Ivan Reitman, the creative mind that brought us the Ghostbusters franchise, was found dead in his Montecito California home, on Feb 12, 2022. According to the Associated Press, his family stated he died peacefully in his sleep. Reitman was Born in Czechoslovakia in 1946 to Jewish parents Klara Raab and Ladislav Reitman. Reitman’s mother survived an Auschwitz concentration camp, while his father was a resistance fighter. Reitman’s family immigrated to Canada as refugees when he was four years old. Reitman studied at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, where he earned a Bachelor of Music in 1969 and produced and directed several short films. His first production job came as a short stint with Toronto’s CITY-TV in the early ’70s.

Reitman’s first foray into feature-length films was as a producer for David Cronenberg’s films Shivers (1975) and Rabid (1977). Reitman got his big break in Hollywood as a producer of the rowdy fraternity comedy National Lampoons Animal Housein 1978, which was also comedy legend John Belushi’s breakout role.

Reitman’s family spoke to the Associated Press regarding the news. “Our family is grieving the unexpected loss of a husband, father, and grandfather who taught us to always seek the magic in life,” children Jason, Catherine, and Caroline Reitman said in a joint statement. “We take comfort that his work as a filmmaker brought laughter and happiness to countless others around the world. While we mourn privately, we hope those who knew him through his films will remember him always.”

Ivan Reitman brought us some of the most entertaining films out of the 20th century, and his legacy will no doubt live on. Here, we celebrate his life and work with a curated list of his best movies.

12 Twins

     Universal Pictures

Ivan Reitman directs Twins a 1988 heartfelt comedy starring Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger as Vincent and Julius, respectively, an unlikely pair of fraternal twins separated at birth. When Julius seeks out his long-lost twin, the two are complete opposites. Julius is a perfect specimen of a human, while Vincent is a short, womanizing criminal. Little does Vincent know, he and Julius were part of a science experiment to create a genetically flawless human being. The long-awaited sequel Triplets will begin filming in early 2022.

11 Kindergarten Cop

     Imagine Entertainment

Directed by Ivan Reitman, Kindergarten Cop follows detective John Kimble (Arnold Schwarzenegger) who must inadvertently go undercover as a kindergarten teacher, as part of a larger investigation to nab notorious criminal Cullen Crisp Sr. (Richard Tyson). Kimble suspects Crisp – who has just escaped from prison – will try to seek out his estranged son Dominic, who is one of Kimble’s students. Schwarzenegger insisted on having Reitman direct the movie as he stated the director had a way with kids. Recently, Schwarzenegger reunited with the cast of Kindergarten Cop for the 30th anniversary of the film.

10 Meatballs

     Famous Players & Canadian Film Development Corporation

Meatballs is a Canadian comedy that follows the misadventures at budget summer camp, Camp Northstar. The head counselor Tripper Harrison (Bill Murray) has barely surpassed the maturity level of the rowdy teenagers attending. Tripper has grown tired of losing the annual Camp Olympics and thus inspires his kids to conquer the competitors Camp Mohawk. Meatballs marks comedy great Bill Murray’s first starring role in a feature film. The late Harold Ramis discussed the possibility of a Meatballs remake with Movieweb in 2009.

9 Road Trip

     The Montecito Picture Company

Road Trip is directed by Todd Phillips of The Hangover and produced by Ivan Reitman’s production company The Montecito Picture Company. It chronicles a group of college students’ epic road trip from New York to Texas to save Josh’s (Breckin Meyer) relationship by intercepting a video of him with another woman after it is mailed to his unsuspecting girlfriend. The film was not considered a critical success, however, has remained a fan favorite due to its raunchy humor.

8 Dave

     Northern Lights Entertainment

In Dave, philandering President of the United States Bill Mitchell wants to skip out on a press conference, so dubious White House chief of staff Bob Alexander (Frank Langella) arranges for the kind and generous doppelganger Dave (Kevin Kline) to take his place. Things go awry when Bill suffers a devastating stroke and Dave must step in full-time. With such a dramatic personality change, it doesn’t take long before the First Lady (Sigourney Weaver) and the press realize something is afoot. Ivan Reitman directs this early 90s political comedy.

7 Stripes

     Columbia Pictures

Written and directed by Ivan Reitman Stripes is a critically acclaimed movie about John Winger (Bill Murray), a down-on-his-luck cabbie who enlists in the army after he simultaneously loses his job and his girlfriend. Winger then becomes an unlikely role model for a gang of army misfits, including his close friend Russel Zisky (Harold Ramis). The film inspired a TV series and was re-released in theaters in 2021 to celebrate its 40th anniversary.

6 I Love You, Man

     Dream Works Pictures & The Montecito Picture Company

The popular buddy comedy I Love You, Man is directed by John Hamburg and produced in part by The Montecito Picture Company. It follows the budding bromance of Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) and Sydney Fife (Jason Segel). Peter is a friendless real estate agent who has just proposed to his girlfriend Zooey Rice (Rashida Jones). Upon realizing he has no close friends to share the exciting news with, Peter seeks out some male camaraderie in the form of eccentric investor Sydney. Their newly formed bond, however, begins to jeopardize Peter and Zooey’s engagement.

5 Old School

After Mitch Martin (Luke Wilson) catches his girlfriend cheating on him, he and friends Bernard (Vince Vaughan) and Frank (Will Ferrell) start a fraternity to relive their college glory days. Throughout their high jinx, Mitch realizes he has outgrown college life. Ferrell is especially funny as the obnoxious “Frank the Tank.” Directed by Todd Phillips and produced by The Montecito Picture Company, Old School was a box office success.

4 Ghostbusters: Afterlife

     Columbia Pictures, Ghost Corps, and The Montecito Picture Company

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is the most recent addition to the Ghostbusters franchise, directed by Jason Reitman and produced by Ivan Reitman. Afterlife piggybacks on the storyline of the original Ghostbusters movie from 1984. It stars Finn Wolfhard and McKenna Grace as Egon Spengler’s grandchildren Trevor and Phoebe, respectively. When her father suddenly dies, Callie Spengler (Carrie Coon) takes refuge in his home with her two children after being evicted. Phoebe feels an inextricable connection to her grandfather as she is also a scientist. Upon exploring the house, she comes to realize her grandfather had a secret plan to prevent the impending apocalypse. The film pays tribute to the late Harold Ramis and his family who were involved with the film from start to finish.

3 Up In the Air

     Dreamworks Pictures & The Montecito Picture Company

Critically acclaimed Up in The Air was directed by Ivan’s son Jason Reitman and produced by The Montecito Picture Company. It stars George Clooney as Ryan Bingham, a corporate downsizing expert, who takes new co-worker Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick) on a tour to prove to her the importance of terminating employees face-to-face. Bingham values his life on the road and his collection of frequent flyer miles and sees Natalie as a threat. While mentoring her, he arranges hookups with fellow frequent-flier (Vera Farmiga), and his developing feelings for her change his perspective on life.

2 National Lampoon’s Animal House

National Lampoon’s Animal House represents Ivan Reitman’s breakout film in Hollywood. It follows college freshmen Larry (Thomas Hulce) and Kent (Stephen Furst) and their attempt to pledge the uppity fraternity Omega Theta Pi House. After their swift rejection, they promptly set their sights on the debaucherous Delta Tau Chi House, and get accepted. Little do they know, Dean Wormer is hellbent on removing the Deltas and has them on academic probation.

1 Ghostbusters 7.8

     Columbia Pictures, Ghost Corps & The Montecito Picture Company

Ivan Reitman directs Ghostbusters one of the most iconic movies ever made. After three parapsychologists lose their jobs and university funding, they decide to defeat supernatural entities to earn a living. Throughout their endeavor, they discover a gateway to another dimension that will release an evil entity upon New York City. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson star as the paranormal dream team. Ghostbusters: Afterlife paid homage to the original 1984 classic by placing Easter eggs throughout the film.