Ghostbusters [Blu-ray]

He has a sarcastic remark for every occasion, and the audience is the only one in on the joke every time.

When prospective girlfriend Dana Barrett (played by Sigourney Weaver, who gets a plum opportunity to show off her comedic skills) gets possessed by an evil demon, she is transformed into a slinky seductress. Bill Murray has come over to her apartment and in his hilarious dead-pan manner lets the audience know that he recognizes all is not normal with Ms. Barrett. As hilarious and sarcastic as Venkman is, he's at least a gentleman of sorts and doesn't take advantage of the situation when the demon tries to seduce him.

"Do you want this body?" Sigourney-demon asks him.
He pauses for a perfect beat before replying:
"Is this a trick question?"

The special effects don't look like the CGI visions that have been on screen for a couple of years (this was 1984) yet they're part of the fun. Even so, the special effects serve the story rather than up-staging it, and when the movie was initially released I remember howling with the audience after the first special-effect ghost "attacks" Bill Murray and leaves him on the floor in a glistening mess.
"He SLIMED me!" Venkman yelled, and we laughed our heads off.

This disc is not dated by contemporary references - it's just as hilarious today as it was in 1984, and it'll probably be just as funny 100 years from now. The DVD comes with extras that add to the fun, and in the commentary tracks Ivan Reitman and Harold Ramis show that "Ghostbusters" was an absolute highlight in all of their lives.

Mine too.


Is it worth the Blu-ray version of it?   September 23, 2009
Daniel Mendoza Villa (At the moment Madrid Spain)
15 out of 15 found this review helpful



And the answer is absolutely YES!

I won't get caught in the main synopsis of the movie, I'm guessing you know the story and the actors. If not you should be asking your self where have you been the last twenty years or so...now lets get into it!

Video Quality on this release is in full 1080p using the MPEG-4 codec on a BD-50 (50 gigabyte dual-layered Blu-ray Disc). This is a great catalog release. It is so refreshing to see a studio not attempt tweaking the original image with digital noise reduction and edge enhancement. This is a faithful to the source transfer. Clarity and resolution is where this transfer shines, all the little signs, switches, knobs and so forth are all clearly defined displaying an excellent depth of field. Colors are nicely saturated and accurate displaying good natural hues.

As for the Bonus Materials: these are presented in Standard Definition 480i and High Definition 1080i with Dolby Digital 2.0 sound.

* BD-Live - Keep in mind that BD-Live requires the user to be on a "Profile 2.0" capable Blu-ray Disc Player and connected to the Internet to access online content via the studio (in this case Sony). Once online you can access content such as downloadable trailers for other Sony Blu-ray Disc release upcoming and already available. Title specific content in this case is actually included. 2 different Ring tones are available which are just dialogue from the film. Standard rates apply to get these I'm sure, nothing is 100% free these days.

* "Cinechat" - This BD-live application allows viewers to chat with friends and family while watching the film. A easy to understand tutorial is included.

* "Slimer Mode" is a Blu-ray exclusive feature that is using Bonus View which requires the user to be on a "Profile 1.1" or higher capable Blu-ray Disc Player. If you are capable of it, this is worth the time to watch all the way through. A neat "Ghostbusters" border frames the film while it's playing; at the same time a Picture-In-Picture track plays interview clips featuring the cast and crew looking back at the production. It is complemented with additional still photographs and behind-the-scenes video. A pop-up trivia track is also inserted into the mix, showcasing interesting facts about the film and its shooting locations.

* "Blu-Wizard" - A BD-Java feature that will allow viewers to create their own play list of special features by selecting only those of interest. Once activated, a pop-up marker indicates when that particular feature is available to view.


* Audio Commentary - Director Ivan Reitman is joined by co-writer/actor Harold Ramis and associate producer Joe Medjuck. It is unfortunate that they weren't able to update the commentary (originally recorded in 1999 for the DVD release) with thoughts from Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, or Sigourney Weaver. This is very informative track but unfortunately it comes across as dry. Opcional subtitles are included.

* "Scene Cemetery" (9 minutes - SD) - This is a collection of 10 deleted scenes that while fun to see in their own right aren't missed in the film.


* "1984 Featurette" (9:45 - SD) - This is a fun vintage featurette shot for the original 1984 release. Featuring behind-the-scenes footage and short interviews with cast and crew talking about the various aspects of making this beloved movie.

* "Cast and Crew Featurette" (10:53 - SD) -This is a short 11 minute featurette originally recorded for the 1999 DVD release.It is a collection of interviews with Ivan Reitman, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis talking about the film and its impact in general.


* "SFX Team Featurette" (15:22 - SD) - This is a panel discussion with the original F/X team.They discuss their experience of working on the film.

* "Multi-Angle Featurettes" (SD) - This is broken into three sections: "Spook Central Exploding" (2:49), "She's A Dog" (2:00), and "Crossing the Streams" (1:23). Here you can watch the rough video and animation work in before-and-after stages from three particular scenes.


* "Storyboard Comparisons" (SD) - Also broken into three sections: "Slimer" (2:13), "Dogs Drag Dana" (2:09), and "Atop Spook Central" (2:04). you can watch the hand-drawn storyboards and compare them to the film's finished cut.

* "Ecto-1: Resurrecting the Classic Car" (15:37 - HD) - Sony and the filmmakers had the hero car restored to its original glory for the promotion of "Ghostbusters: The Video Game". Interview clips include Dan Aykroyd and the talented crew of people who worked on the refurbishment of the 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Ambulance. The real treat is seeing the process of breaking down the car and building it back up to look better than it ever has. Once it is restored Dan Aykroyd was invited to see the Ecto-1 in all it's glory and it is a pleasure seeing the genuine joy he displays at being reunited with the old girl.


* "Making of Ghostbusters: The Video Game" (11:18 - HD) - A promotional fluff piece for the video game has the cast and creators sharing their thoughts about the game and its storyline. Brief clips of the video game are interspersed throughout. The game looks like a fun trip down memory lane. The graphics look authentic to the "Ghostbusters" films.

* "Ghostbusters Garage: Ecto-1 Gallery" (HD) - This is a beautiful slide show highlighting the restoration process, whilst Elmer Bernstein's music plays in the background.


* "Ghostbusters: The Video Game Preview" (1:43 - HD) - Simply this is the trailer for the now available video game.

* Theatrical Trailers (HD) - A collection of previews in HD `The Da Vinci Code: Extended Cut,' `Close Encounters of the Third Kind,' `Men in Black,' `Fired Up!,' `Paul Blart: Mall Cop,' `So I Married an Axe Murderer,' and `You Don't Mess With the Zohan'.

Hope this was useful.
At the end if you ask me this si a must have!




OPEN THE TRAP   January 10, 2000
Thomas E. O'Sullivan (Knoxville, Maryland United States)
18 out of 21 found this review helpful

When you pick up GHOSTBUSTERS on DVD you're picking up more than just a movie, but a library. Packed, stacked, and fully featured, GHOSTBUSTERS is the end all be all of movies (on a FIDDLE FACTOR of one to ten, i.e. - bells, knobs, whistles... GHOSTBUSTERS is a ten... you will spend a good hour or two just playing with all the features). Beside a clean transfer, excellent sound and a timeless movie, you get commentary, concept to screen both in art work and special effects (a chance to use your ANGLE button here where you can watch the finished scene, then flip to the rough cut and special effect cut of the same scene). Excellent interactive menus (wait long enough and STAY PUFF will turn a corner and come marching down the street), a FACTS and TRIVIA track which scrolls inside information in subtitles under the film. Three extra trailers for GROUNDHOG DAY, STRIPES and GHOSTBUSTERS 2 are also included... shamless promotion, but also of historial interest as well... when was the last time you saw the STRIPES preview? All in all... buy it.


Ghostbusters: The Reason for Owning a DVD Player!   March 14, 2000
Andrew Kotwicki (Sterling Heights, Michigan)
37 out of 47 found this review helpful

I have grown up with "Ghostbusters", and was a fan of the cartoon series, the toys, and of course, the movies. I still am, and unfortunately, I wasn't all that pleased with Criterion's laserdisc release of the film. The picture contained a lot of noise, and the matte lines were so visible, that even director Ivan Reitman was upset about it. That's not the case here. With the release of "Ghostbusters" on DVD, digitally remastered and crammed to the gills with extras, including a live video commentary with Ivan Reitman and Harold Ramis that looks much like "Mystery Science Theater 3000", this makes the purpose of the invention of a DVD player clear! This DVD is excellent! It has everything I hoped for! They(Columbia/Tristar) really outdid themselves with this DVD. It includes numerous documentaries(instead of the usual 1 or 2), production photos, sketch artist drawings, and deleted scenes. Commenting on the deleted scenes, one of them was very strange, in which Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray play street bums instead of Venkman and Stantz, with Bill Murray doing his "Caddyshack" riff. It's amazing that the cameras rolled for it, but it's there. The only thing missing was the inclusion of a scene that found it's way into the Criterion laserdisc, which followed the three ghostbusters leaving the college and Venkman commenting on how "he's gonna win the nobel prize". Still, it also becomes intuitively obvious why those scenes were cut once you watch them. Anyway, if you have a DVD player and do not have this DVD, you are really missing out. It's hard to think why anyone would not want to add the "Ghostbusters" DVD to their collection. If you don't like it, your as dead as those ghosts running around.


"Back off, man. I'm a scientist."   October 31, 2004
J. SHARP (Alabama - United States)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

Still holds up after all these years.

Ignore the kids who rag on the effects. The effects are a tertiary concern. Heck, their cheesiness enhances the fun. The purpose of this movie is the humor - nothing else! It's not a sci-fi flick or an action movie. It's a comedy.

The famous gag lines are too numerous to count but include:

"It's true. This man has no __"
"What a wonderful singing voice you must have."
"Important safety tip. Thanks, Egon."
And (of course) "It's the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man."