10 Best Ghostbusters Moments
5. The Party
From his voice breaking like a nervous teenager when speaking to Dana, to being the only one swept up by paramedics at the end of the movie, everything Louis Tully (Rick Moranis) does is goofy, adorable, and hilarious. Moranis’s ability to scene-steal (even though he is not a main character) is almost as remarkable as the special effects.
In a large portion of his scenes Louis is actually Vinz Clortho, which adds another layer to the performance Moranis offers. But it is the party, written up as a promotable expense so he doesn’t have to pay for his social life, where the audience is able to get fully acquainted with Louis Tully in all his glory.
It’s hard to imagine a man who introduces people by how much they have left on their mortgage as likeable, but Ramis and Aykroyd managed it.
4. There Is Only Zuul
Dana has been possessed by Zuul, and something seems different. Could it be the smoky eye and incredible costume change? Could it be her new obsession with the key master? It is possibly the fact she’s levitating…
This moment further shows the lengths to which the special effects department went in order to create something spectacular. Weaver floats and rotates mid-air, and it’s rendered beautifully.
It’s a helpful moment too, as up until this point the positively sleazy Venkman has had a one-track mind. It’s good to see that in her most vulnerable state he is able to resist her. Murray’s ability to play the rogue with a heart of gold is second to none.
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3. The Key Master
Louis Tully (Rick Moranis) as Gozer’s key master is dishevelled, wide-eyed, and dopey. Dana Barrett as the gatekeeper is statuesque, alluring, and stunningly beautiful. When they find each other after tearing the city apart there is a moment of genuine tenderness.
The joke here is obvious. Louis has been in awe of Dana since she moved in but, to be blunt, she’s out of his league. The fact that the woman (or her possessed body, at least) he admires is now tipping him back like he’s Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind is the punchline to a wordless joke that has taken an hour to unfold.
No one can accuse Ghostbusters of being a subtle film, but it isn’t heavy-handed either. The visual jokes are as apparent on screen as those read from the script. Louis Tully as the much sought-after key master is one of them.
