Who Are You Going to Call?

Thirty years ago around this time, Ghostbusters was released. Since then, there has been a sequel, two cartoon shows, video games, and many fans. But there is one thing there hasn't been - Ghostbusters 3. With the death of Harold Ramis, aka Dr. Egon Spengler, in February, it seemed to be another nail in the coffin of Ghostbusters 3. Rick Moranis hasn't appeared on screen since 1997. Bill Murray has no interest in doing a second sequel. Here's a novel idea. Why not reintroduce the movie to a new generation, which has happened. But let's stop making sequels to movies that Generation Xers liked. There's talk of a new Mad Max movie almost 30 years after the last one. Why? Why just released the original trilogy and let the audience rediscover them? If we've learned anything by Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skulls and the Star Wars prequel, it's that sometimes, we expect too much of a good thing. Also, let's not forget that now, there is a push for things to be bigger and better. We have four Transformers movies and the first three of them suck. The fourth one is still undetermined. Ghostbusters was a perfect mixture of comedy, action and special effects. But it was a comedy first and the action and special effects added to the laughter rather than distracted for it. Most movies can't do that now. Most movies, like R.I.P.D., focus too much on the action and special effects and leave us wanting more comedy. Ghostbusters was like a Three Stooges or Marx Brothers movie and I think that's part of its appeal. It's an ensemble movie. Even though Murray is the star, he shares the laughter and jokes with Dan Aykroyd, Ramis, Moranis, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts and Sigourney Weaver. But a movie like Ghostbusters wouldn't work today. It would either be too intense in action, thus necessitating a PG-13 rating, or too vulgar in context to have a PG rating. Rather than wanting a third Ghostbusters, just go back and watch the first one and even the second one. You don't ask Michelangelo to add on to the Sistene Chapel. Harper Lee didn't make a sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird. I hope there is never a Ghostbusters 3.