I just came across a new site, The BYU Law Blog by a recent graduate from J. Reuben Clark Law School. The site is worth checking for the picture of conference protesters surrounded by counter-protesters. My favorite is the guy holding the sign reading “There is no Dana, only Zuul!” Ghostbusters, of course, is one of the great neo-liberal movies of all time! Entrepreneurs save the world, which is nearly destroyed by an officious and ignorant EPA regulator. Classic!
Priceless. What do you want to bet that the ghostbusters guy is actually a Mormon–just out to make the protesters look a little more marginalized. Kind of like crossover primary voting.
Karen’s explanation is the only reasonable one.
Note: Spencer, running the BYU Law Blog, is a good friend of recent poster here at T&S John Fowles. All three of us were part of a study group as 1Ls. Don’t hold me against Spencer though…he is actually a nice guy. :)
I have this vague sense that Ghostbusters is one of those “films of reference” for young Mormons — i.e. movies that are watched at single adult FHE, that get borrowed from for skits, quips, etc, and that have trickled down so that they are FORs for many Western States [and/or went to BYU] Mormons age 38-15.
Others in that category, as far as I remember are:
Definite:
The Princess Bride
Ferris Buellar’s Day Off
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Not so definite:
The Gods Must Be Crazy
Strange Brew
Better Off Dead
Marginal but maybe not (I can’t remember):
Ladyhawke
Labyrinth
Windwalker
Can anyone confirm that Ghostbusters is part of the pantheon? What films have I left out?
NOTE: This is leaving out the obvious LOTR/Star Wars/Matrix thing — just because they are so pervasive. Not that some of the titles above aren’t pervasive, but they seem to be used as FORs more in the Mormon miliu than in the general populace [leaving aside the subsets of rabid fans that you can find for any film]. I also recognize that many of these titles are standard FORs for all manner of geeks, college students, etc. And I’m leaving out Mormon cinema for now as well.
All I’m saying is that in my experience when Mormon youth/young adults get together and decided to watch a film that isn’t new –or– when they write a skit or quote lines from a movie on a double-date, it’s more likely to come from this list.
There’s always Drop Dead Fred. A standard with our YSA group.
Talk about feeling left out! I have no idea what that sign means. And other than the “Definites,” I have heard of only one of the movies on William Morris’s list. I never understood why “Rocketman” wasn’t more popular with Mormon youth. Most that I talk to haven’t seen it, but that is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen.
Don’t forget So I married an Axe Murderer and Better Off Dead.
Also, there is somewhat of a cult phenomenon around What’s Up Doc.