Harold Ramis

[rass]

Dammit.

[brian]

Yeah, damn. A comedy genius (and I try not to throw that word around lightly.) if for Groundhog Day alone.

[kranepool]

I had no idea he was ill. Or 69.

Shit.

[sancarlos]

Besides Groundhog Day, he was also director/writer on Caddyshack. I loved him in Stripes and Ghostbusters. He was one of the main writers of National Lampoon's Vacation and SCTV. Awesome resume, in my book.

[Johnnie]

That fucking sucks. He was awesome.

[ZMan]

Man that sucks. Too fucking young. I still remember him getting his ass kicked in Wisconsin.

[howard]

Elizabeth Angell ‏@ElizabethAngell 46m

Signs you're a genius: Stripes is the 6th funniest movie you made.

[Jerloma]

Tim Minchin is writing a broadway musical for Groundhog Day.

[wlu_lax6]

Guessing this finally ends Ghostbusters 3 talk.

Touched some solid funny movies--
Back to School
Armed and Dangerous
Meatballs
Walk Hard
Airhead
National Lampoon's Vacation (uncredited)
Director 4 episodes of "The Office"
Caddyshak

random trivaiOnce a mental ward orderly before finding work as a joke writer for Playboy magazine.

[Reaper]

For many years, by multiple individuals in various groups, somebody would inevitably call me Egon, commenting that I looked like him. I never liked it. I'm not exactly sure why; whether I disliked the name itself, I thought of Egon as ugly, or I just didn't see the resemblance, I don't know. I just didn't like it. After really examining his full body of work, and his genius, I'll take all future remarks as a compliment.

[The Sybian]

For many years, by multiple individuals in various groups, somebody would inevitably call me Egon, commenting that I looked like him. I never liked it. I'm not exactly sure why; whether I disliked the name itself, I thought of Egon as ugly, or I just didn't see the resemblance, I don't know. I just didn't like it. After really examining his full body of work, and his genius, I'll take all future remarks as a compliment.

Welcome back, Egon.

[Shirley]

Elizabeth Angell ‏@ElizabethAngell 46m

Signs you're a genius: Stripes is the 6th funniest movie you made.

That's almost heresy, but looking at his list ... it's possible. What do you think are the top 5?

I'd rank his best movies in this order:
Caddyshack
Groundhog Day
Animal House
Stripes
Ghostbusters
Vacation
Back to School


BTW, Ramis was a fellow Wash U alum. He was a ZBT and of course, lots of people claim the Animal House stories were built on his experiences there. From the ZBT that was there when I went to school ... uh no.

[Rush2112]

[Bensell]

Had no idea he was ill either. He has to be one of the most underrated comedy writer/director/actor of our lifetime so it's nice to see all of the love he is getting.

[Brontoburglar]

I had no idea who he was. I saw his name without any context on Sunday and was lost.

[govmentchedda]

I had no idea who he was. I saw his name without any context on Sunday and was lost.

Fucking kids these days.

[rass]

I had no idea who he was. I saw his name without any context on Sunday and was lost.

Fucking kids these days.

I think this is more an indictment of the Swamp than Bronto himself. He came here as a blank slate and we failed him.

[Scottie]

Tim Minchin is writing a broadway musical for Groundhog Day.

Odds on I Got You Babe being among the first couple of songs?

Okay, campers, rise and shine and don't forget your booties 'cause it's cooooold out there today.

[brian]

I think the best/most fascinating thing about Groundhog Day is that it's a rare comedy where you can really use it as a canvas for a lot of really philosophical ideas. I'm usually not a fan of audio commentaries on DVDs but the Groundhog Day one is mesmerizing at times, when they discuss how long Bill Murray's character actually spent living out the same day.

The script actually implied that he spent hundreds or even thousands of years living out the same day and the movie wisely doesn't reference that instead leaving you to guess that for yourself, but then you start asking yourself the question -- essentially tasked for living the same day for eternity (because after a few years you'd have to assume that's the case), how would you react? Phil Connors obviously kind of goes through the Kubler-Ross stages in the movie, but it's an interesting rabbit hole to go down. The original screenplay (or versions of it at least) also hinted at some really dark, dark stuff that his character does at times because in a world without consequences that would also be a possible reaction for some of us. It's an incredible movie.

[A_B]

Just learning to play the piano that well would have taken a long time!

[Shirley]

I think the best/most fascinating thing about Groundhog Day is that it's a rare comedy where you can really use it as a canvas for a lot of really philosophical ideas. I'm usually not a fan of audio commentaries on DVDs but the Groundhog Day one is mesmerizing at times, when they discuss how long Bill Murray's character actually spent living out the same day.

The script actually implied that he spent hundreds or even thousands of years living out the same day and the movie wisely doesn't reference that instead leaving you to guess that for yourself, but then you start asking yourself the question -- essentially tasked for living the same day for eternity (because after a few years you'd have to assume that's the case), how would you react? Phil Connors obviously kind of goes through the Kubler-Ross stages in the movie, but it's an interesting rabbit hole to go down. The original screenplay (or versions of it at least) also hinted at some really dark, dark stuff that his character does at times because in a world without consequences that would also be a possible reaction for some of us. It's an incredible movie.

Interesting. The problem for me is that with only one day, would you have time to prepare the hooker's skin so you could wear it?

[brian]

I think the best/most fascinating thing about Groundhog Day is that it's a rare comedy where you can really use it as a canvas for a lot of really philosophical ideas. I'm usually not a fan of audio commentaries on DVDs but the Groundhog Day one is mesmerizing at times, when they discuss how long Bill Murray's character actually spent living out the same day.

The script actually implied that he spent hundreds or even thousands of years living out the same day and the movie wisely doesn't reference that instead leaving you to guess that for yourself, but then you start asking yourself the question -- essentially tasked for living the same day for eternity (because after a few years you'd have to assume that's the case), how would you react? Phil Connors obviously kind of goes through the Kubler-Ross stages in the movie, but it's an interesting rabbit hole to go down. The original screenplay (or versions of it at least) also hinted at some really dark, dark stuff that his character does at times because in a world without consequences that would also be a possible reaction for some of us. It's an incredible movie.

Interesting. The problem for me is that with only one day, would you have time to prepare the hooker's skin so you could wear it?

Yeah, because it's damn near a perfect movie, it wisely winks at those options (bedding the woman he meets in the coffee shop, robbing the armored car), but of course since it's Bill Murray it's all for laughs. But you can start to go in darker directions very easily.

[Scottie]

I visited the town where Groundhog Day was filmed about, oh, 12 years ago or so. Can't remember the name. It's just outside of Chicagoland. Funny thing is that the town didn't need much set decoration; it looks pretty much just what it looked like in the film. There was at least one shop that sold strictly Groundhog Day memorabilia knickknacks. The rest of the town was pretty much evenly divided between milking that film for what they could and clinging to the image (oddly like living the same day over and over) and the other half that wanted to move on and stop living in that moment (also oddly like the film).

[A_B]

I visited the town where Groundhog Day was filmed about, oh, 12 years ago or so. Can't remember the name. It's just outside of Chicagoland. Funny thing is that the town didn't need much set decoration; it looks pretty much just what it looked like in the film. There was at least one shop that sold strictly Groundhog Day memorabilia knickknacks. The rest of the town was pretty much evenly divided between milking that film for what they could and clinging to the image (oddly like living the same day over and over) and the other half that wanted to move on and stop living in that moment (also oddly like the film).

I hope they preserved the pothole.

[Steve of phpBB]

I visited the town where Groundhog Day was filmed about, oh, 12 years ago or so. Can't remember the name. It's just outside of Chicagoland. Funny thing is that the town didn't need much set decoration; it looks pretty much just what it looked like in the film. There was at least one shop that sold strictly Groundhog Day memorabilia knickknacks. The rest of the town was pretty much evenly divided between milking that film for what they could and clinging to the image (oddly like living the same day over and over) and the other half that wanted to move on and stop living in that moment (also oddly like the film).

Woodstock, IL.

[The Sybian]

I wonder what percentage of US Americans appreciate the greatness of Groundhogs Day. While I loved that movie on so many levels, as I am sure most of you do, I would guess the majority of people don't like it. I'd start a thread of great movies most people hate, but it's bed time.

[Giff]

I actually can't recall meeting someone who didn't like the movie. Not that it comes up all that often lately, but I remember it being loved in the 90s.

RIP