big explosions, gory violence, and cool one-liners were the tropes for most action films of the 1980's. There were many action stars during this period - Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, Dolph Lundgren, and so on. One of the more popular action stars was Academy Award nominated actor/writer/director Sylvester Stallone. While Stallone was mostly successful for his ROCKY and RAMBO films, Stallone did manage to dabble in other lesser-known works. One of these is 1986's COBRA - a Golan & Globus production for Cannon Films that, despite being number one at the domestic box office in its opening weekend, was considered a flop for Stallone until international numbers proved otherwise. COBRA isn't one of the action genre's finest works technical and narrative wise. But it has a certain charm that makes it one of the most watchable action films of the 1980's.

Let me get it out of the way: COBRA is a terrible movie. Despite the rating I'll eventually give it, COBRA really is a piece of crap in so many ways. This is a film that is void of plot, character development, acting, common sense, and other things a decent film would possess. Yet, it still manages to be a fun time. Why is the Night Slasher killing people? Why does he have an army? Why does Cobra eat pizza with scissors? Why does Cobra grill his newspaper? Why does Ingrid's hair change in every major scene? And how does one man kill a bunch of bad dudes, but none of these dudes can hit Cobra during a gun fight? It makes no lick of sense and deserves to be found at the bottom of a barrel. But the film has this weird charm about it that just makes it so entertaining and memorable.

The screenplay, written by Sylvester Stallone, was adapted from Paula Gosling's novel, Fair Game - which also became its own film in 1995 with William Baldwin and Cindy Crawford. While both films are crap, at least COBRA is unintentionally funny at times and has some good action going for it. What I wrote in the plot synopsis is pretty much the entire film summed up. The Night Slasher and his crew are just bizarre. We don't really know their motives to their murders, other than they do it because they despise the current state of society and consider themselves hunters. I don't know what that even means, but I guess we'll go with it. The attraction between Cobra and Ingrid comes out of nowhere, not feeling natural at all. I couldn't buy that these two were into each other, and they were MARRIED IN REAL LIFE!

And the dialogue... wow.

Supermarket Killer: "Get back! I got a bomb here! I'll blow this whole place up!"
Cobra: "Go ahead. I don't shop here."

(points gun at Supermarket Killer)
Cobra: "You're the disease, and I'm the cure."

Night Slasher: "The court is civilized, isn't it pig?"
Cobra: "But I'm not. This is where the law stops and I start - sucker!"

There are more of these gems in the film. The thought of anyone in real life speaking to someone like this just makes me laugh. Oh COBRA...

The biggest theme behind COBRA is this political agenda that pretty much question the idea of justice in 1980's America. Apparently, Stallone felt that courts felt that police officers were too easy on the criminals they were hunting, as well as this insane idea that the media took to criminals and serial killers as heroes and/or victims. While the glorification of serial killers may be true, does the media really treat them as victims? There's one scene in the first act of the film where reporters criticize Cobra for killing a man who pretty much murdered people and took hostages inside of a supermarket. In what world would this actually happen?? Now if the supposed suspect was unarmed or there was evidence that he wasn't doing anything wrong, then sure. But the man had witnesses who saw him shoot people and attempt to bomb the place. And the cop is the bad guy??? And the police captain has issue with Cobra for DOING HIS FUCKING JOB! I can't believe Stallone actually wrote that shit in there because it makes no sense. While it's true that police brutality exists and unfortunate circumstances happen to innocent people believed guilty, it makes no sense within this context when the cop was actually a hero and the killer was actually a violent psychopath. It's not sounding smart. It's looking like a total idiot in this case.

I also found it funny that the Night Slasher hunted down Ingrid because she saw him and some of his crew killing a woman inside a car while she drove by. I get that he would want to get rid of her to protect his identity. But this dude and his crew went WAY far and beyond. They found her license plate, knew where she worked, what room in a hospital she was admitted to, and a whole bunch of information. While it's probably not implausible, it just felt like they targeted this woman for more than just accidentally driving past them. It wasn't like she got all that good of a look anyway! It was a funny sub-plot, but baffling at the same time.

At least the action is pretty solid, thanks to director George P. Cosmatos. The opening scene within the supermarket is one of the more memorable action set-pieces of the 1980s. It's pretty humorous, but at the same time, very well done in terms of shots, location, and pacing. There's also a great action scene in the middle of the film that's probably 10-15 minutes long, where Cobra is being chased down by the Night Slasher's crew in a car. He drives one-handed while shooting a machine gun in the other. There are a lot of explosions, people getting shot to shit, and some nice stunt driving with 180 handbrake turns that are pretty thrilling to watch. I also love that Cosmatos adds a slasher flick type of vibe to some of the scenes, especially where it concerns Ingrid. When Ingrid is recuperating at the hospital and the Night Slasher, in disguise, stalks and attempts to kill her, there is some nice tension and suspense going on. It's a dark, gritty action film that blends into the horror genre at times, making COBRA an interesting film in the decade of excess. Say what you want about the script, but Cosmatos direction and immaculate use of every action film trope you can think of [this film pretty much has them all in play here] is some good stuff.

The acting is better than expected. Sylvester Stallone has done better work before and since COBRA, but he's pretty chill as the DIRTY HARRY [ironically both Andrew Robinson and Reni Santoni were in that very film in 1971] wannabe badass cop. I'm sure critics took his monotone, stoic delivery as an actor who didn't give a crap about this role or this film. But something about it makes the Cobra character cooler, with Stallone only using facial expressions and body language to convey messages whenever he's not uttering a one-liner. Sly's then-wife, Brigitte Nielsen, is pretty terrible in this though. Not like she was a good actress to begin with, as she was hired for her looks. But I was more interested in her hair style than what she was going to do or say. That's not good. Reni Santoni is pretty funny as Gonzales, Cobra's partner. Santoni had great buddy-cop chemistry with Sly. Brian Thompson, looking scary as usual, is pretty good as the Night Slasher. He doesn't say a whole lot until the end, but the man has a chilling presence about him. Andrew Robinson plays the asshole captain perfectly. Besides Nielsen, the cast isn't half-bad at all.

THINGS I'VE LEARNED WHILE DRIVING MY "AWSOM 50" CAR

- "You're the disease. And I'm the cure." Cobra is the penicillin of police officers.

- Detective Monte didn't want Cobra to investigate this latest string of serial killings. I guess that's why Jesus wept...

- Ingrid's photographer wanted to have sex with her. Unless his name was Sly or Flavor, he was out of luck.

- The Night Slasher murdered some of the hospital staff in order to stalk and kill Ingrid. Nice to see Haddonfield Memorial hadn't changed much in the 8 years since the last massacre.

- Cobra carries a bunch of grenades wherever he goes. Surprisingly, none of them were from the Jersey Shore.

- Cobra showed some MORTAL KOMBAT: ANNIHILATION when he defeated the Night Slasher at the end. What a weak, pathetic fool. All too easy.

THE FINAL HOWL

There are two ways of looking at COBRA. You can either hate it for taking itself seriously, realizing that the screenplay is stupid and its an 87-minute action cliche wrapped in misguided statements about police officers and the justice system that don't work within the film's story. Or you can love it for its one-liners, entertaining action and acting, and AWSOM 50 soundtrack cheese. While I do feel the political agenda of the film was a mistake, I pretty much dig COBRA for everything else. It's a terrible film that will never bore you with its unintentional comedy and silly premise that blends action and slasher film elements pretty well. It's funny, violent, well paced, and has a lot of charm that most films these days would die for. While COBRA isn't a disease or a cure, it'll definitely sooth the pain away for a while.


SCORE

3.5 Howls Outta 4



Trailer


Robert Tepper - "Angel of the City"

[80's September] Midnight Confessions Ep. 31: "Cheese...In...SPACE!"

This week a healthy Rev. Phantom, a sleep deprived Moronic Mark, and a pretty sick yours truly review a triple feature of cheesy delights; CONTAMINATION (1980), INSEMINOID (1981) and FORBIDDEN WORLD (1982).







 

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[80's September] Ghostbusters (1984) [750th Review]

DIRECTED BY
Ivan Reitman

STARRING
Bill Murray - Dr. Peter Venkman
Dan Aykroyd - Dr. Raymond Stantz
Sigourney Weaver - Dana Barrett
Harold Ramis - Dr. Egon Spengler
Ernie Hudson - Winston Zeddemore
Rick Moranis - Louis Tully
Annie Potts - Janine Menitz
William Atherton - Walter Peck
Slavitza Jovan - Gozer

Genre - Comedy/Action/Horror/Supernatural/Ghosts

Running Time - 107 Minutes


The reason I wanted to do this 1980's theme for September was to allow me an opportunity to discuss important films I wouldn't be allowed to focus on otherwise. As an 80's [and luckily, 90's] child, this decade really turned me into the man I am today. These 80's films made me want to be a filmmaker. These films turned me into a cinephile. Not all the films I'll discuss this month are my favorites, or even the best the decade had to offer critically or commercially. But they reflect a decade where risks were taken, technology took another step towards the future, and where having fun meant more than making money [although there was some of that too].

For this special 750th review (!), I wanted to pick a film that a big deal in the 1980's. I also wanted to pick a film I grew up with, making it a personal favorite of mine. It just so happened that this very film also celebrated its 30th anniversary this year, reminding me how old I am and how fast time really flies. Even today, I feel the film still holds up very well and the soundtrack puts a smile on my face. That film is Ivan Reitman's epic GHOSTBUSTERS - a movie that reminded me after all these years that bustin' does make me feel good.

PLOT
Three scientists - Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Dr. Raymond Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), and Dr. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) - study parapsychology at a local university in New York City. After some paranormal event inside the New York Public Library, they realize that ghosts really do exist. While the higher-ups at the university feel that their department is wasting funding that could be used for other sectors, Peter convinces his buddies to start their own Ghostbusters business inside of a firehouse. The business builds as paranormal activity increases around the city, tiring the trio out - leading to the hiring of a fourth member, Winston Zeddemore (Eddie Hudson), who is more religious and spiritual than the other three.

Their main business soon takes focus at a huge apartment building where Peter's potential love interest, Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver), lives. While Peter just wants to date Dana, Dana is dealing with a serious problem as her apartment seems to be the hub of an ancient demi-god named Gozer (Slavitza Jovan). When Dana and her neighbor, nerdy Louis (Rick Moranis), are possessed by Gozer's minions, the Ghostbusters must stop Gozer's intentions before the entire city is overtaken by evil spirits.

REVIEW

Usually when the idea of ghosts is tossed around in cinema, it's usually done for scares and shock value. But GHOSTBUSTERS uses the spiritual world for laughs, almost making fun of the paranormal while embracing it at the same time. I think that's a reason why GHOSTBUSTERS still resonates with so many after all these years. The concept is silly. The script makes fun of the entire spiritual situation. Yet, it never feels insulting or silly to the point that it'll turn off the audience. It's still a lot of fun to watch and one of the reasons why the 1980's are still embraced 30 years later.

The screenplay by Dan Akyroyd and Harold Ramis is very well-written, balancing the comedy with the fantasy nicely. Watching Peter, Ray, and Egon interact with each other is great because it's obvious from the start that they're three different individuals in all forms of their life. Peter is the sarcastic, skeptical, and perverted Ghostbuster - more worried about getting laid with beautiful women rather than taking his job seriously. Ray is the soul of the Ghostbusters - curious, eager, and willing to do anything with a childlike wonder to make their goals happen. Egon is the intellectual Ghostbuster - always concerned about knowledge, not really caring about his lack of a private life. Yet they all fit together like pieces of a puzzle, combining their personalities to get the job done.

GHOSTBUSTERS is great with characterization for the most part. The fourth Ghostbuster, Winston, believes in religion and just wants the job for a steady paycheck. But he's loyal to his team and will fight alongside with them. Dana could be the typical damsel-in-distress. But she has a toughness about her that gives her more depth, and an added sexiness when she's possessed by Zuul. Her relationship with Peter is flirty fun, which bumps up the romance quota a bit. But I do like the Dana character since she comes across as a real New Yorker.

I also like the other minor characters. Janine, the secretary, is sassy and sarcastic. Yet, she cares about the Ghostbusters business, and makes it clear she has a crush on Egon, who may or may not recognize it. Louis, Dana's nerdy neighbor, is a lot of fun since he gets silly and wacky things to do. He's the perfect kind of character who would become possessed by evil, just due to how oblivious he is. And Walter Peck is the prick who sees a success and wants to make sure it fails any way he can, only so he feels better about himself. He thinks the Ghostbusters are a menace to the city, supposedly hallucinating AN ENTIRE CITY just so they can be hired to do jobs. He's that guy you want to kick in the balls, and I mean that with the highest compliment possible.

The dialogue is also pretty great here. Just the way the characters interact and banter with one another feels genuine. That's really because most of the dialogue was improvised and ad-libbed by the actors, making them feel more real and loose. There are too many great lines to post here, but all of them are pretty damn funny. In particular, Peter Venkman has the best stuff to say. His seduction attempts at Dana, possessed or not, are pretty great. And his interactions with Walter Peck, especially in the Mayor's office, are laugh out loud comedy. Plus, I've always been partial to Egon's "I collect spores, molds, and fungus" line when it comes to his hobbies. There's so much great dialogue, written or otherwise, here. I think that's a huge reason why GHOSTBUSTERS is considered a pop culture institution 30 years later.

I think my only real issue with GHOSTBUSTERS is with its ending. Yeah, I know. It's a classic moment in 80's cinema. Gozer. The two devil dogs. And the giant Stay Puft  Marshmallow Man who destroys New York City with a smile on his gooey face. And visually, it plays out pretty great even today. But it all ends pretty quickly and easily, leaving you wanting more. As a kid, I just loved the ending because of the cool special effects and the fact that the good guys won at the end. But as an adult, all I can say is "That was it?" There just seemed to be a lot of set up for the Gozer character, that I really expected more. Plus, Stay Puft is a monster that could have been utilized more. While it's spectacularly shot, I feel a bit deflated narrative wise. The confrontation really needed to be longer than it was.

Speaking of the visuals, yeah they're pretty dated. Watching CGI demon dogs run through an apartment building with ugly green screen edges showing now and then can be a bit distracting. But for their time, these effects were cutting edge. And even today, I think most of the effects still work great. Slimer is still awesome. I love Stay Puft. And the proton pack streams still look cool after all these years. What's even better is that these effects are done, not only to impress the audience watching, but to enhance the narrative. All the effects have a purpose to them, instead of seeing CGI for the sake of using CGI because it's expected and easy. So yeah, the SFX are 1984 SFX. But I think that's part of their charm.

The direction by Ivan Reitman, who famously directed MEATBALLS and KINDERGARTEN COP [among other films], is solid. The editing is fantastic, as the film has a great pace and never feels longer than it should. The tone between the fantasy and the comedy is dead on. Even the special effects, which I already discussed, are handled great due to how memorable and iconic they would soon become. I also loved how Reitman used the awesome score by Elmer Bernstein, as well as the classically cheesy Ray Parker Jr. theme song that became a monster hit. It's tough to say if GHOSTBUSTERS is Reitman's best work as a director, but it's definitely near the top.

The acting is even better. Bill Murray is just awesome as Peter Venkman, the sarcastic member of the Ghostbusters. A role originally for the late John Belushi, Murray only did the film so Columbia Pictures would remake 1946's THE RAZOR'S EDGE with him as the star. When the deal was agreed upon, Murray helped create an iconic film character. Most of his dialogue was ad-libbed, which adds to the role, making Venkman feel like a real human being who doesn't take himself or the situations around him seriously. His chemistry with the other actors is impeccable. Dan Aykroyd is also fantastic as Ray Stantz. Aykroyd's facial expressions, body language, and childlike energy really forges the soul of the Ghostbusters team. He's funny by just being himself. It's so effortless, it's great. The recently departed Harold Ramis, who originally didn't want to appear in the film as an actor, is very cool as Egon Spengler. He's the token nerd guy who is oblivious to anything that resembles a personal life. Ramis has some great dialogue as well, which he delivers so dryly, it's hilarious.

Sigourney Weaver is pretty sexy and cool as Dana. She plays a good down-to-earth type of female lead, who turns over-the-top once Zuul possesses her. More could have been done with her, but Weaver makes the role work. Rick Moranis is funny as Louis. Moranis is just so great in that nerd role, it stuck with him for the rest of his career. But he has great comedic timing. Ernie Hudson is cool as Winston. He's pretty much the "Token Black Guy" to be honest, only seen in the background mainly until there's some bustin' to do. But Hudson adds a cool factor to the film which I like. Annie Potts is great as sassy Janine. And William Atherton is awesome as Walter Peck, one of the film's antagonists. I love the fact that Atherton hated Reitman for casting him in the role, since it led to people in the streets harassing him both verbally and physically after the film's release. That's how good of an asshole Atherton plays in GHOSTBUSTERS.

THINGS I'VE LEARNED WHILE TRYING NOT TO CROSS MY STREAM WITH THE NEXT GUY STANDING NEXT TO ME IN THE BATHROOM STALL

- Venkman, disbelieving a librarian's ghostly account, wondered if her delusions were the cause of her menstruating. Judging by the fact that she seemed to have trouble concentrating, the woman is obviously pregnant.

- There was a bunch of Ecto Plasm residue inside of the library. Randy Marsh must have lost his internet again...

- Dana's refrigerator is a gateway to the afterworld. That explains how Nicole Richie lost all that weight.

- Dana doesn't believe in paranormal activity. Says the woman who watched an alien burst through a man's stomach. Psh.

- Venkman got slimed by Slimer. And thus, bukkake was born.

- Larry King and Casey Kasem talked about the Ghostbusters phenomenon. Sad that both are now in the afterlife.

...What do you mean Larry King is still alive??? He's not a talking zombie???

- Louis' party is like a nerd convention. Or in 2014, a hit TV show on CBS.

- Dana was possessed by the spirit of Zuul. And that explains why she signed to do that ALIEN sequel with Winona Ryder. No one in their right mind would have thought that would be great for their career.

- Possessed Louis and Dana had a short make out session. The only thing shrinking in this sensual situation are the kids.

THE FINAL HOWL
GHOSTBUSTERS is, without a doubt, a cinematic classic. It's one of the few films that manages to balance a big-budget fantasy spectacle with great comedy that provides some nice characterization. It feels like a Saturday Night Live skit that actually deserved to be feature length. Great dialogue [ad-libbed or not], fantastic performances by all the leads, good special effects [even if some of it is pretty dated], and confident direction by Ivan Reitman - GHOSTBUSTERS is an institution for many of us who grew up with it during the 1980s. And while I do wish the final act was a bit longer, at least it's extremely memorable and well done. Bustin' may make Ray Parker Jr. feel real good, but watching GHOSTBUSTERS [even 30 years later] makes me feel better.



SCORE

4 Howls Outta 4



TRAILER



MUSIC VIDEO

[80's September] Midnight Confessions Ep. 30: "The best bullies are dead bullies"

In this Bully themed episode Rev. Phantom, Moronic Mark and I beat up little kids for their milk money....oh and we also review THE NEW KIDS (1985) and BULLIES (1986). Plus the Top 5 Film Bullies of all time.






 

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