My earliest memory is of watching the 1984 classic Ghostbusters over and over again on the carpet of the basement at home. The movie came out nearly a month before I was born, June 8, 1984. From my earliest memory to this day, Ghostbusters is still my favorite movie. Even though the film was rated PG, only because there was no PG-13 rating in 1984, the movie had a lot of crude jokes, smoking, drinking, and sexual innuendos. All these things flew over my head as a kid, but looking back now, I laugh at what I was exposed to at the age of four.
The movie’s premise is simple: three disgraced scientists are ousted from their job and start a paranormal ghost-trapping business. Overworked, they hire a fourth team member, and together, they save the world after a god of evil is released in Manhattan.
I was also big into the Saturday morning The Real Ghostbusters cartoon. I had the weapons, the pack, the action figures, and the cars. I dressed up as my favorite ghostbuster, Egon, all the time and had that as a Halloween costume two years in a row until I wore out the flimsy mask. A few years back, I bought a reproduction of that mask and placed it in a shadow box. It’s now in a promenade place of honor in my office next to the picture of me wearing the original as a kid.
The movie has retained popularity and now has three sequels and a spinoff. I love Ghostbusters, but the 1984 film is in my heart and mind. June 8, 2024, was the 40th anniversary of the film’s release, and it was celebrated by hosting a Ghostbusters party and movie marathon.
Have you seen the original Ghostbusters or the TV show and movies it started?