Misplaced Pages

#258741

147-462: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) instead features a similar ghost named "Muncher". During the pre-production of Ghostbusters , Ivan Reitman remarked Slimer was sort of like Bluto in the film Animal House , like the ghost of John Belushi . Special effects artist Steve Johnson sculpted the gluttonous , slimy, green ghost then known only as the "Onion Head ghost" on set due to the puppet 's unpleasant smell. Now commonly known as "Slimer", it

294-487: A New Jersey gas station. Their initial draft was completed when they left the Vineyard in mid-July 1983, and a third and near-final draft was ready by early August. When Murray flew to New York after filming The Razor's Edge (1984) to meet Aykroyd and Ramis, he offered little input on the script or his character. Having written for Murray multiple times, Ramis said he knew "how to handle his character's voice". It

441-622: A bus , and in The Real Ghostbusters , showing compassion from Ray Stantz , and kissing Janine , though always annoying and teasing Peter Venkman (who sometimes nicknames him "Spud"). The 2016 reboot features a different incarnation of Slimer, who savages a hot dog cart and, after an attack by the Ghostbusters, steals the Ecto-1 to go on a joyride with his girlfriend, Lady Slimer, and other ghosts. His origins were told by

588-483: A flashbulb at the tip, giving animators an origin point for the proton streams. Fake walls laced with pyrotechnics were used to practically create the damage of the proton streams. The "Psychokinetic Energy meter" ("PKE meter") prop was built using an Iona SP-1 handheld shoe polisher as a base, to which lights and electronics were affixed. The PKE meter prop was designed and built by John Zabrucky of Modern Props in partnership with an outside fabricator. The technology

735-426: A restaurant waiter that got his order incorrect, resulting in his imprisonment and execution . After his death , the Ghostbusters encounter him haunting the same restaurant , but due to the experimental nature of their equipment, they inadvertently disfigure him, destroying his legs and turning him green, before he escapes. In Erik Burnham's Tobin's Spirit Guide , it is believed by the Ghostbusters that Slimer

882-418: A 1985 interview Bernstein described Ghostbusters as the most difficult score he had written, finding it challenging to balance the varying comedic and serious tones. He created an "antic" theme for the Ghostbusters he described as "cute, without being really way out". He found the latter parts of the film easier to score, aiming to make it sound "awesome and mystical". Early on Reitman and Bernstein discussed

1029-403: A Gozer-worshipping cult in the early 20th century, designed Dana's building to function as an antenna to attract and concentrate spiritual energy to summon Gozer and bring about the apocalypse. Faced with supernatural chaos across the city, the Ghostbusters convince the mayor to release them. The Ghostbusters travel to a hidden temple located on top of the building as Dana/Zuul and Louis/Vinz open

1176-405: A burst hydrant hit by a remote-controlled car was actually sand as the water did not scale down. The "marshmallow" raining down on the crowd after it is destroyed was shaving cream. After seeing the intended 150 pounds (68 kg) of shaving cream to be used, Atherton insisted on testing it. The weight knocked a stuntman down, and they ended up using only 75 pounds (34 kg). The cream acted as

1323-413: A design due to executive interference, Johnson took at least three grams of cocaine and completed the final design in one night, based in part on Aykroyd's and Ramis's wish for the creature to homage Belushi. The full-size foam rubber puppet was worn by Mark Wilson and filmed against a black background. Puppeteers manipulated the model's movements with cables. Aykroyd tasked his friend, referred to as

1470-581: A dog named Bruiser, and two ghosts named Goolem and Zugg. After the dissolution of the Ghostbusters, Slimer stayed with Egon Spengler as he watched over the Containment Unit in the Ghostbusters Firehouse. In 1997, when there was a sudden surge in supernatural activity, Slimer flew to Egon's class to inform him of the bad news. After the formation of the "Extreme Ghostbusters", Slimer joined them in their cases. Slimer's appearance

1617-399: A driver through his limo window. When angry citizens asked Medjuck what was being filmed, he blamed Francis Ford Coppola filming The Cotton Club (1984). Aykroyd encountered science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov , a man he admired, who complained, "You guys are inconveniencing this building, it's just awful; I don't know how they got away with this!" Directly next to 55 Central Park West is

SECTION 10

#1732782620259

1764-543: A family fleeing Dana's building, but the scene was cut because Jason was too scared by the setup to perform a second take. Principal photography began in New York City on October 28, 1983. On the first day, Reitman brought Murray to the set, still unsure if he had read the script. Filming in New York lasted for approximately six weeks, finishing just before Christmas. Reitman was conscious they had to complete

1911-608: A female "Lady Slimer" character with red lipstick and a bow tie in her blonde hair (voiced by Ghostbusters II's Slimer suit puppeteer Robin Shelby). The Ghostbusters later cause both Slimers to crash the Ecto-1 into the portal to cause "Total Protonic Reversal" and close the portal. Slimer's role as the first ghost the Ghostbusters busted was fulfilled by a gargoyle-like spirit, Mayhem, at the Stonebrook Theatre. It even has

2058-572: A fiberglass shell with an aluminum backplate bolted to a United States Army backpack frame . Each pack weighed approximately 30 pounds (14 kg) with the batteries for lighting installed, and strained the actors' backs during the long shoots. Two lighter versions were made; a hollow one with surface details for wide shots, and a foam rubber version for action scenes. The fiberglass props were created by special effects supervisor Chuck Gaspar , based on Dane's design. Gaspar used rubber molds to create identical fiberglass shells. The "neutrino wand" had

2205-427: A full capture. Ray Stantz attempted to hold Slimer by himself, but the ghost escaped through a wall, charged at Peter Venkman , and covered him in ectoplasmic residue . Slimer fled into the hotel's Alhambra Ballroom, where the Ghostbusters successfully caught and trapped him after causing extensive property damage . Stantz loaded him into the team's storage facility as a demonstration for Winston Zeddemore after

2352-489: A ghost at the New York Public Library , the university dean dismisses the credibility of their paranormal -focused research and fires them. The trio responds by establishing "Ghostbusters", a paranormal investigation and elimination service operating out of a disused firehouse. They develop high-tech nuclear-powered equipment to capture and contain ghosts, although business is initially slow. Following

2499-559: A ghost-catching business in New York City . It also stars Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis , and features Annie Potts , Ernie Hudson , and William Atherton in supporting roles. Based on his fascination with spirituality, Aykroyd conceived Ghostbusters as a project starring himself and John Belushi , in which they would venture through time and space battling supernatural threats. Following Belushi's death in 1982, and with Aykroyd's concept deemed financially impractical, Ramis

2646-451: A green glow coming from a hot dog stand, and find Slimer inside. Slimer promptly hijacks the Ecto-1 and rides off. The Ghostbusters are unable to stop him. Slimer is later seen driving the Ecto-1 around New York City and several of his ghostly friends. While the original Slimer was created as an androgynous blob with no gender-defining characteristics, Ghostbusters: Answer the Call introduces

2793-403: A handheld proton stream firing "neutrino wand" connected by a hose to a backpack said to contain a nuclear accelerator. Dane said he "went home and got foam pieces and just threw a bunch of stuff together to get the look. It was highly machined, but it had to look off-the-shelf and military surplus". Following Reitman's tweaks to the design, on-screen models of the "proton packs" were made from

2940-540: A harness to move around the set. Hardware consultant Stephen Dane was responsible for designing most of the Ghostbusters' iconic equipment, including the "proton packs" used to wrangle ghosts, ghost traps, and their vehicle, the Ectomobile . The equipment had to be designed and built in the six weeks before filming began in September 1983. Inspired by a military issue flamethrower , the "proton packs" consisted of

3087-440: A home there, and they worked day and night in his basement for about two weeks. Aykroyd was willing to rework his script; he considered himself a " kitchen sink " writer who created the funny situations and paranormal jargon, while Ramis refined the jokes and dialogue. They wrote separately, then rewrote each other's drafts. Many scenes had to be cut, including an asylum haunted by celebrities, and an illegal ghost-storage facility in

SECTION 20

#1732782620259

3234-676: A job working with effects creator Rob Bottin . Johnson's first job was with four-time Oscar -winner Greg Cannom on The Galactic Connection , though the film was not released. He then worked on The Howling (1981) and two other films with Rob Bottin, after which Rick Baker hired Johnson as a member of the special makeup effects crew for the John Landis blockbuster, An American Werewolf in London (1981). In 1982, Johnson worked on Ivan Reitman 's new project, Ghostbusters , where he created "Slimer", which he based on John Belushi and

3381-404: A love interest for Aykroyd. Ramis believed it was extraneous to the fast-moving plot, however, so Reitman used the footage as a dream sequence during the mid-film montage instead. Editor Sheldon Kahn sent Reitman black-and-white reels of sequences during filming. They not only allowed him to make changes, but he considered they also helped him understand how to better pace the film. Kahn completed

3528-456: A new skullcap. The Slimer shoot was finished close to the first day of shooting. Michael Gross was on hand to push the crew to keep Slimer subtle and reduce any complicated approaches to moving him. Slimer's segments were deemed intrusive by preview audiences. During editing, Ivan Reitman decided to limit Slimer's role even though all scripted scenes were filmed and completed. Ultimately, Slimer's scenes were trimmed to two brief shots plus one during

3675-531: A paranormal encounter in her apartment, cellist Dana Barrett visits the Ghostbusters. She recounts witnessing a demonic dog-like creature in her refrigerator utter a single word: "Zuul". Ray and Egon research Zuul and details of Dana's building while Peter inspects her apartment and unsuccessfully attempts to seduce her. The Ghostbusters are hired to remove a gluttonous ghost from the Sedgewick Hotel. Having failed to properly test their equipment, Egon warns

3822-564: A playable character in Lego Dimensions , packaged with the "Slime Shooter" vehicle, with Frank Welker reprising his voice role. He makes cameo appearances in the main campaign, causing trouble for the heroes, while a bonus level adapting the first film recreates his original encounter with the Ghostbusters in the Sedgewick Hotel. He also appears as a quest-giver in the Ghostbusters adventure world. He appears once again as part of

3969-408: A result, the hotel was able to keep a lid on the supernatural problems for a while. For some reason, Gozer's approaching time of arrival provoked Slimer (and many other ghosts) into being much more active than usual. Eventually, the staff could no longer keep the ghost a secret and called the Ghostbusters. However, the team had not yet fully tested their equipment and were not completely prepared for

4116-467: A ride to the Manhattan Museum of Art (to which Louis wonders how he got a license to drive a bus ). Slimer appears in the 2016 film Ghostbusters: Answer the Call , voiced by Adam Ray and puppeteered by Ronald Binion (who fit into the character suit) and Rick Lazzarini (who operated his facial controls). After Rowan North unleashes an army of ghosts upon New York City , the Ghostbusters see

4263-410: A scene, they're going to approve that scene, and we're going to spend nine months doing that cut. There's no second takes, no outtakes, there's no coverage. You can cut stuff, but you can't add stuff. It made [Reitman] so confined that it really bothered him". A deleted scene involved a segment at "Fort Detmerring" where Ray has a sexual encounter with a female ghost. The scene was intended to introduce

4410-461: A seductive ghost in Ray's dreams. Roger Grimsby , Larry King , Joe Franklin , and Casey Kasem make cameo appearances as themselves; Kasem in a voice-only role. In addition, Kasem's wife, Jean , appears as the tall guest at Louis' party; along with Debbie Gibson and porn star Ron Jeremy . Director Ivan Reitman provided the voice to Slimer and other miscellaneous ghost voices. Ghostbusters

4557-436: A separate air supply due to the foam's toxicity. There were three different heads for the suit, built from foam and fiberglass, with different expressions and movements controlled by cable mechanisms. The costume was filmed against scale models to finish the effect. The effects team was able to find only one model of a police car at the correct scale and bought several, modifying them to represent different vehicles. The water from

Slimer - Misplaced Pages Continue

4704-479: A short called Everloving , which played as part of the Brooklyn Film Festival. In 2017 Johnson published the first volume in his five volume series "Rubberhead," which chronicles his career in special effects. Volume 1 was critically acclaimed and features hundreds of photographs from Johnson's thirty plus year career. Volume 1 also features a foreword by acclaimed filmmaker John Landis . For

4851-539: A skin irritant after hours of filming, giving some of the cast rashes. Johnson also sculpted the Zombie Cab Driver puppet. It was the only puppet shot on location in New York City. Johnson based it on a reanimated corpse puppet he had made for An American Werewolf in London (1981). Johnson and Wilson collaborated on the Library Ghost, creating a puppet operated by up to 20 cables running through

4998-499: A special effects book and biography called Rubberhead: Sex, Drugs and Special FX on Kickstarter.com. The first of a planned 5 volumes. Johnson has worked on the following films: WARNING, December 2017: Apparently there are no works by this Steve Johnson in the Library of Congress (LC) catalog (that is, for LCCN below), where "Johnson, Steve, 1960–" and "Johnson, Steve, 1960 June 14–" are two others born 1960. This effects artist

5145-471: A team of puppeteers . Smaller, egg-size models were made for less animated movements like flying around the ceiling of the Sedgewick Hotel ballroom. The full-size Slimer puppet was performed by Mark Bryan Wilson, who wore the foam rubber suit reinforced with spandex while being filmed against a black background. As Wilson's movement was restricted by the puppet's cables, the camera was moved around him to simulate movement. Wilson worked with oversized props so

5292-407: A video for ShoWest , a theater-owner convention, to promote the film. Columbia spent approximately $ 10   million on marketing, including $ 2.25   million on prints, $ 1   million on promotional materials, and $ 7   million on advertising and miscellaneous costs including a $ 150,000 premiere for a hospital and the hotel costs for the press. Including the budget and marketing costs, it

5439-493: Is also an instructor at the Stan Winston School of Character Arts . On May 1, 2015, the documentary, The Death of "Superman Lives": What Happened? directed by Jon Schnepp, about Tim Burton's canceled film Superman Lives was released. Johnson was featured in the documentary, as he was a principal special effects artist on the film working primarily on Superman's "light up" regeneration suit. In 2016, promoted

5586-524: Is an American special effects artist whose career has spanned more than thirty years. His work has appeared in over 200 films , countless television shows , theme parks , commercials , and music videos . Some of his best-known creations include Slimer for Ghostbusters (1984), the alien seductress Sil for Species (1995), Robin Williams 's robotics for Bicentennial Man (1999), and Doctor Octopus 's arms for Spider-Man 2 (2004). Johnson

5733-598: Is brought to Egon by police officers and claims he is "Vinz Clortho, the Keymaster". The Ghostbusters agree they must keep the pair separated. Peck returns with law enforcement and city workers to have the Ghostbusters arrested and their containment unit deactivated, causing an explosion that releases the captured ghosts. Louis/Vinz escapes in the confusion and makes his way to the apartment building to join Dana/Zuul. In jail, Ray and Egon reveal that Ivo Shandor , leader of

5880-522: Is how he often worked. Aykroyd pitched his concept to Brillstein as three men who chase ghosts and included a sketch of the Marshmallow Man character he had imagined. He likened the Ghostbusters to pest-control workers, saying that "calling a Ghostbuster was just like getting rats removed". Aykroyd believed Ivan Reitman was the logical choice to direct, based on his successes with films such as Animal House (1978) and Stripes (1981). Reitman

6027-492: Is placed back into a working Paranormal Containment Research Tank when the team returns from Times Square. When Ivo Shandor and his Gozarian cultists shut down the containment grid, Slimer is among the escapees. After the Ghostbusters destroy Shandor and return to the physical plane, Slimer slimes Ilyssa Selwyn just as she and Peter are about to kiss in Central Park. In the stylized version of the game, Slimer flies around, on

Slimer - Misplaced Pages Continue

6174-408: Is too big, make his nose smaller ... Make him more cartoony, make him less cartoony." The day before his deadline, Johnson learned Aykroyd and Ramis had wanted Slimer to be an homage to John Belushi 's likeness. With that information and a series of Belushi headshots, Johnson took at least three grams of cocaine and believed that Belushi's ghost was visiting him to provide encouragement. It

6321-541: Is up in the top ten on the charts". Music was required for a montage in the middle of the film, and " I Want a New Drug " by Huey Lewis and the News was used as a temporary placeholder because of its appropriate tempo. Reitman was later introduced to Parker Jr. who developed "Ghostbusters" with a similar riff to match the montage. There were approximately 50 to 60 different theme songs developed for Ghostbusters by different artists before Parker Jr.'s involvement, though none

6468-414: The Ghostbusters (2016) Story Pack, recreating his role in the events of the rebooted film's story. Ghostbusters Ghostbusters is a 1984 American supernatural comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis . It stars Bill Murray , Aykroyd, and Ramis as Peter Venkman , Ray Stantz , and Egon Spengler , three eccentric parapsychologists who start

6615-951: The Holy Trinity Lutheran Church , which is stepped on by the Marshmallow Man. Other locations included New York City Hall , the New York Public Library main branch, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts , Columbus Circle , the Irving Trust Bank on Fifth Avenue , and Tavern on the Green . Firehouse, Hook & Ladder Company 8 in the Tribeca neighborhood was used as the Ghostbusters' headquarters. Columbia University allowed its Havemeyer Hall to stand in for

6762-475: The Marvel UK comic book The Real Ghostbusters #22, though it is non canonical to the film series and the animated television series. It is explained that he was King Remils ("Slimer" backwards), an obese king who died of heart failure , while a deleted scene from the 2016 Ghostbusters film was meant to expand on Slimer's rebooted continuity origins: when he was alive, Slimer was a gangster who killed

6909-471: The Yale School of Drama , and began walking on all fours and howling like a dog during her audition. It was her suggestion for Dana to become possessed by Zuul; Reitman said this solved problems with the last act by giving the characters personal stakes in the events. Weaver also changed Dana's occupation from a model to a musician, saying that Dana can be somewhat strict, but has a soul because she plays

7056-405: The animated version of Slimer be incorporated into the movie. Tim Lawrence and Thom Enriquez worked on a new design. Meanwhile, Bobby Porter was called in to portray Slimer. Some of the technology and techniques used for Nunzio Scoleri were used for Slimer – the divided head construct, pneumatic jaws, SNARK, and a fat suit – a departure from the first movie where he was hand puppeteered. Then Slimer

7203-469: The second-highest-grossing film of 1984 in the United States and Canada , and the then-highest-grossing comedy ever. It was the number-one film in theaters for seven consecutive weeks and one of only four films to gross more than $ 100 million that year. Further theatrical releases have increased the total gross to around $ 295.2 million, making it one of the most successful comedy films of

7350-476: The "librarian ghost". In 1982, he and visual effects artist Randall William Cook were brought in by Richard Edlund to create and run the special makeup effects studio at Boss Films , where they created characters for films like Poltergeist II (1986), Fright Night (1985), and Big Trouble in Little China (1986). Johnson started his own effects company in 1986 called "Steve Johnson's XFX." It

7497-706: The 1980s. In 2015, the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry . Its theme song, " Ghostbusters " by Ray Parker Jr. , was also a number-one hit. With its effect on popular culture, and a dedicated fan following, the success of Ghostbusters launched a multi-billion dollar multimedia franchise . This included the popular animated television series The Real Ghostbusters (1986), its follow-up Extreme Ghostbusters (1997), video games , board games, comic books , clothing, music, and haunted attractions . Ghostbusters

SECTION 50

#1732782620259

7644-988: The American Society for Psychical Research , which gave him the idea of trapping ghosts. He was also drawn to the idea of modernizing the comedic ghost films of the mid-20th century by comics such as Abbott and Costello ( Hold That Ghost , 1941), Bob Hope ( The Ghost Breakers , 1940) and the Bowery Boys ( Ghost Chasers , 1951). Aykroyd wrote the script, intending to star alongside Eddie Murphy and his close friend and fellow Saturday Night Live ( SNL ) alumnus John Belushi , before Belushi's accidental death in March 1982. Aykroyd recalled writing one of Belushi's lines when producer and talent agent Bernie Brillstein called to inform him of Belushi's death. He turned to another former SNL castmate, Bill Murray, who agreed to join without an explicit agreement, which

7791-470: The Ectomobile. According to Aykroyd, the actual vehicle was "an ambulance that we converted to a hearse and then converted to an ambulance". Early concepts featured a black car with purple and white strobe lights giving it a supernatural glow, but this idea was scrapped after cinematographer László Kovács noted that dark paint would not film well at night. The concept also had fantastic features such as

7938-481: The Ghostbusters were attacked by their ghostly Doppelgängers , Slimer distracted the entities long enough for them to be drained of their energy. The Ghostbusters were then able to overpower and trap them. The Ghostbusters agreed to adopt Slimer from then on. For an official statement to the press given by Venkman, Slimer is allowed to freely roam for "scientific research being conducted". In 1988, Slimer got his own cartoon series primarily aimed at young children. Unlike

8085-537: The Marshmallow Man because of its deviation from the realism of the rest of the film. Reitman recalled that approximately 200 people were recruited off the streets to view the film in a theater on the Burbank lot. It was during the opening library scene Reitman knew the film worked. Audiences reacted with fear, laughs, and applause as the Librarian Ghost transformed into a monster. The fateful Marshmallow scene

8232-431: The New York phase before they encountered inhospitable December weather. At the time, choosing to shoot in New York City was considered risky. In the early 1980s, many saw the city as synonymous with fiscal disaster and violence , and Los Angeles was seen as the center of the entertainment industry. In a 2014 interview, Reitman said he chose New York because "I wanted the film to be   ... my New York movie". As Reitman

8379-463: The Sedgewick Hotel manager, and Slavitza Jovan as Gozer (voiced by Paddi Edwards ). It also features astrologist Ruth Hale Oliver as the Library Ghost, Alice Drummond as the Librarian, Jennifer Runyon and Steven Tash as Peter's psychological test subjects, Timothy Carhart as a violinist, and Reginald VelJohnson as a corrections officer. Playboy Playmate Kymberly Herrin appears as

8526-464: The Sloth Ghost was recaptured, the Ghostbusters headed to the Sedgewick Hotel on Ray's hunch Slimer would return to his old haunt. Sure enough, Slimer was found by Ray, Peter, and Rookie eating and drinking off someone's tray in front of Room 1218. The rookie took a shot but Slimer ran for it and tried to hide. Rookie roused him out and Slimer flew off towards the elevators where he descended back to

8673-625: The Viking, with designing the Marshmallow Man, asking for a combination of the Michelin Man and the Pillsbury Doughboy in a sailor hat. The Marshmallow Man outfit was built and portrayed by actor and special effects artist Bill Bryan, who modeled his walk on Godzilla . There were eighteen foam suits, each costing between $ 25,000 and $ 30,000; seventeen of them, worn by stuntman Tommy Cesar, were burned as part of filming. Bryan used

8820-685: The XFX and Edge FX years, Johnson also worked on two Stephen King mini-series : The Stand (1994) and The Shining (1997), for which he won Emmy Awards . In addition, his company did four seasons of the TV show Outer Limits , three seasons of Stargate SG-1 , and ultimately opened a studio in Vancouver called Pacific Effects Group. He also created earth-shattering illusions for several seasons of magician Criss Angel ’s A&E television show, Mindfreak . In 2003, Johnson wrote, produced, and directed

8967-502: The ability to dematerialize and travel inter-dimensionally. Two vehicles were purchased, one for the pre-modification scenes. Dane designed its high-tech roof array with objects including a directional antenna, an air-conditioning unit, storage boxes and a radome . Because of its size, the roof rack was shipped to Manhattan on an airplane, while the car was transported to the East Coast by train. Sound designer Richard Beggs created

SECTION 60

#1732782620259

9114-425: The backdrop. The set was built three stories off the ground to allow for filming from low angles. The first three floors and street-front of Dana's building were recreated as sets for filming, including the climactic earthquake scene where hydraulics were used to raise broken parts of the street. Broken pieces of pavement and the road were positioned outside the real location to create a seamless transition between

9261-463: The cards into the air. These had to be collected and reassembled for each take. Reitman used a multi-camera setup to focus on the librarian and the cards flying around her and a wider overall shot. The floating books were hung on strings. Randy Cook was responsible for creating the quarter-scale stop-motion puppets of Gozer's minions Zuul and Vinz, the Terror Dogs, when in motion. The model

9408-430: The cartoon series was produced, and in response to the name much given to the character by audiences, the writers renamed the green ghost "Slimer", and the name stuck on all subsequent Ghostbusters properties , including Ghostbusters II and Ghostbusters: Answer the Call , despite the character never actually being referred to as Slimer within either film. Although Slimer was referred to as "The Green Ghost" early in

9555-515: The cello. John Candy was offered the role of Louis Tully. He told Reitman he did not understand the character and suggested portraying Tully with a German accent and multiple German Shepherds , but the filmmakers felt there were already enough dogs in the film. Candy chose not to pursue the role. Reitman had previously worked with Rick Moranis and sent him the script. He accepted the role an hour later. Moranis developed many aspects of his character, including making him an accountant, and ad-libbed

9702-463: The city. Against his earlier advice, Egon instructs the team to cross their proton energy streams at the dimensional gate. The resulting explosion destroys Gozer's avatar, banishing it back to its dimension, and closes the gateway. The Ghostbusters rescue Dana and Louis from the wreckage and are welcomed on the street as heroes. In addition to the main cast, Ghostbusters features David Margulies as Lenny Clotch, Mayor of New York , Michael Ensign as

9849-510: The climax of the movie, after the Possessor tries and fails to kill Trevor using Lucky Domingo's proton pack , it flees and takes possession of a pizza; Slimer quickly appears and devours it, accidentally ending that threat. In the film, Slimer, puppeteered by Kevin Mangold , is exactly as he appeared in Ghostbusters (1984) as a mean, green, gluttonous, ugly "Onionhead" spud; the costume

9996-541: The containment unit is nearing capacity and supernatural energy is surging across the city. Peter meets with Dana and informs her Zuul was a demigod worshipped as a servant to "Gozer the Gozerian", a shapeshifting god of destruction. Upon returning home, she is possessed by Zuul; a similar entity possesses her neighbor, Louis Tully. Peter arrives and finds the possessed Dana/Zuul claiming to be "the Gatekeeper". Louis

10143-414: The creation of Boss Film Studios, and the hiring of many conceptual designers including comic book artists Tanino Liberatore (whose work went unused) and Bernie Wrightson (who helped conceive several ghost designs), and storyboarder Thom Enriquez, whose designs contributed to the "Onion Head ghost". Edlund's previous work on the supernatural horror film Poltergeist (1982) served as a reference for

10290-431: The creature on paper, Richard Edlund for motion-capture visual effects (an art form that was still in early stages), and Johnson to design and create animatronics for the scenes that required Sil to be physical rather than digital. Sil's alien form had to have both a full-body animatronic version with replaceable arms, heads and torsos, as well as a rubber body suit that could be worn by actress Natasha Henstridge . During

10437-409: The development of more distinct identities for the characters: Peter as the cool, modern salesman; Ray as the honest, enthusiastic technician; and Egon as the factual, stoic intellectual. Reitman thought the most difficult parts of the writing were determining the story's goal, who the villain was and their goal, why ghosts were manifesting, and how a towering Marshmallow Man would appear. The creature

10584-752: The embryonic pods in Species (1995). Johnson was married to actress Linnea Quigley from 1990 to 1992, and to Constance Zimmer from 1999 to 2001. During Johnson's eight-year hiatus from the film industry, he spent a year living in the remote jungles of Costa Rica , as well as living in Austin , Louisiana , and the Smoky Mountains . During this time he wrote three books, and his effects were profiled in several other publications. Johnson's career in effects has been featured in books written by Anthony Timpone, Thomas Morawetz, and Rama Venkatasawmy. Johnson

10731-515: The end of January 1984, after between 55 and 62 days of filming. The short production schedule and looming release date meant Reitman edited the film while it was being shot. There was often only time for a few takes. Reitman sometimes found making an effects-laden movie frustrating, as the special effects had to be storyboarded and filmed in advance; there was no option to go back and produce new scenes. As Gross described it: "[Y]ou storyboard in advance, that's like editing in advance. You've got

10878-497: The end titles. In the script for Ghostbusters , and in the film itself, Slimer is never actually called by any name (the term "slimers" is used to identify a kind of ghost). The creature was called "The Onionhead Ghost" by the film crew, and in the film's closing credits, Steve Johnson is credited as the sculptor for "Onionhead". Slimer was marketed as "the Green Ghost" in initial merchandise for The Real Ghostbusters . When

11025-444: The extraordinary elements funnier, and that focusing on realism from the beginning would make the Marshmallow Man more believable by the end. He also wanted to portray the Ghostbusters' origins before starting their business: "This was beginning of the 1980s—everyone was going into business". After the meeting, they met Harold Ramis at Burbank Studios . Reitman had worked with Ramis on previous films and believed he could better execute

11172-613: The fictional Weaver Hall, on the condition the university not be identified by name. Filming moved to Los Angeles, resuming between Christmas and the New Year. Due to the film's use of practical effects, skilled technicians were needed who resided mainly in the city and soundstages that were non-existent in New York. Despite its setting, most of Ghostbusters was filmed on location in Los Angeles or on sets at Burbank Studios. Location scouts searched for buildings that could replicate

11319-517: The film Innocent Blood (1992), Johnson innovated contact lenses that could glow and change color on command without digital after-effects. They were scleral lenses coated with silicone glass and Scotchlite, so that when lights, such as those from a color wheel were projected on them, the colors would bounce back toward the camera. For Lord of Illusions (1995), horror master Clive Barker required Johnson to create an organic-looking creature with skin that could pulse, move, and morph without

11466-489: The film is Slimer flying towards the screen, after which the film cuts to black, and the remainder of the credits roll. Again voiced by Ivan Reitman , and now officially known as Slimer (due to the popularity of The Real Ghostbusters ), Slimer first appears in Ghostbusters II when Louis Tully caught Slimer eating his lunch , to which the two of them fled in fear from one another. In a deleted scene set between

11613-404: The film would take a big budget due to its special effects and popular cast. Reitman reportedly said they could work with $ 25–30 million; varying figures have been cited. Price agreed, as long as the film could be released by June 1984. Reitman later admitted he made up the figure, basing it on three times the budget for Stripes , which seemed "reasonable". This left 13 months to complete

11760-433: The film's profits. Given Hollywood's accounting practices—a method used by studios to artificially inflate a film's production costs to limit royalty or tax payouts—the film technically never made a profit for Universal to be owed a payment. Aykroyd, Ramis, and Reitman began reworking the script, first at Reitman's office, then sequestering themselves and their families on Martha's Vineyard , Massachusetts . Aykroyd had

11907-399: The film, with no finished script, effects studio, or filming start date. Reitman hired his previous collaborators Joe Medjuck and Michael C. Gross as associate producers . Columbia's CEO Fay Vincent sent his lawyer Dick Gallop to Los Angeles to convince Price not to pursue the film, but Price disagreed. Gallop returned to the head office to report that Price was "out of control". As

12054-405: The final concept, and R/GA animated the logo for the film's opening. According to Gross, two versions of the logo exist, with one having "ghostbusters" written across the diagonal part of the sign. Gross did not like how it looked and flipped the diagonal bar to read top left to bottom right instead, but they later removed the wording. According to Gross, this is the correct version of the sign that

12201-405: The final scene at the building, city officials allowed the closure of the adjacent streets during rush hour , affecting traffic across a large swath of the city. Gross commented that, from the top of the building, they could see traffic queuing all the way to Brooklyn . At various points, a police officer drew his gun on a taxi driver who refused orders; in a similar incident, another officer pulled

12348-492: The first full cut three weeks after filming concluded. The final cut runs for 105   minutes. The Ghostbusters score was composed by Elmer Bernstein and performed by the 72-person Hollywood Studio Symphony orchestra at The Village in West Los Angeles, California . It was orchestrated by David Spear and Bernstein's son Peter . Elmer Bernstein had previously scored several of Reitman's films and joined

12495-405: The gate between dimensions and transform into demonic dogs. Gozer appears as a woman and attacks the Ghostbusters, then disappears when they attempt to retaliate. Her disembodied voice demands the Ghostbusters "choose the form of the destructor". Ray inadvertently recalls a beloved corporate mascot from his childhood, and Gozer reappears as a gigantic Stay Puft Marshmallow Man that begins destroying

12642-527: The ghost designs in Ghostbusters . Gross said it was difficult to balance making the ghosts a genuine threat while fitting the film's more comedic tone. Special effects artist Steve Johnson sculpted the gluttonous, slimy, green ghost then known as the "Onion Head ghost" on set due to the puppet's unpleasant smell. The creature was given the name "Slimer" in the 1986 animated television series The Real Ghostbusters . The Slimer design took six months and cost approximately $ 300,000. After struggling to complete

12789-434: The ghost was so nicknamed by Ray Stantz. In Ghostbusters: The Video Game , according to its Tobin's Spirit Guide , Stantz named the green ghost Slimer to annoy Venkman , who still nurses a grudge against the creature. Throughout the first film, Slimer appears to lack intelligence , only caring about gaining food to eat (such as hotdogs ). In the second movie, Slimer appears fatter and more intelligent and could drive

12936-448: The ghost would appear smaller after composited into live-action. For the live-action set, in the scene where Ray spooks Slimer, a room service cart trailed after him. The cart was motorized and piloted from underneath by one of Chuck Gaspar 's crew. Naturally, when the cart crashes, the driver is not present. The shot of Slimer phasing through the wall was shot at Entertainment Effects Group and incorporated optically later on. Slimer

13083-528: The ground floor (but not before sliming Peter for a second time). Slimer is joined by Bellhop Ghosts. With renewed paranormal activity, Egon opts to split up. Rookie and Peter are tasked with recapturing Slimer. Peter believes he's feasting in the Alhambra Ballroom but the manager John O'Keefe bars entrance. Peter regroups and leads Rookie through the kitchen to access the other entrance to the ballroom. Rookie and Peter successfully trap Slimer. Slimer

13230-534: The group that crossing the energy streams of their proton pack weapons could cause a catastrophic explosion. They capture the ghost and deposit it in an ecto-containment unit under the firehouse. Supernatural activity rapidly increases across the city and the Ghostbusters become famous; they hire a fourth member, Winston Zeddemore , to cope with the growing demand. Suspicious of the Ghostbusters, Environmental Protection Agency inspector Walter Peck asks to evaluate their equipment, but Peter rebuffs him. Egon warns that

13377-511: The idea that Ghostbusters would feature popular music at specific points to complement Bernstein's original score. This includes "Magic" by Mick Smiley, which plays during the scene when the ghosts are released from the Ghostbusters headquarters. Bernstein's main theme for the Ghostbusters was later replaced by Ray Parker Jr. 's " Ghostbusters ". Bernstein personally disliked the use of these songs, particularly "Magic", but said, "it's very hard to argue with something like ["Ghostbusters"], when it

13524-515: The interiors of buildings being filmed in New York. Reitman tried using the interior of Hook & Ladder 8, but was unable to take it over long enough because it was an active fire station. Interior firehouse shots were taken instead at the decommissioned Fire House No. 23 in downtown Los Angeles. The building design, while common in New York, was a rarity in Los Angeles. An archival photograph of an active crew in Fire House No. 23 from 1915

13671-412: The latter was hired to work for them. He and all the other captured ghosts were released when Walter Peck ordered the facility to be shut down. Slimer took refuge in a hot dog cart soon afterward, surprising the vendor greatly upon opening it. After the defeat of Gozer , the film's closing credits begin over scenes of the Ghostbusters being celebrated by the citizens of New York City . The last shot of

13818-425: The lengthy speech at Tully's party. Sandra Bernhard turned down the role of the Ghostbusters' secretary Janine Melnitz, which went to Annie Potts. When she arrived for her first day of filming, Reitman rushed Potts into the current scene. She quickly changed out of her street clothes and borrowed a pair of glasses worn by the set dresser which her character subsequently wore throughout the film. William Atherton

13965-517: The loose once again, as the Rookie fires on him during the credits. Slimer appears in Beeline 's Ghostbusters game for iOS . The game was released on January 24, 2013. Slimer's role in the game is that Slimer escapes the Containment Unit and floats around the Ghostbusters Firehouse. The player can tap on him for a daily reward, which increases in value if the player is consistent. Slimer appears as

14112-412: The months before its debut, a teaser trailer focused on the "No ghosts" logo, helping it become recognizable far in advance, and generating interest in the film without mentioning its title or its stars. A separate theatrical trailer contained a toll-free telephone number with a message by Murray and Aykroyd waiting for the 1,000 callers per hour it received over a six-week period. They also appeared in

14259-447: The name had been cleared. Medjuck contacted the studio, urging them to secure permission to use the word as the title. The building at 55 Central Park West served as the home of Weaver's character and the setting of the Ghostbusters' climactic battle with Gozer. The art department added extra floors and embellishments using matte paintings , models, and digital effects to create the focal point of ghostly activity. During shooting of

14406-679: The number one film of the weekend, ahead of premiering horror-comedy Gremlins ($ 12.5   million), and the adventure film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom ($ 12 million), in its third week of release. The gross increased to $ 23.1 million during its first week, becoming the first major success for the studio since Tootsie (1982). The film remained number one for seven consecutive weeks, grossing $ 146.5   million, before being ousted by Purple Rain in early August. Steve Johnson (special effects artist) Steve Johnson (born Steven Marcus Jacobs ; February 7, 1960)

14553-531: The previous series, Slimer was able to talk very well. Many episodes of Slimer! had little to do with the Ghostbusters franchise , simply being about everyday events for Slimer. Like in the first film, he still haunts the Sedgewick Hotel, visiting it in many episodes as a visiting pest. Slimer was given personal enemies in the show, such as an eccentric scientist named Professor Dweeb who wanted to capture Slimer in order to study him, an alley cat named Manx,

14700-460: The project early on, before all the cast had been signed. Reitman wanted a grounded, realistic score and did not want the music to tell the audience when something was funny. Bernstein used the ondes Martenot (effectively a keyboard equivalent of a theremin ) to produce the "eerie" effect. Bernstein had to bring a musician from England to play the instrument because there were so few trained ondists. He also used three Yamaha DX7 synthesizers. In

14847-473: The related toy line, in later releases of his first figure, an extra label was applied, specifying "Known as 'Slimer' in the Real Ghostbusters TV show ". The in-narrative explanation for Slimer's name was revealed in the eleventh episode of The Real Ghostbusters , "Citizen Ghost" (first broadcast on November 22, 1986). A flashback depicting how the Ghostbusters made friends with Slimer reveals

14994-458: The roles. Hudson auditioned five times for the role of Winston Zeddemore. According to him, an earlier version of the script gave Winston a larger role as an Air Force demolitions expert with an elaborate backstory. Excited by the part, he agreed to the job for half his usual salary. The night before shooting began, he received a new script with a greatly reduced role; Reitman told him the studio wanted to expand Murray's part. Aykroyd said Winston

15141-401: The same color as Slimer's. In December 2023, it was revealed that Slimer was set to appear in the 2024 film, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire . In the movie, Slimer is squatting in the attic of the firehouse, living in a mound of discarded candy and snack food wrappers, his slime occasionally leaking into the bedrooms below. Trevor Spengler discovers him there and tries to catch him, but fails. At

15288-424: The scene with Dana's bathtub and the scene with Dana and Venkman going out for dinner (mentioned in the novelization), Louis attempts to catch Slimer using a Proton Pack by baiting him with fried chicken . Later in the film, on New Year's Eve , Louis decides to take up a Proton Pack and help the Ghostbusters. In an attempt to patch up their initial misunderstanding, Slimer helped an exhausted Louis by giving him

15435-459: The setup time finalizing the contract, leaving only ten months remaining to build the effects studio, shoot the scenes, and composite the images. The Boss Film Studios' team was split to complete work on Ghostbusters and MGM's science-fiction film 2010: The Year We Make Contact . The $ 5 million effects came in at $ 700,000 over budget. The strict filming schedule meant most of the effects shots were captured in one take. Gross oversaw both

15582-507: The siren from a recording of a leopard snarl, cut and played backward. In the script, Aykroyd described the Ghostbusters clothing and vehicle as bearing a no symbol with a ghost trapped in it, crediting the Viking with the original concept. The final design fell to Gross, who had volunteered to serve as art director . As the logo would be required for props and sets, it needed to be finalized quickly, and Gross worked with Boss Film artist and creature design consultant Brent Boates who drew

15729-420: The stunt happened. Similarly, the scene of Weaver rotating in the air was performed on set using a body-cast and mechanical arm concealed in the curtains, a trick Reitman learned working with magician Doug Henning . Ghostbusters was screened for test audiences on February 3, 1984, with unfinished effects shots to determine if the comedy worked. Reitman was still concerned audiences would not react well to

15876-574: The take on Slimer in The Real Ghostbusters ). Ray, however, occasionally referred to the green ghost Onionhead or Spud. Slimer, along with the other ghost that had also haunted the hotel, Arbison Morguncher (the Sloth Ghost), is gluttonous. The specters of Evelyn "The Spider-Witch" Lewis, fisherman and restaurateur Enzo "Pappy" Sargassi, and some bellhop and guest ghosts also reside the hotel with them. Thanksgiving weekend 1991, Slimer

16023-485: The time, Richard Edlund used part of the budget to found Boss Film Studios , which employed a combination of practical effects , miniatures, and puppets to deliver the ghoulish visuals. Ghostbusters was released on June 8, 1984, to critical acclaim and became a cultural phenomenon. It was praised for its blend of comedy, action, and horror, and Murray's performance was often singled out for praise. It earned $ 282.2 million during its initial theatrical run, making it

16170-422: The title "Ghostbusters" was legally restricted by the 1970s children's show The Ghost Busters , owned by Universal Studios , several alternative titles were considered, including "Ghoststoppers", "Ghostbreakers", and "Ghostsmashers". Price parted ways with Columbia early in Ghostbusters ' production and became head of Universal Pictures , at which point he sold Columbia the title for $ 500,000 plus 1% of

16317-424: The tone he intended for the script than Aykroyd. He also felt Ramis should play a Ghostbuster. After reading the script, Ramis joined the project immediately. Although the script required considerable changes, Reitman pitched the film to Columbia Pictures executive Frank Price in March 1983. Price found the concept funny, but was unsure of the project, as comedies were seen to have limited profitability. He said

16464-483: The torso that controlled aspects such as moving the head, arms, and pulling rubber skin away from the torso to transform it from a humanoid into a monstrous ghoul. The original Library Ghost puppet was considered too scary for younger audiences and was repurposed for use in Fright Night (1985). The library catalog scene was accomplished live in three takes, with the crew blowing air through copper pipes to force

16611-495: The two shots. DeCuir said: "They had one night to dress the street. When people went home early in the evening everything was normal, and when the little old ladies came out to walk their dogs in the morning, the whole street had erupted. Apparently, people complained to the New York Police Department and their switchboard lit up." For the scene where Dana's apartment explodes outwards, Weaver stood on set as

16758-643: The two-part series finale "Back in the Saddle". Slimer, as he appeared in The Real Ghostbusters , is among the various cartoon characters who help the main character Michael turn away from drugs. At one point, Slimer was recaptured and kept in a Paranormal Containment Research Tank in the Firehouse in the lobby. Egon Spengler is said to have used him for various paranormal studies and the Tobin's Spirit Guide reveals that Ray named Slimer out of mockery to Peter (nods to

16905-435: The use of stop motion photography or other techniques such as mold-casting that were industry standards at the time. Thus Johnson innovated a monster-making technique with Bill Bryan that employed plastic bags, old yogurt containers, colored methyl cellulose "slime", and used gravity and liquid as a propellant. This technique is one that he modified time and again, such as for making slimy tentacles out of plastic and goop for

17052-607: Was aware of the film's outline while Belushi was still a prospective cast member; this version took place in the future with many groups of intergalactic ghostbusters, and felt it "would have cost something like $ 200   million to make". Aykroyd's original 70- to 80-page script treatment was more serious in tone and intended to be scary. Reitman met with Aykroyd at Art's Delicatessen in Studio City, Los Angeles , and explained that his concept would be impossible to make. He suggested that setting it entirely on Earth would make

17199-552: Was born in Houston, Texas. As a child, Johnson watched Universal monster films and the Hammer films. These productions inspired him to become a special effects artist. Johnson's biggest influences are Jack Pierce , Dick Smith and Rick Baker . While he was still attending high school, Johnson met one of his idols, Rick Baker, and showed him his portfolio. Baker acknowledged Johnson's problem-solving talent and later helped him get

17346-646: Was chosen for the role of Walter Peck after he had appeared in the Broadway play Broadway . Peck was described as akin to Margaret Dumont 's role as a comedic foil to the Marx Brothers . Atherton said: "It can't be funny, and I don't find [the Ghostbusters] in the least bit charming. I have to be outraged." The role of the Sumerian god Gozer the Gozerian, envisioned as a business-suited architect,

17493-468: Was conjured by the Sedgewick Hotel's owner Godfrey M. Sedgewick (who was one of Ivo Shandor 's disciples) in the early 1920s after a rite went awry. Voiced by Ivan Reitman , Slimer (not named until The Real Ghostbusters ) was a legendary ghost to all on the original staff of the Sedgewick Hotel. His usual territory was the twelfth floor, but his outings were usually non-violent and simply involved gorging himself on food from room service carts. As

17640-473: Was constructed at Stage 12 on the Burbank Studios lot. It was one of the largest constructed sets in film history and was surrounded by a 360-degree cyclorama painting. The lighting used throughout the painting consumed so much power that the rest of the studio had to be shut down, and an additional four generators added, when it was in use. Small models such as planes were hung on string to animate

17787-663: Was decided early on that Ramis's character would be the brains of the Ghostbusters, Aykroyd's the heart, and Murray's the mouth. Aykroyd drew inspiration from fiction archetypes : "Put Peter Venkman, Raymond Stantz, and Egon Spengler together, and you have the Scarecrow , the Lion , and the Tin Man ". His concept called for the Ghostbusters to have a boss and to be directed into situations, but Ramis preferred they be in control "of their own destiny" and make their own choices. This led to

17934-817: Was deemed suitable. Huey Lewis was approached to compose the film's theme, but was already committed to work on Back to the Future (1985). During the thirteen-month production, all the major special effects studios were working on other films. Those that remained were too small to work on the approximately 630 individual effects shots needed for Ghostbusters . At the same time, special effects cinematographer Richard Edlund planned to leave Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and start his own business. Reitman convinced Columbia to collaborate with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), which also needed an effects studio, to advance Edlund $ 5 million to establish his own company, Boss Film Studios . According to Edlund, lawyers used much of

18081-446: Was designed to not be overly fancy or sleek, emphasizing the characters' scientific backgrounds combined with the homemade nature of their equipment. The Ectomobile was in the first draft of Aykroyd's script, and he and John Daveikis developed some early concepts for the car. Dane developed fully detailed drawings for the interior and exterior and supervised the transformation of the 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor ambulance conversion into

18228-461: Was during this episode that he sculpted the final Slimer design that appears in the film. Aykroyd admitted the character was inspired by Belushi, particularly his body. Ramis said the comparison was not malicious, explaining that Belushi was the person most likely to trip over a coffee table and knock a bookcase over. The model had three interchangeable faces for larger expressions, while smaller features like blinking were controlled by cables and rods by

18375-621: Was estimated the film would have to make at least $ 80   million to turn a profit. The premiere of Ghostbusters took place on June 7, 1984, at the Avco Cinema in Westwood, Los Angeles , before its wide release the following day across 1,339 theaters in the United States (U.S.) and Canada. During its opening weekend in the U.S. and Canada, the film earned $ 13.6   million—an average of $ 10,040 per theater. It finished as

18522-534: Was followed in 1989 by Ghostbusters II , which fared less well financially and critically, and attempts to develop a second sequel paused in 2014 following Ramis's death. After a 2016 reboot received mixed reviews and underperformed financially, a second sequel to the 1984 film, Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), was released, followed by Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024). After Columbia University parapsychology professors Peter Venkman , Ray Stantz , and Egon Spengler experience their first encounter with

18669-409: Was fully restored, a celebratory dinner was held. The ghost made himself known and attempted to steal the food. Janine Melnitz speculated the ghost was lonely and the Ghostbusters were the first humans to pay him any attention. The Ghostbusters dismissed her theory. Over the next few months, they occasionally saw Slimer. Ray Stantz took a liking to the ghost and named him "Slimer" to annoy Venkman. When

18816-471: Was heavy and unwieldy, and it took nearly thirty hours to film it moving across a 30-foot (9.1 m) stage for the scene where it pursues Louis Tully across a street. For the scene where Dana is pinned to her chair by demonic hands before a doorway beaming with light, Reitman said he was influenced by Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). A rubber door was used to allow distortion as if something

18963-469: Was hired to help rewrite the script to set it in New York City and make it more realistic. It was the first comedy film to employ expensive special effects, and Columbia Pictures , concerned about its relatively high $ 25–30 million budget, had little faith in its box office potential. Filming took place from October 1983 to January 1984, in New York City and Los Angeles . Due to competition for special effects studios among various films in development at

19110-539: Was hung in the background of the Ghostbusters' office. Filming in the main reading room of the New York Public Library was only allowed in the early morning and had to be concluded by 10:00 am. The basement library stacks were represented by the Los Angeles Central Library as Reitman said they were interchangeable. The Millennium Biltmore Hotel stood in for the scenes set at the fictional Sedgewick Hotel. Principal photography concluded at

19257-480: Was inspired by Dan Aykroyd's fascination with and belief in the paranormal, which he inherited from his father, who later wrote the book A History of Ghosts ; his mother, who claimed to have seen ghosts; his grandfather, who experimented with radios to contact the dead; and his great-grandfather, a renowned spiritualist . In 1981, Aykroyd read an article on quantum physics and parapsychology in The Journal of

19404-413: Was inspired by the cover of a journal on abstract architecture for Egon's appearance, featuring a man wearing a three-piece tweed suit and wire-rim glasses, his hair standing straight up. He took the character's first name from a Hungarian refugee with whom he attended school, and the surname from German historian Oswald Spengler . Apart from the three main stars, Medjuck was largely responsible for casting

19551-515: Was known for not committing to projects until late. Price agreed to fund Murray's passion project The Razor's Edge , believing if it failed it would lose little money, and hoping the gesture would secure Murray's commitment to Ghostbusters . Michael Keaton , Chevy Chase , Tom Hanks , Robin Williams , Steve Guttenberg , and Richard Pryor were also considered for the role. Christopher Walken , John Lithgow , Christopher Lloyd , Jeff Goldblum , and Keaton were considered to portray Egon. Ramis

19698-422: Was later renamed Edge FX. In 1989 Johnson worked on The Abyss , directed by James Cameron , which became one of the biggest blockbusters of the year. He created the "alien" creatures for the film's climax. For the 1995 film Species , the filmmakers wished to create a half-human, half-alien character named Sil that was unlike any that had been seen on screen before. They brought in artist H.R. Giger to create

19845-410: Was made from the same molds used during the filming of the first film, ignoring the looks from the films Ghostbusters II (1989), Ghostbusters (2016), and the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters (1986–1991). After the Ghostbusters stopped Gozer, they began rebuilding their Firehouse. During this process, the green ghost from the Sedgewick Hotel secretly observed them. Once the Firehouse

19992-524: Was met with a similar reaction, and Reitman knew he would not have to perform any re-shoots . The screening for fellow industry members fared less well. Price recalled laughing as the rest of the audience sat deadpan; he rationalized an industry audience wants failure. Murray and Aykroyd's agent Michael Ovitz recalled an executive telling him, "Don't worry: we all make mistakes", while Roberto Goizueta , chairman of Columbia's parent, The Coca-Cola Company , said: "Gee, we're going to lose our shirts". In

20139-527: Was not always a definite part of the Ghostbusters II script. It was a matter of considerable debate if he should appear at all. Slimer's appeal was widespread among children thanks in part to the first movie and The Real Ghostbusters . Slimer was given a subplot and written into the movie: Slimer would eat various foods in the Firehouse while Louis Tully would try to trap him, then they would become friends. Michael Gross requested that elements of

20286-558: Was not called that until the 1986 animated television series The Real Ghostbusters . The Slimer design took six months, and approximately $ 300,000 to develop. It went through many variations, which Johnson blamed on executive interference through micromanagement, constant adjustments, and conflicting notes on how to modify each detail. He said: "In the beginning, they asked for a 'smile with arms' but before I knew it ... 'give him 13% more pathos, put ears on him, take his ears off, less pathos, more pathos, make his nose bigger, now his nose

20433-587: Was one of many elaborate supernatural entities in Aykroyd's initial treatment, originally intended to emerge from the East River only 20 minutes into the film. It stood out to Reitman but concerned him because of the relatively realistic tone they were taking. Meanwhile, Reitman searched for a special effects studio, eventually recruiting Richard Edlund in the same two-week span. Murray was considered essential to Ghostbusters ' potential success, but he

20580-409: Was originally intended for Paul Reubens . When he passed on the idea, Yugoslavian actress Slavitza Jovan was cast and the character changed to one inspired by the androgynous looks of Grace Jones and David Bowie . Paddi Edwards was uncredited as the voice of Gozer, dubbing over Jovan's strong Slavic accent. Reitman's wife and their children, Jason and Catherine , filmed a cameo appearance as

20727-722: Was playing with Peter Venkman's ESP cards inside the Paranormal Containment Research Tank. The Psi Energy Pulse damaged the Tank and Slimer escaped. The team finds him looking at the Containment Unit. When the Rookie takes a shot, Slimer avoids it and the Proton Stream hits the Unit, releasing the Sloth Ghost. Rookie and Ray pursued Slimer into the Sub-Basement but it escaped through a wall. After

20874-479: Was removed from the script. Porter was released. Two weeks later, Slimer was back in the script and had a bigger role. However, Porter was no longer available. Effects coordinator Ned Gorman remembered working with Robin Navlyt on Willow and she was brought in. Navlyt was the same height as Porter and fit into the suit very well. Chris Goehe and his mold shop crew made a full lifecast on her and Al Coulter worked on

21021-483: Was slightly different from the previous series, as he had a ghostly tail and a slightly bigger face, which was less compacted than the previous series. Unlike the version of Slimer from The Real Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II , this version acted much like the version from the original Ghostbusters . Slimer's voice was noticeably higher in pitch than in The Real Ghostbusters , because he was voiced by Billy West , instead of Frank Welker, who reprised his role as Ray in

21168-578: Was the role intended for Eddie Murphy , although Reitman denied this. Gregory Hines and Reginald VelJohnson were also considered for the part. Daryl Hannah , Denise Crosby , Julia Roberts , and Kelly LeBrock auditioned for the role of Dana Barrett, but Sigourney Weaver attracted the filmmakers' attention. There was resistance to casting her because of the generally serious roles she had played in Alien (1979) and The Year of Living Dangerously (1982). She revealed her comedic background, developed at

21315-408: Was trying to come through it, while grips concealed in a trapdoor beneath the chair, burst through it while wearing demonic dog-leg gloves. Made before the advent of computer-generated imagery (CGI), any non-puppet ghosts had to be animated. It took up to three weeks to create one second of footage. For Gozer, Slavitza Jovan wore red contact lenses that caused her a great deal of pain, and she wore

21462-462: Was used throughout Europe. The bottom left to top right version was used in the United States as that was the design of the No symbol there. Medjuck also hired John DeCuir as production designer . The script did not specify where Gozer would appear, and DeCuir painted the top of Dana's building with large, crystal doors that opened as written in the script. The fictional rooftop of 55 Central Park West

21609-460: Was working with comedians, he encouraged improvisation , adapting multiple takes and keeping the cast creations that worked, but directing them back to the script. Some guerrilla filmmaking took place, capturing spontaneous scenes at iconic locations around the city, including one shot at Rockefeller Center where the actors were chased off by a real security guard. A scene was shot on Central Park West with extras chanting "Ghostbusters" before

#258741