Welcome to The Attic…. Who brought the dog?
This recent news is making me feel so warm and fuzzy. Ghostbusters is returning to over 700 theaters for its 30th anniversary this August 29th. On top of that we’re getting a very nice Blu Ray set of both films (with GBII hitting its 25th anniversary) on September 16th, along with a special collectible figurine of Slimer with the iconic GB logo. More on that below…

First, before I get into all the news on this, I have to gush about the world’s most beloved ghost hunters. These are two of the movies that I hold closest to my heart. I grew up watching them, loving them, even quoting them. But who didn’t? The Ghostbusters franchise is one that is held close by so many, and we all feel it belongs to us. Everything about them was absolutely perfect, and I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve watched them. I even earned the nickname Slimer by my Dad.

When Ghostbusters (1984) came to theaters it was a massive hit, which spawned a sequel, video games, comics, toys, and an animated series. To this day you can still find everything from action figures, prop replicas, t-shirts, household items, all the way to Halloween costumes. The name and logo are recognizable the world over, and let’s be honest, who doesn’t love that song?

Did you know? Director Ivan Reitman provided the voice… er, sounds, for Slimer! As well as Dana Barrett when she’s possessed by Zuul.

One of the most interesting parts in the backstory of the series is how different the cast looked in the planning stages vs how it turned out. After creating the character, Harold Ramis decided he would best suit the character of Egon Spengler, and writer Dan Aykroyd was the obvious, and planned, fit for the lovable Ray Stantz. But the rest of the cast could have been very different. When writing the script, Aykroyd had envisioned Eddie Murphy as Winston Zeddemore, John Candy as Louis Tully, and John Belushi as Peter Venkman. The latter unfortunately passed away before the movie made it to production, and the other two turned down the respective roles. Then Michael Keaton and Chevy Chase both turned down offers to play wise cracking Venkman. And so it came to be that Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson and Rick Moranis  filled the remaining roles of the film. No disrespect to the above mentioned, they are all legends, but this cast was fated to be. I believe they wouldn’t have created that magical chemistry with any other combination of actors. It was fate… divine intervention. The way the pieces fell into place, and the picture was completed, was nothing short of perfection by way of rejection.

Did you also know? Vigo’s lines in the finished product of Ghostbusters II were not that of actor Wilhelm von Homburg. They were dubbed over by none other than the legen-wait for it-DARY Max Von Sydow (The Exorcist)

Seeing this on the big screen feels like a once in a lifetime shot, and for many it is. Those of us that love it, the generation that grew up watching it, were probably too young or not even born yet to see it when it first came out. I know I hadn’t been born yet. There is no chance in Carpathia I’m missing this opportunity.

Now onto the Blu-Ray news.. According to the new Ghostbusters site, the films will both be remastered in 4k, have all new special features as well as original legacy content, there will even be deleted scenes!!! They will be available separately as well.. but I can’t imagine not getting this glorious set:

It’s beautiful. I don’t care how much it costs ($104 is the list price on Amazon.com right now)… I’m pre-ordering it! It should be noted that this is the first ever release of Ghostbusters II on Blu Ray. For some time we’ve all been wondering what the hold up was. Maybe they knew this was coming and decided to hold off.

I suggest visiting the Ghostbusters official store as well. Lots of great stuff there!! And that Pop Vinyl Slimer is too cute!

Words can’t describe how happy I am to see this getting the treatment it deserves on beautiful Blu Ray. This has been an interesting year, with the anniversaries for one, but also the incredibly tragic loss of Harold Ramis back in February. It’s all a good reminder that we need to keep these movies around for the next generation to discover and love. Time passes, special effects become more dated, and we lose some of the brightest stars we’ve ever seen, but these films are so timeless that they will never, and should never, be forgotten.

 
Stay scared,
Dark Princess