Ghostbusters 1984
7.8 / 10
Ghostbusters
After losing their academic posts at a prestigious university, a team of parapsychologists goes into business as proton-pack-toting "ghostbusters" who exterminate ghouls, hobgoblins and supernatural pests of all stripes. An ad campaign pays off when a knockout cellist hires the squad to purge her swanky digs of demons that appear to be living in her refrigerator.
After losing their academic posts at a prestigious university, a team of parapsychologists goes into business as proton-pack-toting "ghostbusters" who exterminate ghouls, hobgoblins and supernatural pests of all stripes. An ad campaign pays off when a knockout cellist hires the squad to purge her swanky digs of demons that appear to be living in her refrigerator.
Videos & Photos
All 5 Videos & 242 Photos
cast
Full Cast & Crew
... Dr. Peter Venkman
... Dr. Raymond Stantz
... Dana Barrett
... Dr. Egon Spengler
... Louis Tully
... Janine Melnitz
User reviews
See All 4 Reviews23 Jun 2021 by John Chard
They came, they saw, they briefly conquered the 80s. A trio of misfit parapsychologists set up business as Ghostbusters. Ideal really because although slow at first, their business starts to boom as New York comes under threat from a supernatural force. Dan Aykroyd had this idea about space Ghostbusters in the future and the plan was to have himself and fellow Blues Brother, John Belushi, star in it. Pitching it to producer and director Ivan Reitman saw the basic concept retained but eventually it became what we now know as Ghostbusters. Co-written with Harold Ramis (also a co-star), Aykroyd's genesis turned not only into a "monster" smash hit at the box office, but also into a pop-cultural "phenomenon". In fact it actually is nice to re-visit the film these days without the public euphoria that swamped the movie for what seemed like a decade. T-shirts with the Ghostbusters logo on were everywhere, a telephone number if you rang it would have the Busters on answer phone, whilst the title song from Ray Parker Jr could be heard on the hour every hour on the radio. Even the catch phrase of "who ya gonna call?" was being used by the young, the old and the restless. Marketing genius or cynical tactics covering a sub-standard film? Well ultimately the film is really rather ace, it has some problems for sure (the effects were bad back then, never mind now and Ernie Hudson is a token addition to the team) but it's razor sharp with its wit and has a mass appeal to people of all ages. It's a basic odd ball's to the rescue plot, but the differing characterisations and comedy lift it considerably higher than similarly themed films that had come prior to it. That it boasts a bigger budget and Bill Murray of course helps the cause. Murray was brought in after Belushi had left the mortal coil, and promptly owns the film. His Dr. Venkman is a fusion of sarcasm, biting one liners and sees science as a way of getting girls. All of which blends mirthfully with the polar opposites that are Aykroyd's Stanz and Ramis' Spengler. Sigourney Weaver lights up the screen as the soon to be possessed, and chased by Venkmen, Dana Barrett and Rick Moranis does meek goof-ball supreme as Louis Tully. There's also value to be found in the script courtesy of some political nudging as the mayor is aware of vote power, while the human element badness and cynicism comes from William Atherton's (suitably weasel like) stiff suit Walter Peck. Given its success (it made a worldwide profit of almost $262 million) a sequel was inevitable. Amiable enough as it was, it was a pale shadow of the first film and even recycled the ending. So stick with this bad boy then, a fun film for all that serves as a reminder of when the world went Ghostbusters barmy. 8/10
Release Date:
Jun 08, 1984 (United States)
Run Time:
1hr 47`
MMPA Rating:
PG
Original Language:
English
Production Countries:
United States
Status:
Released
Plot Keywords:
Related Movies To
Ghostbusters
They came, they saw, they briefly conquered the 80s. A trio of misfit parapsychologists set up business as Ghostbusters. Ideal really because although slow at first, their business starts to boom as New York comes under threat from a supernatural force. Dan Aykroyd had this idea about space Ghostbusters in the future and the plan was to have himself and fellow Blues Brother, John Belushi, star in it. Pitching it to producer and director Ivan Reitman saw the basic concept retained but eventually it became what we now know as Ghostbusters. Co-written with Harold Ramis (also a co-star), Aykroyd's genesis turned not only into a "monster" smash hit at the box office, but also into a pop-cultural "phenomenon". In fact it actually is nice to re-visit the film these days without the public euphoria that swamped the movie for what seemed like a decade. T-shirts with the Ghostbusters logo on were everywhere, a telephone number if you rang it would have the Busters on answer phone, whilst the title song from Ray Parker Jr could be heard on the hour every hour on the radio. Even the catch phrase of "who ya gonna call?" was being used by the young, the old and the restless. Marketing genius or cynical tactics covering a sub-standard film? Well ultimately the film is really rather ace, it has some problems for sure (the effects were bad back then, never mind now and Ernie Hudson is a token addition to the team) but it's razor sharp with its wit and has a mass appeal to people of all ages. It's a basic odd ball's to the rescue plot, but the differing characterisations and comedy lift it considerably higher than similarly themed films that had come prior to it. That it boasts a bigger budget and Bill Murray of course helps the cause. Murray was brought in after Belushi had left the mortal coil, and promptly owns the film. His Dr. Venkman is a fusion of sarcasm, biting one liners and sees science as a way of getting girls. All of which blends mirthfully with the polar opposites that are Aykroyd's Stanz and Ramis' Spengler. Sigourney Weaver lights up the screen as the soon to be possessed, and chased by Venkmen, Dana Barrett and Rick Moranis does meek goof-ball supreme as Louis Tully. There's also value to be found in the script courtesy of some political nudging as the mayor is aware of vote power, while the human element badness and cynicism comes from William Atherton's (suitably weasel like) stiff suit Walter Peck. Given its success (it made a worldwide profit of almost $262 million) a sequel was inevitable. Amiable enough as it was, it was a pale shadow of the first film and even recycled the ending. So stick with this bad boy then, a fun film for all that serves as a reminder of when the world went Ghostbusters barmy. 8/10
It was luck that I had this film and the sequel on my NowTV. I watched this in the afternoon and it brings me back fond memories. Not too scary but suitable for the spooky month. Who ya gonna call?!
Like my review of Footloose, this is a classic, everyone has seen it, everyone loves it. It's one of those movies that came from your childhood and lasts well into the adult manboy years. So, we're going to do a comparison with the remake. For starters..the Ghostbusters plays it straight. The comedy is presented like a drama and that is usually the absolute best way to do comedy...straight. And conversely the remake is just sort of over the top. And when comedies try that hard to be comedies, they stop being funny. Another part would be scene length. And again, playing it straight, the opening of 1984 is short and honestly kind of scary... ...when the remake drags on and deals with characters that honestly have nothing else to do with the film but introduce it. You lose interest sort of fast. And this can be seen again with the humor. The introduction of the car in the remake is prime example. Pulls up with a hearse, someone makes a joke about checking to see if there is a body in there.... ...the scene SHOULD stop when they look at the hearse and cut away to a different scene. But the remake drags on and the joke loses momentum and falls flat when it COULD have been an easy laugh. Conversely in 1984 you have jokes like the Twinkie that ends with "tell him about the Twinkie" and it is funny because it doesn't drag on in an effort to be funny. The same can be said about testing the proton packs, the joke ends fast enough for it to actually be funny. And then there is the script and direction, the 1984 version stuck to it and made sure everything was tight, even when it was improvised, it wasn't allowed to get out of control. But the remake the actors took control and the improvisation went on too long, even with scenes being cut. So what you have is a tight and fast film that is a comedy played straight like it should be...and one that everyone knows and loves because of it.
Probably since my childhood days I was fond of this movie, but now it is not impressive anymore. However, the music and sound clips were impressive
Cast & Crew of
Ghostbusters
Directors & Credit Writers
Cast
... Dr. Peter Venkman
... Dr. Raymond Stantz
... Dana Barrett
... Dr. Egon Spengler
... Louis Tully
... Janine Melnitz
... Walter Peck
... Winston Zeddemore
... Mayor
... Male Student
... Female Student
... Gozer
... Hotel Manager
... Librarian
... Dean Yager
... Violinist
... Library Administrator
... Archbishop
... Self
... Self
Produced By
Videos & Photos of
Ghostbusters
Videos ( 5)
Live and In Concert Trailer
YouTube
Original Trailer
YouTube
30th Anniversary Trailer
YouTube
![thumbnail-Ghostbusters Theatrical Trailer (1984) [4K] [FTD-1209]](https://img.youtube.com/vi/aQF9XnP3uKg/hqdefault.jpg)
1984: Ghostbusters Trailer HQ
YouTube
Photos ( 242 )
Related Movies To
Ghostbusters
The Old Guard 2 (2025)
0 /10
Andy and her team of immortal warriors fight with renewed purpose as they face a powerful new foe threatening their mission to protect humanity.
Run Time: 1hr 47` . MMPA: R . Release: 01 Jul 2025
Director: Victoria Mahoney , Scott Bunce , Dan Bradley
Producer: Charlize Theron , Gina Prince-Bythewood , David Ellison
Stars: Charlize Theron , KiKi Layne , Matthias Schoenaerts , Marwan Kenzari , Luca Marinelli , Veronica Ngo
Heads of State (2025)
0 /10
The UK Prime Minister and US President have a public rivalry that risks their countries' alliance. But when they become targets of a powerful enemy, they're forced to rely on each other as they go on a wild, multinational run. Allied with Noel, a brilliant MI6 agent, they must find a way to thwart a conspiracy that threatens the free world.
Run Time: 1hr 53` . MMPA: PG-13 . Release: 02 Jul 2025
Director: Ilya Naishuller , Jo Beckett , Ben Howard
Producer: Idris Elba , André Nemec , Max Jacoby
Stars: Idris Elba , John Cena , Priyanka Chopra Jonas , Paddy Considine , Stephen Root , Carla Gugino
The Legend of Catclaws Mountain (2024)
0 /10
Mindy adopts Angel, a high-spirited pony that—according to legend—will lead its owner to gold hidden in the nearby mountains. When Angel is kidnapped by a mad treasure hunter, Mindy and her school friends head into the hills to rescue the pony and hunt for the lost gold. But Mindy meets a mountain man that warns her the treasure is part of an ancient curse—if they remove the gold, they'll destroy the beautiful forest.
Run Time: 1hr 45` . MMPA: PG . Release: 27 May 2024
Director: Ritchie Greer
Producer: Heather Jocelyn Blair , Amber Wegner , Adrienne McQueen
Stars: Hayden Hishaw , James Duval , Robert Davi , Dee Wallace , Ilia Volok , Ricco Ross
Lilo & Stitch (2025)
0 /10
The wildly funny and touching story of a lonely Hawaiian girl and the fugitive alien who helps to mend her broken family.
Run Time: 1hr 48` . MMPA: PG . Release: 17 May 2025
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp , Kate Pulley , Richard Oswald
Producer: Dan Lin , Sande Alessi , Spencer Turley
Stars: Chris Sanders , Maia Kealoha , Zach Galifianakis , Billy Magnussen , Sydney Agudong , Courtney B. Vance
Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado (2025)
0 /10
Dora, Diego, and their new friends trek through the perilous dangers of the Amazonian jungle in search of the ancient and powerful treasure of Sol Dorado to keep it out of enemy hands.
Run Time: 1hr 36` . MMPA: PG . Release: 02 Jul 2025
Director: Alberto Belli
Producer:
Stars: Samantha Lorraine , Jacob Rodriguez , Mariana Garzón Toro , Christian Gnecco Quintero , Tiago Martinez , Daniella Pineda
KPop Demon Hunters (2025)
0 /10
When K-pop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey aren't selling out stadiums, they're using their secret powers to protect their fans from supernatural threats.
Run Time: 1hr 36` . MMPA: PG . Release: 20 Jun 2025
Director: Chris Appelhans , Elizabeth Schantz , Maggie Kang
Producer: Lori Anna Elagozian , Aron Warner , Julia Kim
Stars: Rolando Davila-Beltran , Arden Cho , May Hong , Ji-young Yoo , Ahn Hyo-seop , Yunjin Kim
How to Train Your Dragon (2025)
0 /10
On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup stands apart, defying centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society.
Run Time: 2hr 5` . MMPA: PG . Release: 06 Jun 2025
Director: Dean DeBlois , Fraser Fennell-Ball , Lizzie Pritchard
Producer: Marc Platt , Roy Lee , David Cain
Stars: Mason Thames , Nico Parker , Gerard Butler , Nick Frost , Julian Dennison , Gabriel Howell
A Minecraft Movie (2025)
0 /10
Four misfits find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they'll have to master this world while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert crafter, Steve.
Run Time: 1hr 41` . MMPA: PG . Release: 31 Mar 2025
Director: Jared Hess , Maddy Powell , Laura Hutton
Producer: Rachel Tenner , Cale Boyter , Lydia Winters
Stars: Jason Momoa , Jack Black , Matt Berry , Pauline Chalamet , Jennifer Coolidge , Danielle Brooks
Long Distance (2024)
0 /10
After crash-landing on an alien planet, an asteroid miner must contend with the challenges of his new surroundings, while making his way across the harsh terrain to the only other survivor – a woman who is trapped in her escape pod.
Run Time: 1hr 27` . MMPA: PG-13 . Release: 12 Jul 2024
Director: Josh Gordon , Will Speck , Cliff Lanning
Producer: Josh Gordon , Kevin Vafi , Fred Berger
Stars: Anthony Ramos , Naomi Scott , Kristofer Hivju , Zachary Quinto , Izzy Jones , Leon Nurse-Joseph
Baby Blue (2023)
5 /10
A group of teens stumble across the story of now dead serial killer Baby Blue and decide he'd be the perfect subject of a true crime vodcast. But when they start digging, they quickly discover that his murder spree never stopped. Now they are being targeted from beyond the grave.
Run Time: 1hr 30` . MMPA: . Release: 16 Apr 2023
Director: Adam Mason
Producer: Johannes Roberts , Bradley Pilz
Stars: Dylan Sprayberry , Lia McHugh , Anthony Turpel , Aramis Knight , Alexia Ioannides , Oliver Cooper
Snow White (2025)
0 /10
When the Queen’s jealousy turns deadly, Snow White must join forces with gnomes to fight back against her stepmother’s wrath.
Run Time: 1hr 33` . MMPA: . Release: 07 Mar 2025
Director: Erica Duke , Michael Johnson
Producer:
Stars: Danny Bonaduce , Jessica Chancellor , D.C. Douglas , Kim Little , Andrew Fernie , Austen Moret
Open (2025)
0 /10
The perfect summer turns into a blood-soaked nightmare as counselors at an isolated camp are hunted by a killer and the truth behind the murders is darker than anyone imagined. If the killer doesn't get you, the drama definitely will.
Run Time: 1hr 4` . MMPA: . Release: 14 Jun 2025
Director: David Saban
Producer: Eliot Schuler
Stars: Kayla Decilio , Ethan Michaels , Dimitry Bilanicz , Kylie Rose Collins , Marlee Lewis , Mike Lavit