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.

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

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…

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

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.

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