I am very excited to inform you guys the Hit Me with Your Best Shot series over at The Film Experience is back up and running with a new season.  This is a super fun blogging series that Nathaniel sets up where he picks a film and then we select a screenshot from the movie that we feel captures it best.

To learn more check out the website http://thefilmexperience.net/blog/tag/hit-me-with-your-best-shot

Here’s the rules

How to play
1. Watch the movie
2. Pick its best shot
3. Post it somewhere online with why you chose it on March 8th
4. Let us know you did so and we link up that Tuesday night!

It’s really fun to see the different choices all the participants come up with.  You can see some of my picks from last year here

GHOSTBUSTERS

This week Nathaniel has chosen the 1984 classic Ghostbusters (he does a good job mixing box office favorites with artistic films).

The last time I saw the film it was in the theaters in 2014 for the 30th anniversary.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself then and had the same experience this weekend.  It’s not a movie I’m overly sentimental about or have a lot of nostalgia for but I think for popcorn movies it is very entertaining.

What makes Ghostbusters work is similar to what makes a lot of blockbusters work- a charismatic cast and a witty script.  It’s pretty much what has made all the Marvel films successful. It’s not like there are great special effects or a complex plot like Inception or something like that to draw people in.  This is personalities and clever writing.

Ghostbusters is a simple story about 4 paranormal activity investigators (Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis,  Ernie Hudson) who hunt down and capture ghosts in New York City.   It is directed by Ivan Reitman and the script is written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis.

The script is very dry and sarcastic with a lot of opportunities for the comics to feed off of each other.  They are also assisted by Sigourney Weaver as a woman who seeks their help and Rick Moranis as her nerdy neighbor.  Everyone involved is likable and funny and makes up for a frankly silly story with special effects that have not aged well.

My favorite character in the film is Peter Venkman played by Bill Murray.  He is very sarcastic and overly-confident but there is something that is likable about him.  Maybe it is his smile or his chemistry with the other actors?  I’m not sure, but I always laugh whenever he is on screen.

This is where I get to my shot.  He has just visited Dana for the first time alone and kind of believes her but is skeptical at the same time.  Either way he wants a date with her:

PETER
And then you’ll say, “Pete Venkman’s a guy who can get things done!”
DANA
Right.
PETER
“I wonder what makes him tick!”
DANA
I wonder!
PETER
“I wonder if he’d be interested in knowing what makes me tick?”
DANA
Right!
PETER
I bet you’re going to be thinking about me after I’m gone.
DANA
I bet I am!
Pushes him out the door. He sticks his face back in.
PETER
No kiss?

That’s when we get this shot of him peering around the door and we all wonder along with Dana ‘I wonder what does make him tick?’

Overall Grade for Ghostbusters B+