The Passing Of Harold Ramis – A Comedic Genius

Harold Ramis has died. To many he will always be Egon Spengler in the Ghostbusters movies but to others he was a damn fine writer/director, behind some of the most influential comedy films of the last 40 years. Ramis directed Groundhog Day (a film that has become a modern classic) and the massively underrated Multiplicity (with Michael Keaton), while also helming National Lampoon’s Vacation, The Ice Harvest (a quirky and little seen black comedy with John Cusack), Analyse This (and That) and Bedazzled.

Ramis had a great ear for comedy and he helped define a generation having written, starred-in and/or directed the likes of Ghostbusters (his work with Bill Murray is great), Stripes, Caddyshack, Meatballs and Animal House. That’s one hell of a filmography.

Harold Ramis was 69 years old, relatively young by today’s standards. However, he had been suffering from autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis for the last few years.

This is a dark day for movie lovers and the world has become a little sadder.