A Convenient Parallel Dimension: How Ghostbusters Slimed Us Forever

by James Greene

“Rarely has a movie this expensive provided so many quotable lines.” So wrote Roger Ebert in his review of Ghostbusters, the 1984 blockbuster that handed our paranormal fears over to some of the sharpest comic minds of the day. Ghostbusters instantly resonated with audiences thanks to eye-popping special effects and crackling wit; to date, it remains the highest-grossing horror comedy of all time. The film spawned an Emmy-nominated Saturday morning cartoon, a tentpole 1989 sequel, a contentious 2016 reboot, legions of merchandise, and one of the most dedicated fan bases in history. Ghostbusters also elevated its players to superstardom, something a few cast members found more daunting than the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. Now, for the first time, the entire history of the slime-soaked franchise is told in A Convenient Parallel How Ghostbusters Slimed Us Forever. The cohesion of talent during the mid-’70s comedy revolution, the seat-of-their-pants creation of the first Ghostbusters, the explosive success that seemed to mandate a franchise, the five year struggle to make Ghostbusters II, the thirty-one-year struggle to make Ghostbusters III—it’s all here, with incredible attention to detail. Thoroughly researched and engaging, A Convenient Parallel Dimension smashes long-held myths and half truths about the dynamics behind this cultural juggernaut and presents the real story, down to the last drop of ectoplasm.

336 pages, Hardcover

Published November 1, 2022

Reviews

[Christopher Seavey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was enraptured by this read until it started drawing to a close. Greene Jr. chronicles the rise of Ghosbusters titular characters and the actors who portrayed them with succinct prose. He certainly did his research as well judging by the length of its reference section. I would recommend this read to most fans of the franchise with one caveat. If you’re someone that has issues with Op-Ed style writing being thrown into what should be a detailed chronological re-telling of events, just skip the last 50 pages or keep moving down the bookshelf as they are rife with the author’s political biases that we’ve become accustomed to creeping into every facet of our daily consumption in every entertainment medium.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched and as a massive Ghostbusters fan was interesting to read stories I hadn’t heard before (most especially around some of the potential plots for Ghostbusters III).

I’ve seen some complaints about the way ‘Answer The Call’ and Covid are mentioned. In both cases I think it was helpful to give some context, I still look back on the reaction to ‘ATC’ being massively melodramatic and unnecessary. It wasn’t a great movie but neither was it an awful one. Covid had a huge impact on Afterlife’s release and it only gets a brief mention, the author just presenting facts and figures around the pandemic.

Extensively researched (there are around 70 pages of references) this covers the films, animated series, the music, rights issues and the long hiatus of the franchise, amongst other topics. Well worth reading for anyone with even a passing interest in Ghostbusters.

[John Schorg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good recounting of the making of the original movie and the endless turmoil that ensued when trying to recreate its success through sequels and reboots. It provides ample ammunition to the idea that quitting at one good film runs directly opposed to the philosophies guiding moviemaking in this era. It also must be mentioned that the author gives a more complete view of Bill Murray than is usually found in entertainment writing.