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I doubt very seriously that I have to talk
too much about “Ghostbusters”
as far as the movie goes. If any of you
haven’t seen this ingenious comedy
from 1984… well suffice to say you
probably can’t read anyway. It is
by far one of director Ivan Reitman’s
best films ever, but it made icons of Bill
Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. Even
Slimer is probably as recognizable a name
as any other from the film.
I imagine I’ve probably seen “Ghostbusters”
more than 50 times over the last 25 years,
and it is one of those films that never
ages. The writing and directing are still
sharp by today’s standards and it
guarantees a good time for all who choose
to take the time to watch it. And if you’re
lucky enough to be able to watch it outside
projected onto a big screen, it makes for
a perfect camp fire marshmallow roasting
movie.
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In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of “Ghostbusters”,
Sony opted to release it on glorious Blu-ray.
But before you get too excited, let me fill you
in on a little of what you’ll get. Those
expecting as pristine and grainless appearance
might be a bit disappointed by the fact that while
the film looks better than ever… you’ll
still note that the crystal sharp edges you find
on a lot of Blu-rays isn’t there. But before
you go off and get all upset by that news, I have
to say that I’m quite happy about it. Too
often I see older films ‘cleaned up’
for Blu-ray and they somehow lose something. Sharp
and clear does not always mean a better viewing
experience, sometimes they look too clean. I like
films that LOOK like films, and fortunately for
this release Sony delivered what I wanted.
But if you doubt the value of this release, take
the time to check out the vast array of special
features available. That’s where this puppy
really offers its money’s worth. First up
is a commentary track by Reitman, Ramis and associate
producer Joe Medjuck which I found to be quite
informative as well as fun to listen to. Most
of the rest of the extras you can watch on their
own, or if you choose, using a branching feature
that brings them up while watching the movie.
If you choose to put it in ‘Slimer’
mode, a frame appears around the movie and you
get picture-in-picture interviews, videos, pictures
and pop-up trivia.
Amongst the extras you’ll find two that
specifically relate to Ecto-1 (the Ghostbuster’s
awesome car), several deleted scenes, a featurette
from 1984, and a look at both the making of the
new videogame and a little bit of the game itself.
The ‘Cast and Crew Featurette’ includes
more interviews, while the ‘SFX Team Featurette’
focuses more on the special effects. This last
one is enhanced by a Multi-Angle Featurette that
shows you three key scenes with and without the
special effects added in. Additionally, there
is a storyboard comparison for three other scenes.
If you add in the BD-Live, you get quite a lot
of bang for your buck.
“Ghostbusters” was a longtime favorite
film, and though I wasn’t as much of a fan
of the sequel… I still enjoyed it and the
animated version that came later. I’m not
really into videogames, so while this new venture
looks interesting I’m much more hoping for
the rumored re-teaming for a third movie.
Directed by: Ivan Reitman
Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis,
Sigourney Weaver, Ernie Hudson, Rick Moranis
Specifications: Widescreen 1080p High Definition
(2.40:1); English Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Studio: Sony
Release Date: 6/16/2009
MPAA Rating: PG
http://www.sonypictures.com/bluray
We'll give Ghostbusters (Blu-ray) an A.
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