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In Memoriam

Desert Qlder

First Grade
Messages
9,081
Harold Ramis: Ghostbusters' Dr Egon Spengler was comedy's GrandDude
For children of the 1980s – including some of today’s biggest film stars – he revolutionised US comedy and made some of our favourite films of all time, writes Hadley Freeman

• Harold Ramis dies aged 69

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Harold Ramis in 1987. Photograph: Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage
To have created one of the most influential comedies of all time takes talent and luck; to have created at least three takes nothing less than genius. Harold Ramis, best known to millions of 80s kids as Dr Egon Spengler, who has died at the far too young age of 69, leaves behind an incomparable work of seminal comedies from the late 20th century.

As well as Ghostbusters, which he co-wrote with Dan Aykroyd, he co-wrote and directed the unsurpassably brilliant Groundhog Day. He also created early 1980s classics including Stripes, National Lampoon’s Vacation and, of course, Caddyshack which, for years, defined American comedy. Proving he could more than keep up with comedy trends, he later directed episodes of the The Office, as well as the 90s mobster comedy, Analyse This. His films have all aged as well and as charmingly as the man himself - not something one can say about many early 80s or even 90s comedies, or those involved with them.


Ramis brought cleverness to silly comedy, form to anarchy, and enjoyed the latter just as much as the former. People can – and should – spend the day quoting their favourite Ramis jokes, but mine will always be when he and his fellow Ghostbusters are warming up their instruments: “Do!” sings Peter (Bill Murray). “Ray!” chimes in Ray (Aykroyd.) “Egon!” chirrups Egon, and the impish but eggheady smile he makes at his own silly-but-smart joke sums up the pleasures of Ramis for me.


But perhaps Ramis’ greatest achievement was the love and trust his colleagues felt for him. No one who met him or interviewed him had a bad word to say about him, which is not, to be blunt, something one says about many comedians who emerged from his era. Bill Murray – who made six films with Ramis and, it’s fair to say, knows funny from funny – understood that he needed Ramis as his straight foil, or his “focused composer”, as director Ivan Reitman put it when he cast them in Stripes. The two were estranged for several years after Groundhog Day, an estrangement which Ramis compared to having “a hole in my heart”, but were reunited before his death.


Ramis helped to guide Aykroyd into creating the best comedy of the 80s when Aykroyd was griefstruck by the death of John Belushi and wanted to write a semi-serious film about ghost visitations. When Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen spotted him at a film festival when they were promoting 40 Year Old Virgin, they followed him around like a pair of lovestruck geeks and begged him to appear in their film, Knocked Up, which he did, charmingly, as Rogen’s stoner dad, upending his early professorial persona. Modern comedians ranging from the Farrelly brothers to Adam Sandler to Will Ferrell have all expressed the debt they owe to Ramis.


When Ramis’ granddaughter was born, he announced he didn’t want to be “Grandpa.” He wanted to be “GrandDude”. There was no need for him to clarify: Ramis always was and always will be the GrandDude of comedy.

• Harold Ramis: a career in clips

http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2014/feb/24/harold-ramis-ghostbusters-caddyshack-knocked-up

This is very upsetting. Another wonderful contributor to popular culture has been lost.

RIP Harold Ramis
 

Bulldog Force

Referee
Messages
20,619
So sad. They were considering making a 3rd Ghost Busters movie for 2012 release. That didn't eventuate. Still, Egon was one of my favorite ghost busters. I'll never forget that scene of them all going down the fire pole, and Egon was hanging onto it for dear life because he was petrified of it lol.

Also, I'll never forget this scene either...

[youtube]FcyktkVGUBM[/youtube]
 

Zoidberg

First Grade
Messages
6,154
RIP Harold.

You've given me so many hours of entertainment and left your mark on the world.
 

nöyd

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
9,808
In memory of those we revere on the silver screen, the small screen, or in the studio, feel free to post your respects, criticisms or otherwise to those that have passed, from this date onward.

We begin with Harold Ramis.

May he RIP.
 

legend

Coach
Messages
15,150
Loved him in Stripes when he heckled John Candy with the Hare Krishna dance after they got their heads shaved.
 

Frederick

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
27,533
The sad thing is, as we all get older, more of these comedic greats that we grew up with and watching, will pass on :(
 

legend

Coach
Messages
15,150
One of the best scenes in one of the best comedies of all time

Agreed. I loved the Uncle Hulka scene and where they are asked if they are homosexuals in the recruitment office and they look at each and Ramis says "no, but we are willing to learn"and Bill Murray just nods.
 

Springs

First Grade
Messages
5,682
Bob Hoskins has died aged 71.
Will always live on in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. And (unfortunately) as Mario in Super Mario Bros.
 

thorson1987

Coach
Messages
16,907
Doc Neeson passed away this morning.

For those of you who don't know who he is he was the original lead singer of The Angels
 

Eelectrica

Referee
Messages
20,976
RIP Doc.
Caught the Angels live once in the early 90's put on a great show.
Probably one of Australia's most underrated bands I think.
 

Skinner

Coach
Messages
13,581
Doc Neeson passed away this morning.

For those of you who don't know who he is he was the original lead singer of The Angels

I am absolutely stunned by the number of people who don't know who Doc was. Admittedly it was the late 70's early 80's when I started watching the Angels.
 

snoozer

Bench
Messages
4,490
saw them heaps through the mid 80's to late 90's.

great live band, good songs and definitely underrated.

he was a top shelf frontman.

rip
 
Messages
13,481
OZ/Kiwi front men and woman we've lost from the 70s/80s.

Bon Scott - AC/DC
Shirley Strachan- Shyhooks
Michael Hutchence - INXS
Chrissy Amphlett - Divinyls
Doc Neeson - The Angels
Marc Hunter - Dragon
James Freud - Models
 
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