Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex · Library of Congress. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Ghostbusters II arrived in 1989 as Columbia Pictures' answer to five years of audience demand, reuniting the original creative team for a sequel that never quite matched its predecessor's cultural lightning but still delivered the beloved cast back to New York screens. Directed by Ivan Reitman, the film leaned on the established chemistry of its leads and the franchise's proven blend of comedy and light horror, arriving at a moment when studios were increasingly eager to revisit proven properties. It remains a fixture of late-80s blockbuster nostalgia, valued as much for its cast reunion as for its place in a franchise that had already become a merchandising and cultural touchstone.
This cell brings together Peter Venkman, Egon Spengler, Raymond Stantz, and Louis Tully, the core comic ensemble whose dynamic anchors the series' appeal. Louis's inclusion alongside the three Ghostbusters proper marks a scene where the civilian and the professionals share the frame, a pairing collectors prize for capturing the film's ensemble spirit rather than isolating a single star. A 35mm cell featuring this grouping represents a physical fragment of the theatrical print itself, the kind of artifact prized by collectors who want tangible connection to the era before digital projection replaced film reels in theaters nationwide.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm colour release print of Ghostbusters II (1989).
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three complete frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on each edge; spacing appears even and the punched corners look cleanly cut with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the perforations, appearing as a dual-bilateral (two-track) waveform pattern.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read manufacturer codes or key numbers.
Base & colour
The base shows a warm straw-yellow tint consistent with an acetate safety base; the dye image reads as a colour positive with no obvious red shift or fading.
Projection history
Light longitudinal scratches are visible running parallel to the film length, consistent with evidence of projection.
Picture
Positive colour image; the three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, and the subject matter is consistent with the interior setting of the film on record.
Era check
The dual-bilateral variable-area optical track, warm acetate base tint, and colour positive stock are all consistent with a theatrical release print from the late 1980s, matching the 1989 production date on record.
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
CROWN SERIAL 000063273
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
