“Are you troubled by strange noises in the middle of the night? Do you experience feelings of dread in your basement or attic? Have you or your family ever seen a spook, specter or ghost? If the answer is ‘yes,’ then don’t wait another minute. Pick up the phone and call the professionals: The Ghostbusters. Our courteous and efficient staff is on call 24 hours a day to serve all your supernatural elimination needs. We’re ready to believe you.”
The 1984 comedy about a group of paranormal investigators in New York City has emerged as a cult classic. It’s hard to believe that 25 years ago I was sitting in a movie theatre with my friend watching Ghostbusters. The story line was new and fresh, and the characters were lovable. Dan Ackroyd starred as Dr. Raymond Stanz, Bill Murray was Dr. Peter Venkman and Harold Ramis portrayed the very dry Dr. Egon Spengler. Actor Ernie Hudson hooked up with the ghost busting trio later in the movie as Winston Zeddmore. Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis and Annie Potts also joined the all star cast. The Ghostbusters, equipped with jumpsuits and proton packs, had to save “The Big Apple” from an ancient Sumerian god, otherwise known as Gozer the Gozerian.
The movie was no doubt a success. T-shirts and bumper stickers began popping up everywhere with the famous movie quote, “He slimed me.” Just about every kid in the 80s owned a Ghostbusters metal lunch box, and paranormal investigation was introduced to America in a whole new way. The movie still has many of us today quoting its lines. Ghostbusters is just as much loved now as it was in its debut year of 1984. There are rumors of a third Ghostbusters film being made, and an official Ghostbusters video game has been flying off store shelves. The movie’s merchandise (t-shirts, DVDs, and Halloween costumes) are still selling strong.
Then, there are the Ghostbuster fans that take their adoration for the beloved movie to a whole other level. Groups of men and women all over the country are dressing up in patch covered jumpsuits and driving around in their Ecto-1′s. To some it may seem silly, but to many of the movie’s fans, these ghost busting guys and gals are celebrities. They attend conventions and their “get-ups” are nearly identical to those used in the movie. When it comes to Ghostbuster trivia, these guys know everything.
I recently was fortunate enough to interview Tampa Bay’s own Ghostbusters. Patrick Creel, the creator/founder of the group, said he had wanted to be a Ghostbuster since the tender age of four. As Creel got older, he began attending many sci-fi and horror conventions. There was one main thing these conventions were lacking: Ghostbusters. It was then that Creel decided to put together a group. So, in January 2008 he got his crew together for the FX Show. Creel’s group ended up winning best sci-fi costumes. According to Creel, the rest was pretty much history. More people got involved with the Tampa Bay Ghostbusters and bigger things would soon follow.
Kimberly Balevre remembers bumping into Creel at several conventions in 2008. ”He was dressed as a full-out Ghostbuster with music even coming out of the proton pack!” recalls Balevre. ”We got to talking, became friends, then started dating and now live together.” Balevre admits she always wanted to portray a female Ghostbuster, so this year at MegaCon 2009, she got her chance. In addition to her Ghostbuster role, Balevre also enjoys playing her version of Janine. Jason Rawley, the third group member, also joined last year. ”I wanted to just put on the uniform and show off my props to entertain people and see where it would take me,” states Rawley. Currently, Tampa Bay Ghostbusters have five members: Patrick Creel, Jason Rawley and his wife Dawn, Kimberly Balevre and Ken Plant.
It seems that most of us who have seen the movie have a favorite character or Ghostbuster. Perhaps there is a specific Ghostbuster we find ourselves identifying with. With the Tampa Bay Ghostbusters, each member plays the role of a character based around their own personalities in the Ghostbuster mythos. According to the group, “none of the members really assume the roles played by Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd or Harold Ramis. We are ourselves for the most part; we just ramp up the sarcastic humor and biting wit in order to play a Ghostbuster.” Balevre exclaims, “I don’t incorporate it into the group really, but I consider myself to be a Ray Stanz type. When he slid down the fire pole and was dorking about that firehouse and blew up the chandelier off the ceiling [in Ghosbusters 1] and had the occult book store [in Ghostbusters 2]. I was like, ‘Yup, I’m Ray!’”
And speaking of Ran Stanz, the Tampa Bay Ghostbusters have had the great honor of meeting the actor who portrayed him in the movie. When Creel met Ackroyd it was one of the best experiences of his life. ”To me, this was the Holy Grail of people in my life to meet and I have met him twice. He was the creator of Ghostbusters. He is the definition of a gentleman. He loves his fans and fans like us, he really loves. He has made himself very accessible to the Ghostbuster community; he cares about what he has created. A 100% class act.” Balevre remembers when he referred to her as the female cadet of the group and then got up and hugged her. Rawley believes Ackroyd ranks at the top of most celebrities when it comes to his charisma and fan dedication. “He definitely went out of his way for us and it’s very encouraging to see someone like him who is not ‘too big’ for their fame.”
The Tampa Bay Ghostbusters take much pride in their wardrobe, gadgetry and even their vehicle. But how do these guys and gals acquire such fancy equipment and accessories? According to the group, they build all their own props. Creel works at a home improvement store, which aids in the Ghostbuster’s prop making, such as the proton pack and other various pieces of equipment. Creel states that the props do just what the ones in the movie do, before they add in the effects. Their uniforms are Air Force flight suits with equipment and attachments that have to be found or built. In addition, the group says they refer to a Ghostbuster fan community site online in which research and resources can be shared. As far as a vehicle, Rawley recently purchased a Chevy HHR and along with Ghostbuster Ken Plant, began converting it into the Ecto-1X. Rawley claims this is a “somewhat secret that everyone knows about.”
So, what do the Ghostbusters do when they’re all suited up and ready to go? ”We attend comic/sci-fi and horror conventions in Tampa and Orlando. These conventions include the “Spooky Empire Screamfest,” the “FX Show,” “MegaCon,” and the “Tampa Comic Con.” In October, the group gets festive. Creel and his fellow Ghostbusters march and throw beads in Ybor City’s Guavaween parade, which is a smaller version of Mardi Gras. When they’re not attending conventions or hamming it up for parade crowds, the Ghostbusters help raise money for local charities and appear at their events such as “Stars of Hope,” the “Leukemia and Lymphoma Society,” and animal shelters. ”Doing the charity events came naturally as my wife and I already supported the “Leukemia and Lymphoma Society” due to [my wife] Dawn being diagnosed with and surviving AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia) years before,” states Ghostbuster Jason Rawley.
Who makes up the majority of the Ghostbuster’s fan base here in Tampa Bay? ” We run into a lot of other adults our age who remember Ghostbusters fondly, but it’s amazing how the younger generation also recognizes us from a movie that pre-dates them,” explains the group. ”In this way, we can have a good time challenging the kids with our humor and entertaining their parents all at once. Also, as the 25th anniversary comes into play and Ghostbusters is being seen more and more, new fans emerge and old ones remember what at a fantastic movie Ghostbusters is.”
So, what is it that makes Ghostbusters such a classic? According to the group, “Few movies combine just the right elements of comedy, drama, sci-fi, story, characters, setting and effects perfectly, but Ghostbusters pulled it off. Here we are 25 years later and it still makes everyone’s top list of movie comedies. Our success as a group is also a testament to how enduring Ghostbusters is.”
Since the movie is so great, how many times have these guys seen it? Rawley says that he remembers going to the Largo library as child and seeing Ghostbusters in the VHS section for rent. ”We would select three movies and I’d say about 75% of the time, Ghostbusters would be one of them. I saw the movie so many times growing up, that it is according to Webster’s dictionary, ridiculous!” Balevre says she has seen the movie too many times to remember and Creel confesses, “I know this will sound sick, but the amount of times I have watched Ghostbusters, between both movies (1 and 2), I would say it would at least take up a good year of my 30 years of life on this planet.”
And how do the Tampa Bay Ghostbusters feel about the new video game? Rawley says he can’t wait to play it, while Creel is proud to have beat it. ”I love it! They really captured the original Ghostbusters magic. I’m very impressed as a fan,” states Creel.
The Tampa Bay Ghostbusters have felt great success since their debut in 2008 and plan to embrace even more success in the coming years. ”We have seen our work get us noticed by professional people in the movie and entertainment industries and I hope that as we continue, we will see more and more positive results from that,” states the group. ”In the meantime, we will just continue to do what good we can in our community.”
And so here is the question I have been dying to know: Do the Tampa Bay Ghostbusters really ghost bust? ”Amateurs at best! We get asked that a lot, but one thing we can all say is that we believe there is definitely something out there,” states the group. Well, perhaps these guys aren’t paranormal experts in the field, but to the fans of Ghostbusters, they are the real deal.
To learn more about the Real Tampa Bay Ghostbusters, visit them at www.myspace.com/tampabayghostbusters
In addition to the Tampa Bay Ghostbusters, there are other Florida divisions, as well as divisions throughout the United States. For more information on joining a Ghostbuster division or finding out their locations, go to the website: gbfans.com.
Social Networks