Harold Ramis Dies At 69 136
samzenpus writes "Writer and comedian Harold Ramis has passed away at 69. Ramis had a hand in many classic comedies but is especially loved for playing the ghost-hunting Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters. 'His creativity, compassion, intelligence, humor and spirit will be missed by all who knew and loved him,' said his family in a statement."
See you on the other side, Egon (Score:5, Insightful)
:(
Egon the scientist left an impression on me as an 11 year old kid.
While his character was supposed to be a little dorky I suppose, he was just pure awesome to me. He was the only Ghostbuster to be totally on top of things, and knew what he was doing. He inspired me to be the techie I am today.
RIP Harold Ramis.
Thank you (Score:5, Insightful)
For making us laugh, making us think, and making the world a little happier. You did good.
Re:See you on the other side, Egon (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:And yet (Score:4, Insightful)
Dan Akroyd is the all-time winner of the Landing a Woman Way Out of your Class geek Olympics. I in good faith cannot criticize him or anything he has ever done.
Re:Egon's sexuality (Score:5, Insightful)
C'mon, Winston got one of the funniest lines in the movie...
There's no reason to pull out the racist card any time a black man isn't portrayed as the ultimate hero and intellect in a movie. All the characters in this COMEDY were slightly strange and comedic characters...
As was said in another movie Ramis did.."Lighten up Francis".
Re:Egon's sexuality (Score:4, Insightful)
Ugh.. One of the great things about ghostbusters was that it came out at a time when accepted humor wasn't limited by this kind of PC garbage. The social(ist) reconstructionists didn't get to video entertainment en-masse in this country until the end of the 80s. If that's not what you want, go watch one of those effeminate vampire movies.
You know, it's ok to tell a story without bolting PC narratives onto the side, or worse, squeezing all of them within those limitations ("I've seen shit that'll turn you white!"). Frankly, movies and tv are inundated with it now, to the point of absurdity. It's almost like the script writers and directors are screaming "I CARE MORE ABOUT NONWHITES, WOMEN, AND GAYS THAN YOU!" at each other and their audience with their stories. By the early 90s, it was already cliche (the "empowered 90s woman"), and by the end of the decade, it was boring and predictable. Today, it's cranked up to 11 and downright condescending. Enough already.
Re:claims of "political correctness" (Score:5, Insightful)
That's because he was the outsider, not because he was black. The Ghostbusters needed another guy with a proton pack, Winston signed up because it was a job. He wasn't a conman like Venkman, and not a semi-insane scientist like Egon or Ray.
You might as well complain about how Weaver's character spent most of the time in both movies being the vulnerable incapable female.
Re:Egon's sexuality (Score:4, Insightful)
If there's a steady paycheck in it, I'll believe anything you say.
Ray, when someone asks if you are a god, you say YES!
I fucking loved Winston when I was a kid.
Re:Egon's sexuality (Score:5, Insightful)
Winston was pretty essential to the film, because he was the everyman. Without Winston, you had two crazy ass scientists (Egon and Ray) and a conman (Venkman). As with any movie filled with nutsos and and miscreants as protagonists, you need a straight man who can sort of stand a bit outside the action and act as a sort of proxy for the audience. The character of Winston reminds me a lot of Murray Slaughter off of the Mary Tyler Moore show; both weren't necessarily part of any given action, but rather served to underline the absurdity of what was going on.
Re:Beyond Ghostbusters (Score:4, Insightful)
He would deserve the highest praise for Groundhog Day alone, a film that has only grown in popularity and appreciation since its release. The fact that he was involved in one capacity or another in a number of highly esteemed projects over the years shows just how good he really was.
Re:claims of "political correctness" (Score:3, Insightful)
Political correctness is real, and it is routinely used by feminists and other radical left-wingers to dismiss any speech that disagrees with them. How is it "accusing" leftists of being politically correct, when in fact they are?
Funny how you prove his point by all but demanding a story be told by bolting PC narratives on the side and derailing the entire flow by screaming "I CARE MORE ABOUT NONWHITES, WOMEN, AND GAYS THAN YOU!" at each other and their audience.