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Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters (sometimes
written Ghost Busters) is a 1984 sci-fi comedy film about three
parapsychologists who are fired from a New York City University,
and start up their own business investigating and eliminating
ghosts.
It was followed by a sequel, Ghostbusters II (1989),
and two cartoon series, The Real Ghostbusters and Extreme Ghostbusters.
See The Real Ghostbusters for information about
the cartoons and the comics, etc., and for information about
the Ghostbusters' vehicles and tools/weapons.
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The films sparked the catchphrase, "Who you gonna
call? Ghostbusters!"
Franchise history
The concept was inspired by Aykroyd's own fascination with the paranormal,
and was conceived by Aykroyd as a vehicle for himself and friend and
fellow Saturday Night Live alum John Belushi. The original story as
written by Aykroyd was much more ambitious -- and unfocused -- than
what would be eventually filmed; in Aykroyd's original vision, a group
of Ghostbusters would travel through time, space and other dimensions
taking on huge ghosts.
Aykroyd pitched the story to director/producer Ivan
Reitman, who liked the basic idea but immediately saw the budgetary
impossibilities demanded by Aykroyd's first draft. At Reitman's suggestion,
the story was given a major overhaul, eventually evolving into the
final screenplay which Aykroyd and Ramis hammered out over the course
of a few months in a Martha's Vineyard bomb shelter. In addition to
Aykroyd's high-concept basic premise and Ramis' skill at grounding
the fantastic elements with a realistic setting, the film benefits
from Bill Murray's semi-improvisational performance as Peter Venkman,
the character initially intended for Belushi (who had died of a drug
overdose while Aykroyd and Ramis were still working on the script).
The extent of Murray's improvisation while delivering his lines varies
wildly with every re-telling of the making of the film; some say he
never even read the script, and improvised so much he deserves a writing
credit, while others insist that he only improvised a few lines, and
used his deadpan comic delivery to make scripted lines seem spontaneous.
Among the featured New York locations were Columbia
University, the New York Public Library, still very much active Hook
& Ladder 8, Central Park West, Tavern on the Green in Central
Park, Lincoln Center, inside a defunct New York jail and various street
locations for the montages. The interior of the firehouse was done
in LA's Fire Station 23, the basement of the Library was substituted
by a LA library, the Biltmore Hotel in LA served as the lobby and
entrance for the Sedgewick Hotel, while the other locations were on
sound stages.
Gozer's temple was the biggest and most expensive set
ever to be constructed at that time. In order to properly light it
and create the physical effects for the set, other stages needed to
be shut down and all their power diverted over to the set. The hallway
sets for the Sedgewick Hotel were originally built for the movie Rich
and Famous in 1981 and patterned after the Algonquin Hotel in New
York City, where Reitman originally wanted to do the hotel bust. The
Biltmore was chosen because the large lobby allowed for a tracking
shot of the Ghostbusters in complete gear for the first time. Dana
Barrett and Louis Tully's apartments were constructed across two stages
and were actually on the other side of their doors in the hallway,
an unusual move in filmmaking.
A problem arose during filming when it was discovered
that a show was produced in 1975 by Filmation for CBS called Ghostbusters,
starring Larry Storch and Forrest Tucker (see the article The Ghost
Busters). As a result, if Columbia could not secure the name alternate
ones were made up and ready to be used. However, during the filming
of the crowd for the final battle, the extras were all chanting "Ghostbusters"
causing the producers to ensure the studio got the name. And they
did. Ghostbusters was released in the United States on June 8, 1984,
starring Bill Murray, Rick Moranis, Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts
and Ernie Hudson, and grossed approx. $240 million in the US and over
$50 million abroad during its theatrical run, making it easily the
most succesful film of that year. A video game based on the movie
was released by Activision for the Atari gaming system and a number
of 1980s home computers, and West End Games released Ghostbusters:
A Frightfully Cheerful Roleplaying Game.
A song used for the movie, also called "Ghostbusters"
was a hit for Ray Parker Jr., and is now a staple at "1980s retro"
parties, as well as Jekyll & Hyde's Halloween-themed restaurant
in Manhattan.
In 1989, Ghostbusters II was released, featuring the
return of the main cast and a new villain. Hitting theaters on June
16, the second film's storyline was nearly identical to the first,
with Venkman again acting flippant until he gradually re-charms Dana,
and the Ghostbusters again struggling to keep their business afloat
until business picks up again thanks to the rise of another demonic/ghostly
ruler from ancient times, as well as a river of pink goo below the
city that seemed to be the living embodiment of hate and bad feelings.
The movie also gave us the return of meek, mild-mannered accountant
Louis Tully (Rick Moranis), who was introduced into the cartoon the
following season.
Aykroyd and Ramis struggled for years to get started
on a third Ghostbusters film, but were unable to come up with a script
that could meet their own satisfaction. The possibility of a third
film grew even more complicated as Murray's interest in reprising
his role waned over the years, and Aykroyd finally admitted that a
third film would probably never happen. At one stage Aykroyd had a
working script, and Murray even agreed to reprise a bit part, but
Columbia would not get on board due to the cost. This quandary was
parodied in an episode of The Critic, in which Jay Sherman was asked
to write a script for a film called "Ghost-Chasers 3," which
was a bomb.
