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COLUMBIA TRISTAR

MOVIE INFO

Director:
Ivan Reitman
Cast:
Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts, William Atherton, Ernie Hudson
Writing Credits:
Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis

Tagline:
They're Here To Save The World.

Synopsis:
When Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murrary) and his Columbia University colleagues (Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson) are kicked out of their prestigious academic posts, they start a private practice as professional ghost-catchers. Although the three parascientists are idle for awhile, their television advertisements finally pay off when beautiful Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) contracts them. It seems her apartment has become the entryway for ghastly ghosts and goofy ghouls hellbent on terrorizing New York City. Soon they're going to her rescue, trying to rid the city of the slimy creatures. Ghostbusters hit US screens in June of 1984 and went on to become one of the most successful comedy films of all time, spawning a sequel and a popular animated series.

Box Office:
Budget
$30 million.
Opening Weekend
$13.612 million on 1339 screens.
Domestic Gross
$238.632 million.

MPAA:
Rated NR

DVD DETAILS
Presentation:
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Audio:
English Dolby TrueHD 5.1
French Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Subtitles:
English
French
Spanish
Dutch
Arabic
Closed-captioned
Supplements Subtitles:
None

Runtime: 105 min.
Price: $19.99
Release Date: 5/14/2013

Bonus:
• None


PURCHASE @ AMAZON.COM

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Ghostbusters [Blu-Ray 4K] (1984)

Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (June 9, 2009)

Has it really been nearly 30 years since Ghostbusters took the world by storm? Yup – 2014 will mark the film’s 30th anniversary, yet another milestone that makes me feel old!

Because I’ve already reviewed the film three times since its 1999 DVD debut, I’ll omit my usual blather. If you want to check out my complete thoughts about the movie, just click the link above.

Ultimately, Ghostbusters isn't the most clever or best plotted or best constructed film in the world, although it does pretty well for itself on all those accounts. It's simply very amusing and a lot of fun, a movie that includes very few dull spots despite the large cast and the tremendous amount of exposition involved. I'm clearly biased, since this movie's been a personal favorite for so long, but I think Ghostbusters is one of the best comedies ever filmed.


The Blu-ray Grades: Picture A-/ Audio B+/ Bonus F

Ghostbusters appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.40:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. For the film’s second Blu-ray release, it comes as part of Sony’s “Mastered in 4K” line. What the heck does that mean? Here’s what Sony’s press release promises us:

“’Mastered in 4K’ Blu-ray releases will feature titles sourced from pristine 4K masters and presented at high-bitrate 1080p resolution, with expanded color showcasing more of the wide range of rich color contained in the original source. When upscaled via the Sony 4K Ultra HD TVs, these discs serve as an ideal way for consumers to experience near-4K picture quality. ‘Mastered in 4K’ Blu-ray Discs can be played on all existing Blu-ray Disc players.”

Old DVD fans will remember Sony’s “Superbit” program, as it came with similar promises. Superbit DVDs and “Mastered in 4K” BDs jettison all supplements to theoretically optimize picture/audio quality.

Sharpness satisfied. A few wide shots seemed a smidgen soft, but those were a minor distraction, as the majority of the movie exhibited good to great delineation. No issues with shimmering or jaggies materialized, and edge haloes remained absent. I noticed no print flaws, and the image showed light but consistent grain.

Colors were fine. The film didn’t boast a broad palette, as it preferred a tone that emphasized an “industrial gray” feel. Some brighter hues popped up on occasion, though, and the colors remained appropriate. Blacks were dark and tight, and shadows showed nice delineation. This became a satisfying rendition of the movie.

The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack of Ghostbusters worked well. Ghostbusters didn’t use a tremendously broad soundfield, but it opened things up more than usual for a flick of its era.

Music showed nice stereo dimensionality, while effects spread smoothly across the front. As one might expect, the various ghost-related scenes offered the best opportunities for movement and activity, so the soundtrack provided the most action in its second half.

The surrounds added good life during those spook segments. They kicked in good reinforcement of the spirits and Ghostbuster attacks, so they became reasonably active partners in the action.

Audio quality held up well over the last 29 years. Only a smidgen of edginess ever interfered with the lines, as they usually seemed clear and concise.

Music showed good range and vivacity, and effects appeared well-rendered. The various elements showed nice definition and offered a good punch in the louder moments. Distortion wasn’t a problem, as only a little crackling ever crept through into the mix. This was a well above average track for a mid-80s flick.

How did the 2013 Blu-ray compare to the 2009 Blu-ray release of Ghostbusters? Audio was a wash, as I thought both TrueHD tracks sounded virtually identical.

Visuals were a different matter – to a mild degree, at least, as the 4K disc offered modest improvements. But improve upon its predecessor it did, with slightly better definition, a more accurate sense of contrast and more natural colors. In particular, skin tones seemed superior, as they looked less gray this time. I still think the original Blu-ray looks good, but the 4K delivers a moderately more satisfying presentation.

As mentioned earlier, the 4K line of Blu-rays omits extras. That means we lose the commentary, the deleted scenes and all the other materials.

After almost 30 years, Ghostbusters remains a comedy classic. I’ve seen this movie at least 30 times over that quarter of a century. And you know what? It still makes me laugh. The Blu-ray offers very nice visuals and audio but lacks any supplements. The absence of the old bonus features means that fans will need to keep their 2009 Blu-rays, but those who want the highest-quality representation of Ghostbusters should give this 4K release a look; it’s not revelatory but it’s an improvement.

To rate this film, visit the Double Feature Gift Set Edition review of GHOSTBUSTERS