Ghostbusters II (1989)

Unsung Heroes: Ghostbusters II's Pastrami Sandwich Guy

As has been mentioned countless times on our 300+ episodes of the Interdimensional Crossrip podcast, when you watch a film that is so rich with detail enough, you notice something new almost every time. And so, after viewing five-million three hundred and one of Ghostbusters II, I’d like to present to you the unsung hero in the corner of the frame who now cracks me up every single time that I see him…

Ladies and gentlemen: Pastrami Sandwich Guy.

Pastrami Sandwich Guy commands about a minute worth of screen time. And he chews both his sandwich and the scenery through the entirety. From first frame of celluloid to last, it literally doesn’t matter to this man that the world is coming to a cataclysmic end and chaos reigns around him — he’s finishing his deli, dammit.

With what looks like a delicious pastrami on rye in hand, Pastrami Sandwich Guy epitomizes New York. He does such a great Marx Brothers-like job of listening and watching the action unfolding around him, but the entire time won’t put down his sandwich and certainly won’t cease his slow and methodic mastication. Ben Stein informs us there’s a shell around the museum they can’t dent (holding a photo of Libby’s pedestal)? Pastrami Sandwich Guy observes but continues eating. Hardemeyer is thrown out of the conference room? Pastrami Sandwich Guy tracks him out the door then returns back to lunch. It’s hilarious.

And the best part, as the entire office gathers at the window to watch the sky grown dark with an eclipse and a vortex seemingly swallow the sky whole, who is absent? You guessed it, Pastrami Sandwich Guy can’t be bothered.

Just a brilliant unsung performance by someone probably just making a scale day rate. So who was this mysterious sandwich loving man? I’ve begun my quest to find out.

Best I’ve been able to figure, Pastrami Sandwich Guy got his time under the lights on Thursday, April 27, 1989. The INT. CONFERENCE ROOM scenes were pick ups toward the very end of production on The Burbank Studios lot. For reference, principal photography of Ghostbusters II had wrapped on Wednesday, April 5th. But about a week of pick-ups occurred later in the month, mainly to finish out the final showdown with Vigo.

As we’ve learned over the years, a cameo featuring Eugene Levy as Louis’ cousin Sherman was cut from the film at zero hour, and with it a huge plot hole of Louis asking his cousin to release the Ghostbusters. Not only that, but Hardemeyer receiving his comeuppance by being sucked into the slime wall around the museum had also been cut. This brilliantly rescripted scene smooths out the absence of both plot points, putting the onus on Mayor Lenny to need the Ghostbusters released and also having Hardemeyer thrown out all in one swoop.

Traditionally, only those with speaking or featured roles in the film receive end credits, so it’s tough to figure out who played our sandwich-eating hero. I did some digging into the GBHQ production archives and also came up pretty empty.

While David Margulies (“Mayor of NY”) and Kurt Fuller (“Hardemeyer”) are typed onto the call sheet, several of the actors in the scene are written in as last-minute additions. Ben Stein is written on the call sheet as “Public Works Official” as is Erik Holland and Philip Baker Hall both as Fire and Police Commissioners. My only guess here is that, because these were pick-up days, the cast of players outside of Lenny and Hardemeyer were in constant flux. Most likely, Ivan Reitman had to call in a handful of favors to his friends to come play that Thursday.

Why do I think that’s the case? The first thing filmed that Thursday was a pick-up shot with a dock supervisor witnessing the arrival of the Titanic, played by long-time Ivan Reitman friend and would-be Stripes star Cheech Marin. Who is also written by hand onto the call sheet.

So the best I can figure is that Pastrami Sandwich Guy was a family friend of Ivan’s, background player from Central Casting, or was someone close to the production who stepped in to fill out the scene. Outside of someone out there identifying him, or getting my hands on a Day Out of Days or other production materials that may have shown who this wonderful man was on the day, it will remain a mystery. But whether we know his real name or not, the man is brilliant and deserves a curtain call.

Anyone out there know who he might be? In the meantime, check out the clip below to enjoy Pastrami Sandwich Guy - long may he enjoy lunch.

Ghostbusters II Score Album Notes and Analysis

I love film scores. Nothing can evoke images and memories from your favorite films like sitting and listening to a well-crafted film score. Which is why it’s been such a treat to have in my hands the score to the 1989 film Ghostbusters II and to hear all the nuances and decisions made that aren’t necessarily audible in the film, nor the unofficial bootleg releases, we’ve all listened to repeatedly over the course of a few decades.

Randy Edelman’s Ghostbusters II score is often overlooked. Elmer Bernstein’s original film score usually commands the majority of the spotlight. But upon first listenings of this incredible remastered score, the themes that present themselves are very apparent. Peter has a recurring theme that gives him swagger and confidence. Dana has a lovely theme to counter that, which is thoughtful and measured, and quite a bit different than that which Bernstein presented in the first film that was far more romantic. There’s a Ghostbusters “hero theme” that’s present for when all four of them gather together. Oscar’s theme sounds like a very sweet and melodic variation on “Rockabye Baby.” There’s even a recurring love theme for sentimental moments between Peter and Dana. More on the themes and motifs here as they become clearer.

It’s also interesting that Edelman and Ivan Reitman were virtually inseparable for a ten year streak starting with Twins in 1988 and ending with Six Days Seven Nights in 1998. In fact, many of Reitman’s films during that period have the same look and feel and the score followed in step. Listening to the album, it’s hard not to also get a sense of Kindergarten Cop and other Reitman films that shared this same optimistic and whimsical sense of comedy. Where Reitman’s working relationship with Bernstein seemed to have soured after the original Ghostbusters, he continued to collaborate with Edelman following this film and far beyond. And, as Reitman’s choices in projects shifted into the 2000’s and beyond, his relationship with Edelman came to a close as well. It’s almost as if entire phases in Ivan Reitman’s career were also accompanied by the music of singular composers until recently, where one doesn’t get the sense he’s found his next match still.

The album is presented out of film sequence, with many tracks combined with other moments elsewhere in the film. I know this can be frustrating to some listeners. There are two schools of thought in film score releases: the completionism approach - where every note heard, or not heard, is present and accounted for. Then there’s the album listening experience, where the composer and producers have arranged the tracks to be a more complete and fulfilling experience from start to finish. Unfortunately, both parties always think the other is wrong. Honestly, I’m just glad to have clean and high fidelity versions of cues. I feel like the beggars can’t be choosers rule should probably be applied in this instance. If rearranging and compiling the music to be optimized for album play was a demand of Edelman or the music label, then it was worth it. Frankly, it’s a miracle this release has occurred. While it would be great to have a 100% complete copy of all score recorded for the film, even having this edition is a most-welcome addition to the collection.

As I listen to the score and hopefully get more insight via liner and production notes to come. I’ll be adding to this dossier of each of the tracks. Since so much of listening to film scores is hearing them over and over and becoming more familiar with them, it’s absolutely impossible to create a complete write up in just a few sittings.

So keep visiting for additional updates and thoughts as they come!

A Few Friends Save Manhattan

This definitely is a one-to-one lift of the end credits melody that closes out the final moments of the credits in the film. I’ve always adored this compilation which starts with Janine’s “You look fantastic in this” moves into the love theme and then into the scurried courtroom/Vigo battle chaos and introduces what I call the “hero theme” for the Ghostbusters as a whole. It comes to a satisfying crescendo meant to close out the credits, but in this instance almost feels like the ending of an overture leading us into the musical experience.

A Baby Carriage Meets Heavy Traffic

Being that the score is so heavily featured in the opening moments of the film, it’s great to hear the urgency and the tension as it was composed here, and how the sound design and effects also helped punctuate some of the musical choices made. I’d love to line this one up with the film to see if any music edits were made in the film that aren’t present here.

Venkman's 6th Ave. Strut

Composers love writing themes for Bill Murray. This jaunt is no exception. To my ear, this is one of the newly recorded tracks mentioned in the press release. It feels like a composed and orchestrated concert version of the Venkman theme that’s heard throughout the film, and highlights Randy Edelman’s incredible piano talents. Between Bernstein’s Bill Murray themes in Stripes and Ghostbusters, and this confident melody, I’m anxious and anticipate what Rob Simonsen may have also done for Afterlife.

Order in the Court

A short quote of the Ray Parker Jr. theme around 2:30 as the courtroom gets eerie and the Ghostbusters search for the Scoleri Brothers that isn’t heard in the final film’s mix. As well as a few instances of Oscar and Dana’s themes at the end of the track that sound to me like the “You’re short, your belly button sticks out, and you’re a terrible burden on your poor mother.”

He's Got Carpathian Eyes

Part of the end battle with Vigo is presented here, essentially the “giving you until the count of three” moment leading to Vigo’s horrible breath knocking our heroes to the ground. This cue seems to track exactly with how it is presented in the film.

The Sensitive Side of Dana

Another cue that sounds like it might have been intended as a concert version, particularly with a lovely string introduction that leads into the Dana theme heard throughout the film starting around the one minute mark. Particularly since this main theme is played on the piano, guessing that this was one of the newly recorded tracks as well. Dana’s theme in the second film sounds very nurturing and comforting, as if more a maternal motif is being presented to her. It’s an interesting contrast to Bernstein’s score which presented Dana as a romantic, but perhaps supernatural in nature character utilizing the ondes martenot to give her an otherworldly feel. Interestingly, that same dichotomy is reserved for Oscar, as we’ll hear in his concert arrangement later.

In Liberty's Shadow

Starts with the heroic and wonderful moment as the Ghostbusters approach the “giant Jell-O mold” of the museum and find that their proton beams are ineffective. This cue is such a rollercoaster of emotion from heroic, to failure, to inspiration, to a quote of almost patriotism as the heroes land on Liberty Island. I’m also excited to figure out just how many different themes we can now sense a repeated pattern of with this presentation.

Rooftop Broom Kidnap

I know that the title of this one trips many people up, is it possible that Janosz was going to appear on a broom stick rather than as a ghostly nanny at one point in the production? It is also one of the tracks on the album that has combined cues spotted from elsewhere in the film for this presentation. Guessing rather than separating out tracks that were short segments, some of the music was arranged for a more complete album listening experience. The last 15 to 20 seconds of the track is the lovely transition sting that leads from the “Face it, Ghostbusters doesn’t exist” conversation into Dana entering Egon’s lab, and is also used elsewhere in the film as a similar transition.

The Scoleri Brothers

The cue begins with Ray noticing the specimen container admitted as evidence “twitching” ultimately leading the explosive reveal of the Scoleris. Then switches to the percussive “teamwork” theme as a transition that crescendos into a full-blown phrase of Ray Parker Jr.’s theme played heroically on the horns. Was this intended to accompany the boys in grey throwing the packs on again for the first time in five years? I’ve also seen a few fellow fans mention this all seems to be score for the post slime swim moments where Ray, Egon and Winston interrupt Peter and Dana’s date in their long johns. Possible either way that the album producers felt this was a good segue from the frantic and intense courtroom battle into a soft and sweet concert piece for Oscar. EDIT: On further reflection, I think the synth leading into the full blown rendition of the Ray Parker Jr. theme is an alternate to the Ecto-1A conversation in front of the museum leading to “Suck in the guts, guys” pose. The timing seems to line up perfectly. Interesting that it was intended to hear the familiar Ghostbusters theme in this moment, but a more generic fanfare replaced it.

Oscar is Quietly Surrounded

This very tender and sweet cue feels like the third and final “newly recorded” concert piece for the album. The cue starts with a sleepy baby’s lullaby phrase of Oscar’s theme. As mentioned earlier, the similarities to the classic “Rockabye Baby” are immediately noticeable here. As more instruments introduce themselves, the piece grows - then takes a dark and ominous note, a looming shadow over Oscar. That see-saw back and forth between childhood and an almost Gothic evil continues throughout as elements from the film are incorporated to build out and fill the concert piece.

A Slime Darkened Doorway

Much like “Vigo’s Last Stand” this appears to be a compilation of the slime moments throughout the film. The cue starts with a mysterious note as the river of slime is building underground and Ray is dangled like a worm on a hook. Tension increases as the slime attacks and Ray causes a Manhattan blackout. The last forty seconds of the cue appear to be the fire erupting in the firehouse darkroom as Winston barges in to save the day.

One Leaky Sewer Faucet

This one is a fun enigma that I look forward to learning more about. Is this the cue that was recorded for the film and unused? Or can we hear bits and pieces of it somewhere and we’ve never realized? Further investigation is needed for this one. Some have suggested it could have been a score for use in the spot eventually occupied by Glen Frey’s Flip City. Which would track, a similar moment like this was scored for the first film and replaced by Magic, after all. Would need to line these up on an edit timeline to investigate further. Though it doesn’t feel quite long enough. It’s a whimsical almost Danny Elfman plucky sounding cue. Perhaps written for Louis’ Slimer experiences omitted from the film?

Vigo's Last Stand

While the title of the track points to the conclusion of the film, which is present at the top of the track here starting with the “Ray, could you move? We’d like to shoot the monster” moment, this actually acts as a compilation of Vigo moments and thematic phrases. Vigo’s Greatest Hits, if you will. At about a minute thirty, it sounds like the moment Venkman finds Oscar a shady spot combined with Egon’s “uh oh” as Vigo exits the painting. The last forty seconds ends on Venkman’s first visit to the museum and introduction to Janosz. A final spooky note when Dana tells Venkman she feels like the painting is watching her and Janosz believes his love is reciprocated closes out the track.

Good With Kids

This compilation of what I can only call the “three men and a baby theme” throughout the film. Starts with the “Not going to get a green card with that attitude pal,” and a phrase from Ray, Egon and Peter’s study of Oscar’s room and wanting to run gynecological tests.

Enlightenment

Janosz’s possession and the reveal that Vigo is commanding him. “Find me a child that I might live again” and lightning shooting into Janosz’s eyes close out this cue straight from the film.

Family Portrait-Finale

The first minute and thirty seconds of this cue as the “Fettuccini” painting is revealed are exactly from the film, but from that point forward a tender resolve feels written for a dialogue scene and conclusion that might have been left on the cutting room floor. Or, being that piano is heavily featured here, parts of this inclusion are newly recorded to being the album to a close where the familiar Ray Parker Jr. theme usually left us on a high note. Particularly the optimistic resolve into the “hero theme” which builds into the full orchestration reprise used in the end credits gives us a sense of the heroes riding off into the sunset as the album comes to a close.

Randy Edelman's Ghostbusters II Score Coming August (on Vinyl in October)

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For thirty-plus years, fans have wanted/requested/demanded an official release of Randy Edelman’s original film score for Ghostbusters II — and finally, after all that time it’s coming!

Hitting digital and CD in August, and vinyl in October, not only is this a remastered and official release of the film score for the first time, but it also includes a track unused in the film as well as THREE re-recorded tracks specifically for this release. What could those three tracks be, and why did they necessitate re-recording? Stay tuned, hopefully the liner notes of the release will tell all!

While we wait, Sony Masterworks and Randy Edelman himself have released “The Scoleri Brothers” as a tease on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, and other platforms, giving us our first clean listen to the score without music and effects married to it. Notable in the video is that the score includes familiar lines and melodies from Ray Parker Jr.’s theme that are not heard in the final mix of the film giving a hint that we may have heard reprises of the theme throughout the film at one point or another. It’s incredible!

Pre-orders are available up on Amazon, but it also stands to reason your local music stores will be able to order it if you want to support your small business shop!

Barnes and Noble also has an exclusive GLOW-IN-THE-DARK variant available for pre-order now:

Barnes and Noble Exclusive Glow-in-the-Dark Vinyl (Pictured)

Barnes and Noble Exclusive Glow-in-the-Dark Vinyl (Pictured)

Here’s the official solicits and news:

For the first time ever - 32 years after the film’s 1989 release - the Original Score to Ghostbusters II will be available across digital and physical formats from Sony Classical. The album includes original tracks as well as 3 newly re-recorded tracks and an additional track originally recorded for Ghostbusters II but not featured in the film.

Audio CD and Digital Platform Release: August 13, 2021

Vinyl Release: October 15, 2021
180 Gram, 1x LP

Track Listing:

A Few Friends Save Manhattan

A Baby Carriage Meets Heavy Traffic

Venkman's 6th Ave. Strut

Order in the Court

He's Got Carpathian Eyes

The Sensitive Side of Dana

In Liberty's Shadow

Rooftop Broom Kidnap

The Scoleri Brothers

Oscar is Quietly Surrounded

A Slime Darkened Doorway

One Leaky Sewer Faucet

Vigo's Last Stand

Good With Kids

Enlightenment

Family Portrait-Finale

Ghostbusters 35th Anniversary Steelbook (with Fan Commentary) Coming June 11th

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Entertainment Weekly exclusively revealed this morning that a new Ghostbusters 35th Anniversary edition steelbook is on the way this June… and there’s a familiar name amid the special features that will be on the disc! Indeed, I was fortunate enough to be asked along with my Ghostbusters Interdimensional Crossrip co-host Chris Stewart to join Eric Reich, Sean Bishop, and Ashley Victoria Robinson on a fan commentary track to play under the first movie!

We really did our best to focus on fun trivia facts both among the production and the lore of the series, point out tiny details in the corners of frames that we’ve always admired, and took advantage of having Ghost Corps’ Eric Reich with us to confirm or debunk some long-standing Ghostbusters urban legends behind the production. It’s a fun track and we hope that you all will enjoy it!

Here’s the rest of the details on the release, a visit to EW will give you a glimpse at a never before seen distributor pitch reel featuring Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd in costume talking to theater owners!

GHOSTBUSTERS

6 Rare & Newly Unearthed Deleted Scenes, including the long-requested Fort Detmerring scenes!

Raw takes for the Central Park bums sequence

1984 ShoWest Exhibitor Reel, featuring Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd pitching an early reel of footage to theatrical exhibitors.

Full Ghostbusters TV Commercial from the film

Ghostbusters TV Commercial Outtakes

“A Moment With the Stars” – original press kit featurette

Original Domestic Teaser Trailer

Original Stereo Audio for the Feature (Blu-ray only)

Fan Commentary featuring Troy Benjamin and Chris Stewart (Interdimensional Crossrippodcast),Ashley Victoria Robinson (Geek History Lesson podcast) and Sean Bishop (Ghostbusters prop replica expert), moderated by Ghost Corps’ Eric Reich

GHOSTBUSTERS II

Commentary featuring Director Ivan Reitman, Star/Co-Writer Dan Aykroyd and Executive Producer Joe Medjuck

“The Oprah Winfrey Show: Cast of Ghostbusters II” – June 1989

Full Ghostbusters II Theatrical EPK

Rare Unfinished Teaser Trailer – featuring the full commercial from the film!

Original Stereo Audio for the Feature (Blu-ray only)

Ghostbusters Day 2018 - All the News Fit to Print

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It's a flurry of Ghostbusters news out there today, as it should be for the 34th Anniversary celebration. Luckily, Ghost Corps was kind enough to send along a press release that's a great summary of all the goings on today.

Here's the full release:

SONY PICTURES AND GHOST CORPS CELEBRATE GHOSTBUSTERS DAY TODAY AND KICK OFF PLANS FOR TWO YEARS OF CELEBRATIONS

CULVER CITY, Calif., June 8, 2018 – Today is Ghostbusters Day – the annual celebration of the release of the classic comedy and the wave across popular culture that has resonated since its original release on June 8, 1984.  In celebration, Sony Pictures and Ghost Corps are announcing two years of special events, concerts, licensing collaborations, and the first-ever Ghostbusters Fan Fest presented by Wizard World, to take place on June 8-9, 2019, the 35th anniversary of the film.

Ivan Reitman, director/producer of the 1984 film Ghostbusters and principal of Ghost Corps, said, “It’s immensely gratifying to see the way the fans have embraced our movie over the past 34 years, in a way we could never have imagined in 1984.  The credit goes to the fans – collected in over 1,000 fan groups globally – who have kept the flame burning for decades.  I’m excited to see you all at Ghostbusters Fan Fest one year from today!”

Jeffrey Godsick, Executive Vice President, Brand Strategy and Global Partnerships for Sony Pictures, added, “Ghostbusters has not only endured, but has taken on a life of its own and become its own world – from references in ‘Stranger Things’ to the TMNT/Ghostbusters comic-book mashup to fantastic memorabilia, Ghostbusters continues to penetrate pop culture. That’s what these next two years are all about – a celebration of Ghostbusters and the fandom.  It’s an incredible lineup of events.”

For all the details on the celebration, fans can visit www.ghostbusters.com, which relaunches today with all-new design and content from the entire universe of Ghostbusters, including a brand-new Ghostbusters 35th anniversary logo, which will represent the film throughout the 35th anniversary celebration.

Among the treats launching today on the website is the original four-minutes of test footage for the animated series “The Real Ghostbusters,” now restored and in high definition by Ghostbusters superfan Robert Barbieri.  Fans can register for e-mail updates at the site and follow @ghostbusters on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media services to keep up to date on Ghostbusters events, news, charity offers, and more.

Fans can also get involved through a collaboration between the studio, Ghost Corps and Omaze to benefit the For the Win Project. Fans are encouraged to make a $10 donation, and can enter for the chance to win a Grand Prize Experience, which includes lunch for the winner and a guest with Dan Aykroyd, a VIP visit to Sony Pictures, including Ghostbusters HQ offices, a private guided tour of the Sony Pictures museum (which includes Ghostbusters props), photo opportunities in the Ecto-1, and an original Ghostbusters poster created especially for the winner.  Flights and hotels will be included.  Other prize incentives include tickets to the Ghostbusters Fan Fest event and tickets to Ghostbusters Live. Visit omaze.com/ghostbusters to enter for your chance to win. No Purchase Necessary. Void where prohibited. Winners must not be residents of Belgium, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Italy, North Korea, Singapore, Sudan, Syria or Thailand. In certain countries, local rules and laws may restrict or prohibit the award of certain prizes or impose additional restrictions on participation. Entry is subject to all local laws. You must be at least 13 years old to win. Winners under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian as their Guest.   Ends August 8, 2018 at 11:59pm PST.  Go to www.omaze.com/ghostbusters for Official Rules.  Sponsor: Omaze, Inc.

As another way of celebrating Ghostbusters Day, many Ghostbusters licensees and promotional partners will be sliming their social profiles and premiering exciting new products and special offers.  LEGO is debuting two brand-new LEGO Ghostbusters BrickHeadz figures of Peter Venkman (covered in slime) and Slimer. International Game Technology (IGT) announces the revolutionary new Ghostbusters 4D Video Slots game, coming soon to a casino near you.  Immersive, True 4D™ technology delivers glasses-free 3D graphics, and gives players the power to feel energy beams created with hand gestures to capture popular ghosts from the original 1984 film.  For more information, visit IGT.com.

Wizard World is celebrating Ghostbusters Day at its annual Wizard World Comic Con stop in Columbus, Ohio this weekend, with free single-day admission for fans dressed as Ghostbusters, and a unique program of events.  Over the next year, Wizard World will present a touring experience at Wizard World Comic Con events throughout the country featuring a pop-up shop with exclusive Ghostbusters merchandise.  Next year, following the Ghostbusters Fan Fest Event, Wizard World will continue to tour the additional elements debuted for the 35th anniversary celebration.

Later this year, fans will be able to play the Ghostbusters World augmented reality game.  A collaboration between Sony Pictures Consumer Products, Ghost Corps, publisher FourThirtyThree Inc. (4:33) and developer Next Age, the game enables players to battle and capture hundreds of ghosts from all dimensions of the franchise, including the films, TV shows, comic books, theme parks, and video games. It features the latest in AR and other mobile technologies and differentiates itself with skill-based gameplay.  Fans visiting San Diego in July will be able to experience the game’s first public demo build and booth at The Experience at Comic-Con at Petco Park.

Beginning this fall, musical Ghostbusters fans can attend Ghostbusters Live, produced by Schirmer Theatrical – special screenings of the 1984 classic with live accompaniment by symphony orchestras around the world, conducted by Peter Bernstein, the film’s original orchestrator and son of iconic composer Elmer Bernstein, who wrote the film score.  Today, the studio announced that the Ghostbusters Live will be staged in such cities as Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, London, and Dublin, and many, many more to be announced. Fans can find links to a complete schedule at www.schirmertheatrical.com/shows/ghostbusters.

At ghostbusters.com, fans can register for more information for the Ghostbusters Fan Fest Event, which will take place one year from today. At the event, fans will meet for two days at Ghost Corps headquarters on the Sony Pictures Studio lot in Culver City, California.  There, for the first time ever, the studio will join forces with Wizard World to bring fans an unforgettable experience.  For the 35th anniversary, fans will participate in exclusive panels, meet the Ghostbusters creators, talent and crew and experience Ghostbusters augmented reality and virtual reality games.

Get Ready for the Ultimate Ghostbusters Fan Fest in 2019!

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Getting a jump on Ghostbusters Day 2018 announcements and celebrations, Wizard World and Ghost Corps announced today their plans for next year. June 8th and 9th, 2019 they're once again opening the doors to the Sony Pictures lot for a Ghostbusters convention in celebration of the original film's 35th anniversary, and Ghostbusters II's 30th anniversary. More information including how to get tickets and programming will surely be coming soon, but in the meantime here is a full press release with all we know so far.

Wizard World Teams With Sony Pictures and Ghost Corps on Ghostbusters Fan Fest Presented by Wizard World, June 8-9, 2019, Celebrating Iconic Film's 35th Anniversary

Year-long Countdown Begins Today At Wizard World Comic Con Columbus With Free Single- Day Admission, 'Ghostbusters'-Themed Programs This Weekend; Fan Fest To Be Held On Sony Pictures Studio Lot Featuring 'Ghostbusters' Creators, Talent and Crew; Event Continues IP Collaboration With Sony

CULVER CITY, California, June 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In anticipation of Ghostbusters Day tomorrow, the anniversary of the classic comedy which released 34 years ago on June 8, 1984, Wizard World, Sony Pictures and Ghost Corps have teamed up to announce an extraordinary live event, the Ghostbusters Fan Fest presented by Wizard World, to be held June 8-9, 2019 at Ghost Corps headquarters on the famed Sony Pictures Studio Lot in Culver City, Calif. Wizard World (OTCBB: WIZD), which produces the largest touring pop culture convention series, will produce the Ghostbusters Fan Fest.

Ghostbusters Fan Fest presented by Wizard World will be the ultimate celebration of the film, which starred Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, and Ernie Hudson and was directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. For the 35th anniversary, fans will participate in exclusive panels, meet the Ghostbusters creators, talent and crew and experience Ghostbusters augmented reality and virtual reality games.

The celebration is officially ON at Wizard World Comic Con Columbus this weekend, with any fan cosplaying in Ghostbusters attire receiving a single-day admission to the event, by visiting the Special Guest Registration booth and showing off his/her Ghostbusters attire. Attendees can also take part in themed events such as a "Slimer" demonstration, trivia and more at Wizard World's eighth annual trip to Columbus.

"Wizard World is proud to team with Sony Pictures and Ghost Corps to celebrate the anniversary of a film which has been the source of enjoyment for so many of our fans over the years," said John D. Maatta, Wizard World CEO. "We are honored that these keepers of the Ghostbusters legacy have entrusted us with producing the high-quality events that we are known for, and are pleased to continue our IP collaboration with Sony Pictures in such a significant way. Sony Pictures continues to be creative and innovative in all of our dealing with them."

"Ghostbusters continues to have a strong fanbase across the world and we are pleased to celebrate the 35th anniversary with a collaboration with Wizard World," added Jeffrey Godsick, Executive Vice President, Brand Strategy and Global Partnerships for Sony Pictures. "We know they will create great experiences at all of their conventions, and they are pulling out all the stops in creating the ultimate fan experience for the Ghostbusters Fan Fest next year."

Over the next year, Wizard World will present a touring experience at Wizard World Comic Con events throughout the country featuring a pop-up shop with exclusive Ghostbusters merchandise. Next year, following the Ghostbusters Fan Fest Event, Wizard World will continue to tour the additional elements debuted for the 35th anniversary celebration. Details will be linked at www.wizardword.com.

Fans can learn more about the Ghostbusters Fan Fest presented by Wizard World starting tomorrow at www.ghostbusters.com.

Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II 4K UHD Review

Boy, this is strange. After years in the industry of creating special features for DVD and Blu-rays, I've never really done a review for one. But now that I'm no longer working in that field, and given that the folks in Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's publicity department were kind enough to send me review copies, here goes... my very first disc review of the Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II Ultra-HD 4K Blu-ray releases.

VIDEO QUALITY

Being only the second UHD disc that I've been able to take a look at (the other being the recent Deadpool release), it's tough to have a comparison for these older films in a 4K presentation. But as a fan of Ghostbusters, I loved every frame of what has been done here. In terms of the first film, the picture quality is very comparable to the "Mastered in 4K" release - I'd have to put freeze-frames side by side to get a good idea just where the differences occur in the jump in resolution. But this master is leaps and bounds better than the original pre-remastering Ghostbusters Blu-ray release... which was better than the previous DVD release, which had improved on the original DVD release. That's the good news, with ever release the picture quality continues to shine incrementally. Colors are deep and rich. Sharpness is good without any lines buzzing. I wish I had the ability to take screencaptures from the UHD discs because the picture presentation is absolutely astounding. Grain has been left in place to continue to give the feature presentation a filmic quality (and to mimic what audiences would have seen in theaters with a print projection) but the sharpness and the detail is wonderful. Sure, compared to the Deadpool UHD, there's a noticeable jump in the detail and fidelity of the image between the two, but make no mistake, this is the best that either film has looked in years let alone on a home video release. But chances are, if you purchased either the "Mastered in 4K" Blu-ray a year or two ago or that two-pack Digibook set and you're happy with the picture quality, you might not notice that large of a jump between the two releases.

AUDIO QUALITY

This is where the new release for both films really shines. My Dolby Atmos enabled system loved the brand-new mixes done for both of these films, even if they are a little scaled back when compared to the Deadpool UHD or the most recent Gravity Atmos release. Needless to say, the new mix is a massive upgrade from the stereo mix days, the surrounds get a pretty good workout with a lot of flybys and sound effects enveloping you on both films. It's still not as bombastic of a mix as a modern-era Atmos mix might provide, but for a film that's over 30 years old in the case of the original, it's still pretty darn impressive.

SPECIAL FEATURES

First off... hey! They listened and swapped Slimers so that the correct version of each is on their respective covers (initial versions of the box art solicited had Ghostbusters II Slimer on the original film's cover and vice-versa). It looks like they also nudged the (odd-choice) Fort Detmerring photo on the original films' cover so that the logo isn't chopping off poor Ernie Hudson's head. That said, man those covers are still ugly.

But why judge a book by its cover? Let's dive into what's contained inside...

The UHD discs lack any special features with the exception of an audio commentary, most likely to assure that the highest bit-rate is dedicated to the picture and audio presentation on these discs. But the standard 1080p Blu-ray discs include the same special features that were included on the Digibook two-pack set released in 2014. But hey, this is my first venture into a Blu-ray review, let's leave no stone left unturned and dive into what's here (and what's not). 

Included on the Blu-ray are:

"Who You Gonna Call: A Ghostbusters Retrospective" - called a "roundtable" discussion (though not at a table and is more of a Geoff Boucher moderated Q&A)

"Time is But a Window: Ghostbusters II and Beyond" - the second part of the Geoff Boucher "roundtable" that gives a little bit of a discussion on the production and response of the second film and talks about prospects for a third film at a time when Paul Feig's current July release was unannounced.

Deleted Scenes - 10 scenes from the original film (with several missing that were on the Criterion disc and for some reason still have never made it onto a SPHE release) and 7 very welcome deleted scenes from the second film are presented here... although there are several scenes from the second movie that aren't represented here for one reason or another including a cameo from Eugene Levy we've seen in production photography but never on celluloid. Deleted scenes, especially with actors cut from the film in entirety are always a tricky thing, but those are the types of things that fans would love to see. Maybe some day. Again, good fodder for another box set down the line.

Alternate TV Takes - These are a lot of fun, especially for those of us that grew up without a proper VHS release of the film and instead watched the ABC Sunday Night at the Movies recording we had over and over. A fun inclusion.

Audio Commentary by Ivan Reitman, Harold Ramis and Joe Medjuk (on the first film). This is the same commentary from the 90s, it's fun and light-hearted but a little dated at this point. Dan Aykroyd had said he recorded new commentaries for both films at the time of the original Blu-ray release, neither of which strangely seem to have seen the light of day. Maybe an upcoming box set with the 2016 film?

Slimer Mode - the "BonusView" track over the film is fun, although a bit repetitive of materials elsewhere.

"Ecto-1: Resurrecting the Classic Car" - great 15 minute featurette from when the car was restored for the 25th anniversary. Sadly since that time, the Ecto-1A from the second film has been rotting and still sits in shambles.

Featurettes: Original 1984 featurette (cut from the EPK material, which is fantastic), cast and crew featurette, SFX Team featurette - these are all great though aren't given much time to breathe. There's also a multi-angle feature that is replicated from the original DVD release (and the Criterion Laserdisc before it) where you can see VFX/SFX shots before and after with the touch of a button.

Music Videos: Both the Ray Parker Jr. music video and the Bobby Brown "On Our Own" music video are represented on both discs. Glad to have them. Though there's several other music videos that could and should be included on a future release. The Bus Boys' "Cleanin' Up the Town", Mick Smiley's "Magic", Run DMC's "Ghostbusters" remix.

Trailers - yes. That same weird trailer is on the original film that was on the original Blu-ray release. Must have been a legal issue or something but it's... weird. Maybe they wanted to take advantage of the HD picture by overcutting footage from the film into the trailer with the audio bed, maybe there was a legal reason, but it's strange to hear cut lines of dialogue under the wrong shots (Venkman's cut line about being the "Chairman of the Largest Paranormal Removal Company" under the shot of the original Ghostbusters banner being hung outside the firehouse being the most egregious. Why not include the ORIGINAL original trailer? It's such a strange choice. I can understand not including the trailer on the Criterion disc that includes the unused Ghostbusters theme because of music legality issues, but this one is a head-scratcher to me still.

NOT included on the Blu-ray are: several of the deleted scenes seen on previous releases including the Criterion laserdisc release. There's a whole lot of key behind the scenes elements that have never been explored on a home video release (which hopefully the upcoming "Cleanin' Up the Town" documentary will take care of) but for reference, I did a full breakdown of what would be the ideal set of special features in an old Private Sector column that you can see here courtesy of Proton Charging.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Do you have a 4K TV and the latest Dolby Atmos home theater setup and are you a die-hard Ghostbusters fan? Then this release is for you. But if you purchased the lovely Digibook set no more than a year ago, and you don't have the latest tech setup then there's really no need for you to purchase this set. Much like the "Superbit" releases of old in the DVD days, this is really for the video and audio aficionados, and even then because it's an older movie many people won't be using it as reference for their home theater demos most likely. If you've already got the excellent Digibook Blu-ray set, you might want to hold out to see if another box set of the films is released down the line with more special features. That definitive "Alien Anthology" archival version of Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II in box set is still elusive. Maybe some day, it'll come to pass.

CLASSIC GBHQ: Interview with Dylan Gross

Now well-known as a go-to aerial photographer throughout Hollywood, GBHQ interviewed Dylan Gross back in 2000 about his time spent as an assistant cameraman/loader on Ghostbusters II.

Here is the interview as it was presented back in 2000 with the original introduction as well.

What is a "camera loader?" What does "1st assistant camera" mean? All of these are terms you would hear on a movie set. After working on 45+ films, including Species, George of the Jungle, Bad Boys, and many others, Dylan Gross has had an extensive career and is still going strong today, working in aerial filming and commercial directing. However, one job stands out on his resume. It was actually the second film he ever worked on, he was 19 at the time, the film was Ghostbusters 2. 

Q: How did you get the job of working on Ghostbusters II? 

A: Maybe predictably, my father. Ghostbusters 2 was one of the first films that I worked on full-time, and I was 19 when I started. My father was the show's Executive Producer (Michael C. Gross), and my summer jobs for many years were on film sets. I was the (there is one on every set) producer's son who someone was told to give a job... in this case, it was a little more serious, a s I was part of the shooting crew. It was my first "real position" - and with the Camera Crew, which was generally considered the hardest part of the crew to become part of (of the below-the-line, working crew, that is). In fact, even with my father as one of the two Exec. Producers for the show, he was told at first that due to the tightness of the camera union (at the time, IATSE local 659), even he couldn't get me a job with them. For a couple of weeks during pre-production I helped out some of the physical special effects guys (the makers of the slime!). Then things worked out with the camera crew by the time that principal photography began. It was my first show in the union. My father would say that I didn't have to keep the union card, at least I had it. And my direct boss, Cameraman Michael Chapman, joked that it was a complete waste of time to get in the union... he was probably right, but here I am, doing camera work almost a dozen years later (my father moved out of the film business around six years ago). 

Q: Explain your job to our viewers if you would please. 

A: At the time, my job was pretty lowly. A couple of factors were there - first, there was quite a bit of responsibility in even the lowest camera department job, typically loading and unloading the film into the camera magazines. On any movie, the handling of the film takes a special importance - rightfully so - all of the days work is trusted at one moment to the person handling it. Second, the guys in the camera department wanted to send a message that I was very lucky to have gotten into the camera department so easily. Most, if not all of them, paid many more dues before they were allowed membership. So, for the first week, I wasn't even allowed on the set. They kept me on the camera truck, where all of the equipment was, building wooden shelves for the camera cases. I was finally allowed to hook up the video monitors that show what the film cameras were shooting (video assist). On today's sets, that is a separate job from the camera department, but being relatively new, the monitors and equipment were left for the camera crew to deal with. Most of my days were spent wiping Ghostbusters Slime off of piles of tangled fifty foot video cables. As far as my future camera work, eventually I got my hands on the film (film loader), and then the slates (second assistant camera) on the TV show Quantum Leap, as well as features like Kindergarten Cop, Heart and Souls, Point of No Return, and The River Wild. I was a focus puller (1st assistant camera) for a few years, and then ended up, through a friend, getting into aerial (helicopter) filming. Almost by mistake, that became my specialty as, at first, a technician, and then as a Cameraman myself, shooting. This has been my mainstay for several years, and has led to the beginning of a Commercial Directing career (I finished my last of three directing spots recently). 

Q: How much time was allowed for filming in N.Y. and L.A.? 

A: Honestly, I don't recall. I think that the N.Y. unit (which shot first, doing exteriors before the L.A. sound stage work) shot for maybe a couple of weeks. In L.A. I think that we went for around 60 days, or twelve weeks of five day shooting weeks. As I recall, for a large show, the film was relatively on schedule. Most of my energy was spent perfecting the removal of slime from cables, so the finer points of the schedule were lost on me. There were also some re-shoots and additional shots made after the principal photography was wrapped, I belive about a week's worth of work. 

Q: In your opinion, what was the hardest scene to film? 

A: When N.Y. starts to be enveloped in slime, the related scenes were a mess. There were many sets that became covered in the sticky mess, and keeping the cameras clean and safe was mostly janitorial work for the bottom end of the crew. The slime was everywhere, stuck to cases, cables, shoes - everything. Everywhere out of the shooting scene were hoses to pipe slime, things to trip over - it was a tiring environment with very long hours. 

Q: Who was the best to work with? 

A: My dad knew Bill Murray casually for many years, and he had seen me as a very young kid and breifly on a few occasions, growing over the years. He joked with me quite a bit and made it easier to be around the set. Somehow it evolved where I would have cigarettes for him with some of my camera stuff (in a pouch on a belt), so I would get these summons to the center of the set for a cigarette, often at times where the set was closed and just the actors and the director (Ivan Reitman) were rehearsing. Overall though, a film set is a bit like the circus, and there are amazing characters thoughout the whole crew. It is quite an environment to grow up in, and many people made it a memorable place to be. 

Q: Were you a fan of the original film before working on the sequel? 

A: I was in school full time on the first movie, which came out in the summer after the ninth grade for me. For a fourteen year old, it is a pretty huge movie. I think I got as sick of the Ghostbusters song that went to the top of the charts as anyone else did, but yeah, I really liked the original a lot. 

Q: What are some of your favorite stories from working on the film? 

A: Some of the smaller things are definitely lost to my memory... Like any good union member, I did spend a lot of time playing cards on set. There was a one-handed game that the sound guys played, that only involved one poker hand and could be played pretty discreetly during long setups. The sound crew was a three person crew - mixer, boom man, and cable man. The cable man was always running the games, and was incredibly good at starting rumors as a past time. He would plant one piece on information with one crew guy, and then another with someone else. He would be the catalist to some amazing rumors that I couldn't believe he could start. The film shot through January in L.A. and he started the rumor that the Superbowl has changed where it was going to be held that year. He had members of the crew (a lot of sports bettors) changing their wagers based on this rumor that he somehow started panic among the serious sports fans. Somehow, from spending many hours a day crawling under and behind things with those video cables, I became known as the Monitor Lizard. The office got word of this and thought it would be funny to credit me as that in the film. Because of the way things worked on a union film then, the legal department needed it cleared with my union to call me that. Amazingly, the office still made the request to my union, who found no humor in it and insisted that I take a normal credit.