Luigi, Richard Matheson, and Ghostbusters
Sometimes, to face Halloween, all you need is a sheet! #ghosts #literature #cinema #halloween #videogames
Welcome back to Artcade, the newsletter that passes through walls. How does it do that? Simple: just get really close to the wall you want to pass through and start reading aloud the text you’re now looking at. Ask a friend to stand on the other side of the wall and check if you’ve made it through. It works better if they press their ear to the wall and you speak extra loud. Incredible, right? As unbelievable as the fact that today is October 30th, and tomorrow is the day when kids go around asking for dentists’ favorite food. Halloween is coming, and today we’re going to focus on one of the stars of this tradition: the ghost. Enjoy the read!
Everyone’s encountered a ghost. Maybe because they come in all shapes and sizes, maybe because they’re not so elusive, or maybe because if you don’t know what it is, it’s a ghost. It happened to me too, and I’m a known skeptic. Here’s the proof.
I hope you appreciate a healthy scientific approach, the same kind that drives the characters in Richard Matheson’s novel Hell House to undertake the third expedition (the first two had a few minor issues) into a haunted house.
Lionel was asleep. She sat on her bed and looked at him, listening to the sound of his heavy breathing. Poor dear, she thought. There had been so much to do. By ten o’clock he’d been exhausted, and she’d made him go to bed.
Edith lay on her side and continued looking at him. She’d never seen him so concerned before. He’d made her promise that she’d never leave his side once they’d entered the Belasco house. Could it be that bad? She’d been to haunted houses with Lionel and never been frightened. He was always so calm, so confident; it was impossible to be afraid when he was near.[…]
Barrett kissed her on the cheek, then stood and moved to the other bed. “Shall I leave the candle on?” he asked.
“Would you mind?”
“No. We’ll use a night light while we’re here. No harm in it.”
They settled down, and Edith looked up at the shell design carved in the walnut ceiling panels. “Lionel?” she asked.
“Yes?”
“Are you sure there are no such things as ghosts?”
Barrett chuckled. “Nary a one.”[…]
She sat up suddenly and looked around in terror. Someone’s watching me again, she thought. She felt the skin on the back of her neck begin to crawl. Her scalp was covered with an icy tingling. Someone’s looking at me, knowing what I feel.
Pushing up, she walked to Lionel’s bed and looked at him. She mustn’t wake him up; he needed rest. Turning hurriedly, she moved to the octagonal table and dragged its chair beside Lionel’s bed. She sat on the chair, and carefully, so as not to wake him, put her hand on his arm. There couldn’t be anyone looking at her. There were no such things as ghosts. Lionel had said so; Lionel knew. She closed her eyes. There are no such things as ghosts, she told herself. No one is looking at me. There are no such things as ghosts. Dear God in heaven, there are no such things as ghosts.
Richard Matheson (2022) [1971] Hell house [Literature] [Horror novel] Orion Publishing Group Ltd
Ghosts have all sorts of traits: sometimes they’re harbingers of terror and unresolved drama, sometimes they come with a sheet or a sense of humor. The most famous figure in the “funny ghost” category is Slimer, who I’d describe as a flying, pear-shaped blob of green goo.
Slimer is the best, he’s in a whole different league. Nobody can compare to him. Casper knows this well—he’s now working at a gas station as a wiping cloth for car windshields. Ghostbusters is also a blast. I’m sure I think that because it’s one of my childhood movies, but I also believe it’s the best “supernatural comedy” ever made. (Think of that last sentence as if your uncle came to visit and said “You’re my favorite nephew.” And you’re his only nephew.)
Ghostbusters is also the movie that, for a decent stretch of time, stopped me from approaching refrigerators with any peace of mind (though it did introduce me to Sigourney Weaver, so we’re even).
Back then, it had incredible special effects: proton packs shooting beams (careful not to cross them!), semi-transparent ghosts, and monsters as tall as buildings. Today, it has this vintage feel, like something from a flea market. If you’ve never seen it, you must be from Mars. I don’t know how well it’s aged and I don’t want to find out, but if I were you I’d check it out right now.
Ivan Reitman (1984) Ghostbusters [Audiovisual work] [Action, comedy, fantasy] [105 min.] Columbia Pictures, Delphi Films, Black Rhino Productions
Luigi is Mario’s dumb brother. I don’t know if anyone’s ever had the guts to describe him that way, but it had to be done. Like all sidekicks, he’s more likable, less on top of things, more laid-back. You can’t help but love him. His first ghostly adventure dates back to the Gamecube era in what was one of my favorite games at the time. Today, you can play Luigi’s Mansion 3 on Switch, which has improved everything that could be improved.
As in all proper horror stories, the world’s most famous plumbers start their vacation on the best possible note. Beautiful rooms, balloons, gifts—everything you need for a peaceful sleep… until King Boo shows up to trap you in a painting.
Just like Matheson’s characters, Luigi has science on his side: Professor E. Gadd has been researching ghosts since the first game, and in this episode, he equips Luigi with a proton pack a ghost-sucking vacuum cleaner, complete with lamps that immobilize or reveal ghosts.
The settings are beautiful, and the game can be played co-op (though to activate co-op during the story mode, you’ll have to go solo for about an hour). There’s no game truer to the spirit of Ghostbusters than this. I just wish they’d made more than just three episodes.
Next Level Games (2019) Luigi's Mansion 3 [ルイージマンション, Ruīji Manshon Surī] [Videogioco] [Action-adventure] [13 Hours] (Nintendo Switch) Nintendo
Information Desk:
The first game dedicated to the Ghostbusters was released alongside the movie in 1984. It was an amazing game created by David Crane (the man behind the historic Pitfall!) and published by Activision. It had a customizable Ghostbusters car, the city with Stay Puft Marshmallow Man (yes, that’s his name, apparently) walking around, ghost traps, and crossing beams. It had everything. The video shows the version I played: the ZX Spectrum one. It even had karaoke with the official theme song on the title screen. What David Crane managed to cram into those 48k bytes of memory is mind-blowing.
Still wondering if Luigi’s Mansion 3 is right for you? Here’s a four-minute video from Nintendo Enthusiast explaining why he’s obsessed with this game.
My last two coins
As children, we fear mysterious things; as adults, we fear the things we know well.
I wanted to explore this idea a little, but since this is the Halloween episode, and the mood is light despite the horror, I’ve decided it’s better to just leave you with this tombstone-worthy sentence. It’s Halloween, after all. Until the next episode, ciao!