Plot points for Ghostbusters discussed below.
While watching the new Ghostbusters, I was reminded of the hacky, groan-worthy comedy-inside-a-comedy from the second season of Ricky Gervais’ Extras.
In the show, Gervais’ Andy Millman partnered with the BBC to create a sitcom about working in a factory. It was like a funhouse mirror of Gervais’ hit show The Office: instead of being cynical and real and sometimes sweet like The Office, When the Whistle Blows was a stereotypically hacky Britcom. It was filled with characters that pulled funny faces in lieu of actually acting, and was riddled with catchphrase-driven punch lines.
In other words, the humor was broad.
A similar problem haunts this week’s reboot of the Ghostbusters franchise. As When the Whistle Blows...