Ghostbusters is a supernatural comedy multi-media franchise created in 1984. Its inception was for the movie Ghostbusters, released on June 8, 1984 by Columbia Pictures. It centered around a group of eccentric New York City parapsychologists who investigate and capture ghosts for a living. For the movie this franchise licensed action figures, novelizations, and other original materials to be produced around the movies theme. After this initial success they released original stories in other fields such as comic book, and video game, and television series, and a theme park attraction. With the 2009 release of Ghostbusters: The Video Game the characters within the Ghostbusters set up their own fictional version of a Ghostbusters franchise to open Ghostbusters locations in other cities, which in real life was earlier seen in two independent films not officially approved by Columbia Pictures .
Development
The concept of the first film was inspired by Dan Aykroyd's own fascination with the paranormal, and it was conceived by Aykroyd as a vehicle for himself and friend and fellow Saturday Night Live alum John Belushi. Aykroyd came up with Ghostbusters after reading an article about quantum physics and parapsychology in the American Society of Psychical Research Journal and then watching movies like Ghostchasers . Aykroyd thought, "Let's redo one of those old ghost comedies, but let's use the research that's being done today. Even at that time, there was plausible research that could point to a device that could capture ectoplasm or materialization; at least visually."
The original story as written by Aykroyd was much more ambitious—and unfocused—than what would be eventually filmed; in Aykroyd's original vision, a group of Ghostbusters would travel through time, space and other dimensions taking on huge ghosts (of which the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man was just one of many). Also, the Ghostbusters wore S.W.A.T.-like outfits and used wands instead of Proton Packs to fight the ghosts; Ghostbusters storyboards show them wearing riotsquad-type helmets with movable transparent visors. The original draft of the script written by Aykroyd was very large, compared to a "phone book" by director Ivan Reitman.
Aykroyd pitched his story to director / producer Ivan Reitman, who liked the basic idea but immediately saw the budgetary impossibilities demanded by Aykroyd's first draft. At Reitman's suggestion, the story was given a major overhaul, eventually evolving into the final screenplay which Aykroyd and Harold Ramis hammered out over the course of a few months in a Martha's Vineyard bomb shelter (according to Ramis on the DVD Commentary Track for the movie). Aykroyd and Ramis initially wrote the script with roles written especially for Belushi, Eddie Murphy and John Candy. However, Belushi died due to a drug overdose during the writing of the screenplay, and neither Murphy nor Candy could commit to the movie due to prior engagements, so Aykroyd and Ramis shifted some of these changes around and polished a basic, yet sci-fi oriented screenplay for their final draft.
In addition to Aykroyd's high-concept basic premise and Ramis' skill at grounding the fantastic elements with a realistic setting, the film benefits from Bill Murray's semi-improvisational performance as Peter Venkman, the character initially intended for Belushi. The extent of Murray's improvisation while delivering his lines varies wildly with every re-telling of the making of the film; some say he never even read the script, and improvised so much he deserves a writing credit, while others insist that he only improvised a few lines, and used his deadpan comic delivery to make scripted lines seem spontaneous.
With the first DVD release of the film on the 15th anniversary of the original theatrical release, many original concepts of the film were revealed, based on the storyboard artwork: Louis Tully was originally to be a conservative man in a business suit played by comedian John Candy, but Candy was unable to commit to the role. The role was taken by Rick Moranis, portraying Louis as a geek. Gozer was originally going to appear in the form of Ivo Shandor as a slender, unremarkable man in a suit played by Paul Reubens. In the end, the role was played by Yugoslavian model Slavitza Jovan, whose Eastern European accent (later dubbed by Paddi Edwards) according to Bill Murray caused her line "choose and perish" to sound like "Jews and berries".
Winston Zeddemore was written with Eddie Murphy in mind, but he had to decline the role as he was filming Beverly Hills Cop at the same time. When Murphy had the role, Zeddemore was going to be hired much earlier in the film, and would accompany the trio on their hunt for Slimer at the hotel and be slimed in place of Peter Venkman. When Ernie Hudson took over, it was decided that he be brought in later to indicate how the Ghostbusters were struggling to keep up with the outbreak of ghosts.
In order to properly light the set for Gozer's temple and create the physical effects for the set, other stages needed to be shut down and all their power diverted over to the set. The hallway sets for the Sedgewick Hotel were originally built for the movie Rich and Famous in 1981 and patterned after the Algonquin Hotel in New York City, where Reitman originally wanted to do the hotel bust. The Biltmore Hotel was chosen because the large lobby allowed for a tracking shot of the Ghostbusters in complete gear for the first time. Dana Barrett and Louis Tully's apartments were constructed across two stages and were actually on the other side of their doors in the hallway, an unusual move in filmmaking.
A problem arose during filming when it was discovered that a show was produced in 1975 by Filmation for CBS called The Ghost Busters , starring Larry Storch and Forrest Tucker. (this show's title is written as two words instead of one word like the 1984 movie.) Columbia Pictures prepared a list of alternative names just in case the rights could not be secured, but during the filming of the crowd for the final battle, the extras were all chanting "Ghostbusters", which inspired the producers to insist that the studio buy the rights to the name. For the test screening of Ghostbusters , half of the ghost effects were missing, not yet having been completed by the production team. The audience response was still enthusiastic, and the ghost elements were completed for the official theatrical release shortly thereafter.
Common elements
Technology
Ghostbusters equipment is the equipment used by the Ghostbusters in the 1984 film and all subsequent Ghostbusters fiction used to aid in the capture and containment of ghosts. In addition to the main technology used in the series, a script draft for Ghostbusters III includes the Ghostbusters developing a machine to transport themselves to an alternate Manhattan to save New York.
Ghost capture
See also: Proton packThe main equipment used by the Ghostbusters to capture ghosts is the Proton Pack: a reportedly unlicensed nuclear accelerator which fires a proton stream that polarizes with the negatively charged energy of a ghost allowing it to be held in the stream while active. The proton packs' particle throwers were originally portrayed as wands worn on each arm. In current versions, it consists of a hand-held wand ("Neutrino Wand" as described and scripted by Dan Aykroyd, also called a "Proton Gun" or particle thrower within the franchise) connected to a backpack-sized particle accelerator ("Proton Pack"). It has also been pronounced as a neutrona wand ("neutrona" not an actual scientific term), and together with the back worn Proton Pack was referred to as a "positron collider" in the first movie. In Ghostbusters: The Video Game , the Proton Pack is upgraded to include additional firing modes two of which are the Stasis Stream and the Meson Collider.
The Slime Blower is seen and developed in the movie Ghostbusters II , this piece of equipment is a metal tank strapped to the back of its user, with an attached sprayer used to project streams of the psychomagnetheric "mood slime" that has been reinforced with positive emotions as to neutralize its negatively reinforced counterparts. In Ghostbusters: The Video Game , configured into the Proton Pack, the Slime Blower can also shoot Slime Tethers which can be used to pull objects together and to solve some environmental puzzles. A toy Slime Blower was released with the Kenner Real Ghostbusters toyline, known as the Ecto-Charger Pack. Unique to the Ghostbusters comics, the "Ecto-Splat" is a flamethrower-like device similar to the Slime Blower. It fires a hard jet of ectoplasm, which can damage or break up ghosts. As it fires it makes a noise spelled "zzax".
The Ghostbusters also use equipment to hunt and find ghosts, such as a PKE meter, Ecto-Goggles, and a Ghost Sniffer. A PKE meter is a handheld device, used in locating and measuring P sycho- K inetic E nergy, which is a unique environmental byproduct emitted by ghosts. The device's most prominent feature are winged arms that raise and lower in relation to the amount of PKE detected while a digital display gives an exact reading for the o
Exclusive Halloween Costumes - Adult, Child Unique Halloween Costume
Exclusive Halloween Costumes. If you want to get a unique and different look this Halloween, then our collection ... Find a large selection of sizes, including infant and toddler, as well ...
Infant Costumes - Boys, Girls Infant Halloween Costumes
Our infant costumes come in many styles for boys and girls. This Halloween dress your baby in a unique infant Halloween costume such as a pirate or scarecrow.
Infant Costumes - Newborn Halloween Costume
We carry unique infant Halloween costumes! Whimsical infant Halloween costumes for baby's first Halloween in a wide variety of fun costume ideas.
Baby Halloween Costumes - Newborn & Infant Costume Selection
100s of the cutest Halloween outfits for infants and newborns. All costumes in stock for 2009. ... Skunk Costumes; Turtle Costumes; Unique Animal Costumes
Baby Costumes - Unique Baby Halloween Costumes
Our unique baby Halloween costumes provide you with a wide selection of infant Halloween costumes for babies. Your baby's Halloween costume is here!
BABY HALLOWEEN COSTUMES - IDEAS for UNIQUE COSTUMES for BABIES
BABY HALLOWEEN COSTUMES & IDEAS for INFANT COSTUMES for HALLOWEEN.
Baby/Infant Halloween Costumes For Girls
Halloween Party Ideas . Halloween Decorations - Collectibe Towns and Villages : Browse through our assortment of unique Halloween party decorations, games, food and music to make ...
Little Teddy Bear Infant Halloween Costume
The Little Teddy Bear Infant Halloween Costume is just perfect with the big red bow and the cute paw prints on the bottom of the feet. All that's
Unique Halloween Costumes
Halloween is observed annually on October 31; Unusual costumes can be ... http://www.halloween-partyideas.com/baby-halloween-costumes/unique-infant-snowsuit-costumes-scary-buying ...
Cute Unique Rainbow Baby Infant Halloween Costume
Cute Unique Rainbow Baby Infant Halloween Costume sun cloud