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IMDbPro

Ghostbusters

  • 19841984
  • PGPG
  • 1h 45m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
421K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
619
72
Advance, 1 Sheet
Watch the 30th Anniversary Trailer for Ghostbusters.
Play trailer1:35
32 Videos
99+ Photos
ActionComedyFantasy
Three parapsychologists forced out of their university funding set up shop as a unique ghost removal service in New York City, attracting frightened yet skeptical customers.Three parapsychologists forced out of their university funding set up shop as a unique ghost removal service in New York City, attracting frightened yet skeptical customers.Three parapsychologists forced out of their university funding set up shop as a unique ghost removal service in New York City, attracting frightened yet skeptical customers.
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
421K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
619
72
    • Ivan Reitman
    • Dan Aykroyd
    • Harold Ramis
    • Rick Moranis(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Bill Murray
    • Dan Aykroyd
    • Sigourney Weaver
    • Ivan Reitman
    • Dan Aykroyd
    • Harold Ramis
    • Rick Moranis(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Bill Murray
    • Dan Aykroyd
    • Sigourney Weaver
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 696User reviews
    • 277Critic reviews
    • 71Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Oscars

    Videos32

    30th Anniversary Trailer
    Trailer 1:35
    Watch 30th Anniversary Trailer
    Ghostbusters
    Trailer 2:13
    Watch Ghostbusters
    Ghostbusters
    Trailer 1:05
    Watch Ghostbusters
    Ghostbusters
    Trailer 1:22
    Watch Ghostbusters
    Ghostbusters
    Trailer 1:22
    Watch Ghostbusters
    Ghostbusters
    Trailer 2:13
    Watch Ghostbusters
    Ghostbusters
    Trailer 2:13
    Watch Ghostbusters
    Ghostbusters
    Trailer 2:13
    Watch Ghostbusters
    Ghostbusters
    Trailer 2:13
    Watch Ghostbusters
    Ghostbusters
    Trailer 2:13
    Watch Ghostbusters
    Ghostbusters
    Trailer 2:13
    Watch Ghostbusters
    Ghostbusters
    Trailer 2:13
    Watch Ghostbusters

    Photos434

    Bill Murray in Ghostbusters (1984)
    Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, and Harold Ramis in Ghostbusters (1984)
    Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, and Harold Ramis in Ghostbusters (1984)
    Billy Bryan in Ghostbusters (1984)
    Sigourney Weaver in Ghostbusters (1984)
    Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson in Ghostbusters (1984)
    Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis in Ghostbusters (1984)
    Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, and Harold Ramis in Ghostbusters (1984)
    Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, and Harold Ramis in Ghostbusters (1984)
    Billy Bryan in Ghostbusters (1984)
    Rick Moranis in Ghostbusters (1984)
    Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, and Harold Ramis in Ghostbusters (1984)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Bill Murray
    Bill Murray
    • Dr. Peter Venkman
    Dan Aykroyd
    Dan Aykroyd
    • Dr. Raymond Stantz
    Sigourney Weaver
    Sigourney Weaver
    • Dana Barrett
    Harold Ramis
    Harold Ramis
    • Dr. Egon Spengler
    Rick Moranis
    Rick Moranis
    • Louis Tully
    Annie Potts
    Annie Potts
    • Janine Melnitz
    William Atherton
    William Atherton
    • Walter Peck
    Ernie Hudson
    Ernie Hudson
    • Winston Zeddemore
    David Margulies
    David Margulies
    • Mayor
    Steven Tash
    Steven Tash
    • Male Student
    Jennifer Runyon
    Jennifer Runyon
    • Female Student
    Slavitza Jovan
    • Gozer
    Michael Ensign
    Michael Ensign
    • Hotel Manager
    Alice Drummond
    Alice Drummond
    • Librarian
    Jordan Charney
    Jordan Charney
    • Dean Yeager
    Timothy Carhart
    Timothy Carhart
    • Violinist
    John Rothman
    John Rothman
    • Library Administrator
    Tom McDermott
    Tom McDermott
    • Archbishop
      • Ivan Reitman
      • Dan Aykroyd
      • Harold Ramis
      • Rick Moranis(uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

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    6.6
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    7.1
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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      When Louis Tully mingles with his party guests (commenting on the price of the salmon, and so on), the scene is one continuous shot, and almost entirely improvised.
    • Goofs
      Ray declares the phenomena they are witnessing may be as important as "the Tunguska blast of 1909." It occurred June 30, 1908.
    • Quotes

      Dr. Raymond Stantz: Everything was fine with our system until the power grid was shut off by dickless here.

      Walter Peck: They caused an explosion!

      Mayor: Is this true?

      Dr. Peter Venkman: Yes it's true.

      [pause]

      Dr. Peter Venkman: This man has no dick.

      Walter Peck: Jeez!

      [Charges at Venkman]

      Mayor: Break it up! Hey, break this up! Break it up!

      Walter Peck: All right, all right, all right!

      Dr. Peter Venkman: Well, that's what I heard!

    • Crazy credits
      During the end credits, as the Ghostbusters are leaving in Ecto-1, three priests can be seen giving the last rites to a chunk of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man
    • Alternate versions
      All German TV versions omit the line by Peter Venkman: "He's a sailor, he's in New York, we get this guy laid, we won't have any trouble." The video and DVD versions are uncut.
    • Connections
      Edited into Muppet Babies: Good, Clean Fun (1984)
    • Soundtracks
      Ghostbusters
      Written and Performed by Ray Parker Jr.

      Courtesy of Arista Records, Inc.

    User reviews696

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    One of the funniest films of all time. Who ya gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS!
    I have a small posse of favorite comedians. Somewhere towards the top of that list, along with Steve Martin, is Bill Murray. He's been around since the early 80s, getting his start on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" after Chevy Chase left for his own career in Hollywood. Murray worked live for a few years before -- like those prior to him him -- gradually making his way into the film world.

    I like all of the comedians in "Ghostbusters," come to think of it. Dan Aykroyd is another great subtle comedian, with a great knack for writing as well as acting. It was Aykroyd, after all, who is primarily responsible for "The Blues Brothers." And Harold Ramis, who later became a director, with an impressive resume of such films as "Vacation," "Groundhog Day," and "Analyze This."

    Then there's also Rick Moranis, a meek nerd character who is very underrated and very funny, a sort of Woody Allen Lite. He was Dark Helmet in "Spaceballs," Barney Coopersmith in "My Blue Heaven," and that wacky inventor in "Honey I Shrunk the Kids."

    Yes, one could say that "Ghostbusters" is built on a firm base, scripted by Aykroyd, Ramis and Moranis (who is uncredited) and directed by Ivan Reitman ("Kindergarten Cop"). It's a clever little story with a simple premise and lots of laughs -- a band of failing friends unite to make a hoax ghost-busting company, but soon real ghosts do show up and they're in over their heads.

    It starts in New York City. Peter Venkman (Murray), Raymond Stanz (Aykroyd), and Egon Spengler (Ramis) are three Columbia University scientists laid off after their grant expires with no results from the trio in return. Down to nothing, they cook up the brilliant (or crazy) idea to create a "ghost-busting" company.

    But they immediately realize that it won't be as easy as it seems to get a little extra cash, because Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) comes to the men looking for help. Her apartment is infested with strange happenings, and her next-door neighbor, Louis Tully (Rick Moranis), is having problems of his own.

    They pretend to solve the situation and the men suddenly become a citywide phenomenon, attracting media attention and constant customers at their front door. They become so popular, in fact, that they are joined by Winston Zeddmore (Ernie Hudson), another down-on-his-luck city guy looking for a good-paying job.

    However, Walter Peck, EPA (William Atherton) doesn't believe that the Ghostbusters are really ridding any ghosts at all, so he has them thrown in jail. But an ethreal baddie named Gozer (Slavitza Jovan) soon appears in Dana's apartment complex, and weird happenings occur, forcing Peck to free the Ghostbusters once and for all so that they can bust the ghost and send it back to where it came from.

    Sounds corny, huh? It's meant to be. Everything about this movie is campy and goofy, and that is exactly what Ramis, Aykroyd and Moranis wanted when they collaborated. And it is very funny.

    I don't know, there's something in me that loves "Saturday Night Live" humor. Sure, the show has its dry spots, but I love it. Many people I know don't find it all that funny, and not as consistent as something such as "The Simpsons," but I love to watch it, I love the humor, and I love the actors.

    Part of that love, I suppose, is what makes me enjoy "Ghostbusters" (1984) so much. However, believe it or not, "Ghostbusters" is not quite as laugh-out-loud funny as you might expect. It is very funny, but it isn't always a howler. It's more of an intelligent comedy, which is odd, since it is made by a band of guys from "Saturday Night Live" and such backgrounds.

    Murray steals every scene he is in. This, along with `Groundhog Day,' is the perfect vehicle for his comedic talents, ranging from the constant wise cracks to the constant dry ironic humor that I love so much. They key to his humor is not that he comes up with it, but the way he does it. Any comedian can use the blank glares, but the way he expressionlessly glares at fellow actors is a joke in itself. When Stanz admits that his one fear has always been the Stay Puff'd man, check out Murray's face. This is classic stuff.

    As much a scene-stealer as Murray may be, he is nearly upstaged by Aykroyd and Ramis, who both provide a sort of counter-balance of lunatics and reason to Murray's flippant characteristics. The scene that everyone remembers it the finale involving the giant marshmallow Stay Puff'd Man, and whenever I think of Aykroyd's performance in this film, I think of that scene.

    "Ghostbusters" is a very famous comedy, and for good reason. It's light, good-hearted, funny, and actually pretty intelligent, built upon a firm cast and script, which -- considering the majority of the actors' and writers' backgrounds of "Saturday Night Live" -- is almost as surprising as the film itself.

    5/5 stars.

    • John Ulmer
    helpful•95
    32
    • MovieAddict2016
    • Dec 20, 2003

    FAQ16

    • Why did Zuul and Vinz Clortho possess Dana and Louis's bodies?
    • Why did none of the dining guests appear to see Gozer's minion as it "got" Louis outside the restaurant?
    • What did the ghost of a woman do to Ray in the fort detmerring?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 8, 1984 (United States)
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Facebook
      • Official Site - Ghostbusters
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Fire Station 23 - 225 E. 5th Street, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Columbia Pictures
      • Delphi Films
      • Black Rhino Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 45 minutes
      • Color
      • Mono

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