"GHOSTBUSTERS" (1984)

G'BOST.3USTERS

by

Dal'lAykroyd

«

Harold Ramis

October7,198.3

FADEIN

The sun shines brightly on the classic facade of the main library at Fifth Avenue and42nd Street.In the adjacent park area, pretty hustlersand drug peddlersgo about their business.

FRONTSTEPS

A few people lounge on the steps flanked by the familiar stone lions.

People are dotted throughout theroom sitting at the long oak tables polished by decades of use.Readinglamps with green glassshades cast a golden glow on the tables.The patina of age is everywhere .It is very quiet.

LIBRARIAN

A slightly stout,studious looking girl in her late twenties circulates quietly among the tables picking up books and putting them on her cart.Everything seems completely normal and peaceful .

POV

A single eerie musical note signals the presence ofsome- thing strange looking down on the Librarianfrom avantage point high above the room.It follows the Librarian as she pushes her cart around the corner.

The Librarian is alone in aback room sorting books for re- shelving.Behind her is the card catalogue.One of the books attracts her interest and she starts leafing through it.

THE CARDCATALOGUE

Another eerie note is heard as one of the drawers silently slides open behind the Librarian and hundreds of index cards start popping out.The Librarian continues reading completely oblivious to this strange phenomenon.

She gets up and moves past another row of cabinets.Two more drawers quietly slide open,and thousands of file cards start shooting out of the open drawers just behind her,but the Librarian still doesn't notice.

THE STACKS

The Librarian works her way through rowsandrows of old iron shelves containing many thousands of volumes stacked from floor to ceiling.As she puts the books back in their proper places,she slowly gets the feeling that she's being watched.She continues her task but suddenly hearsa scratching noise and stops.

A ROW OFBOOKS

As the Librarian walksdown the aisle,books start shooting off the shelf behind her.She turns suddenly and sees the fallen books.

THELIBRARIAN

Frightenednow,she walks slowly to the end of the aisle and tentatively peeksaround the corner.Seeingno one, she starts to scratch her head and suddenly a dozen books fly off the shelf right in front of her and fall to the floor.

Very slowly now,her heart pounding, the Librarian tiptoes to the other end of the aisle.She gets to the corner and starts to peek around it, afraid to look but unable to resist.

The Librarian comes slowly around the end of the stacks and gets her first look at the thing that's been watching her. Her eyes go very wide and her mouth opens in horror. She screams.

Students are enteringand leavinganeo-Gothic building on the University'supper west side campus.A sign identifies the building as:Weaver Hall-Department of Psychology.

At one end of the dingy corridor isa door markedPARANORMAL STUDIESLABORATORY.A sign danglesfrom the doorknob: Maid -Please MakeUp This Room.Scrawled across the door is a line of student graffiti that reads:"Venkman Burn In Hell!" It looks like it's beenwrittenin blood.

OR.PETERVENKMAN is administering anESP test totwo student volunteers,aboy and a girl,who sit across the table from him separated from each other by a screen.

Venkman is an associate professor but his rumpled suit and the manic gleam in his eyes indicate an underlying in- stability in his nature.However, whilea little short on academic credentials,Venkman is long on confidence,charm and salesmanship.

He turns to the male volunteer,an obnoxiousSOPHOMORE, and pulls out a cardfrom the standard deck ofESPsym- bols .The card is visible to the camera over Venkman's shoulder but hidden from thesophomore by a masonite board that rests between them on the table.The cardshowsa star symbol on it.

He shows the Sophomorethestar card then pressesa button on the table which administersa mild electric shock to the volunteer.The Sophomore twitches involuntarily as the shock passes through the electrode attached to his finger- tips. Then Venkman turns to the female volunteer,a very beautiful COED.

He turns over a card with a circle on it.

The Coed beams proudly as Venkman turns back to t he Sopho- more without showing her the card.

He turns up the diamond card.

The Sophomore glances nervously at the electrodes,then venturesa guess.

He shockshim again and swivels around to face the Coed.

He turns back to the Sophomore who winces as the next card is turned up-two parallel wavy lines.

He zaps him again but this time the Sophomore reallyjumps.

The Sophomore gets up, pulls the electrodes off his finger- tips and exits.

Venkman turns back to the Coed and shrugs .

Suddenly the door opens andRAYSTANTZenters,

STANTZ

He is Venkman's colleague and best friend.A hard scientist with agood academic background,Stantz isa maverick who genuinely loves a challenge.At the moment,he seems really keyed up.

He startsrummaging through cabinets and drawers, gathering up a variety of electronic devices.

Venkman looks at Stantz, then back at the Coed, torn be- tween duty and pleasure.

He waves good-bye and exits with Stantz.

Venkman and Stantz arrive in a taxi and trot up the front steps.Stantz is loaded down with equipment.

EGONSPENGLER is looking for spirits when Venkman and Stantz arrive.Spengler isa real egghead,aNew Wave Mr.Spock,who single-handedly got Venkman through grad- uate school.Spengler is incredibly intelligent but amazingly dense at thesame time.At the moment he is listening to a table usinga stethoscope connected to stereo earphones.Venkmancomes up behind him and taps on the table to get his attention.

Spengler hears the tapping and thinks he's made contact with the spirit world.Then Venkman slamsaheavy book down on the table.

Spenglerjumps at the deafening noise in his earphones and turns to see Venkman and Stantz.

HEAD LIBRARIAN

A choleric, middle-aged civil servant,MR.PEL~CORTE, hurries over to meet them.

Venkman is questioning the plump Librarian whosaw the spirit, whileaParamedic continues treating her for shock.

Venkman glowers at him, still skeptical.

THEDOOR

Spengler sticks his head in.

Stantzand Venkrnan rush out.

They come slowly down the dark aisle with Spengler leading, taking constant readings.Their faces are lit mainly by the light of their own monitoringand recording equipment.

HIGHPOV

Looking down on them from the spectral point of view.

A SPIRAL STAIRCASE

One by one,Venkman, Stantzand Spengler come down the tightly winding, old iron staircase.They are scared. Books are strewn all over the floor.

A BOOKSHELF

The books start to slide forward then the whole shelving unit topples over and almost crushes the team undera ton of books.Theyjump to safety.

Spengler looks at his meters and silently points ata dark aisle intersecting the one they're in.The team inches toward it.

They stop at the corner.

The team peeks around the corner and looks toward camera.

THEIRPOV- DAY

An ethereal presence is hovering between the stacks about four feet off the ground.It seems to waver on the edge of being and non-being,then a large legless,headless torso begins to emerge .

VENKMAN,STANTZANDSPENGLER

They stand there amazed.

THETORSO- DAY

A head and arms begin to form.The apparition isnow un- mistakably a full-bodied,somewhat elderly lady.

He edges closer to take valence readings.Stantz starts snapping infra-red photos of it.

He starts moving closer to the apparition.Venkman and Spengler edge closer, fighting their fear.They stop just afew feet from the vision.

VENKMAN&SPENGLER Ready.

He leaps at the apparition.Venkman and Spenglerjump re- flerivelyat almost thesame moment but they all end up on the floor grabbing at thin air.

THE GHOST-DAY

She drops back afew feet,loomsup intoa raging demonlike specter and blasts them with a rush of hot breath as she mouthsa single word.

VENKMAN,STANTZANOSPENGLER

They scream and fall backwards.

They burst through the doorsand onto the broad steps, both terrified and exhilarated by their first real contact with the supernatural.The Head Librarian rushes out the door after them and chases them down the steps.

Venk.man, Stantz and Spengler head for their lab in Weaver Hall. Spengler makes rapid calculations as Venkman and Stantz argue.

completely wasted .Based on these new readings,Ithink we have an excellent chance of actually catching a ghost and holding it indefinitely.

Venkman stops dead in his tracks,stunned by the news. Stantzand Spengler continue walking.

Venkman catches up withthemagain.

They approach the entrance to the psychology department talking excitedly.Venkman stops at the door and turns to Spengler.

They enter the building with Spengler greedily devouring the candy bar.

They walk through the hall,then down the stairs to the basement.

A Workman in painter pants is at the door as Venkman, Stantz a nd Spengler approach and enter the lab.As soon as the door closes behind them, the Workman starts scraping their names off the door with a razor blade.

As they enter, janitorial and maintenance personnel are busy dismantling their apparatus and equipment.DEANYAEGER is supervising.Venkman confronts him.

Stantzand Venkman are sitting ona bench both looking desolate.

Stantz is immediately intrigued by the idea but voices his reservations.

Venkman, Stantz and Spengler emergefromtheIrving Trust headquarters, all neatly dressed in suits.

VENI<MAN You'll never regret this,Ray.

Stantz and Spengler exchange doubtful looks .

An abandoned brick, four-story fire station built by the city around the turn of the century.It bearsa coat of faded red paint and legend above the garage door in chipped gilt letters:Engine Company#93.The garage doors open revealing Venkman standing in the white-tiled garage bay with a middle agedREALESTATEWOMAN wearing a blazer.

Venkman is looking around.

R/EWOMAN Besides this,you've got another substantial workareaon the ground floor, office space, sleep- ing quarters and showers on the next floor,and you have your full kitchen on the top level.It's 10,000 square feet total.

SPENGLER

He comes out of the office area with apocket calculator.

The Realtor frowns at Spengler.

R/EWOMAN What is he -your accountant?

STANTZ

He is looking at the shiny brass fire pole.

R/EWOMAN Yes,I know.What are you calling your business?

R/EWOMAN Oh, well, this place is perfect for it .

A high panoramic view of the city shows heavy traffic mov- ing up and down Central Park West on a beautiful sunny day.

An unusual pre-war Gothic high-rise towers over the neigh- borhood buildings .The top of the building includes an elaborate decorative temple,complete with altar, stairs and Babylonian columns.The late afternoon sun gives the structure an oddly menacing quality.The camera PANS slowly down to the street asDANA BARRETT,an attractive woman in her late twenties,comes walking up to the building carrying a cello caseand ashopping bag full of groceries.Guys on the street check her out as she enters, but she coolly ignoresthem.

Dana crosses the lobby and gets into the elevator.

Dana gets off the elevator and goes to the door of her apart- ment .As she unlocks it, the door to the next apartment opens and Dana's neighbor,LOUIS TULLY,peeks his head out the door.Louisis ashy nerd, hopelessly in love with Dana.

Louis has broken the ice.He confidently exits his apart- ment and approaches Dana.His door slams behind him as he leaves.

Dana begins unlocking her door.

Her door closes leaving Louis stranded.He walks back to his apartment muttering to himself.

DANA'SAPARTMENT-DAY

Aroomy,two-bedroom flat with a great view of the park.

She leaves the cello in the entrance hall, grabs the bag of groceries and goes through the living room toward the kitchen.

Remembering Louis,she stops at theTVset to turn it off, but a strange image on the screen catches her attention.

TV SCREEN

Two children,aBOY and a GIRL, are asleep in bed when suddenly they areawakened by supernatural moaning and groaning.

THECHILDREN

They scream andjump out of bed.

THEDOOR

TheirMOTHER andFATHER rush in to find the children cower- ing against thewall.

They point at the closet.

The mother and the kids look at him with disappointment.

Stantz steps into the foreground.

EXT,FIREHALL

Venkman, Stantz and Spengler are standing in front of the Ghostbusters'sign.Spengler steps forward.

Janine is seen answering the telephone with a big fake smile on her face.

Spengler is takingPKE readings along the baseboards. Stantz pops upfrom under the bed.

FATHER,MOTHERANDVENKMAN

They all look as pleased as punch as Venkman hands the Fathera bill.

Mother,Father and Kids wave goodbye to the Ghostbusters.

VENKMAN,STANTZANDSPENGLER

They smile at the camera asaphone number is supered on the screen.

Dana turns off theTV set and goes into the kitchen.

Dana switches on the radio and starts unpacking groceries. She sets a loaf of bread anda carton of eggs on the counter and begins putting other items away in the pantry.

THEEGGS

The top of the carton pops open.Then, one by one, the eggs erupt and spill over onto the counter.As the liquid con- tents hit the countertop they sizzle.The eggs begin to fry on the formica surface.

DANA

She hears the sizzle, turns and sees the eggs frying.She gasps,then recovers and inspects the mess.She touches the counter gingerly, but it's not at all hot.Deeply perplexed, she stands there trying to think of an explanation .Then a strange new sound attracts her attention and she turns around to see where it'scorning from.

Dana hears the sound of muffled chanting corning from the fridge.She pulls the door open and gets the shock of her life. The inside of the fridgehas been transformed into the Gateway to another Realm-a fiery path leading to a temple door.On each side of the door isa strange, snarl- ing creature that could best be described asaTERROR DOG. Their frontclaws are raised toward each other in asymbolic pose. The incredible vision is accompanied by the unearthly chanting.

DANA

She stands there transfixed by horror,the flames reflecting in her eyes.

THEFRIDGE

The chanting gets more freneticand ominous as the temple doorsslowly begin to open.

DANA

She is paralyzed.

THETEMPLEDOORS

They continue to open.We feelaterrible presence within.

DANA

She screams and slams the refrigerator door.Instantly, everything is normal again .She looks around the room.

THE EGGS

They are back in the carton,unbroken .

DANA

Fighting her fear,she turns back to the fridge and very slowly reaches for the handle.Then summoning all her courage,she yanks open the door.Ketchup, mustard, bottles of vitamins and otherfooditems fall out of the rack on the inside of the refrigerator door.Dana sighs with relief as she sees nothing but the cool white porcelain interior of

the fridge.She closes the door and stands there foramom- ent still shaken by the vision.Then she shakes her head and leaves the kitchen.

The garage bay door is open.Two painters on scaffolding are completing a paint job onthefront of the structure in flat black paint.A carpenter finisheshanging a sign over the door.It reads:GHOSTBUSTERS.

Then Stantz comes driving up in a very long, gold 1959 Cadillac ambulance and turns into the garage bay of the firehall.The car hasa battered look to it and rumbles noisily due to abroken muffler.

Stantz hits the siren and flashes the emergency lights as he drives in.Venkman crosses to the car as Stantzjumps out enthusiastically.

Venkman steps on the frontbumper and rocks it.It wallows badly.

RECEPTIONAREA-DAY

A bored-looking red-headed young woman,JANINE MELNITZ, sits in a swivel chair behind the reception desk, putting another coat of red polish on her heavily lacquerednails.Spengler is on his hands and kneeswiringup the telephone system.

THE DOOR

Dana Barrett enters and looks around hesitantly.

VENKMAN

He springs into action.

They walk toward the inner office.

VENI<MAN Why don't you step into the o.ffice and we'll talk about it. (to Janine) Hold all my calls, Janine.

Venkman frownsand exits with Dana.

INSERT- TV MONITOR-LATER

Dana is seen in close-up on aTV screen asshe finishes telling about her experience.

Dana is hooked up to a lie detector.Spengler is monitoring the readout and videotaping the interview.Venkman and Stantz are listening intently, waiting for Dana's assessment of her experience.

Venkman stares at her, trying to make sense of her last statement .

SPENG:CER (checking the poly- graph) She's telling the truth - or at least she thinks she is.

Dana starts laughing.They all regardhe~curiously.

Dana looks at Venkman, flattered by the remark but more than a litt le suspicious of his motives.

The door opens and Dana enters the darkened flat with Venkman .She switches on the light and leads him to the livinq room.

Venkrnan sees the cello leaning up against the wall.

He grabs the cello and starts playing it likea stand-up base. Dana takes the instrument out of his hands and gently puts it back in the case.

He points to a door.

She takes off her jacket.

He points to another door.

He enters the kitchen.

The room isa real mess.Utensils are lying all over the floor. The cabinets and walls are splattered with food.

He scans the room with his monitoring device .

He looks in a couple of cabinets,then confronts the refrig- erator. With mild trepidation he grasps the door handle, then suddenly jerks it open.The handlecomes off in his hand.

He grips the side of the fridge door and pulls it open.

Dana stands there nervously watching the kitchen door . Finally, it opensand Venkman comes out munching an apple.

She closes the door in his faceand triple locks it.

Venkman stands there with his nose flattened against Dana's door.He starts to leave just as Louis Tully pokes his head out the door hoping to see Dana.He jealously eyes Venkman.Venkman ignores Louis and gets on the elevator.

Louis spots his newspaperl yi ng on theflooracrossthe hall. Holding the door open with one foot,he reaches for the paper but can't quite stretch far enough.Trying another approach,he swings the door open, leaps for the paper and darts back to the door just as it slams shut in his face, locking him out again.

Stantz and Spengler are eating Chinesefoodfrom several take-out containers.Venkman enters.

He plucksa garlicshrimp from one of the Chinese food cartonsand walks off disconsolately.

Two uniformedDOORMEN help people in and out of taxis and limos under the hotel's elegant awning.

A "DONOTDISTURB"sign hangs on the doorknob ofRoom 1210. Soft music is heard coming from theroom.

Theroom is dark but we can hear the sighs and heavy breathing ofaman and woman making love on the bed.The cameraPANS across the floor followinga trail of dropped clothing -atuxedo jacket and cummerbund, white satin high heels,a lacywedding gown, striped tuxedo trousers, satin ladiesunderpants, stockings and garters.

THEBED

The Groom turns his back to the Bride and pulls the sheet up to his neck.

She switches on thelamp on the nightstand and picks up a magazine.

THE AIR VENT

There isa throbbing shudder as if something powerful was rushing through the air duct.A hint of yellowy vapor wafts through the grating and into theroom.

THENIGHTSTAND

The travel clock reads9:45P.M.Suddenly there is an audible hiss,then the glass clockface cracks down the middle witha snap.

THEBRIDE

Startled,she looks at the clock and picks it up to examine it.

He gets up and heads for the bathroom.

TheGroom enters the bathroom and closes the door behind him. The sound of water running in the sink is heard.Then the Bride hearsasound like the noisea cat makeswhen try- ing to dislodgea hairballfrom its throat .

The noise increases to thel evel of ten cats with hairballs.

She gets out of bed just as hecomes charging out , stuttering in stunned horror.She goes into the bathroom.

The Bride runs out of the bathroom into thearms of her husband who is on the telephone.

Janine turns off the light at her desk.She packs up her purse and puts on her coat.The phone rings.Janine answers it unenthusiastically .

She hits an alarm button andaloud bell starts ringing frantically.

The alarm sounds and everyonejumps up, scattering takeout cartons.

The alarm continues.Everyone enters in haste and scrambles into jumpsuits.There is much hopping on one leg and bumping into one another.

BRASSPOLE

Fully suited,Venkman jumps on and slides down followed quickly by Spengler.Then Stantzjumps at it but hits it at the wrong angle .He slowly slides down out of sight with a stunned look on his face.

Everyone pulls throwers, traps,packsand harnesses off the wall .

The garage door slides up and in a blaze of light and screeching tires, the ambulance squeals out and makes a right turn.The vehiclehas been painted flat black and has been fittedwith communication wafers and antennae.All the original lights have been replaced with purple and white strobes and the siren has been altered to emit alow, unearthly moaning.The purple and white strobe bars give the car a strange ultraviolet aura.It rounds the corner and headsup the West Side Highway.

The black ambulance screeches up to the main entrance, siren blaring.Emblazoned on the door is the Ghostbusters'new logo. It's the international symbol of prohibition,ared circle witha diagonal red stroke acrossa ghost.The DOORMAN stepsforward as Venkman, Stantz and Spengler leap out of the car.They open up the rear door and remove their equipment .People on the street stop and gawk.

As the Ghostbusters enter, people turn and stare at their strange appearance.They all wear matching blue futuristic jumpsuits with proton packs strapped to their backs.They also wear brushed-metal,flip-down ecto-visors worn on the head likea welder's mask.Kneeand elbow pads complete their strange outfits.

VENKMAN

He looks ill-at-ease and embarrassedbytheir outlandish get- ups as theHOTELMANAGER descends on them accompanied by a Slavic MAINTENANCEMAN anda worried BELL CAPTAIN.

They cross the lobby to the elevators, attracting lots of curious interest from the hotel guests.

VENKMAN

AGUESTaccostshim while they wait for an elevator.

The Guest looks at Venkman, noting the heavy proton pack on his back,the odd-looking particle thrower andflipdown ecto- visor.

The elevator arrives and he gets on with the others.

The Ghostbusters look nervous as they ride up the elevator.

The elevator stops at the Twelfth Floor.

The elevator doors open and Venkrnan peeks out into the hall. He steps out cautiously,followed by the others .

THEENDOF THEHALL

A BELLBOY comes around the corner behind them, pushing a room service cart loaded with dirty dishes.

STANTZ

He hears the rattle of the dishes behind him, whirls and fires astream of protonsfrom his wand.Spengler is so keyed up, he too spins and fires wildly.

THEBELLBOY

He ducks as the particle streams blow the dishes off the cart and scorch holes in the wall behind him.

The Bellboy peeks out from behind the cart.

THE GHOSTBUSTERS

They breathe a sigh of relief.

He leads them down the hall to Room 1210.

The Ghostbusters enter trepidatiously and start taking read- ings.

They exit the room.

Spengler makes his way down the hall reading valences at the door to each room.He knocks on one of the doors,then passes his sensor over the top of the door and down the jambs.Then he gets on his knees to read the crack at the bottom of the door.Suddenly the door opens and he looksup to see a really stunning woman wrapped in a bath towel with another towel twisted turban-style around her wet hair.

She slams the door in his face .Spengler shrugs and moves on.

Stantz moves down the hall checking PKE valences .

HISPKE METER

The needlejumps into the red.

STANTZ

He alerts Spengler through the walkie-talkie headset he wears.

Slowly and cautiously,he turns the corner at the end of the hall. Suddenly, he sees the object of their search and freezes.

STANTZ'POV

The vapor is hunched over aroom service cart loaded with dirty dishes .It hangs there, translucent,foul,yellow, feeding off table scraps and leftover beverages,knocking dishes off the cart and scattering refuse.It looks like a misshapen potato with a pushed-in faceand spindly arms.

THEVAPOR

It raisesa half-empty bottle of wine to its gapinq maw and chugsdown the liquid.The wine is visible as it pours down his gullet and passes through his system, finally spilling through hisbody onto the floor.

STANTZ

He edges closer.

THE VAPOR

It cramssome leftovers into its mouth and belches loudly.

STANTZ

He is growing increasingly more disgusted as the initial fear leaveshim.

He fires his particle thrower at the vapor.

THEVAPOR

It dodges Stantz' first shot and the ionstreamtearsaway fifty feet of wallpaper in a searing ricochet.Then the vapor flies off down the hall, pulling the roomservice cart along in itswake.

STANTZ

He chases it down the hall,shouting into his headset.

THEVAPOR

It reaches the end of the corridor butinstead of turning, it passes right through the soli d wall.The room service cart crashes into the wall, smashing dishesand sending the debris flying.

A MANis just pulling the plastic bag off his recently dry- cleaned white dinner jacket when the noxious vapor comes shooting through the wall .It blows right over him with a great rush of stinking wind and exits through the air vent .

THEMAN

He looks at the air vent then back at his dinner jacket which has turned several shades of sickly yellow and brown .

Venkman is alone in along hallway.He leans against the wall, clearly not taking any of this seriously.He hauls on a cigarette and mutters to himself .

Suddenly from the end of the hallway comes the sound of rattling dishes and silverware,accompanied by footsteps. Venk.man'sPKE meter beeps and a red light winks on .

Venkman sees the vapor start down the hall toward him.

THEVAPOR

It fliesdown the hall toward Venkman.

Stantz runs downstairs taking them three at a time as Venkrnan is heard screaming over the radio.

Stantz comes running around the corner and sees Venkman flat on his back, flailing his arms and legs frantically.Sick- ening,yellow-green ectofluid covers his head and chest.

Suddenly Spengler's voice crackles over the communicator.

Stantz helps Venkrnan to his feet and they rush off.

The Ghostbusters enter a large dark room with a high, ornately-corniced ceiling and a crystal chandelier hanging in the center.

They flipdown their visors and scan theroom.

Stantz drops to one knee and fires at the vapor.

THE CEILING

The vapor dodges as the beam blasts a sizable chunk of plaster out of the ceiling and destroys half the crystal chandelier.

VENKMAN

He fires at it,too, wasting the rest of the chandelier but the vapor dodgesaway.They are both ready to start blazing away again when Spengler stops them.

Venkman considers hisown safety and decides to take charge.

They yieldcommand to him.

STANTZANDSPENGLER

They nod obediently and glance nervously at the vapor, still hovering near the ceiling.

STANTZANDVENKMAN

They trigger their throwersand two streams are emitted, shooting off to either side of the entity.The entity swirls but stays between the beams.

THEVAPOR

It bobsand weaves, trying to slip past the visible lines of light, but Venkman and Stantz manage to keep it boxed in.

They start closing the distance between their ion streams.

STANTZ

The vapor is trying to get around his streams, causing him to waver as Venkman's stream gets closer and closer.

THEVAPOR

It slips past Stantz and races for the air vent.

SPENGLER

He fires with such poor marksmanship that hecomes only cen- timetersfrom crossing Venkman's stream.Venkman jerks away to avoid crossingSp~ngler'serratic bursts and maneuvers. Together they do extensive damage to the walls.

The Hotel Manager and the Maintenance Man look nervously at each other as they hear the sound of heavy property damage comingfrom the banquetroom.

Stantz has the thing cornered tosome extent,

Stantz moves closer to the wall and Venkman counters to trap the vapor again.

They manage to guide the vapor out into the center of the room, all the time closing the figurativebox around it.

Spengler jerks his leg up, triggering a release on his equipment belt.A cord and foot pedal fall to the floor. At the end of the cord there isa long, flat black metal box two feet long,four inches wide and two high.He kicks the box under the apparition and toes the foot pedal into position. The apparition blasts them with a flatulent gust. They recoil but hold the configuration.

Spengler stomps on the foot pedal and with a loud electronic snap the long metal box on the floor sprays up afixed multidimensional inverted pyramid of bright,beaded white light.

Stantz and Venkman herd the vapor to the top of the trap.

Spengler stomps the foot pedal again.

Suddenly there isaloud double electronic snap and a blind- ing flash of pink light.Wisps of brown smoke and carbonized particles rise to the ceiling in a large residual puff.The Ghostbusters stand there for a long moment not quite sure the battle is over.

SPENGLER

He cautiously approaches the trap and looksatthe valence indicator on it.

STANTZANDVENKMAN

They whoop in triumph -- and considerable relief.

Venkman looks askance at him.

He looks at Stantz.

STANTZ

He looks at Spengler.

SPENGLER

He shrugs.

VENI<MAN(CONT'D) (not pleased) We'll have to work on that. (to Stantz) Grab that,would you,Ray?

They exit,leaving Stantz to deal with the trap.

The elevator opens and the Ghostbusters emerge.Stant~ holds the trap by it's foot pedal.He dangles it awayfrom his body as if it is something putrid.The Hotel Manager approaches them.

Stantzremoves his infra visor and wipessome slime off his face. He is beaming.

He holdsup the trap.

Th&Ghostbusterscome through the revolving doors and see a real mob scene on the street.A largecrowd has gathered around the Ectomobile and the police have put up a barricade to holdthem back.Photographers are taking pictures of it and several reporters are there waiting forthem.As the Ghostbusters cross to the vehicle,people in thecrowd cheer and the reporters start firing questions at them.

REPORTERil Nate Cohen.I'm with the Post. What happened in there?

REPORTERi2 Did you really see a ghost?

REPORTER#3 Is thissome kind of a stunt?

REPORTER#1 Can we see it?

REPORTER#4 What proof do you have that what you saw was real?

REPORTER#2 Are you saying that ghosts really exist?

SPENGLER

He's confused by all the commotion and the barrage of questionsfrom the press.A STREETPUNK in the crowd behind the police barricades keeps hissing at him.

He finally gets Spengler's attention and waves him over.

He turnsaway.

we could slice him up like Oscar Mayer Bologna.

VENKMT\NANDSTANTZ

They are in high spirits as they continue to field questions. A minicam is videotaping them.

Stantz shrugs and starts singing the Ghostbusterssong with embarrassed restraint.

STA,NTZ. (singing) Ghostbusters...Ifyouhave a ghost But you don't want to play host...

Venkman joins in with aharmony and they continue with more confidence.

STANTZ& VENKMAN (singing) They can be bad houseguests And all-night pests . . . You can't sleep at all So who do you call?

Spengler joinsthem for the big finish with no perceivable sense of melody or rhythm.

At the moment aflashbulb goes off freezing the Ghostbusters in a still-frame thatbecomes afront-pagenews photo.

FRONTPAGE

The New York Post carries the picture with a big headline reading:GHOSTBUSTERS?

The Ghostbusters'song really starts to cook with full pro- duction now asaMONTAGE begins.

TELETYPEMACHINES

A bank of whirring, clicking teleprinters spits reams of hard copy and wire service photos depicting the team at work.

exciting and incredible as the trap- ping of an actual supernatural entity by a team of men based in this city who call themselves Ghostbusters.

The team hears the alarm buzzer.They leap from their beds and slide down the pole.

The Ectomobile is parked at home plate.The Ghostbusters enter the Yankee dugout asa concerned Groundskeeper looks on.

The electronic Seiko sign flashes the news:

Ghostbusters Nab Phantom Bat Boy at Yankee Stadium.

FULLSCREEN VIDEOOFROGERGRIMSBY

Minicam set up in street .

Music and Teleclicker up.

The Ectomobile pulls up to a Gothic apartment building in the complex.The Ghostbustersjump out and hurry into the lobby .

APOLICEMAN

He notices that the Ectomobile is illegally parked andwalks over togawk atthe odd vehicle.

THE ECTOMOBILE

As the Policeman approaches,a set of double antennae on the roof are automatically activated.They rotate and tilt to point at the Policeman .The Policeman isa little unnerved by the antennae and starts to walk around the car, but the antennae follow him with unerring accuracy.

THEPOLICEMAN

Eager to get away from the vehicle,he quickly writesa parkingticket and sticks it under the windshield wiper.

THEWINDSHIELD

As the Policeman withdraws his hand,the ticket heats up, bursts intoflame and burns up.

THEPOLICEMAN

He stares at the ashes foramoment then slowly backsaway from the car.

Stant z is driving .Spengler andVenkmanare asleep. They all look completely exhausted.

THE JOEFRANKLINSHOW -ONCAMERA

LARRYKING is doing his phone-in talk show.

Larry King continues voice-over as members of the New York Philharmonic come out the stage door of Avery Fisher Hall.

Dana is walking with another man,a VIOLINIST,when she sees Venkman sitting on the edge of the fountain in the center of the plaza.She asks the Violinist to wait and crosses to Venkman.

They glance at the Violinist. THE VIOLINIST

He takesa hit of nasal spray in each nostril .

DANAAND VENKMAN

She looks at him trying to decide whether she likes him or not.

She walks toward the Violinist.Venkman shouts after her.

She starts walking away.

DANA

She wavesgoodbye and rejoins the Violinist.

VIOLINISTANDDANA

They walk off.

Janine is handling a steady barrage of phone calls,switching from one line to the other.WINSTONZEDDEMORE,a large, impressive-looking black man sits acrossfrom her filling out a job application.

She hangs up.

A gaggle of autograph hounds is waiting on the street as Ecto One pulls in.The front of the building now bearsa big neon sign with the Ghostbusters logo on it.

Venkman and Stantz disembark.They carry a couple of traps apiece .Theirjumpsuits are covered with smoldering ecto- slime. The Ectomobile looks like it's been through a war.

VENKM}\N I can't take much more of this. The pace is killing me.

RECEPTIONAREA -DAY

Venkman enters with Stantz, crosses to Janine and dropsa paid invoice on her desk.

They shake hands.

He exits.

STANTZ

He scans Winston's resume,ignoring the flare-up between Janine and Venkman.They start downstairs to the storage facility.

The walls are plastered with newspaper and magazine stories on Ghostbusters.WALTER PECK,junior E.P.A.administrator, is reading one of the articles when Venkman walks in .

Peck looks at Venkman's soiled jumpsuit.

Peck laughs nervously.

Spengler is at the work bench repairingadamaged proton pack. The place isa mess with equipment, work orders, parts, catalogs and old lunches piled everywhere.Half the room has been sealed offfrom floor to ceiling with concrete blocks to forma storage facility for captured spirits .Winston is standing at a viewing slit staring into the storage facility. STANTZ He insertsa trap intoa metal-lined slot in the wall of the storage facility.Spengler crosses toa control console to assist him .

He pushes more buttons and the slot lights up.Several grating electronic snaps are heard, like the sound of bugs being fried on an outdoor insect light.Then Stantz with- draws the trapand tosses it intoa bin marked:FORRECHARGE.

Spengler picks up a Hostess Twinkiefrom the workbench.

Spengler nods gravely. Venkman enters looking very concerned.

Venkman lets that remark go and crosses to aTV monitor linked toacamera inside the storage facility.

THE MONITOR.

Wezoom in on the monitor and get our first real look inside the storage facility.It isa bleak repository for souls of many species.Strange lights, mists and spectral shapes wafta.bout aimlessly.Human-like figures lean against the walls in despairing convict poses.Others flit and hang on the ceiling.It isa sad and frightening limbo and amost unholy makeshift asylum.

A mysterious cloud takes shape and hovers over Dana's apart- ment building.Then a strange glow starts to radiatefrom the temple-like structure on the roof.

The moon shines through the odd cloud configuration, illumi- nating the ornate temple door with its two stone Terror Dogs posed rampant on either side of the portal.

TERROR DOG

Its hideous stone features are bathed in moonlight.The camera PANS down its grotesquebody to one of its claws. Suddenly there is a hiss and an audible crack of disintegrat- ing mortar as one of its stone talons comes to life.

ITSHEAD

The stone figure opens its eyes, revealing glowing red pupils beneath the scaly lids.

Dana gets off the elevator and immediately hears loud music blasting from Louis'apartment as his party hits fullswing. She tiptoes past his door but despite the loudness of the music,Louissomehow senses her presence andcomes rushing out into the hall.

Dana closes the door leaving Louis alone in the hall,once again locked out of his own apartment .

She entersand takes off her coat.She's wearing dance clothes and appears to be really tired.She sits down in an overstuffed chair and takes off her leg warmers .Then leans back and closes her eyes .It is very quiet . Something dreadful isabout to happen . Then it happens.The phone rings so loudly it makes Dana jump.She picks it up.

She hangsup the phone,leans her head back and closes her eyesagain. We hold on her foralong beat.

An eerie light is seen coming through the cracksaround the door.

DANA

She sits up in surprise and looks at the kitchen door.

She starts to get up but suddenly a pair of scaly,inhuman hands rip out of the chair cushion on either side of her and clutch her around the waist.She screams and tries to break their grip, but another pair of claws tears through the up- holstery and grabs her around the chest and neck, pinning her to the chair.

THE CHAIR

As if drawn by a powerful force,the chair with Dana in it slides across the living room floor toward the kitchen door.

THEKITCHENDOOR

The whole door isnow pulsing.

DANA

She is horrified.

THEKITCHENDOOR

It swings open, revealing a fiery chamber where the kitchen used to be.One of the Terror Dog creatures seen earlier in the fridge is standing there waiting forDana with outstretchedclaws.

DANA

She screams as the chair propels her into the kitchen.Then the door swings shut behind her.

A bright flash shoots out from the center of the pyramid, lighting up the roof of Dana's building.

ROOFTEMPLE

All is as before except that both stone Terror Dogs are ominously missingfrom the structure.

Louis is playing the perfect host to his clients,a general cross-section of nerds and nerdettes.The musicismuch too loud and the guests are scattered about the living room in small groups making dull conversation.

LOUIS

He is emptying ashtrays and cleaning them withWindex.A TALLWOMAN approaches him.

the cost of300name brand.Is it aheadache?

The woman movesaway.

THEBUFFETTABLE

Two stiff men are helping themselves.One is about to bite intosome lox when Louis joins them.

A SECONDWOMAN moves up to Louis.

WOMANt2 C'mon Louis,maybe if we dance other people will start.

They start to dance.

The doorbell rings.Louis bolts for the door hopingi~'s Dana. It's another couple.Louis escorts them in and takes their coats.

He goes to the bedroom door with their coats and opens it.

On the bed, standing up on all four legs, isa bristling, panting, live Terror Dog.Too preoccupied to notice it, Louis reflexively tosses the coats onto the bed.They both land on the Terror Dog's head.

Louis comes out of the bedroom and closes the door.Then from within there issues forthatremendous roar that freezes the guest.

BEDROOMDOOR

An instant later,the Terror Dog bursts right through the door. Wood chipsand splinters shower the guests.

THE GUESTS

They drop their drinks and canapes as the Terror Dog lands in the center of the room, snarling hellishly.

It quickly scans theroom,looking for Louis.

LOUIS

He yelps and runs for the door.

TERRORDOG

He lunges after Louis,but Louis gets out just in time and slams the door behind him.

Louis tears off down the hall,bellowing.TheTerror Dog bursts through the door,lands in the hall and runs after him .

Louis ducks into the elevator.

A DOORMAN stands at his post near the revolving door,Two elegantly dressed visitorswaitas he phones to announce them to one of the building residents,Suddenly Louiscomes running out of the door.

He runs across the street and disappears in the park.

THEDOORMAN

The Doorman turns just in time to see the Terror Dog before it runs right over him and bounds across the street.

TWOBUMS stroll casually along discussing current events.

Louis runs by them,almost knocking them over.

They turn to watch him go.

They turn back just as the Terror Dog streaks past them in hot pursuit.They recoil in fearand watch as the creature sprints after Louis.

Louis runs for his life, afraid to look back.He races through a tunnel then sees the twinkling lights of the Tavern on the Green restaurant and heads straight for it.

Louiscomes tearing into the courtyard of the restaurant. Through the large picture windows he can see well-dressed people sitting in the elegant dining room.He goes fora door into the dining room but finds it locked. Then he tries another door but it, too, is locked.Suddenly,he hearsa low rumbling growlfrom the bushes . Desperatenow,he starts pounding on the glass.

The wealthy patronslook upand see Louis pounding on the glass,screaming unintelligibly.

They ignore his pleas and return to their salmon croute.

Louis' heart is pounding, his breath coming in compulsive gasps as he turns to face the relentless Terror Dog.

THE TERRORDOG

It stands there silhouetted in the dark .Then it starts ad- vancing toward Louis, casting giantshadows on the walls.

LOUIS

He is paralyzed with fear.

THE TERRORDOG

It pounces with atremendous roar.

The roar echoes through the restaurant.There is the sound of a vio l ent struggle,then all is quiet.Nobody notices.

COLUMBUS CIRCLE -LATER

Louis walks out of the park, walking stiffly witha glazed look in his eyes.He seesa horse and carriage parked at the curb.He goes right up to the horse and speaks to it, obviously possessed by the Terror Dog.

TheCOACHMAN sees Louis talking to his horse .

Louis glares at the Coachman. His eyes begin to glow,magic- ally.

Louis lopes off across the street.The carscome screeching to a halt to avoid hitting him.

THESTREET

TWOMOUNTEDPOLICEMEN notice his strange behavior and follow him down the street.

Venkman enters dressed neatly in a suit, holding a bouquet of flowers for Dana.He seestwoCOPS talking to dishevelled party guests.He sidles up to one of the cops .

He goes to the elevators.

Venkman walks past Louis'apartment and curiously notes the splintered door.Then he rings Dana's bell, waits, rings again and knocks .

The door opens and Dana is standing there,but she has changed radicallyfrom the woman we met earlier.Her hair is down, flowing loosely over her naked shoulders, her eyes are wide open, filled with a kind of love-slave longing, her lips are parted and wet and her clothes are seductively tattered.She stares at Venkman.

What happened to you?The cop downstairs said an animal got loose up here.What's the story? Are you all right?

She stares at him as if she hasn't heard aword he said.

Venkman realizes thatsomething bizarre has happened.

She starts to close the door but Venkman slides past her into the apartment.

He looks around the apartment and notices the holes ripped in the chair.Then he sees the kitchen doorframe charred and blackened with soot.

DANA

She crosses to the window and gazes at the sky as if waiting for something.

He takes her hand and she yields.They enter the bedroom.

They enter and Venkman steers her onto the bed.

He checks her pupil dilation witha penlight.

She pulls him down on top of her and kisses him with super- natural lust.

She starts to sit up,but he restrains her with a light touch on the shoulder.

A shudder runs through Dana's body,then she slowly starts to levitate, rising a full three feet off the bed.

He stands up and circles around the bed looking forsome sort of explanation.He passes his hands over her, then under her , looking for wires or a force field .Then he makes a few theatrical moves like acheap magician.

Ecto One speeds northward,strobes lit.

Winston is at the wheel.Stantz pops open a beer and lights a smoke. They both look completely wasted .Stantz is looking oversome blueprints.

They exchange alook of puzzlement and concern.

Ecto One pulls up to a pair of massive parapetsand ahewn timber gate set in a thick redoubt on an escarpment high above the river.Two figures approach them from the shadows. As they draw closer, Stantzand Winston see their Stetson hatsand uniforms.

Stantz and Winston walk past along line of cannon.Their visors are down.They wear the usual equipment.

They split up.Winston takesal ong ,low passageway.Stantz descendsa set of stone stairs.They both leaveframe.The sound of their separate footsteps fades O.S.

A police van pulls up,the garage door opens and Spengler comes out of the building .He meetsaPOLICESERGEANT. They walk around to the back door of the van.

The Sergeant unlocks the door and pulls it open.

Louis is on the floor wearing a strait jacket.He is tied to the bench with leather restraint straps and ankle cuffs.

Spengler notes the strange glow in Louis' eyes.

Louis is hooked up to a variety of strange contraptions including something on his head that looks like an aluminum mixing bowl wired with hundreds of electrodes.Spengler monitors Louis' reactions as he questionshim. Janine watches.

Spengler stares at Louis foramoment then looks over at Janine .

JANINE

She rolls her eyes at Spenglerand mimes the traditional sign for lunacy by pointing toher temple and tracing a circle with her index finger.Then the phone ringsand Spengler answers it.

Venkman is lying on the bed with the phone.Dana is asleep next to him, still floating three feet in the air with a blanket over her.

INTERCUTSPENGLER ANDVENKMAN

SPENGLER

He looks nervously at Louis.

LOUIS

He pourssome instant coffee crystals into his mouth and chewsthem up,then he drinksa beaker of boiling water that's been heating over aBunsen Burner.

They hang up.

JANINE

She crosses to Spengler.

She hugs him. Spengler responds awkwardly, not sure where to put his hands.

Stantz is in a painstakingly restored period room with a four poster bed, writing table and wardrobehung with uniforms. Hisown jumpsuit and backpack lie inaheap beside the bed. He fingers an officer's uniform then tries it on. He steps to a full-length mirror and models it, striking afew heroic poses.He shrugs, sits on the bed,bouncing the mattress and squeezing it.He then liesdown fulllength and tests it, hands behind his head.

STANTZ

He yawns.His eyes droop, blink and finally close.His head lolls sideways, his mouth drops open slightly and he drops off to sleep,exhausted.

A uniform sleeve moves slightly. A sabre in its sheath begins to tap lightly against the open doorsash .Aphosphorescent light streaks out in between gaps in the clothing, casting patterns over theroom.

STANTZ'PACKANDWANDS

A panel light winks on.The needle on hisPKE meter jumps into the red.

STANTZ

He rolls over.From inside the wardrobeashimmering pink mist rises up and begins to takeform on the ceiling.

MIST

The vaguest remnants of ahumanform take shape .It hovers and shifts as if appraising Stantz.

STANTZ

He tosses and rolls onto his back, still deeply asleep.

BEDCANOPY

The mist slithers in through the curtainsand takesa position abovehim.It begins to descend slowly.

STANTZ

The mist widens and elongates and sprawls in suspension over his body.He wakes.The apparition is inches above his face . He gasps but can't move, totally transfixed with fear.

STANTZ'POV

He isface-to-face with a lost soul.It isa beautiful femini ne face. It presses in closer.He sucks in his breath. Is he being smothered?The gaunt figure then slides slowly awayfrom his face and down toa spot below his waist.

STANTZ

He props himself up on his elbows and looks down.Suddenly the apparition vanishes.Then his beltcomesundone as if pulled by an invisible hand and his zipper slowly opens.

CLOSE-UP-STANTZ'FACE

His look changesfrom fear to confusion to pleasure.He closes his eyesand submits.

Winston issmoking a cigarette,ambling down the barracks corridor.He hears voices and walks to the door of the barracks .

Winston shrugs and slinks out.

Two cars pull up out front,aNew York City Police car and a lime green K-car with U.S.Government plates.They are followed by aCon Edison utilities van and a County Sheriff's car . Peck gets out of the government car.Two COPS step out and flank him.A POLICECAPTAIN joins them and they all enter the fireball.

Janine is at her desk when the law enters and walks right past her.

Peck hands her the court orders.

Peck brushes past her and leads his cohorts toward the base- ment.

Spengler is arguing with Peck.Louis is sitting quietly in the corner,watching the argument with interest.

He switches it on.

Venkman arrives in a taxi,sees the police cars parked outside and dashes in.

The argument is still going on when Venkman enters and asserts himself.

VENI<MAN If you turn that thing off we won't be responsible for the con- sequences.

The CON-EDMAN steps to the control panel and looks at the switches, meters and chasing lights.

THECON-EDMAN

He looks nervously at the Police Captain.

The Con-Ed Man reaches fora switch but Venkman grabs him from behind.

The Cops grabVenklnanand drag him off the Con-Ed Man.

The Captain looks at Peck with contempt.

The Cops slacken their hold onVenklnan .He looks at Spengler, worried .

SPENGLER

He mimes an explosion with his hands.

LOUIS

He sees Spengler backing awayand starts to do the same.

CONTROL PANEL

The Con-Ed Man turns all the switches to the OFF position. The panel lights go out.

POWER METER

The needle indicator drops to zero .

PECK

He feels the floor start to shake.

VENKMAN,SPENGLERANDLOUIS

They run like crazy for the stairs.Spengler grabs Janine on the way out.

THESTORAGE FACILITY

A strange light starts to leak through the cracks between the concrete blocks.Suddenly one of the blocks is blown across theroom.

Everyone comes running out as the storage facility explodes. A powerful geyser of irridescent energy shoots out the top of the building like aphenomenal Roman Candle reaching a hundred feet in the air.

As the explosion rumbles in the distance, Dana's eyes pop open as if cued by the blast.

Venkman,Spengler and the others are dodging and ducking a shower of debris.

LOUIS

He stands there oblivious to the danger,looking up at the glowing geyser of energy.Janine is beside him.

Louis walks off down the street as if in the grip ofsome powerful psychic compulsion.The others are too busy to notice his departure.

Awide shot of the island shows the glistening geyser spurting high into the air.Theirridescent cloud generated by the geyser starts moving across Manhattan toward Dana's building.Sirens are screaming all over town as police cars, fire trucksand emergency vehicles race to the scene.

Firetrucks, police cars,Con-Ed trucks and a general mob are assembled, watching the roof of the building which is spurting a translucent blue substance. It looks likea massive natural gas flame. Bits of ecto material rain down on the on-lookers .

SPENGLER

Flanked by police,he tries to answer questionsfrom fire department officials and ahazardous chemicalEXPERT in a bulky decontamination suit.

Spengler just shakes his head.

Ecto One pulls up .Winston and Stantzjump out. Stantz finds Venkman and Spengler.

VENKMAN

Suddenly remembers another problem.

Spengler looks at Venkman .They both tear off to find Louis but Peck intervenes.

The Police Captain restrains Venkman from leaving.

Spengler turns on Peck with uncharacteristic fury.

Peck backs off.

Louis walks briskly and purposefully uptown ,gazing at the symmetrical lights in the sky .

SUBWAYENTRANCE

As Louis walks by, ahuge crowd of people descends the stairs into thesubway.The last of them disappears a r ound the corner.Then echoing screams are heard and the whole crowd comes charging back up the stairs pursuedbya strange apparition.

She is standing at the open bedroom window gazing down into the streets below.

A SabrettHOTDOGVENDOR is dispensing pretzels and hot dogs from his pushcart.

THE VENDOR

He opens the top of the bin and reaches in to get abun.He feelsaround inside,knowing the cart should be loaded with food. Then he peers inside and yanks his arm out with a shout. He falls back in fear.

THECART

The gluttonous Onion-Headed Vapor rises out of the pushcart stuffed with hot dogs,buns and pretzels .It belches loudly at the gaping spectators, then flitsdown the street with the pushcart following under its own power.

A well-dressedBUSINESSMAN comes rushing out andjumps into a cab parked at the curb.

The Businessman leans close to the safety partition and shouts his destination.

THE FRONTSEAT

Through the windshield we see that the driver isa badly de- composed corpse in a leather jacket and snap-brim cap.

THEPASSENGER

Through the partition he seesa skeletal hand reach outand start the meter.

The cab peelsawayfrom the curb at tremendousspeed and turnsthe wrong way upa one-way street.

It's the accounts department of a major corporation.Young men and women are working at typewriters and computer terminals in the sterile,modern office.

A PROGRAMMER

She bends over at the file cabinets and something gooses her. She looks around, miffed, but seesno one.She goes back to her desk.Her skirt hikes up suddenly.She yanks it back down. Then she feelsa strange,not unpleasant tickling under her. She squirms.Her skirt goesup again.The tickling gets unbearable,forcing her to stand.She walks briskly betweeen the rows of desks, trying to get to the ladiesroom, fighting to keep her skirt down.Her co-workers begin to notice and laugh.

A TYPIST

She standsup to look and her blouse pops open.

THE OFFICE

All the women begin toscream and squirm as the invisible molester runs wild in the office.

Louis entersalong dark pedestrian tunnel.

INSIDETHETUNNEL

A gang of MUGGERS is smoking something in a weird pipelike device. One ofthem sees the approaching silhouette of Louis and hisses to his cohorts.The . others all look and slowly begin to fan out across the width of the tunnel. LOUIS He is staring straight ahead and entirely focused on his destination as the muggers approach and confront him.He stops. They are deliberately blocking his path.

Louis blinksatupi~iy.

MUGGER#2 Are you crazy,man?You don't give, Jino's gonna rip you,man. Nobody gets by Jino.

THEMUGGERS

They scream and run, horrified and disgusted by Louis' un- earthly display.

The cab driven by the corpse weaves through traffic at break- neck speed.Cars are forced up on the curb.Pedestrians run for safety.

The Businessman is reading the Wall Street Journal, oblivious to the whole situation.

A worn, graffiti-spattered S1.99 triple bill movie house in theNew Wave district near Second Avenue.The bill reads :

ALL NIGHTALLDAYHORRORSHOW IN3-D

The house is packed with hooting, jeering, beer-drinking pot- smoking downtowners, all wearing cardboard3-D glasses.They are wildly razzing and throwing things at the screen on which is running abad sixties British horror indie pie.The film breaks.Thesound crackles off and the lights come on.There is astorm of protest and abuse hurled at the projectionist. Then from all around them there starts a thin whistling whine. It builds above the shouts and jeers in the theater until everyone stops to hear what it is. It is like no other sound ever heard -a piercing, all-permeating shrill whistle like the fan blades of some massive unseen turbine beginning to rotate.

The lights in the theater flicker. The musty ancient curtains on either side of the screen are picked up in an unseen wind which lifts them,spreading dustand ripped old fabric about the house.There are shouts and soundsand noisesfrom deep beyond the recesses of the backstage.The curtains are now flying in a serious wind.All the lights in the theater go out except thatfrom the projection booth.From a point in the center of the screen,a searing bolt of phosphorescent light rips back along the projection beam into the booth. The beam evolves into an etheric strand of unified glistening particles.The wind dies down.People in the house are hushed.They gaze transfixed asa procession of phantasms emerge in single filethrough the illuminated screen.As if suspended on a clothesline,they weave and bounce along the length of the pulsating beam,and pass through the hole in the projection booth.The apparition is gone.All is quiet. Then the audience bursts into wildly enthusiastic applause.

Winston is staring out through the bars talking to himself.

He bangs on the bars and crosses to Venkman, Stantz and Spengler who are huddled together looking at blueprints of Dana's building.

Venkman leans in to look but suddenly notices that they have an audience.

THE CELL

The Ghostbusters are surrounded by a motley assortment of BUMS,PUNKS,HOODSand a particularly mean-looking gang of BIKERS, all listening intently to their discussion.

The other prisoners mutter and scratch their heads,then drift off.

He looks at Venkman who doesn't see the significance.

Winston has heard enough.

Winston just shakes his head. Then auniformed GUARD appears with a high-ranking POLICE OFFICIAL and unlocks the cell door.

They exit.

The official cars arrive and the Ghostbusters are hustled past amob of reporters, all shouting questions at once.

Secretaries and aides scurry about in a chaos of telephones and waiting city officials.As the Ghostbusters are led through the outer offices, everyone stops what they're doing to stare at them.

The Ghostbusters enterand see a very concerned group of leaders arguing like crazy.The Police and Fire Commission- ers, State and City Police Commandants,the Archbishop of the New York Diocese, the Regional Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Governor of the State of New York, and various other high-ranking officials.

At once, the group turns and instantly regains perfect decorum.

THEMAYOR

He isa likeable Democrat and a man of the people- particularly the Irish, Italian and Jewish people.

Peck shoulders his way forward.

The Mayor looks for helpfrom the assembled leaders.

He looks to the Archbishop.Everybody focuses on the ornately attired Prelate.

PECI< (snaps) That's"Peck!"

The Mayor starts nodding affirmatively, clearly convinced by Venkman's rational assessment.

The Mayor takesalong look at Peck.

Louis arrives in front of the building and looks up. Strange lights are beginning to flashfrom the windows.He enters the building and a moment later ahuge tremor shakes the structure.

The elevator doors open and Louis gets out.A crowd of ten- ants rushes onto the elevator clutching their most prized possessions.He gets through the panicked tenants andwalks down the hall.

MRS.BLUM, a neighbor,comes out of her apartment carrying an armload of small appliances.

Louis!What are you doing standing there... get out of the building . .. don't you know it's an earthquake or something?

Don't be crazy.Nobody is going to come and visit you with all thiscommotion going on.

She rushes off leaving Louis alone in the hall.He goes to Dana's door and mechanically knocks three times .His knock- ing echoes thunderously throughout the building. THEDOOR It opens and Louis seesDana standing there.A tremendous thunderclaprattlethe building.

Hearing that, Louis•grabs Dana with a passion that's been building in his unconscious for8000 years.He kisses her with savage lust and pulls her to the floor out of frame as an explosive force blows through the apartment.

Venkman, Stantz and the Mayor walk briskly toward the vehicledock at the back of the building .Aides scurry along behindthem., awaiting instructions.

Theycome out onto the loading dock.

The Ectomobile is parked there.Winston and Spengler are charging all the packs off the building current.There'sa lot of police activity aroundthem as orders are dispatched.

A POLICECAPTAIN reports to Venkman .

SPENGLER

He looksup and sees Janine standing on the dock.She crossesto him.

They hug.

THE ECTOMOBILE

Stantz,Venkrnan and Winston get in. Spengler rushes over and joins them.

Venkrnan turns aroundand looks at his friends.

They all shake hands.Then Venkrnan sticks his hand out the windowand signals likea cavalry officer.

A pair of police motorcyclescomes roaring up the driveway followed by the Ectomobileand two police cruisers.The motorcade turnsup the street and heads uptown at high speed.They passacolumn of National Guard trucks.

The street has been blocked off with police barricades but a huge crowd has gathered nonetheless to watch the strange lights and flashesemanatingfrom the upper floors of the building.

THE CROWD

The news media are out in front filming and taping everything. A contingent of Doomsday freaks is gathered with signspro- claiming"REPENTFOR THEEND ISAT HAND!"AfewCatholic priests are kneeling,performing rites of exorcism,

THE CROWD

A gang of punks is hanging around hoping foradisaster,A handful of Hassidic Jews behind them are wailing in earnest. The police work to restrain thecrowd .

THE STREET

The screaming of sirens turns the attention of thecrowd as the motorcade arrives.As the Ectomobile rounds the corner ahuge cheer goesupfrom the crowd.

THECROWD

The punks cheer.The Hassidic Jews wave their black hats and start dancing for joy.

THEECTOMOBILE

It pulls up in front of the building.The doors fly open and theGhostbusters alljump out at once .The crowd roars.

THE PRIESTS

They leap to their feetand give each other"high fives."

VENKMAN

He raises both fists likea victorious boxer.

The crowd thunders its approval .

THEGHOSTBUSTERS

They quickly finish suiting up at the rear of the Ectomobile.

They start heading for thelobby entrance to the building.

Thecrowd applauds as the Ghostbusters approach the entrance.

THEGHOSTBUSTERS

They stop in front of the building and look up at the roof.

THEIRPOV

A blinding flash of light shootsfrom the rooftop temple.

THE BUILDINGENTRANCE

The whole buildingseems to groan as if under enormous pressure.Then suddenly the concrete facade cracks open and the pavement in front of the building collapses dropping the Ghostbustersand a police car into the enormous sinkhole. The crowd gasps.

THESINKHOLE

There is a tense moment of silence,then the Ghostbusters pop up and climb out of the pit.

They flash the"okay"sign to the crowd and enter the building.

Dana and Louis emerge from the stairwell, approach the Temple and mount the pedestals once occupied by the Terror Dogs.

THETEMPLE

The walls begin to vibrate in response.

Blinding beams of light flashfrom all the windows.

The Ghostbusters trudge up thirty-five flights of stairs.

The stairwell door opens and the Ghostbusters stagger into the hallway,completely exhausted.

VENI<MAN (gasping and spitting) I'm glad we took the stai rs.

The Ghostbusters arrive.The door frame is charred and black- ened by soot.Venkman rings the doorbell.DING-DONG.

Venkman knocks on the door and the door simply falls off its hinges and crashes to the floor.The Ghostbusters gape at the damage to the apartment.

The exterior building wall is completely gone providing an unobstructed view of the Hudson andNew Jersey.All the furniture is overturned and the other walls are cracked. A powerful wind blows through the apartment fluttering the shredded curtains.

The team enters and sees that the refrigerator has been blown away revealing a hole in the wall and the entrance to a stone staircase behind it .

VENKMAN

He looks at the forbidding portal and turns to Stantz.

Stantz realizes thatVenkmanexpectshim to go first.He leads the charge up the stairs.

Dana and Louis stare at the Temple,then begin a miraculous and horrible transformation into the hideousforms of the Terror Dogs.

THETEMPLE

The solid stone wallsrumble ominously and start to separate.

THEGHOSTBUSTERS

They come running out onto the roof and gape at the scene.

THETEMPLE

The walls open completely revealing the secret architecture of the Temple:A stone staircase leading to ase~of monumental doors,and beyond them a massive pyramid that appears to besuspended in mid-air with no visible means of support. LOUISANDDANA

They complete their transformationintothe Terror Dogs, which now turn and snarl menacingly at the Ghostbusters.

THEGHOSTBUSTERS

They can't believe their eyes.

The heavy rumbling of moving stone draws their attention back to the temple .

THETEMPLE

The Terror Dogs havenow taken ritual positions on the staircase. The heavy stone gates begin to open and a bright white lightstarts to emerge.As the light descends the stairsa humanform slowly materializes.

THEFORM

It isa thin,hollow-cheeked, distinguished-looking man in his early sixties. His eyes are burning red pin-holes. He looks around at the spectacular rooftop view, then acknowledges the two Terror Dogs and starts stroking them like house pets.

THEGHOSTBUSTERS

They stare at the apparition.

He gets to his feet and speaks sharply to Gozer.

GOZER

Helooksup andseems to notice the Ghostbusters for the firsttime.

STANTZ

He'busts'Gozer.

GOZER

He stands up to his full height and regards Stantz curiously.

He raises hisarms and blows away the Ghostbusters with searing bolts of energy .

THE GHOSTBUSTERS

Momentarily stunned, theytumbleall the way down the stairsand almost fall off the edge of the roof.

Venkman gets to his feet first, really mad now.

The Ghostbusters leap into action.One by one they activate their Proton packs and take up positions for an entrapment.

VENKMAN

He can't believe his eyes.

The others adjust their units and they all blazeaway at Gozer.

GOZER

He stands there calmly and absorbs the force of the streams. There isa brilliant pink flash and Gozer disappears. THEGHOSTBUSTERS

They stare for a long moment, finding it hard to believe that they won.Then Winston lets out a triumphant whoop .

VENKMANANDSPENGLER

He wants to believe it but sees the doubt on Spengler's face.

There is a deep seismic rumble and the entire building begins to vibrate.The Ghostbusters look around nervously as the entire building starts to sway.

Cement carvings and moldingsaround the edge of the roof crackand break off.

The crowd screams and runs as cement debris rains down the side of the building and crashes on the sidewalk.

THEGHOSTBUSTERS

They look up at the sky waiting for the big blow.An incrediblyloud thunderclap rocks the rooftop.

THESKY

A bolt of lightning cracklesfrom the swirling dark cloud and strikes the rooftop.

The Ghostbusters stand there facing their new God like Moses on Mount Sinai.And then Gozer speaks tothemin a voice thatcan be heard throughout Metropolitan New York and parts of New Jersey.

I didn't think of an image, did you?

They look at Winston.

They all look at Stantz.

They all turn andlook to the south.

GHOSTBUSTERSPOV

Looking south past Columbus Circle, they see part of something big and white moving between the buildings accompanied bythunderous footsteps of almost seismic proportions.

VENKMAN

He doesn't know what it is yet, but he knows it's coming.

BROADWAYAND55TH

The massive white shape passes behindsome buildings, offeringaglimpse of what appears to bea fat, whitearm.

STANTZ

He's about to go into shock.

COLUMBUSCIRCLE

The thundering footsteps continue to plod as the thing starts to emerge from behind the buildings.Now we can see part ofa blue garment covering its enormous chest.

STANTZ

He recognizes the monster.

Winston,Venkman and Spengler gape.

THEIRPOV·

They look across the roof topsand see a large, square, white, bobbing,laughing head atopa massive body of similar puffedwhite squares.The being is dressed ina tiny sailor's hat, red bosun's whistle and lanyardanda little blue vest with abutton undone in the middle revealing a little white belly . It is the cute, quintessential American brand symbol,loominq as large as Godzilla.

THEGHOSTBUSTERS

They watch the Marshmallow Man plodding toward them.

THE STAY-PUFTMAN

He plods relentlessly uptown toward the Ghostbusters' rooftopvantage point.The ground rumbles as his big, soft feet come down on the pavement.

THE STREET

People are fleeing in panic as the marshmallow feet pad along kicking over lampposts and mail boxes.

A CAR

The driverjumps out just before an enormous white marsh- mallow footcomes down and flattens his automobile.

THE GHOSTBUSTERS

They stand there helplessly watching the laughing bobbing head of the Stay-Puft Man as he comes toward them.

Venkmanlooks at Stantz.Stantz shrugs.

They step to the edge of the roof,moving like warriorsnow, ready to face the consequences.

Peck comes running up to the front of the apartment building. People are fleeing the oncoming monster.Peck grabsaCOP who is just about to flee himself.

The Cop looks at Peck like he's insane, then sees the Stay- Puft Man looming up at the end of the block.

He runs off.Peck turns to face the monster.

THE STAY-PUFTMAN

The ground shakes with every step as he reaches the building. Then,using the church next door as a stepping stone,he begins climbing the wall.

THEGHOSTBUSTERS

They look over the edge of the roof as the Marshmallow Man climbs higher and higher .

They each fire point blank at the Stay-Puft Man.

THESTAY-PUFTMAN

He bellows with pain and rage as the beams strike him right in the chest and set his skin on fire.He begins to burn with ablue flame that spreads quickly across his torso and down hisarms. The Stay-Puft Man bellows even louder, flailing itshugearms in response to the searing flames that are starting to engulf him.

THEGHOSTBUSTERS

They stare at the horrible conflagration.

THESTAY-PUFTMAN

Carbonous,flaming hunks of melting marshmallow are flying from his arms as he wavesthem in wild rage.

THESTREET

Peck stands there paralyzed with fear.A mass of flaming marshmallow fallsand flattensanews stand nearby.Then a huge glob of sticky toasted marshmallow comes zipping down from above and lands right on him,burying him up to his neck in melted sucrose.

THESTAY-PUFTMAN

The flaming monster keeps coming intent on their destruction. Most of his chest has melted away revealing horrid muscula- ture anda skeletal rib cage.

THEGHOSTBUSTERS

They square off and face him for the last time, their weapons poised.

THETERRORDOGS

They stand beside the portal literally petrified.

VENKMAN

He hesitates.

THE STAY-PUFTMAN

His burning fist is starting to descend on the Ghostbusters.

THEGHOSTBUSTERS

They turn and fire at the two petrified Terror Dogs and blow them to oblivion. The entire front of the temple is obliter- ated along with the door.

THE STAY-PUFTMAN

With the destruction of his earthly portal, the flaming monster is suddenly engulfed in a cyclonic wind that begins to swirl around him likea fire-storm.Theflames are whipped higher and higher as the tornado begins to pick up rotational speed. Then the Marshmallow Man seems to explode from deep inside creating aflaming air burst high above the rooftops.

THEROOFTOP

The Ghostbusters are blasted off their feet.

THE SKY

The fireball reaches its maximum explosive force,then a sudden jet ofairpressure occurs likea titanic vacuum cleaner in the sky and sucks the flaming mass of gasses and ash up through our atmosphere and right out of our dimension.The dark clouds disappear with it,leavinga beautiful clear blue sky over the whole area.

THETEMPLE

It now looks like an ancient ruin.

THE GHOSTBUSTERS

They are lying at the foot of the stairs. Everything is still. One by one they get slowly to their feetand look around to see that the crisis has passed.

Venkman looks up at the portal.

THE TERRORDOGS

They are still on the pedestals but charred almost beyond recognition.Venkman mounts the stairsand gazes sadly at the remains.

THEPEDESTAL

Venkman stands there mourning,then a slight movement under the blackened skin of the Terror Dog catches his eye.The movement gets stronger, then suddenly a human hand pokes through the carbonous coating.

STANTZANDSPENGLER

They peel the charred coating off Louis and help him to his feet.

LOUIS

He looks around wondering how he ended up on the roof ofa wrecked high-rise.He looks at his scorched and ripped suit crusted with the still-smoking gobs of melted marshmallow.

VENKMAN

He helps Dana to her feet.

She looks around at the incredible scene.

She hugs him.

THEGHOSTBUSTERS

They look at each other and nod.

THETWO BUMS

They hear the cheering down the street as they cautiously inspecta massive mound of cooling sucrose.

A happy throng of jubilant citizens is gathered outside the lobby entrance to the apartment building.

THEENTRANCE

The battered but victorious Ghostbusters emergefrom the lobby .Venkrnan and Dana are holding hands.The crowd roars with unrestrainedjoy and gratitude.Janine runs over and hugs Spengler enthusiastically.The Ghostbusters wave and head for the Ectomobile parked at the curb.

THEGHOSTBUSTERS

They get into the Ectomobile and drive off with lights flash- ing and sirens screaming as thecrowd cheers wildly.