Things In Ghostbusters You Notice After Watching It More Than Once
They might tear apart your decadent lodging establishment in the process, but when it comes to busting ghosts, the titular heroes in 1984's smash hit "Ghostbusters" will undoubtedly get the job done. Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis), and Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson) are champions of the people. After all, they halted almighty Gozer's (Slavitza Jovan) attempt at thrusting the world into a dark apocalyptic era.
It's the brainy intellect of Ray and Egon that catapults these heroes to fame after developing the wild equipment needed to capture and contain specters from beyond the grave. We all know the story: The Ghostbusters stake their claim as the premier ghost hunters of New York City, Dana (Sigourney Weaver) and Louis (Rick Moranis) turn into demon dogs, the Stay-Puft Marshmallow man marches down the street, and the newest and strangest business venture in town defeats evil.
Although this classic '80s film may be one of the most popular and recognizable film properties from that decade, there may be some details that have eluded fans over the years. If you've only ever seen the film casually or haven't checked it out in ages, you might have missed out on some interesting moments throughout the film that require a keen eye or a deft perception of the events to actually recognize. So let's take a look at some obscure details in "Ghostbusters" and see how many you've already spotted for yourself.
Ron Jeremy and his 'stache appear in the film
The Ghostbusters reach the heights of mainstream media appearances after their first major gigs capturing runaway spirits in highly public places, and they quickly draw the attention of then-major on-air personalities such as Larry King and Casey Kasem. Since the film takes place in the densely-populated environment of New York City, celebrities are bound to turn their attention to the crazy supernatural happenings that are being highlighted by these guys running around in jumpsuits with funny machines on their backs.
As their battle with the supernatural culminates with Gozer atop the apartment building where Dana resides, civilians crowd around the base of the complex on the streets below to watch the frightening spectacle unfold. One of those onlookers is none other than adult-film star Ron Jeremy. His famous mustache is instantly recognizable. Jeremy has since, of course, been embroiled in public legal troubles, but he did get those two seconds of fame in a grade A mainstream film.
Louis and Dana clearly got busy under Gozer's spell
As the Ghostbusters come to understand the rise of the supernatural in New York City, it becomes clear that a sinister plot is afoot. Dana Barrett gets into contact with the Ghostbusters after she sees their commercial on TV while experiencing her own supernatural phenomena within her apartment. Her nerdy neighbor across the hall, Louis Tully, is infatuated with her and is consistently attempting to spark up a conversation and potentially a date with the unlucky bachelorette. Once the Ghostbusters find out that Gozer's power is tied to the apartment building, it's too late. Dana has been possessed by the Gatekeeper and Louis is now the vessel for the Keymaster.
Their union allows for the gateway to be opened that ushers Gozer, an ancient evil pagan god, into the realm of the living. While the film shows the pair transforming into demonic-looking canines as the portal for Gozer opens, they are clearly depicted a bit disheveled as they are lying together on an altar before proceeding with the ritual. Earlier in the film when Peter pretends to be the Keymaster, Dana as Zuul leads him to her bedroom to get frisky. Of course, Peter refuses any intimacy knowing full well that Dana is possessed. When the real Keymaster finds her, however, they share a kiss and then make their way to the rooftop. The obvious implication is that these two had intercourse while under the possession of the Keymaster and Gatekeeper as part of the ritual.
Egon is always snacking
Of the entire crew, Egon Spengler is easily the most eccentric. He's hardwired to intensely focus on the logistics of any given moment and the statistical outcomes the ghost-busting quartet might encounter. Without a doubt, the Ghostbusters would not exist without the brain behind it all. Focusing on Egon's progeny in "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" wasn't simply a creative choice — Egon is the key to all that makes the Ghostbusters run like a well-oiled (mostly) machine.
But what exactly keeps that brain of his running a million miles a minute day-in and day-out? Perhaps, working the brain is just as exhausting as working the major muscle groups in the body. Egon is constantly seen snacking or having snacks in his orbit throughout the film. Perhaps it's all brain food. Throughout the film, Egon can be seen packing down Cheez-Its, Twinkies, and candy. The Keymaster, in the form of Louis Tully, even notices his workspace has a bucket of popcorn and leftover pizza. Perhaps, Egon needs the fuel to keep his brain in tip-top shape.
Stay-Puft marshmallows are in Dana's groceries and advertised on a building
The major mascot of the film winds up being the monstrous Stay-Puft Marshmallow man that terrorizes New York City. Despite his cheery, fluffy exterior, he definitely aims to wreak havoc at the will of Gozer. Perhaps, the film's finest moment is when the team defeats the kaiju-sized marshmallow, and he explodes into marshmallow goo that covers a whole city block. That'd be one sweet (literally) snow day for the youngsters in that area. Of course, Stay-Puft isn't a real-world brand. In the story, Ray accidentally thinks of the beloved mascot from his childhood in order to divert Gozer's magic to something more harmless.
However, the filmmakers ensured that eagle-eyed viewers would see the brand in a couple of places before the big fluffy man himself made an entrance. In the earlier scenes of the film, when Dana returns to her apartment with groceries, fans can see a package of Stay-Puft marshmallows lying on the counter among her groceries. In fact, they're danger close to the eggs that explode and initially haunt Dana. Later in the film, when the containment unit is shut down by the rascal EPA representative Walter Peck, we can see the Stay-Puft mascot painted on the side of a building as an advertisement as a stream of supernatural forces jet into the sky. The seeds were technically already planted for the lumbering giant marshmallow man. Perhaps it is all Ray needed to recall the tasty treat.
One newspaper references Prince Harry's birth in 1984
When you think of 1984, it's likely that the most famous commercial ever filmed comes to mind. The Ridley Scott-directed commercial for the Apple Macintosh was moving and stirred emotions with its dystopian theme. However, many other grand moments in global history occurred during this calendar year. The release of "Ghostbusters" is certainly one big event for fans of the film. However, the film's narrative is frozen in time as a product of '84. Nothing quite brings that sentiment home like the reference to Princess Diana's second pregnancy.
After the Ghostbusters bag and tag Slimer, their fame begins to soar. Not only do they start raking in the dough with their business, but they gain the national spotlight. A fun montage demonstrates their newfound fame as USA Today, Time Magazine, and various other newspapers appear on-screen featuring the trio on the front pages. One particular magazine can be seen with a headline at the top of the page reading "Princess Di Expecting Again!" This is, of course, referring to the princess' pregnancy with the future Prince Harry, who was later born in September of 1984. It's a cool piece of real-world history that coincides with the ghostbusting shenanigans of this film.
Peter volunteers Ray to approach Gozer as revenge for an earlier moment
In the final moments of the film, the Ghostbusters approach the mysterious and devilish Gozer atop the apartment building. Unsure what to expect, the always quick-witted and well-timed jokester Peter Venkman shouts, "Whatever it is, it's got to get by us!" He then quips "Go get her, Ray!" In an uneasy, but humorous moment, Peter then glances over at the reluctant Ray who then slowly makes his way toward the strange deity.
Peter's call for Ray to move forward is actually one friend taking a sly dig at the other as a bit of revenge for a much earlier moment in the film. When Ray, Peter, and Egon approach their first spectral entity in the library before ever becoming the Ghostbusters, they aren't quite sure how to proceed. As the trio argues between bookshelves, Ray then suggests one of them should try to speak to the ghost as both he and Egon look on at Peter. He is the chatty one in the crew after all. Feeling the tension, he steps out and attempts to engage her only to be "shooshed" by the librarian specter. Ray then claims he knows what to do and takes the group forward toward the ghost slowly before shouting "get her!" At that moment, the ghost morphs into a horrific phantom and scares the trio out of the building. Peter is cheekily remembering this moment when it's time to make contact with Gozer.
Egon subtly hand signals Peter the price owed for their work
Everything about the Ghostbusters and their business operations is haphazardly thrown together. Their equipment is only in the experimental stage. They don't have any idea what to expect from each ghost they encounter. They also haven't even given any thought to how to price their work. When the first call comes through from the Sedgewick Hotel, a far more decadent establishment than your average roadside motel, the trio suits up for their first gig. In all actuality, this is also a field test of their equipment. But, of course, they won't let the client in on that unsavory fact.
After leaving a trail of destruction in their wake, they finally nab the ghost we all know as Slimer. When it's time to get down to brass tacks and talk money, Peter spins a colorful and completely made-up bill of goods and charges simply because the team has never done this before. When referring to the entrapment charges, Egon can be seen stroking his face with four fingers followed by Peter listing the charge at $4,000. He then claims their special of the week is a reduced cost on storage of the ghost which will then come to $1,000, yet another price established by Egon as he can be seen shifting his fingers signaling one. Before the paranormal pest control crew took this gig, they were scraping the bottom of the barrel as far as funding goes. It's likely that Egon quickly did the math figuring out what was needed to move forward with the business.
The cleaning lady tries to put out fire with a cleaning spray bottle
When you're in the business of hunting ghosts, you have to be on your toes. After all, these spirits can fly through walls and terrorize you at a moment's notice as Ray, Peter, and Egon have come to learn thanks to a certain librarian specter. As they head into the heart of the Sedgewick Hotel to find and trap their first ghost, they proceed carefully... or not. The slightest sound of a cleaning lady in the hall sends them leaping out of their jumpsuits and spinning around with proton packs ablaze. It's lucky the cleaning lady hid behind her cart or she might've been an accidental casualty. Then she surely would've haunted the trio right then and there.
After apologizing for unleashing their ghost-wrangling weaponry on her, she can be seen carefully coming out of cover from behind a mangled cleaning cart and destroyed supplies littered everywhere. There are even some minor flames still burning from the damage left behind by the proton streams. As Ray, Peter, and Egon come together to discuss how to find the ghost, the cleaning lady can be seen in the background trying to put out a small fire with a cleaning spray bottle. It's a minor detail, but one that adds to the humor of the moment.
Reginald VelJohnson briefly cameos as a cop
Fans of TV sitcoms during the '80s and '90s are well acquainted with Steve Urkel and his antics on the show "Family Matters." He is that nosy and intrusive neighbor who is constantly getting under Carl Winslow's skin. In the show, Carl Winslow, who is portrayed by Reginald VelJohnson, happens to be a cop. VelJohnson makes another appearance as police sergeant Al Powell in 1988's "Die Hard."
In a blink-and-you'll-miss-him moment, you can also see VelJohnson make a brief appearance in "Ghostbusters" as — you guessed it — a cop. After Ray, Peter, Winston, and Egon are arrested and detained they discuss the level of trouble they're in with the emergence of Gozer, a Sumerian god. Then a police officer summons the Ghostbusters to come to meet with the mayor. That cop is none other than VelJohnson. Some fans like to imagine that "Family Matters," "Die Hard," and "Ghostbusters" all exist in the same universe and VelJohnson is the connective tissue. Of course, that's not truly the case, but it is fun to imagine.
The final confrontation with Gozer apparently took an entire night
It all comes down to the big bad. Gozer is behind the surge in paranormal activity occurring throughout New York City, and it's up to the Ghostbusters to confront and stop the Sumerian deity. As the quartet heads to the building where Gozer has taken root, crowds gather in the daylight to see what is about to go down. Dark clouds swirl around the rooftop, and the Ghostbusters take the excruciatingly long staircase to the top of the building. Once there, dusk has fallen and the Ghostbusters challenge Gozer.
After the Ghostbusters contend with the Stay-Puft Marshmallow man and Gozer, Louis and Dana emerge from their stone encasings freed from the spells of the Keymaster and Gatekeeper respectively. Then, as the Ghostbusters join the crowd cheering below, it's once again daylight. While some might say that Gozer's dark clouds caused the appearance of night throughout the city, the clouds dispel when Gozer is defeated, and viewers can clearly see a twinkling night sky. Apparently, the confrontation on the rooftop took an entire night. Either that or the Ghostbusters struggled climbing that mountain of stairs.
Walter Peck, despite his unlikeable role, is completely right about the Ghostbusters
It's easy to bag on the obnoxious EPA rep, Walter Peck. He's clearly an obstacle for the Ghostbusters and is even responsible for unleashing all of the spirits in containment on New York City. There's no doubt about it, he's just a downright unlikeable fellow. However, what if we told you that just about everything he alleges concerning the Ghostbusters is completely true?
If you take a quick recap of the film, you'll see just how fraught with disaster the entire operations of the Ghostbusters truly are. For starters, they engage their first customer with Ray making the claim that he's never had a successful test of the equipment before. After Egon turns on Ray's proton pack in the Sedgewick Hotel, he nervously backs away from him. Later, Egon claims that turning off their containment unit would be like dropping a bomb on the city. There's plenty that can go wrong within the Ghostbusters business that is absolutely bad for the environment. They're just lucky that the damage is minimal compared to the possible outcomes they often joke about occurring. We've been too busy being manipulated by the writers into hating Walter for his arrogant and petulant attitude that we never stopped to think that maybe he was right. The Ghostbusters are a threat with an unstable operation.
The ghost arms that trap Dana in the chair get a little too handsy
Dana becomes the first victim of Gozer's bid to resurface when she is possessed by Zuul, the Gatekeeper. Before this happens, she starts seeing strange occurrences in her home, which she rightfully chalks up to a good old-fashioned haunting. But it's a bit more than that. She hears eerie voices, and the most terrifying assault by the sinister spirits is when the eggs on her counter begin exploding!
Alright, that's actually not the most horrific moment. That award goes to her demonic chair. Things start to go sideways when she takes a quiet moment to sit in her cushy chair in the living room. Sinister forces approach as light from beyond her door shines brightly and demonic hands erupt out of her chair holding her in place. Those who are watching closely, however, might notice that one hand goes a bit too far groping the character. It even slides a part of her shirt down revealing her bra during the struggle. A brief graze might have been forgivable as an accidental moment, but this demonic hand goes far beyond that. "Ghostbusters" isn't beyond naughty references or innuendo. (We're looking at you, Ray Stantz, and your creepy dreams with ghosts!)