goodbye egon

Egon Spengler: “I collect spores, molds and fungus.”

Well.

I paused a little the other day.

When Harold Ramis died earlier this week <Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters>.

And I smiled a little <albeit sadly>.

I think I may have said “son-ova-beeeetch-sheeet” out loud <in Stripes & Ramis as a teacher teaching immigrants English … ‘does anyone here know any English?”>. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDkVjsSSDbg

I may have seen an RV driving that day and thought “urban assault vehicle.” <also Stripes>.

Harold Ramis. Dead at 69.

<sigh>

His movies and acting were not classic art. They were comedically smart. He had the ability to teeter on the edge of the banal and yet keep it on the side of funnily insightful.

He had a knack for dipping into the absurdity of everyday life <and perceptions>.

The good camp versus the bad camp <Meatballs>.

The haves versus the have nots <Caddyshack>.

The fine line between pulling the wool over people’s eyes and reality <Ghostbusters>.

Family <National Lampoon’s Vacation>.

Finding yourself <Stripes>.

Redemption <Groundhog day>.

Heck.

Even just society as a whole <Animal House>.

All done with a comedic smirk and smile.

And of course his movies wove in music.

Ghostbusters with title song by Ray Parker.

Animal House is strewn with songs but let’s go with “Shout” by Otis Day & the Nights <although shama lama ding dong is a close second>.

Meatballs with “Good Friend” by Mary MacGregor

Analyze This with Tony Bennett’s “I’ve got the world on a strong”

Stripes infamous scenes with Bill Murray doing Manfred Mann’s “Do Wha Diddy” which had Ramis leading into it with “hey … we’re walking” –  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR5yhKQo3dc

His acting was always so reserved. He had that always calm slightly dry delivery. Check out some highlights from USAToday: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/02/24/harold-ramis-top-movie-moments/5796051/

I believe that relaxed dry delivery was a wonderful counterpart to Bill Murray and he always brought out the best in Bill. It seemed as a writer he boxed Murray in so that the moments where Murray broke out <the Dalai Lama speech in Caddy Shack or the It just Doesn’t Matter speech in Meatballs or the Big Toe speech in Stripes> were even more impactfully funny.

His writing & direction? Impeccable. Sharp. No wasted words. No wasted time. Rarely said more than needed to be said and did just enough to leave you wanting just a little more.

Anyway.

I guess I am reaching that age where some people who made an impact in my youth are going to die.

It is sad … but not sad.

Sad that they have to leave.

Not sad because in leaving they make you remember things … fondly.

And I imagine that is what they would hope for.

Goodbye Egon. You will always be remembered fondly.