Dr. Peter Venkman. sigh. he's so cool. if i ever own a pet (a REAL pet, something with legs) i will name it after Dr. Peter Venkman. and i wouldn't call it "Pete" or "Doc" or "Venk" for short - i'd call it by the entire name because the name deserves to be said aloud in its entirety - it's an awesome f-cking name, and it would be named after one of the coolest Bill Murray characters. ever. because he's not just funny in the movie, he's also really, really cool.
Ghostbusters is the first movie i recall seeing in the theatre. i still remember that god-awful scary opening scene at the library - when the ghost of the old woman turns to Egon, Ray, and Peter and says "shhh..." that in itself was totally creepy. and do you remember when Ray comes up with the plan to scream "get her!" and the ghost turns into that hideous monster and freaks out all the guys who run out of the library as if it were on fire? holy sh-t. I. WAS. FOUR. it was SO scary but i loved it. Ghostbusters for a kid (especially for a little kid in the 80's - even before the days of really good digital imaging and special effects) was still actually kinda scary, non? Stay Puft? c'mon - a total freak. that smile? terrifying. the only reocurring nightmare i ever had as a child (AFTER having seen this movie) was of me playing inside my house and suddenly hearing terrible crashing sounds coming from outside - i run to the glass sliding doors at the back of the house only to see an enormous version of the Michelin Man smashing and stomping the neighbours' houses and coming right towards ours. it was horrible. it was Stay Puft.
that was how Ghostbusters hit me. and for me today, 70% of Ghostbusters is Bill Murray.
when i first watched Bill as Dr. Peter Venkman, i think that must of been the first time i felt romantic love. a year or so later my dad bought me and my brother the vhs and we would watch it over and over (the library ghost scene was still a challenge to watch, and i remember hiding behind the door peeking out to watch it - but the rest of the movie had become a breeze). there are so many emotions i associate with watching this movie - i loved-but-hated how Peter flirted with Jennifer, the pretty female student he was testing for ESP at the beginning of the film. remember her? i was so jealous of that lucky bitch. she was blond and so pretty, and i thought she had cool bangs. i also loved-but-hated how Peter pretended that she knew what images were on the flash cards (when she didn't even guess one!) i knew he was doing it just so he could compliment her (instead of shocking her with the a small electric current for the wrong answer) - that wasn't fair - she should have been zapped. just like how he kept zapping the nerd - for fun, because zapping nerds is funny. sh-t, the look on the nerds face as Peter's hand goes for that switch, the ominous music, the close up on the hand and the look of panic on the nerd's face - classic!
i realized that Jennifer was completely insignificant when Dana (Sigourney Weaver) appears in the movie. i so desperately wanted to be like Dana because Peter was in love with her, and people who loved each other got married and could kiss. i was so completely envious of her - she was hot and she had boobies. and she had this crazy big curly wild hair i loved. and she wore tights with leg warmers and over-sized sweaters - dammit she was so cool. plus she lived on her own (instead of with her paternal grandparents, mum, dad, and big brother) AND she played the f-cking cello. when Peter tells her that he "respects her as an artist" - i totally remember thinking that i didn't fully understand what the word respect meant, and i hadn't seen her paint (so i wasn't sure what he was talking about re: the artist remark) but i KNEW that it meant he liked her, so it was good news for Dana and not so good news for me. at the time i didn't probably didn't even know how to tie my laces yet - i was probably still learning how to Velcro strap my shoes - so i really didn't stand a chance.
today, one of my favourite moments between Peter and Dana is when he shows up as she's going to her rehearsal and she's with the violinist with post nasal drip - Peter asks her "Who's the stiff?". when Dana explains that he's just a friend and then Peter asks her out, it's a wonderful scene - it's kind of cloudy and it looks chilly and they're in New York. and when she walks away, Peter soaks up the moment and mimics the nearby roller skater and mirrors his spin. the camera does this really lovely long shot and the music playing is just totally perfect.
the entire casting on this movie is also pretty fantastic - and, i'm sorry, but we can't talk about Ghostbusters without giving a really big shout-out to Rick Moranis as Louis, Dana's annoying-flood-pant-wearing-accountant-neighbour-later Keymaster. Moranis is priceless as the loser who has the crush on the popular girl - i think his character is one of the funniest nerds in a movie. ever. Dan Aykroyd as Ray is so sweet and enthusiastic (like when Peter gets Slimed? he's THRILLED!) but he's also got some bite to him, which is totally fun - and that pervy scene when the ghost comes to him at night and his eyes go crossed and his fly gets unzipped is AMAZING. (omg, i think i must have rewound that scene a hundred times in the vcr when i was a kid.) and Egon, played pitch-perfectly by Harold Ramis, is amazing and he only really loses his cool once, which is totally kinda hot - it's when Peck (the pencil pusher with the ginger hair and beard) tells the Police Captain to arrest the Ghostbusters for being in criminal violation of the Environmental Protection Act (AFTER he himself orders that the ghost-containment thingy get shut off) Egon needs to be HELD BACK because he's about to beat the crap out of him. it's so hot. i also really love Egon in the Twinkie scene - that half smile he gives is really very sexy - hello pocket protector! and Ernie Hudson as Winston delivers one of the best lines in the movie - after Gozer asks Ray if he's a god and Ray says he isn't, Gozer shoots lightning at the guys and Winston yells at Ray: "Ray, when someone asks you if you're a god, you say, 'YES!'" what's really fun about Ghostbusters is that the four guys are so very different, but they're so great together. while Ray (and especially Egon) play into the more nerdy, corduroy-wearing "typical" scientist-type, Peter is just really smooth - he doesn't try, you know? there is no TRY. he just IS. Peter is probably one of Bill's snarkiest characters - his little comments and the insults are just great - i just wish there were more.
Bill Murray is confirmed to appear in the announced and highly anticipated Ghostbusters III - see you opening night?!
"Hi, Egon. How's school? I bet those science chicks really dig that large cranium of yours, huh?" Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) in Ghostbusters
Favorite quote: Gozer the Traveler. He will come in one of the pre-chosen forms. During the rectification of the Vuldrini, the traveler came as a large and moving Torg! Then, during the third reconciliation of the last of the McKetrick supplicants, they chose a new form for him: that of a giant Slor! Many Shuvs and Zuuls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Slor that day, I can tell you!
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