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« Ghostbusters Criterion Collection Laserdisc Liner Essay
Film > Ghostbusters > Home Video > Criterion Laserdisc > Ghostbusters Criterion Collection Laserdisc
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"Ghostbusters"
(Criterion Collection CAV Laserdisc)


Release Date: 1989
MSRP: $99.95
Sound: Dolby Surround -- Digital Sound CX
Language: English
Closed-Captioned: No
Format: 4:3 Letterbox (2.35:1 aspect ratio)
Discs: 2
Sides: Four
Video Format: NTSC
Criterion Catalog Number: CC1181L

The Criterion Collection's two-disc CAV laserdisc, released in 1989, was the first home video release of the film to include special features. Earlier laserdisc releases from RCA/Columbia Home Video only contained the movie. Below is a detailed list of the special features that can be found on all four sides of the laserdisc set.

Most of these special features have since appeared on Sony's later disc (DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K) releases, but there are still a few items that are exclusive to this laserdisc, even after 30+ years. These will be noted as such.

Go to the Spook Central Facebook page to view video of the laserdisc's special features. Spook Central VIPs can download DVD-quality video files here.

SPECIAL FEATURES


The Theatrical Teaser
A promotional teaser shown in theaters before the film itself was complete and before the final music had been recorded. It contains footage not used in the finished film, such as the original theme song.
  • The teaser's first appearance on a Sony disc was in the five-disc 4K UHD & Blu-Ray set released in June 2019. For this release, it is presented in full 1920x1080 high-definition widescreen with the "Coming This Summer to a Theatre Near You" screen at the end. This is an improvement over the laserdisc's 4:3 letterbox presentation, which was the best presentation possible since widescreen television formats did not exist at the time.
  • You can watch the teaser on the Ghostbusters Multimedia page.

The Original Theatrical Trailer
A promotional trailer shown in theaters in the months before the film was released. It mostly contains footage used in the finished film, including the Ray Parker Jr. theme song. However, a clip of Peter saying, "I'm the chairman of the largest paranormal removal company in America", from the "Peter's Qualifications" deleted scene appears in it.
  • The trailer's first appearance on a Sony disc was on the 1999 DVDs of both films, but it was missing the "Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You" screen at the end. The five-disc 4K UHD & Blu-Ray set released in June 2019 presents the trailer in full 1920x1080 high-definition widescreen with the end screen intact. This is an improvement over the laserdisc's 4:3 letterbox presentation, which was the best presentation possible since widescreen television formats did not exist at the time.
  • You can watch the trailer on the Ghostbusters Multimedia page.

Deleted Footage: The Stairway
As Ray, Egon, and Peter walk down the stairs and enter the Paranormal Studies Laboratory, they discuss who should win the Nobel Prize.
  • This deleted scene's first appearance on a Sony disc was in the five-disc 4K UHD & Blu-Ray set released in June 2019, where it has been renamed "Nobel Prize Aspirations"; a name I came up with a long time ago to better describe the scene here on Spook Central. The footage used in that release was provided by me from Raffaele's DVD transfer of the laserdisc material, with the 4:3 letterboxing removed and the video upscaled to 1920x1080.
  • You can watch the scene here.

Deleted Footage: Janine and Egon
Janine and Egon share a tender moment on the City Hall loading dock prior to the Ghostbusters going to the Shandor Building. She presents him with her lucky coin from the 1964 World's Fair at Flushing Meadow. Peter interrupts and scolds Janine, "Didn't your mama ever tell you not to get involved with no ghostbuster?"
  • This deleted scene's first appearance on a Sony disc was on the Ghostbusters DVD released in June 1999, where it is part of the more complete "Busy" deleted scene. This is an improvement over the laserdisc's partial scene. Both the laserdisc and DVD contain the scene in a 4:3 letterbox presentation.
  • You can watch the complete scene here.

Split-Screen Before & After Special Effects Comparisons: (LASERDISC EXCLUSIVE)
Each of these has two audio tracks. One is the pre-effects audio, and the other is the final film audio. (You can watch both of these on the Ghostbusters Before & After SFX Comparisons page, where they are presented with the pre-effects audio only.)
  1. Library Ghost -- The scene where Ray says "Get Her" and the ghost in the library turns gruesome.
  2. Ballroom -- The scene where the Ghostbusters trap Slimer in the ballroom of the Sedgewick Hotel.

"Making of Ghostbusters" Excerpts
A few clips from the 1984 "On the Scene with the Ghostbusters" promotional featurette which gives a brief look at the making of the movie. It is believed that the complete ten-minute featurette was not included for disc space reasons.
  • The complete featurette's first appearance on a Sony disc was on the Ghostbusters DVD released in June 1999. This is an improvement over the laserdisc's excerpts. Both the laserdisc and DVD contain the footage in a 4:3 fullscreen presentation.
  • You can watch the complete featurette on "The Making Of Ghostbusters" Featurette page.

Ruth Oliver's Library Ghost Scream Test
This hidden feature/easter egg shows Ruth Oliver, the actress who portrayed the library ghost, practicing how she will be screaming the word "Quiet" for when she transforms into the hideous ghost.
Still Photos/Drawings/Storyboards: (LASERDISC EXCLUSIVE)
There are a total of 1,022 still frames on the laserdisc, consisting of text and images. Excluding the Screenplay text frames, there are a total of 570. It should be noted that all of the laserdisc's still frames (photos, drawings, etc.) are full-screen and of a higher resolution than the Ghostbusters 1999 DVD's still frames (which are shown on a very small portion of the screen). Below is the full list of still frames, all in the order as originally presented on the laserdisc (though Credits have been placed after Trivia for obvious reasons). All text screens are shown in a white box in front of a still of Gozer's finger lightining; though the Stay Puft section still text is in front of an image of the marshmallow being dumped onto Peck. All of the still frames are available for viewing here on Spook Central, except for the Screenplay text frames, as the ideal way to read the screenplay is either on the DVD-ROM portion of the Ghostbusters 1999 DVD or here on Spook Central. You can either view the still frames in the galleries linked below, where you'll find thumbnails linked to web-friendly 720x540 images (all padding/frames have been cropped out - save for one on the first Credits and Stay Puft text images); or you can view the original 720x480 images straight off of the laserdisc, which I am providing in a VIP Exclusive zip file. All of these images were transferred from laserdisc by Raffaele Ruffaldi.
  1. Special Effects (219 images total)
    1. Intro (2 images)
    2. Library Ghost (28 images)
    3. Slimer (32 images)
    4. Terror Dogs (44 images)
    5. Dream Ghost (5 images)
    6. Gozer (8 images)
    7. Spook Central (22 images)
    8. Ecto-1 (13 images)
    9. Proton Pack (2 images)
    10. Proton Streams (18 images)
    11. Subway Ghost (8 images)
    12. Inch Ghost (14 images)
    13. Misc Ghosts (23 images)
  2. Stay Puft Marshmallow Man (70 images)
  3. Improvisation (20 images)
  4. Insider Notes (51 images)
  5. Storyboards (196 images total)
    1. Library (8 images)
    2. Slimer (98 images)
    3. Dogs Drag Dana (28 images)
    4. Louis Meets Dog (8 images)
    5. Cheeky Ghost (7 images)
    6. Louis Meets Muggers (6 images)
    7. 3D Theater (4 images)
    8. Gozer (2 images)
    9. Stay Puft (4 images)
    10. Holding Tank Ghosts (29 images)
    11. Chinatown Ghost (2 images)
  6. Complete Screenplay (452 images)
  7. Trivia (7 images) [hidden feature/easter egg]
  8. Credits (7 images)

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NOTES

  • The back cover incorrectly says that the movie is 98 minutes long. It runs for the full 105 minutes.
  • Criterion also released a single-disc CLV version (Criterion Catalog Number: CC1182L), for $49.95, which only had the teaser and trailer as special features. Click to view: Front Cover / Back Cover.

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