Ghostbusters (UK)

Ghostbusters is the only film I really grew up with. I never owned the film on video for various reasons - I was only 2 when it premiered at the cinema, we only had one blank tape in the whole family and a Betamax, blah blah blah. So when I heard that this truly funny sci-fi horror was being released on DVD, I was excited, but apprehensive. Such a fantastic film could have been given a rush release without making the most of any of the resources available. But I was, happily, wrong.
This is probably the best DVD in my extensive library. The film alone makes it worth having - not just the content, but the remastering of sound and vision (for comparision, look at the deleted scenes, left untouched). Being 15 years old, I worried that the quality would be below par, but it is perfect and does justice to the film.
The extras, however, are what really make this disc stand out like the proverbial sore thumb (in a good way, of course!). The menu alone is breathtaking, and the vast library of pictures and concept drawings, not to mention trailers, before and after special effects shots, comparisons between the storyboard and the eventual film and two genuinely interesting documentaries, make it well worthwhile for the Ghostbusters fan. However, the real jewel in the crown is the film-makers commentary - also genuinely interesting and even funny (listen out for the "Jews and Berries" anecdote!)
I would definitely recommend this DVD to anyone as a fine example of the technology utilised to it`s maximum effect. It is discs like this which make the genre both feasible and worthwhile.

What can I say about this DVD? Well for starters I forgot what such an excellent film this is! Bill Murray is truly brilliant in this flic as he is in most of his other films. In fact all of the main cast are suited to their roles. With a mix of good SFX (for its time) and humour you will enjoy this film without a doubt.
As for the technical side of the DVD again this is excellent. The video is up there with the best and puts newer film transfers to shame. The audio is also very good with some good bass to accompany it.
There are a ton of features on this disk which you won`t be dissappointed with and will be pleasantly surprised with the wealth of information they give you.
To sum it up I give this DVD a big thumbs up and i`m extremely glad I bought it.

Some cracking one liners, a great script and great fun. This film never takes itself too seriously. A lot of the great scene`s are ad-libed and are therefore even more impressive, comically. Bill murray and Dan ayckroyd are brilliant. An hour and a half of great fun. Btw, some of the reviews here have noted that the effects are ropey, I would encourage them to watch the extras on the disc as the effects team intended to do them in quirky B-movie style. So no complaints on any front except the speech channels can be a bit raspy at times, but it is 16 years old.

First and foremost, Ghostbusters stands as the major comedy of the 80`s. Sometimes overlooked, it engendered movies like Men In Black and the not so funny (sorry fans) Evolution. I was 7 when I saw it in theaters and thought that this movie would revolutionize the industry of movie-making. Though it didn`t quite did that, it influenced something that inspired many new filmmakers to do what no one ever thought possible: a horror comedy, which could turn an R-rated direct-to-video into a PG-13 smash hit in theaters. The Mask is a clear example of that.

The movie`s plot is quite simple but effective. Three students (Bill Murray, Dan Ayckroyd and HArold Ramis) in University get kicked out and have to create their own business. This first part of the movie is quite interesting because it involved the new wave of social satire. In order to be employed somewhere, creating your own job might be the answer. Aftertheir first bust, they become stars and even make television appearances. Meanwhile, one of the Ghostbusters` customers (Sigourney Weaver) gets abducted and possessed by the demon Zuul. All hell breaks loose. The Ghostbusters must shut down the protection grid, releasing all the ghosts they have catched in the process. After a fight with a giant marshmallow and battling a female demon (not in that order, though) the Ghostbusters have delivered on a promise: They`re here to save the world.

The DVD contains one of the best collection of archive material, which could be explored further with the popularity of the DVD-18. For the material available online, when we search right, one can wonder why Columbia didn`t pushed this release farther. But still, the extras are wonderful and the menus give an interesting 3-D animation.

The transfer of the film was just fine. There is although some scratches and such, but otherwise, a major improvement from the pan-scan VHS. The color is very well balanced and the audio features a small adition on the 5.1 surround sound.

Overall, it is a nice disc and if you`re a fan of Ghostbusters, you shouldn`t miss this edition, if Columbia is ever to release another one. Definitely great and fun. After 18 years, the guys are still busting strong.

This is one of the DVD`s from it`s early days and provided the first ever video commentary on screen.

The story is brillant.

Extras are top notch.

The better one out of the two.

Audio is really good 5.1 Dolby Digital sound which is one of the best.

Really clear picture.

One of the top DVD`s of all time.

A True Original.

I grew up on "Ghost Busters" and think it's one of the few perfect movies out there. Oh sure I may be biased after those near daily viewings influenced my young brain, but I rarely ever seen another film that is so full of charm and so fun. The cast is perfect; Murray, Aykroyd, Raimis and Hudson make one of the best teams in cinematic history as the Ghost Busters. While Weaver and Moranis offer great support. As a youngster I wondered why this film was classified "a comedy". I simply didn't get the jokes. Now I do and it amazes me that everything you watch it you will pick up a new, subtle joke. "Ghost Busters" is fantastic and no words of mine will be able to suitably describe its greatness.

Video: This is a fine transfer for a 1984 film on a 1999 DVD. Sharpness is schizophrenic; some scenes are pin-sharp some look like they're covered with gauze. There is some grain, but defects are overall minimum. While not perfect, it's the best I've seen "Ghost Busters" and believe me I've seen it a lot. Oh and if you've only ever seen this in pan/scan, you get to see a whole lot more in this 2.35:1 transfer. Just watch the Ghost Busters' entrance into the hotel.

Audio: A fantastic 5.1 remix. Dialogue is always clear and noise is kept to a minimum. The surrounds and sub are given a good work out in the third act. Elmer Bernstein's under-rated score is superb. And who could forget Ray Parker Jr's theme song? This track really immerses you into the Ghost Busters' experience.

Extras: This is a real treasure chest for Ghost Buster fans. Up first is an Ivan Reitman, Harold Ramis and Joe Medjuck audio commentary. This is a fun and fascinating commentary for fans. The trio share anecdotes, trivia and production stories. You can also watch the trio watch the film silhouette on a subtitle.

The deleted scenes are actually quite interesting unlike the most of them that belong on the cutting floor. We also get a "Storyboard Spilt-Screen Comparsion", "Photo galleries" and "Concept Drawings". All are very interesting to Buster fans like me.

We also get an EPK "Behind the Scenes" featurette which unlike most of them is fairly good and we get to see Murray mucking about on the set. "Meet the SFX Crew" is a 15-minute conversation with the SFX crew and is very information and a nice trip down memory lane. Rounding of the pack is the trailers for Ghost Busters I&II.

Overall: Okay, some of the effects look horrible now (but I'll still take Stay-Puff and Slimer over anything CGI could do), but it doesn't matter. "Ghost Busters" has an intelligence and charm completely devoid in summer blockbusters nowadays. This DVD is a fine package, but the lack of a retrospective documentary is disappointing, and for the price this is a must for Buster fans and a trip back to the summer of '84 for the rest of you. And parents, if you have children too young to remember "Ghost Busters", buy this for them and prevent them from falling into Hollywood/MTV brain-melting pap.