Supernatural fiction or supernaturalist fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction that exploits or is centered on supernatural themes, often contradicting naturalist assumptions of the real world.
121-465: Ghostbusters II is a 1989 American supernatural comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis . The film stars Bill Murray , Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver , Ramis, Rick Moranis , Ernie Hudson , and Annie Potts . It is the sequel to the 1984 film Ghostbusters and the second film in the Ghostbusters franchise . Set five years after the events of
242-406: A 1987 interview and said recasting had never been an option. Ghostbusters II was to be the first sequel Reitman had directed, and he was worried about being able to surprise the audience without relying on elaborate special effects. He wanted to focus on character interaction, believing that was the original film's main draw. Ramis was apprehensive about returning to the franchise because of
363-572: A brake to carriages, a model which folded, designs for parasols and an umbrella hanger. By 1840, the baby carriage became extremely popular. Queen Victoria bought three carriages from Hitchings Baby Store. The carriages of those days were built of wood or wicker and held together by expensive brass joints. These sometimes became heavily ornamented works of art. Models were also named after royalty: Princess and Duchess being popular names, as well as Balmoral and Windsor. In June 1889, an African American man named William H. Richardson patented his idea of
484-539: A busy intersection. At the museum, a painting of Vigo the Carpathian, a 16th-century European tyrant and powerful magician , comes to life and enslaves Dana's boss, Janosz Poha. Vigo orders Janosz to bring him a child to possess, allowing him to escape the confines of his painting and live again to conquer the world. Because of his infatuation with Dana, Janosz chooses Oscar. Meanwhile, the Ghostbusters excavate
605-493: A celebrity restaurant in Beverly Hills, California . Concerns were raised such as whether the principals could still carry the sequel because Murray had been away from films for so long and Aykroyd had had a series of film failures. During the meeting, the group had fun and decided they could work together. Months of negotiations followed with Reitman, Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis to negotiate a minimal salary in exchange for
726-408: A door that resembled the iron grill. The foam was spring-loaded so that when the wire passed through, the set sprang back into place quickly; the effect was hidden behind a composite of Nunzio. Full-scale cutouts of the ghosts were used during filming to aid the actors. Ghostbusters storyboard artist Thom Enriquez storyboarded the scene; he found the process difficult because the limited schedule meant
847-403: A fairly recent addition, due to the number of multiple births being on the increase. Safety guidelines for standard pushchairs apply. Most triple buggies have a weight limit of 50 kg and recommended use for children up to the age of four years. A travel system is typically a set consisting of a chassis with a detachable baby seat and/or carrycot. Thus a travel system can be switched between
968-481: A financial and critical failure, effectively dissuading Murray from participating in a third Ghostbusters film. Its soundtrack single, " On Our Own " by Bobby Brown , was a success, spending 20 weeks on the United States music charts. The film failed to replicate the cultural impact and following of Ghostbusters . Although some critics retrospectively praised it, Ghostbusters II is generally seen as
1089-524: A four-wheeled vehicle known as a quad or quad bike in the UK. "Stroller" is the usual term in the USA. Newer versions can be configured to carry a baby lying down like a low pram and then be reconfigured to carry the child in the forward-facing position. A variety of twin pushchairs are manufactured, some designed for babies of a similar age (such as twins ) and some for those with a small age gap. Triple pushchairs are
1210-399: A highly visible symbol of everything from class to parenting philosophy. Bicycles can be fitted with a bicycle trailer or a children's bicycle seat to carry small children. An older child can ride his own bike, or ride a one-wheel trailer bike with an integrated seat and handle bars. A "travel system" includes a car seat base, an infant car seat, and a baby stroller. The car seat base
1331-606: A hindrance in securing acting work. Eugene Levy was cast as Louis' cousin Sherman, an employee at the psychiatric ward where the Ghostbusters are imprisoned. The character was instrumental in their liberation but his scenes were cut. Reitman began working on Ghostbusters II almost immediately after directing the 1988 comedy film Twins . Principal photography began in November 1988, in New York City. The budget
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#17327827873911452-444: A horror film concept centered on an infant who possessed adult agility and focus. This inspired him to create the character Oscar. Initially, the child was the son of Peter Venkman and Dana, who would have maintained their relationship in the intervening years. The child would have become possessed as a focal point of the film; Murray felt this created an imbalance in the story, placing too much emphasis on his and Dana's relationship with
1573-416: A light at the height of MacNicol's head, while panning it from side-to-side. Several takes were done to cover MacNicol's gaze. Animators added the beams emanating from Janosz, including particulate matter to enhance the realism. The "ghost nanny" version of Janosz that snatches Oscar from Venkman's apartment went through many variations. During development, it was conceived of as a two-headed dragon—an idea that
1694-556: A mid-1989 release. Despite the five years it took to produce a sequel and its necessity for special effects, Ghostbusters II had a shorter schedule than its predecessor's one-year turnaround. Michael C. Gross and producer Joe Medjuck returned for the sequel, each promoted to producer. Michael Chapman replaced László Kovács as cinematographer, and Bo Welch replaced John DeCuir as production designer. Aykroyd described his first draft as "really too far out... too inaccessible". He wanted to avoid using New York City, set
1815-422: A percentage of the box office profits. The deal was reported to be 10% of the box office profits each; Reitman denied that the figure was that large but said, "it's a big one". This was to keep the budget low, aiming for approximately $ 30 million, whereas upfront salaries would have raised it closer to $ 50 million. After this, the film was rushed into production, with shooting scheduled for mid-1988 in anticipation of
1936-513: A pneumatic jaw. Bobby Porter was hired to wear the Slimer costume until the character was removed from the film entirely. A few weeks later, Slimer was reinserted, but by this time, Porter was not available and was replaced by Robin Shelby. The Scoleri Brother ghosts, Tony and Nunzio, were inspired by a pair of brothers who robbed Ramis' father's store. Creature designer Tim Lawrence was influenced by
2057-414: A poor follow-up to Ghostbusters and responsible for stalling the franchise for decades. The film spawned a series of merchandise including video games , board games, comic books , music, toys, and haunted houses . Despite the relative failure of Ghostbusters II , a second sequel was pursued through to the early 2010s. Following the mixed reviews and financial underperformance of the 2016 series reboot ,
2178-536: A positive symbol will rally the citizens and weaken the slime, the Ghostbusters use slime charged with positive emotions to animate and pilot the Statue of Liberty through the streets filled with cheering citizens. At the museum, the slime barrier partially recedes due to the positive emotions , and the Ghostbusters use the Statue's torch to break through the ceiling, stopping Vigo from possessing Oscar, then rappel through
2299-404: A psychiatric hospital to protect the mayor's political interests. A spirit appearing as Janosz kidnaps Oscar, and Dana pursues them into the museum, which is then covered with impenetrable slime. On New Year's Eve , the slime rises to the streets, causing widespread supernatural chaos. Discovering Hardemeyer's actions, the enraged mayor fires him and has the Ghostbusters released. Determining that
2420-415: A pushchair and a pram. Another benefit of a travel system is that the detached chassis (generally an umbrella closing chassis) when folded will usually be smaller than other types, to transport it in a car trunk or boot . Also, the baby seat will snap into a base meant to stay in an automobile, becoming a car seat. This allows undisturbed movement of the baby into or out of a car and a reduced chance of waking
2541-402: A schoolchild, and director Ivan Reitman 's children Jason and Catherine portray, respectively, the rude child at the opening birthday party and a girl that is part of Egon's experiments. Reitman cameos as a pedestrian. Judy Ovitz, wife of talent agent Michael Ovitz , who represented many of the principal cast, appears as a woman in a restaurant who is slimed. Mary Ellen Trainor appears as
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#17327827873912662-444: A side job alongside Winston Zeddemore as unpopular children's entertainers; Egon Spengler works in a laboratory experimenting with human emotions; and Peter Venkman hosts a television talk show about psychics. Dana Barrett, Peter's ex-girlfriend, has an infant son named Oscar with her ex-husband and works at an art museum restoring artwork. She contacts the Ghostbusters after Oscar's baby stroller rolls, seemingly independently, into
2783-584: A sitting position facing forward. "Pushchair" was the popularly used term in the UK between its invention and the early 1980s, when a more compact design known as a "buggy" became the trend, popularised by the conveniently collapsible aluminium-framed Maclaren buggy designed and patented by the British aeronautical designer Owen Maclaren in 1965. "Buggy" is the usual term in the UK (sometimes "pushchair"); in American English, buggy usually refers to
2904-545: A sleeping baby. Another modern design showcases a stroller that includes the possibility for the lower body to be elongated, thereby transforming the stroller into a kick scooter . Steering occurs by leaning towards either side. Depending on the model, it can be equipped with a foot- and/or handbrake. Speeds up to 15 km/h (10 mph) can be reached. The first stroller of this kind was the so-called "Roller Buggy", developed by industrial designer Valentin Vodev in 2005. In 2012
3025-554: A story about the characters' internal conflict and/or a dramatic conflict between the protagonist, human and/or supernatural world, society and between groups. The author of The Rise of Supernatural Fiction, 1762–1800 states that the origins of supernatural fiction come from Britain in the second half of the 18th century. Accounts of the Cock Lane ghost were featured in the newspapers in 1762, and an interest in Spiritualism
3146-499: A stroller with an aluminium frame and created the first true umbrella stroller. He then went on to found Maclaren , which manufactured and sold his new design. The design took off and soon "strollers" were easier to transport and used everywhere. In the 1970s, however, the trend was more towards a more basic version, not fully sprung, and with a detachable body known as a "carrycot". Now, prams are very rarely used, being large and expensive when compared with "buggies" (see below). One of
3267-416: A year, and had completed the screenplay by March 1988. In the years since the release of the more adult-oriented Ghostbusters , its animated spin-off television series The Real Ghostbusters had become popular with its target child audience. The team was tasked with balancing the needs of Ghostbusters fans and those of the cartoon's audience. According to Medjuck, the cartoon's success was influential in
3388-498: Is a Native American baby carrier used to keep babies secure and comfortable and at the same time allowing the mothers freedom to work and travel. The cradleboards were attached to the mother's back straps from the shoulder or the head. For travel, cradleboards could be hung on a saddle or travois . Ethnographic tradition indicates that it was common practice to cradleboard newborn children until they were able to walk, although many mothers continued to swaddle their children well past
3509-421: Is a Cannibal" by Elton John . The song "Flesh 'n Blood" by composer Danny Elfman and Oingo Boingo was written for the film but Elfman said he was disappointed that only four musical bars of it were used. He thought the small usage was an excuse to be able to release it on the soundtrack and said if he had known he would have pulled the song. Randy Edelman was responsible for the film's original score . It
3630-428: Is a film genre that encompasses themes related to gods, goddesses, ghosts, apparitions, spirits, miracles, and other extraordinary phenomena. These themes are often blended with other film genres, such as comedy , science fiction , fantasy , and horror . Historically, the primary goal of supernatural films was not to terrify audiences but to offer entertainment, often in whimsical or romantic contexts. The film genre
3751-562: Is often classed as a discrete genre defined by the elimination of "horror", "fantasy", and elements important to other genres. The one genre supernatural fiction appears to embrace in its entirety is the traditional ghost story . The fantasy and supernatural fiction genres would often overlap and may be confused for each other, though there exist some crucial differences between the two genres. Fantasy usually takes place in another world, where fantastical creatures or magic are normal. In supernatural fiction, though, magic and monsters are not
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3872-479: Is part of several hybrid genres , including supernatural comedy films, supernatural horror films , supernatural religious films, and supernatural thriller films. Supernatural beings have also seen common uses in internet creepypastas and urban legends ; a well-known supernatural Internet character is the Slenderman , a tall faceless being associated with the forest. Another well-known internet urban legend
3993-733: Is the Backrooms , an endless liminal space of moist carpet, humming fluorescent lights and monotone yellow wallpaper. The Backrooms are commonly depicted as being inhabited by supernatural monsters known as Entities. Baby transport Various methods of transport of children have been used in different cultures and times. These methods include baby carriages (prams in British English), infant car seats , portable bassinets (carrycots), strollers (pushchairs), slings, backpacks, baskets and bicycle carriers. The large, heavy prams (short for perambulator), which had become popular during
4114-539: Is usually only able to move its head. On-the-body baby carrying started being known in western countries in the 1960s, with the advent of the structured soft pack in the mid-1960s. Around the same time, the frame backpack quickly became a popular way to carry older babies and toddlers. In the early 1970s, the wrap was reintroduced in Germany . The two ringed sling was invented by Rayner and Fonda Garner in 1981 and popularized by Dr William Sears starting in around 1985. In
4235-461: The July 4th Independence Day holiday weekend but Reitman felt June 23 would work better. When they learned the superhero film Batman was also being released that day, they asked to move to the 16th. According to Gross, "Joe Medjuck and I were turning pale ... it did not look possible ... It was a real killer". Several new scenes were added to increase the sense of urgency and threat to
4356-471: The Soviet Union . Other locations include the Statue of Liberty and Firehouse, Hook & Ladder Company 8 , the latter of which again served as the exterior of the Ghostbusters' headquarters. The updated Ghostbusters' business logo, which was gifted to the firehouse staff after filming, was hung on the outside of the building but eventually fell off. The Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House served as
4477-594: The Victorian era , were replaced by lighter designs during the latter half of the 1900s. Infant carrying likely emerged early in human evolution as the emergence of bipedalism would have necessitated some means of carrying babies who could no longer cling to their mothers and/or simply sit on top of their mother's back. On-the-body carriers are designed in various forms such as baby sling , backpack carriers, and soft front or hip carriers, with varying materials and degrees of rigidity, decoration, support and confinement of
4598-466: The Christmas comedy film Scrooged (1988). When Murray was finally ready, the script was not. As co-creators, Reitman, Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis all had control over the franchise, and their unanimous approval was required to proceed. In April 1987, Puttnam announced that Ghostbusters II would go into production in November that year without having informed Reitman, who had not yet reviewed
4719-419: The Ghostbusters, including the underground ghost train sequence and the associated severed-heads scare. A scene showing the Ghostbusters' developed photographs of Vigo bursting into flames, threatening to immolate them, was also added. Reitman wanted these scenes added because he thought his previous cut of the film focused too much on the relationship between Murray's and Weaver's characters. The ghost train scene
4840-467: The New York setting would allow for continuity and would better fit the story he wanted to tell while allowing them to explore underground. As with Ghostbusters , Aykroyd partnered with Ramis to refine the script. Early on, they decided Ghostbusters II should reflect the five-year passage of time between the two films. Ramis suggested the story focus on a baby because he had previously developed
4961-436: The UK after the introduction of lighter units with detachable baby carriers in the 1970s. As they developed through the years suspension was added, making the ride smoother for both the baby and the person pushing it. The word pram is etymologically a shortening of its now less common synonym perambulator . "Strollers" or "pushchairs/buggies" (British English), are used for small children up to about three years old in
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5082-424: The actors were expecting to elicit from them a genuine reaction of surprise. The upper body was modeled and filmed at night in a makeshift pool to show it emerging from the ocean. Fye also portrayed the ghost of a Central Park jogger. To portray the possessed Janosz illuminating a hallway with his eyes, MacNicol was filmed walking down a hallway, which was filmed again without lights and with Michael Chapman holding
5203-463: The camera. The theater ghost took three weeks to build and required four puppeteers. The Washington Square monster was animated in stop motion by Phil Tippett , who accepted the job on the condition that the effect was no longer than 160 frames, was built on an existing model, and could be done in one take. Tippett was seriously injured in a car accident during development but continued to work and finished his effect in time. The slime-possessed fur coat
5324-485: The ceiling and neutralize Janosz with positive slime. Vigo takes on a physical form, immobilizes Dana and the Ghostbusters, and recaptures Oscar. The gathered crowds outside begin singing a chorus of " Auld Lang Syne ", and their positivity weakens Vigo, sending him back to the painting and freeing the Ghostbusters. Vigo possesses Ray, but the Ghostbusters use their weapons to free him and defeat Vigo, his painting being replaced by their likenesses surrounding Oscar. Afterwards,
5445-414: The child rather than the Ghostbusters and their character dynamics. Instead, they chose to have Peter's and Dana's relationship fail, allowing her to marry, have a child and be divorced by the events of Ghostbusters II . Ramis wanted to show that the Ghostbusters had not remained heroes after their victory in the previous film; he felt that would have been a less original approach. The river of slime
5566-458: The child. Slings, soft front carriers, and "baby carriages" are typically used for infants who lack the ability to sit or to hold their head up. Frame backpack carriers (a modification of the frame backpack ), hip carriers, slings, mei tai s and a variety of other soft carriers are used for older children. Images of children being carried in slings can be seen in Egyptian artwork dating back to
5687-405: The city lauds the Ghostbusters and the Statue of Liberty is returned to Liberty Island. As well as the main cast, Ghostbusters II features Wilhelm von Homburg as Vigo the Carpathian (voiced by Max von Sydow ). Several relatives of the cast and crew appear in the film; Murray's brother Brian Doyle-Murray plays the Ghostbusters' psychiatric doctor, Aykroyd's niece Karen Humber portrays
5808-480: The courtroom was being built as he worked. He was also restricted by the budget, saying he "could use only fourteen chairs. I could also blow up four pillars and one wall of glass". The animated Statue of Liberty was conceived by Aykroyd, who liked the idea of taking a static image and making it move about, comparing it with seeing the Eiffel Tower moving or Victoria Falls flowing in reverse. The statue's role
5929-450: The critically acclaimed war film Hope and Glory (1987) and the comedy film Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989) over big-budget blockbusters . He also greenlit several foreign-language films by European directors because he preferred making films for the "world market". Ghostbusters was part of former Columbia executive Frank Price 's legacy, and Puttnam had no interest in furthering that legacy while building his own. Reitman later said
6050-420: The delay in development was not Puttnam's fault; he said that executives above Puttnam at Columbia's New York branch had attempted to work around him, but could not get the production moving even after sidelining him. According to Reitman, the delay occurred because the main actors did not want to make a sequel for nearly three years; by the time they decided to go ahead, Murray was committed to his starring role in
6171-522: The dust added depth to the river while the oil created varying shapes on its surface. The river of slime in the Van Horne Pneumatic Transit station was a miniature model with a plexiglass trough 1 ft (0.30 m) wide and 10 ft (3.0 m) long. It operated in a gravity pump and was fed from a large tank 15 ft (4.6 m) above it. After reaching the end of the river, the slime fell into another tank, from which it
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#17327827873916292-616: The early 1990s, the modern pouch carrier was created in Hawaii . While the Chinese mei tai has been around in one form or another for centuries, it did not become popular in the west until it was modernized with padding and other adjustments. It first became popular and well known in mid-2003. Portable cradles, including cradleboards, baskets, and bassinets , have been used by many cultures to carry young infants. Wheeled devices are generally divided into prams, used for newborn babies in which
6413-596: The exterior of the Manhattan Museum of Art, which housed the Vigo painting. The scene of Aykroyd, Ramis, and Hudson's characters emerging from a manhole covered in slime was filmed in front of the building. When he wrote the scene, Ramis expected the production to use a manhole, but the only available underground location was a telephone conduit. Space in the hole was limited, and the actors had to squeeze into it while covered in slime. Freezing temperatures combined with
6534-547: The film overseas, and provide a contrast to the first film's climax atop a skyscraper by including a subterranean threat. This draft followed Dana Barrett, who is kidnapped and taken to Scotland, where she discovers a fairy ring —a naturally occurring ring or arc of mushrooms sometimes linked in folklore to fairies or witches—and an underground civilization. The Ghostbusters would have had to travel through an underground pneumatic tube over 2,000 miles long that would have taken three days to traverse. He eventually decided that retaining
6655-400: The film. Reitman said that upon watching the test version he realized the final 25 minutes of the film "just died a horrible death", so he spent four days filming a new 25-minute ending to replace it. The test screenings identified that audiences liked the film but felt Vigo did not present a real challenge to the Ghostbusters and that their victory was too easy. Test audiences also thought Vigo,
6776-430: The first birthday. Bound and wrapped on a cradleboard, a baby can feel safe and secure. Soft materials such as lichens , moss and shredded bark were used for cushioning and diapers. Cradleboards were either cut from flat pieces of wood or woven from flexible twigs like willow and hazel , and cushioned with soft, absorbent materials. The design of most cradleboards is a flat surface with the child wrapped tightly to it. It
6897-503: The first film, the Ghostbusters have been sued and put out of business after the destruction caused during their battle with the deity Gozer the Gozerian. When a new paranormal threat emerges, the Ghostbusters reunite to combat it and save the world. After the success of Ghostbusters , Columbia Pictures wanted a sequel but struggled to overcome objections from the cast and crew. As with the first film, Aykroyd and Ramis collaborated on
7018-667: The first reversible stroller. The bassinet was designed so it could face out or in towards the parent. He also made structural changes to the carriage. Until then the axle did not allow each wheel to move separately. Richardson's design allowed this, which increased maneuverability of the carriages. As the 1920s began, prams were now available to all families and were becoming safer, with larger wheels, brakes, deeper prams, and lower, sturdier frames. In 1965, Owen Maclaren , an aeronautical engineer, worked on complaints his daughter made about travelling from England to America with her heavy pram. Using his knowledge of aeroplanes, Maclaren designed
7139-421: The ghosts being squeezed were created using completed effect shots that were rephotographed through mylar material that could be warped to affect the underlying image. For the scene in which Nunzio carries the prosecutor upside-down from the courtroom, a stuntwoman was hung upside down on a rail. Reitman wanted her to pass through the doorway while seeing above it. Gaspar's team created a passage made of foam above
7260-548: The host of a children's party, Cheech Marin plays a dock supervisor, and Philip Baker Hall portrays the city police chief. Bobby Brown (credited as Bobby Baresford Brown), who contributed to the film's soundtrack, cameos as a doorman. Ben Stein plays a public works official for the mayor, and Louise Troy appears as a woman wearing a possessed mink fur coat. Kevin Dunn and Chloe Webb appear as, respectively, Milton Angland and Elaine, guests on Venkman's television show. After
7381-477: The infant normally lies down facing the pusher, and the strollers, which are used for the small child up to about three years old in a sitting position facing forward. William Kent developed an early stroller in 1733. In 1733, the Duke of Devonshire asked Kent to build a means of transport that would carry his children. Kent obliged by constructing a shell shaped basket on wheels that the children could sit in. This
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#17327827873917502-478: The interior of the Ghostbusters' headquarters. Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills was used for the scene in which the Ghostbusters visit the mayor at Gracie Mansion . The scene in which the Ghostbusters dig a hole to find the river of slime was filmed in downtown Los Angeles. The scene in which a fur coat comes to life and runs away was filmed on a Los Angeles street; it was written for the original film but
7623-416: The intersection where Oscar's stroller stopped and discover a river of slime running through the abandoned Beach Pneumatic Transit system. Ray obtains a sample but is attacked by the slime and accidentally breaks a pipe that falls onto a power line, causing a citywide blackout. The Ghostbusters are arrested and taken to court for the damage and for investigating the supernatural. Upon presentation as evidence,
7744-405: The liquid slime made the actors uncomfortable. The following day, they learned the cameras had been recording at the wrong speed and they would have to film the scene again. The scene of the Ghostbusters scanning the intersection where Oscar's possessed baby carriage is taken was filmed on First Avenue . Filming had moved to Los Angeles by late December 1988. Fire Station No. 23 again served as
7865-473: The longer lived and better known brands in the UK is Silver Cross , first manufactured in Hunslet , Leeds , in 1877, and later Guiseley from 1936 until 2002 when the factory closed. Silver Cross was then bought by the toy company David Halsall and Sons who relocated the head office to Skipton and expanded into a range of new, modern baby products including pushchairs and "travel systems". They continue to sell
7986-476: The manufacturer Quinny became interested in the concept and teamed up with a Belgian studio to design another model. The modern infant car seat is a relative latecomer. It is used to carry a child within a car. Such car seats are required by law in many countries to safely transport young children. In contemporary culture with four-figure systems or sleek jogging strollers common in some circles, strollers often serve as not only an infant transport device but also
8107-424: The masks to lip-sync dialog. Alongside early concepts of the ghosts walking and creating explosive ruptures with each step, most of these features were abandoned in the final film. Lawrence later said without those features the same effect could have been created with a one-third-scale puppet. The brothers' electric chairs were miniatures composited into footage of the seated, costumed actors. Distortion effects such as
8228-450: The menace and "dark nature of the evil Carpathian". As with his work on Ghostbusters , Reitman had little interest in the technical side of his film. For the sequel, he employed special effects studio Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), giving them a rough outline of the plot and the freedom to do as they wanted. Columbia had previously helped Richard Edlund found special effects company Boss Film Studios for Ghostbusters , but Reitman
8349-470: The minor details were lost in the wide shot. A scale model of the museum was created because Reitman wanted to be able to show the slime oozing from cracks and seams. Several last-minute effect shots were added due to the hectic schedule. The ghost train was intended to be a subway car, but there was no time to find a suitable model, so an antique train was used. The severed heads were sourced from multiple places; poorer quality heads were placed further away from
8470-491: The musical comedy film The Blues Brothers (1980), which starred Aykroyd and featured two brothers, one of whom was tall and thin (Tony) and the other short and fat (Nunzio). The brothers were given a cartoonish design to counter the film's scary moments. Lawrence aimed to represent the characters' evil rather than their pre-death appearances. Camilla Henneman created most of Nunzio using spandex pouches filled with gelatinous materials to make him appear impossibly fat. The costume
8591-416: The natural surroundings in which the novel takes place and the eerie mood it evokes is cited as one of the first instances of supernatural horror's being evoked in literature. In the 20th century, supernatural fiction became associated with psychological fiction . In this association, descriptions of events that occur are not explainable through the lenses of the natural world, leading to the conclusion that
8712-472: The norm and the mystery of such things is usually closely intertwined in the plot. The supernatural genre highlights supernatural creatures or happenings within the real world. Moreover, supernatural fiction also tends to focus on suspense and mystery and less on action and adventure. Occult detective fiction combines the tropes of supernatural fiction with those of detective fiction . Supernatural fiction and drama has supernatural elements blended into
8833-421: The overwhelming success of Ghostbusters . Murray was also hesitant; he had left acting for four years following the release of the previous film. He described Ghostbusters ' success as a phenomenon that would forever be his biggest accomplishment and felt "radioactive" after the failure of his personal project The Razor's Edge (1984). He chose to avoid making films until he returned for Scrooged . Murray
8954-627: The painting to confront the Ghostbusters changed completely. One of the cut scenes included a subplot in which the Ray Stantz character is possessed by Vigo following his inspection of the Vigo painting. Ray erratically drives the Ectomobile until he is freed of Vigo's control by Winston. This explained Ray's possession in the finale. Some of this footage was repurposed into a montage. There were also scenes of Louis Tully attempting to capture Slimer, which test audiences found intrusive, and Slimer
9075-424: The performances of Peter MacNicol and Rick Moranis were repeatedly singled out for praise. As the sequel to the then-highest-grossing comedy film of all time, Ghostbusters II was expected to dominate the box office. Instead, the film earned $ 215.4 million during its theatrical run compared with the original's $ 282.2 million, making it the eighth-highest-grossing film of the year . Columbia Pictures deemed it
9196-432: The person the emotion is directed towards. He felt this made the film more grounded compared with dealings with gods. He said: "Cities everywhere are dangerous. Life has become cheap. You can go to ... see a movie and get machine-gunned on the street". The story evolved far from Ramis' and Aykroyd's efforts but retained the core notion of emotions and their impact. By May 1987, Aykroyd and Ramis had been working for over
9317-701: The reader a sense of the presence of "holy" things. The author does then go on to trace this influence further into the future with the Gothic literature movement. The famous horror writer H. P. Lovecraft cites man's fear of the unknown as the origin of supernatural fiction in his essay " Supernatural Horror in Literature " (1927). He also goes on to describe the literary genre's roots in Gothic literature. The description in Wuthering Heights (1847) of
9438-421: The return of Slimer for the sequel, and they aimed to avoid contradicting the cartoon where possible; he said although the Ghostbusters have been out of work for five years, they had to act as though the cartoon's events took place after the film. According to early reports, Puttnam intended to replace the principal cast with lower-salaried actors, in part because of his disdain for Murray. Puttnam denied this in
9559-415: The role could be played by anyone so he opted to give Poha a backstory in which he is Carpathian . He developed the accent from his Czech friend and from observations at a Romanian tourist agency. MacNicol wanted to wear a black Beatles wig but the idea was rejected because many of the cast had dark hair. The character's accent was inspired by that of Meryl Streep in the film Sophie's Choice (1982). In
9680-402: The schedule tightened, ILM had nine teams working every day for four weeks to complete the expanded 180 shots, and had to outsource some of the extra work to Visual Concept Engineering, Available Light, Character Shop, and the uncredited Tippett Studio . Apogee Productions handled many of the effects for the reshoots. Methocel , a vegetable-based gel, was used to create the slime. Food coloring
9801-415: The script, Poha is not described as having an accent but MacNicol impressed Reitman with it at his audition. Max von Sydow provided the voice of Vigo; he completed his recordings in a single day. Von Homburg reportedly only learned his voice had been dubbed with von Sydow's while watching the premiere and stormed out shortly afterward. He later said his slurred voice, which was caused by a split lip, had been
9922-428: The script, which went through many variations. The pair wanted to convey a message about the consequences of negative human emotions in large cities. They settled on the idea of negative feelings creating a mass of supernatural slime beneath New York City that empowers malevolent spirits. With a budget of $ 30–40 million, filming took place between November 1988 and March 1989 in New York City and Los Angeles . Production
10043-411: The series returned to the original films with Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024). Five years after saving New York City from destruction by the shapeshifting god Gozer , the Ghostbusters have been sued for the property damage incurred and barred from investigating the supernatural, forcing them out of business. Ray Stantz now owns an occult bookstore and works
10164-474: The slime reacts to emotions and suspect it has amassed from the negative emotions of New Yorkers. Determining Vigo and the slime are connected, Egon, Ray, and Winston investigate the river of slime, but they are pulled in. They emerge at the museum and begin fighting each other until Egon realizes the slime's negative energy is influencing them. The Ghostbusters tell the mayor of their discoveries but are dismissed; his assistant Jack Hardemeyer has them committed to
10285-523: The slime sample responds physically to the judge's tirade against the Ghostbusters and then explodes, manifesting the ghosts of the Scoleri brothers, whom he had sentenced to death. The Ghostbusters capture the ghosts in exchange for a dismissal of the charges and the right to resume their business. One night, the slime invades Dana's apartment, attacking her and Oscar. She seeks refuge with Peter, and they rekindle their relationship. The Ghostbusters discover
10406-402: The slime to be the monster. A silicone bath that could be easily bent was used; from below, Tom Floutz puppeteered a tentacle made of dielectric gel and reinforced with spandex and china silk, which was covered in slime. A fiberglass maw was inserted in front of a vacuum tube that sucked the material backward when activated, revealing a mouth. An animated tongue was added later. The RMS Titanic
10527-475: The slime's current was filmed against a blue screen so he would appear in the river; his motion in the river had to be animated by hand against the river's natural movements. The returning Slimer ghost was redeveloped to be more child-friendly like his popular The Real Ghostbusters incarnation. His face, which was controlled with wires and cables in Ghostbusters , was now controlled by servo motors and had
10648-461: The slime, and the associated ghosts were not sufficiently connected. According to Gross, the audiences were not aware that the slime in the film could be charged by negative or positive emotions, so scenes were added to better explain this. Extensive re-shoots were conducted throughout March and April 1989, only two months before the film's release; these included on-location filming in New York. Ghostbusters II had been scheduled for release on
10769-413: The slime, which explained how they learned to manipulate it to control the Statue of Liberty. A ghost was also removed from the sequence in which the slime causes ghosts to rise across New York because Reitman felt it was not creepy enough. Ray Parker Jr. helped develop an updated version of his hit song " Ghostbusters ", which was co-written and performed by hip hop group Run-DMC . Aiming to replicate
10890-496: The success of Ghostbusters , a sequel was considered inevitable even though the film had been developed as a stand-alone project. The development of Ghostbusters II was arduous, and the behind-the-scenes conflicts were given as much coverage in the press as the film. When David Puttnam became chairman of Columbia Pictures in June 1986, he was not interested in developing an expensive sequel, and favored smaller films such as
11011-513: The success of the original soundtrack, producer Peter Afterman wanted to hire Bobby Brown who had a recent succession of hit songs. To secure Brown's involvement, Afterman offered Brown's music label, MCA Records , the rights to the Ghostbusters II soundtrack . Brown agreed in exchange for a role in the film. Filming had nearly concluded at that time, but Reitman wrote Brown a cameo as the mayor's doorman. The resulting song, " On Our Own ",
11132-507: The supernatural is the only possible explanation for what has been described. A classic example of this would be The Turn of the Screw (1898) by Henry James , which offers both a supernatural and a psychological interpretation of the events described. In this example, ambiguity adds to the effects of both the supernatural and the psychological. A similar example is Charlotte Perkins Gilman 's story " The Yellow Wallpaper ". Supernatural film
11253-513: The tentacle would appear to be grabbing at Aykroyd. The Van Horne scene combined the miniature river, matte paintings of the station, and a practical set for stairs leading to a tunnel. The scene in which Aykroyd, Ramis, and Hudson fall into the river was considered one of the most difficult effects to achieve; the actors were filmed falling from the Van Horne set, which was composited with the miniature river. Hudson's character being dragged away by
11374-527: The time of the Pharaohs , and have been used in many indigenous cultures. One of the earliest European artworks showing baby wearing is a fresco by Giotto painted in around 1306 AD, which depicts Mary carrying Jesus in a sling. Baby wearing in a sling was well known in Europe in medieval times, but was mainly seen as a practice of marginalised groups such as beggars and Romani people . A cradleboard
11495-476: The time, Murray reportedly wanted $ 10 million to star in the sequel and his co-stars demanded an equal amount. The main obstacle was the disputes between the principal cast and crew that had arisen since Ghostbusters . Ramis later said "there was a little air to clear" before they could work together. In March 1988, Ovitz arranged a private lunch for himself, Murray, Aykroyd, Ramis, Reitman, and Ovitz's colleague, CAA head of business affairs Ray Kurtzman, at Jimmy's,
11616-529: The traditional Silver Cross coach prams which are manufactured at a factory in Bingley in Yorkshire. Since the 1980s, the stroller industry has developed with new features, safer construction and more accessories. Larger and heavier prams, or perambulators, had been used since their introduction in the Victorian era ; prams were also used for infants, often sitting up. The term carrycot became more common in
11737-512: The unfinished script. Puttnam was removed from his job in September. This was in part because he had alienated Murray and his talent agent Michael Ovitz. Puttnam had publicly criticized Murray as "an actor who makes millions of dollars from Hollywood without giving back to his art. He's a taker". He also attacked expensive talent agency packages that provided scripts, directors, and stars; Ovitz also represented Aykroyd, Ramis, and Reitman. Puttnam
11858-447: Was achieved using four coats with parts controlled with servo motors. ILM considered using live animals for the segment but abandoned the idea. The concept for the physical form of the central villain Vigo went through many changes, including a plan to transform him into a large monstrosity. There was difficulty determining how Vigo would interact outside his painting. Vigo was intended to have heavier creature makeup, but after Von Homburg
11979-415: Was added; the colors included green (to match Slimer) and blue. Physical effects supervisor Chuck Gaspar mocked up differently colored batches, and Reitman settled on pink. The film required approximately 100,000 U.S. gallons (380,000 liters) of slime. Four cement mixers were kept on-site to mix fresh batches daily because it deteriorated quickly. Mica dust and mineral oil were added for the river of slime;
12100-564: Was also currently prevalent. There was a need for people to see real ghosts and experience them vicariously through the writings of fiction. S. L. Varnado argues in Haunted Presence: The Numinous in Gothic Fiction that the beginning of an interest in the supernatural comes from humanity's craving for the experience of the divine , so that even the old mythological tales of the knights of King Arthur give
12221-430: Was also dismissive of sequels in general, believing they exist only for "greed" or "business" reasons, the latter of which he said should carry a death sentence. He said he returned for the sequel because "working on the first Ghostbusters was the most fun any of us had". The character of Janosz Poha, portrayed by Peter MacNicol, was originally called Jason and serves as a straight man to the Ghostbusters. MacNicol said
12342-440: Was cast, his distinctive look meant the extra makeup was largely unnecessary. Supernatural fiction In its broadest definition, supernatural fiction overlaps with examples of weird fiction , horror fiction , vampire literature , ghost story , and fantasy . Elements of supernatural fiction can be found in writing from the genre of science fiction . Amongst academics, readers and collectors, however, supernatural fiction
12463-713: Was conceived early in their collaboration. Ramis wanted the slime beneath New York to present a moral issue caused by the buildup of negative human emotions in large cities; he considered it a metaphor for urban decay and a call to deliver a human solution, though he said this was buried deeply in the script. The pair wanted negative emotions to have consequences and found humor in New York City having to be nice or face destruction, though at this point they did not know what form that destruction would take. Ramis said: "Comedically, it suggested, what if everyone in New York City had to be nice for forty-eight hours?" Aykroyd said they wanted to show negativity has to go somewhere, potentially into
12584-448: Was dismissed as unoriginal—billboard figures, animated gargoyles, a phantom taxi, and Santa Claus . A possessed item in the apartment was also considered; this idea inspired the possessed bathtub. MacNicol wore drag as the nanny for closeups and a puppet was used for wide shots. The ghost's extending arm was made from stretchable plastic tubing covered in fabric. Welch built the exterior walls and ledge of Venkman's apartment to scale; it
12705-559: Was done in Washington Square Park , which was used for the monster moving under the Washington Square Arch . The popularity of the film was evident at that time when thousands of people arrived after hearing Ghostbusters II was being filmed there. They took part in filming, screaming on cue and running to escape the monster. The film's final battle with Vigo was reshot, and the way that Vigo left
12826-417: Was fed back to the upper tank. Air injectors and puppeteered baffles were used to create bubbles and manipulate the slime to flow as though something was moving beneath the surface. Small slime tentacles were created using vinyl-covered sticks operated from below. The large tentacle was plastic and was filmed against a blue screen as it fell away from a stand-in's boot. The footage was then played in reverse so
12947-488: Was filmed at the Tunnel night club in New York. It was added to create a sense of an unseen force trying to keep the Ghostbusters away. Medjuck noted that the added scenes did not require extensive special effects. Cheech Marin's cameo as a dock supervisor was also added in this period. The additional content replaced some scenes and subplots that were far into completion and contained finished special effects. Further shooting
13068-404: Was not used and repurposed for Ghostbusters II . Filming concluded on March 7, 1989. Medjuck noted that characters are often seen smoking in Ghostbusters but a societal change in the intervening years meant this was no longer acceptable; Ghostbusters II depicts fewer scenes including smoking. Following test screenings , the principal crew realized there were numerous issues with
13189-403: Was one of Edelman's first experiences working with a large scale orchestra. Although familiar with Ghostbusters , he chose not to re-watch it for inspiration so the sequel would have a unique sound. Edelman believed the distinct personalities of the existing characters meant they rarely needed a musical accompaniment, and instead focused on scoring the supernatural and action setpieces to represent
13310-620: Was one of the first shots ILM completed; they wanted a powerful image for the scene and considered using the Hindenburg airship complete with flaming passengers and luggage, a subway train carrying rotting passengers, and a graveyard with exploding headstones. A miniature model of the Titanic with slightly modified aspects was used instead; the position of the ship's name was altered to make it clearly identifiable. Extras were filmed wearing period costume, seaweed, and dripping water but many of
13431-560: Was originally hired to provide 110 effects shots but this grew to 180. ILM was also working on special effects for other 1989 releases; Back to the Future Part II , Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade , and The Abyss , but had the most difficulty with Ghostbusters II because designs and concepts were constantly changing and new scenes were being added. ILM eventually refused to accept any further alterations. As
13552-432: Was originally written as a weapon for Vigo but this idea did not progress the narrative. The effect was a combination of a costume worn by Fye, miniatures, and larger-than-life-size elements like the statue's crown— which in reality was too small to let the Ghostbusters peer out. The crown was mounted on a gimbal , allowing it to be pivoted as though its wearer was walking. Reitman ordered the crown be tilted down further than
13673-403: Was positioned 10 ft (3.0 m) in the air. The ledge was superimposed over a matte painting of the full building. The infant actor was secured in a rig that helped him to stand up before his abduction. The possessed bathtub started as a bubble-bath monster that would appear to have thousands of eyes in each bubble; it is destroyed when Dana drops her hairdryer into the bath. Reitman preferred
13794-528: Was reduced to two appearances. Gross said they retained some Slimer scenes for children but that audiences generally had no reaction to the character, which was not what they had expected. Because the sequence in which Tully's cousin frees the Ghostbusters from the psychiatric hospital was removed, a scene showing a paranormal eclipse from the Mayor's office was added to explain the Mayor securing their release. Other removed scenes showed Ray and Egon experimenting with
13915-407: Was replaced as Columbia president by Dawn Steel . When she took the job, her corporate bosses made it clear that getting the sequel into production was a priority. Columbia had experienced a long series of box-office failures since Ghostbusters , and Ghostbusters II was seen as the best way to reverse their fortunes. By November, filming was scheduled to begin in summer the following year. At
14036-405: Was reported to be between $ 30 million and $ 40 million. Filming in New York lasted approximately two weeks and consisted mostly of exterior shoots. The city authorities were supportive of the project and even granted the crew permission to film on Manhattan 's Second Avenue during a period in which access for forty city blocks was restricted because of the visit of Mikhail Gorbachev , leader of
14157-412: Was reported to be unhappy with their work. Edlund's former ILM co-worker Dennis Muren served as the visual effects supervisor. Despite the film's intentionally rushed schedule, Muren wanted to work on the film because it would let him design new creatures. Muren admitted that his designs would not be as original as Ghostbusters ' , and instead wanted to make them more flexible and "ghostly". The team
14278-534: Was richly decorated and meant to be pulled by a goat or small pony. Benjamin Potter Crandall sold baby carriages in the US in the 1830s which have been described as the "first baby carriages manufactured in the US" Another early development was F.A. Whitney Carriage Company . His son, Jesse Armour Crandall was issued a number of patents for improvements and additions to the standard models. These included adding
14399-468: Was rushed and large sections of the film were scrapped after poorly received test screenings. New scenes were written and filmed during re-shoots between March and April 1989, only two months before its release. Ghostbusters II was released on June 16, 1989, to generally negative reviews. Critics responded unfavorably to what they perceived as largely a copy of the original and a softening of its cynical, dark humor to be more family-friendly, although
14520-497: Was worn by Lawrence. The impossibly thin Tony was designed as a life-size puppet but Muren thought this approach would impact the filming schedule. Tony was reworked as a costume that was worn by actor Jim Fye; it was given elongated appendages to appear unnaturally thin. The ghosts' faces were articulated with motors and pneumatics created by mechanical animator Al Coulter and his team. Lawrence also developed an animation system to allow
14641-430: Was written by L.A. Reid , Babyface , and Daryl Simmons . The music video features appearances by Iman , Jane Curtin , Doug E. Fresh , Christopher Reeve , Malcolm Forbes , Rick Moranis, Donald Trump , and Marky and Joey Ramone . Brown also worked alone to write and produce "We're Back". Other songs on the soundtrack include "Flip City" by Glenn Frey , "Spirit" by Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew, and "Love
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