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 Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, and Ivan Reitman for a follow-up that carried enormous expectation after the original's cultural saturation. It cemented the franchise's place in blockbuster history, extending the Ghostbusters brand into merchandising, animation, and decades of fan devotion, even as critics debated whether it matched its predecessor's spark.
This cell centers on the Ecto-1, the modified 1959 Cadillac ambulance that stands as the franchise's most recognizable piece of hardware, arguably as iconic as the characters themselves. Collectors prize Ecto-1 material because the vehicle functions almost like a fifth Ghostbuster, instantly signaling the series through silhouette alone. A 35mm cell bearing this name preserves a fragment tied directly to that vehicle's presence within the sequel, a physical remnant of the print used to project New York's favorite proton-pack-hauling relic back onto screens in 1989.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical 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; spacing appears even and the punched holes appear cleanly cut with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical soundtrack track is visible 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 neutral to slightly warm with no obvious fading or red shift.
Projection history
Two parallel white horizontal lines run across the full width of the strip, consistent with emulsion scratches from projection; no splices or cue marks are visible.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, consistent with a release print of Ghostbusters II (1989).
Era check
The variable-area optical soundtrack, warm-tinted polyester-era base, and positive colour print format are all consistent with a theatrical release print from the late 1980s.
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 000063291
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
