Bill Murray Movies Ever Best: Must Watch These All Time 10 Great Movies
William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an actor, comedian, and writer from the United States. He rose to prominence on Saturday Night Live, where he received his first Emmy Award for a series of performances, and later starred in comedies such as Meatballs (1979), Caddyshack (1980), Stripes (1981), Tootsie (1982), Ghostbusters (1984), Ghostbusters II (1989), What About Bob? (1991), Groundhog Day (1993), and Kingpin (1993).
Author:Elisa MuellerReviewer:Iram MartinsOct 08, 20211.5K Shares258.6K Views
William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an actor, comedian, and writer from the United States. He rose to prominence on Saturday Night Live, where he received his first Emmy Award for a series of performances, and later starred in comedies such as Meatballs (1979), Caddyshack (1980), Stripes (1981), Tootsie (1982), Ghostbusters (1984), Ghostbusters II (1989), What About Bob? (1991), Groundhog Day (1993), and Kingpin (1993). Quick Change (1990), which he co-directed with Howard Franklin, is his sole directing credit.
Murray went on to star in Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation (2003), for which he won a Golden Globe, a British Academy Film Award, and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor.
He has worked with Wes Anderson and Jim Jarmusch on several occasions. For his performances in Ghostbusters, Rushmore (1998), Hyde Park on Hudson (2012), St. Vincent (2014), and the HBO miniseries Olive Kitteridge (2014), he earned Golden Globe nominations, for which he subsequently won his second Primetime Emmy Award.
In 2016, Murray was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Murray also voiced Garfield in the family comedy film Garfield: The Movie (2004) and its sequel Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties (2006), as well as the lovable bear Baloo in Disney's The Jungle Book live-action version (2016).
Groundhog Day (1993)
Groundhog Day is a fantasy comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and written by Ramis and Danny Rubin that was released in 1993. Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, and Chris Elliott feature in the film. Murray plays Phil Connors, a sarcastic television weatherman who gets caught in a time loop while covering the annual Groundhog Day event in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, and is forced to relive February 2nd over and over again. Stephen Tobolowsky, Brian Doyle-Murray, Marita Geraghty, Angela Paton, Rick Ducommun, Rick Overton, and Robin Duke also appear in the film.
Groundhog Day was created by Rubin in the early 1990s. He created it as a spec screenplay to speak with producers about other projects. It ultimately caught the attention of Ramis, who collaborated with Rubin to lighten the tone and make the humor more accessible to a wider audience. Murray and Ramis fought over the screenplay after being cast; Murray wanted to emphasize the philosophical parts, while Ramis wanted to focus on the comedic ones. The majority of the filming took place in Woodstock, Illinois, from March to June 1992. Filming was tough, in part because of the extremely cold weather, but also due to Ramis and Murray's continuing feud.
Groundhog Day was a box office hit upon its first release, collecting over $105 million and becoming one of the year's highest-grossing pictures. It also got mostly favorable feedback. The film's effective blending of extremely emotional and profoundly cynical moments, as well as the philosophical message underlying the humor, received widespread acclaim from critics.
It was nominated for several awards and won the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay. Despite its commercial success, the picture signaled the end of Ramis and Murray's lengthy collaboration, which included films such as Caddyshack (1980) and Ghostbusters (1984). After filming, the two did not communicate until just before Ramis' death in 2014. Murray's performance in the film earned him additional serious lead parts in highly praised films, despite his prior reputation as a comedic actor.
Since its debut, the picture has gained in popularity and is now widely regarded as one of the best films of the 1990s and one of the finest comedies of all time. It had a major cultural effect as well; the phrase "Groundhog Day" entered the English language to describe a boring, disagreeable, and repetitious event. Buddhists, Christians, and Jews have all seen the film as a religious metaphor.
Groundhog Day is also credited with popularizing comedic films with aspects of the fantasy genre. The film was chosen for preservation in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress in 2006. Groundhog Day was made into a musical in 2016 and a video game sequel, Groundhog Day: Like Father, Like Son, in 2019.
Groundhog Day (1993) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers
Ghostbusters (1984)
Ivan Reitman directed and produced Ghostbusters, a 1984 American supernatural comedy film written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis appear as Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and Egon Spengler, three eccentric parapsychologists who establish a ghost-catching company in New York City, respectively. Annie Potts, William Atherton, and Ernie Hudson have supporting parts in the picture, which also stars Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis.
Based on his interest in spirituality, Aykroyd envisioned Ghostbusters as a project for himself and John Belushi in which they would travel across time and space fighting otherworldly dangers. Following Belushi's death in 1982, Aykroyd was partnered with Ramis to rework the screenplay, setting it in New York City and making it more realistic.
Ghostbusters was the first comedy picture to use costly special effects, and Columbia Pictures was worried about the project's comparatively high $25–$30 million budget and skepticism about its box office prospects. Filming took place in New York City and Los Angeles from October 1983 to January 1984. Because there was a lot of competition for special effects companies at the time, Richard Edlund utilized some of the money to start Boss Film Studios, which employed a mix of real effects, miniatures, and puppets to create the ghastly images.
Ghostbusters was released to great acclaim on June 8, 1984, and quickly became a cultural phenomenon. It got positive reviews for its mix of humor, action, and horror, and Murray's acting was often praised. During its original theatrical run, the picture grossed $282.2 million, making it the second-highest-grossing film of 1984 and the highest-grossing comedy of all time.
It was the top-grossing picture in cinemas for seven weeks in a row, and it was one of just four films that year to gross more than $100 million. Additional theater releases boosted the overall revenue to $295.2 million, making it one of the most profitable comedies of the 1980s. It was chosen for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2015. Ray Parker Jr.'s "Ghostbusters," the film's theme song, was also a success.
The popularity of Ghostbusters spawned a multi-billion dollar multimedia franchise thanks to its impact on popular culture and devoted fan base. This includes video games, board games, comic books, apparel, and music, as well as haunted attractions, as well as the famous animated television series The Real Ghostbusters (1986) and its successor series Extreme Ghostbusters (1997).
In 1989, Ghostbusters was followed by Ghostbusters II, which did not perform as well commercially or critically. Following Ramis' death in 2014, efforts to create a second sequel were put on hold. A 2016 remake, also titled Ghostbusters, received poor reviews and flopped financially. Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the second direct sequel to the 1984 film, will be released in 2021.
Lost In Translation (2003)
Sofia Coppola wrote and directed the romantic comedy-drama film Lost in Translation in 2003. When Bill Murray goes to Tokyo to sell Suntory whiskey, he plays Bob Harris, a fading American movie star who is experiencing a midlife crisis. There, he meets Charlotte, a young lady and recent college graduate played by Scarlett Johansson who is also an alienated American. In addition to Giovanni Ribisi and Anna Faris, the film stars Giovanni Ribisi and Anna Faris. Amidst a background of cultural displacement in Japan, the film examines issues of alienation and isolation. Critics and academics have focused their attention on the film's rejection of conventional narrative norms and its unusual portrayal of romance.
After spending time in Tokyo and becoming enamored of the city, Coppola began scripting the film. In the Park Hyatt Tokyo, where she was staying while promoting her debut feature film, the 1999 drama The Virgin Suicides, she started crafting a tale about two people suffering "romantic sadness." Coppola had envisioned Murray as Bob Harris from the start and attempted to recruit him for up to a year, sending him phone messages and letters nonstop. Murray finally agreed to perform the role, but he refused to sign a contract, and Coppola spent a fourth of the film's $4 million budget without knowing whether he would show up for filming in Tokyo. Coppola recounted his emotions of relief when Murray finally arrived.
On September 29, 2002, the principal shooting started and lasted 27 days. With a tiny team and limited equipment, Coppola maintained a flexible timetable throughout shooting. The script was brief, and Coppola often allowed for improvisation while shooting.
Lance Acord, the film's director of photography, made extensive use of available light, and numerous Japanese businesses and public spaces were utilized as filming locations. Coppola sold distribution rights to Focus Features for the United States and Canada after ten weeks of editing, and the studio marketed the picture by creating good word of mouth before its theatrical debut.
The film had its world debut at the Telluride Film Festival on August 29, 2003, and was a critical and financial triumph. Critics complimented Murray and Johansson's performances, as well as Coppola's screenplay and directing; the film's portrayal of Japan received very little criticism. Lost in Translation earned Coppola Best Original Screenplay at the 76th Academy Awards, while the film was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (Coppola), and Best Actor (James Franco) (Murray). Three Golden Globe Awards and three British Academy Film Awards are among the other honors she has received.
Lost in Translation Official Trailer #1 - Bill Murray Movie (2003) HD
Caddyshack (1980)
Caddyshack is a 1980 American sports comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and starring Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Michael O'Keefe, and Bill Murray, and written by Brian Doyle-Murray, Ramis, and Douglas Kenney. Doyle-Murray plays a minor part in the film.
Caddyshack was Ramis' directorial debut, and it catapulted Dangerfield's career, which had hitherto been dominated by stand-up comedy. It was the first in a series of such comedies, grossing almost $40 million domestically (the 17th highest of the year). Caddyshack II (1988) was released, but only Chase reprised his part, and the picture was critically panned.
The movie has a cult following and has been dubbed "probably the funniest sports movie ever produced" by ESPN.
Caddyshack (1980) Official Trailer - Chevy Chase Movie
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)
Jason Reitman co-wrote the script with Gil Kenan for Ghostbusters: Afterlife, a 2021 American horror comedy film directed by Jason Reitman. Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, and Paul Rudd appear in the picture, which also has Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, and Annie Potts reprising their roles from the previous films.
It is the fourth film in the Ghostbusters series, after Ghostbusters (1984) and Ghostbusters II (1989). A single woman and her two children relocate to a tiny town in Oklahoma thirty years after the events of the second film, where they uncover their link to the original Ghostbusters and their grandfather's hidden legacy.
Since the release of Ghostbusters II in 1989, a third Ghostbusters feature has been in different stages of production, stalling due to Murray's refusal to commit to the project. Following the death of cast member Harold Ramis in 2014, Sony decided to remake the film, which was released in 2016.
After the film's dismal box office performance, Reitman started work on a sequel to the original flicks. By July 2019, the new cast members had been revealed, and the original cast had signed on two months later. From July through October of this year, filming took place.
After being delayed four times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ghostbusters: Afterlife was unannounced on August 23, 2021, at the 2021 CinemaCon event in Los Angeles, and is set to be released in the United States on November 19, 2021.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife - Official Trailer - At Cinemas Now
Zombieland (2009)
Zombieland is a 2009 American zombie comedy film written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick and directed by Ruben Fleischer in his theatrical debut. The film follows a nerdy college student (Jesse Eisenberg) as he navigates a post-apocalyptic zombie apocalypse, meeting three strangers (Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin) along the way and embarking on a long road trip across the Southwestern United States in search of a haven from the undead.
The film had its world debut at Fantastic Fest on September 25, 2009, and Columbia Pictures distributed it in theaters on October 2, 2009. Zombieland was a critical and financial triumph, earning more than $60.8 million in 17 days and surpassing Dawn of the Dead from 2004 as the highest-grossing zombie film in the United States until World War Z in 2013. In 2019, a sequel, Zombieland: Double Tap, was published.
ZOMBIELAND Greenband Trailer 2
Space Jam (1996)
Joe Pytka directed the 1996 live-action/animated science fiction sports comedy Space Jam, which was based on a script by Leo Benvenuti, Steve Rudnick, Timothy Harris, and Herschel Weingrod. Michael Jordan plays a fictitious version of himself in the film, with Wayne Knight and Theresa Randle in minor roles and Billy West, Dee Bradley Baker, Kath Soucie, and Danny DeVito leading the voice cast.
The film is a fictionalized account of the events that occurred between Jordan's initial retirement from the NBA in 1993 and his return in 1995, during which he is enlisted by the Looney Tunes characters to assist them in a basketball game against visiting aliens who intend to enslave them as attractions for their amusement park.
Space Jam was Warner Bros. Feature Animation's debut feature, and it was released theatrically in the United States on November 15, 1996, under the Warner Bros. Family Entertainment brand.
Critics were split on the film's concept of merging Jordan and his career with the Looney Tunes characters, but the technical accomplishments of the film's interweaving of live-action and animation were commended. It became the highest-earning basketball film of all time and the tenth-highest-grossing picture of 1996, collecting over $250 million worldwide.
Teen Titans Go! is a television film that is a crossover with Teen Titans Go! In June 2021, Cartoon Network broadcast Space Jam. Space Jam: A New Legacy, a solo sequel featuring LeBron James, was released on July 16, 2021, after many years of development.
Space Jam (1996) Official Trailer - Michael Jordan, Bill Murray Movie HD
Garfield: The Movie (2004)
Garfield: The Movie (also known as Garfield and titled onscreen as such) is a 2004 American live-action/computer-animated comedy film directed by Peter Hewitt and based on Jim Davis' comic strip of the same name. It starred Breckin Meyer as Jon Arbuckle, Jennifer Love Hewitt as Dr. Liz Wilson, and Bill Murray as Garfield's voice, but all the other animals were genuine.
Davis Entertainment Company and 20th Century Fox collaborated on the film's production. On June 11, 2004, it was released in the United States. On a $50 million budget, the picture got poor reviews and grossed $200 million. On June 16, 2006, a sequel, Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties, was published.
Garfield (2004) Official Trailer # 1 - Bill Murray HD
Ghostbusters Li (1989)
Ivan Reitman directed and produced Ghostbusters II, which was written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis and released in 1989. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Ernie Hudson, and Annie Potts are among the cast members. It's the sequel to 1984's Ghostbusters and the second installment in the Ghostbusters series. The Ghostbusters have been sued and thrown out of business five years after the events of the first film, due to the damage they did during their fight with the god Gozer. The Ghostbusters return to fight a new paranormal danger and rescue the world as a new paranormal threat arises.
Columbia Pictures intended to make a sequel after the tremendous success of Ghostbusters but ran into opposition from the cast and crew. Aykroyd and Ramis collaborated on the script, which went through several iterations like the original. The two intended to send a statement about the harmful effects of bad human emotions in big cities. They came up with the concept of bad emotions causing a mass of magical slime to form underneath New York City, empowering evil spirits.
Filming took place in New York City and Los Angeles between November 1988 and March 1989 on a budget of $30–40 million. Large parts of the picture were deleted following bad test screenings, even though production was hurried compared to the original film's 13-month schedule. During reshoots in March and April 1989, just two months before the film's release, new sequences were written and shot.
On June 16, 1989, Ghostbusters II was released to mostly unfavorable reviews. Critics were critical of what they saw as a blatant duplicate of the original and a softening of its sarcastic, dark comedy to make it more family-friendly, but Peter MacNicol and Rick Moranis' performances were frequently praised. Ghostbusters II was anticipated to rule the box office as the sequel to the then-highest-grossing comedy picture of all time.
Instead, the picture grossed $215.4 million in theaters, compared to $282.2 million for the original, making it the eighth-highest-grossing film of the year. Murray was discouraged from participating in a third Ghostbusters picture after Columbia Pictures labeled it a commercial and critical disaster. Its soundtrack song, Bobby Brown's "On Our Own," was a hit, lasting 20 weeks on the US music charts.
The film failed to match Ghostbusters' cultural influence and cult following. Despite some retroactive acclaim, Ghostbusters II is widely regarded as a bad follow-up to Ghostbusters and is blamed for putting the series on hold for decades. Video games, board games, comic books, music, toys, and haunted homes were all released as a result of the film.
Despite Ghostbusters II’s relative failure, a second sequel was pursued until the early 2010s. Following the financial failure of a 2016 series relaunch, work on a direct sequel to Ghostbusters II, dubbed Ghostbusters: Afterlife has resumed and is set to be released in 2021.
Original Trailer (1989) | GHOSTBUSTERS II
Stripes (1981)
Ivan Reitman directed Stripes, a 1981 American military comedy film starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, P. J. Soles, Sean Young, and John Candy.
Several performers, including John Larroquette, John Diehl, Conrad Dunn, and Judge Reinhold, had their first major cinema appearances in this picture. Early in their careers, Joe Flaherty, Dave Thomas, Timothy Busfield, and Bill Paxton all made appearances.
Stripes (1981) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers
Elisa Mueller
Author
Elisa Mueller, a Kansas City native, grew up surrounded by the wonders of books and movies, inspired by her parents' passion for education and film.
She earned bachelor's degrees in English and Journalism from the University of Kansas before moving to New York City, where she spent a decade at Entertainment Weekly, visiting film sets worldwide.
With over 8 years in the entertainment industry, Elisa is a seasoned journalist and media analyst, holding a degree in Journalism from NYU. Her insightful critiques have been featured in prestigious publications, cementing her reputation for accuracy and depth.
Outside of work, she enjoys attending film festivals, painting, writing fiction, and studying numerology.
Iram Martins
Reviewer
Iram Martins is a seasoned travel writer and explorer with over a decade of experience in uncovering the world's hidden gems. Holding a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Management from the University of Lisbon, Iram's credentials highlight his authority in the realm of travel.
As an author of numerous travel guides and articles for top travel publications, his writing is celebrated for its vivid descriptions and practical insights.
Iram’s passion for cultural immersion and off-the-beaten-path adventures shines through in his work, captivating readers and inspiring wanderlust.
Outside of his writing pursuits, Iram enjoys learning new languages, reviewing films and TV shows, writing about celebrity lifestyles, and attending cultural festivals.
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