Ghost Busters (1984)

Director:

Ivan Reitman

Writers:

Dan Aykroyd (written by) and
Harold Ramis (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

8 June 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Here To Save The World Again [re-release]

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Ghostbuster | Ghost | Apartment | New York City | University

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 6 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Tue. Dec. 29	8:00 AM	AMC
Fri. Jan. 1	12:00 PM	COMEDY
Sat. Jan. 2	8:00 AM	COMEDY

Cast

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
Timothy Carhart	...	Violinist
John Rothman	...	Library Administrator
Tom McDermott	...	Archbishop
Roger Grimsby	...	Himself
Larry King	...	Himself
Joe Franklin	...	Himself
Casey Kasem	...	Himself
John Ring	...	Fire Commissioner
Norman Matlock	...	Police Commissioner
Joe Cirillo	...	Police Captain
Joe Schmieg	...	Police Seargeant
Reginald VelJohnson	...	Jail Guard (as Reggie Vel Johnson)
Rhoda Gemignani	...	Real Estate Woman
Murray Rubin	...	Man at Elevator
Larry Dilg	...	Con Edison Man
Danny Stone	...	Coachman
Patty Dworkin	...	Woman at Party
Jean Kasem	...	Tall Woman at Party
Lenny Del Genio	...	Doorman
Frances E. Nealy	...	Chambermaid
Sam Moses	...	Hot Dog Vendor
Christopher Wynkoop	...	TV Reporter
Winston May	...	Businessman in Cab
Tommy Hollis	...	Mayor's Aide
Eda Reiss Merin	...	Louis's Neighbor (as Eda Reis Merin)
Ric Mancini	...	Policeman at Apartment (as Rick Mancini)
Kathryn Janssen	...	Mrs. Van Hoffman
Stanley Grover	...	Reporter
Carol Ann Henry	...	Reporter
James Hardie	...	Reporter (as James Hardy)
Frantz Turner	...	Reporter (as Frances Turner)
Nancy Kelly	...	Reporter
Paul Trafas	...	Ted Fleming
Cheryl Birchenfield	...	Annette Fleming
Ruth Oliver	...	Library Ghost
Kymberly Herrin	...	Dream Ghost (as Kym Herrin)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Murray Bandel	...	Extra - NY Public Library (uncredited)
Larry Bilzarian	...	Prisoner (uncredited)
Matteo Cafiso	...	Boy at Hot Dog Stand (uncredited)
John De Bello	...	Patrolman Matthews (uncredited)
Paddi Edwards	...	Gozer (voice) (uncredited)
Eldo Ray Estes	...	Redheaded man (uncredited)
Deborah Gibson	...	Birthday Girl in Tavern on the Green (uncredited)
Wendy Goldman	...	Bride on Honeymoon (DVD deleted scenes) (uncredited)
Willow Hale	...	Student at Columbia University (uncredited)
Ron Jeremy	...	Man behind barricade (uncredited)
Charles Levin	...	Groom on Honeymoon (DVD deleted scenes) (uncredited)
Joseph Marzano	...	Man in Taxi (uncredited)
Joe Medjuck	...	Man at Library (uncredited)
Frank Patton	...	City Hall Cop (uncredited)
Harrison Ray	...	Terror Dog (uncredited)
Ivan Reitman	...	Zuul / Slimer (voice) (uncredited)
Frank Rivers	...	Prisoner (uncredited)
Mario Todisco	...	Prisoner (uncredited)
Bill Walton	...	Himself (uncredited)

Directed by
Ivan Reitman

Writing credits
Dan Aykroyd		(written by) and
Harold Ramis		(written by)
Rick Moranis		uncredited

Produced by
Bernie Brillstein	....	executive producer
Michael C. Gross	....	associate producer
Joe Medjuck	....	associate producer
Ivan Reitman	....	producer

Original Music by
Elmer Bernstein

Cinematography by
László Kovács		(director of photography) (as Laszlo Kovacs)

Film Editing by
David E. Blewitt		(as David Blewitt)
Sheldon Kahn

Casting by
Karen Rea

Production Design by
John DeCuir		(as John De Cuir)

Art Direction by
John DeCuir Jr.		(as John De Cuir Jr.)

Set Decoration by
Marvin March

Costume Design by
Theoni V. Aldredge
Suzy Benzinger		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Etsuko Egawa	....	special makeup effects artist
Leonard Engelman	....	makeup artist
Dione Taylor	....	hair stylist
Michael R. Thomas	....	makeup artist: New York (as Michael Thomas)
Michael R. Jones	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)
Peggy Semtob	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Patrick McCormick	....	unit production manager: New York
John G. Wilson	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gary Daigler	....	first assistant director
William Eustace	....	second assistant director: New York (as Bill Eustace)
Katterli Frauenfelder	....	second assistant director
Peter Giuliano	....	first assistant director: New York
Patrick McKee	....	dga trainee
John Pepper	....	second assistant director: New York
Carol L. Vitkay	....	DGA trainee: New York (as Carol Vitkey)

Art Department
Jack E. Ackerman	....	property master
Brent Boates	....	creature design consultant
Paul J. Campanella	....	stand-by painter (as Paul Campanella)
Joseph M. Caracciolo Jr.	....	property master: New York (as Joe Caracciola Jr.)
Kurt Conner	....	creature design consultant (as Kurt W. Conner)
Robert Drumheller	....	set decorator: New York
George Eckert	....	set designer
Thom Enriquez	....	creature design consultant
Bob Kline	....	creature design consultant (as Robert Kline)
John Jay Moore	....	art director: New York (as John Moore)
Don Noble	....	construction coordinator
Terry Windell	....	creature design consultant
Bernie Wrightson	....	creature design consultant (as Berni Wrightson)
Steven Ladish	....	props (uncredited)
Richard Lund	....	translite photographer (uncredited)
Mark Siegel	....	sculptor (uncredited)
Louis Zamora	....	labor foreman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Rick Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Dick Alexander)
Richard Beggs	....	sound designer
Raul A. Bruce	....	sound boom (as Paul A. Bruce)
Jim Bullock	....	sound editor
Gene S. Cantamessa	....	production sound mixer (as Gene Cantamessa)
John M. Colwell	....	sound editor (as John Colwell)
Les Fresholtz	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joseph Holsen	....	sound editor
William L. Manger	....	sound editor
Tom McCarthy Jr.	....	sound designer
Vern Poore	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael P. Redbourn	....	sound editor (as Mike Redbourn)
Don S. Walden	....	sound editor
Jack Wolpa	....	cable person (as Jack Walpa)
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Kim Maitland	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
Christopher Moriana	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Jon Alberti	....	mechanism designer (as John Alberti)
Nicholas Alberti	....	mechanism designer
Lance Anderson	....	mechanism designer
Larz Anderson	....	mechanism builder
Doug Beswick	....	mechanism designer
Don Carner	....	mechanism designer
Tom Culnan	....	mechanism builder
Joe Day	....	special effects foreman
Kevin Dixon	....	mechanism builder
Steve Dunham	....	chief mechanism designer
Gunnar Ferdinandsen	....	chief moldmaker
Scott Forbes	....	special effects technician
Joe Franke	....	mechanism builder
Chuck Gaspar	....	special effects supervisor
Bill Sturgeon	....	mechanism builder
Robert Cole	....	special effects (uncredited)
Bob Shelley	....	special effects foreman (uncredited)
Joe Viskocil	....	pyrotechnic supervisor: Staypuft (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Jim Aupperle	....	camera operator: EEG
Philip Barberio	....	optical line-up: EEG (as Phil Barberio)
Jon Berg	....	ghost shop advisor: EEG
Les Bernstien	....	technical animator: EEG (as Les Bernstein)
Gary D. Bierend	....	model maker (as Gary Bierend)
Mike Bolles	....	design engineer
Kris Brown	....	software programmer
John Bruno	....	visual effects art director: EEG
Billy Bryan	....	sculptor: Staypuft, EEG (as Bill Bryan)
Conrad Buff IV	....	visual effects editor: EEG (as Conrad Buff)
Laura Buff	....	production coordinator: EEG
Richard Coleman	....	animator: EEG
Randall William Cook	....	dimensional animation effects: EEG
Charles Cowles	....	optical printer operator: EEG (as Chuck Cowles)
Richard Edlund	....	visual effects
Leslie Ekker	....	model maker
Wendie Fischer	....	technical animator: EEG
Linda Frobos	....	sculptor: Staypuft, EEG
Constantine Ganakes	....	matte artist: EEG
Kento Gebo	....	model maker (as Kent Gebo)
Bruno George	....	optical printer operator: EEG
Pete Gerard	....	model maker
Alan Harding	....	assistant matte cameraman: EEG
Jack Hinkle	....	assistant effects editor: EEG
Bob Hoffman	....	model maker
Michael Hosch	....	sculptor: EEG (as Mike Hosch)
Jerry Jeffress	....	electronic engineer
Steve Johnson	....	sculptor: librarian: EEG
Steve Johnson	....	sculptor: onion head: EEG
Ed Jones	....	optical line-up: EEG
Rick Kerrigan	....	production supervisor: EEG (as Richard Kerrigan)
Neil Krepela	....	matte department supervisor: EEG
John Lambert	....	camera operator: EEG
Pete Langton	....	technical animator: EEG
Robin Dean Leyden	....	electronic engineer (as Robin Leyden)
Pat McClung	....	model maker
Dennis Michelson	....	assistant effects editor: EEG
Virgil Mirano	....	still photographer: EEG
Michele Moen	....	matte artist: EEG (as Michelle Moen)
Ronald B. Moore	....	optical line-up: EEG
Thaine Morris	....	mechanical effects supervisor: EEG
Bill Neil	....	chief cameraman: EEG
Steve Neill	....	sculptor: EEG
James Nelson	....	godfather: EEG (as Jim Nelson)
Sean Newton	....	animator: EEG
Clint Palmer	....	assistant cameraman: EEG
Donald Pennington	....	model maker (as Don Pennington)
Leona Phillips	....	optical effects administrator
Gary Platek	....	director of special projects: EEG
Samuel E. Recinos	....	technical animator: EEG (as Sam Recinos)
William Recinos	....	animator: EEG
Peggy Regan	....	technical animator: EEG
Arthur F. Repola	....	effects editor: EEG (as Art Repola)
Pete Romano	....	assistant cameraman: EEG
Milius Romyn	....	model maker
Nick Seldon	....	model maker
Paul Skylar	....	model maker
Robert Spurlock	....	effects man: EEG
Mark Stetson	....	model shop supervisor: EEG
Annick Thierrien	....	technical animator: EEG (as Annick Therrein)
Mark Vargo	....	optical supervisor: EEG
Gary Waller	....	animation supervisor: EEG (as Garry Waller)
Mary E. Walter	....	optical line-up: EEG
Jody Westheimer	....	assistant cameraman: EEG
Mark West	....	design engineer
Gene Whiteman	....	chief engineer: EEG
Bob Wilson	....	optical printer operator: EEG
Terry Windell	....	animation supervisor: EEG
Bruce Woodside	....	animator: EEG
Matthew Yuricich	....	chief matte artist: EEG (as Matt Yuricich)
Stuart Ziff	....	head of ghost shop: EEG
Yarek Alfer	....	prop maker (uncredited)
Margaret Craig-Chang	....	technical animation assistant (uncredited)
Ko Hashiguchi	....	technical animation assistant (uncredited)
Michael F. Hoover	....	motion control computer operator (uncredited)
Sam Longoria	....	assistant matte cameraman (uncredited)
Sam Longoria	....	engineer/machinist (uncredited)
Sam Longoria	....	special projects (uncredited)
Tom Pahk	....	model maker (uncredited)
Lynda Thompson	....	visual effects production supervisor (uncredited)
Eusebio Torres	....	technical animation assistant (uncredited)
Mac Torres	....	technical animation assistant (uncredited)
Paul Van Camp	....	software programmer (uncredited)

Stunts
Bill Couch	....	stunt coordinator
Tony Kahana	....	stunts
Tony Brubaker	....	stunts (uncredited)
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tony Cecere	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Cirillo	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Couch	....	stunts (uncredited)
Lisa Dalton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Diamond Farnsworth	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gene Harrison	....	stunts (uncredited)
Larry Holt	....	stunt performer (uncredited)
Julius LeFlore	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill McIntosh	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tom Morga	....	stunt double: Harold Ramis (uncredited)
Tom Morga	....	stunts (uncredited)
Shawn O'Neil	....	stunt driver (uncredited)
Debby Lynn Ross	....	stunts (uncredited)
George P. Wilbur	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Yerkes	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Norman Buck	....	key grip: New York
Colin J. Campbell	....	gaffer (as Colin Campbell)
Patrick Capone	....	second assistant camera: New York
Ted Churchill	....	Steadicam operator: New York
Vinnie Gerardo	....	first assistant camera: New York (as Vincent Gerardo)
Michael Ginsburg	....	still photographer: New York
Robert Jason	....	best boy
Gene Kearney	....	key grip
Gemma La Mana	....	still photographer (as Gemma La Mana-Wills)
Paul Mindrup	....	second assistant camera
Bob Munoz	....	best boy grip
Robert M. Stevens	....	camera operator (as Bob Stevens)
Joseph E. Thibo	....	first assistant camera (as Joe Thibo)
Herb Wagreich	....	director of photography: New York (as Herb Wagreitch)
William Ward	....	gaffer: New York (as Billy Ward)
Ron Anderson	....	best boy (uncredited)
Adam Glick	....	set lighting technician (uncredited)
Scott Rathner	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera, New York (uncredited)
Michael Shanman	....	arc operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Joy Todd	....	casting: New York

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dayton Anderson	....	costumer
Lee Austin	....	wardrobe supervisor: New York
Bruce Ericksen	....	costume supervisor (as Bruce Erickson)
Debra Louis Katz	....	wardrobe supervisor: New York
Peggy Thorin	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Joe Mosca	....	assistant editor
Saul Saladow	....	assistant editor
James Seidelman	....	assistant editor (as Jim Seidelman)
Tracy Granger	....	assistant/apprentice editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Peter Bernstein	....	orchestrator
Kathy Durning	....	supervising music editor: Segue Music
David Spear	....	orchestrator
Robert Fernandez	....	scoring mixer (uncredited)
Patrick Russ	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Transportation Department
John F. Curtis	....	driver captain
James E. Foote	....	transportation coordinator (as Jim Foote)

Other crew
Kirk Borcherding	....	production accountant
Stephen Dane	....	hardware consultant (as Steven Dane)
John Daveikis	....	hardware consultant
Rocco Derasmo	....	teamster captain: New York
Leslie Falkinburg	....	production secretary
Kathi Freeman	....	secretary: Mr. Gross and Mr. Medjuck
Rita Grant Miller	....	production coordinator (as Rita Miller-Grant)
Kate Guinzburg	....	production coordinator: New York
Joyce Y. Irby	....	secretary: Mr. Reitman
Trish Kinney	....	script supervisor
Sherry Lynne	....	assistant production coordinator
Mary Mason	....	production secretary
Paul Pav	....	location manager
Jeff Stolow	....	location manager: New York
Lenny Vullo	....	location manager: New York
Laurel Walter	....	production secretary
Nancy Willen	....	publicist
Craig Caton	....	creature crew (uncredited)
Evelyn Fitzgerald	....	production assistant: New York (uncredited)
Tom Lackey	....	location scout (uncredited)
Tom Paolucci	....	production staff (uncredited)
Audri Phillips	....	puppeteer (uncredited)
Mark Siegel	....	creature maker (uncredited)
Mark Siegel	....	puppeteer (uncredited)
Bill Sturgeon	....	puppeteer (uncredited)

Thanks
Suzy Benzinger	....	thanks
Will Fowler	....	thanks
Amy Friedman	....	thanks
Frank Krenz	....	thanks
Hal Landaker	....	thanks
Joanna Lipari	....	thanks
Peggy Semtob	....	thanks
Don Shay	....	thanks
Chris Stoia	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Black Rhino Productions
• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Delphi Films (as Delphi Productions)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia-EMI-Warner (1984) (UK) (theatrical)
• Compagnia Edizioni Internazionali Artistiche Distribuzione (CEIAD) (1984) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Film (1984) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1987) (USA) (TV)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (1999) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1999) (Italy) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (????) (Italy) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (????) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Nordisk Film (1999) (Sweden) (DVD)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures International (????) (Italy) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures (2009) (Sweden) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Boss Film Studios
• Entertainment Effects Group

Other Companies

• Arista Records  soundtrack released by
• Available Light Productions  additional animation
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production
• Effective Sound Unlimited  sound editing
• Film Permits Unlimited  location permits
• Los Angeles Public Library  thanks
• New York State Office for Motion Picture and Television Development  thanks
• Pacific Title  titles
• R/Greenberg Associates  main title animation
• Segue Music  music editing
• Varèse Sarabande  score album released by (limited edition)
• Western Van Lines, Motion Picture Division  transportation services

Also Known As:

Ghost Busters (UK)
Ghostbusters (USA) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

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

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | South Korea:12 | Brazil:Livre | Portugal:M/6 | Netherlands:6 (re-rating) | New Zealand:PG | Australia:M (TV rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Chile:TE | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Ireland:PG | Italy:T | Netherlands:AL | Norway:11 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

55 Central Park West, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Black Rhino Productions

Trivia:

The movie's line "Dogs and cats living together! Mass hysteria!" was voted as the #68 of "The 100 Greatest Movie Lines" by Premiere in 2007.

Goofs:

Continuity: Inconsistent number and position of splattered eggs on counter as camera angles change.

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.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "SpongeBob SquarePants: SpongeBob Meets the Strangler/Pranks a Lot (#3.21)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

MAGIC

A severely underrated film

What's that you say? Ghostbusters, one of the most financially successful and over-hyped comedies of the eighties, underrated? Yes. Precicely because it was so over-hyped and made so much money, there has been a stigma attached to this film identifying it as a childish FX piece, when it is nothing of the sort. Most of the lines people remember("He slimed me," "OK. So? She's a dog," "When someone asks you if you're a god, you say YES!") are not its funniest or wittiest lines, which often are missed on first or even second viewing. I laugh every time I observe a gag or a quip that I somehow missed the other 20 times I viewed a scene; "Egon, this reminds me of the time you tried to drill a hole through your head, remember that?" "That would have worked if you hadn't stopped me", or, to the driver of a van from a loony bin, "Dropping off or picking up?" Brilliant.

Not only is Ghostbusters funny, it manages to include some truly scary scenes. And not just lose-your-popcorn moments like the fridge from Hell, but also scenes of quiet, thoughtful chill, like Egon's retelling of how the possessed apartment building came into being, or Winston recalling the Book of Revelation. Which other film has managed to combine the Marx Brothers with HP Lovecraft?

The special effects hold up well, besides some obvious studio sets and models, but what really creates this film's world is the stunning cinematography. Manhattan, perhaps the pinnacle of Gothic architectural evolution, is brilliantly utilised here to create a sense of menacing grandeur. After watching "Ghostbusters" I couldn't imagine the realm of the Old Gods opening into our world from anywhere else. The soundtrack is great, not the overrated theme (Which was in fact lifted from Huey Lewis' "I Need a New Drug"), but the wonderfully blusey "Cleaning Up the Town," the creepy proto-techno chiller "Magic" and also the wonderful score by the late and much lamented Elmer Bernstein.