Review: GHOSTBUSTERS IN CONCERT, Royal Albert Hall

The beloved ‘80s sci-fi comedy, Ghostbusters, celebrated the film’s 40th anniversary last night at the magnificent Royal Albert Hall. 

One of the seminal action comedies of the 1980s, Ghostbusters teamed up Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis in a story about three failed parapsychology professors in New York. After losing funding for their scientifically-debatable experiments, set themselves up as paranormal investigators catching and containing all manner of spectral ectoplasm across the Big Apple. Before long they are in a fight to save the world from an ancient Sumerian god who may be trying to bring about the apocalypse.

Famously, the film was conceived by Aykroyd as a vehicle for himself and his friend John Belushi, as a post-Blues Brothers boost. Sadly, Belushi died before the script was finished of a drugs overdose and Murray stepped into his role as Peter Venkman. Eddie Murphy was also due to star, but he decided to do Beverley Hills Cop instead.

It's tempting to dwell on what the film might have been with these actors, but it's also hard to imagine it without sweet Aykroyd, nerdy Moranis and Harold Ramis. Annie Potz is also brilliant as the sardonic receptionist Janine and Sigourney Weaver is simply iconic as the glamorous love interest and demon, Dana.

There is such an 80s feel to the film, with its reliance on male characters to be the heroes, while the women wait around to be rescued. There's also quite a distinct lack of diversity on screen. The ectoplasmic computer generations of the ghostly ghouls have endured surprisingly well, but the CGI for the demonic Terror Dogs is very much of its time, in a charmingly retro way. However, the film is, incredibly, 40 years old and allowances must be made. It is also a huge amount of silliness and fun.

The genre of the film is actually quite hard to define: an action-comedy-sci-fi-romance, with a bit of scare-factor thrown in. To match these themes with music was a feat and that fell to the ultra-talented Elmer Bernstein, who also wrote for legendary comedy films Airplane! and Trading Places all the way to dramatic epics such as The Great Escape and To Kill a Mockingbird.

However, despite the success of the film, a score soundtrack was not released until March 2006, even though those first spooky synth opening notes became synonymous with 80s pop culture.

Elmer Berstein said in a 1985 interview that "I don’t try to make the music funny.", but the whole score certainly sounds like it has a sense of humour to it. Bouncy, playful piano and the eerie, electrical flourishes of the score’s famed ondes Martenot add to the fun and immersive quality of the score and Ray Parker, Jr's unmistakable theme song being instantly recognisable.

The romance of "Dana’s theme" and the Ghostbusters march are familiar and enjoyable, and the Ghost theme does elicit some spooky thrills. The show was very much a family affair with the score performed live by the ever-wonderful Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and conducted by Berstein's son, Peter Bernstein, who introduced the film. Video inserts came from Dan Akroyd himself and Jason Reitman, son of director Ivan Reitman, who himself directed Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

Berstein is clearly a great conductor, but the slightly reduced number of musicians on stage lacked a little richness in sound compared to other Films in Concert I've seen.

Visiting the Royal Albert Hall for any Film in Concert is a treat, with real thought going into the lighting and displays around the hall with various demons, puppets and the Ecto-1 car parked outside.

As Halloween rapidly approaches, many a Ghostbuster will be seen on the streets and at parties; a fitting tribute to the enduring appeal of this film and its great soundtrack 40 years on.

The Films in Concert Series continues at The Royal Albert Hall with Avatar Live in Concert on 27 October and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows™ Part 2 in Concert on 1-3 November

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