1985 Nominated Grammy Best Album of Instrumental Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special Ray Parker Jr.,Kevin O'Neal,Bobby Alessi,David Immer,Tom Bailey,Graham Russell,David Foster,Jay Graydon,Diane Warren,Mick Smiley,Elmer Bernstein
Hugo Awards
1985 Nominated Hugo Best Dramatic Presentation
Young Artist Awards
1985 Won Young Artist Award Best Family Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Months before the public ever heard of Ghostbusters, billboards around the country showed a Casper-like apparition popping through the universal symbol for something forbidden — a red circle with a diagonal slash. The message below read "Coming to save the world this summer." It might just as easily have read "Coming to save Columbia Pictures this summer," for that is exactly what it did. The studio had had a big hit back in 1982 with Tootsie, but nothing could have prepared Columbia for the huge success that was about to materialize from Ghostbusters. Before the year was over, it would become the fifth highest-grossing picture of all time.
Some called it a comedy, since the plot involved a Three Musketeers-ish group (Bill Murray. Dan Aykroyd & Harold Rant) camping it up in New York while in pursuit of some really whimsical supernatural beings (one cute little green ghost's favorite pastime is gorging on hotel food). Others saw this spoof as a fantasy — it does take a bit of imagination to believe that otherworldly creatures live in Sigourney Weaver's fridge, or that she and co-star Rick Moranis can turn into gargoyle-ish red-eyed dogs. Actually, it doesn't matter. It's innovative and entertaining, and audiences ate it up.
The movie was originally conceived as a John Belushi - Dan Aykroyd vehicle called Ghostsmashers before Belushi's untimely death from a drug overdose in 1982, and the "eating and drinking ghost" is actually producer-director Ivan Reitman's tribute to that late comedian's character, Bluto, from his previous hit National Lampoon's Animal House. With the screenplay by principals Aykroyd and Ramis presenting many opportunities for ad-libbing, director Reitman encouraged improvisation in his actors. And he himself did a cameo as the Mercedes McCambridge-like voice of "possessed" Sigourney Weaver rising on the bed Linda Blair fashion, as well as providing the alien voices except that of "Gazer," the Sumerian demigod with designs on planet Earth.
A catchy title song did much to promote the film. "Who you gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS!" became the sensation of the summer. Ray Parker, Jr., was presented with a dilemma when he was asked by Reitman to compose a title song. Said Parker to USA Today: "It's hard to write a song where your main objective is to use the word 'ghost-busters'...I wanted to make a simple, easy song people could sing along with and not have to think about? The song became a number one hit for three weeks in August 1984. It was again used again as the theme in the 1989 sequel, Ghostbusters II with Run-DMC’s version as well as the Ray Parker one appearing in that film.
Time’s reviewer really got caught up in the fun: “These spectacular confrontations are well handled by Director Reitman, who always finds the time for the funny aside, the wittily telling detail... But praise is due to everyone connected with Ghostbusters for thinking on a grandly comic scale and delivering the goofy goods, neatly timed and perfectly packaged." The Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man, appearing in one of the film's silliest moments, required a man wearing a suit to stomp through a miniature set of New York City. There were three Fiberglass heads used, each with a different facial expression — smiling, surmised, and grimacing. Over at Columbia, only smiles were in abundance. The profitable picture ultimately spawned a sequel, Ghostbusters II and although it did well at the box office, its success didn't equal that of its predecessor, earning about half, or $60 million, in rentals.
INTERESTING FACTS
he role of Louis Tully was originally written for John Candy.
The role of Peter Venkman was originally written for John Belushi.
The role of Winston was originally written for Eddie Murphy.
Sandra Bernhard was originally offered the role of Janine.
Dana's apartment building actually exists at 55 Central Park West in New York City. The building is actually only 20 stories high. For the film, matte paintings and models were used to make the building look bigger and with more floors. According to the commentary on the DVD, the top of the building is modeled after the top of the Continental Life Building in St. Louis, MO.
In the middle of the film's initial release, to keep interest going, Ivan Reitman had a trailer run, which was basically the commercial the Ghostbusters' use in the movie, but with the 555 number replaced with a 1-800 number, allowing people to call. They got a recorded message of Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd saying something to the effect of "Hi. We're out catching ghosts right now." They got 1,000 calls per hour, 24 hours a day, for six weeks.
The "marshmallow" goo was actually shaving cream. More than fifty gallons was dumped on Walter Peck almost knocking him to the ground.
The Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man suits cost Approximately $20,000 apiece. Three were made and all were destroyed during filming.
Huey Lewis and the News turned down an offer to write and record a theme song for Ghostbusters. They later sued Ray Parker Jr. for plagiarism, citing the similarities between his theme song and their earlier hit "I Want a New Drug."
Before the release of Home Alone (1990), this was the highest-grossing comedy of all time.
Michael Keaton turned down both the roles of Dr. Peter Venkman and Dr. Egon Spengler.
Chevy Chase turned down the role of Dr. Peter Venkman, he claimed that the script used in the movie wasn't the original script and in the original script was very dark and even more scarier.
FAMOUS QUOTES
Winston Zeddemore: Ray, when someone asks you if you're a god, you say "YES"!
Dr. Peter Venkman: This city is headed for a disaster of biblical proportions.
Mayor: What do you mean, "biblical"?
Dr. Ray Stantz: What he means is Old Testament, Mr. Mayor, real wrath of God type stuff.
Dr. Peter Venkman: I don't have to take this abuse from you, I've got hundreds of people dying to abuse me.
Janine Melnitz: Do you believe in UFOs, astral projections, mental telepathy, ESP, clairvoyance, spirit photography, telekinetic movement, full trance mediums, the Loch Ness monster and the theory of Atlantis?
Winston Zeddemore: Ah, if there's a steady paycheck in it, I'll believe anything you say.
GOOFS AND BLUNDERS
As the camera pans down on the rooftop when the gargoyles come alive, the soundstage floor can briefly be seen at the bottom left corner in the widescreen version only.
When Dana/Zuul levitates as Venkman is counting to three, you can see part of the device used to lift her up under her middle back area.
After "neutronizing" Gozer on the rooftop, as they walk off the platform, the folds in a dark curtain can be seen in the background behind Ray.
In the scene when the Ghostbusters get hit by Gozer's finger lightning, as there shot back you can see a boom mike getting pulled out of frame in lower/upper left side.
Ray declares the phenomena they are witnessing may be as important an event as "the Tunguska blast of 1909". The massive explosion that took place along the Tunguska River in Siberian Russia occurred on June 30, 1908, but this is Ray's error.
The Hittites/Babylonians/Sumerians were said to worship Gozer around 6000 BC. The Hittite empire was from 1600 to 717 BC. The Babylonian empire in Mesopotamia was from 1900 to 1600 BC.
Throughout the film, the building is portrayed as being extremely tall. But it is revealed when they go to the penthouse and only make it to the 22nd floor that it is in fact not such a tall building. The building (55 Central Park West) is only 20 stories high with the true penthouses being on 19 and 20th floors.
The Ecto-1 has blue lights but only a government vehicle like police, fire, or ambulance would be allowed to use blue flashing lights on a vehicle.
