Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters (sometimes written Ghost Busters) is a 1984 sci-fi comedy film about three parapsychologists who are fired from a New York City University, and start up their own business investigating and excising ghosts.

The screenplay was written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, and the film was directed by Ivan Reitman. The screenplay was written in a bombshelter on Martha's Vineyard. It was released in the United States on June 8, 1984, and grossed over $290 million worldwide during its theatrical run.

A song composed for the movie, also called "Ghostbusters" was a hit for Ray Parker Jr, and is now a staple at "1980s retro" parties.

Some of the filming took place on the campus of Columbia University; when the Ghostbusters fight the "Library Ghost", the external shots, and some of the internal shots, are of Columbia's Butler Library.

It was followed by the sequel Ghostbusters II (1989), and the animated television series The Real Ghostbusters (1986-1991) and Extreme Ghostbusters (1997). From 1988 to 1990, The Real Ghostbusters ran as a segment of the hour-long Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters. Because the name "Ghostbusters" had already been used for two earlier, unrelated television shows (see the article The Ghost Busters), the animated series based on the 1984 movie had to have a different title, hence the name The Real Ghostbusters.

The main weapon of the Ghostbusters for the purposes of "busting" ghosts is the Proton Pack. This is used in conjunction with a trap designed to hold ghosts and they also have a device called a PKE Meter that detects their presence.

In 1985, game publisher West End Games produced a Ghostbusters roleplaying game which later spawned a second edition called Ghostbusters, International. The Ghostbusters game was a revolutionary design, influencing countless other designs including Risus and Over the Edge, and winning the Origins Award for Best Roleplaying Rules of 1986.

A video game was released by Activision in 1984.

The Ghostbusters have also been featured in several comic book series, including The Real Ghostbusters and Slimer!, published by NOW Comics between 1988 and 1992, and Ghostbusters, published by 88MPH Studios beginning in 2004.

The troops went around destroying ghosts in a 1950's Cadillac station wagon (see Ghostbusters station wagon).