GHOSTBUSTERS ULTIMATE COLLECTION
The Reitman Stuff
RELEASED OUT NOW! 1985/1989/2021 | 12 | 4K/Blu-ray (dual format)
▶ Directors Ivan Reitman, Jason Reitman
▶ Cast Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson
→ Let’s whip through this, shall we? The original: a comedy classic, less kid-friendly than you think. II: the diminishing-returns sequel. Afterlife: the fan service-deluge revival that puts a lump in your throat. Paul Feig’s movie is conspicuously absent.
+ Extras The main draw of this eye-wateringly pricey eight-disc set is an assembly cut of Ghostbusters (114 minutes), recorded to VHS for the editor’s reference – so expect murky definition and dropout artefacts, although it’s still watchable. Missing music or optical effects, this version was screened to a test audience just a few weeks after the film wrapped. Extra bits and bobs are scattered throughout: the Ecto-1 getting a parking ticket; Venkman musing on the Nobel Prize; Janine finding Spengler asleep over his work. Hardcore fans will find it fascinating. Editor Sheldon Kahn and associate producer Joe Medjuck provide commentary, helpfully pointing out some of the variations and explaining the editing process.