I’d been a fan of the Ghostbusters director for years before I discovered he was that rare thing – a humble and generous celebrity
Meeting one’s heroes is, contrary to advice, always advisable – depending on how canny you are at picking heroes. So if as a teenager you lionised, say, the notoriously grumpy Van Morrison, then you’ll probably be disappointed. If, however, you’re the kind of person who never grew out of your love for Ivan Reitman comedies, from Animal House to Ghostbusters to Dave, you may have been mocked (by idiots) over the years for your taste, but, man, you are quids in when you meet your man.
As the Guardian’s official 80s movies correspondent, I talked to Reitman multiple times over the years, beginning with a phone interview for the last film he directed, 2014’s Draft Day. When I contacted him again a few weeks later to ask if I could interview him for a book I was working on about 80s movies, he immediately agreed, and talked to me for over an hour, reminiscing about films people had been asking him to reminisce about for over 30 years. He never showed boredom or irritation. If I ever needed a quote, or just had a question, I could email him and he’d reply immediately. Does it really need saying that this kind of behaviour from a genuine Hollywood powerhouse is not exactly typical?
