REVIEW DATE:10:26:9:9

Do you have any idea how many reviews there are for this movie? And do you have any idea how many of them start out with the once clever, now slightly annoying, song lyric "When there's somthin' strange in your neighborhood, who ya gonna call"?

Do you have any idea how sick I am of those?

Time for a professional to step up to the plate.  But, since I don't have any handy, I guess it's up to me. As usual.

Here we have the story of three mild mannered college professors. Okay, so they aren't really mild mannered. In fact, they seam to be quite insane. In an early scene, we see Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) disregard any semblance of science to try and get some lovin' from one of his pretty volunteers. Enter Ray (Dan Aykroyd), who, upsetting Peter's mojo as he goes, drags him away on one of Ray's ghost chases.

You see, Ray, and their colleague Egon (Harold Ramis) have an idea. Professional paranormal investigation and elimination. Exterminators of the undead. Ghostbusters, in other words. Peter, displaying an air of detachment and cynicism (two of my favorite things) isn't to crazy about this idea. Then a transparent librarian floating 3 feet above the Public Library floor scares the crap out of him. He comes around.

Buying a building with the money from Ray's house, the threesome set up shop in an old fire department, and begin there careers as Ghostbusters.

So, finally, the plot kicks in.

In an upper west side apartment building, Dana Berrit (Sigourney Weaver) comes home from work. She sets her groceries down and is prepared to get on with her happy life when her eggs jump out of their carton and begin to fry themselves on her kitchen counter. Then the refrigerator starts to speak to her. Terrified beyond rational thought, who's she gonna call?

You guessed it: Frank Stalone.

Unfortunately, his phone is busy, so she goes to the Ghostbusters' office instead.

After some screen time and some footwork, the Ghostbusters find that a mad cult leader built Dana's apartment. Devoted to an ancient Sumerian god named Gozer the Destructor, the building was constructed to gather and use psychic energy as a way to jimmy open the door for Gozer into this world. And guess who are the only ones who can stop him?

You guessed it: Frank Stalone.

Oh, crap, already used that joke.

Despite the fact that there are hundreds of reviews for this movie peppered throughout the 'net, despite the fact that a ton of verbiage has been piled on to this movie, and (most importantly) despite the fact that I have limited web space, I'm gonna toss my hat into the ring. To hell with what other's say, it's Halloween and I'm in a festive mood. So, quote the Cartman, Stop your bitchin'!

Even if it is 1987, the special effects rarely show there age in this world of The Haunting and, (looming on the horizon) The House on Haunted Hill. Sure the ghost pictured above is a cartoon, who cares? They still look good next to the actors they're supposed to scare. And, aside from a few awkward stop motion scenes, I even enjoyed those terror dogs that run rampant through the last 3rd of the movie. Anything that eats Rick Moranis is okay by me.

And what to my wondering eyes should appear, but 2 Saturday Night Live veterans, early in their careers. Remember when that show was funny? Yeah, me neither. Oh well, that's what happens when all your talent leaves you high and dry. And believe you me, these dudes got the skills. I mean, look at them here, getting full fleshed, life like performances out of characters as thin as coffee filters.

Look at Aykroyd and Ramis' characters. Egon and Ray are little more then the comic relief and the straight man to each other. That's all they get to be. Halfway through the movie the character Winston Zedamore (Ernie Hudson, who's in the movie too much to be considered a Token Black Dude) is introduced for apparently no reason. Must be that affirmative action you conservative people whine about so much. Regardless, only Murray is allowed to have any real character, and even that is only a throwback from his attempts to win Dana's heart (plus a liberal dose of Murray's own skills).

But you know what? I'm going to let that go.

Yes, this is me talking. And do you know why? It has nothing to do with Frank Stalone, but instead with 2 reasons. (1) This movie is more comedy then anything else. Written by Aykroyd and Ramis, this script never makes the mistake of trying to be anything more then it is: A weird and fun movie. I mean, come one! People chasing ghosts around New York? That can't be taken seriously, so why even try?

Plus, (2) Sigourney Weaver shows a lot of leg in this movie. My God, that woman is hot. Don't get me wrong, no one gets extra points for leg, especially if they do the kind of good acting job that Weaver does (again, she makes something out of nothing). She's been one of my favorite actresses since, well, that movie that starts with an "A". She seams to be able to play anything, even a human dog. Now there's a stretch. Eat that, Jodie Foster.

And eat this The Haunting. You ain't got nothing on the Ghostbusters.

Gs (out of a possible five)

THAT'S WHO YA GONNA CALL.

MOCK O' METER

Again, the point would be?