Showing posts with label director: Ivan Reitman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label director: Ivan Reitman. Show all posts

Friday, May 21, 2010

Ghostbusters

In my opinion, I believe that movies released in the 1980's were more focused on making money than pleasing critics. But a few managed to do both. One good example is the 1984 sci-fi flick Ghostbusters.

Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) and Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) are three scientists at Columbia University in New York City. When their grant expires, the guys are fired and they go into business as a ghost extermination company called "Ghostbusters". Their first customer is orchastra cello player Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver), who was scared out of her apartment on the 22nd floor of a high rise apartment building on Central Park West. It seems that Dana's neighbor Louis Tully (Rick Moranis) is also being affected by the strange happenings in the apartment building. Armed with proton guns, the Ghostbusters become wildly popular and they are joined by Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson), who is looking for a job with good pay.

Man, that had to be an awesome movie to see on the big screen. Who would've thought that comedy and sci-fi mixed so well?

My Rating: ****1/2

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Dave

With Up in the Air getting Jason Reitman some of the best reviews of his directing career, I thought I might review a little-known movie his father Ivan did a few years back.

Dave Kovic (Kevin Kline) gets an offer from the Secret service: to impersonate President Bill Mitchell (also Kline) since they both resemble the other. Dave's doing it because Mitchell is having an affair with one of the staff from the White House. Mitchell gets a stroke in an awkward position and goes into a coma. Chief of Staff Bob Alexander (Frank Langella) tells Dave the news and to keep Mitchell's stroke a secret. Dave's now posing as the President of the United States until Mitchell recovers, which makes Mitchell's wife Ellen (Sigourney Weaver) skeptical of her husband's change in behavior.

The movie was enjoyable. It's definitely something that would kill the afternoon. Don't get me wrong, it's good but it felt like it needed something more.

My Rating: ****