Shreveport’s Connection To A Ghostbusters Creator

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The Ghostbusters franchise is one of the biggest pop culture movements in the last 40 years. Its a franchise that has earned billions of dollars, and has become so powerful, thousands of people devote their entire lives to it. We're talking collections, cosplays, fan groups, and more.

Right now, the Ghostbusters world is enjoying a massive resurgence of popularity. The 2021 release of Ghostbusters Afterlife has jolted the fanbase, and struck a massive nerve with those who were fans long ago.

We're going to avoid spoilers for Ghostbusters Afterlife, but there is a lot in the movie to pay tribute to the original and to the fans.

Without spoilers, the new film was able to do this without one of the most important creative minds behind Ghostbusters, while at the same time involving his legacy.

We are of course talking about Harold Ramis.

Ramis was one of the original creators of Ghostbusters. Writing and starring in the 1984 iconic classic that launched the entire franchise, Ramis was essentially responsible for the entire Ghostbusters phenomenon. He and Dan Aykroyd wrote the first movie, the second movie, and consulted/gained credits on various video games and cartoons that came after. Ramis also portrayed Dr. Egon Spengler, one of the principal Ghostbusters.

So where does Shreveport come into this whole thing?

Ramis wrote more than just Ghostbusters. In fact, he was already a successful comedic writer and director before Ghostbusters even happened. He was the writer and director on the 1980 classic Caddyshack, as well as being the writer of Meatballs, Stripes, and National Lampoon's Animal House. He directed National Lampoon's Vacation in 1983 as well.

After Ghostbusters, Ramis continued to write and direct, and occasionally acted in films. In the 1990s he wrote screenplays for Groundhog Day and Analyze This, while directing films like Stuart Saves His Family and Multiplicity.

Sadly, Ramis died in 2014 after a long battle with illness.

But before he passed, Ramis had one more chance to write and direct...and act, in a feature film. That movie was called Year One, and it starred Jack Black and Michael Cera. Ramis wrote the story and screenplay for the film, and got to sit in the directors seat as well. He even took up a spot in the film as Adam.

The movie Year One was filmed in Shreveport back in 2008. It was the last acting role that Harold Ramis had, and was released the same year as the Ghostbusters video game where he portrayed Dr. Egon Spengler a final time.

Year One was also Ramis' final project as a writer, and was the final feature film he directed in his amazing career.

The legend of Harold Ramis will continue to live on forever. We're just lucky that Shreveport was a part of his journey.