Ghostbusters (1984)
"Ghost Busters" (original title)

Three unemployed parapsychology professors set up shop as a unique ghost removal service.

Director:

Ivan Reitman

Writers:

Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis,

Stars:

Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bill Murray	...	Dr. Peter Venkman
Dan Aykroyd	...	Dr. Raymond Stantz
Sigourney Weaver	...	Dana Barrett
Harold Ramis	...	Dr. Egon Spengler
Rick Moranis	...	Louis Tully
Annie Potts	...	Janine Melnitz
William Atherton	...	Walter Peck
Ernie Hudson	...	Winston Zeddmore
David Margulies	...	Mayor
Steven Tash	...	Male Student
Jennifer Runyon	...	Female Student
Slavitza Jovan	...	Gozer
Michael Ensign	...	Hotel Manager
Alice Drummond	...	Librarian
Jordan Charney	...	Dean Yager

Storyline

Three odd-ball scientists get kicked out of their cushy positions at a university in New York City where they studied the occult. They decide to set up shop in an old firehouse and become Ghostbusters, trapping pesky ghosts, spirits, haunts, and poltergeists for money. They wise-crack their way through the city, and stumble upon a gateway to another dimension, one which will release untold evil upon the city. The Ghostbusters are called on to save the Big Apple.

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Plot Keywords:

ghostbuster | ghost | apartment | new york city | university | 

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Taglines:

Here To Save The World Again [re-release]

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Columbia Pictures MySpace.com

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 June 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ghostbusters

Filming Locations:

Greystone Park & Mansion - 905 Loma Vista Drive, Beverly Hills, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$32,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$13,612,564 (USA) (8 June 1984)

Gross:

$6,723,388 (USA) (20 September 1985)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Black Rhino Productions, Columbia Pictures Corporation, Delphi Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The bum that Bill Murray played in a deleted scene looks and acts just like his character on Caddyshack (and also sports a golfing cap).

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Goofs

Near the beginning of the film Venkman is conducting an experiment, in which he says he is using Negative Reinforcement. Two test subjects guess the symbol on the back of the card. Venkman administers electric shock for wrong answers, and gives praise for correct answers. (Of course, he's cheating, but on with the content critique.) Psychologically and Scientifically speaking, Negative Reinforcement is the subtraction of a variable in order to reinforce/increase the frequency of a desired behavior. Venkman is actually engaging in Positive Punishment, the addition of a variable/stimulus (in this case the electric shock) designed to decrease the frequency of a behavior (wrong answers). In Behavioral Psychology, Negative and Positive do not refer to traditional ideas of good or bad but rather the addition or subtraction of a variable in order to enhance or discourage a given behavior.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dr. Peter Venkman: All right, I'm gonna turn over the next card. Concentrate... I want you to tell me what you think it is.

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Crazy Credits

There are no opening credits for this film, other than the title.

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Connections

Referenced in Happily Divorced: Fran-alyze This (2012)

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Soundtracks

"GHOSTBUSTERS"
Written and Performed by Ray Parker Jr.
Courtesy of Arista Records, Inc.

User Reviews

Still Very Funny & Entertaining

There is no set definition of the word "classic" but I'm sure this film qualifies as such or will in the near future, since it was so unique and popular....and remains so today, over 20 years old later. It's just one of those films that you remember seeing when it came out at the theaters. I doubt if anyone has forgotten the catchy theme song, either.

Despite numerous viewings, I still find this very funny as I suspect many people do, because it entertains so well. I know the story is ludicrous and I don't believe for one second in ghosts so I ignore the "theology" and just laugh at Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts and Ernie Hudson.

Murray, as he tends to do, grabs the spotlight more than the rest and delivers more laughs than any of the cast but my favorite was Moranis as the nerdy "Louis Tully." I wish his role had been bigger. All the guys, however, plus Sigourney Weaver, the love interest of the always-horny Murray, are fun. I even liked the sequel because most of this cast was included.