Godspeed Ivan Reitman

Ivan Reitman, who produced the classic National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) and produced and directed Stripes (1981) and Ghostbusters (1984), died on February 12 2022 at the age of 75.

Ivan Reitman was born on October 27 1946 in Komárno, Czechoslovakia. His family migrated to Canada when he was four years old. He attended Oakwood Collegiate in Toronto. In 1969 he received a  Bachelor of Music from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. He worked as a producer at CITY-TV in Toronto briefly. In 1973 he produced the stage production Spellbound in Toronto. The production moved to Broadway in 1974 where it became The Magic Show, with Mr. Reitman still serving as its producer.

Ivan Reitman produced Shivers (1975), the controversial horror movie that started David Cronenberg's career as a director. He also produced David Cronenberg's movie Rabid (1977). He produced the movies Death Weekend (1976), Isla the Tigress of Siberia (1977), and Blackout (1978) before making his commercial breakthrough with National Lampoon's Animal House. It was in 1979 that he made his mainstream directorial debut with Meatballs.

In the Eighties Ivan Reitman directed the films Stripes (1981), Ghostbusters (1984), Legal Eagles (1986), Twins (1988), Ghostbusters II (1989), and Kindergarten Cop (1990). He produced the films Stripes, Heavy Metal (1981), The Magic Show (1983), Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983), Legal Eagles, Big Shots (1987), Casual Sex? (1988), Feds (1988), Twins, Ghostbusters II, and Kindergarten Cop. In 1983 he produced and directed the Broadway production Merlin.

In the Nineties he directed the films Dave (1993), Junior (1994), Father's Day (1997), and Six Days Seven Nights (1998). He produced the films Stop! or My Mom Will Shoot (1992), Beethoven (1992), Dave, Beethoven's 2nd (1993), Junior, Space Jam (1996), Private Parts (1997), Commandments (1997), Father's Day (1997), Six Days Seven Nights, and Road Trip (2000).

In the Naughts Ivan Reitman directed the films Evolution (2001) and My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006). He produced the films Evolution, Killing Me Softly (2002), Old School (2003), EuroTrip (2004), Trailer Park Boys: The Movie (2006), Disturbia (2007), Hotel for Dogs (2009), The Uninvited (2009), I Love You, Man (2009), Post Grad (2009), Up in the Air (2009), Chloe (2009), and Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day (2009).

In the Teens Mr. Reitman directed the films No String Attached (2011) and Draft Day (2014). He produced the movies No Strings Attached, Hitchcock  (2012), Draft Day, Ghostbusters (2016), Baywatch (2017), Father Figures (2017), A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting (2020), and Godmothered (2020). In the Twenties he produced the films Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021) and Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021).

Ivan Reitman either produced or directed films that had a lasting impact on American pop culture. National Lampoon's Animal House and Ghostbusters both proved influential. Indeed, Ghostbusters spawned an entire franchise. Many of his other films, from Stripes to Twins remain popular. It is safe to say that many of his movies will still be watched for several years to come.