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' sequel to one of the defining comedies of the 1980s, reuniting Ivan Reitman with his original cast five years after the first film reshaped studio comedy and merchandising alike. Set in a New York sliding back toward supernatural crisis, it revived the Ghostbusters as cultural fixtures rather than mere characters, and its release extended a franchise that had already become shorthand for a particular strain of American blockbuster comedy, blending special effects with wisecracking ensemble chemistry.
This cell preserves Dr. Raymond Stantz, the heart of the team and the member whose enthusiasm for the paranormal grounds the group's mythology. Collectors prize Ray for his blend of childlike wonder and technical expertise, embodied by Dan Aykroyd, one of the franchise's co-creators. A 35mm cell bearing his name and role together marks him within the sequel's continuing story, a physical fragment of a film reel connecting directly to a defining figure in the Ghostbusters ensemble.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm colour theatrical 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, evenly spaced; punched edges appear clean with no torn or missing perforations visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, appearing as two white lines consistent with a stereo variable-area format; a narrow band between the track and perforations suggests a possible additional timecode or noise-reduction stripe.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at the resolution provided.
Base & colour
Base appears clear with a slight warm tint; dye image reads as a colour positive with no obvious fading or red shift.
Projection history
Two horizontal white lines run across the full width of the strip in the lower portion, consistent with emulsion scratches from projection or handling.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with a theatrical release print of Ghostbusters II (1989).
Era check
The stereo variable-area optical track, colour positive stock, and clear safety base are all consistent with a 1989 theatrical release print of this title.
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 000063288
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
