The Irreverent Beauty of the Original <em>Ghostbusters</em>
The 1984 film was a goofy, blue-collar buddy comedy. The new one is a hollow imitation.
In his memorable 1984 theme song, the singer Ray Parker Jr. said that he wasn’t afraid of ghosts. Now Hollywood doesn’t seem to be, either. In the past few years, the film industry has scrambled to resurrect any property with the remotest bit of brand recognition, be it or or ; if a movie has ever had a cult following, it’s worthy of a long-delayed sequel. is, in theory, worthier than most—the original was a colossal success. But it’s already spawned a Part 2, a , and numerous cartoons, video games, and toy lines. Now there’s , which makes a concerted, almost ghoulish effort to revive everything audiences loved about the original. The result is not scary, but it is lifeless.
