It isn’t often that summer blockbusters stir much controversy…unless one’s definition of “controversy” includes “Why Will Smith didn’t appear in Independence Day: Resurgence“.  However, there is one film currently gracing the silver screen that has been getting a lot of attention, and not always for the most inspiring of reasons.

There had been talk about the production of a Ghostbusters 3, which would reunite the original cast (which includes Bill Murray and Dan Ackroyd) for years, but the death of Harold Ramis in 2014 put an end to those discussions.  It was decided, instead to make a reboot of the franchise with a new cast that, according to director Paul Fegis, would borrow from the growing popularity of supernatural and paranormal thrillers (like The Walking Dead), and would “tell a story you haven’t seen before. Or tell a story you’ve seen before, but in a way you haven’t seen it.”  In January 2015, it was also announced that the new film would star  Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones.

And that’s when it started.  From out of the woodwork came those who utterly rejected the notion that a movie could, or should, have an all-female cast.  Comment sections of any number of website became vitriolic quagmires of anti-feminist, misogynistic, racist, angry verbiage.  The situation was not helped by the release of an a early trailer in March that…well, it wasn’t very funny, or terribly coherent.  And Those In The Woodwork took it as a sign that women were inherently not funny, not capable of starring in a movie without a leading man, and that the film itself was a complete waste of everyone’s time and money.  There was a movement to get the trailer the “most hated” upload to Youtube, and to make it the lowest rated film ever on IMDB.  Before anyone had ever seen the film.  There was even sizeable criticism directed at the cast for visiting The Floating Hospital for Children in Boston in costume during filming.  Since its release, Leslie Jones was subjected to such an onslaught of racist abuse on Twitter that it caused a national debate about hate speech, and resulted in the banning of several users, including a writer for Breitbart.

Now, we here at the Free For All are not ones to shy away from a controversy, and have always been vocal about our beliefs that women and men are both equal human persons, who deserve equal recognition of their talents and creations.  And it is with that in mind that I state, here and now, that it is a delightful film.

Is it Citizen Kane?  No.
Does it ever try to be Citizen Kane?  No.
What it is, is a funny, occasionally whip-smart, generally family-friendly comedy with enough jump-scares to satisfy horror fans, and enough humor to comedy fans entertained, as well.  Running through it all is a really positive message about teamwork, self-confidence, resilience, and keeping a firm hold on your sense of humor in the face of darkness (and a few quips about ignore the comments section of websites, which filled me with real, true joy).  It’s also worth noting Chris Hemsworth’s irresistible and wonderfully understated turn as the world’s most…unique…administrative assistant.  Not only it the film’s willingness to play with large- and small-scale stereotypes a treat, but this cast works together so well that, honestly, it’s a welcome relief from the furor surrounding it. Cameo appearances by original Ghostbusters stars Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, and Sigourney Weaver will surely give long-time fans something about which to smile, and Sony has already released plans for a sequel,  which certainly made me happy.

So if you’re looking for a way to get out of the heat this week, consider seeing Ghostbusters, and see what all the fuss is about for yourself.  Or, you could come into the Library, where we have plenty of related recommendations for you, too!  Here are just a few to get you started:

Ghostbusters: A movie-fest involving the original film, written by Harold Ramis and Dan Ackroyd, is always a good idea, along with the sequel, made in 1989, which reunited the cast for another ghostly, messy adventure.  This thirtieth anniversary DVD also features deleted scenes, outtakes, commentaries, and a whole bunch of extras to really help you get full immersed in the world of this series, and the throughly wonderful early-modern special effects that will really help you appreciate how far CGI has come since 1984!  Keep an eye out for that ghost in the library, which is a perennial favorite scene.  Don’t worry, though–our ghosts aren’t nearly as messy.  Or as loud.

Goosebumps: As a child of the ’90’s, I was convinced that these books were the scariest things they would let you read in grammar school.  Though time and age has diminished my terror of R.L. Stine’s immortal series, featuring such chilling characters as Slappy the Ventriloquist Dummy, or the evil Lawn Gnomes pictures on the left, nothing can diminished the over-the-top thrills and drama woven into each scene of these books.  Last Halloween, Jack Black also starred in a movie based on this series in which he plays a fictionalized R.L. Stine.  Though enormously fun for kids, I think the real intended audience of this film are those of us who grew up sneaking Goosebumps books into school and trading them under our desks, shivering in delight at the cameras that took pictures of the future, or the neighbor’s demon cat.  If you’re honestly looking to scare the pants off your inner child, try the series Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.  The illustrations alone are enough to have you hiding under the bed.

Silence for the Dead: Simone St. James is single-handedly bringing the Haunted House genre back into popularity, and each of her stories feature admirably strong women who survive and thrive despite all everything the world throws at them.  This story is set in Portis House, a sprawling, remote hospital for shell-shocked patients in the decade after the First World War.  Though Kitty Weekes is willing to do anything necessary to get a nursing job at Portis House, she isn’t ready for the overwhelmingly depressing atmosphere, the secrets that everyone seems to be hiding…and the nightmares that plague each patient, as if the house itself were trying to drive them mad.  St. James creates characters who are so vivid that it’s difficult to remember they live only on the page, and that is what makes her stories so gripping, and the darkness they face so chilling.  The romantic subplot in this book is completely charming as well, providing a welcome balance to a novel that deals frankly with very real tragedies, as well as supernatural suspense.