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‘Ghostbusters’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan

April 28, 2026 · Ghostbusters (1984) · Action · Comedy · Fantasy · 2:03:28

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

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Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 26:27Expresses skepticism about the accuracy of casting what-if stories, recounting Reitman's account that Murray, Ramis, and Aykroyd were cast as the three Ghostbusters (Ramis as brains, Aykroyd as heart, Murray as wise-ass) set in NYC, but says he doesn't know what to believe and there are many conflicting casting what-ifs to get into later.

Horlbeck Runtime Scale

Bill Simmons▶ 26:56Rates Ghostbusters's runtime as 'hour 45' on the Horlbeck scale, says it's 'kind of perfect' and he wouldn't cut anything
Chris Ryan▶ 27:05Says 'anything in the hour 40 is fine' runtime-wise

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 35:31Points to the Ghostbusters theme song controversy (Huey Lewis's 'I Want a New Drug' vs. Ray Parker Jr.'s theme, written in a week) as a dated/aged element, then pivots to the Eddie Murphy casting 'what if' as a related aged/legendary Hollywood story; ultimately argues Eddie Murphy in the movie 'wouldn't work' and breaks his brain, though later argues the upside would have been higher.
Chris Ryan▶ 37:14Believes adding Eddie Murphy would have unbalanced the film ('blot out the sun'), arguing the movie works because the cast revolves around Murray; says it 'wouldn't be what it is' with Murphy, though a small guest-spot role might have worked.
Van Lathan▶ 37:53Agrees Eddie Murphy wouldn't have fit, comparing it to the star-overloaded Lakers team with Nash/Howard/Gasol—'not enough basketball'—and says Ernie Hudson's everyman role works precisely because it's understated, which Murphy couldn't have done.

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 43:46Venkman running the ESP card test on the two students, favoring the blind (attractive) one, for $5

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 47:37Nitpicks the eggs left cooking/cracked on the counter for two days without Dana cleaning them up.
Chris Ryan▶ 46:08Biggest nit in the movie: Dana buying a giant bag of marshmallows makes no sense for her character.
Van Lathan▶ 46:42Explains away the egg nitpick: she didn't clean them because she wanted the Ghostbusters to see them as evidence.

Great Shot Gordo Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:31The shot of them going up the stairs at the end, where it looks like there are 100 floors of stairs above them ('When we get to 20, let me know. I'm going to puke.')
Chris Ryan▶ 1:08:44No specific shot; instead praised cinematographer Laszlo Kovacs' overall work capturing the 80s New York vibe, especially crowd scenes.

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:13:16Winston (Ernie Hudson) — feels he's underdeveloped, shows up halfway through with no real character-building scene explaining why the audience should be attached to him, compares it to an NBA trade deadline pickup that never gets properly incorporated
Chris Ryan▶ 1:14:37Agrees Winston is the weak link, citing the mayor's office scene where Winston says 'your honor, I want to speak for myself' as the moment showing he's underused/could be seen as betraying the group
Van Lathan▶ 1:12:31Says the movie has no real weak link, refuses to pick Ernie Hudson's Winston Zeddemore as the weak link, and instead defends him as an important, well-understood character (the 'do you believe in God' scene)

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:47The all-female Ghostbusters is one of the worst movies of the 2010s, and the franchise sequels overall have been shameless money grabs.
Chris Ryan▶ 1:16:59Walter Peck (William Atherton) is the weak link of the original Ghostbusters — needed more screen time/an earlier appearance since the plot could've unfolded without the EPA angle.
Van Lathan▶ 1:20:20He genuinely loves Ghostbusters 2 (after initially mocking it as an 'important' movie, he flips to sincerely loving it), despite calling the all-female Ghostbusters bad; also thinks in the psychic scene Venkman assumes he's about to have sex with the girl, which he says ages terribly.

Overacting Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:49The actress playing Gozer (a Grace Jones lookalike/stand-in since Jones turned down the role)

Hall of Fame Plaque

Bill Simmons▶ 1:23:03Agrees with Atherton at #1, adds context (Gleason's line in Trading Places, notes Spader could play likable roles unlike Atherton), and separately floats other 'dick' actors like Robert Davi and William Forsythe.
Chris Ryan▶ 1:24:23Questions whether Spader counts as a dick in Sex, Lies, and Videotape, and expands the discussion to other eras/genres (Schwarzenegger action villains, Robert Patrick, Andrew Divoff) without giving one definitive personal ranking.
Van Lathan▶ 1:22:45Ranks a 'Dick Hall of Fame': #4 Paul Gleason, #3 William Zabka, and top two as William Atherton and James Spader, ultimately picking Atherton as #1 (cites Ghostbusters, Die Hard, and Real Genius as putting him over the top).

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:35:49Agrees Keaton is most interesting Venkman alternative ('pro Michael Keaton', cites Gung Ho and Night Shift roles); thinks Goldblum reportedly turned down Egon but Ramis was destined for it; most interesting recasting nugget is John Candy almost playing Louis Tully (with a German accent); argues Moranis is only in 3 scenes and not eligible over Ernie Hudson for the 'that guy' award; shares extra trivia: Frank Price sold Columbia the 'Ghostbusters' title for $500K + 1% profits, Richard Edlund's special effects budget founding Boss Film Studios, Marshmallow Man suit details, deleted library ghost puppet given to Fright Night, and a deleted sexual encounter scene involving Ray
Chris Ryan▶ 1:35:36Most interesting Venkman what-if is Michael Keaton; also flags the Egon rumors (Walken, Lithgow, Christopher Lloyd, Goldblum) as most interesting casting trivia; argues Rick Moranis's Louis Tully deserves 'that guy'/Dion Waiters award eligibility because of quality over screen time
Van Lathan▶ 1:36:00Notes Keaton basically plays this same wisecracking type in Gung Ho; questions if Ernie Hudson could be eligible for the 'that guy' award and comments on Annie Potts' exaggerated accent, calling her performance good/lovable

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:42:41For Bill Murray, Ghostbusters is his apex ('Apex Mountain, Murray, I think yes'), though acknowledges Groundhog Day argument. For Aykroyd, thinks it's Trading Places or possibly Ghostbusters since he wrote it and is custodian of the franchise. For Ramis, thinks it's Ghostbusters or Groundhog Day as director. Also weighs in that Ghostbusters is the apex ghost movie over Ghost, and picks Spielberg over Scorsese hypothetically for directing it.
Chris Ryan▶ 1:43:53Argues Ghostbusters is Aykroyd's apex since he wrote it and remains the franchise's custodian ('I think that in some ways this is his apex').
Van Lathan▶ 1:43:38For Bill Murray, says Groundhog Day is his apex ('Groundhog Day to me is... for Bill Murray'). Agrees Ghostbusters is the apex ghost movie over Ghost ('It's busting').

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:51:19Shaquille O'Neal as an Inside the NBA analyst reviewing Ghostbusters, declaring Gozer the Gozerian 'best person movie'
Chris Ryan▶ 1:50:38Zane Lowe as Gozer the Gozerian, delivering the demanding official warning speech in his own wordy DJ style

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:52:56Movie would be worse with Belushi instead of Bill Murray, though he thinks it could've been a great role for Belushi's career had he lived
Bill Simmons▶ 1:53:421984 was the perfect/quintessential year for this movie to come out, not later with better effects
Chris Ryan▶ 1:53:31Posed the 'would you rather' question about releasing the movie 5-6 years later with better effects, but didn't state his own preference

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:56:38Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:56:27Big Trouble in Little China paired with Blues Brothers, citing similar comic sci-fi element
Van Lathan▶ 1:56:35Made a joke about staying in the same house, no clear pick given

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:56:50Bill Murray (also notes director Ivan Reitman as a strong case, comparing his career trajectory)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:57:49Praises Reitman's direction and instincts, but ultimately agrees Murray carries the film and credits the film's success to the natural chemistry of friends acting together
Van Lathan▶ 1:56:51Bill Murray (Peter Venkman)

Movies Referenced (71)

Trading Places (1983)

15 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan▶ 10:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

12 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 2:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Batman (1989)

8 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 2:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Back to the Future (1985)

6 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 2:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Groundhog Day (1993)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 1:43:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alien (1979)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 4:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Aliens (1986)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 30:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Real Genius (1985)

4 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 1:24:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bridesmaids (2011)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Die Hard (1988)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 1:20:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gung Ho (1986)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 1:36:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Little Giants (1994)

3 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 50:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (4)

Jason Reitman

14 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan · Known for Up in the Air, Saturday Night▶ 25:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Landis

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for The Blues Brothers▶ 1:57:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tim Burton

1 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for Edward Scissorhands▶ 20:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Woody Allen

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Annie Hall, Deconstructing Harry▶ 1:24:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (105)

Bill Murray

51 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan · Known for Lost in Translation, Rushmore, Moonrise Kingdom▶ 3:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eddie Murphy

31 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan · Known for Harlem Nights, The Nutty Professor▶ 9:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sigourney Weaver

23 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Avatar, Alien▶ 31:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rick Moranis

20 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan · Known for Parenthood, Little Shop of Horrors, Spaceballs▶ 34:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dan Aykroyd

17 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Ghostbusters▶ 4:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ernie Hudson

17 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Ghostbusters▶ 36:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kathleen Turner

12 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Romancing the Stone, Peggy Sue Got Married, Body Heat▶ 1:31:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

William Atherton

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Die Hard, Ghostbusters, Real Genius▶ 1:17:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Annie Potts

10 mentions · Van Lathan, Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Ghostbusters, Pretty in Pink▶ 1:13:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Huey Lewis

9 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Back to the Future▶ 14:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paris Hilton

7 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:33:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Zane Lowe

7 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 1:50:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (8)

Harold Ramis

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, Stripes▶ 12:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bruce Springsteen

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Wrestler, Philadelphia▶ 3:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Judd Apatow

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The King of Staten Island, Knocked Up▶ 42:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Frank Price

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:08:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Stephen King

3 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Maximum Overdrive▶ 44:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andrew Cosby

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 14:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bob Woodward

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for All the President's Men▶ 26:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roxanne Reaver

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Se7en, Galaxy Quest▶ 1:33:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (3)

Barry Ackroyd

12 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan · Known for The Hurt Locker, Captain Phillips, United 93▶ 18:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bruno Gras

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 18:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Christophe Legal

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Pink Panther▶ 1:09:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗