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Ghostbusters poster

Ghostbusters

year 1984decade 80sdirector Ivan Reitmangenre Supernatural comedy

105 minutes

IMDb
Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Ghostbusters | The Rewatchables

host Bill Simmonshost Chris Ryanhost Van Lathanproducer Craig Horlbeckproducer Chia Hao Tatproducer Eduardo Ocampoproducer Matt Pevic
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What’s Aged the Worst?

The sequel history, pan-and-scan broadcasts, dated effects, the theme-song dispute, harassment of William Atherton, and Venkman's conduct are criticized.

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 00:35:09Read transcript
  • The franchise's sequels and reboots are criticized as uneven or money-driven, though one participant strongly defends Ghostbusters II.
  • Pan-and-scan television versions are blamed for making the wide compositions cramped and hiding visual gags for years.
  • The similarity between the theme song and Huey Lewis's 'I Want a New Drug' remains a blemish despite both songs' popularity.
  • William Atherton's report of being harassed in public after playing Peck is treated as an ugly consequence of the film.
  • Some finale establishing shots and matte paintings now appear visibly rendered.
  • Venkman's use of professional authority to pursue students and clients is identified as the clearest behavior that aged badly.

Roger Ebert's review

Roger Ebert's stated score is three and a half stars.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:42:43Read transcript
  • The stated review score is three and a half stars.
  • The quoted review praises the film's many quotable lines and the survival of its fragile comic vision inside an expensive production.

Most Rewatchable Scene

The fame montage wins, while the first hotel call is a strong personal favorite and several other scenes receive support.

In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 00:43:21Read transcript
  • Venkman's biased ESP experiment with the two students opens the candidate list and is praised as very funny.
  • The library investigation is praised for exploiting the uneasy quiet and scale of a large library.
  • Dana's groceries, the frying eggs, and the Ghostbusters television commercial are nominated together.
  • Venkman being slimed during the hotel call leads directly into one participant's favorite: the fame montage set to the theme song.
  • Louis Tully's party is praised for Rick Moranis's improvised financial introductions and detailed comic business.
  • Possessed Dana's invitation to Venkman is admired partly because he recognizes she is not herself and refuses to exploit her.
  • The finale is praised for Ray's comic timing when he realizes he imagined the marshmallow figure and for the decision to cross the streams.
  • The jail and mayor sequence, including Venkman's confrontation with Peck, is another finalist.
  • The first hotel call is a personal favorite because the team uses its equipment for the first time and the scene functions like an origin story.
  • The group ultimately identifies the fame montage as the most rewatchable scene.

Mallory Rubin Award: Did This Movie Need a Better Sex Scene?

Craig's flex answer asks for a more explicit implied encounter between possessed Dana and Louis Tully.

Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:52:26Read transcript
  • The selected answer pairs the possessed gatekeeper with the actual Keymaster rather than Venkman.
  • The film is understood to imply that Dana and Louis had sex, but the flex asks to see more of their physical mismatch without requiring nudity.
  • The panel then reiterates that Venkman cannot ethically sleep with Dana while she is possessed.

The most "year the movie came out" thing

The fame montage wins Most 1984, with a wide field of period-specific runners-up.

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:57:04Read transcript
  • The fame montage is declared the winner for Most 1984.
  • Larry King taking radio calls while smoking and Aykroyd's video camera are runners-up.
  • The Twin Towers, Jean Kasem, and the period's fascination with Elvis sightings are offered as markers of 1984.
  • Tribeca being described as a demilitarized zone is contrasted with its later affluence.
  • The EPA serving as the villain is treated as a period detail whose politics have come back around.

What’s Aged the Best?

New York City, lasting iconography, economical storytelling, ensemble improvisation, and the movie's cultural afterlife lead an extensive discussion.

In the discussion (12)
Approx. transcript time · 01:00:51Read transcript
  • New York is treated as a character, and the film is praised for using the city in a way that feels impossible to relocate.
  • The logo, firehouse, Ecto-1, marshmallow man, uniforms, and proton packs remain instantly recognizable cultural symbols.
  • Everyday product placement such as Cheez-It, Coca-Cola, Perrier, and canned Budweiser still feels familiar rather than dated.
  • The lack of childhood backstory is praised because the movie establishes the characters without explanatory trauma.
  • The team's financial peril, including Ray's high-interest mortgages, gives the first half comic stakes.
  • The original SNL ensemble appearing across one another's movies is praised as a durable model later extended by the Apatow circle.
  • Murray's dialogue is described as partly written and partly generated through multiple alternatives during filming.
  • The Real Ghostbusters cartoon helped keep the property culturally active between movies.
  • Slimer is described as the filmmakers' Belushi-like party-animal tribute, and slime itself is credited with a long cultural afterlife.
  • The promotional phone number, the spread of 'busters' as a suffix, and the no-ghost logo's reuse are cited as unusually durable marketing.
  • The movie is credited with popularizing 'toast' as slang through Venkman's line.
  • The final reflection says friends making movies together may be what aged best.

The Great Shot Gordo Award for Most Cinematic Shot

The extreme view up the seemingly endless staircase wins.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:08:26Read transcript
  • The cinematographer is praised for giving the New York crowd scenes a distinctive transitional 1980s look.
  • The shot up the stairs near the finale wins because the staircase seems to rise for a hundred floors.

The Den of Thieves Benihana Award for Scene-Stealing Location

The firehouse wins, with Dana's apartment, the library, and Tavern on the Green also admired.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:09:34Read transcript
  • The firehouse is selected over Dana's apartment and the library.
  • Tavern on the Green is praised as an underused film location whose outdoor action contrasts with oblivious diners.

The Rose From Titanic “Sneaky Suck” Award

Egon is proposed for never smiling, but the panel largely defends his serious role in the ensemble.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:10:08Read transcript
  • Egon is nominated because the performance commits to never smiling.
  • The objection says the team's chief inventor could crack a smile or receive more jokes.
  • The defense says Egon delivers funny lines and correctly functions as a role player who sets up others.

The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the Weakest Link in the Film

No consensus emerges: answers include no weak link, Winston's underwritten integration, and Walter Peck's thin setup.

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:11:59Read transcript
  • Two participants reject the premise that the film has a weak link.
  • Winston is nominated because he arrives midway through the story and the movie never fully integrates or develops him.
  • The defense says Winston grounds the increasingly fantastical plot as an everyman who needs a job, believes in God, and questions the team's behavior.
  • The criticism is narrowed to a missing character scene rather than Ernie Hudson's performance.
  • Walter Peck is another answer because his brief setup supplies little that an accidental containment failure could not.

The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award

Slavitza Jovan's Gozer performance wins.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:21:18Read transcript
  • The actor playing Gozer is selected; the machine transcript renders her credited name uncertainly as 'Slot via Yovan.'
  • Grace Jones is discussed as an intended visual and casting reference for Gozer.

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Four distinct hot takes cover SNL films, ghost imprisonment, Dana's standards, and a Sigourney Weaver–Kathleen Turner swap.

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:25:40Read transcript
  • Ghostbusters is argued to be the best film emerging from Saturday Night Live's creative orbit, ahead of Wayne's World, Blues Brothers, Anchorman, and other contenders.
  • The Ghostbusters are criticized as an unregulated private police and prison service with no clear right to confine ghosts.
  • Dana is accused of warming to Venkman only after he becomes a successful and famous small-business owner.
  • A final take proposes swapping Sigourney Weaver and Kathleen Turner between Ghostbusters and Romancing the Stone.
  • The swap is defended on the theory that Weaver better fits an initially restrained novelist while Turner would heighten possessed Dana's sexuality.

Casting What-Ifs

Michael Keaton is the favored alternate Venkman, Jeff Goldblum interests the panel as Egon, and numerous reported candidates receive credibility checks.

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:33:36Read transcript
  • Chevy Chase's claim that he declined Venkman is treated skeptically, though a preliminary conversation is considered possible.
  • Michael Keaton is the favored Venkman alternative because he had already played comparable fast-talking comic leads.
  • Tom Hanks, Robin Williams, Steve Gutenberg, and Richard Pryor are listed as other reported Venkman possibilities with varying credibility.
  • Christopher Walken, John Lithgow, Christopher Lloyd, and Jeff Goldblum are discussed as reported Egon candidates; Goldblum draws the most interest.
  • Daryl Hannah, Denise Crosby, Julia Roberts, and Kelly LeBrock are reported as Dana audition possibilities, though the panel doubts some claims.
  • John Candy is reported to have declined Louis Tully after proposing a German accent; Sandra Bernhard reportedly declined Janine.
  • Paul Rubens is mentioned as an alleged Gozer possibility, but the claim is explicitly doubted.

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

Rick Moranis wins after the panel debates whether his screen time is low enough; Annie Potts is the alternate.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:37:16Read transcript
  • Moranis and Potts are the initial finalists.
  • The group debates whether Moranis has too much plot presence, then accepts that impact matters more than a strict screen-time ceiling.
  • Moranis wins for making Louis and possessed Vince Clortho unusually funny in a small number of minutes.

Recasting Couch

John Candy as Louis Tully is the selected alternate-casting thought experiment.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:39:02Read transcript
  • John Candy's proposed version of Louis remains the most interesting recasting option even though the group values Moranis's performance.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Research covers the title rights, effects company, Stay Puft suits, library puppet, deleted ghost encounter, rooftop power, and Murray's last-minute commitment.

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:39:27Read transcript
  • Frank Price is said to have sold Columbia the Ghostbusters title for $500,000 plus one percent of profits.
  • The special-effects supervisor used part of the effects budget to establish Boss Film Studios.
  • Eighteen toxic foam marshmallow-man suits cost nearly $600,000 and required a separate air supply; shaving cream stood in for marshmallow debris.
  • The original library-ghost puppet was considered too frightening and reused in Fright Night.
  • A more extensive sexual encounter between Ray and a female ghost was deleted.
  • The rooftop set reportedly needed 50,000 amps, forcing Columbia to shut down its other stages.
  • A Vanity Fair account says Murray arrived late with a stadium horn, reviewed the rewritten script with Ramis and Reitman, offered no changes, and agreed to proceed.

Apex Mountain

The panel assesses many people, properties, places, creatures, and concepts rather than selecting one episode-wide apex.

In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 01:42:14Read transcript
  • Ghostbusters is accepted as Bill Murray's apex by some, while Groundhog Day remains a strong rival.
  • Ghostbusters is treated as Dan Aykroyd's apex because he wrote it and remained the franchise's custodian, though Trading Places is considered.
  • Aliens is preferred as Sigourney Weaver's apex.
  • Groundhog Day is preferred for Harold Ramis as a director, while Ghostbusters remains a contender.
  • The marshmallow mascot, ghost movies, Ernie Hudson, Rick Moranis, New York Public Library scenes, dog transformations, occult architecture, and ghost combat each receive separate apex checks.
  • Ghostbusters narrowly beats Ghost as the apex ghost movie, with Poltergeist and newer horror franchises also considered.
  • Ghostbusters is considered Ernie Hudson's best-known role, while Oz is noted as substantial work; Honey, I Shrunk the Kids beats it for Moranis.
  • The movie is favored as the apex of ghost combat after Ghosts of Mars is raised as an alternative.

Picking Nits

Dana's apartment and attraction to Venkman, falling debris, city oversight, and jailhouse blueprints are questioned.

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:46:29Read transcript
  • Dana's expensive Central Park West apartment is questioned, then defended through her implied family wealth and career.
  • The group revisits why Dana likes Venkman and suggests his new success and cash changed her view.
  • The finale appears likely to kill many street spectators with falling debris.
  • The city's limited response to paranormal chaos and reliance on four recently dismissed academics are called implausible.
  • The team being allowed to study building blueprints in a holding cell is questioned.

Is This Movie Better With…?

Zane Lowe greeting Gozer and Shaquille O'Neal analyzing the movie are proposed.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:49:01Read transcript
  • Zane Lowe is imagined interviewing or introducing Gozer in his expansive music-host style.
  • Shaquille O'Neal is imagined offering a terse Inside the NBA analysis that names Gozer as the movie's best performer.

Just One Oscar

Bill Murray wins a hypothetical Best Actor Oscar for Venkman over the theme song.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:50:22Read transcript
  • The theme song and Bill Murray are proposed before Murray is selected for Venkman.
  • The actual 1984 acting field is reviewed to argue there could have been room for Murray.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

The panel asks whether Belushi or later effects would improve the movie and rejects both changes.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:51:32Read transcript
  • Replacing Murray with John Belushi is judged to make the movie worse even though the role might have become a major Belushi vehicle.
  • Releasing the movie years later for better effects is rejected because 1984 is considered the perfect moment.

Gandolfini Butter on My Ass So It Pops in My Mouth Award

The Keymaster title, Murray working a crowd, and the firehouse poles are the leading pure-enjoyment choices.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:52:24Read transcript
  • Keymaster is praised as a nickname and adapted into basketball pairings.
  • Bill Murray introducing the team to the crowd outside Dana's building is chosen for his effortless command of the city.
  • Sliding down the firehouse poles is another winner because the simple fun has largely disappeared from contemporary spaces.

What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?

A proton pack and Ghostbusters jumpsuit are selected, while Ecto-1 is also coveted.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:54:07Read transcript
  • A proton pack is the first memorabilia choice.
  • A Ghostbusters jumpsuit is the second choice, and Ecto-1 is admired but treated as too large for the category.

Who Won the Movie?

Bill Murray as Peter Venkman wins, with Ivan Reitman receiving a serious secondary case.

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:55:30Read transcript
  • Bill Murray and Peter Venkman are the immediate winner answers.
  • Ivan Reitman receives a strong case for controlling the action and knowing how much spectacle the comedy needed.
  • The final majority returns to Murray because he carries the movie and provides a definitive example of why he is funny.
  • The film's improvised, haphazard production is contrasted with the safe polish expected from modern franchise production.
Podcast choices
Speaker not identified
Bill Murray / Peter Venkman
Speaker not identified
Ivan Reitman
Speaker not identified
Bill Murray / Peter Venkman
Speaker not identified
Ivan Reitman
Speaker not identified
Bill Murray / Peter Venkman

More from the conversation

The opening frames Ghostbusters as a rare monoculture comedy that joins childlike wonder to adult humor and remains widely comforting.
Approx. transcript time · 00:01:13Read transcript
The film's novelty is credited to combining New York, comedy, approachable supernatural danger, new visual iconography, and minimal exposition.
Approx. transcript time · 00:06:17Read transcript
The discussion contrasts older all-ages adult comedies with modern children's movies containing adult asides.
Approx. transcript time · 00:10:17Read transcript
The 1984 release is placed amid an unusually dense year of blockbuster films, pop music, sports, and network television.
Approx. transcript time · 00:13:32Read transcript
Murray and Aykroyd's New York celebrity and the film's enormous impact are used to explain their post-release career choices.
Approx. transcript time · 00:18:03Read transcript
Aykroyd's paranormal interests, the intended Belushi partnership, the Ghost Smashers draft, and Ramis and Reitman's rewrite form the production-origin account.
Approx. transcript time · 00:25:08Read transcript
The core cast is treated as unusually irreplaceable compared with other star-driven comedies of the era.
Approx. transcript time · 00:26:45Read transcript
Sigourney Weaver's 1979–89 run is argued to combine blockbuster scale and acting credibility unusually well.
Approx. transcript time · 00:31:46Read transcript
The theme song's rapid creation and similarity to Huey Lewis's I Want a New Drug are discussed as both marketing success and legal controversy.
Approx. transcript time · 00:34:40Read transcript
Conflicting accounts of Eddie Murphy as Winston lead to a long debate about whether adding another dominant comic star would improve or unbalance the movie.
Approx. transcript time · 00:36:03Read transcript
The film received two Oscar nominations, cost about $30 million, grossed about $298 million, and held number one for seven weeks before Purple Rain displaced it.
Approx. transcript time · 00:41:39Read transcript