Like Raiders of the Lost Ark , Ghostbusters is that rare and special kind of film that actually is as good as my childhood nostalgia holds it to be. I was so young when Ivan Reitman’s action-horror-comedy originally hit the big screen that I found the movie utterly terrifying — the ghost in the library scene nearly sent me out of the theater, and I almost started crying when no one eating at that restaurant would help Rick Moranis when he was cornered by the “Keymaster” beast. But I also found the film hilarious. And awesome. The Real Ghostbusters cartoon was admittedly a bit more my speed at the time, but unlike a lot of my other childhood favs, Ghostbusters just seemed to get better every time I saw it. It is as nearly flawless as a genre comedy can get, and like Back to the Future it has very successfully been adopted by subsequent generations, making it timeless. Also like Back to the Future, this staying power was surely the motivation behind its studio’s (Sony) decision to give the film a theatrical re-release.
Here are the details: the re-release is limited to three days — October 13th, 20th and 27th (all Thursdays), starting at 7pm. No matinees. 2K digital with 5.1 surround sound. It will be playing on 500 screens, so hopefully there will be at least one theater showing the film in all the primary markets. The official Ghostbusters Facebook page has an app that tells you if/when/where the movie will be playing near you. So check dat shit out.
I hope the film makes enough cash for Sony to feel this was worth their while, and more importantly, for other studios to feel inspired to do the same. Disney’s 3D revamps are a great step in the right direction, but that’s a slightly different ballgame. As someone who lives in LA, it is easy to take repertory screenings for granted. On any given day there are at least three or four older films playing on the big screen somewhere in the city. Honestly, it’s a great way to live. I think it would be great if AMC and other theaters did repertory screenings like this every week of the year. How cool would that be? And not just midnight screenings. 7pm screenings.