What a weird movie this must have been to edit. Ghostbusters _had so many disparate elements to balance. There's the shambling, semi-improvised comedy in the style of _Caddyshack, Stripes, and Meatballs that requires a light touch to get the pacing just right. Then there's the high-budget special effects extravaganza that forces itself into the comedy, requiring beats more akin to an action movie. And speaking of beats, there's also the seemingly random soundtrack that mixes all manner of song genres, with each song requiring a moment in the spotlight with its own mini-montage.
Thankfully, David, you were the perfect man for the job. With your career experience, mainly in documentary filmmaking, you were certainly qualified to filter through and stitch together what--based on the players involved--must have been a mountain of footage. Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis certainly didn't need your help to be funny. No doubt they were thankful to have your expertise in choosing which improvised bits were not only funniest, but best served the story. And maybe because _Ghostbusters _was a new kind of cinematic beast at the time, you chose the most straight-ahead stylistic approach. Comedy, effects and action are all treated with a similar documentary-like feel.
Ghostbusters director of photography Laszlo Kovacs also had extensive documentary experience, and together you gave the film exactly what it needed. The almost detached point of view that lets the growing insanity feel that much more, well, _insane _against the backdrop of very real 1980s New York City. That's what made the ghosts both funny and scary; we were never told exactly what to feel, and could therefore feel anything we wanted.
Rest in peace,
Casey
