The
Collect Call of Cathulhu
Writer:
Michael Reaves
Director:
Dale Schott
Main
Cast:
- Lorenzo
Music as Peter Venkman
- Frank
Welker as Raymond Stantz
- Maurice
LaMarche as Egon Spengler
- Arsenio
Hall as Winston Zeddemore
- Laura
Summer as Janine Melnitz
- Frank
Welker as Slimer
(Rating
5 of 5)
Summary: The Necronomicon,
the most powerful spell book in the world, is on loan to the New York Public
Library. A professor was nervous but the
library official Clark Ashton, who didn’t believe in all this “silly stuff,”
told him not to worry but as fate would have it the book was stolen.
 |
| What must be protected wasn't protected very well. |
The
next day the Ghostbusters are reading about the Necronomicon but all Peter can
do is talk about his date. He is very
excited but all his hopes are dashed when they get a call and have to
leave. The Ghostbusters get to the
library and promise to relocate the famous book. Egon explains to the rest of the team how dangerous the book actually is. He states that the book could be
used to bring back old gods most noticeably Cathulhu, whom Egon compares to
Gozer with Gozer as the wimp.
 |
| No fun in the sewers! |
They
use the PKE meter to track the book's trace to the sewers where they are
attacked by creatures known as the Spawn of Cathulhu. These creatures have their body parts
regenerate after they are hit by proton blasts.
The Ghostbusters are forced to retreat.
 |
| New ally, Dr. Alice Derleth. |
Deciding
they need extra help Egon goes with Peter to consult with Dr. Alice Derleth
from Miskatonic University, who is an expert on the Necronomicon and the Cult
of Cathulhu. When Peter learns that
Alice is a beautiful woman his priorities become messed up as its clear he
would like to date her. Egon keeps the
meeting on focus and Alice agrees to help the Ghostbusters.
 |
| Focus Peter, focus! |
Together
the Ghostbusters and their new colleague track down the Cult and when they find
them the Cult summons a Shuggoth to destroy them. At this point Alice shows off her usefulness
by placing a spell that turns the creature into stone. By the time they escape however the Cult has
gotten away.
 |
| More monsters, Alice takes this one down. |
Ray
decides what needs to be done is read up on H. P. Lovecraft’s work. Lovecraft had based
his work on the study of the paranormal and wrote a lot about Cathulhu. They stop by a buddy of Ray’s who has a lot
of the old pulp magazines. The
Ghostbusters and Alice research and come up with a way to stop him, it turns out he
is vulnerable to electricity. They also
figure out where the cult is likely to summon him and it is by a
fairground.
 |
| Reading Lovecraft's work. |
The
Ghostbusters head over but the Ecto-1 breaks down because Peter is an
idiot. So they have to go by train. When they get there Cathulhu has risen. The Ghostbusters find their blasts are
ineffective and none of Alice’s spells work.
They decide to try the electricity thing and attempt to lure the monster
to a roller-coaster ride. Peter gets on
the ride and blasts to get Cathulhu’s attention. While he is doing that the other Ghostbusters
are electrifying the ride with their packs.
Cathulhu gets electrocuted and vanishes back to which he came.
 |
| Bringing the legend back! |
The
cult, whose leader is revealed to be Clark Ashton the library officer, is upset and tries to attack the Ghostbusters but the cops come and arrest
them. Back at the firehouse Alice is
going to take the powerful spell book back to the university and Peter wanted
to know if she would like to go on a date.
She agrees but when she starts talking about what she is interested in
doing Peter wonders if he has bitten off more than he can chew.
 |
| Guess whose here. |
My Take: The same
author that brought us “the Boogieman Cometh” delivers another
masterpiece. When watching this episode
it struck me as very familiar. I
reasoned I must have watched it as a kid and now I am just remembering it. Then I found out another reason: Cathulhu is
not their original character. He has been
around since the 1920s and classic of science fiction. Cathulhu has made numerous other appearances
beyond his original creator’s, H.P. Lovecraft, works. I love the way Reaves used Lovecraft’s
original work as the research material on how to defeat this adversary. The title itself is a tribute to Lovecraft’s The Call of Cathulhu.
 |
| You might be a legend but this is our show. |
Now for
my stray observations:
·
Peter’s date scenes at both the beginning and
end of the episode were very funny.
·
Peter’s lost shoe.
·
“I drove the car around and tires rotated.”
There is a brilliant scientist for you.
·
If the Necronomicon is so dangerous why don’t
they just destroy it?
·
I really like Alice as a character and ally of
the Ghostbusters I would like to see more of her in the future, but I don’t
remember if I ever do.
·
As they did their research through the old pulp
magazines all I could think of was that this would be a lot easier today with
the internet, and faster too.
·
I love Winston’s line when he got annoyed with
the project. “Let’s just blast him.”
·
Speaking of great lines from Winston love the
call back to the movie when he says, “I really regret answering that ad.”
·
Didn’t Cathulhu make an appearance of South
Park? Maybe that's where I am remembering this creature from?
This is a great episode watch
it.
[1]
Listed original air dates for entire syndicated season may not be correct.
Oh, I have such fond memories of this episode! And of the show overall, it must be said. This was always one of my favorites, and as such, one of the nigh-score episodes I transcribed and wrote up into short story form when I was in high school. This was all much to the chagrin of my mother, who, bizarrely, still held out some thin shred of hope I had some chance yet of passing as a "normal" girl, but I don't suppose that was ever going to happen, irrespective of my little hobbies.
ReplyDeleteAt any rate, this episode served as my introduction to H. P. Lovecraft, who later became one of my favorite authors (albeit, in spite of his egregious racism, which I learned was a deeply unfortunate product of his patrician upbringing, but which evidence suggests might have ameliorated with the passage of time, had he lived long enough - still, it makes me wince). As as "hook" into the Cthulhu Mythos, it was first-rate. And, I must say, the science on the ionization of the rollercoaster rails was actually pretty solid, too! However, I didn't have the freedom to act on this introduction until after I graduated from university and got my own place. (My forays into occult research had resulted in my surreptitious acquisition of reading materials that wound up getting me into an awful lot of hot water at home when they were discovered, so I henceforth had to be more careful.) Since the majority of the show is currently running on Netflix, I've been basking in the nostalgia of one of the precious few good things about my...well, inordinately awkward adolescence.
Probably one of the most amusing things about this episode is that the episode-specific characters are named after some of H. P. Lovecraft's friends and fellow pulp writers, one of whom was instrumental in getting his unsold work published, his legacy as a horror writer preserved, and the foundations for the Cthulhu Mythos laid. This friend, August Derleth, expanded greatly on the Mythos, and some of his material was referenced in Alice Derleth's incantations and explanations. In addition, the Cthulhu cult's summoning chant was lifted directly from Lovecraft's own writings. All in all, it was a highly satisfying and reference-filled love letter to the foundations of Cosmic Horror.
DeleteYes it was a great episode. I am glad that episode meant a lot to you. Your personal story with it is very interesting. I bet this episode created a good deal of Lovecraft fans. Thanks for sharing.
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