Dr. Egon Spengler

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Dr. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) at work.

We’re back inside the Rose Main Reading Room of the New York Public Library as Ray Stantz and Peter Venkman enter the busy hall, continuing their conversation from outside. In response to Venkman’s question, Stantz responds…


Stantz: “Of course you forget, Peter, I was present at an undersea, unexplained, mass sponge migration.”


The mind boggles. It’s another line of joyfully quirky dialogue from Ray. Dan Ackroyd’s delivery has a childlike quality to it. He’s like an excited kid at Christmas – perfect breeding ground for Bill Murray’s sarcastic cynicism.


Venkman: “Ooh, Ray, those sponges migrated about a foot and a half.”


In the foreground, sitting cross-legged on the library floor next to a table, we see the bespectacled figure of Dr. Egon Spengler at work with some kind of listening device. Venkman notices Spengler and quickly creeps up behind to where he’s sat. Venkman grabs a heavy book and starts making moaning-groaning noises that sound likes he’s saying “Egon“. At the same time, he drums with his knuckles on the wooden table. We cut to a close-up of Spengler’s (Harold Ramis) face looking alarmed, tricked into thinking he’s made a discovery. Then suddenly, Venkman slams the book down hard on the table top, causing a jump-scare for Spengler as the noise overloads his ears. Venkman enjoys taunting people. It’s his only amusement amid the ridiculous pursuits he finds himself caught up in.

There’s a quick cut to a shot of the library administrator (John Rothman) and another man, who are distracted by Venkman’s noise. Of course, the library administrator will be part-responsible for the continued observation of quiet inside the study area of the library. Venkman’s disruption will be bothersome.

The camera cuts back to Egon Spengler as he quickly gathers himself. Standing up, joined by Ray Stantz the three men begin to walk and talk. Spengler says to Venkman…

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The three amigos, Venkman, Stantz and Spengler.

 


Spengler: “Oh, you’re here.”

Venkman: “Yeah, what have you got?”

Spengler: “This is big, Peter. This is very big. There is definitely something here.”


It’s hard to see why Stantz and Spengler would be so anxious for Venkman to be present. Are they so caught up in their work that they’ve failed to notice his utter apathy? Maybe his apathy is why they want him present? Maybe, they’re so convinced of a paranormal encounter, that they want the most hardened sceptic present, to confirm the reality of what they think they will find. This is their chance to finally win him over.

It’s immediately noticeable that Spengler’s character is vastly different to Ray Stantz. He’s much more focused and matter-of-fact, to the point that he’s seemingly oblivious to Venkman’s practical joke. He just stands up and starts talking without the faintest recognition of anger or amusement at Venkman’s trick. Venkman’s mocking continues…


Venkman: “Egon, this reminds me of the time you tried to drill a hole through your head. You remember that?”


As he speaks, Venkman touches his temple in recollection, amused by the memory. Spengler responds in a straight tone, pointing a finger toward Venkman…


Spengler: “That would have worked if you hadn’t stopped me.”


It’s a very funny exchange between the two, and quickly establishes Spengler as the serious thinker of the group. He’s seemingly impervious the Venkman’s jibes, or possibly, he’s so used to them, that he’s stopped acknowledging them. From a comedy angle, it plays as dry-on-dry banter, which makes for another fun nuance between the three men.

Words by Gareth Rhodes.

The ESP Test

Guessing games with Dr. Venkman.

Inside the laboratory, Dr. Venkman is conducting an ESP (extra-sensory- perception) test on two young students, both of who are wired up to electrodes. One of the students is a young, attractive blonde-haired woman called Jennifer, the other is a male student whose name we don’t learn. The first thing we see is a star symbol on a card. The male student looks very nervous before he pauses and stutters his answer.


Male student: “S-square?”


Turning the card to show the student, Dr. Venkman immediately responds with a subtle, dry sense of satisfaction.


Dr. Venkman: “Good guess, but wrong.”


For guessing incorrectly, Venkman proceeds to give the male student a sharp electric shock, forcing the young man to wriggle comically in his seat. Venkman then gives him a brief look of disdain before looking down to write something. With the deadpan delivery of Bill Murray as its spearhead, the film is already funny. Then, with his head still, Murray’s subtle comic ability comes to the fore as his eyes shift from a look of disappointment in the male student, to a look of encouraging warmth toward Jennifer. A reassuring smile appears as Venkman says…


Dr. Venkman: “Clear your head. All right, tell me what you think it is.”


Venkman holds up a new card for Jennifer, as she asks in a soft, calm voice…


Jennifer: “Is it a star?” 


The male student sniggers at her answer and the camera cuts back to Dr. Venkman who says with a hint of false sincerity…


Dr. Venkman: “It is a star! Very good, that’s great.”


We then see a camera angle from behind Venkman that reveals the card was in-fact a circle. Jennifer is delighted to think she has guessed correctly, while the male student wears a look of disbelief. It’s immediately funny, while at the same time, shows us that Peter Venkman is a con man. A man with no reverence for his work, willing to abuse his position for a chance romantic encounter with a young student half his age. What ought to be alarming is brilliantly amusing, thanks to Bill Murray’s screen reputation and sardonic mannerisms.

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‘Male Student’ and Jennifer during the ESP test.

Dr. Venkman then reaches for another card, (we see that the symbol is a square) – addressing the male student…


 Dr. Venkman: “All right. Think hard. What is it?”


The male student, more nervous this time, but quicker in his response goes for broke…


Male Student: “Circle!”


Dr Venkman sucks air into his cheeks and says in a thinly-veiled, patronising way…


Dr Venkman: “Close…but definitely wrong”


The answers are black or white, meaning there is no such thing as “close”, only right or wrong. Venkman enjoys taunting the hapless young student, in an attempt to make Jennifer feel good about herself, thus grooming her to be more receptive to his eventual advances.

Venkman leans forward to push the switch to administer yet another electric shock to the male student. This time, when he does, the resulting jolt forces the young man to comically spit out his chewing gum onto the desk. The male student puts the chewing gum back into his mouth before the next round of tests begin. Steven Tash, the young actor playing the ‘male student’ deserves much credit for his own comic performance in this scene – his anxiety being a key part of what makes it funny.

Steven Tash nervously awaits another jolt.

Venkman holds up another card, this time with a plus (+) symbol printed on it, adopting a more friendly demeanour to help Jennifer relax. It’s clear he has no intention of giving her an electric shock.


Dr. Venkman: “Okay. All right. Ready? What is it?”


As Venkman says this, he points a pencil at his his temple as Jennifer hesitates with her answer. Making light of her uncertainty, he pulls a goofy face as he whispers in a faux-inpatient way…


Dr. Venkman: “Cmooon”


Jennifer suddenly gains some confidence as guesses…


Jennifer: “Figure eight”


Bill Murray’s reaction here is hilarious, as he understands the key to great comedy often stems from so-called pregnant pauses. He stalls for a long moment, playing along with his own twisted game of being astonished by Jennifer’s psychic abilities. He sits still, holding the card up, his eyes darting from it to Jennifer before he says…


Dr. Venkman: “Incredible. That’s five for five. You can’t see these, can you?”


Venkman pretends to be amazed, holding the card at different angles.


Jennifer: “No, no”


Dr. Venkman: “You’re not cheating me, are you?”


The double bluff is funny, as Venkman pretends to be in awe of Jennifer’s abilities.


Jennifer: “No, I swear, they’re just coming to me.”


He now has Jennifer in the palm of his hand, having given her the belief that she has ability. This scene is an early signpost of how risky Ghostbusters is for a film certified PG. The girl in question is being portrayed as the stereotypical dumb blonde, being preyed upon by her mentor…all in the name of comedy.

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Jennifer being won over by Dr. Venkman.

Venkman turns to address the male student for round three of the tests…


Dr. Venkman: “Okay. Nervous?”


Venkman gives a smug smile as he speaks. Considering Venkman is the heroic centre of the piece, it’s a bold choice to introduce him as such an unlikable character.


Male Student: “Yes… I don’t like this.”


The male student becomes emotional, prompting us to feel sympathy for him. We have been made to feel complicit in his ordeal. How much more will he take before he blows??…we don’t need ESP abilities to know he won’t last much longer.


Dr. Venkman: “You only have seventy-five more to go. Okay, what’s this one?”


You male student pauses briefly, in the face of yet another smug grin from Venkman. He makes a small wavy gesture with his hand and asks…


Male Student: “A couple of wavy lines?”


As the student gives his answer, the camera angle switches to behind Venkman. We clearly see that the male student has guessed correctly. Venkman quickly puts the card down, at the same time saying…


Dr. Venkman: “Sorry! This isn’t your lucky day!”


Venkman’s cruelty is complete. He gives a half-exasperated laugh as he says the word “day”.


Male Student: “I know…er”


The male student’s agitation is reaching explosion-point. We hear some mock-suspenseful piano-tinkling as Venkman reaches for the switch to give another electric shock. The camera cuts to the face of Jennifer, who looks concerned. Venkman slightly raises his eyebrows as he looks at the male student. This moment is vaguely akin to a ‘Mexican standoff’, famously found in the Spaghetti Western genre.


Male Student: “Wai..erm…erm” 


In his most audacious moment yet, Venkman moves his glance to Jennifer, giving her a look that suggests he’s enjoying the moment and that she should too. Jennifer smiles back, which suggests she’s now happy to play along with whatever Venkman has in mind. Venkman then winks at her before pushing the switch to give the male student another zap.  The male student has had enough as he gets a final shock and begins to yell…


Male Student: “Hey! I’m getting a little tired of this!”

Dr. Venkman: “You volunteered, didn’t you? We’re paying you, aren’t we?”


Bill Murray’s delivery is often so subtle, that small moments can easily slip by. As he says “aren’t we?”, his intonation and gestures reveal that he isn’t sure if the student is being paid.


Male Student: “Yeah, but I didn’t know you were giving me electric shocks! What are you trying to prove here anyway?”


This reveals that the male student has no interest in the studies, and that he only volunteered for a quick buck. He most likely wouldn’t have bothered, had he been aware of the electric shocks. Venkman answers by pressing together the palms of his hands in an attempt to appear wise…


Dr. Venkman: “I’m studying the effect of negative reinforcement on ESP ability.”


Dr. Venkman seems to have an answer for everything. He’s trying to suggest the male student’s negativity is hindering any ESP ability, whereas Jennifer, who is calm, is performing well. Standing up and uncoupling himself from the electrodes, the male student responds angrily…


Male Student: “The effect?! I’ll tell you what the effect is! It’s pissing me off!”


The male student rounds the table and begins to walk out of the room. At the same time, Venkman stands and says…


Dr. Venkman: “Well, then maybe my theory is correct!”


As a parting shot, the male student says..


Male Student: “You can keep the five bucks, I’ve had it!”


It’s funny that he only got paid $5 for so much trauma.


Dr Venkman: “I will mister!”


We get the feeling that Venkman always has to have the last word.

The male student is seen hurriedly leaving the laboratory. On the wall by the door, there is a large black & white poster of Marylin Monroe wearing a bathing suit. This tells us three things – the laboratory is a ‘man cave’, they are unprofessional, yet, they have high taste in pin-ups.

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Steven Tash and Jennifer Runyon in the 1984 film, and a reunion years later.

Trivia: This scene was filmed in a basement area of Columbia University.


 

Words by Gareth Rhodes.

Ray Parker Jr.

As Alice Drummond’s terrified librarian screams out, Ray Parker Jr’s iconic Ghostbusters theme song bursts to life as the equally iconic ‘no ghosts’ logo fills the screen. It’s a sudden divorce from the intensity of the previous scene, ushering in a cartoonish tone. We’re only treated to a few bars of the song for now, but for younger viewers, it acts as a pressure release valve from the horror of the introduction and a promise of fun to come.

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Ray Parker Jr. sporting the famous logo.

As the song runs, we see an establishing shot taken from behind the Alma Mater sculpture of the goddess Athena, which faces the Low Memorial Library on the Morningside Heights campus of Columbia University. This maintains gothic continuity with the earlier shot of the stone lions outside the library – a sense of watchful statues buildings.

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The goddess Athena in the movie.
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A recent image of the sculpture from a similar angle.

We then see another establishing shot, low on the entrance of the university building which signposts ‘Weaver Hall Department of Psychology’. In real life, this building is Havemeyer Hall. Of course, the hall shares its name with one of the stars of the film. Sigourney Weaver.

 

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Weaver Hall Department of Psychology, as seen in the film. 

 

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In real life, it is Havemeyer Hall – dedicated to science & mathematics.  

 

Trivia: Ray Parker Jr’s Ghostbusters theme song reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 11th 1984, remaining there for three-weeks.

Trivia: Michael C. Gross designed the ‘no ghosts’ logo, loosely basing it on ‘no’ European road signs.

Words by Gareth Rhodes.

Quite a Fright

Wide-eyed with fright, moving quickly while constantly checking behind for an unknown pursuer, the librarian franticly searches for an exit point, like a rat trapped in a maze. Elmer Bernstien’s music mirrors her urgency as she rounds a corner and the music stops. Suddenly, she’s confronted by a low, guttaral roar as her hair begins to blow and her face is illuminated by a sharp, bright light. The popular saying, “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost” could not be more perfectly attributed as her arms flail and she screams out with terror.

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It rounds off what is an excellent, wordless introduction that sets the stage for our protagonists while establishing a creepy tone. In a career that has spanned five decades, for actress Alice Drummond, it must seem peculiar that just a few scenes of dialogue-free acting have come to be her defining screen moment. Such is the popularity and classic status of Ghostbusters.

Words by Gareth Rhodes.

Flying Cards

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Lighting and music continue an atmosphere of unease as the librarian stands at a small desk to complete an entry in a log book. Still, she is alone. The music pauses before a lone whistle is heard as she makes her way down another aisle. Coincidentally (or not?), the lone whistle is similar to the theme music to The X-Files, a mid-1990’s TV-show about paranormal investigators. As the librarian continues about her work, on one side there are tall, heavy book shelves, on the other, smaller wooden filing drawers. Suddenly, one of the drawers of the smaller cabinet begins to open by itself, revealing a tray full of library index cards. The music becomes more urgent as the cards begin to blow out and scatter. Almost in unison, another drawer opens and the same happens again, until a third and a fourth…

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The angle switches to face Alice Drummond’s librarian, whose expression quickly morphs from worry to fear as she turns to witness the unusual activity. Frightened, she lets out a weakened scream and begins to run away.

Once again, the invention of in-camera, practical illusions contribute to a feeling of more organic movie-making, something that is celebrated and pined-for in the today’s ‘more advanced’ digital age.

Trivia: The bank of smaller cabinets is a false wall. Behind the cabinets, special effects technicians pushed the drawers open and blew air through to disperse the cards.

Words by Gareth Rhodes.

Alice Drummond

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We cut to the Rose Main Reading Room, the grand interior of the New York Public Library, as a female employee gathers books left by the public, placing them on a cart to be transported to the basement archives. Actress Alice Drummond is the archetypal librarian – a small-boned, cardigan-wearing woman in her mid-to-late-50’s, diligently pushing the wooden book cart. Elmer Bernstien’s musical arrangement of theremin and wispy strings continues to intrigue us as to an unknown threat.

Words by Gareth Rhodes.

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The Rose Main Reading Room in the New York Public Library.

Patience and Fortitude

 

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The stone lion ‘Fortitude’, guarding the steps to The New York Public Library.  The first image seen in Ghostbusters.

The first shot of the movie is of the main entrance to the New York Public Library at daytime. There’s foreboding in Elmer Bernstien’s music as the camera pans down and settles underneath one of the dominant stone lions guarding the library entrance. A flock of pigeons are disturbed and flap wildly, landing atop one of the lions. We’re flooded with information in this single establishing shot, with a gothic flavour and hints of mystery afoot. It’s also a visual signpost to the horror of witnessing the dog-like creatures coming-to-life from their beastly stone casing, much later in the movie.


Trivia:  The lions at the entrance of the New York Public Library are called Fortitude and Patience – qualities you’ll need to get through this analysis.

Words by Gareth Rhodes.