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[brotherbean]

Every time I watch this movie I always want the whole deal with Peck to go differently. If Venkman had treated the guy with just a little less indifference upon their first meeting, if Peck hadn't been so eager to prove that the Ghostbusters were full of shit...

 

[SmugAgentCoulson]

There is a cool story on the audio commentary about William Atherton (who played Peck) walking by a bus and everyone banging on the windows shouting 'Hey Dickless'

 

[MMarston]

Because he's the lead singer of Coldplay.

 

[captmorgan]

Im more bothered that the ghost busters built a containment unit without any safe guards. They basically wired a nuke to a light switch, you think they would have added a few more steps to the shutdown procedure.

 

[FunkyPajamas]

He has no dick.

Is this true?

 

[HiredN00bs]

If you were watching the TV version, he's some kind of rodent, I don't know which.

http://youtu.be/uDOi034BEJY

 

[Gambit 1138]

Is this true?

thats what I heard

 

[TabletopTictacs]

He has no dick.

Neither does your mum.

 

[Armoured Priest]

There is a cool story on the audio commentary about William Atherton (who played Peck) walking by a bus and everyone banging on the windows shouting 'Hey Dickless'

I don't know that Atherton considers it "cool." He was reluctant to be involved with the Ghostbusters video game because he really wasn't interested in reopening that can of worms.

When you're known for playing douches in movies, it can get a little old when your out and about in your normal life.


(To be fair, he's really good at playing that character type...and yes, Peck has no dick).

 

[The Elite]

Peck, peck, peck, peck, peck!

That's the correct 80's reference, right?

 

[IDKAboutThat]

Just watching Ghostbusters on TV, and I've always found it a bit odd that someone who's just doing his job and trying to protect the environment of the biggest city in the US is made out to be an antagonist. Sure he released all the ghosts, but the Ghostbusters were breaking several environmental laws and using unregulated and untested equipment, what was he supposed to do?

Cause he's a fuckin' business man. What the fuck does he know about ghosts, he just knows business. Look at his fuckin' business suit. Gonna go do some business, business man?

 

[IrishNinja]

OP was prolly pro-registration in civil war, too

 

[The Elite]

OP was prolly pro-registration in civil war, too

That's a legitimate debate.

Same with mutant registration.

 

[KingofGourds]

Actually watched this in the local multiplex this morning - first time on the big screen so hooray for 30th Anniversary showings woooo! - and yeah, one of the things I appreciated that I hadn't noticed before was that whilst Peck was certainly a douchebag he had a very cleanly drawn and understandable motivation for it.

At first he's just doing his job, and it's already established that the Ghostbusters are playing around with crazy shit, but even then it was only because Venkman out-dicked him that it turned into a personal vendetta where all he cared about was proving them to be frauds.

The reason Peck is a 'bad guy' compared to Venkman is that whilst Venkman is willing to do something to remedy things (and putting his life on the line to do it), Peck doesn't give a shit and even with ghosts flying around and fucking NYC up he still tries to convince the Mayor that the Ghostbusters are just con artists who need to be jailed.

 

[Ri'Orius]

OP was prolly pro-registration in civil war, too

Registration was the only sensible choice. It was so reasonable, in fact, the writers had to add all sorts of baggage to that side to make the civil war seem morally ambiguous. Stuff like

Spoiler

indefinite detention in the Negative Zone for violators, dangerous Camp Hammond BS and conscription into Avengers teams for those who register.

 

[Romars202129]

I was watching this recently and noticed this too.
It's like, if this movie was taking place in the real world, Peck would have been the good guy I felt.
More than that, it doesn't really make sense moral wise... in that, what is the point of demonizing an enviromentalist and a skeptic? Are you a bad person if you care about the enviroment, and question it when a pack of weirdoes in a converted ambulance go around charging people money to 'save them from ghosts'?
I feel it was just not thought out on that level. They just needed a practical from a plot perspective badguy, and Peck was it.

 

[lastplayed]

OP was prolly pro-registration in civil war, too

That's a Marvel thing right?

 

[TAJ]

That's a Marvel thing right?

Yeah. Unfortunately it's rumored that it will be adapted to the MCU soon.

 

[IrishNinja]

gov't ballwashing

nah, cap was still right, he just got millar'd

That's a legitimate debate.

Same with mutant registration.

ugh, not here for this anti-mutant propaganda

 

[Kettch]

A) The Ghostbusters argues that it's ok to have an unregulated nuclear reactor, especially in the heart of New York City.

B) Peck argues that it's ok to shut down said nuclear reactor where the only expert he brought along says "WTF is this shit!?" and then shuts it down without proper supervision or training.

Both are exceedingly irresponsible.

Hell, the Ghostbusters are literally carrying the ability make "all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light" on their back. All they have to do is "accidently cross the streams". I think you should probably be required to have some sort of training.

They even fired them at that poor maid lady. Think she got a nice payday after they made it big?

 

[Sephzilla]

He wanted to initially investigate the Ghostbusters without a warrant and without any real evidence of what they were doing. When he actually comes back with a warrant he orders everything to be shut down, again with no evidence. And then after the explosion that releases all of the captive ghosts, he tries to throw the Ghostbusters under the bus to cover for his own incompetence and makes up a completely BS story about how the Ghostbusters put on fancy light shows and drug their customers.

 

[captmorgan]

Side tanget, I also always wondered why do the proton packs have a kick back?

 

[Brakke]

I've always found it a bit odd that someone who's just doing his job [...] is made out to be an antagonist.

Hey. Hey guys. Stop saying this. This is the most asinine thing.

That somebody paid you to do something doesn't make it *less* bad it makes it *more* bad.

Also, like, come on. "Just doing his job" is pretty fucking thoroughly refuted as a defense for anything.

 

[NinjaMouse]

Walter Peck defense force.
New lows, gaf.

First defending North Korea, now this. smh

 

[lastplayed]

Hey. Hey guys. Stop saying this. This is the most asinine thing.

That somebody paid you to do something doesn't make it *less* bad it makes it *more* bad.

Also, like, come on. "Just doing his job" is pretty fucking thoroughly refuted as a defense for anything.

So you cut out the most important part of my argument then equate it to the Nazis? Good job.

 

[Brakke]

So you cut out the most important part of my argument then equate it to the Nazis? Good job.

The Entire Free World equated that phrase with the Nazis.

I didn't cut out the important part of your argument I cut out the only part of your argument. Just say that, don't with this "just doing his job" nonsense.

 

[FunkyPajamas]

thats what I heard

LMAO.

 

[Simon Belmont]

Peck, peck, peck, peck, peck!

That's the correct 80's reference, right?

There's a peck here with an acorn, pointing it at me!

 

[Taramoor]

Peck shows up and is immediately antagonistic and skeptical toward Venkman.

Venkman responds in kind.

Peck returns with a warrant to investigate the premises and the storage facility. He's just there to look, after which he would go through the appropriate bureaucratic process to shut it down properly.

Peck is the villain because he exceeds his authority by ordering the containment be shut down without any investigation as to what it is or does or what the consequences will be, and does not consult with the proper authorities while doing so. Appropriate action after seeing the grid would be to remove the Ghostbusters and all associated personnel, ban them from the site, and bring in the proper experts to decommission the facility. Peck chooses to ignore the experts he brought with him (I've never seen anything like this before...) and act outside his power and expertise.

The city could successfully sue the Government and the EPA for all damages related to shutting down the containment grid and the entire apocalypse that follows.

 

[ShemhazaiX]

Not release all those ghosts, for one thing! He let paperwork bullshit get in the way of common sense.

To be fair, you're talking about paperwork vs ghosts. I'm pretty sure that if anyone in this thread was told to go check up on people using unregulated dangerous machinery that could cause damage to the surrounding environment, and then told that it was "To contain ghosts", common sense calls for mocking tones and obtuseness when dealing with them.

 

[SmugAgentCoulson]

Side tanget, I also always wondered why do the proton packs have a kick back?

Well the one I made as a kid from cereal boxes didn't. It lasted about 10 minutes as well.

I dunno if that helps?

* Maybe that is why Egon and Ray decided in the end not to give Bobby Brown one. Though if they did it might have gone some way to explain his behavior over the last 25 years.

 

[Armoured Priest]

They even fired them at that poor maid lady. Think she got a nice payday after they made it big?

The 2009 Ghostbusters game implied there was an ongoing class action lawsuit that was initiated by lawyers working with that maid.

 

[Deleted member 20415]

In a post 9-11 world, the Ghostbusters would have been arrested by homeland security.

ESPECIALLY because they were Downtown!

"Let's show this prehistoric bitch how we do things Downtown!" - I drop that at least twice a month.

 

[Union Carbine]

A lot of folks in here are confusing what we as the audience knows versus what, presumably, Peck knows. As others have said, given his knowledge and his probable powers, he oversteps his authority at every turn: in the first meeting, he tries to boss Venkman; in the second meeting, it's the cop; in the third meeting, it's the mayor. He's full of demands and ultimatums. Though I agree Venkman doesn't do himself any favors by antagonizing him, I don't think the outcome would have changed much if he had been more accommodating.

(Aside: I love that we're having this conversation 30 years after the film came out. I saw it 8 times that first summer and it's been one of my favorite films since.)

 

[demon]

The Ghostbusters have an unregulated nuclear reactor in a basement in the middle of new york city and they stick countless people's lost souls into what looks like a giant washing machine. They're jerks. Shut it down!

 

[OrlanisWorks]

That's a big Twinkie.

XD

Did Peck even consult anyone about shutting down nuclear reactors or did he have an oil-driller mentality? He's supposed to have a "measure twice, cut once," mentality, not a "Fuck measurements, let's rock!" mentality. He rage-quit and the Ghostbusters paid for it.

"Your mother!"