Ghostbusters (1984)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1984
Running Times: 107 mins
Length: 2881 metres
Format: Metrocolor     35mm     70mm (blow-up)     Panavision
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: Dolby (on 35mm prints)     70mm 6-Track (on 70mm prints)

SELECTED CREDITS

(Full Credits)

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Black Rhino Productions / Columbia Pictures Corporation
Executive Producer: Bernie Brillstein
Producer: Ivan Reitman
Associate Producers: Michael C. Gross, Joe Medjuck

SCRIPT
Script: Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis (uncredited)

DIRECTION
Director: Ivan Reitman

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: László Kovács

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editors: David Blewitt, Sheldon Kahn

MUSIC
Music: Elmer Bernstein

SOUND
Sound Designers: Richard Beggs, Tom McCarthy Jr
Production Sound Mixer: Gene Cantamessa

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Leonard Engelman
Make Up (New York): Michael Thomas
Hair: Dione Taylor, Peggy Semtob
Costume Designer: Theoni V. Aldredge

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Special Make Up Effects: Michael R. Jones

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Boss Film Studios; Entertainment Effects Group
Special Effects Supervisor: Chuck Gaspar
Special Effects: Richard Edlund

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects Production Supervisor: Lynda Lemon

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: John De Cuir
Art Director: John DeCuir Jr, John Jay Moore
Art Director (New York): John Moore

LOCATIONS
Locations: 55 Central Park West, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA; Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles, California, USA; Columbia University, New York City, New York, USA; Greystone Estate, Beverly Hills, California, USA; Los Angeles, California, USA; McCracken County, Kentucky, USA; New York City, New York, USA; Tavern on the Green, Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Location Manager: Paul Pav
Location Managers (New York): Jeff Stolow, Lenny Vullo

STUNTS
Stunt Coordinator: Bill Couch

CASTING
Casting: Karen Rea
Casting (New York): Joy Todd

CAST
Bill Murray (Dr Peter Venkman)
Dan Aykroyd (Dr Raymond Stantz)
Sigourney Weaver (Dana Barrett / Zuul)
Harold Ramis (Dr Egon Spengler)
Rick Moranis (Louis Tully / Vinz Clortho)
Annie Potts (Janine Melnitz)
William Atherton (Walter Peck)
Ernie Hudson (Winston Zeddemore)
David Margulies (Mayor)
Steven Tash (male student)
Jennifer Runyon (Jennifer)
Slavitza Jovan (Gozer)
Michael Ensign (hotel manager)
Alice Drummond (librarian)
Jordan Charney (Dean Yeager)
Timothy Carhart (violinist)
John Rothman (library adminstrator)
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)
Reggie VelJohnson (jail guard)
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 neighbour)
Rick Mancini (policeman at apartment)
Kathryn Janssen (Mrs Van Hoffman)
Stanley Grover, Carol Ann Henry, James Hardy, Frances Turner, Nancy Kelly (reporters)
Paul Trafas (Ted Fleming)
Cheryl Birchenfield (Annette Fleming)
Ruth Oliver (library ghost)
Kym Herrin (dream ghost)

When they're fired from their job at Columbia University, parapsychologists Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz and Egon Spengler become ghost-hunters-for-hire, Ghostbusters. Quickly achieving fame and fortune as they hunt and trap ghosts and spirits in New York City, they eventually take on the case of cellist Dana Barrett who has a Sumerian demon, Gozer, in her refrigerator. As Gozer and other Sumerian demons prepare to cross over to our world, the Ghostbusters must face their sternest test and save New York... and the world.

A hugely enjoyable comedy with a strong cast (Bill Murray in particular is fantastic and Aykroyd was never this good again), a witty script and some fantastic effects. Simply one of the best comedies of the 80s and one that has stood the test of time extremely well, unlike the lacklustre sequel and the forgettable animated TV spin-off.

Argentina
Video Distributor: LK-TEL

Germany
Laserdisc Distributor: RCA / Columbia (081 212-1)
DVD Distributor: Columbia / Tristar (10488; includes - commentary by Harold Ramis, Ivan Reitman and producer Joe Medjuck; storyboards with split-screen compare; featurette; conceptual sketches)

UK
Laserdisc Distributor: Columbia / Tristar (LD 13119 - on double bill with Ghostbisters II (1989))

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Video Distributor: Columbia TriStar
Laserdisc Distributors: RCA / Columbia (30413); RCA / Columbia (30580-2); Criterion (CC 1181L); Criterion (CC 1182L)
DVD Distributor: Columbia / Tristar (04139; includes - commentary by Ivan Reitman and Harold Ramis; storyboards with split-screen compare; production stills; deleted scenes; 1999 star featurette; special effects team documentary; special effects before and after featurette); Columbia / Tristar (04657 - on double bill with Ghostbusters II (1989); includes - commentary by Ivan Reitman and Harold Ramis; storyboards with split-screen compare; production stills; deleted scenes; 1999 star featurette; special effects team documentary; special effects before and after featurette)

Argentina
Rating: Atp

Australia
Rating: PG

Chile
Rating: TE

Finland
Rating: K-12

France
Rating: U

Italy
Rating: T

Netherlands
Rating: AL

Norway
Rating: 11

Sweden
Rating: 11

UK
Rating: PG

USA
Rating: PG

West Germany
Rating: 12

1985
Academy Awards, USA
Best Effects, Visual Effects (Richard Edlund, Chuck Gaspar, Mark Vargo, John Bruno) - nominated
Best Music, Song (Ray Parker Jr) - nominated (for Ghostbusters)

Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, USA
Saturn Award Best Fantasy Film - winner

BAFTA Awards, UK
Best Original Song (Ray Parker Jr) - winner (for Ghostbusters)
Best Special Visual Effects (Richard Edlund) - nominated

Golden Globes, USA
Best Motion Picture: Comedy / Musical - nominated
Best Original Song: Motion Picture (Ray Parker Jr) - nominated (for Ghostbusters)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture: Comedy / Musical (Bill Murray) - nominated

Golden Screen, Germany
Golden Screen - winner

Hugo Awards, USA
Best Dramatic Presentation - nominated

Young Artist Awards, USA
Best Family Motion Picture: Musical or Comedy - winner

1983
October
Day Unknown: USA - filming begins

1984
February
Day Unknown: USA - filming ends

June
8: USA - theatrical release

December
7: Sweden - theatrical release
12: France - theatrical release
13: Norway - theatrical release
14: Finland - theatrical release
21: Brazil - theatrical release

1985
January
25: West Germany - theatrical release

August
23: USA - theatrical re-release

1989
September
Day Unknown: Germany - laserdisc release (RCA / Columbia (081 212-1))

1992
February
Day Unknown: UK - laserdisc release (Columbia / Tristar (LD 13119))

December
10: USA - laserdisc release (RCA / Columbia (30413))

1999
June
29: USA - DVD release (Columbia / Tristar (04139))

October
29: USA - DVD release (Columbia / Tristar (10488))

2002
June
3: USA - television broadcast (on HBO 501)

They're Here To Save The World.

Coming To Save The World This Summer.

We're Ready To Believe You.

Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters!

The supernatural spectacular

They ain't afraid of no ghost.

The world's most successful comedy

Os Caça-Fantasmas - Portugese title
Los cazafantasmas - Spanish title
Ghostbusters - Acchiappafantasmi - Italian title
Ghostbusters - Die Geisterjäger - German title
Ghostbusters - haamujengi - Finnish title
Krotitelé duchu - Czechoslovakian title
Pogromcy duchów - Polish title
S.O.S. fantômes - French title
Spökligan - Swedish title
Szellemirtók - Hungarian title

SEQUELS
Ghostbusters II (1989)
The Real Ghostbusters (1986)
Extreme Ghostbusters (1997)

SEE ALSO
Daffy Duck's Quackbusters (1988)

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
100 Years at the Movies (1994)
AFI's 100 Years, 100 Laughs: America's Funniest Movies (2000)
Ghostbusters' SFX Team Featurette (1999)

MAGAZINES

Entertainment Weekly no.544 (9 June 2000) p.84 (USA)
article (High Spirits by Joshua Rich)

Première December 1984 p.11 (France)
review (by Stella Molitor)

ghosts, demons, parapsychologists, scientists, universities, researchers, mayors, libraries, the paranormal, possession, the supernatural, musicians, hotels, slime

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008