Ghostbusters. Which is both the perfect slow-burn horror movie and a perfect comedy. (It’s rare for comedy-horror to get both right. Ghostbusters is one of the few examples. Tremors is another.)
For very complicated reasons I have by now seen this movie 50 or so times.
Not because I’m an obsessed superfan. Just … the first 27 times were … kinda/sorta an accident?¹ The rest of the times were me showing the film to English classes here in China² for Halloween. As a result, though, I’m very familiar with all the tricks used in the film (for both its horror vibe and its comedy vibe) … and still number it among my favourite films of all time.
¹
I saw it, together with friends, on opening night in Regina, early show. It was so funny we almost all bought another ticket and went back in for the late show. On my way out of that I ran into a friend I owed a movie to. They said “Ghostbusters”. Then still later another friend who owed me a movie said “Ghostbusters” and I gladly agreed. Over the next month or so, through this kind of trade I was dragged into seeing the movie 27 times in total. And didn’t regret a single viewing.
²
One thing that really freaked me out originally is that a lot of my earlier students didn’t understand this was a comedy and were terrified by the film! They thought it was a very well-made horror movie but the comedy aspects of it went way over their heads. This stopped being the case after about … I want to say 2005 … as more comedy horrors leaked into China and people joking about dead spirits became more common.
Ghostbusters. Which is both the perfect slow-burn horror movie and a perfect comedy. (It’s rare for comedy-horror to get both right. Ghostbusters is one of the few examples. Tremors is another.)
OMG, right?! Great film!
For very complicated reasons I have by now seen this movie 50 or so times.
Not because I’m an obsessed superfan. Just … the first 27 times were … kinda/sorta an accident?¹ The rest of the times were me showing the film to English classes here in China² for Halloween. As a result, though, I’m very familiar with all the tricks used in the film (for both its horror vibe and its comedy vibe) … and still number it among my favourite films of all time.
¹
I saw it, together with friends, on opening night in Regina, early show. It was so funny we almost all bought another ticket and went back in for the late show. On my way out of that I ran into a friend I owed a movie to. They said “Ghostbusters”. Then still later another friend who owed me a movie said “Ghostbusters” and I gladly agreed. Over the next month or so, through this kind of trade I was dragged into seeing the movie 27 times in total. And didn’t regret a single viewing.
²
One thing that really freaked me out originally is that a lot of my earlier students didn’t understand this was a comedy and were terrified by the film! They thought it was a very well-made horror movie but the comedy aspects of it went way over their heads. This stopped being the case after about … I want to say 2005 … as more comedy horrors leaked into China and people joking about dead spirits became more common.