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' long-awaited follow-up to one of the biggest comedy hits of the decade. Directed by Ivan Reitman and reuniting the original cast, it brought the Ghostbusters back to New York City to face a river of slime beneath the streets. While reviews were mixed compared to the original, the film was a substantial box office success and remains a fixture of franchise nostalgia, prized by collectors who grew up with both films as a matched set.
This cell pairs Janine Melnitz and Louis Tully, the franchise's two enduring supporting players, brought to life by Annie Potts and Rick Moranis. Janine, the Ghostbusters' sharp-tongued receptionist, and Louis, the hapless accountant turned reluctant hero, formed one of the sequel's quieter throughlines, their rapport a favorite among fans of the series' comic margins. A cell built around these two names points to a moment isolated for them alone, the kind of two-hander pairing archivists and collectors seek out for character-driven frames beyond the leads.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm colour optical release print of Ghostbusters II (1989).
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on each edge, evenly spaced; punched edges appear clean with no torn or missing perforations visible.
Soundtrack
A dual variable-area optical track runs along one edge beside the picture area, consistent with a stereo optical release print.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read manufacturer codes or key numbers.
Base & colour
Base appears warm-neutral; dye image shows rich amber and brown tones with no obvious fading or red shift.
Projection history
Light vertical scratching is visible across the frame area, consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot, and the subject matter is consistent with a live-action theatrical release print matching the film on record.
Era check
The dual variable-area optical soundtrack, colour positive stock, and warm-neutral base are all consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print from the late 1980s, matching the 1989 release 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 000063279
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
