History Film / Ghostbusters1984

* {{Main/Bowldlerize}}: Averted in the TV edit by having actual alternate jokes for some of the lines that wouldn't make the cut before the watershed (rather than hasty {{LoopingLines looped lines}} such as replacing Venkman's "It's true, your honor, this man has no dick!" with "It's true, your honor, this man is some kind of rodent!"

* {{Main/Bowldlerization}}: Averted in the TV edit by having actual alternate jokes for some of the lines that wouldn't make the cut before the watershed, such as replacing Venkman's "It's true, your honor, this man has no dick!" with "It's true, your honor, this man is some kind of rodent!"

* FunnyBackgroundEvent: After mistakenly blasting a maid's cart at the hotel, the Ghostbusters take a moment to discuss their next move, while behind them the poor maid is trying to extinguish a small fire with her spray bottle.

'''Winston:''' If there's a steady paycheck in it, I'll believe anything you say.

** During the montage, the USA Today newspaper has a headline dated Tuesday, October 8, 1984. October 8, 1984 was actually a Monday, not a Tuesday.

* WritersCannotDoMath: Egon describes the paranormal activity in the New York area as "a Twinkie 35 feet long, weighing approximately 600 pounds". A 600-pound Twinkie would only be 6.4 feet long, and a 35 foot long Twinkie would weigh approximately ''50 tons''.

* UnitConfusion: According to Venkman, he "whacked Donna with 300cc of Thorazine." It's obvious that cc's, a.k.a. cubic centimeters, was chosen just to sound more medical, but while injected medicine is commonly measured in cubic centimeters, 300cc is about half a Starbucks venti, and is a simply ''ridiculous'' amount to be carrying, much less ''injecting'' into someone. In fact, it would be impossible to inject that much fluid at once into a healthy body without causing serious health issues.

* DoubleStandard: When Venkman is administering the ESP test to the two students, any time Jennifer gets a wrong answer, [[KarmaHoudini she doesn't get shocked]] while the male student gets shocked whether his answers are right or wrong. Even when his guess of a couple of wavy lines is close, [[note]]There are actually ''three'' wavy lines[[/note]] he still gets zapped. Jennifer notices that Venkman is only using the test as an excuse to flirt with her, but she isn't all that bothered about her fellow student unfairly getting shocked.

* FreezeFrameBonus: While Dana is unpacking her groceries during the kitchen scene, there is a pack of Stay-Puft marshmallows in one of the bags.

** Despite his attitude and the fact that he's essentially the personification of government overreach in America, Peck, as the head of environmental safety, is entirely right to be concerned about people using unregulated and potentially dangerous equipment. Even the Ghostbusters admit their tech isn't exactly safe. Peck loses points because he's clearly biased in his attempts to have the Ghostbusters shut down, and he sails right over the line when he shuts off the containment unit despite all warnings. And that these things ''are not '''his''' job''. The danger of the Ghostbusters' equipment falls under the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, not the Environmental Protection Agency.
** Dean Yeager is unnecessarily caustic when kicking the future Ghostbusters out of their university, but he's right that they hadn't provided any confirmation of any of their theories, and we've already seen that Venkman's EstablishingCharacterMoment gives ample reason for the administrator to want the group off-campus. ("Your methods are sloppy" is particularly salient. We see Venkman ignore a promising result in his psychic test in order to keep flirting with the pretty, blond coed.)

* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: One brief scene involves Ray apparently [[VulgarHumour having sex with a ghost]], but it's left unclear as to whether she was a real ghost (definitely a possibility since ghosts explicitly exist in this movie) or if he was having an EroticDream.

** During the sequence where the ghosts escape the containment unit and start terrorizing the city, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DpPicOZOig a pop ballad]] titled "Magic" by Mick Smiley is played.

* NerdGlasses: Louis Tully

* ReasonableRequestRejected: Zigzagged. Walter Peck's request to see the storage facilities for the ghosts caught by the 'Busters would have been reasonable, had he not prefaced it by making it very blatant that he was accusing the Ghostbusters of being snowball artists putting on a fancy light show and deceiving people with nerve agents. Peter rightfully tells him that he'll sue Peck for wrongful prosecution. Peck's concerns aren't unfounded, but he addresses them in the most dickish and disrespectful way possible.

Three parapsychology professors--earnest, forthright, and curious Dr. Raymond Stantz (Akyroyd), sarcastic schemer Dr. Peter Venkman (Creator/BillMurray), and detached academic Dr. Egon Spengler (Ramis)--have finally succeeded in discovering proof that ghosts exist! Unfortunately, they also discover that they have been fired from their positions at Columbia University in UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity. Facing dire prospects in finding new collegiate employment, Venkman has a brainstorm: go professional as paranormal investigators and exterminators. In their last investigation, they devised a technological method of actually capturing and containing ghosts. They set up Ghostbusters, a company providing scientific exorcisms. At first business is slow, with cellist Dana Barrett (Creator/SigourneyWeaver)--who becomes Peter's LoveInterest--as their sole client. As they begin researching her case, the number of ghosts in New York City increases exponentially.

'''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9We2XsVZfc WHO YOU GONNA CALL?]]'''

** All the Coca-Cola products seen--Coke, Diet Coke, and Tab--are because, believe it or not, Coca-Cola actually owned Columbia at the time! (Unlike Creator/{{Sony}}'s current ownership, however, it was never referenced in theatrical movies or on video; the TV division [and subsequent acquisitions, such as Creator/MervGriffin Enterprises] ''did'' have the byline.)

* VictorySmooch: Peter and Dana share one in the end after saving her, Louis, and the whole world from Gozer.

A third movie had been stuck in DevelopmentHell for more than a decade. Aykroyd was gung-ho about the prospect and told anyone who'd listen that he had a script all ready to go; on the other hand, Murray was decidedly more skeptical after the ExecutiveMeddling on the second film. ''VideoGame/GhostbustersTheVideoGame'' (2009) was touted in some circles as a spiritual sequel, with so many returning cast members, being set in the same continuity as the movies, having been written by Aykroyd and Ramis, and being described by Aykroyd as basically being the third movie. The prospect of a third movie with all of the original leads evaporated completely with Ramis' sudden death in 2014.

* CuteGhostGirl: The ghostly woman Ray dreams about, whwho turns out to be more of a Cute Ghost Woman than a girl.

* DemonicPossession: Dana Barrett by Zuul the Gatekeeper, and Louis Tully by Vinz Clortho the Keymaster. They turn into demon dogs after opening the portal for Gozer.

* DoubleStandard: When Venkman is administering the ESP test to the two students, any time Jennifer gets a wrong answer, [[KarmaHoudini she doesn't get shocked]], while the male student gets shocked whether his answers are right or wrong. Even when his guess of a couple of wavy lines is close, [[note]]There are actually ''three'' wavy lines[[/note]] he still gets zapped. Jennifer notices that Venkman is only using the test as an excuse to flirt with her, but she isn't all that bothered about her fellow student unfairly getting shocked.

* DudeNotFunny: After defeating Gozer in the form of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, the Ghostbusters inspect the damage. As they come across the charred dog demons, Ray comments on it smelling like "barbecued dog hair", then immediately apologizes when he sees Peter looking at them wistfully, and remembers that one of those dog demons ''was Dana''. Peter looks back at Ray--but Ray, being covered in marshmallow fluff, looks too pathetic to be mad at.

* EvilMakeover: [[spoiler: When Dana gets possessed by Zuul, the Gatekeeper,]] she dresses and acts in a more provocative manner.

** The do not disturb post left on Dr. Peter Venkman's door has a picture of a french maid with the inscription: "Maid, please have this room made up as soon as possible".

* GenericGraffiti: The outside of Dr. Peter Venkman's door has the words "Venkman rot in hell" written on it in red paint.

* {{Hellhound}}: The Terror Dogs, Zuul and Vinz Clortho.

** Walter Peck is a rude, self-important, power-tripping, blame-throwing jerk. While Venkman certainly doesn't help matters by being as uncooperative as possible, Peck's smug attitude (and repeatedly referring to Peter as Mr. Venkman and not Dr. Venkman) shows he isn't really looking to play nice, either.

* MsFanservice: Now, we already know Dana Barrett is physically attractive, but once she gets possessed by one of the Terror Dogs she becomes EVEN MORE smoking hot than she was.

* MysticalCityPlanning: Ivo Shandor designed a building in New York for the sole purpose of channeling mystical energy, in order to open a gateway for Gozer to enter Earth. He then disguised this building as an apartment complex.

* NeverMyFault: Walter Peck condemns the Ghostbusters for causing the explosion he himself causes, in spite of the warnings from both them and the Con Edison technician.

* OneWingedAngel: Gozer, initially appearing in a female humanoid form, turns into a giant Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man for the second half of his fight with the Ghostbusters. Not the most menacing One-Winged Angel, but still a threat to the city purely due to its size.

* VictorySmooch: Peter and Dana share one in the end after saving her, Louis and the whole world from Gozer.

* YouHaveToBelieveMe: Inverted. When they finally get to see the mayor, despite the apparent lunacy of the things they're suggesting, the Ghostbusters -- while still stressing the urgency of the situation to him -- nevertheless present their case in a fairly calm, reasonable, and level-headed manner (even if they do succumb to the dramatic at one point: "Dogs and cats living together! Mass hysteria!"). Better yet, respected city officials like the City Fire Chief and the Archbishop of New York support the Ghostbusters' case with rational observations of the bizarre phenomena plaguing the city that defies any explanation other than the 'Busters' (while the Archbishop supports the Ghostbusters, he states that the rest of the clergy are still trying to reach a consensus). On the other hand, Peck, who on the surface has the more rational case (that these people are dangerous conmen), nevertheless comes across as twitchy, touchy, a bit irrational, and clearly nursing a grudge, prone to exploding into violence (albeit after being provoked by Venkman) and on the whole, rather shifty and unreliable.

* FreezeFrameBonus: The do not disturb post left on Dr. Peter Venkman's door has a picture of a french maid with the inscription: "Maid, please have this room made up as soon as possible".