In celebration of
last weekend's 30th-anniversary re-release of Ghostbusters (not, thankfully, in 3D), we take a deeper dive into
one of the movie's biggest and most memorable gags...
The Stay Puft
Marshmallow Man. You know the name. You know the face. You know the portly,
pillowy body. From the moment he stepped onscreen, walking out onto that New
York City street to battle the 'busters, Mr. Stay Puft became an instant part
of our pop culture lexicon, like a cross between the Pillsbury Dough Boy and
the Michelin Tire Man. The genius of his conception, though, is how it
perfectly captured the spirit of the movie in one glorious iconic image - the
promise of the supernatural mixed with gut-busting belly laughs brought to life
by larger-than-life special effects. (Even today, three decades later, I can
still hear the peals of laughter rippling through the theater when the audience
first caught a glimpse of him.)
Part of the fun, of
course, is how the gag seems to come out of practically nowhere. But look
earlier in the movie and you'll find that the filmmakers had been prepping us
for his appearance from the very beginning. Our first visit to Dana Barrett's
apartment, for example, shows us that Dana is definitely a fan of the Stay Puft
brand, though you may be too distracted by the eggs cracking and cooking on her kitchen
counter to notice:
Later, a billboard
for Stay Puft Marshmallows can be spotted on a building adjacent to the
Ghostbusters' headquarters, after the ghosts have been freed from their
containment grid and let loose upon the city:
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