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Review of Ghostbusters (Theodore Shapiro)

FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:

Buy it... if you've understandably enjoyed Theodore Shapiro's typically solid parody scores and seek arguably one of his finest symphonic and choral achievements.

Avoid it... if you're among the many who were adverse to the idea of a reboot of the Ghostbusters franchise to begin with, because Shapiro's score misfires on several accounts in traversing a new path for the beloved franchise's music.

FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:

Ghostbusters: (Theodore Shapiro) For anyone who grew up with the original Ghostbusters films of the 1980's, the frustration with its original crew over the absence of a third entry in the franchise was extraordinarily palpable. While writers and stars Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis toiled for two decades trying to conjure a script that would undo perceived damage to the concept caused by 1989's Ghostbusters II, a combination of studio interference with director Ivan Reitman and especially star Bill Murray's infuriating reluctance to participate in what he considered inferior storylines caused the franchise to settle upon 2009's highly acclaimed and popular Ghostbusters: The Video Game as the de facto sequel. (Not only did it reassemble the applicable, main cast members, but it returned Max Von Sydow as Vigo the Carpathian for good measure.) With the death of Ramis, the continued disillusionment of Murray, and the ouster of Reitman from the director's chair, Columbia Pictures insisted upon pushing ahead with a reboot of the concept, helmed this time by Paul Feig and replacing all the characters with female alternatives existing almost completely outside the plotline of the original concept. The basics of the team of four fighting ghosts and driving the Ecto-1 station wagon in New York remain intact, but the diminished comedy element, inferior chemistry among secondary characters, and the introduction of an antagonist to command the ghosts all proved problematic for audiences. Early controversy involving 2016's Ghostbusters centered on the all-female lead team, but, ultimately, it was the lack of faithfulness to the original Ghostbusters universe and storyline that propelled audience indifference or outward distaste. The film was largely deemed mediocre and lost an estimated $100 million at the box office, immediately placing in doubt the studio's original plans to produce several sequels. It suffices to say that audiences loved the uniquely original Ghostbusters concept to such a degree that a reboot rather than a continuation, even if such a continuation included only some of the original cast, was a totally inadvisable idea. How you view all this controversy may impact your opinion of the 2016 film's frightfully humorless and somewhat misguided score by parody genre veteran Theodore Shapiro. It's a good score, but it's also the wrong score.

That Shapiro landed the assignment of Ghostbusters is not surprising; his score for Feig's 2015 spoof Spy was generally well received. The composer has made a career of over-performing in the parody realm, his music for Tropic Thunder, Blades of Glory, and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty surprisingly entertaining in parts. His task with Ghostbusters certainly was not enviable. The franchise had been mostly defined by Ray Parker Jr.'s extremely memorable title song from the first film while Elmer Bernstein's quirky score supported the lighter comedy elements. Randy Edelman's music for the sequel was a detachment from the base, but the carry-over of the song sufficed for most audiences. The same technique was apparently the call of the day for Shapiro, who not only accepted the Parker Jr. melody as the primary identity of the franchise but embraced it to such an extent as to interpolate it into his score. Interestingly, Shapiro decided to approach the score with absolutely no explicit comedy material whatsoever, a disappointing choice that yields the technique of "overscoring" a scene as means of suggesting the comedy of its events. That strategy doesn't really work in Ghostbusters, however, leaving the movie without that sense of quirk that Bernstein brought to the original. Shapiro's several thematic identities are also misfires in most cases, either in spotting or in tone. Apart from the film, there is much to admire about the audacity of his recording, from the many glassy, metallic effects for the supernatural to the massive choral chanting and orchestral bombast joining the major action sequences. Undoubtedly, Ghostbusters proves Shapiro's technical skills. Film score collectors know the man is immensely talented. But the package doesn't come together effectively in Ghostbusters, leaving you with a feeling of dissatisfaction not much unlike the one you feel about the film as a whole. Bernstein fans especially will be disappointed; aside from a few token nods to the ondes martenot (notably at 2:10 into "The Fourth Cataclysm") and the idea of using a rapid snare rhythm for the ghosts' attacks ("Subway Ghost Attack"), there is little connection or reference to the joy of the original score. Additionally, when Shapiro integrates the Parker Jr. melody into his work, he's solely stuck on the bridge sequence. While the interpolations are handled really well, the continued focus on just this one section of the song is awkward at best. Why not ever use the three "Ghostbusters" notes, especially at the end of "NY Heart GB," as counterpoint? Hugely missed opportunities abound.

There are a handful of new themes devised by Shapiro for Ghostbusters, and only one of them is truly accomplished. Unfortunately, that theme, the one of mystery for the ghosts, is abandoned almost completely partway through the score despite the continued presence of apparitions. The repeating statements of four notes on pipe organ or other eerie element for this theme are immediately felt in "The Aldridge Mansion," and by "Distinct Human Form," a choir assumes the theme beautifully. Why this theme simply disappears rather than morphing into something bigger and more sinister is baffling, especially in "Ley Lines." Likewise, the villain of the tale receives a rising, glassy pitch (heard immediately in multiple cues) that doesn't develop in a recognizable way as the pivotal confrontation at the end of the story is reached. The secondary character themes in "Ghost Girl" and "I Will Lead Them All" are faint and unconvincing, the former owing a bit too much to Thomas Newman. Shapiro's main new theme for the concept is a fanfare introduced at the end of "Distinct Human Form" and receiving several outbursts near the end of cues until its naturally conclusive presentation, complete with full choir and notable brass counterpoint, in "Into the Portal." Don't expect this theme to really convince you of the Ghostbusters' heroics, as it seems too forced in almost a Western-like parody sense. Also distracting are a few of the loud, chanted sequences during that final confrontation, which in "Behemoth" and "Into the Portal" stray most unfortunately into James Bond territory. Keen ears will also hear a few Hans Zimmer effects of choice in the score, notably the flapping Batman wings sound and some stereotypical Remote Control synthetic techniques. But Shapiro does impressively avoid succumbing to Remote Control blockbuster stereotypes better than most other composers (Brian Tyler comes to mind before anyone else), and he deserves significant credit for keeping Ghostbusters organic in sound. There is plenty to like about the score in terms of Shapiro's handling of orchestration and, while sometimes forced and oddly limited to just the bridge sequence, the Parker Jr. theme. But it seems that this score was potentially doomed to fail in the conceptual phase for the same reasons that the rebooting of the story bombed for audiences. This music is not the Ghostbusters we know and love. It's simply a really solid parody score by a competent composer who needs to branch out into more genres. If you can tune out the history of the franchise and appreciate Shapiro's Ghostbusters as a standalone entity, then you'll enjoy the work. If you love the history of the concept, though, you'll be left with a sour taste in your mouth that only Slimer would be proud of.  **

TRACK LISTINGS:

Total Time: 51:27

• 1. The Aldridge Mansion (2:57) • 2. The Garrett Attack (1:29) • 3. Never Invited (1:23) • 4. Distinct Human Form (2:26) • 5. The Universe Shall Bend (2:22) • 6. Subway Ghost Attack (3:21) • 7. Ghost Girl (0:59) • 8. Mannequins (2:12) • 9. Ghost in a Box (0:50) • 10. Dr. Heiss (3:21) • 11. Ley Lines (3:47)

• 12. Pester the Living (2:48) • 13. I Will Lead Them All (2:16) • 14. The Power of Patty Compels You (2:16) • 15. The Fourth Cataclysm (3:32) • 16. Balloon Parade (1:58) • 17. Battle of Times Square (3:20) • 18. Entering the Mercado (2:31) • 19. Behemoth (3:43) • 20. Into the Portal (3:07) • 21. NY Heart GB (0:49)

NOTES & QUOTES:

The insert includes a list of performers but no extra information about the score or film.

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