Ghostbusters II

Ghostbusters II
Directed By:	Ivan Reitman
Produced By:	Ivan Reitman
Written By:	Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis
Starring:	Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, Peter MacNicol, Wilhelm von Homburg
Music By:	Randy Edelman
Cinematography:	Michael Chapman
Editing By:	Donn Cambern, Sheldon Kahn
Distributed By:	Columbia Pictures
Release Date(s):	June 16, 1989 NA December 1, 1989 UK
Running Time:	102 minutes

Ghostbusters II is the 1989 sequel to Ghostbusters (1984) produced and directed by Ivan Reitman. It takes place in New York City, five years after the events in the first film. It is the second Ghostbusters related material that fits in mostly the Movie Canon, and some of it was tied in the Animated Canon via The Real Ghostbusters episode "Partners in Slime".

With the release of Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Realistic Version) some questions about where and who made the Mood slime was addressed, and it serves as a conclusion to the movie series.

Main Characters

Dr. Peter Venkman

Dr. Peter Venkman (portrayed by Bill Murray)

Dr. Ray Stantz

Dr. Raymond Stantz (portrayed by Dan Aykroyd)

Dr. Egon Spengler

Dr. Egon Spengler (portrayed by Harold Ramis)

Winston Zeddemore

Winston Zeddemore (portrayed by Ernie Hudson)

Louis Tully

Louis Tully (portrayed by Rick Moranis)

Dana Barrett

Dana Barrett (portrayed by Sigourney Weaver)

Minor Characters

• Janosz Poha (portrayed by Peter MacNicol)

• Janine Melnitz (portrayed by Annie Potts)

• Oscar (portrayed by William T. Deutschendorf and Henry J. Deutschendorf II)

• Jack Hardemeyer (portrayed by Kurt Fuller)

• Mayor Lenny (portrayed by David Margulies)

• Judge Stephen Wexler (portrayed by Harris Yulin)

• The Prosecutor (portrayed by Janet Margolin)

• Psychiatric Doctor (portrayed by Brian Doyle-Murray)
• Harbor Master (portrayed by Cheech Marin)

Ghosts

• Vigo

• Statue of Liberty

• Scoleri Brothers

• Slimer (portrayed by Robin Shelby and voiced by Ivan Reitman)

• Titanic

• Jogger Ghost

• Mink Coat

• Fiorello La Guardia (mentioned)

• Impaled heads

• Ghost Train

• Slime in Bathtub Attack

• Washington Square Ghost

• Cinema Ghost

• Frog Ghost

• Disembodied Voice

• Slime Eclipse (Paranormal event)

Equipment/Vehicle

• Uniform

• Proton Pack

• Slime Blower

• Trap

• P.K.E. Meter

• Giga meter

• Ecto goggles

• Spectral analyzer

• Ecto-1a

• Globuscope

• KUD meter

• Slime Scoop

• Latent Image Sensor

• Occult Reference Net

• PA System

• Walkman

• NES Advantage Controller

• Sound Level Meter

• Magical Paths to Fortune and Power

Places/Locations

• Firehouse

• Institute for Advanced Theoretical Research

• Manhattan Museum of Art

• Dana's apartment

• Peter's apartment

• First Avenue

• Central Park

• Orrefors

• New York Pneumatic Railroad

• Gracie Mansion

• Ray's Occult Books

• Armand's Restaurant

• Parkview Psychiatric Hospital

• Liberty Island

• Berlin

Plot synopsis

Five years after the events of the first film, in the opening of the film, Ghostbusters is closed. They were sued by the city, county, and state of New York and served a judicial restraining order preventing them from conducting paranormal investigations and eliminations sometime after Gozer was defeated. Dana Barrett is making her way with Oscar back to her apartment. While talking to the superintendent, slime on the wheels of Oscar's stroller cause it to roll away, weaving around oncoming traffic and people. Dana chases after it, and eventually it stops in the middle of the intersection, right in front of a City Bus. As for the Ghostbusters, they are undeservingly out of business, having been sued by the city for property damage and because of a restraining order, are barred from paranormal investigations. Ray Stantz and Winston Zeddemore are regular entertainers at children's birthday parties although they are usually greeted with jeers and hostility from the children. Dana visits Egon Spengler at his lab office, where he is conducting various experiments on human emotions, and explains to him what happened earlier and that she needs help. He tells her he would like to get Ray involved and Dana agrees but tells him not to involve Peter Venkman, as they are not on good speaking terms. In the meantime, Peter Venkman is the host of "The World of the Psychic",  a television show that, unfortunately, is avoided by renowned psychics stemming from the belief that Peter is a fraud. After the show, he runs into the Mayor and tries to talk to him but is stopped by Jack Hardemeyer, the Mayor's assistant. He tells him to keep away from the Mayor. They instantly dislike one another and Peter reminds him of how "bookworms" like himself earned him and his fellow Ghostbusters their public status and reputation.

Vigo staring at Janosz

Dana is working at Manhattan Museum of Art, restoring paintings and having to deal with the unwelcome advancements from her boss, Janosz Poha. While Ray and Egon are researching at Ray's Occult Books, Peter shows up and finds out about Dana's recent problem. The next day, the three visit her apartment, prompting an awkward reunion between her and Peter. Egon and Ray examine Oscar and his room, then investigate the street where the stroller stopped. After checking the area and getting a strong reading, they drill a hole in the street. They discover a deep shaft and conclude that one of them must descend to obtain a better reading. Meanwhile, at the art museum, Janosz is touching up Vigo's painting when he receives a shock from it. The painting changes and Vigo orders him to locate a child, possessing him with the evil power.

Ray, meanwhile, is going down through the street in the underground by wire. While the police show up to tell them that the gas leak story they gave doesn't check out, Ray finds out that there is a river of slime flowing under New York. After obtaining a sample, the slime starts attacking him, and he screams begging them to pull him up. In the panic, Ray kicks a pipe and the power to all of New York City goes out. Janosz goes to Dana's apartment to see if he can get her baby, but is turned down.

Ray Fleeing the River of Slime

Ray is giving the Mood Slime a piece of his mind

The next day, Peter, Ray, and Egon are put on trial for violating their restraining order. They are poorly defended by Louis Tully and are found guilty. However, when Judge Stephen Wexler begins angrily insulting the trio, the slime starts boiling and after a final tirade, the smile explodes, releasing the ghosts of two murderers the judge had executed. Wexler begs for the Ghostbusters to do something, dismissing the charges and rescinding the restraining order. They then successfully capture the two ghosts. They reopen their business of investigating the paranormal. During this, Ray and Egon find the slime all over the city.

The ghostbusters had started researching and experimenting on what Peter called "Mood slime". It was shown that the slime reacts to threats and verbal abuse, however it also reacts to singing as they did a toast with a toaster where it would dance to the music. Peter then goes to the museum of art to visit Dana and while there Dana tells him about how it feels like the painting is watching her, which also they together notice Janosz is talking to the painting. Later that night while preparing Oscar to take a bath the bathtub filled with pink slime attacks. She runs with Oscar and goes to Peter's apartment and after telling Peter what happened, Peter calls Ray and Egon at the Firehouse, and they agreed to go to Dana's apartment. Egon also showed him history on Vigo and they also decided to go look at that painting the next day as well.

The next day they head on in to the Art Museum and against Janosz's wishes photograph, and study the Vigo Painting. Later, Peter comes home to find Dana cleaned his apartment. He asks her out on a night on the town, and she says yes. Meanwhile after closing the Firehouse for the day, Louis asks Janine out for a bite to eat. She says that she can't as she's babysitting Oscar for Peter, however she invited him to come over at 8pm. He says yes. Meanwhile, Egon and Ray are looking over the pictures using the Spectral analyzer and they noticed not only is a living presence but the River of Slime. After that, the whole room caught on fire, but Winston came in and extinguished the fire.

Egon, Ray, and Winston meet up with Peter, and Dana and ask him to join them as they go down in the sewers to look for slime. Peter says no so the three go down there. While down there they see impaled heads, and a Ghost Train which goes through Winston. Finally they find the River of Slime. Egon and Ray talk about how the thriving undergrond rat population is increasing; much like the sponge migration from 1984. A sign of high, paranormal activities, to which Winston is dismayed. (see: "the Twinkie") Winston tries to measure how deep it is when the slime pulls him in, and he goes downriver. Ray and Egon jump in after him. Meanwhile Dana and Peter seem to be patching things up in there relationship at the restaurant and Janine and Louis are enjoying the time together at Peter's apartment. Later on Ray, Winston, and Egon get out of the sewers all covered in slime and fighting. Egon tells them to remove the clothes they are wearing, and then they lost they anger towards each other. They then look to find out that the River of Slime flows to the Art Museum.

Winston trying to explain the River of Slime

The Ghostbusters come into Armand's Restaurant where Peter and Dana were enjoying dinner. Noting that they were in they underwear and covered in slime the restaurant manager called the cops as the guys told Peter and Dana about the river of slime and the events. The cops take them away, and Peter goes along with them. Meanwhile, Dana comes to Peter's place to see how Oscar is doing as the date is over. Janine and Louis were caught asleep on a couch together, however Oscar is fine in bed. Meanwhile, the Ghostbusters meet the Mayor at Gracie Mansion and Jack Hardemeyer is there: being a jerk. The Ghostbusters try to convince the mayor that the negativity of the city is making a River of Slime, and if people don't start being more positive the whole city is going to blow with supernatural activity. The Mayor didn't believe them and says being miserable and treating people like dirt is every New Yorker's God-given right. After the Mayor left, the Ghostbusters talked about going to the press with the story, then Jack suggested to first tell the people down town. What Jack didn't tell them was that the people down town work for the Parkview Psychiatric Hospital, an insane asylum.

Meanwhile Vigo is talking to Janosz and a deal is struck that Vigo would be reborn as the baby for Dana and Dana would be Janosz's wife. Meanwhile, at Peter's apartment Louis, Janine, and Dana are watching a movie, when all the sudden a window in the bedroom opens and Oscar walks out onto the buildings ledge. Dana notices and sees the window up. She sees Oscar as a supernaturally powered Janosz takes Oscar. Dana leaves for the art museum while Louis looks for the guys.

Dana gets to the museum which after entering the whole outside covers in slime. Inside, Dana tries to take back Oscar while Janosz starts telling the plans Vigo has. After that, beneath the city, the slime raises causing massive mayhem as ghosts and monsters randomly pop out and terrorize citizens. The mayor getting desperate says to call the Ghostbusters, which at that point Jack Hardemeyer tells him that he had the Ghostbusters committed. The mayor then fires Jack and sends someone to get the Ghostbusters, and at that point a slime eclipse happens outside.

After that Louis is with the Ghostbusters as they are leaving and Ray is explaining that Vigo is going to take Oscar and become reborn in Oscar's body and they need to stop it. Then a few minutes later the Ghostbusters get to the museum. They try to blast open the through the slime on the museum, but it's too strong. The boys then get a idea that they need a positive symbol to lift the spirits of the people in the city. Then they get to the Statue of Liberty and Ray and Winston spray down the inside with the Slime Blowers and Egon sets up the joystick controls to steer the Statue. They then started to play "Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher" over the speakers in the Statue. The Statue then started walking and went through the bay.

Vigo's last Stand

Meanwhile, back at the firehouse Janine dresses up Louis in Egon's jumpsuit and then he leaves on foot to help the guys. The Ghostbusters then were directing the Statue of Liberty through New York, cheering up the whole town. They get back to the museum now weakened, and inside Dana runs and grabs up Oscar as the Ghostbusters come through the roof. The first thing they do as Janosz rants, is hose him down with the Slime Blowers. All of a sudden a hose ties up Dana, while Peter puts Oscar behind some stuff, away from the action. Vigo reveals himself outside of the painting walking in plain sight. Then Egon and Peter shoot at him and Vigo stuns all four of them. Vigo then gets the baby. Peter says a few comments which angers Vigo and then he shocks all four again. Then the people start singing outside and are happy, which weakens Vigo and he goes back to the painting while leaving Oscar behind. Meanwhile, outside Louis shows up and starts shooting at the gelatinous Slime Shell. Inside Vigo takes possession of Ray, and Winston uses the Slime Blower to drive Vigo out and back into the painting, and Egon and Peter blast him until he disappears for good.

Victory Walk

Peter and Dana kiss, while Ray wakes up and is very happy. Ray then pulls up a very cheerful Janosz and they share the love. Then all four Ghostbusters, Dana, Oscar and Janosz look at the painting that appears of the four Ghostbusters and a baby. Then they leave the Museum. Outside the city cheers them on, with a changed Jack among the chorus.

Development

After the success of the first film and the animated series, The Real Ghostbusters, Columbia Pictures pressured the producers to make a sequel. However, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ivan Reitman were uncomfortable with this as the original film was intended to be conclusive and they wished to work on other projects. Eventually, they agreed and created a script. Annie Potts was also working on her TV series, Designing Women, at the same time. Reportedly, some of the cast and crew were ultimately dissatisfied with the film as well as its box office reception.

At first there was a completely different script for Ghostbusters II which Bill Murray nicknamed The Last of the Ghostbusters. Needless to say the script was not used and ultimately Dan and Harold wrote a new one. The 80's rap song All On Our Own by Bobby Brown featured.

On June 15th, 1989, while appearing on "Later with Bob Costas," Harold Ramis revealed two other ideas for the sequel. One had the Ghostbusters as very successful, based in a high rise building, and now a worldwide company called Ghostbusters Inc. and the second idea had the sequel picking up literally from the end of the first movie.

The Scoleri Brothers are played (uncredited) by Tim Lawrence and Jim Fyfe in latex suits with animatronic masks. Ostensibly, Tony and Nunzio are based on the real-life Scoleri Brothers, who once robbed Harold Ramis's father Nate Ramis' store. "The ghosts themselves were very loosely based on the fact that my father was a storekeeper who was once robbed and assaulted by the Scoleri Brothers." Some however have suggested that they might be based instead on Tony and Eddie Scoleri, who were convicted of robbing and killing a store owner in Philadelphia in the 1960s. None of this is known for certain however. The designs were created by the Visual Development Artist Henry Mayo (Credited) after extensive input from the Producer Michael Gross.

Scenes

Scene names taken from 2005 DVD version. These Articles are image intensive.

• 01.Start
• 02. "World of the Psychic"
• 03. Dr. Janosz Poha
• 04. Ray's Occult Books
• 05. Investigating Oscar
• 06. Late-Night Excavation
• 07. Vigo Commands
• 08. Down the Shaft
• 09. Great Blackout of 1989
• 10. Their Day in Court
• 11. The Scoleri Brothers
• 12. Two in the Box
• 13. Mood Slime
• 14. A Tub Full of Slime
• 15. Peter's Place
• 16. Vigo 101
• 17. Fire-Trapped
• 18. In the Tunnel
• 19. Scaring the Straights
• 20. Kidnapping Oscar
• 21. Tenth Level of Hell
• 22. No Dent
• 23. The Statue of Liberty
• 24. A Harbor Chick
• 25. Breaking and Entering
• 26. Ghostbusters vs. Vigo
• 27. The Fifth Ghostbuster
• 28. World is Safe Again

Theatrical Releases

Statistics are from The Numbers, which was found first on Proton Charging (Fan Site).

Date	Rank	Gross	Theaters	Per Theater	Total Gross	Days
June 16, 1989	1	$29,472,894	2,410	$12,229	$29,472,894	3
June 23, 1989	3	$13,854,623	2,410	$5,749	$58,765,089	10
June 30, 1989	4	$8,808,778	2,410	$3,655	$73,646,467	17
July 07, 1989	4	$5,265,962	2,315	$2,275	$85,520,592	24
July 14, 1989	7	$4,335,272	1,978	$2,192	$93,170,796	31
July 21, 1989	9	$2,883,671	1,758	$1,640	$98,489,868	38
September 01, 1989	20	$656,346	518	$1,267	$110,000,794	80

Criticism

The film received flack when released for not being as funny as Ghostbusters and having a plot that seemed to be mainly a rehash of the original's. It was also said to not be very child friendly due to the scary ghosts in it. Also, there were complaints that Janine Melnitz having a love affair with Louis Tully was not good for children to see and that it destroyed the relationship developed in the first movie between Egon Spengler and Janine and as it ran through the animated series. Because of this it forced a split in the timeline of the franchise into two canons, one based on the films , and one based on the first film and the animated series. In "Partners in Slime" Vigo was mentioned, confirming this movie is in continuity of the animated series.

Versions and Releases of Ghostbusters II

Home Movie Releases

Usually over the years, Ghostbusters II was released with Ghostbusters in the DVD box sets. Unlike Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters II never saw deleted scenes added or production images or even interviews based on the movie.

Sony had announced at Comic-Con 2008 that the Blu-Ray version of the film along with Ghostbusters was to be released on October 21, 2008, which got delayed to June 18, 2009. For whatever reason, plans for a Blu-Ray version of Ghostbusters II didn't happen. On March 21 Dan anounced via twitter that "GB2 on Blu-ray - it's definitely coming out (with some extras/commentary)." To read more on Home movie releases of the film go to Ghostbusters Home Video Releases

Gallery

Expand/Collapse Area
Overall Screen Caps from the movie Twenty images were selected. To see more screen caps go to Scenes section and look at the individual chapters of the movie.

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