What you gonna’ watch?

If busting makes you feel good, then pick up Ghostbusters & Ghostbusters II in 4K UltraHD on Blu-ray and Digital today, June 7th 2016!

Just in time for SONY’ Picture’s self-proclaimed “Ghostbusters Day” this Wednesday (to help promote the highly anticipated new motion picture, Ghostbusters, from director Paul Feig, starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, and Chris Hemsworth), SONY Pictures Home Entertainment is releasing the classic Supernatural comedies in a way you’ve never seen, heard or experienced them before.

With all-new bonus materials, including previously released legacy content, commentary and the interactive Slimer Mode, the tales of our favorite paranormal investigators and eliminators will excite you and hopefully a whole new generation of Ghostbuster fans!

Jump ahead for our review of these newest releases below!

If you’ve followed Beyond the Marquee thru the years, you know that our team is made up of some huge Ghostbuster fans and we’ve been honored to have had some fantastic opportunities to report on various people, places, things and events connected to the hit film-franchise. So of course we were excited at the chance to review these 4K UltraHD versions of the film that promised High Dynamic Range and All-New Dolby Atmos Soundtracks

SYNOPSES:

Ghostbusters: University parapsychologists Dr. Peter Venkman (Murray), Dr. Raymond Stanz (Aykroyd) and Dr. Egon Spengler (Ramis) lose a research grant when their experiment methodology is proven to be bogus. The team decides to go into business for themselves and open ‘Ghostbusters,’ a ghost removal service. After struggling to get on their feet, they are summoned to investigate the strange happenings in Dana Barrett’s (Weaver) Central Park West apartment. What they discover is that all Manhattan is being besieged by ghosts and other-worldly demons through a portal in her building.

Ghostbusters II: Supernatural superstars Peter Venkman (Murray), Dr. Raymond Stanz (Aykroyd) and Dr. Egon Spengler (Ramis) spring back into action when the infant son of Dana Barrett (Weaver) becomes the target of a powerful demonic force. Reunited with their industrious secretary Janine (Potts) and the nerdy, near-sighted Louis (Moranis), the ‘heroes of the hereafter’ must put a stop to an enormous underground river ready to rot the roots of the entire Big Apple.

REVIEW OF PICTURE:

Please Note, you must have a modern Blu-ray player that is 4K compatible, older Blu-ray machines will not be able to read the discs and leave you sadder than a roasted 112.5 foot marshmallow man in downtown Manhattan.

Unlike other versions of the films which pulled off of prior digital releases of the movies, the 4K Ultra HD discs were transferred and restored completely from the 35mm original camera negatives. This is super important because it allows you to restore from the full resolution, detail and color depth that was present in the original film. As someone who not only saw each of the original films a 1/2 dozen times or more during their original releases, it was refreshing to see it showcases in it’s original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1.

Of course with any pre-digital 35mm transfer, there is some slight evidence of film grain, but honestly, that adds character and a now lost badge of lesser used but classic film format.

The best part of the 4K processing of these movies for me was viewing it on my 65 inch HD Samsung Curve. Everything about this viewing experience felt like I was watching the movies for the first time again. Not only were the colors more vibrant, and the resolution higher than ever, (I was actually able to read names on the spines of the books in the library), but the lights and darks were perfectly balanced, though a bit of black crushing was evident in just a few scenes to the careful eye.

The proton streams, the ghost trap energy, Slimer, Zuuls temple, the river of slime and Vigo the Carpathian all emanated a fresh and rich color palette that seemed to glow and shimmer with a visual magic like I’ve never witnessed from past releases on DVD and Blu-ray. I would love to pull out my old VHS player and find a decent copy of the movies on video-tape to REALLY do a comparison of it’s first inception and this!

In my opinion, visually, these are the best versions of the movies to date that I have ever seen, and I’m not sure how you can top it from here, but if you are a fan of the Ghostbusters films, these new 4K UltraHD versions are the only way to go!

REVIEW OF SOUND:

My Marantz 7.1 Surround System always enhances my home theater environment, and the remixes of GB & GB II, do not disappoint. The Dolby Atmos® audio, had me picking up on sounds and sound effects that felt like they were new to the films, but yet, I’m certain were there all along, but never delivered as sharp and clear as this. From the hum and whir of the proton packs, the crunching of glass and debris in the Slimer ballroom scene, gurgles from the river of slime and elements of the neutrino wands when they were firing all delivered something new audibly that I think fans will certainly pick up on. Surround sound tracking also seemed painstakingly enhanced when the Scalerri Brothers were flying around the courtroom to when other spooks and specters were flying about the films. I truly loved treating myself to the sounds and highlighted new sights of these remastered films.

BONUS FEATURES:

Other than a prior Blu-ray release of an feature-length audio commentary with director Ivan Reitman, actor Harold Ramis, and producer Joe Medjuck, both discs are jam packed with lots of fan favorites of prior Deleted Scenes, Featurettes, Storyboards, Trailers, Music Videos and more!

GHOSTBUSTERS Blu-ray Special Features:

• Who You Gonna Call: A Ghostbusters Retrospective – Roundtable Discussion with Director Ivan Reitman and Dan Aykroyd (Part 1)
• Poster Art Gallery – Gallery of 1988 artwork
• Ghostbusters Music Video – Ray Parker, Jr.
• Slimer Mode – Picture in Picture and Trivia Track
• Commentary with Ivan Reitman, Harold Ramis & Joe Medjuck
• 10 Deleted Scenes
• 1984 Featurette
• Cast and Crew Featurette
• SFX Team Featurette
• Multi-Angles
• Ecto-1: Resurrecting the Classic Car
• Ghostbusters Garage: Ecto-1 Gallery Storyboard Comparisons

GHOSTBUSTERS II Blu-ray Special Features:

• Time Is But A Window: Ghostbusters II and Beyond – Roundtable Discussion with Director Ivan Reitman and Dan Aykroyd (Part 2)
• Deleted Scenes
• “On Our Own” Music Video – Bobby Brown
• Theatrical Trailers

GHOSTBUSTERS has a run time of approximately 105 minutes and is rated PG.

GHOSTBUSTERS II has a run time of approximately 108 minutes and is rated PG.

These new 4K Ultra HD releases precede the July 15 U.S. premiere of Sony Pictures’ highly anticipated new motion picture, Ghostbusters, from director Paul Feig, starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, and Chris Hemsworth.

Both Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II are directed and produced by Ivan Reitman (Meatballs, Stripes), and written by Dan Aykroyd (My Girl) and Harold Ramis (Knocked Up). Bill Murray (St. Vincent), Dan Aykroyd (Blues Brothers), and Sigourney Weaver (Aliens) star, along with Harold Ramis (Groundhog Day) and Rick Moranis (Honey I Shrunk the Kids). Ernie Hudson (TV’s “Oz”) and Annie Potts (TV’s “Designing Women”) also star. Ghostbusters is ranked No. 28 on the AFI’s List of America’s Funniest Movies.

What you gonna’ watch?