A
ghost gypsy, Sophia (Dodrio Dennery) and a ghost werewolf (Lenny Weinrib)
materialize in the graveyard seeking an amulet which will end the curse of his
lycanthropy forever.
Unfortunately,
that prized amulet is already in the hands of Spenser (Larry Storch), Kong
(Forrest Tucker) and Tracy (Bob Burns).
Their
latest assignment: de-materialize the ghost of the gypsy and werewolf!
“Who’s
Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf” showcases again the awkwardness of The
Ghost Busters' (1975) format. Instead of encountering an actual werewolf, the
comically-inept ghost hunters go after the ghost of a werewolf, ostensibly so
they can de-materialize him at the end of the episode, securing a happy ending
and a sense of closure for the youngsters watching.
But
the facts that these folks are ghosts, and not just monsters, is disconcerting
and confusing. From this story, for example, we must glean that the curse of lycanthropy lasts beyond death, since Harry Albert (Lenny Weinrub) suffers from
it even while a ghost.
Wouldn’t the
werewolf curse end with his death?
The
episode doesn’t make sense on other grounds, either.
For example, why wouldn’t the Ghost Busters
just give Harry the amulet thus curing him of lycanthropy, instead of all the
tug-of-war over it? But more
trenchantly, how come a corporeal amulet cures the lycanthropy...of an incorporeal ghost?
This
episode also cements another aspect of the series formula: the relic. This is
the fourth episode so far of the series, and we have encountered the “thing” in
the first episode (The Maltese Monkey), the Canterville Diamond (“The
Canterville Ghost”), and now the amulet, here.
So it’s fair to state that -- at least so far -- these episode tend to
involve not just ghost-busting but the recovery of valuable antiquities.
The best gag this week is a modification of a running joke set in the office. Usually Spenser has a tough time with a row of filing cabinets. This week, the werewolf has an even more difficulty with the cabinets.
Next
week “The Flying Dutchman.”
No comments:
Post a Comment