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 years of fan clamor following the 1984 original's runaway success. Directed by Ivan Reitman and reuniting the core cast, the sequel found the Ghostbusters disbanded and disgraced, drawn back into service by a river of slime beneath New York City. It never matched its predecessor's cultural lightning, but it cemented the franchise's hold on a generation, expanding the mythology and merchandising empire that kept Ghostbusters alive for decades of toys, cartoons, and eventual reboots.
This cell centers on Ecto-1, the modified 1959 Cadillac ambulance that serves as the team's signature vehicle and one of the most recognizable props in the franchise. Its presence in a 35mm frame speaks to the practical, tactile filmmaking of the era, a real car built for real streets rather than a digital creation. For collectors, Ecto-1 functions almost as a fifth Ghostbuster, instantly identifiable and central to the film's iconography. A cell built around it captures the vehicle's enduring status as shorthand for the entire series.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm colour release print of Ghostbusters II (1989).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, cleanly punched with no torn or deformed holes visible.
Soundtrack
Two variable-area optical tracks visible as a dual-stripe waveform running along one edge beside the picture area.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read manufacturer text or key numbers.
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight warm-yellow tint along the leader edge; the dye image reads as a rich, saturated colour positive with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
Light longitudinal lines consistent with projection are visible across the frame area; no splices or cue marks seen.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames of a single continuous shot, consistent with a release print of Ghostbusters II (1989).
Era check
Dual variable-area optical soundtrack, colour positive print on a safety base with warm edge tint, and perforation style are all consistent with a late-1980s theatrical release print.
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 000063289
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
