Other variants include The Real Ghostbusters hero figures from Kenner‘s Slimed Heroes, Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters II/Power Pack Heroes, and Citizen Ghost.
Custom work was also done to The Real Ghostbusters equipment.
The next project was tw1478’s Kenner ECTO-1 build.
As of the latest postings, custom The Real Ghostbusters slime blowers are being worked on.
To follow the build from the beginning, learn more about them, seeing more build and finished pictures, check out tw1478’s custom The Real Ghostbusters thread at Ghostbusters Fans and check out his photobucket album.
Unless you know me and/or are my friend on Facebook you may not know I’m a wrestling fan. I was a kid during WWF’s Rock N Roll era of wrestling, kinda moved away from both WWF and WCW in the early ’90s. A friend and because of the “Immortal” Hulk Hogan initially brought me back during the mid ’90s (not right from Bash At The Beach 1996) when the nWo formed. I’ve pretty much have been a fan of various wrestling organizations ever since. Good bad or indifferent I watch current WWE and TNA/Impact Wrestling programming weekly. If TNA founder Jeff “The Chosen One” Jarrett gets Global Force Wrestling going, I’ll check that out as well. It all depends on what’s going on in my life.
Unlike ghostheads Paul Rudoff and Jason Fitzsimmons I don’t usually need to collide Ghostbusters and Professional Sports Entertainment Wrestling. Good enough. 😀 It’s fun, my sites aren’t about talking about famous people being into Ghostbusters or famous wrestlers showing their support globally with their wrestling gear. It doesn’t go un-noticed.
When I read Zack Ryder was buying Kenner Ghostbusters toys, I probably should have contacted him as friends and visitors to Ecto-Containment know I own a lot, not everything KennerThe Real Ghostbusters related. I read Zack Ryder bought something I own, written about, and has meant a lot to me, it felt like a good time to talk about Ghostbusters and a little wrestling.
Plus because 1 person cares I use to watch Toy Hunter for multiple reasons during season 1. What Ghostbusters and Kenner fan didn’t love an early episode when Jordan Hembrough bought mint Kenner toys from former Kenner employees?
Which brings us to this week when WWE’s Zack Ryder appeared on Toy Hunter recently buying a MIB Kenner The Real Ghostbusters Ecto-Charger Pack. Unlike Zack Ryder I’m not famous outside of Ghostbusters fandom, though I probably could be on a collecting reality show and no one is going to find or have a MIB toy for me to buy. For that reason I bought my MIB Ecto-Charger Pack (blog post) off a popular auction site.
Maybe its the condition of the toy or the fact Zack Ryder has to be in a higher tax bracket then me. He paid a lot more then I did, something tells me it wasn’t about the monetary amount.
Woo Woo…
Click here (WWE’s site) to view Zack Ryder’s appearance on Travel Hunter.
Ray use to roast Stay-Puft Marshmallows at Camp Waconda when he was a kid. Thirty years later because of Ghostbusters I use to make Stay-Puft out of marshmallows and tooth picks. During Ghostbusters 30th Anniversary now I want to build Mr. Stay-Puft out of non edible white, blue, and red Legos.
It can’t happen if we don’t support Brent again and buy the official Ghostbusters Ecto-1 Lego set with mini figures due this June. Once the campaign reaches 10,000 votes Lego will harmonize the universe and make a decision to move forward with this.
Info:
The follow up to my Ghostbusters: 30th Anniversary Project, The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man!
He may looking cute and friendly but this is no mere chunky sailor. As the physical manifestation of the Sumerian demonic deity Gozer he stands over 34cm (13 inches) tall and is a formidable sight to an minifig in your LEGO city.
He has articulated Arms, Legs, Head, Feet and Hands.
If and when this is successful Brent would like to see three new mini figs be included. Hopefully Walter Peck can have a mini fig variant which is covered in sweet marshmallow! 😀
I hadn’t been to a con in about 7 years. For personal and health reasons I basically wasn’t of the mind set that I needed to go to a con or something Ghostbusters related. In recent years that was beginning to change. I started thinking about attending “genre” cons again, their still wasn’t motivation. I had also wanted to put together a new Ghostbusters uniform. Their hadn’t been a rush. With friendships renewed, business picking back up, and actual events more of a possibility things naturally fell into place. I was building our web site while Bill built my Belt Gizmo. We met Greg and were talking more about events. The first con, Monster-Mania was still far enough out it wasn’t at the forefront of my priorities. During the busy season Jeffe contacted us and soon enough we were all planning our first official event. In part because I had also met Ronald Giameo from the North Jersey Ghostbusters (Facebook) I had been coordinating how I could with franchise ghostheads up North and South for our group to see how many Ghostbusters would be at Monster-Mania for what has been known as a franchise gathering.
My health can always be a factor and I don’t like to plan things and say I’m going to be somewhere if unexpectedly I’m not feeling up to it. The more we were talking and planning this con I really wanted to go. My health aside for a moment I still had concerns as I didn’t have my new uniform complete, never driven the easiest chosen route to Cherry Hill, and my aging 2000 Toyota Corolla is going to need somewhat expected maintenance. It doesn’t prevent me from driving, this was going to be the first time I was going to take a day trip with the car in months.
In the last couple of weeks as details were coming together for Monster-Mania Bill and I got my Tru-Spec® to my local tailor and I ordered my Bates side zip paratrooper boots. I knew I wouldn’t be wearing my proton pack, Bill put together an idea loosely based on an error in Ghostbusters: The Video Game so I could still mean business and have fun.
Note: Originally appeared at my personal site, iRich.
Even though I ordered my Ghostbusters flight suit last October and already had the patches I didn’t have the right boots. Actually I never had near screen accurate boots for my Ghostbusters costumes, er uniforms. As an aside the comedic actors basically wore military grade garb because of Dan Aykroyd’s military/”tech” interests. Also their’s the idea that the Ghostbusters can feel like “ghost janitors.”
Bustin doesn’t always make me feel good.
Whether the boots were easily available or not to a major Hollywood studio and or famous people in 1983 the main actors at least wore Corcoran® or Carolina® zippered combat jump boots. The exact model has probably been discontinued. You can still buy a similar Corcoran boots between $150-$200 USD. By human nature and evolution I’m not a boot guy. In a civilized environment I would never spend that much on boots. I never spend anywhere near that even on sneakers made on the other side of the world.
Since I took, not always intentionally my sweet time in researching the right boots for me, I came across other boot brands, one named after a town I grew up in, the other which bares resemblance to a fictional motel. Those boot brands can cost less then Corcorans. During my searches I came across Working Person. At times the boots I might have ordered were discontinued, thanks to the site and internet cookies I learned of another new, similar model. With work continuing on transforming my Tru-Spec flight suit into a Ghostbusters uniform the time was now (well then) to order boots.
I also noticed since Presidents Day the price of boots have been on sale. A pair of Bates 2184 Side Zip Paratrooper boots were on sale for $106.20 USD. Saving about $12 which includes free shipping. As I needed the boots in a week for a trial run, I paid for three day shipping.
Note: Originally appeared at my personal site, iRich.
On March 1, 2014 after almost 5 months I was finally going to take my Tru-Spec flight suit and Ghostbusters patches to a professional tailor for sewing. Their hadn’t been a rush, of course now that I had a event coming up in a week, time was of the essence. Friend and colleague Bill had similar thoughts and wanted to come up to expedite our “business” needs for the upcoming Monster-Mania Con and other Ghostbusters NJ happenings.
I hadn’t had any personal experience with any tailors locally since I moved in 2009. I knew one local place and hopefully that would be good enough. The place we went to is near my sub division and probably does more business with seniors then nerds who want to see their childhood realized more in adulthood.
We explained the placement of the patches and the “patch” woman pinned them and even told us how she’ll strengthen them so the “no ghost” logo won’t bend. At the time their was a pending snow storm (Titan) which would probably close the shop on Monday. Our first con since 2006 was about a week away. The latest it might be ready is sometime on Saturday.
Maybe it would have never been that much, when they told us $12 USD, part of me wished I had brought the flight suit in last year. After being busy on day 4 and getting back around lunch, the tailors/dry cleaners called to let me know my jacket (for some reason they called the flight suit on Saturday a jacket. On a basic level we even called them coveralls) was ready.
I couldn’t wait to see it, without the boots which I didn’t have yet, I thought I’d have to wait until Thursday to wear them together. My only minor nitpick which I can’t see when I’m wearing the flight suit is how a little of the “strength” stitching is through the “no ghost” logo. Its possible the shop didn’t have the sewing capabilities to sew around instead of through the logo shape. Or an older woman with years of seamstress experience felt it was better to sew it that way. Which also would have been more then fine if she had changed color threads and used white. Its so minor in the end it doesn’t matter.
Over on my collecting blog/site, iRich I’ve written (moved to Ecto-Containment) a “30th Anniversary” post about my Ghostbusters media (format) collection. Originally I didn’t know if writing about old media could be that interesting. It brought back a lot of memories others can certainly relate to, even if its not about Ghostbusters. It also took me about three days to prepare and write.
Throughout Ghostbusters 30th Anniversary (which could be any day during 2014) if I write a collecting post that’s more Ghostbusters related then The Real Ghostbusters related, it can be found at Rich Collectibles. I’ll try not to wait almost two weeks to talk about it on Ecto-Containment.
If you’re interested in my other aspects of Ghostbusters collecting (and talking about Ghostbusters) I’ve written about how I became an ghosthead, the franchiseI’m apart of, the Ghostbusters costume/uniform I’m putting together, and from 2013 and now 2014 toys/toy prop reviews which have been extensively written about and documented through Ecto-Containment.
Note: Originally appeared at my personal site, iRich.
Intro:
2014 marks the 30th Anniversary of the movie that helped shape my life, Ghostbusters. It seemed fitting that one of the first “30th Anniversary” posts (something I’m trying) be about the formats of how I’ve watched the films outside a theater after 1984 and those memories.
At some point I wanted to show a picture like above. I didn’t have a time frame of when I would until ghosthead and friend Matthew posted a “Spengs approved” (that could be a thing) Ghostbusters synopsis from a newspaper clipping. Not only did I like how it was written, it existed because Ghostbusters was premiering most likely for the first time on local television, ABC 7 (out of New York City) on September 24, 1987. I had no memory of the original air date, I remember the night. I didn’t know it when I was 9, the month and date would become very personal and connected. It’s a reason iRichard Roy exists. If it wasn’t for the date, maybe I would have waited to show off common items we all have. It motivated me.
1986-1987
In September 1987 ABC was a year into airing The Real Ghostbusters. It only made sense they were the network to show the TV edit. Around that time my parents had bought our first VCR. This was a big deal, unlike cable which we always seemed to have. I’m sure more weeknights then not if I wanted to watch TV, (before actual bedtime) I probably had to watch what my parents were. In a world before video recorders and controlling live TV, paper guides and programming the “set time” is all that was needed to record the mostly Reagan years.
We didn’t have a VCR a year earlier, I wasn’t in the habit of recording just about any cartoon or anything really which was made to sell toys. I vividly remember walking home from the bus stop, (it was a short walk) getting a snack I can’t eat without consequences in my 30s and watching The Real Ghostbusters. Five days a week, (this isn’t about Prince Adam) The Real Ghostbusters was also syndicated on FOX.
My parents and close neighbors had repeatedly rented Ghostbusters before 1987. Probably because of the high cost of VHS movies, we didn’t own a copy. When it was time to watch Ghostbusters on network television in 1987 during network family themed movie night I had to record it. I still remember setting the Panasonic VCR, programming it, watching Ghostbusters, remote close by so I could record it without commercials. I was an editor without realizing people go to school for this stuff.
Only thing was somehow I didn’t know when the commercials were about to start or end, press pause instead of stop. If you remember watching recordings on a blank tape where you stopped it, the VCR would track and maybe depending on your video/channel input you’d temporarily see a blue screen. Not having a perfect recording probably hurt a little, it didn’t take away from the fact that I owned Ghostbusters and enjoyed it, TV edits and all.
1988-1989
Their was about a two year window where I suppose if I didn’t ask for a Nintendo Entertainment System + games they could have bought me the classic black with “no ghost” logo VHS. I have no memory of owning that until I was like 21. Maybe we shouldn’t have rented it as much as we did.
On January 29, 1989 ABC aired Ghostbusters once again. I probably should have recorded it, by then I was a professional with the technologies I had access to. I don’t remember if I originally watched that broadcast or was even home that night. I do remember a time I was hanging out with one of my very young cousins who loved the Ghostbusters franchise because of me. We were watching his January ’89 recording. It might not have been until we were older. I wonder if he still has that tape.
1990 (1 Year Later)
After Ghostbusters II had been in theaters it was premiering through In Demand/Pay-Per-View (that is hyphenated right?) around Thanksgiving. Whether it worked out perfectly or it was total coincidence dinner was at our place. My parents allowed me to order Ghostbusters II and watch it in the living room while eating. I had and probably still have a yellow Kodak blank tape with the original recording on it. Of course while getting the tapes somewhat out of storage I couldn’t find it. Also of note is a recording of Earnest Saves Christmas which I recorded on the same tape.
Summer 1996
The early 1990s were a “dark time” for me with Ghostbusters. I’m sure the number of times I watched just the original had slowed down considerably. I don’t think I got back into the films and the franchise until 1996. It may have occurred in part because of a trip to the mostly defunct Suncoast Video. Without any reference to technical research DVDs may have been in their infancies or being reversed engineered at a top secret military base. Once I owned a car by September 1996 I would go to our closest mall often. Freedom and all that, yeah. On this particular trip I came across an edition of Ghostbusters II I hadn’t seen before.
“Clamshell” VHS cases weren’t anything new and had been around since before walls that divided a city were taken down. I feel like Disney used the clamshell cases with all their feature film releases. I was so use to standard slip cases for the Ghostbusters movies, this was just different enough that I recognized a certain value to it. It was also a chance for me to own my first licensed and official copy of a Ghostbusters film. Which felt right.
I believe I was aware of Columbia/Tri-Star releasing or re-issuing family editions (even if they weren’t out of print) of popular movies. It was barely an anniversary year for Ghostbusters II, here it was, a shiny new edition of Ghostbusters II. I watched this version more then my In Demand copy, for at least another 5 years. Looks like the last time I watched it, I didn’t rewind it. Do I owe a fee?
1998-Early 1999?
As the 15th Anniversary of Ghostbusters was approaching Sony/Columbia Pictures was gearing up to do two things, release new copies of Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II on VHS in a wide screen format. This was partially huge for its time as most editions of the films were pan and scan. Or full screen. With Ghostbusters you definitely were missing content and Egon. They were also putting both films on DVD for the first time. This was a big deal for the time as Ghostbusters had been planned for a DVD release, I think it had been pushed back. For the 15th anniversary not only would ghostheads have Ghostbusters on DVD, a DVD with features that wasn’t just some filmography and a preview. Remember when early DVDs were like that?
Prior to my excitement that June I had taken a trip long before “Do AC” to “America’s Playground,” Atlantic City for vacation. While shopping at the old Ocean One Mall I found the surely out of print Ghostbusters/Ghostbusters II gift set. It came in a black box, featured the logos, and either classic movie rested easily in their classic slip case boxes. I had to have it and bought it. As I wrote about in an Ectocontainment blog I did something very dumb, loaned the box set out to a fan I didn’t really know and never got it back. Only reason I would buy at least this version of Ghostbusters in 2014 would be as a collectible.
15th Anniversary (1999)
My family hadn’t adapted to the becoming standard DVD format yet. We didn’t have enough of a reason to own a DVD player. This is Ghostbusters, widescreen VHS and on DVD for the first time ever! Ghostheads had waited long enough for a DVD version, with mostly good (for its time) features.
In 1999 DVD players cost $$. Even when you’re working in a regional movie theater chain you weren’t buying a SONY DVD player with one check. You could buy the widescreen version of Ghostbusters, look at that, WIDESCREEN. That was the selling point. And the artwork. Someone had fun with Photoshop. I don’t remember the scene where Dana as Zuul laid across ECTO-1 like that, driving Peter mad enough to stand on top of the roof while Ray and Winston stare at him in further disbelief. What’s with the Ghostbusters “no ghost” logo sign? Did they open up a convenience store?
I also had enough money to buy of course the Ghostbusters Collectors Edition on DVD. As I already had two copies of Ghostbusters II on VHS and was about to buy that on DVD too, I opted not to buy the new Ghostbusters II on VHS again. Suncoast made plenty of money off me in buying Ghostbusters from there store during the 1990s.
In 1999 seeing a DVD with multiple “no ghost” logos on it was great. It almost felt natural that the packaging and artwork had evolved from classic black with Ghostbusters logos. For the first time ever, Ghostbusters had a menu and was in a way interactive. Now I wish I had screen capped it. To celebrate the 15th anniversary, Sony/Columbia had a contest (this was all huge for its time) where a fan or fans could win production artwork (may have been original, I don’t remember) of ghosts that were or weren’t in the film. I probably entered, I didn’t win. I think the winner or one of the winners eventually sold the artwork to another ghosthead. As a consolation prize one of the features on the DVD features production artwork of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.
For some unknown reason a decision was made to barely care about Ghostbusters II on DVD. Just about everything about it on DVD tells fans this exists because the studio wanted it on DVD along side its new VHS version and the better 15th Anniversary Ghostbusters Collectors Edition. It isn’t a secret Ghostbusters II has a few memorable deleted scenes, most that were actually filmed and some swear they saw in theaters. I think ghostheads remember these scenes because they may have been featured in collectible trading cards. No one that would know is going to divulge the information to me.
Let’s take a look at the covers. The front background seems to be mostly the same as the Ghostbusters DVD cover. It was changed “just enough” to fit with the second movie’s themes. “Be ready to believe us” was never a tag line (as far as I know) for the sequel. The Ghostbusters themselves come from the Ghostbusters theatrical poster. The “no ghost” patches were changed to the Ghostbusters II versions. Why didn’t they use all 4 actors from the Ghostbusters II theatrical poster? Why do they hate on Winston?😦
At first glance the back cover may seem to fit perfectly with the end of Ghostbusters II. The majority of artwork comes from a completely different movie. Their was a time during the 20th Century I knew what movie it is, time and a quick search do not reveal this violent scene. Why would the cops need some kind of shot guns? If you can’t defeat ghosts this way, the police certainly aren’t going to stop one Ms. Lady Liberty. “She’s French you know.” – Peter
The Ghostbusters II DVD disc featured ZERO artwork and might have featured both the wide screen and pan and scan versions of the film. Although the movie could be watched in multiple languages, the menu was a pale comparison to Ghostbusters Collectors Edition. If I had taken a screen cap I’d be embarrassed. Thanks to how I flipped the insert you can see the artwork most fans didn’t win. If fans owned Making Ghostbusters by Don Shay, this artwork and a lot more were included in the book.
Until I had a Sony DVD player in 2000, I would play the Collectors Edition on one of the Power Mac G4s the Mac lab at my college had. During the 20th anniversary I replaced that aging DVD player with a newer Sony DVD player we occasionally use with an older TV.
August 3, 2005
Not to any fan’s surprise, a year after Ghostbusters 20th anniversary (well Ghostbusters was 21) and a year after the 15th anniversary of Ghostbusters II had passed like a forgotten step child Sony released as they had previously announced a Ghostbusters/Ghostbusters II DVD gift set. It included new “ectoplasm” packaging, if I remember actual artwork on the discs, new transfers of the movies, included a “in character” making of book for at least Ghostbusters. The real reason to get this (if you didn’t have the ’99 DVD) were the two movie themed episodes from The Real Ghostbusters. I remember as a personal choice knowing they should have used Take Two in addition to Citizen Ghost and Partners In Slime.
August 5, 2005
I use to own this then new fancy DVD set. I traded it to FYE (who eventually owned Suncoast) years later after most likely getting it from Best Buy. Coincidentally the week this was released I had to go to a hospital for past related health “issues.” And if that wasn’t bad enough, stay 5 days. It isn’t that I wouldn’t talk about that on my site, it’s unrelated for a lot of this post. During my stay, I had my then year old iBook G4 and the gift set with me. I wasn’t far into this version of Ghostbusters when family came to visit. I probably eventually watched at least the 2005 version of the movie. Because of the memories, my experiences, and a big issue with Ghostbusters I rarely bothered with the set.
I don’t know about this version of Ghostbusters II, the original new transfer suffered from someone turning up the contrast and brightness levels. If any ghosthead or someone who is really into movies cares about such things, this has been documented. It wasn’t the Ghostbusters I had been use to. It could be hard at times to watch it. If the movies didn’t have special effects, it could have been a little different.
Early 21st Century
From my decision not to watch the Ectoplasmic gift set or the re-released individual versions after 2005, when I wanted to watch Ghostbusters I’d continue watching my Collectors Edition or catch Ghostbusters on cable, then later satellite around Halloween. Yeah.
2006 (While we were still waiting for Ghostbusters III)
As most of you probably know I’ve been apart of a Ghostbusters franchise (group) most of my adulthood. During 2006 while I was still dealing with 2005’s health issues I was “second in command” (I think) as part of Ghostbusters-NJ. Six years later we relaunched as Ghostbusters NJ. We had experience from our big “case file” in 2004 with acting, through mostly writing and pictures. The time had come for us to make a Ghostbusters fan film.
As hard as this is for me to admit, (hope the tape was taped over) I had made 1 low low budget movie when I was 18 to help out a then young friend in California. I’ve never had any aspirations to be in front of a camera.
I was in to be apart of something that was an extension of something we loved. For me, I was only a year out from surviving what I went through. Although I was better then I was, to get ready for a fan movie that was going to be shot as professionally as possible, travel, and actually be in the film was a lot for and on me. No way I wasn’t going to be part of New Jersey’s greatest Ghostbusters fan film, Leeds Curse.
On a crisp, later windy Autumn day I travelled to another region of Jersey to shoot an entire fan film in one day. Unfortunately audio issues caused rewrites and reshoots. Most likely because of my health and geographic location I was written out. The reveal is classic, in a way I close out the movie. I even made the back cover as part of the famous kitchen scene! If someone believed in a second text line, part of my full name could have fit as well.😉
You could forgive us being a not for profit fan production that an 11 minute fan film doesn’t have artwork or an insert. I always thought it would have been great to release some kind of special edition (even if it was just on-line) with the video for the original along with commentary. I don’t imagine many DVDs were made, besides having meaning, its a personal collectible.
At a winter Chiller we were even able to talk to Ernie Hudson about it on a second meeting and present him with a copy. We’d like to believe he relaxed in his hotel room watching a NJ fan film in New Jersey.
If you’ve never seen Leeds Curse and want to know I get chills when I tell my colleagues I’ll check the “paranormal frequencies” the entire film can be viewed below thanks to Ghostbusters News.
25th Anniversary (2009)
Five years ago during Ghostbusters 25th anniversary, in my opinion for the most part Sony was treating one of its cash cows (is that a real expression, I grew up in suburbia) like it was turning 21. They restored THE ECTO-1, made new merchandise which included a video game with not only the actors likenesses, their voices too! 6″ and 12″ figures that looked like Harold Ramis, etc. I believe Sony even updated ghostbusters.com to coincide with the promotion and marketing of Ghostbusters on Blu-ray.
Similar to when I bought the 15th Anniversary DVD, I didn’t even own a Blu-ray player yet. We had barely upgraded one of our aging TVs (from 1997) that was going on us. It was to no one’s surprise if you knew me I bought this Blu-ray anyway with no way to play it at home. I probably thought we’d have a player within months. That became less clear when personal events lead to us moving out of my childhood apartment to buy a house by Thanksgiving. I wasn’t concerned about having a Blu-ray player that year. This one Sony model I liked and had research had been on sale. With a new house, basically a new hi def television, new a lot of things, it was decided to get the player. It became the “big” Christmas present.
It should be illegal to alter the iconic Ghostbusters “no ghost” logo. Which is so recognized around the world, its in Top 5 lists with things you can drink/eat, and places you can really visit. A drink in a red can, places with golden arches, and a castle taken care of by a magical creature that likes to tinker (and meddle) with things. Oh, where was I? Someone at Sony or associated with them actually approved altering the hands for marketing purposes. That way their was no mistaken the merchandise was celebrating 25 years of feeling good. I know I’m more of a traditionalist, as someone who works with computer graphics, somebody there could have come up with something better. It wasn’t like the graphic was a one off.
Beyond the dust slip cover is my Blu-ray. I scanned the covers and the light from the scanner went through the opaque blue tops and sides. I kinda like it though, its like blue ice. Which I wish I could invent and could use for a future, perhaps non disc format.
I’m glad the disc itself has artwork on it. I probably would have used the “no ghost” logo instead of “zooming” in and having to crop just about everything. Writing Ghostbusters on it almost feels like it was an after thought. Its personal preference based on my creativity and experience.
The 25th anniversary edition featured most of the special features from the 1999 Collectors Edition. New features included a picture in picture (Slimer mode) with a pop up trivia track, restoring Ecto-1 with special guest Dan Aykroyd, an Ecto-1 photo gallery, making of Ghostbusters: The Video Game, and additional features if you had/have a Sony Playstation 3.
At the time I would have liked Sony to have additional features such as new commentary with at least the “Ghostbusters.” I wouldn’t have complained if others were involved too. Where was Ray Parker Jr.’s Ghostbusters music video? Even if somewhat impossible without someone footing the bill (where do these expressions come from?) a documentary about the ghostheads. Most which seem to be involved in “franchises.” In another post, I could talk about what I’d like to see added for a 30th Anniversary edition, if we get one at all.
The high def picture is a lot better then the 2005 ectoplasm gift set. It isn’t perfect. Supposedly Sony got it “right” last year with a “4k” version. I wouldn’t know as I don’t currently own that version and even if I did I don’t have an “ultra 4k” television.
2011
When I was collecting a lot of Ghostbusters memorabilia I came across an eBay auction for the LaserVideoDisc version of Ghostbusters. Which was probably originally sold in 1989. As an older kid and into my teenage years I was aware of laser discs even though I didn’t know the history of the technology. Like any new technology prices for players and discs were high. My parents wouldn’t have made the primitive leap of analog tape to then present day digital movies encoded for lasers. Sounds scary when I put it that way. In the small circles of people I knew and by extension my large Italian family I didn’t know anybody who had a laser disc player let alone a laser disc.
I’m not one who would put money on predicting technology trends. Even when I’ve been right. In the mid 1990s I knew DVD would become the standard format over Video CDs, DivX, (remember those?) and the aging Laserdisc. It may have been around Ghostbusters 15th anniversary, (give or take months) I remember on trips to my then local mall seeing Suncoast Video basically blowing out every laserdisc and some players. On that day I don’t know if I found Ghostbusters. Even if I did, I’m sure I didn’t see value in it, assuming the price was affordable for clearance discs that communicate with lasers.
When I came across the Ghostbusters laserdisc I felt differently about it as a collectible, remembering those Suncoast days along with Back To The Future II. I believe I bought or won it for under $10 USD. The laserdisc packaging isn’t mint. Their’s some writing (I think about the length of the movie on the disc) on the back and inside the sleeve. It sorta gives the technology character.
The actual laserdisc is mint and seemed well cared before I took ownership. It was (and normally is) inside a protective plastic sleeve. If the disc was ever played it might have been only in high end players. The laser disc (like early DVDs) is playable on both sides. I’m not that familiar with how much can fit on a disc or if say “side 2” also contains additional features.
My laserdisc seems standard and isn’t from the “Criterion Collection” which for the time features 1 deleted scene and two split screens for special effects comparisons. I’d like to think my disc at least contains the “The Stairway” university scene. Even if it doesn’t, in my world it can.
Other Formats I Had Forgotten About Or Hadn’t Heard Of Until I Was Old(er)
During the 80s the analog wars had Sony battling JVC to see what tape format would reign supreme. Sony had a closed format known as Betamax. Naturally Sony who in a bit of irony would eventually buy Columbia and Tri-Star released Ghostbusters on Betamax. Competing electronics company JVC had developed the VHS format. Their technology was “open format” and licensed to other companies. This helped develop a VCR/VHS market, lowering the price of VCRs and tapes. Their isn’t any truth that Ghostbusters release on VHS in 1985 ended the analog wars.
Before the laserdisc became what it was in the late 80s, RCA had invented a Capacitance Electronic Disc (CED) which was some kind of grooved laserdisc. The format was prone to failure, before the end was near Ghostbusters was released as a CED Videodisc in October 1985.
During the mid 2000s Sony’s earlier version of its Playstation Portable or PSP not only played games, but movies too. Sony’s closed format (which isn’t always a bad thing, remember Apple in the mid ’90s?) was called a Universal Media Disc. UMDs are mini discs with DVD quality. In 2005 Sony released Ghostbusters in the same ectoplasm packaging as its big brother. Their was a time I wanted a PSP, even when I didn’t, I had an opportunity to buy the Ghostbusters UMD and never did. It seems like that version of PSP was around long enough where it might have made sense to own the UMD. Naturally gaming and movie tech will evolve and change the way we’re entertained.
Acknowledgements:
The creators, writers, actors, and everyone who worked on both Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II.
My parents, 1980s neighbors, and family.
Dollar Video (I still might have the orange membership card.)
Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Woz, Apple
1980s network TV
1980s TV “guides”
Kenner
Al Gore (For inventing the internet.)
1990s A.O.L
Other ghostheads and their websites, specifically for this post:
On February 22, 2010 Nicholszz started a thread at Ghostbusters Fans about the Commodore 64 version of Ghostbusters, created by David Crane for the game company Activison. Two days later, Ectofiend666 asked if anyone had scans of the instructions. More then three years later, Alex Newborn brought the thread back to inform ghostheads he came across his instructions. A fresh discussion about C64 version of Ghostbusters began again.
I remembered the original post, at the time I couldn’t contribute about the instructions. That changed most likely in 2011 when I either bought or won 2 copies of the Commodore 64 version of Ghostbusters. They didn’t have the boxes, both came with the instructions. That was more the reason I wanted them. As I don’t have a way to play the physical 1.44 diskette. I had intended at some point so share the instructions. Once the thread was current again I knew the time was right.
I didn’t share the instructions so much sooner as in my mind I’d like to have a larger content update about Ghostbusters gaming. Today’s update may become apart of its own page in an update during 2048.
A bit interestingly the two instructions have both a red and maroon text/logo colors. This may have come from variations with colors used in Ghostbusters. The maroon colors may have also come from a more hand drawn logo and a different print batch. I wanted to show the front and back for comparison.
I used the better copy (which happened to be the red graphics) to scan the artwork and instructions. Except for sharpening through my scan software, I haven’t used imaging software to restore the scans like I normally would.
Troy Benjamin (Netsolo) who oversees the Ghostbusters site, Ghostbusters HQ may have an C64 advertisement involving Slimer coming out of a computer screen or TV. If he does, I’ll see about sharing it through Ectocontainment.
I almost forgot to post the actual scan of the Ghostbusters 1.44 diskette in I presume its original and official Activision sleeve. If scanners have magnets, I may have completely ruined this diskette. :O
Note: Originally posted at my personal blog, iRich.
If you’re not familiar the Ghostbusters movie that became a worldwide phenomenon could have been called Ghoststoppers. Ghostbusters, not to be confused with The Ghost Busters is a ’70s TV show. As Ghostbusters was being shot in 1983, Columbia, today Sony Pictures hadn’t secured the rights for the title. While filming the “end of the world is upon us” sequence with the Ghostbusters and a lot of extras shouting “Ghostbusters!,” then Associate Producer Joe Medjuck called Columbia to (my words) give them that extra push to secure the film rights. After Ghostbusters became a juggernaut, The Ghost Busters cashed in. When Columbia was ready for a Ghostbusters cartoon series, they stuck it to Filmation by calling it The Real Ghostbusters. It took 11 first season episodes, Citizen Ghost is the back story that explains why the animated Ghostbusters are more realer then two guys and a gorilla.
Unlike the cleverness that is Back To The Near (Future), (iRich) I don’t want to call all my blog posts about my Ghostbusters flight suit, “Who Ya Gonna Call?” When I was sitting here with the cursor blinking “it just popped in there” and Ghoststoppers is it.
Last time I talked about Ghostbusters, I wrote about the “franchise” or group I’m apart of, Ghostbusters New Jersey. For putting together the new site, Bill was building me a Belt Gizmo and was helping me with my existing Ghostbusters prop replicas. I still didn’t know when I would order a new flight suit. I really wanted to, come October the demand can exceed supply. Other then ghostheads and certain professionals who actually need a flight suit that isn’t 100% military spec, who are all these people? The sites I knew about were out of stock or back ordered. Between known research and a thorough search, I found bdu.com. They had a Tru-Spec khaki flight suit in my size in stock! I would only have to wait until October 14.
While I was waiting Bill and I met up on Sunday to talk GBNJ biz, complete my new Belt Gizmo, do some upgrades to my 13 year old Proton Pack, make my Mattel/Matty Collector Ecto-Goggles more comfortable to wear, and take the stitches out from my good patches. The next day, at the end of the day UPS delivered my flight suit.
Note: Originally posted at my personal blog, iRich.
It was going to come up within 5 minutes, best to start talking about it now. To say I’m a big fan of Ghostbusters would be an understatement. Obsessed usually describes it. I loved the movie since I was 6 and saw it during its first theatrical run. Their was always a wonderment about people who would want to and could actually catch ghosts. The equipment, of course I didn’t know about props then. It may as well been all real to me.
It’s why I knew I wanted to be like them. Toy company Kenner (and my parents) would bring me all that clever and fun The Real Ghostbusters toys. My parents were even cool enough to buy me a kids (the official ones may not have been out) flight suit for my uniform. That all worked well until I was about 12.
Ghostbusters and I have been through great times and bad times. It was never far from me. When the time was right (Halloween 1997) I decided with my best Ghostbusters friend to buy a couple of adult flight suits and make some attempt at the props. Even with Netscape Navigator it was still 1997. We had tools, not so much talent.
Things became rushed, it was just enough that most people knew who to call. Oh yes I said it. Problem was, the flight suits weren’t really the right color. Forget screen accuracy. The props were made from storage containers. I was still a ghosthead, (a fan of Ghostbusters) who also had a “franchise” site. It was in part because of that in 2000 I finally bought a military khaki flight suit, pistol belt, patches, boots, and an actual prop Proton Pack replica!
Granted the patches, Proton Pack, and other props weren’t 100% accurate. Not that I’m that guy who has to have 100% screen accuracy. It was a lot better then the working in an industrial job coveralls, one step from a Tupperware party.
About 4 years later I decided to get a new flight suit. This time in black to have more of a Ghostbusters II style to it. I also bought new quality patches. Other props had marginally been upgraded too. GBNJ co-founder Bill Malkin and I met Ernie Hudson (Winston Zeddemore himself) at a couple of Chiller Theaters wearing our new flight suits.
During the mid to late 2000s I didn’t have a real need to wear either flight suit and wear the gear. After some life changing events, including a move I went through tough times with Ghostbusters again. It would take at least a couple of years, the time began to feel right to want to “suit up” again.
Which is really why I wanted to write about this now.
Ecto-Containment 
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