Ghostbusters (franchise)

File:Ghostbusters Poster.jpg

Original Ghostbusters film poster

Ghostbusters is a science fiction series created by in 1984. The first film was titled Ghostbusters, which was released on June 8th, 1984 by Columbia Pictures. The film became a pop culture phenomenon, leading to two sequels, 3 television shows, various video games and other merchandise.

After the release of Ghostbusters, various other Ghostbusters products were developed including a novel, a comic series, video games, action figures, trading cards, and other merchandise, all set within the fictional Ghostbusters reality.

Development

The concept was inspired by Aykroyd's own fascination with the paranormal, and it 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 (of which the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man was just one of many). Also, the Ghostbusters wore S.W.A.T.-like outfits and used wands instead of Proton Packs to fight the ghosts; Ghostbusters storyboards show them wearing riotsquad-type helmets with movable transparent visors. The original draft of the script written by Aykroyd was very large, compared to a "phone book" by director Ivan Reitman.

Aykroyd pitched his 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 (according to Ramis on the DVD Commentary Track for the movie). Aykroyd and Ramis initially wrote the script with roles written especially for Belushi, Eddie Murphy and John Candy. However, Belushi died due to a drug overdose during the writing of the screenplay, and neither Murphy nor Candy could commit to the movie due to prior engagements, so Aykroyd and Ramis shifted some of these changes around and polished a basic, yet sci-fi oriented screenplay for their final draft.

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. 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.

With the first DVD release of the film on the 15th anniversary of the original theatrical release, many original concepts of the film were revealed, based on the storyboard artwork: Louis Tully was originally to be a conservative man in a business suit played by comedian John Candy, but Candy was unable to commit to the role. The role was taken by Rick Moranis, portraying Louis as a geek. Gozer was originally going to appear in the form of Ivo Shandor as a slender, unremarkable man in a suit played by Paul Reubens. In the end, the role was played by Yugoslavian model Slavitza Jovan, whose Eastern European accent (later dubbed by Paddi Edwards) caused "choose and perish" to sound like "Jews and berries".

Winston Zeddemore was written with Eddie Murphy in mind, but he had to decline the role as he was filming Beverly Hills Cop at the same time. When Murphy had the role, Zeddemore was going to be hired much earlier in the film, and would accompany the trio on their hunt for Slimer at the hotel and be slimed in place of Peter Venkman. When Ernie Hudson took over, it was decided that he be brought in later to indicate how the Ghostbusters were struggling to keep up with the outbreak of ghosts.

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 Hotel 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 The Ghost Busters, starring Larry Storch and Forrest Tucker. (It should be noted that this show's title is written as two words instead of one word like the 1984 movie.) Columbia Pictures prepared a list of alternative names just in case the rights could not be secured, but during the filming of the crowd for the final battle, the extras were all chanting "Ghostbusters", which inspired the producers to insist that the studio buy the rights to the name. For the test screening of Ghostbusters, half of the ghost effects were missing, not yet having been completed by the production team. The audience response was still enthusiastic, and the ghost elements were completed for the official theatrical release shortly thereafter.

Technology

Ghostbusters equipment is the equipment used by the Ghostbusters in the 1984 film and all subsequent Ghostbusters fiction used to aid in the capture and containment of ghosts. The form of these devices varies between the different mediums, but the overall archetypes and concepts for the equipment remains the same.

Fire house

The fire house that the Ghostbusters retrofitted to be their ghost-busting offices, residence and containment facilities is a real world New York City tourist attraction.

Proton pack

The proton packs' particle throwers were originally portrayed as wands worn on each arm. Winston Zeddemore was written with Eddie Murphy in mind, but he had to decline the role as he was filming Beverly Hills Cop at the same time. When Murphy had the role, Zeddemore was going to be hired much earlier in the film, and would accompany the trio on their hunt for Slimer at the hotel and be slimed in place of Peter Venkman. When Ernie Hudson took over, it was decided that he be brought in later to indicate how the Ghostbusters were struggling to keep up with the outbreak of ghosts.

The main equipment used by the Ghostbusters to capture ghosts is the Proton Pack: a reportedly unlicensed Particle accelerator which fires a proton stream that polarizes with the negatively charged energy of a ghost allowing it to be held in the stream while active.

The Proton Pack is a fictional piece of nuclear accelerative machinery created by the Ghostbusters. It is their primary tool in the 1984 Ghostbusters film for "busting" ghosts. It has a hand-held wand ("Proton Gun" or particle thrower) connected to a backpack-sized particle accelerator.

The proton pack, also referred to as a charged particle accelerator, functions by "concentrating protons" (though in the first movie it is referred to as "positron collider" once, and the gun is also called a "neutrona wand"), using them to attack "negatively charged ectoplasmic entities". This is technobabble. In practical terms, the proton gun fires a stream of energy that allows a wielder to snare a ghost, holding it in place so it can be positioned above a trap for capture. Dr. Egon Spengler designed the pack, and he built it. A cut scene from Ghostbusters showed Egon plugging the pack into a wall outlet to recharge it, only to have the plug melt.

The Ghostbusters' dialogue indicates that it operates similarly to a cyclotron, in that it produces a high-powered stream of charged particles. In contrast to a real cyclotron (which produces well collimated streams of particles), the beam from a proton pack tends to curve wildly (though it still stays within the general area the user is aiming at), is quite destructive to physical objects and can cause extensive property damage.

According to a line pronounced by Egon in Ghostbusters II, each pack's energy cell has a half-life of 5000 years. Knobs on the main stock of the Proton Pack can perform various functions to customize the proton stream, including adjustments for stream intensity, length, and degrees of polarization. According to the cartoon, the maximum power setting for the Proton Packs is "500,000 megahertz" and they have a self-destruct mechanism capable of affecting at least a half-mile radius. The cartoon also made proton packs less efficient with power cells, allowing them to run out of energy when appropriate for dramatic tension.

Dr. Peter Venkman refers to the Proton Packs in one scene as "unlicensed nuclear accelerators," but a cut scene from the script states that there is no nuclear material involved, but rather a static discharge.

"Try to imagine all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light."

— Egon Spengler

Crossing the streams was initially discouraged, as Egon believed that "total protonic reversal" would occur: this effect would have catastrophic results (see quote above). However, in a desperate effort to stop the powerful Gozer the Gozerian, the Ghostbusters performed a simultaneous 4-fold crossing directed into the portal, causing total protonic reversal in their dimension and "brackish" areas, but not affecting the molecular structure of our dimension. When the Ghostbusters crossed their four streams, they aimed directly into the inter-dimensional portal, which then exploded every molecule of Gozer (including his psychic influence) and forced it back through the dimension window from where it entered. The portal itself collapsed and exploded when Gozer was destroyed.

Proton packs were created by the prop department of Columbia Pictures. They are made of molded fiberglass shells on aluminium backplates (or "motherboards") bolted to military surplus A.L.I.C.E. frames. The basic shape was sculpted from foam and then a rubber mould was made of it, from which fibreglass shells were pulled. The "wand" had an extending barrel mechanism and the electronics were quite advanced for the time. They were then finished with various surplus 1960's resistors, pneumatic fittings, hoses and ribbon cable, as well as surplus warning labels and custom made metal fittings. The overall wieght of these props is said to be around 35lbs. These "hero" props were substituted in stunt scenes by flimsy foam rubber pulls from the same mould. The proton packs have a lightbar with 15 blue scrolling lights in a box on the left-hand side and 4 red lights in the circular "cyclotron" portion of the bottom of the prop that light up in rotation. The "wand" also featured numerous light features - the most elaborate versions had fluorescent bargraphs, incandescent bulbs, and strobing flashes in the tip for the visual effects crew to sync the infamous 'streams' to.

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Replica Proton Pack.

Some of the Packs from Ghostbusters 1 were used in the followup, Ghostbusters II; these packs were slighty redressed with a black crank knob and thinner ribbon cable. The angle of the gun, or "wand"'s mount was changed to pitch foward slightly, in order to make the prop easier for the actor to use. In addition to these redressed props, one of the originals was hastilly cast as a buck to produce basic, lightwieght "midgrade" props (as a solution to complaints by the actors about the weight of the original prop). These midgrade pieces featured many details cast in as part of the mould, instead of separate fittings. The electronics and mechanisms were also cut down greatly, reducing the total weight. The original GB1 props would appear in close-ups, the midgrade in all other scenes, and new rubber "stunt" packs were made for whenever the actor needed to take a fall. Several GB2 packs have surfaced for auction - at least one rubber stunt, and one fibreglass midgrade prop. The auctioned midgrade prop was lost shortly after sale in an airport baggage mishap [1]. The piece was documented before its loss, and revealed much of the shoddy casting techniques used in its creation. All 3 variations of the GB2 pack have been displayed at various Planet Hollywood restaurants around the US.

Many movie prop replica communities have sprung up regarding proton pack research and contain various methods and plans for constructing a replica proton pack, including:

• A.S.A.P. (A Site About Props)[2]
• The Ghostbusters Prop Archive [3]
• Proptopia [4]

Early script descriptions of the proton pack stated each pack had two neutrona wands, strapped to the wrists, rather than one, held like a gun.

Toy proton packs were formerly made by Kenner and available in toyshops. They consisted of a plastic pack and gun, with a yellow foam cylinder attached to the front of the gun to represent the beam.

A weapon strongly resembling the proton pack appears in the computer game Half-Life, where it is called the Gluon gun, it is also sometimes called quantum de-stabilizer. The gun's object identifier is weapon_egon, but this name is never visible to the player. This would appear to be a reference to the character Egon Spengler, who created the device in the movie.

In Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft there is a weapon known as Egan's Blaster which has a special effect against ghosts and other undead in the game. Again, it is a likely homage to Egon Spengler and the Ghostbusters universe.

Slime Blower

As seen and developed in the movie Ghostbusters II, this piece of equipment is a metal tank strapped to the back of its user, with an attached sprayer used to project streams of the psychomagnetheric "mood slime" that has emotionally been positively reinforced, rather than negatively.

A toy Slime Blower was released with the Kenner Real Ghostbusters toyline, known as the Ecto-Charger Pack.

Ecto-Splat

Unique to the Ghostbusters comics, this is a flamethrower-like device similar to the Slime Blower. It fires a hard jet of ectoplasm, which can damage or break up ghosts. As it fires it makes a noise spelled "zzzax". It may be a fictionalized adaptation of some sort of real water-squirting device that was sold as a Ghostbusters-related toy.

Meters and interrogation

A PKE meter is a handheld device, used in locating and measuring Psycho-Kinetic Energy, which is a unique environmental byproduct emitted by ghosts.

Giga meter

A device similar to the PKE meter, featured in Ghostbusters II. As explained by Egon in the original script, the Giga meter measures PKE in GeV, or giga-electron-volts.

Ecto-Goggles

Sometimes known as "Spectro-Visor" this is a special pair of goggles that visually traces PKE readings. They are particularly useful in helping its wearer see normally invisible ghosts and it can also be used to assist in tracking ghosts within a visible field of search.

Ghost Sniffer

A device similar to the PKE meter seen in Ghostbusters. A device similar to a Gas Sniffer, it "smells" the presence of ghosts. It is only seen used by Peter Venkman thus far, but it was shown that he did not know how it use it correctly.

A toy Ghost Sniffer was released as part of the Kenner Real Ghostbusters toyline, known as the Ghost Nabber.

Ghost trap

This is a box with a split hinged lid, remote controlled by a simple foot-pedal switch, attached to the end of the box by a long cable. When a ghost is brought close to the trap (usually by means of the proton pack, though not necessarily), the ghost trap is activated by the foot switch, its lid then opens, and a force field draws the ghost inside. It is advised to refrain from looking directly at the trap when activated. The ghost can then be transported to the larger, more permanent containment unit. More than one ghost can be stored in a trap, but has never been established how many or for how long a ghost can be held. It has also been suggested that a captured ghost can be released by a Ghostbuster from the ghost trap voluntarily if needed by opening it again. This was not shown in the movies, only hinted at, but animated series showed this to be true several times. The Real Ghostbusters animated series also expanded on the Ghost trap greatly, showing that more powerful ghosts must be quickly sent to the containment unit or they may break free of the trap and that if more than one ghost is caught in the trap at once, they merge into a single entity and can't be divided.

In the Extreme Ghostbusters episode "Back in the Saddle", the team converted a dump truck into a giant ecto trap in order to capture a massive being that was devouring the city.

Ecto-Containment Unit

Also referred to as the "Containment System." This is the large containment facility in the basement of the Ghostbusters' headquarters. It was developed after Dr. Spengler and Dr. Stantz, made their first actual contact with a ghost in the basement of the New York Public Library. According to data from that experience, they theorize that since a ghost's ionization rate is constant, they could capture and hold it indefinitely. It is the heart of what makes the Ghostbuster business possible. All captured ghosts are stored in it. The containment unit has an easy-access slot to put a ghost trap in; after two buttons are pressed in sequence, and a lever pulled, the ghost is pumped from the trap into the unit's containment field. After completing these steps, a green light attached to the containment system briefly turns on, denoting a successful containment. Thus the rule: "When the light is green, the trap is clean."

It should be noted that the containment system seen in the cartoon is radically different from the one found in the original movie Ghostbusters (Though the hatch in both versions is nearly if not completely identical). In the movie, the device is simply installed into a cramped basement area of the old firehouse, built into the concrete wall. However, in the cartoon, the basement is a sprawling, two-story warehouse-like space, with the large red, cylindrical containment unit given new prominence. The reason given in the cartoon series for these changes is that improvements were made to prevent any further complications like those which occur in the movie, such as the system reaching maximum capacity, or EPA lackey Walter Peck's ordering the system powered down, re-releasing all contained ghosts into New York City. To this end, the basement of the Ghostbusters' headquarters is expanded, and the containment unit upgraded in size and technology, with a back-up power source to prevent sudden shut-downs. However, the company once had to resort to a bicycle attached to an electrical turbine during a serious power loss to maintain the protection grid while they struggled to restore power.

Furthermore, in the TV series, the Ghostbusters also work at developing more permanent disposal solutions such as dimensional portals where ghosts could be deposited in other reality planes.

Transport

File:Ectomobile.jpg

The Ectomobile.

The Ectomobile is a 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor limo-style endloader combination car (hearse/ambulance) used in the 1984 film Ghostbusters and other Ghostbusters fiction.

This vehicle was purchased by Ray Stantz for the relatively high price $4800 (over $9400 when scaled up for inflation) in a poor state of repair- in Stantz' own words, it needed, "suspension work and shocks, brakes, brake pads, lining, steering box, transmission, rear-end (interruption by Venkman inquiring as to the aforementioned price), new rings, mufflers, and a little wiring."

After the necessary total rebuild, it was used to carry the team's ghost-capturing equipment, as well as transporting the Ghostbusters around New York City. It has a very distinctive siren wail. Its features include a special pull out rack in the rear containing the staff's proton packs which facilitates a quick suiting up without having to reach into the vehicle's rear. There are also various gadgets mounted on the top, but their function is never revealed in the movies. Fans speculate that the equipment includes heavy-duty anti-ghost weaponry and defenses. The book Making Ghostbusters describes a deleted scene where a police officer places a ticket on the Ectomobile only to have it instantly flare up into a pile of ashes.

Earlier versions of scripts written by Dan Aykroyd for the first Ghostbusters also included mentions of the Ectomobile having the powers of interdimensional travel. The shooting script for the movie described the Ectomobile as being black, with purple and white strobe lights that gave the vehicle a "purple aura".

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The license plate.

This vehicle is also known as "ECTO-1" (because of its custom ECTO-1 licence plate shown in the original movie), which was the name used on The Real Ghostbusters, the animated show based on the movie.

A miniature replica of the vehicle was mass-produced as a childrens' toy. The toy version of this vehicle has sold approx. 1,000,000+ units worldwide.

Polar Lights released a 1/24 scale model kit of the Ecto-1 in 2002.

Throughout other Ghostbusters fiction, a number of other Ectomobiles were introduced.

• Ecto-1a : An upgraded version of the Ecto-1, seen only in Ghostbusters II, which included more technical equipment placed on the roof of the chassis. Most noticeably this upgrade included digital announcement boards on each side of the vehicle's roof, broadcasting Ghostbuster advertisements, specials, and their phone number. Also, the logo was updated on the doors and back entrance of the ambulance.
• Ecto-2 : A small open-topped two-seater helicopter seen in the cartoons and the comic based on them as well as a toy. The toy's stern end had a pistol-type grip and trigger to let a child playing with it hold it in the air and make its rotor spin; this grip and trigger are copied in the comic despite the resulting aerodynamic unnaturalness.
• Ecto-3 : There have been 3 vehicles with this name:-
  • a motorized unicycle and sidecar that slips into Ecto-1's rear fender in the Real Ghostbusters episode The Joke's on Ray.
  • a time-distortion jet-like vehicle invented by Egon in the comics. This vehicle was renamed the Ecto-4 after the cartoon's unicycle version debuted.
  • a go-kart-like vehicle seen as a toy.
• Ecto-Bomber : An airplane seen in "The Slob" based off the Kenner toy. The name comes from the toy, it was not mentioned in the episode it was in.
• "Extreme" Ecto-1 : This vehicle is a slightly different variant on car from The Real Ghostbusters as seen on the Extreme Ghostbusters TV series. The vehicle is equipped with a more 'modern' selection of detection equipment and emergency lights. It resembles a 1970's Cadillac hearse.
• Ecto-Ichi: A extremely high tech six wheeled Ectomobile used by the Ghostbusters in Japan. it is capable of flight and traveling on water.
• The Ectomobile is never named on-screen. The word "Ectomobile" was only used in the song "Cleaning Up The Town" from the film's soundtrack.
• Originally the filmmakers planned to have the Ecto-1 be painted black. The color of the vehicle was later changed to white when it was decided a black car would be too difficult to see during night scenes.
• The Ectomobile was originally going to be a much more high tech vehicle, with an almost artificial intelligence.
• Three cars have played the vehicle in the movies; the third 1959 Miller-Meteor was purchased after the second died during shooting of Ghostbusters II. The black Miller-Meteor seen at the beginning of the first movie was leased and used only for that scene and never converted. Later this car was purchased by the studio and completely converted to a full Ecto-1 for touring. It now resides in a car museum in Volo, Illinois, and is for sale (see below).
• Ecto-1A was originally scripted as Ecto-2, and one reference to this remains in the movie. When Bill Murray as Dr. Peter Venkman is standing outside of his apartment and the car pulls up, you can just make out the words Ecto-2 on the license plate.
• Both Ectomobiles are currently sitting in a Sony pictures studios backlot in a rapidly deteriorating condition, the Ecto 1a having served as an attraction at the Universal studios "Spooktackular" stage show.
• Currently an Ecto 1 replica is held for sale at about $150,000[5]. This is not the original car, but a replica made by George Barris (who has been known to falsely assert himself as having a hand in designing the original film car.)
• At one point there was a Ghostbusters video game in development which featured a more modern version of the Ectomobile, based off a stretched Chrysler 300C. The current status of this game is not known.

Major Characters

Peter Venkman

Peter Venkman is a fictional scientist and member of the Ghostbusters, appearing in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II and in the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters. In both the live action films, he was portrayed by Bill Murray, and was voiced in the animated series first by Lorenzo Music and then by Dave Coulier. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Peter is one of three doctors of parapsychology on the team, though he also holds a PhD in psychology. In the movies, he is characterized by his flippant persona, his lackadaisical approach to his profession, and his womanizing demeanor; of the three doctors in the Ghostbusters, he is the least committed to the academic and scientific side of their profession, and tends to regard his field, in the words of his employer in the first film, as "a dodge or hustle". However, he possesses more savvy and street-smarts than either Ray Stantz or Egon Spengler. In Ghostbusters II, following the break-up of the team, he hosts a psychic-themed talk show on local television. In The Real Ghostbusters series, Peter's womanizing is toned down somewhat, but he retains his dry wit and sarcastic demeanor. While not the official leader of the group, Venkman often makes the decision whether the Ghostbusters will take a case or not. He is originally opposed to the idea of Slimer living in the firehouse, but quickly develops a love-hate relationship with the ghost. The episodes "Venkman's Ghost Repellers", "Cold Cash and Hot Water", and "Treasure of the Sierra Tamale" feature Peter's father, a con-man who couldn't make an honest dollar and was always away on business at Christmas, as mentioned in "X-mas Marks The Spot". Peter has claimed to be a Scorpio, as mentioned in "Mean Green Teen Machine". In "Last Train to Oblivion", one of Peter's favorite hobbies is trains, and he used to dream about driving a big locomotive when he was a child (Peter even studied engineering in college for two years before finding out it had nothing to do with trains). Two of the actors who played Venkman also shared another role. Lorenzo Music provided the voice of the popular cartoon cat Garfield in his animated specials and television series in the 1980s and 1990s. Bill Murray later took over the role in two live-action feature films following Music's death.

Raymond "Ray" Stantz

Raymond "Ray" Stantz is a fictional scientist and member of the Ghostbusters, appearing in the films Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters II, and Casper (played by Dan Aykroyd) and in the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters (voiced by Frank Welker). He is one of the three doctors of parapsychology on the team, along with Dr. Peter Venkman and Dr. Egon Spengler. Ray is considered the "heart" of the Ghostbusters by the other members of the team. He is an expert on paranormal history and metallurgy. He is characterized by his almost childlike enthusiasm towards his work, and his forthright acceptance of paranormal activity, though he expresses skepticism toward Christianity. He is known for his wordy and overly technical explanations of scientific and paranormal phenomena. Ray, along with Egon, is responsible for pioneering the Ghostbusters' theories and designing and building the equipment used for catching and containing ghosts. Aykroyd did a cameo in the movie version of Casper as Stantz.

Egon Spengler

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Egon in Ghostbusters

Egon Spengler is a fictional scientist appearing in the films Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II, and in the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters and later Extreme Ghostbusters. He is a member of the Ghostbusters, and one of the three doctors of parapsychology on the team. Egon is portrayed by Harold Ramis in the films, and voiced by Maurice LaMarche in the cartoon series. Ramis credits the part as launching his acting career, as up to that point he had been a director and writer.

Bespectacled, awkward, and laconic, Egon is the member of the team responsible for the main theoretical framework for their paranormal studies. Also, being addicted to science, he is the creator of the Ghostbusters' equipment along with Dr. Ray Stantz. Egon is the most serious and straightforward member of the team. Of his hobbies, he states that he collects "spores, molds, and fungus," and claims that as a child, the only toy he ever had was "part of a Slinky," but he straightened it. As implied in the first movie, Egon apparently has an affection for sweets and candy (such as twinkies). He also once attempted self-trepanation, but was stopped by Peter Venkman. He is also the love interest of Janine Melnitz, the Ghostbusters' secretary, in the first film and both animated series (Ghostbusters II excluded it due to Ramis' dislike of the subplot). Egon is the only original Ghostbuster to return for the Extreme Ghostbusters series.

Winston Zeddmore

Winston Zeddemore is a fictional character appearing in the Ghostbusters films and TV series. He was played by Ernie Hudson in both movies and was voiced by Arsenio Hall in the first season of The Real Ghostbusters. Buster Jones provided Winston's voice in the remaining seasons, and he reprised the role in a cameo on Extreme Ghostbusters. He is a Ghostbuster, but unlike the other members of the team, he is not a scientist with a background in the paranormal. (The novelisation notes he is a former Marine.) He is hired later in the company's existence when their business begins to pick up. However, despite not sharing the educational credentials of his coworkers, Winston often serves as a voice of reason and displays far more common sense than the other Ghostbusters. For instance, when the jailed Ghostbusters seriously propose asking a U.S. federal judge to release them because they must fight an invading god, Zeddemore is the only one to remind the others that they would never be believed.

Described as the "everyman" of the Ghostbusters, Winston is hired as a member on the spot, seemingly because he is the only applicant at the time. When applying for the job as a Ghostbuster he is questioned extensively by Janine Melnitz as to whether he believes in a large number of supernatural occurrences and beings. He simply replies, "If there's a steady paycheck in it, I'll believe anything you say." When he is introduced to Ray Stantz, Ray's response is, "Beautiful. You're hired." In one episode of the Real Ghostbusters cartoon, Winston mentions that he did not believe in the supernatural before becoming a Ghostbuster, which shows that he was only looking for a paying job. Nevertheless, he accepts the existence of the paranormal once he witnesses it firsthand, even stating that "these things are real" and that he has "seen shit that will turn you white". The name "Zeddemore" is misspelled as "Zeddmore" in the closing credits of Ghostbusters. As a result it was also sometimes misspelled in scripts and other sources related to The Real Ghostbusters. The name is spelled correctly on the nametag on Winston's jumpsuit, in the shooting script of Ghostbusters (as published in the book Making Ghostbusters), and in the closing credits of Ghostbusters II. The name is also pronounced correctly (with three syllables) by both Annie Potts and Ernie Hudson in Ghostbusters.

Winston has been noted as being the character most often not featured in video games based upon Ghostbusters media, even when Peter, Ray and Egon are selectable. Most believe this is because Winston was hired later and most of the games have the player begin before the Ghostbusters company was started. It may have been as simple as limited graphics or limited time to make an individual sprite for him, as none of the original three Ghostbusters have individual sprites either, only generic ones. So far, Winston has only been featured as a playable character in Ghostbusters II for NES and the New Ghostbusters II for NES and Game Boy. In the original script Winston was intended as the smartest and most capable of the Ghostbusters. He held multiple degrees and was a Ph.D as well as an ex-marine, making him more suited for the job than the original three. This was discussed in detail in the commentary on the DVD of the original movie; no explanation was given for the change in his character, but it was likely to make him a blue-collar, "everyman" type of character to provide a common person's response to the supernatural happenings witnessed by the group. Winston is the only Ghostbuster ever shown actually at the wheel of Ecto-1 for more than a few moments in the two films. As a result, he is almost always shown driving the car in the Real Ghostbusters cartoon. According to J. Michael Straczynski, network consultants demanded that Winston be depicted as the "driver".

Janine Melnitz

Janine Melnitz is a fictional character in the Ghostbusters series. She was played by Annie Potts in both movies, and was voiced by Laura Summer and Kath Soucie in The Real Ghostbusters, and Pat Musick in Extreme Ghostbusters. Over time, the Ghostbusters have come to count on Janine, not only for her work as a secretary keeping the business afloat, but also for help against ghosts. On numerous occasions, Janine has been forced to take up a 'busters uniform and proton pack to bail the guys out of trouble. In Ghostbusters II, Peter Venkman assigns her to baby-sit Dana Barrett's baby Oscar. She asks Louis Tully to babysit with her. Throughout most Ghostbusters media, Janine is often displayed as having a romantic attraction to Egon Spengler. This is shown in the first movie and more prominently in the Real Ghostbusters cartoons. In Ghostbusters II, however, she becomes involved with Louis Tully, who has become the busters' financial advisor and lawyer. Despite this, Janine retains her attraction to Egon throughout the entire Real Ghostbusters series, and even into the Extreme Ghostbusters series. Season 3 of Real Ghostbusters features severe changes to the character: a new voice actor, a new character design, and a softened personality. In the season 5 episode "Janine, You've Changed", it is revealed that her changes were the result of her wishes to a "makeoverus lotsabucks" (the name likely a swipe at the network; J. Michael Straczynski, the writer of the episode, resigned from the series before Season 3 over several show changes, Janine being one). Egon defeats the creature's hold over Janine. Strangely, by the time of Extreme Ghostbusters, Janine has apparently reverted back to the way she was before Season 2 (note that the NOW and Marvel UK comics ignored the changes completely).

Janines character was changed with the suggestion of consultants, saying that they wanted to change the shape of Janine's glasses, and change here from a feisty character to the "mother" of the Ghostbusters group. This, among other reasons, was why writer J. Michael Straczynski left The Real Ghostbusters.

Slimer

Slimer is a fictional green ghost featured in the 1984 supernatural comedy movie Ghostbusters (as well as its 1989 sequel, Ghostbusters II), whose popularity soared from the subsequent spinoff animated television series The Real Ghostbusters. Slimer later starred in his own Slimer! cartoons when The Real Ghostbusters was extended to a one-hour format. Slimer also appeared as a representative of The Real Ghostbusters in the animated anti-drug television special, Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue. According to the terminology of the movie, Slimer is technically a "focused, non-terminal repeating phantasm", or a "class-five full-roaming vapor". For years it has gone around Hollywood that Slimer was an homage to John Belushi, based on his character "Bluto" from Animal House. His death precluded him from playing the starring role in Ghostbusters, the role later assumed by long-time friend Bill Murray. In an endearing, yet strangely dark, moment of comedy, Murray's character, Peter Venkman, gets run down by Slimer. Venkman's use of "He slimed me..." instantly created a new verb to slime, which endures as popular slang. In the first movie, Slimer was voiced by the film's director Ivan Reitman, while Frank Welker voiced the green ghost in The Real Ghostbusters. In the short-lived late 1990s cartoon Extreme Ghostbusters, Slimer's voice was provided by Billy West.

In the cartoon series The Real Ghostbusters, it is explained how Slimer became an official member and mascot of the Ghostbusters. Venkman tells a reporter that Slimer helped him and the rest of the gang defeat ghostly versions of themselves, and that they decided to keep him. In the series it is stated that Slimer stayed with them "for strictly scientific reasons", as Egon Spengler says. In addition, Slimer is a good friend (if the only friend) of Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, who seems to act like an older brother to him. Slimer loves to eat almost anything, though his particular favorites are ice cream and pizza. However, it was revealed in the XGB episode Fear Itself that he is terrified of steamed Broccoli. Slimer's role on The Real Ghostbusters was expanded to make the show more "kid friendly" and hence the show was renamed Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters and was extended to a one-hour format. The show now featured Slimer! cartoon segments, focusing on the exploits of Slimer with some new characters, including neighborhood pets to the owner of the Sedgwick Hotel of the original movie. These Slimer segments were then followed by a normal Real Ghostbusters cartoon.

In the script for Ghostbusters, Slimer is never actually referred to by any name, so he was never given one. The creature's original moniker was simply The Onionhead Ghost, which the film crew semi-officially dubbed him because of his horrible odor which he used to scare a couple in a scene cut from the original movie. When the cartoon series was produced, in response to the name much given to the character by audiences, the writers renamed the green ghost "Slimer", and the name stuck on all subsequent Ghostbusters properties, although he was referred to as "Mean Green Ghost" early in the related toy line. He is officially titled "Slimer" in the end credits of Ghostbusters II although never referred to by that name in the actual film. Within the cartoon series, Ray actually names him "Slimer" to annoy Peter. Slimer was also notably the mascot for the Hi-C flavor "Ecto Cooler", which came out shortly after The Real Ghostbusters, and was colored green. Slimer remained on the box well after the Real Ghostbusters was canceled, but left the box In 1997, when the drink was renamed "Shoutin' Orange Tangergreen". Slimer also had a toothpaste called "Slimer" Toothpaste. SLIMER! was briefly published by NOW Comics, a now-defunct Chicago firm. Artists included Mitch O'Connell and Mark Braun. Writers included Larry Parr who also wrote for the animated series.

The Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man

File:Stay-puff-marshmellow-man-film.jpg

The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man

The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man is a character in the movie Ghostbusters and the animated series The Real Ghostbusters. He was the cartoon mascot of the fictitious Stay Puft Corporation which produced marshmallows. He was thought to be a parody of the real-life Pillsbury Doughboy and Bibendum, the Michelin tire man. Jonah Goldberg of the National Review referenced the Marshmallow man as a popular culture symbol that people assume is harmless, but can be turned to evil in the right circumstances. The costume was created by Bill Bryan using miniatures, optical compositing and Bill Bryan himself in the latex suit.

In the film, an ancient Sumerian god called Gozer arrives atop an apartment building on Central Park West in New York City, where it tells the Ghostbusters that the next thing they think of will be the form Gozer will assume to destroy their world. Despite their efforts to clear their minds, Ray Stanz imagines the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. As he explains, Mr. Stay Puft "just popped in there" as "something that could never possibly destroy us." Moments later a giant (112 feet 6 inches [34.3 meters] tall) Stay Puft Marshmallow Man is seen walking towards the apartment building. The Ghostbusters shoot at Stay Puft with their proton packs, setting him on fire, but not stopping his advance. The Ghostbusters eventually stop Stay Puft when Egon suggests that the Ghostbusters cross their proton pack streams as they fire at Gozer's portal—although Egon himself had warned them early in the film that crossing the proton streams "would be bad," he does assure them that there is a very slim chance in this case that they could survive. The plan succeeds in causing "total protonic reversal", destroying the gate. The explosion generated by the event incinerates the Stay Puft man, raining molten marshmallow down onto the roof of the skyscraper they are on and the street below.

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Kenner's Marshmallow Man action figure

The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man also appears in the animated series The Real Ghostbusters, contradicting the events of the original film. No explanation is offered as to how Mr. Stay Puft, originally the newest incarnation of Gozer, became his own entity. Although Stay Puft was portrayed originally as a mindless monster in "Cry Uncle", by later episodes he had become a kind-hearted, almost child-like figure. Again, this change is never fully explained, save a vague reference by Peter that he is "all better now" when a police officer reminds him of Stay Puft's previous rampages. Mr. Stay Puft soon became an ally to the team, helping the Ghostbusters defeat enemies too powerful to fight on their own. The character was voiced by John Stocker, and later by Frank Welker.

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NECA's 15 inch figure

Over the years, a moderate amount of merchandise has focused around the character and has become an icon for the Ghostbusters film. A number of McDonald's Happy Meal toys have featured the character. To coincide with the film's release, Kenner released an action figure with limited articulation that included rotation in the head and arms in 1986. A Japanese vinyl kit of the character was also released by Tsukuda as was Kenner's plush Marshmallow Man.

In 2004, company NECA licensed the Ghostbusters franchise to produce a number of modern Stay Puft Marshmallow Man (and other Ghostbusters related) merchandise such as a Bobble-head toy, a resin statue and a 15 inch roto-cast plastic action figure. The NECA version of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man displayed a more menacing and evil version of the character compared to that of Kenner's, which portrayed the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man as a more gentle looking figure. This was probably what he would have looked like as he was destroying New York, rather than Kenner's, which would portray him as the more consumer friendly version that would appear on packages of Stay Puft Marsmallows.

He has been referenced several times in popular culture. On the television series Lost, one of the nicknames Sawyer gives Hurley is 'Stay Puft', due to his weight. On the MTV Show Viva La Bam, Don Vito is referred to as the Stay Puft Man due to his weight. The movie Shrek 2 includes a scene with a giant gingerbread man named Mongo that is intended as a spoof of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. In the Homestar Runner Halloween toon "Homestarloween Party", one of the characters, Pom Pom, dressed up as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man for his Halloween costume.

The person inside the Stay Puft costume during shooting was the costume's creator, Bill Bryan. According to the Ghostbusters DVD special features, the 10 second scene of Stay Puft climbing the building while on fire cost almost $100,000. The first take was ruined when the costume caught fire too quickly and Bill Bryan had to be extinguished. A new suit had to be constructed, at the cost of around $50,000 a piece. Originally, when Mr. Stay Puft is destroyed in the movie, there was a scene in which, in addition to the marshmallow goo, Mr. Stay Puft's hat also falls to the ground. The scene was ultimately cut due to the "hat", a large cloth replica that works much like a parachute, was deemed too unrealistic. In the scene where the containment grid is shutdown in the first film, a Stay Puft poster can be briefly seen on a wall. Mr. Stay Puft has appeared etched microscopically on several Weitek chips, along with other famous characters (such as Waldo.) They were discovered by Michael Davidson, a photographer of microscopic items. The earliest design of Mr. Stay Puft had a different head design. it was the appearance of a cartoon like man with a scary looking face, but was scrapped and replaced with the more recognizable marshmallow-shaped head Mr.Stay Puft was also featured in the video games Ghostbusters (Activision video game) and Ghostbusters (Sega video game).

Movies

Ghostbusters

Main article: Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters is a 1984 sci-fi comedy film about three eccentric New York City parapsychologists. After they are fired from a university, they start their own business investigating and capturing ghosts. It was released in the United States on June 8, 1984, starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts and Ernie Hudson. The film grossed approximately USD$240 million in the U.S. and over $50 million abroad during its theatrical run, more than the second Indiana Jones installment, making it easily the most successful film of that year, and the most successful comedy of the 1980s. The American Film Institute ranked it 28th in its list of the top 100 comedies of all time (in their "AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs" list). In 2005, IGN voted Ghostbusters the greatest comedy ever. In 2006, Bravo ranked Ghostbusters 76 on their "100 Funniest Movies" list.

Ghostbusters II

Main article: Ghostbusters II

After the success of the first film and the animated series, The Real Ghostbusters, Columbia Pictures pressured the producers to make a sequel. However, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ivan Reitman were uncomfortable with this as the original film was intended to be conclusive and they wished to work on other projects. Eventually, they agreed and created a script. Reportedly, some of the cast and crew were ultimately dissatisfied with the film as well as its box office reception. Still, there has been talk of making a third film, with Dan Aykroyd at the helm.

Ghostbusters III

During his interview with CISN Country, Dan Aykroyd announced that Ghostbusters III: Hellbent will be CGI. "I can do all the things I wanted to do for much, much less money," he stated. Aykroyd wrote the script. Bill Murray has been thought to have held up the making of a third Ghostbusters movie despite Aykroyd's enthusiasm due to his desire not to do another live action movie, but has now signed on to make the movie now that it will be CGI. Harold Ramis is already attached. There have been rumors of a third Ghostbusters film for years, and despite the fans worldwide wanted a third ghostbusters movie desperately it looked like they were ignored by the producers. Many fans spawned "their" version of Ghostbusters III or tribute films (like Freddy Vs Ghostbusters Return of the Ghostbusters) or some even wrote songs about it. Harold Ramis mentioned in 2005 that he wanted Ben Stiller to take Bill Murrays part in the then titled Ghostbusters in Hell. The plot was to follow the three ghostbusters attempting to find a replacement for Bill Murrays character while dealing with ghosts rejected from hell. Aykroyd later elaborated, now that Murray is on board, that in the movie "We go to the hell side of Manhattan, downtown, Foley Square. It's all where the cops are--they are all blue minotaurs. Central Park is this huge peat mine with green demons there, surrounded by black onyx thousand-foot high apartment buildings with classic red devils, very wealthy. We go and visit a Donald Trump-like character who is Mr. Sifler. Luke Sifler. Lu-cifer. So we meet the devil in it". There's no word yet on a release date or whether this project will hit theaters or go straight to DVD.

Television shows

The Real Ghostbusters

The Real Ghostbusters was an American animated television series. The series ran from 1986 to 1991, and was produced by Columbia Pictures Television (now Sony Pictures Television), DiC Entertainment and Coca-Cola. "The Real" was added to the title over a dispute with Filmation and its Ghost Busters properties. The series continues the adventures of paranormal investigators Dr. Peter Venkman, Dr. Egon Spengler, Winston Zeddemore, Dr. Ray Stantz, their secretary Janine Melnitz and their mascot ghost Slimer. The Real Ghostbusters was nominated for an Emmy.

Slimer and the Real Ghostbusters

When the show's producers began to see the youth appeal of the character Slimer, the show began to feature him more prominently. In 1988, the series was retooled and renamed Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters. The show now featured an hourlong format with a typical Ghostbusters episode leading into a more kid-friendly "Slimer" cartoon. As the series progressed, the regular Ghostbusters episodes started to become lighter in tone so as not to frighten the growing child fanbase. Additionally, the characterizations became more one-dimensional, and the animation became more Hanna Barbera-esque. More changes went on behind the scenes as well with the departure of Straczynski. Dave Coulier of Full House fame came on to fill the role of Peter, Buster Jones would take over Winston and Kath Soucie took on Janine. Many of the older fans disliked the switch to more kid-friendly stories and by the turn of the decade, the Ghostbusters franchise was slowly starting to fade out of the public eye. The show was ultimately cancelled in 1991. Straczynski returned to the series for a temporary spell in the 1990 season. The only cast members who remained throughout the entire series were Frank Welker (voice of Ray Stantz and Slimer) and Maurice LaMarche (voice of Egon Spengler).

Extreme Ghostbusters

Extreme Ghostbusters was a sequel/spin-off of The Real Ghostbusters, airing in the fall of 1997. The show featured a new team of younger Ghostbusters led by veteran Ghostbuster Egon Spengler, secretary Janine Melnitz, and the ghost, Slimer. The premise is similar to the plot of Ghostbusters II. Set years after the end of The Real Ghostbusters, lack of supernatural activity has put the Ghostbusters out of business. Each has gone their separate ways, except for Egon, who still lives in the Firehouse to monitor the containment unit, further his studies and teach a class on the paranormal at a local college. When ghosts start to reappear, Egon is forced to recruit his four students as the new Ghostbusters. The new Ghostbusters were Kylie Griffin, a girl genius and expert on the occult, Eduardo Rivera, a hip, cynical Latino slacker, Garrett Miller, a wheelchair-bound young athlete, and Roland Jackson, a studious machinery whiz.

Video games

Ghostbusters (Activision)

Ghostbusters box cover (computer game)

Ghostbusters is a licensed game by Activision based on the movie of the same name. It was designed by David Crane, produced by Brad Fregger, and released for several home computer platforms in 1984, and later for video game console systems, including the Atari 2600, Sega Master System and NES. The programmer for the initial version of the game was Adam Bellin.

Ghostbusters (Activision) on the Commodore 64 (1984).

The player sets up a ghost busting franchise in a city with a rising Psychokinetic (PK) Energy level and has the ability to purchase equipment such as traps, or to upgrade their vehicle. The player then negotiates a grid representing the city. They need to stop the "roamers" from reaching the temple of Zuul (which causes the PK Energy level to jump). When the player moves to a city block that is flashing red, the game mode switches to an overhead view of the player's vehicle driving to the location. The player must move left and right to vacuum up the stray ghosts and avoid cars. The player then moves to a screen in which a Slimer ghost must be guided with two proton streams over a ghost trap.

If the ghost is successfully captured, the player's income increases. The aim is to have $10,000 by the time the city's PK level reaches 9999, wherein the Stay-Puff Marshmellow Man will appear and wreak havoc on the city, thereby ending the game. In some versions (e.g. the Commodore 64 version), after the first successful game, the player is given an account number, which stores the amount of money the player had at the end of the game. This allowed for purchasing more expensive items for use (faster cars, more traps etc.). In order to win at these games the player was required to have earned more money than their initial account balance. This is one of the earliest uses of passwords being used as a 'save game' feature on home computers.

Some ports of the game (especially the ZX Spectrum and the Commodore 64 version) are significant for their attempt at playing back rudimentary speech samples ("Ghostbusters!", "He slimed me!"), a novelty at the time. The Commodore 64 version was noted for having the best synthesised speech and music, with a very good representation of the Ghostbusters theme song used as background music.

File:SMS Ghostbusters.png

Ghostbusters (Activision) on the Sega Master System (1987).

The game was also released on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1988, (1986 in Japan) and the Sega Master System in 1987. These versions featured added gameplay after the Ghostbusters sneak by the Marshmallow Man. It played more like a conventional vertical scrolling platform game, where they were to actually climb the stairs to get to the roof. However, in the NES version, the Ghostbusters could not fire their weapons nor trap any of the ghosts and had to instead sneak by all the floors. In contrast, in the Master System version, the Ghostbusters are able to shoot the ghosts with their proton streams to temporarily make them go away. The NES version is considered more difficult for this reason. At the end of the NES version, the final screen states: "Conglaturation!!! [sic] You have completed a great game. And prooved [sic] the justice of our culture. Now go and rest our heroes!". An enhanced remake of the Spectrum version was released as freeware for PCs in 2006.

Real Ghostbusters (arcade game)

The Real Ghostbusters was an arcade game based on the cartoon series of the same name released by Data East in 1987. The game was later ported to the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum. Up to three players can control members of the Ghostbusters. The characters are only differentiated by the colors of their uniforms, no effort is made to identify them, although the game's marquee art shows the characters from the cartoon.

The Ghostbusters fight off hordes of nightmarish creatures with energy guns which reduce the monsters to harmless ghosts which can then be captured with beams from their proton packs. Power-ups available included stronger basic shoots, a force field that makes the Ghostbuster invincible for several seconds, and an item that summons Slimer to throw himself in the way of attacks.

Ghostbusters II (video game)

Ghostbusters II is the title of a video game released for several home computer and console systems. The game is loosely based on the film of the same name.

File:Ghostbusters 2 Amstrad Level1.PNG

The Van Horne level (Amstrad CPC version).

All home computer editions were published by Activision. Each home computer game edition of the game is essentially similar, with changes in the quality of graphics and sound. The PC version is the most different one, having been developed by a different company, Dynamix.

The game features several arcade sequences based on the film: Van Horne: the player controls Ray Stantz as he is lowered into an air shaft of the disused Van Horne subway system to collect a sample of slime. He is armed with his proton pack and other weaponry with which to defend himself against the myriad of ghosts that attack: some will collide or grab him and cause damage, while others will attempt to cut his rope. The player must collect the three segments of the slime scoop, as well as ammo and health, during the descent. Journey to the Museum: the Statue of Liberty has been brought to life by "mood slime" and is marching toward the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the player controls a floating fireball (generated from the Statue's torch) which fires horizontal shots and must be used to protect the Statue from swarms of ghosts. Impacts from ghosts (or regeneration of the fireball) uses up precious slime, though it can be replenished from destroyed ghosts. Showdown in the Museum: the player controls the four Ghostbusters individually, armed variously with proton packs and slime dispensers, in an isometric 3D level. The four heroes must rappel into the Museum and fight Janosz, Vigo the Carpathian, and finally a possessed Ray, in order to save the world. Some versions also feature a sequence based on the courtroom fight against the ghosts of the Scoleri Brothers.

The American NES edition of the game (by Activision) is different than all other versions of the game. The game is a single-player side-scrolling game where the player controls a Ghostbuster through various stages based on the film, making their way to the museum before time runs out. One level involves riding around in the hero's famous car and another level requires the player to control the Statue of Liberty, shooting fireballs. The player's Ghostbuster character is armed with an unlimited supply of slime that can be shot out of a cannon and ghost traps. The game was noted for being exceptionally hard to complete. Aside from the time limit and sudden death rule for the character, the levels in the game often moved to the left, thus forcing the player to make quick decisions. The final level was especially difficult, not the least of which because the player had to repeat the level four times before the game's final ending would appear. Another criticism was the game's lack of a standard pause feature, which further adds to the challenge of the game.

There was also a version of the game released for the NES and Game Boy, entitled "NEW" Ghostbusters II, developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Hal and Activision. This was contained within a black packaging (unlike the NES game's blue packaging) and used the same side-scrolling elements but the character had multiple lives before the 'Continue' screen appeared then finally the 'Game Over' screen if all continues were used. The player chooses between the four Ghostbusters (Peter, Egon, Ray and Winston) as well as their accountant Louis. The player chooses their lead character (the one who fires the proton pack by pressing the A button) and also the secondary player who, while pressing B on the controller, releases the trap but this secondary character cannot die nor be controlled, rather the character followed the player's main character around for the entire game. Although being able to select the main and secondary characters, it does not affect gameplay, which is exactly the same no matter what combination is used. There is also a character sprite of Dana, but is unplayable and only appears briefly at the end of one level and in the closing sequence. The characters are drawn with exageratedly large heads, and the graphics and generally more cartoony than in the other games. The game used versions and expansions of the various songs used in the movie for each level. This game also was known by fans for not featuring the car or Statue of Liberty levels seen in the previous version and the final level in the gallery contained Janosz as the boss, being defeated by zapping his clones and trapping them with B until he returned to normal size. The very last "level" was a walk between velvet ropes for a screen until reaching the painting of Vigo. The NES version was released only in Japan and Europe. The Game Boy version was released in America without the NEW monicker.

Activision also made a version of the game for the Atari 2600 in 1989. However, the then-12 year old system was on its last legs, and knowing the state of the 2600, Activision never released the game. British game company Salu ended up releasing the game in Europe under their name in 1992, despite the fact that Atari had already ended support for the system. Licensing issues have prevented this version of the game from being included on the Activision Anthology collections, along with a handul of other titles.

Ghostbusters (Sega video game)

File:Ghostbusters Genesisboxart.jpg

Ghostbusters was released by Sega for the Mega Drive/Genesis on June 29, 1990. It is unrelated to the earlier Activision game, and is instead a straightforward platform game in which the player takes control of squat cartoon representations of three of the four Ghostbusters from the movie, with the noticeable absence of Winston Zeddemore.

File:Genesis Ghostbusters.png

In-game screenshot of Ghostbusters.

It takes place between Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II, and the Ghostbusters are down on their luck. Random calls begin to pour in from around the city, including the eventual reappearance of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man (although dialogue indicates it is not the same one from the movie). After each case, a piece of a medallion is collected. The three Ghostbusters (Winston is missing here) are trying to put together the pieces of a stone tablet.

Extreme Ghostbusters

Extreme Ghostbusters was released on April 2nd, 2001 by Light and Shadow Productions for the Game Boy Color. It was originally thought to be intended for multiple consoles and the personal computer. It includes four playable characters including Kylie, Garett, Roland, and Eduardo. Each character has unique gameplay attributes and may be chosen at any point in the game. Set in New York City, players must defeat and capture ghosts.

Extreme Ghostbusters: The Ultimate Invasion

It was a 2004 LSP video game.

Ghostbusters (mobile game 2006)

A puzzle game was released in 2006 for cell phones. It was reviewed negatively because of its lack of any references to any of the original ghostbusters, its average gameplay and level design.

Ghostbusters (2007 mobile game)

Sony has announced that they will develop a mobile game for 2007 in the Ghostbusters universe.

Ghostbusters (2008 console game)

Template:Future game Ghostbusters is an upcoming video game for Xbox 360, Wii, and PS3. The release date has not yet been set. ZootFly, the company making the game, began developing the game in May 2006 but hit a "bump in the road" with regard to the Ghostbusters copyright in July 2006. Dan Aykroyd told The Edmonton Sun that Universal has acquired the rights to make the game and that he would be doing motion capture for the game in 2008. It has not yet announced who would be publishing the game.

Other than promotional artwork and 4 in-game movies of early prototypes, there is no information about the game. Those owners are Sony, which have its own console opposite to the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3. Due to the likely outcome of not being able to use the required intellectual property, ZootFly has been concentrating on developing a 'Ghostbusters-inspired' game which features many elements based on or seen in the promotional movies. The article goes on to mention that Dan Aykroyd would be doing some motion capture for the game in the next year. It is unknown if ZootFly will continue to develop the Ghostbusters video game or if Universal's game division Vivendi would develop a game of their own. In an interview with Harold Ramis at the Vail Film Festival, Ramis confirmed that the Ghostbusters game is indeed in development. He also confirmed that he and Dan Aykroyd will be doing the voice work. He then went on to say he's seen some early game footage.

Games and merchandise

The film spawned a theme park special effects show at Universal Studios Florida. (The show closed some time in 1997 to make way for Twister: Ride it Out!) The Ghostbusters were also featured in a lip-synching dance show featuring Beetlejuice on the steps of the New York Public Library facade at the park after the attraction closed. The GBs were all new and "extreme" versions in the show, save for the Zeddemore character. Their Ecto-1 automobile was used to drive them around the park, and was often used in the park's annual "Macy's Holiday Parade". The show, Ecto-1, and all other Ghostbuster trademarks were discontinued in 2005 when Universal failed to renew the rights for theme park use. Currently, the Ghostbuster Firehouse can still be seen near Twister, without its GB logo and "Engine 89" ribbon. A "paranormal investigator" etching on a nearby doorway hints at the old show.

NECA released a line of action figures based on the first movie but only produced a series of ghost characters, as Bill Murray refused the rights to use his facial likeness. Their first and only series included Gozer, Slimer (or Onionhead), the Terror Dogs, Vinz Clortho, and a massive Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, contrasting the diminutive figure that was in the original figure line. Ertl released a die-cast 1/25 scale Ectomobile, also known as Ecto-1, the Ghostbusters' main transportation. Rubies' Costumes has produced a Ghostbusters Halloween costume, consisting of a one-piece jumpsuit with logos and an inflatable Proton Pack. Mention costumes, toys, 3d books, coloring books, etc.

Music

The first film sparked the catchphrases "Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!" and "I ain't 'fraid of no ghost(s)." Both came from the hit theme song written and performed by Ray Parker, Jr. The song was a huge hit, staying #1 for three weeks on Billboard's Hot 100 chart and #1 for two weeks on the Black Singles chart. The song earned Parker an Academy Awards nomination for "Best Song."

The music video produced for the song is considered one of the key productions in the early music video era, and was a #1 MTV video. Directed by Ivan Reitman, and produced by Jeffrey Abelson, the video organically integrated footage of the film in a specially-designed, haunted house made entirely of neon for the music-video. The film footage was intercut with a humorous performance by Parker, and—in a first for a music-video—was further intercut with cameo appearances by various celebrities who joined in the call and response chorus, including Chevy Chase, Irene Cara, John Candy, Nickolas Ashford, Melissa Gilbert, Jeffrey Tambor, George Wendt, Al Franken, Danny DeVito, Carly Simon, Peter Falk and Teri Garr. The video ends with comical footage of the four Ghostbusters, in costume and character, dancing in Times Square behind Parker, joining in the singing.

Huey Lewis sued Ray Parker, Jr. for plagiarism, citing that Parker stole the melody from his 1983 song "I Want A New Drug". Ironically, Lewis was approached to compose the main theme song for the movie, but he declined due to his work on the soundtrack for Back to the Future. It was reported in 2001 that Lewis allegedly breached an agreement not to mention the original suit, doing so on VH1's Behind the Music. Lindsey Buckingham was also approached to do the theme song based on his success with "Holiday Road" for the National Lampoon's Vacation films. He declined, reasoning that he did not want to be known as just a soundtrack artist. One of singer Charlotte Church's earliest singing memories was singing the Ghostbusters theme with her cousin at holiday camp.

Literary adaptations

Comics

Main article: Ghostbusters: Legion

Ghostbusters legion saw the return of the four Ghostbusters and the principal cast from the movie. Set six months on from the Gozer incident the series was designed to follow the Ghostbusters as their initial fame faded and they returned to the regular chore of busting ghosts on a daily basis. The series sees the team run ragged as a spate of supernatural crimes and other related occurrences plague the city.

Novels

Ghostbusters: The Return was a novel written by long-time science fiction writer Sholly Fisch in celebration of the franchise's 20th anniversary. Set two years after Ghostbusters II, the novel revolves around Peter Venkman running for mayor of New York City and an ancient entity trying to conquer the world by bringing urban legends to life. The book looks to be re-released in the near future, retitled Ghostbusters: Urban Legends.

In the novel, it is five years after the events of Ghostbusters II. The group finds themselves once again neck-deep in ghosts and ghouls as some of the most unsettling urban legends-like the hook-handed killer in Lovers' Lane and The Vanishing Hitchhiker-all come to deadly life! But the worst is yet to come for Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler, and Winston Zeddemore-and quite possibly the people of New York: the Ghostbusters' leader, Peter Venkman, has been chosen by an independent political party to be their candidate¨for Mayor! With the city reeling under a supernatural reign of terror, can the Ghostbusters stop the arrival of an ancient fear-demon in time to save Election Day-or should Venkman start looking for another job already?

Cultural impact

File:Ghostbusters Doom.png

The video game Doom retooled to look like Ghostbusters was a popular game modification

The building that was Dana Barretts apartment building in Ghostbusters has, since the release of the film, been known as the Ghostbusters Building. Ghostbusters has had many instances of popularity and parody in popular culture since the first movies release.

External links

• The Real Ghostbusters at the Killer List of Videogames
• The Real Ghostbusters at MobyGames
• Ghostbusters at MobyGames
• Ghostbusters on Game FAQ
• Shay, Don (1985). Making Ghostbusters, New York: New York Zoetrope. ISBN 0918432685
• "IGN: Interview with J. Michael Straczynski (Part 2 of 4)". Retrieved 2007-02-06.
• Ghostbusters at MobyGames
• Legends of the C64 article on David Crane (with Ghostbusters info)
• Speech Box - dedicated area to Commodore 64 speech (inc. Ghostbusters)
• All versions of the Ghostbusters games from The Movie Game Database
• Ghostbusters at SpectrumComputing.co.uk
• Angry Video Game Nerd's review on the NES version of the game
• Picofactory's Review of the NES Version
• Ghostbusters II (most versions) at MobyGames
• Ghostbusters II (NES) at MobyGames
• The NEW Ghostbusters II (NES/Gameboy) at MobyGames
• Ghostbusters II at SpectrumComputing.co.uk
• Ghostbusters II (Atari 2600)
• The Ultimate Tribute to the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man
• Our Salute to the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man