Ghostbusters (1984) – GTGC #44

It’s time for yet another #FlashbackFriday to celebrate our latest Back to the Movies review of the Ghostbusters remake by taking a look back at the original.  Long ago, in the wonder years of The GoodTrash Genrecast, the founding members of Dustin, Arthur, and Dalton brought analysis to the original Ghostbusters(1984) with friend of GTM and recurring guest host Nick Sanford.

Arthur brings a formalist reading that discusses how the best writing in film takes the everyday dialogue of humans and amps it up–making the banter better than real life. Nick discusses that if David Fincher made a supernatural comedy, it would be this film. Fincher creates characters within a space.

Dalton discusses the contrast and the division of labor in society, keying in to how we validate/give moral value to certain professions over others. He cites Émile Durkheim and his theory of organic solidarity. He then discusses how each character doesn’t grow as a character, but moving from their transition from the hallowed halls of academia, to the 9-5 punching-the-clock employment (transitioning to a more valued labor to society).Dustin examines the genre of the film, as horror movies deal with our repressed fears and anxieties. Dustin states that Ghostbusters is definitely a horror movie, and that the core fear of this movie is how white men are afraid of sexually liberated women. They think that white men want sexually liberated women, but they actually do not. “The film climaxes at climax.”

If you’re feeling the nostalgia and ain’t afraid of no ghosts of GTGC past, you won’t want to miss one of the most essential throwbacks yet!

• 1:20 – Introduction
• 3:32 – Voice of the Cinema
• 3:50 – Thumbs up/Thumbs down review
• 11:00 – Analysis
• 28:00 – Listener Feedback
• 32:00 – Shelf or Trash / Else or Instead
• 37:00 – Game: “Favorite Ensemble Comedies”
• 45:13 – Fired Up