Ghostbusters II

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This article is about a film, it is also the title of a computer game - see Ghostbusters II (Computer game)

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
Music by	Randy Edelman
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	June 16, 1989
Running time	102 min.
Language	English
Preceded by	Ghostbusters
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Ghostbusters II is the 1989 sequel of Ghostbusters (1984); the sci-fi comedy films are about three parapsychologists and their organization which combats paranormal activities ("ghostbusting"). Despite a less profitable opening than the original and being overthrown one week later by Batman, it was one of the most successful films of 1989.

Taglines:

• Be ready to believe us.
• The Superstars of the Supernatural are back!
• We're back!
• The Superstars of the Supernatural are back. And this time, it's no marshmallow roast.
• Guess who's coming to save the world again?

Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 History 4 Trivia 5 Music 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Plot

After the events of Ghostbusters, the company was sued by numerous city and state agencies in New York for blowing the top three floors from 550 Central Park West, among other instances of property damage. As a result, (c. 1987) a judge issued an injunction banning them from operating as paranormal investigators and eliminators, effectively putting them out of business. Once hailed as heroes, they are now seen as swindlers whose ghostbusting activities were nothing more than a light show.

Ray Stantz owns an occult book shop in Manhattan, and along with Winston Zeddmore they put on special appearances at children's birthday parties. The children at the party shown in the film seem to have forgotten what the Ghostbusters did for the city and are more interested in seeing He-Man. Peter Venkman has his own TV series, World Of The Psychic, in which he ridicules people who believe they have telepathic powers. Egon Spengler, meanwhile, is a medical scientist at The Institute for Advanced Theoretical Research.^[1] Dana Barrett and Venkman did not remain together after Ghostbusters and she had a baby named Oscar with a musician who played in the orchestra. As well as the orchestra, Dana restores old paintings at the Manhattan Museum of Art. Dana's boss, Dr. Janosz Poha, is at work restoring a painting of Vigo the Carpathian (the scourge of Carpathia), a cruel 16th-century Moldavian ruler.

At the start of the film, Dana is taking Oscar for a walk in his baby carriage when strange pink slime rises up from a crack in the street and gets on the wheel of the carriage (unbeknownst to Dana). As a result, the carriage takes on a life of its own and tears down the street, eventually heading into oncoming traffic. The carriage stops just in time and Oscar ends up safe, but Dana is obviously disturbed by what happened. She consults Egon, who recruits Stantz and Venkman to help him find out what happened. Eventually, the original Ghostbusters find themselves back together and attempt to solve the mystery.

While posing as workmen, Stantz discovers a huge river of slime flowing through the ruins of Beach's Pneumatic Subway. It is suggested that this slime has been accumulating under New York City for decades. Stantz takes a sample of the slime for study. However, they drilled a large hole in the street, disrupting traffic. They are accosted by a police officer and an inspector for ConEd, who do not believe their claims that they are with New York Telephone or ConEd. The resulting chaos sees Stantz inadvertently destroy a power line, plunging all of New York into a blackout. The Ghostbusters are arrested, and their equipment and paraphernalia is confiscated as evidence.

In court, the Ghostbusters are tried by Judge Wexler for violating the injunction that stopped them from paranormal work. The exhibits at the trial include their proton packs and the jar of slime Stantz took for research. Due to the skepticism of Judge Wexler and the prosecuting attorney, as well as the ineptitude of their own lawyer (Louis Tully, played by Rick Moranis), the Ghostbusters lose the case. Wexler fines each of them for $25,000 and sentences them to 18 months in prison. Angry at a case that grew more ridiculous by the minute, he flies into a terrifying rage at the Ghostbusters (swearing that, had he the power, he would have them "burned at the stake") and the slime uses his anger to release the vengeful ghosts of the Scoleri brothers, two murderers who Wexler had sent to the electric chair. Panicking, Wexler is compelled to vacate the injunction to let them bust the two ghosts. The Ghostbusters are back in business, and soon recover their previous fame and popularity.

Although Venkman is still trying to rebuild his relationship with Dana, the Ghostbusters use their freedom to research the slime. They soon begin to find out what causes it to react. Spengler discovers that it is a kind of "mood slime" that feeds off of the emotions and feelings of people around it. Insults make it react violently, whereas plying it with soothing, calming words and compliments will make it settle down again. After coating the interior of a toaster with the slime and experimenting with Jackie Wilson's "Higher and Higher", they find that music makes it move and "dance". Further investigation into the river of slime beneath the city, meanwhile, reveals that the river is feeding off the bad vibes of the New Yorkers above.

Meanwhile, Janosz is working on Vigo's portrait when it suddenly comes to life. Vigo's spirit has inhabited the tyrant's portrait since as far back as when the despot was seemingly killed by his suffering subjects. He casts a spell on Janosz and directs him to bring him a child so he can live again. He wants to use a baby—Oscar—as a "host" body, planning to return to the physical plane at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve.

When the Ghostbusters try to inform the mayor about the danger from the slime, he refuses to take them seriously and throws them out. They are then committed to the psychiatric ward at Parkview Hospital, classified as insane. While this was purportedly on the orders of the mayor, in reality his publicist, Jack Hardemeyer, forged the civil commitment order to protect the mayor's image for the election due the following year.

With the Ghostbusters imprisoned, Vigo's evil increases and New York is engulfed in supernatural chaos. Ghost sightings increase dramatically and are often spectacular, including the ghost of the Titanic completing its voyage (leading a dock worker, played by Cheech Marin, to quip, "Better late than never!") and the Mayor having a conversation with Fiorello LaGuardia (former Mayor of New York, who, at the time of the film's release, had been dead for 40 years). Oscar is kidnapped by a supernaturally-empowered Janosz (who appears as a demented, ghostly English nanny complete with baby carriage) and brought back to the Metropolitan Museum.

On New Year's Eve, the mayhem overrunning the city eventually convinces the mayor to send for the Ghostbusters. When he finds out that Hardemeyer had them committed, he fires the aide and releases the Ghostbusters, who trek to the museum to rescue Oscar as a total eclipse of the sun occurs. But a thick dome of slime has risen around the building and hardened into a shell, shutting them out of it (even their Proton Packs are no use). Remembering how the slime reacted to human emotion, the Ghostbusters search for a symbol of hope and purity, eventually finding it by looking at the New York State licence plate of ECTO-1: the Statue of Liberty.

The Ghostbusters enter the statue and, using the newly constructed 'Slime Blowers' loaded with positively charged slime, coat the statue's interior. Using a portable stereo, they play the slime's favourite song, "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" (although this time a cover performed by Howard Huntsberry) and the psychokinetic energy in the slime possesses the statue and brings it to life. Using an NES Advantage, they direct the statue to walk to the museum, accidentally crushing a police car underfoot en route and, with the help of the good feelings from the positively-inspired crowd surrounding the building, use it to smash through the slime shell and let them into the museum to confront Vigo.

They first defeat Janosz with positively-charged slime, then proceed to face Vigo, who at this time has come out of the painting. At first, their efforts to quell Vigo's attempt to possess Oscar prove to have little effect, but Venkman manages to save the baby. At this point, Ray becomes possessed by Vigo instead. However, the stroke of midnight passes and with the help of the good vibes of the celebrating citizens outside, the Ghostbusters manage to force Vigo back inside his painting by coating Ray in the positively-charged slime. By shooting their slime blowers and proton beams at Vigo's weakened form inside the painting, he is destroyed forever. Ray wakes up, "feeling like a million bucks." Janosz wakes up sometime later—the slime has broken Vigo's spell over him. In place of Vigo's painting is an older, apparently prophetic painting revealed by Vigo's destruction: a Renaissance-style portrayal of Oscar and the Ghostbusters in an angelic setting.

After the Ghostbusters emerge from the museum, the mayor greets them and after a montage sequence they are shown on Liberty Island as guests of honor at a ceremony where they receive the key to the city.

[edit] Cast

• Bill Murray - Dr. Peter Venkman
• Dan Aykroyd - Dr. Raymond Stantz
• Harold Ramis - Dr. Egon Spengler
• Rick Moranis - Louis Tully
• Sigourney Weaver - Dana Barrett
• Ernie Hudson - Winston Zeddemore
• Annie Potts - Janine Melnitz
• Peter MacNicol - Janosz Poha
• Wilhelm von Homburg - Vigo the Carpathian

[edit] History

After the success of the first film, 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. The cast and crew were ultimately dissatisfied with the film as well as its box office reception. ^[2]

[edit] Trivia

• The original Laserdisc and VHS versions of the film were made incorrectly. Instead of being produced either in the original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 or panned and scanned at the aspect ratio of 1.33:1, the movie was panned and scanned in a 1.66:1 frame. Compared to the 'proper' pan and scan version at 1.33:1, width is definitely gained on the edges, though very slightly. However, the DVD version was transferred and encoded at the original aspect ratio of 2.35:1.

• There are no opening titles. The movie's title is represented by an animation of the movie's logo, but it is never displayed onscreen.

• At the end of the version shown in theaters, Slimer comes out from behind the Statue of Liberty and goes right into the camera (as he did at the end of Ghostbusters (1984)). The video version just ends with a pan up to the statue's head, then, a fade to black.

• Vigo the Carpathian is portrayed by Wilhelm von Homburg. Oscar, Dana Barrett's son, is played by the twin baby brothers, William and Henry Deutschendorf. According to the plot, Vigo is supposed to reincarnate Oscar. Interestingly, the fictitious 16th-century tyrant's full name, found in a computer encyclopedia by Egon, was Prince Vigo von Homburg Deutschendorf, a wordplay on the real actor's names in addition to the surname of the twin babies that played the role of Oscar.

• 'Van Horne Station' and the pneumatic transit system borrow inspiration from two existing sources in New York. The station itself borrows most of its design elements from the disused City Hall subway station of the original Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT). However, the station's location and the information relating to a pneumatic transit system is based on the invention of Alfred Ely Beach. Beach invented the world's first pneumatic subway system in a test tunnel beneath Broadway, the tunnel itself believed to be around 312 feet long and constructed with its own station and platform. A deleted line from the screenplay had Egon explain that the system comprised of 'fan forced air trains, built around 1870'. In further reference to this forgotten engineering marvel, the tunnel entrance from the 'Beach Subway' was adapted into the 'Van Horne' set and a sign on the stairwell (Requiring digital enhancement to detect) directing fictional passengers to Broadway (Despite the location being suggested as First Avenue and 77th Street in the film).

• A great deal of merchandise (such as coloring books) came out with the release of this film. As was the case with the Real Ghostbusters cartoon, the makers of this material may have wanted to avoid likeness fees and as a result, the main characters in these bare little resemblance to any other version of the characters.

• After Dana has arrived at the museum to rescue her baby, Dr. Janosz Poha exclaims that the painting "Take a look, it's not Gainsborough's Blue Boy, there. He is Vigo!". The Blue Boy is one of Thomas Gainsborough's well known paintings, depicting an androgynous looking boy in blue attire.

[edit] Music

• "Ghostbusters", the original theme from the first movie, written and performed by Ray Parker Jr.
• "On Our Own", performed by Bobby Brown, who also makes a cameo appearance as a doorman; written by L.A. Reid, Babyface and Daryl Simmons
• "Ghostbusters", a rap performed by Run-D.M.C.; written by Ray Parker Jr.
• "Flip City", performed by Glenn Frey; written by Glenn Frey and Hawk Wolinski
• Two versions of "Higher And Higher", written by Gary Jackson, Carl Smith and Raynard Miner

1. (original version), performed by Jackie Wilson
2. (updated version), performed by Howard Huntsberry

• "Spirit", a rap performed by Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew, written by Doug E. Fresh and Bernard Wright
• "Flesh 'N Blood", performed by Oingo Boingo; written by its leader, Danny Elfman
• "We're Back", performed by Bobby Brown; written by Bobby Brown, Dennis Austin, Larry White and Kirk Crumpler

[edit] References

1. ^ Script of Ghostbusters II
2. ^ The Movies of the Eighties (1990) by Ron Base and David Haslam.

[edit] External links

• Ghostbusters II at the Internet Movie Database
• Spook Central: The Ghostbusters Companion
• Ghostbusters Prop Archive
• Ghostbusters.net
• Proton Charging - Ghostbusters news and information
• Ghostbusters Headquarters

Ghostbusters
Movies:	Ghostbusters | Ghostbusters II
Television:	The Real Ghostbusters | Extreme Ghostbusters
Video Games:	Ghostbusters (Activision) | Ghostbusters (Sega) | Ghostbusters II
Technology:	Proton pack | Ectomobile | Ghostbusters equipment
Characters:	Peter Venkman | Egon Spengler | Ray Stantz | Winston Zeddemore | Janine Melnitz | Ivo Shandor
Ghosts:	Slimer | Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man | Vigo the Carpathian
Misc:	Ghostbusters: Legion | Ghostbusters: The Return | Ghostbusters (role-playing game) | Filmation's Ghostbusters