The Ghostbusters have turned Ghostbusting into a profitable business producing electricity by harnessing the ghosts' energy, under the brand 'Soul Energy'. The CEO was Peter Venkman until six months ago, when he turned his attention to running for mayor of New York.
Venkman made millions running Ghostbusters' Soul Energy Division and he now owns the Sedgewick hotel too. Venkman is either entertaining people with his charm or abusing them and being funny at their expense; whichever achieves the most control. Venkman married Dana, and as well as Oscar, Venkman's stepson, she had a second child with Peter; Peter Jr.
Oscar usually leads the other junior Ghostbusters, but at times he leads them into trouble. He's a fearless thrill seeker. His hobbies include baseball, skydiving, hang gliding, abseiling, diving and car racing. He's successful in all his chosen sports.
Like his father, he's not a rule-follower. He has a big macho image - but when it comes down to it he does the right thing by others. Oscar's half-brother Peter Jr. is away in Brazil saving Spider monkeys from poaching. Peter Jr. is a biologist but also has a good grounding in all the sciences. Like Oscar, he loves adventure.
(Peter Jr. is an idea for future-proofing he's not in this script. He's another potential Ghostbuster and scientist with a straight blood-line to an original Ghostbuster.)
Ray Stantz has taken over as CEO of Ghostbusters. Stantz is too much of a scientist to see the whole picture and worry about the day-to-day operation of the business but he has good people around him, including his capable and efficient daughter, Michelle, who takes charge when she needs to. Stantz met his wife Clarissa through testing her psychic skills. She's very spiritual and has been known to act as a medium.
Michelle is an all-rounder; computer geek, hacker and scientist, but has great organizational skills too. She's driven, determined and likes to be in control. Michelle,
like her father, looks at the bright side of things. She inherited a sixth sense from her mother, and can pick up when people are in danger.
Michelle is married to Eden, Spengler's son. Michelle feels in control with a predictable, faithful scientist,
who allows her to run their lives. Michelle works as Field Coordinator giving back-office support to the others.
Egon Spengler is a hardcore Scientist and M.I.T.
graduate. He's more of a realist than Stantz, and is also a perfectionist. Spenglers's wife Joyce is a smart,
highly-qualified surgeon.
Their son Eden is a genius like his father, and also an M.I.T. graduate in Chemistry and Physics. Eden is often completely incapable of understanding people around him and reads their words in the most scientific and literal meaning. Eden is more of the stereotypical crazy,
enthusiastic scientist than his serious father, but equally removed from reality.
Eden has very high expectations of himself and can't accept failure. He wants to live up to, or exceed his father's expectations. Eden can't see it, but his father has great faith in his abilities. Between Eden and Michelle, it's her who is the practical one; he lives in the world of theories and calculations. Their relationship is very strong, based on true friendship.
Winston Zedmore is a trained pilot, arms expert and Black belt in Karate. One of his interests includes Christianity and he knows parts of the bible off by heart. Winston's wife Ruby works as a warden in the local church.
His son Jim is the ultimate gadget geek. He's a clever physicist but unlike many scientists has his feet firmly on the ground. Jim is an ultra-realist and sees the selfish motivations of human nature in everything from governments to individuals. He's the first to see a dark conspiracy or scheme. He's comfortable busting ghosts because he trusts he machines he uses, but unlike his father, he's a coward with physical confrontations.
Egon Spengler and Ray Stantz have been nominated as Nobel prize candidates. They have discovered how to distill psychokinetic energy into a physical form; and made a medication against Alzheimer's called 'Recall'. It's the first time someone has turned energy into matter and discovered a method for making pharmaceuticals from ghost energy.
The Ghostbusters own a freehold on a skyscraper in Manhattan and use the street level for the Ghostbusting division and the top floor for Soul Energy as well as their Operation Center. The Soul Energy Division has a two-acre power station on Ellis Island.
Louis Tully's son Clarence is the accountant at Ghostbusters.
GHOSTBUSTERS III
EXT. UPMARKET NEW YORK RESIDENTIAL STREET - NIGHT
It's a hot August night in a wealthy residential area of New York. Many of the roof balconies have the lights on and people sitting outside.
EXT. ITALIAN FAMILY'S ROOF BALCONY - NIGHT
The camera zooms in to a mature, wealthy Italian family having a meal on a luxurious roof balcony. Extreme wealth is apparent in every object of the property. The family is listening to peaceful, classical music and their conversation is relaxed; muffled by the faded hum of the city as well as their music.
EXT. GRANDMOTHER'S ROOF BALCONY - NIGHT
The camera pans to their neighbor's roof balcony a house of equal wealth. A GRANDMOTHER in her late sixty's is twisting the blinds shut. Everything seems serene.
EXT. ELLIS ISLAND, POWER STATION - NIGHT
Some men wearing industrial overalls appear to be working late. They're at a two-acre electric power station on Ellis Island. A truck is backed up to a large, circular bulkhead on the wall. The men attach the hose to the back of the truck.
MARK (in driver's seat)
How much longer?
MAN #1 Don't worry, Mark. Five minutes tops and we're outta here.
One man toggles a switch on the side of the truck and the hose jumps and begins to throb. The men call quietly to each other.
MAN #1 Active.
THE BOSS Open the bulkhead.
Man #2 toggles the bulkhead control.
MAN#3 Open.
THE BOSS Open the feeder.
MAN #1 enters a code close to the wall bulkhead and throws a large lever.
INT. GRANDMOTHER'S SITTING ROOM - NIGHT
The Grandmother turns off the relaxing music playing in her sitting room. She is walking around the rooms of her house, turning off the lights. Her house is warm and welcoming; the interiors have a cozy, grandmotherly feel to them.
Sinister background music shows that something supernatural has joined her in the house. The camera peeks out at her from behind objects in the house,
looking from ghost's perspective.
The invisible ghost follows her as she enters one of her grandchildren's bedrooms. A hand-drawn sign on the door says "PRINCESSES ONLY".
INT. CHILD'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
It's a gorgeous designer child's bedroom, currently empty. The grandmother arranges her granddaughter's stuffed toys on the bed. She takes a cute kids' drawings depicting "NANA" from a selection of drawings on the table and pins it up on a colorful, decorative corkboard.
There's a hint of ominous music. Outside the child's bedroom an expensive Persian rug on the wall twitches.
The Grandmother comes out the room, turns the light off and continues her round. Behind her the rug twitches again. She's oblivious to it. Suddenly the rug is dislodged and mysteriously floats behind her. She stops and listens.
INT. HUSBAND'S STUDY - NIGHT
She enters her late husband's study and turns off the light in the far corner. Behind her, the invisible entity seems to be picking up valuable framed stamps and making them hover in midair, before lowering them into an open sports bag on the floor. Unaware, she continues into the corridor. She hears a noise and stops.
GRANDMOTHER Thornton? Is that you?
She turns around. She sees her million dollar Ming Dynasty vase floating in midair. She groans from fear,
and half walks, half runs away. Going past her husband's study she suddenly freezes.
BACK TO INT. HUSBAND'S STUDY - NIGHT
She looks in and notices the safe handles turning by themselves. She can't move. Suddenly all her money and jewelry are floating in the ceiling.
Her breathing gets labored. She closes her eyes and shouts.
THE GRANDMOTHER (shouting)
Stop it!
Instantly the money and jewelry drop to the floor the lady is pelted with thousands of stamps from her husband's collection. They rain down on her.
THE GRANDMOTHER (almost unable to speak)
No!
Almost too scared to move, she forces herself to walk away, very slowly. Panting audibly from fear and looking frequently behind her and around her, she carefully enters the sitting room. She still can't see a ghost.
BACK TO INT. GRANDMOTHER'S SITTING ROOM - NIGHT
She goes as quietly as she can towards the balcony doors.
She looks behind her again, holding her breath. She pushes open the double doors with both hands and is flooded with bright light from the balcony. There she sees the two creatures that have been haunting her. Her face contorts in terror, her hair flies up reminiscent of Ghostbusters #1, and she gives out a horrific scream.
GHOSTBUSTERS INTRODUCTION SONG
EXT. MANHATTAN - DAY
The camera looks down over Manhattan from a birds-eye POV and zooms in to the Ghostbusters headquarters. It has a huge neon Ghostbusters logo at the top.
EXT. GHOSTBUSTERS H.Q., ENTRANCE - DAY
It zooms in further and shows the front entrance. There are two signs; one on each side of the entrance.
One reads: "Ghostbusters (slogan) Who'r you gonna call?"
and the other: "Soul Energy (slogan) We're ready to connect you." The Soul Energy logo is the same as the Ghostbusters logo, but with an electricity symbol in place of the diagonal line, and green instead of red.
Employees are going to work.
INT. GHOSTBUSTERS H.Q. - MORNING
SPENGLER, STANTZ, ZEDMORE and their adult children EDEN,
MICHELLE and JIM are in a boardroom with a large, wall sized TV screen. Venkman's stepson OSCAR is also there.
STANTZ (cheerful)
The new commercial's finished. I got the file this morning.
SPENGLER Did they get rid of that bodybuilder?
STANTZ Yeah, I told them straight; people won't get it. Green Power conjures up rainforests and waterfalls, not weight lifters in broccoli costumes.
SPENGLER Good.
STANTZ Michelle, can you show us?
MICHELLE starts playing the clip on her notebook and it appears on the big screen.
THE TV SCREEN - SOUL ENERGY ADVERT
STANTZ, SPENGLER, ZEDMORE standing together in row reminiscent of the original Ghostbusters advert.
STANTZ (V.O.)
Are you troubled by power outs and rising energy bills?
ZEDMORE (V.O.)
Do you want clean energy for your home or business?
SPENGLER (V.O.)
Do you want to stop harmful or noxious emissions around our cities?
STANTZ (V.O.)
If the answer's YES, then don't wait another minute; pick up your phone and call the professionals.
STANTZ, SPENGLER, ZEDMORE (V.O.)
Soul Energy!
SPENGLER (V.O.)
We take those captured ghosts and evil spirits and make them generate electricity.
STANTZ (V.O.)
Clean, reliable and sustainable electricity.
ZEDMORE (V.O.)
Without polluting our seas, land or atmosphere.
STANTZ (V.O.)
Call Soul Energy today save money with Ray.
ZEDMORE (V.O.)
And ask about our free Soul Energy CD and computer game.
STANTZ, SPENGLER, ZEDMORE (V.O.)
We're ready to connect you!
Music fades in: A heavy over-the-top vocalized sound track, like Eddie Murphy's 'Soul Glo'.
The advert cuts to outdoor scenes around the power plant,
various green scenes, ending up at the Victoria Falls.
The music fades out. There's only the noise of crashing water.
Zedmore is trying to pull a lid off something. It suddenly gives way. He bangs his hand on a sharp corner.
He grimaces, shakes his hand and holds it in a fist at his crotch, slightly doubled over. Stantz sees Zedmore and misunderstands.
STANTZ (thinks ZEDMORE suddenly wants the bathroom)
I'll tell them, no waterfalls.
(pause)
We want people to hang around long enough to take down our number.
What did you guys think?
(looks around the group)
SPENGLER I like it a lot better without the broccoli.
MICHELLE It's pretty punchy and it's shows customers where to go get it.
"Call Soul Energy today save money with Ray" is a call to action.
JIM But they didn't show the particle accelerator. Why would they miss that out? People will go crazy for it.
ZEDMORE (builds it up)
Jim, you'd better brace yourself for a shock.
JIM What?
ZEDMORE It may be hard to believe, but a surprisingly high percentage of New Yorkers don't care about geeky gadgets.
JIM (rolling his eyes)
Dad, I get that. But this ain't no gadget; it's a two-acre state-of the-art synchrocyclotron. How many companies actually have one of those?
ZEDMORE Seriously. This advert's costing $1500 per second. We're only telling them the deal that they save money with us.
EDEN I think they missed a few key points.
ZEDMORE Like what? Our email address?
EDEN No, like Jim says about the synchrocyclotron. People need to know about the proton streams.
They're gonna be troubled thinking the electrons should be doing the flowing, not the protons. We have to show them how the neutron splitter uses the force of impact to separate the protons and get them shooting out in a stream.
OSCAR (to Eden)
You're so clueless. Doesn't M.I.T.
teach you not to go sharing trade secrets with the world for the good of mankind?
EDEN I didn't say, describe the process... But if you're gonna split neutrons, I think it's a mistake to not reassure people how we store the left over positron.
OSCAR Can we get you a promotion? We're proud to announce our new VP of Marketing, Eden Spengler. First action point; tell our competitors how we do what we do. Second action point; terrify all the punters about antimatter the most dangerous thing known to mankind.
(frustrated)
They weren't even worried in the first place!
STANTZ (to Eden)
I have to agree with Oscar this time. I had this exact conversation with your father about thirty years ago. Fact is,
no one ever even asked.
EDEN It just seems wrong not to tell them.
OSCAR Look, this is Ghostbusters versus Edison; not Tesla versus Edison.
Let's just keep the neutron splitter under wraps, or history's gonna repeat itself with Edison stealing our thunder. Literally.
EDEN I'd like to see them try.
MICHELLE Babe, write about storing anti electrons in one of your science journals; customers really don't care.
EDEN (unconvinced)
Are you sure?
OSCAR, JIM AND MICHELLE (with emphasis)
Yes!
LARRY, a senior engineer, enters the room.
LARRY (stressed, addressing Spengler and Stantz)
Sorry to interrupt. We've got a major problem.
STANTZ What?
LARRY Production has mysteriously dropped by twenty percent. And no one can find the problem.
SPENGLER Twenty percent? Are you sure?
Spengler pulls out an iPhone and starts tapping on it,
looking troubled.
SPENGLER Better get to Ellis Island and check it out.
Stantz gets up.
MICHELLE Dad?
STANTZ (stops and looks at her)
What's up?
MICHELLE What about the free-roaming repeaters? Do you want me to play hip hop or reggae to them now,
or..?
STANTZ (looking at watch)
Oh yeah, good point. Go with hip hop. Thanks, Michelle. After that we've got one more experiment to try.
MICHELLE OK.
Spengler, Stantz, Eden and Jim go off with Larry.
INT. CITY HALL - DAY
Peter VENKMAN is about to be sworn in as mayor of New York. He's giving a speech at City Hall. Next to him is his campaign manager and advisor a friend from high school called FRANK Pacciti.
VENKMAN To our distinguished guests,
ladies, gentlemen, voters, friends thank you. And to the people who didn't vote for me; put those plates down and get out you're only here for the free food.
(polite laughter from crowd)
Well friends, it's been a long journey to get here. When I was a Ghostbuster, we cleaned up the spooks in this city. When I was running Soul Energy, we cleaned up the power grid. We provided New York businesses cheap, reliable and clean power. Now as mayor I'm going to clean up the city. And then we're gonna ship all that garbage over to New Jersey.
(polite laughter from crowd)
Just kidding folks. Today, New York has chosen progress over stagnation.
My mayoral salary is twice that of Mayor Bloomberg, but you know I am worth it. Twice the salary means I have to deliver twice as much so in about ten minutes, I'm done.
(wry smile)
Yeah, I know I am joking with you all, but I am serious. New York chose progress and progress we will make. Team Venkman is going to create jobs, build cheap housing, fix broken schools, drop the crime statistics and make New York, once again, the best place on Earth to live.
INT. GRACIE MANSION - DUSK
The camera zooms out and the scene turns into the eight o'clock news, viewed on TV at the Venkman's mayoral home,
Gracie Mansion. There's a maid serving drinks.
NEWS REPORTER (V.O.)
Behind me is Peter Venkman being sworn into office. There's been a higher than usual turnout,
probably due to his celebrity status as a former Ghostbuster.
Peter has a following from both camps. He's one mayor that has really polarized the vote in New York.
STUDIO (V.O.)
So what's the word on the street?
Are we looking at another Mayor LaGuardia or Mayor Lindsey?
NEWS REPORTER (V.O.)
It's really too early to tell, but from what I've been hearing from some enthusiastic constituents earlier, they are already comparing him to LaGuardia. Time will tell. Back to you Jeff, in the studio.
VENKMAN (to Dana)
They're comparing me to LaGuardia!
DANA That's because they know you'll do a great job, honey. Oscar, what do you think?
OSCAR Yeah, the best.
DANA Oh, Pete called while you were out. He says congratulations.
VENKMAN It's a great moment for the Venkman's. Both my son's should have been here.
DANA He wanted to be.
VENKMAN Should have delayed his trip 'til next year then.
(quietly)
Or next decade.
(to Dana)
I'm sure those Brazilian spiders could have waited.
DANA Spider monkeys, honey. They could be extinct a year from now. The population's been decimated by poachers just in the last six months.
VENKMAN (doesn't get it)
Eat or be eaten, but not if you're an eight legged monkey.
Dana shakes her head trying not to smile, and picks up the remote control, about to turn off the TV.
OSCAR Mom, I wanna see the sports. I missed the Yankee's score earlier.
That's John McPearson's new team.
VENKMAN Who cares about a game when their cool dad's being sworn in as mayor of New York
DANA touches him proudly and sensually.
OSCAR This is it!
(watching intently)
Yeah! What did I say? Five to three. I knew they'd win with John on the team!
The doorbell rings. NATALIA, the maid, goes to open it.
THE TV
TV REPORTER (V.O.)
John McPearson's done well for himself. He's just got into the Yankees and his private life's taken an unexpected turn with his recent engagement to Carmela Delgado.
DANA Delgado? Isn't Juan Delgado like a multibillionaire or something?
VENKMAN Sure is. One of the wealthiest men in the States.
Natalia comes to the door with FRANK.
NATALIA Mr. Pacciti here to see you, sir.
VENKMAN Hey Frankie. You seen the news?
We're looking sharp as ever!
FRANK Yeah, not bad.
The doorbell goes again. Natalia goes to open it.
FRANK No peace for the wicked, huh? I guess it's only fair you doing some eighteen hour days now and me taking a break.
VENKMAN The wicked? It's supposed to be "no peace for the famous." But who said anything about a break? We gotta start working on our next project.
FRANK There's a next project?
VENKMAN There is. Time to start pulling some strings in the Senate, and get ghosts recognized as a reality.
Because we should be able to pull a few big ones in funding if we play our cards right
Natalia announces the visitor.
NATALIA Mr. O'Reilly here to see you, sir.
VENKMAN Show him into my study, Natalia.
(to Frank, looking at watch)
Right on time.
Venkman and Frank go into the study. SHAWN O'Reilly is there. He's a scumbag for hire. He takes himself very seriously but has a funny undertone.
FRANK Hey Shawn. The Mayor's got a job for you. Peter, this is Shawn.
VENKMAN (shakes hands)
How you doing?
SHAWN Hi.
VENKMAN Frank tells me you're the man.
FRANK You can trust him. We worked together on a couple of, er projects.
SHAWN What can I do you for?
VENKMAN How well do you know our business?
SHAWN Yeah I know it. Ghostbusters.
VENKMAN Well, the situation is this;
business has been kind of quiet lately and it's not helping the bean-counters in D.C. see that Ghost Busting as an underfunded business sector.
SHAWN So what am I doing?
VENKMAN Do you have any experience with haunting?
SHAWN Ghostbusting? Not really my thing.
VENKMAN I wasn't talking about busting a ghost. I was talking about being the ghost.
SHAWN I don't do kids' parties. I thought that was your mates'
thing?
VENKMAN (to Frank)
We've got ourselves a world-class comedian here.
(to Shawn)
We're looking for a celebrity to put the Ghostbusters back on the front page. To talk about being saved from a gruesome ghost.
SHAWN Who d'ya have in mind?
VENKMAN You. You're the gruesome ghost.
SHAWN No shit. Who's the guy?
VENKMAN (smirks)
At least you admit it. You mightn't even need a costume.
FRANK The guy's John McPearson; the Yankees goalie.
VENKMAN Yeah, he's actually my son's hero.
FRANK (alarmed)
Are you serious?
VENKMAN It's insurance. If anything goes wrong it guarantees Oscar will cover it up.
(to Shawn)
I want you there tonight. About one o'clock.
SHAWN Can do. And if I get caught?
VENKMAN Use the get-out-of-jail-free card.
SHAWN What is the get-out-of-jail-free card?
VENKMAN Cockroaches. It's the one I always used.
(to Frank)
And give me a call me when it's done.
SHAWN Alright, so let me get this straight; at one o'clock I go haunt McPearson. That's it?
Oscar enters the study. Venkman thinks he's overheard part of the conversation.
VENKMAN haunt called McPearson's. The Irish Haunt.
SHAWN We'll sort it.
EXT. SCARSDALE, UPMARKET RESIDENTIAL AREA - NIGHT
FRANK and SHAWN sit in a car outside McPearson's house.
FRANK The Mayor has a good reputation and it's gonna stay that way. If you screw this up, I'm gonna bury you. Capiche?
SHAWN Mate, I'm third generation Irish.
We've been doing shit for you grease balls for years.
Shawn gets out the car.
FRANK Well, if you wanna keep the Smith contract do your shit then.
SHAWN It's what I'm doing..?
Shawn walks towards McPearson's house wearing a pest control uniform. He has a retractable ladder and a bag full of ghost effects from a joke shop. There's a hint of Mission Impossible style music.
EXT. THE BALCONY - NIGHT
There's a large balcony above a dining room. He places a ladder against the wall and starts climbing up. None of the windows have the curtains drawn.
INT. THE DINING ROOM - NIGHT
MARIA the maid carries a tray of burgers and puts it on the dining table. It's semi-dark and MCPEARSON enters,
and walks off with the two plates.
BACK TO EXT. THE BALCONY - NIGHT
Shawn's ladder falls onto the grass and he loses his footing. He grabs some canopy rope hanging over and starts pulling himself up.
BACK TO INT. THE DINING ROOM NIGHT
Maria turns on the light switch by the window and spins around facing the table. Behind Maria's back are two scrabbling legs kicking frantically in the air, trying to get up. She suddenly hears something.
MARIA (shouting)
Burglars! We're being robbed!
The legs struggle and kick for a bit and finally vanish as MCPEARSON and CARMELA enter.
MCPEARSON (eating his burger)
Relax. The burgers are right here.
It was just me.
MARIA (pointing out window)
The burglars are gone hurry up!
MCPEARSON (to Carmela)
I told you these Hispanics are highly strung, before we hired her.
(to Maria)
Chill out will you? There's no thief. I know in Mexico people probably steal food from each other's houses all the time but here it's not an everyday thing.
CARMELA (scolding)
John!
(to Maria)
Please use the intercom at meal times rather than shouting through the house.
(she gesticulates to the intercom)
MARIA No, no, no Burglars! You no understand. Mans on roof.
Suddenly the three of them hear a loud bang and then a crash. They all freeze and look shocked.
EXT. THE BALCONY - NIGHT
The canopy has fallen in a huge bundle on top of Shawn.
His face emerges looking alarmed. He listens intently.
SHAWN (in a ghostly, airy voice)
Wooo (he listens again)
He untangles himself and frantically winds the canopy back up, panting, calling "Wooo" every so often, and listening for noises.
BACK TO INT. THE DINING ROOM - NIGHT
Maria suddenly hears the "ghost". She screams and runs upstairs.
MARIA THE MAID (in Spanish)
Ghosts!
She starts crossing herself and praying for protection.
BACK TO EXT. THE BALCONY - NIGHT
The balcony has two windows at right angles. One is a frosted bathroom window and the other is clear glass,
over a spiral staircase.
Shawn throws some fabric over a mop and starts operating a smoke machine. He turns on an iPod playing ghostly sound-effects. He waves the mop between the two windows.
There's a terrified woman's scream.
He attaches a Halloween mask to the mop and adds some silly eyeballs inside it, on springs. The panic is increasing. He puts the fake ghost right up to the frosted bathroom window, and taps on it. A woman screams.
Shawn continues working his mop.
INT. THE BATHROOM - NIGHT
Expectant music fades in. The camera looks towards the frosted window. The blurred ghost looks very real through the glass. The music fades out.
BACK TO EXT. THE BALCONY - NIGHT
Shawn is at work, swinging left and right with his mop.
THE STAIRCASE WINDOW, VISITOR'S POV
Expectant music fades in. The camera looks towards the window. Nothing can be seen though it. Suddenly Shawn moves into the frame of the clear window waving his mop, looking silly, swinging his body left and right, as well as up and down. The music fades out. The camera pans backwards, behind a stranger's back and head. The stranger is staring at Shawn in silence.
SHAWN'S POV The camera looks towards the staircase and the NEIGHBOR, seen from Shawn's POV.
THE BALCONY Shawn looks dazed and goes blank,
then remembers Venkman's words.
SHAWN (fake grin)
Bit of a roach problem.
He faces away, annoyed, and rolls his eyes while rapidly pulling off the ghost effects from the mop.
NEIGHBOR Couldn't it wait? It's one o'clock in the morning.
SHAWN (speaking quickly)
No! It can't.
(pause)
They breed too quickly.
(pause)
If I don't deal with these now,
the whole house will be infested by the morning.
NEIGHBOR Gross!
(cringes)
SHAWN This is the nest right here.
(pointing)
Real big.
Shawn holds up the smoke machine up to the imaginary 'nest' and releases smoke. He coughs a couple of times.
The neighbor gets suspicious.
NEIGHBOR I've heard of big wasp's nests but I've never heard of a big roach nest like that!
SHAWN (sinister voice)
That's 'cos people who get to see them, don't usually get to go telling people about it in the morning
NEIGHBOR OK, well I'd better be going you know the wife (he gesticulates towards his own house)
She'll be wondering where I got to. It's just we heard screaming.
SHAWN Yeah,
(nods)
and now you know why.
Shawn makes a little scream himself and stamps on the floor a couple of times and shudders.
The neighbor cringes.
SHAWN (nodding)
There's probably gonna be a lot more screaming before the night's over.
NEIGHBOR Well, good luck.
Shawn salutes.
SHAWN (talking through fake grin and closed teeth)
Don't need luck just need you out my face.
INT. DEA'S OFFICE - DAY
MARK I heard we're dropping the Kray investigation?
DEA BOSS You heard right.
MARK So he breaks in to a Ghost Power Station, steals a ton of ghosts so he can turn distilled evil into narcotics and you let him walk?
DEA BOSS (patiently)
No one can steal ghosts because ghosts aren't real.
MARK Not real? Half of New York runs off Soul Energy's power plant.
DEA BOSS Unless I'm mistaken there's no U.S. law governing the theft of ghosts. Or pixies or fairies or elves.
MARK (regretful)
Over one year undercover. Wasted.
DEA BOSS Get over it, you'll find another bad guy.
MARK Look, what I'm saying is, there's gotta be something the DEA can concoct. We know this isn't right.
DEA BOSS The DEA doesn't concoct. We have protocol to follow. Otherwise we can't get convictions, remember?
MARK How is switching to a narcotic made from distilled evil different?
DEA BOSS About forty years different. At Rikers.
MARK (dramatic, warning voice)
This neighborhood's gonna get real bad There's gotta be someone we can call?
DEA BOSS (mocking)
How about the Ghostbusters
The Ghostbusters' song fades in: "When there's something strange in the neighborhood etc."
Mark leaves the office, then the building.
EXT. GHOSTBUSTERS H.Q. - DAY
Mark enters the building.
INT. GHOSTBUSTERS H.Q., THE BOARDROOM - DAY
The music fades out. MARK and STANTZ are sitting at the boardroom table.
MARK So I've had to throw away more than one year undercover. We nearly had him.
STANTZ Can you hang on a second? I want to get the rest of the team up here
INT. GHOSTBUSTERS H.Q., RECEPTION - DAY
OSCAR is letching over SHARON, the beautiful receptionist. Her phone rings.
SHARON (into phone)
Sure Mr. Stantz. I'll do that now.
(pause)
Yeah, he's back.
(looking at Oscar)
He's right here.
(pause)
I will, sir.
Sharon hangs up.
SHARON He wants everyone in the board room right now.
OSCAR (flirtatious)
I'll just stay here and watch you make the coffee.
SHARON He told me to send you through.
Something important's come up.
OSCAR (reckons himself)
Yeah, well you know. It's tough at the top.
(self-pitying)
All work and no play.
SHARON makes Oscar a dull boy?
OSCAR (enthusiastic)
Oscar's never dull just pure excitement. So I'll pick you up at eight o'clock tonight, then?
SHARON (laughs)
I don't know
OSCAR (sales pitch)
I am not asking you to know, I am asking you to be there. It'll be fun. Tell you what;
I'll take you to Starbucks, and then we'll get a movie. If you don't have fun, I'll give you a full refund.
SHARON Alright...
Oscar leaves, looking pleased with himself.
BACK TO INT. GHOSTBUSTERS H.Q., THE BOARDROOM - DAY
OSCAR enters and takes a seat. All the Ghostbusters are there. They've already started.
STANTZ (to Oscar)
Oscar, this is Mark Hunter from the DEA. His undercover assignment was a guy called Kray, who broke in at Ellis Island last night and stole about 5000 of our ghosts.
OSCAR Whoa! That explains the output problems. But if this guy's some drug baron, what's he want with our ghosts?
MARK He got hold of some of Mr. Stantz and Mr. Spengler's miracle drug the Alzheimer's one
STANTZ (helpfully)
Recall
MARK (CONT'D)
yeah, and tinkered with it,
somehow. And he made a narcotic called Evil.
ZEDMORE I still don't get why the DEA won't take care of it?
MARK Making drugs from spirit energy isn't a crime in any state in the US.
JIM Breaking and entering is. And you're a witness.
ZEDMORE (to Jim)
It would be a misdemeanor. He'd get less than three months.
MICHELLE (disbelieving)
So harnessing this ghost power into narcotics is actually doable?
SPENGLER It's the same force Soul Energy uses to make 45 terawatts of power each year. And that we used to create Sane. Remember, energy can't be created or destroyed but it can change form.
STANTZ (to Mark)
We first discovered a physical manifestation of evil over twenty years ago. A type of slime.
SPENGLER The slime was actually a more concentrated form. It didn't have the disadvantage of signal degradation from atmospheric absorption.
OSCAR I need to let Dad know.
Oscar speed dials Venkman.
INT. CITY HALL - DAY
VENKMAN'S telephone rings.
VENKMAN Oscar, what's up? Let me guess Ray bungled it. He forgot about a writ and the opposition got judgment by default?
BACK TO INT. GHOSTBUSTERS H.Q., THE BOARDROOM - DAY
OSCAR (CONT'D)
No. Ray's fine. Listen.
Something's come up
JIM (gloomy)
He's gonna make a fortune and the rest of the world's gonna pay the price.
MARK I just didn't know who else to call. But I don't know what you guys can do about it. Or - if it's even your problem.
STANTZ When there's something strange in this neighborhood it is our problem. It's what we do.
Ray looks determined.
INT. CITY HALL - DAY
VENKMAN (into phone, spelling it out)
Ray theorized our spooks were getting NICER after incarceration?
(complete disbelief)
Aw God, Ray. He obviously hasn't been up to Rikers recently. What's the scumbag's name again?
(writing something down)
I'll have Frank check him out. I can't today. I'm up to my eyeballs with executive duties.
(plays with joke shop eyeballs)
Have everyone come to our place tomorrow. We'll have a war meeting over lunch. They're gonna want to look around Gracie anyway. And tell Tully to free up some cash. I want to beef up security. If they think they're coming back, I wanna be ready for them. And I want some cash in the war chest.
Venkman hangs up and dials Frank.
VENKMAN (into phone)
Frank. I want everything on a guy called Vinnie Kray
INT. PHARMACY - DAY
FRANK is queuing in a pharmacy while talking to Venkman.
The person in front of Frank is a junkie who leaves behind the same prescription pot that Frank is buying.
The lady serving him switches the pots by accident.
FRANK (into phone)
How? Don't worry. We'll keep in on the QT from the media. I'll have my people to look into it.
I'll get back to you.
Frank hangs up, and then takes a pill from the pot. It turns out to be an Evil pill. Electric blue light sizzles around Frank when he takes it. His face becomes evil looking. He sits down next to a BUM on the street.
FRANK (ranting obsessively at the bum)
I think it's time we get Mayor Venkman un-elected. He's the mayor The Ghostbusters are gonna make millions from Recall; Egon and Ray are getting the Nobel prize some people get it all.
Look at me; the campaign manager sitting in a shoddy little apartment
BUM It ain't right.
FRANK (CONT'D)
Maybe the FBI should hear about the Ghostbusters' new sideline (brings up Yellow Pages on his iPhone)
FBI, FBI He writes a number on a piece of paper. The bum nods and laughs (like Beavis and Butthead).
FRANK (CONT'D)
(quietly to himself)
And maybe the Nobel Committee should too
The bum agrees.
FRANK (into phone)
Yeah, hi, I need to report someone manufacturing narcotics down at the Ghostbusters plant. Yeah, I'll hold.
(theatrical, to the bum)
Mr. Mayor get ready to pack up and get out of Gracie!
INT. GRACIE MANSION, SITTING ROOM - DAY
CLARENCE Tully is waiting for VENKMAN in the sitting room. He's just like his father, Louis Tully. He's silly and doesn't understand social norms, but has goodwill towards everyone in a clumsy, overly honest way. He's obsessive about following rules. Health is one of his obsessions.
VENKMAN You got the cash sorted?
(holding up a glass)
Scotch?
CLARENCE No thanks. I only drink mineral water. Do you have any idea the damage alcohol does to the liver?
I always make a point of eating fruit or pine seeds or nuts before lunch.
VENKMAN If my liver packs up, I'll get another one. They have them on Ebay. Well, help yourself to a water, but not too much. And there's some parrot food over there.
He gesticulates towards a glass-covered fruit stand with cherries and blueberries.
Clarence serves himself a bowl of blueberries.
CLARENCE Do you know that for every blueberry you eat you lengthen your life by one second? I think it's all the anthocyanins and antioxidants and vitamin B. And you know what? Cherries are also really high in antioxidants.
They contain nearly the same ORAC units that's how much antioxidants you can absorb as blueberries. Cherries have 2033;
compared to blueberries which have 2200.
VENKMAN That's really great Clarence. Talk to me about money.
Clarence sits down on the sofa.
CLARENCE I took $70,260 out the research fund, because Egon won't notice I took 18,840 out of the pension fund, because I figured we can write the security off as an investment, and you know what else? I wiped out the canteen fund because I found you'd bulk ordered sixty kilos of tea and coffee, and a whole mountain of sugar which all together tied up $900 for a year, not earning interest, so you know what I did? I arranged to send all the tea and coffee and sugar back to the wholesaler.
VENKMAN Great. So what's the bottom-line?
CLARENCE $90,000 exactly. Is that enough?
VENKMAN Ninety grand? I want four times that. But if you suddenly get the urge to send all our soap and bathroom paper back just don't.
(points at his own upper lip to show that Clarence has a blueberry stain)
Err
Clarence looks in the sitting room mirror. He pulls out a handkerchief and rubs it, but only succeeds in making it bigger.
CLARENCE Oh shit!
Clarence gets embarrassed about his swearing.
CLARENCE Excuse the language.
Venkman looks fake-shocked.
VENKMAN You should wash your mouth out with soap and water!
CLARENCE Soap and water aouch! Do you really think so?
He studies his blue tongue close up. He then sticks it out all the way. It's absurdly blue.
CLARENCE Does soap and water really work?
Venkman looks at him in disbelief, then feigns a happy voice.
VENKMAN Yes!
He sizes Clarence up.
VENKMAN (nodding overly sincerely and spacing out his words)
It's definitely going to work People do that all the time
CLARENCE (mumbles)
Excuse me.
Clarence goes off to the bathroom.
VENKMAN People who howl at the moon that is! And people who (he raises his voice,
calling after Clarence)
have conversations with themselves, when there's no one else in the room.
Venkman strolls up to the cherry dish and picks up a cherry by the tip of it's stalk. He pulls it up to eye height, holding it as if it was a smelly sock. He studies it intently, twisting it this way and that.
VENKMAN (frowns analytically)
Antioxidants huh? Who knew?
MIGUEL You talking to me?
VENKMAN (spins rounds, taken aback)
Yes, of course. Who else would I be talking to? Myself? Ha, ha.
MIGUEL What you want sir? You want fruitcake?
There's a fruitcake on the table with the fruit stand.
VENKMAN Is it made with nuts?
(nods towards the table)
Miguel looks above the table, at a painting. It is of a milk maid with a cow.
MIGUEL (surprised)
No, is maid with cow!
VENKMAN (repulsed)
Made with cow? You shouldn't leave meatloaf in the sitting room.
MIGUEL No, ahh, is fruitcake.
(sounds like "No, I is fruitcake.")
VENKMAN You're a fruitcake?
(slight pause)
No shit.
Miguel leaves. Venkman unpicks the stalk of the cherry.
He playfully tosses it up in the air trying to catch it in his mouth. But he tosses it too far and reaches out for it, catches it, but then loses it. It rolls down his long, loose sleeve.
NATALIA appears.
NATALIA (Mexican accent)
Mike Tord is here from the Effe Beer-Eee with court order.
(Venkman hears 'My Toad')
VENKMAN I didn't know you had a toad,
Natalia. Is that really the best way to find Prince Charming? New York has loads of singles bars.
NATALIA Do you want to see him?
VENKMAN How can I resist? You'd better carry him in on a cushion. I think that's the traditional way.
NATALIA Sir?
VENKMAN (struggling to reach the cherry down his sleeve)
Put him in my office.
While walking to his study he tries to shake the cherry out of his arm.
INT. VENKMAN'S STUDY DAY
VENKMAN enters and sees Mr. TODD on the visitor's chair.
VENKMAN (putting his hand forward)
Detective Toad, what a pleasure.
You know, somehow I pictured you different.
TODD It's Todd. Mike Todd with the FBI.
He hands Venkman his business card.
VENKMAN Sure. I'll give you five minutes Mr...
(looking at business card and willfully misreading)
Toad. Gotta lot going on today.
TODD hands him the court order.
TODD (pompous)
You're duly served with this Cease and Desist order.
VENKMAN reads the order.
VENKMAN This is preposterous! Egon and Ray developed Recall. They don't have the business sense to see the opportunity in narcotics.
TODD What is it about money and power that makes people like you incapable of playing straight? You may be the mayor for now but you're not above the law.
VENKMAN I don't have to listen to this shit. I'm gonna prove Egon and Rays' innocence. And after that;
I'm going after Kray. That's the scumbag you should be going after.
(mutters)
if you weren't on his payroll.
TODD Then you're gonna have to have something bigger and better than the FBI up your sleeve.
VENKMAN (cheeky)
I think you'd be quite concerned if you knew what I have up my sleeve.
Venkman smirks and moves his hand up (cherry side) to support his jaw. Todd stares, looking uncertain. Then he sees something on Venkman's sleeve.
TODD (victorious)
Well, whatever it is, it's making your sleeve purple.
There's a silence. Then Venkman fishes out the cherry.
VENKMAN There you go. Proof. I do have something more powerful than the FBI up my sleeve.
(smirks)
TODD (mocking)
You and power? That's the funniest thing I've heard all day. What'r you gonna do? Torture people with your jokes?
VENKMAN Don't be taken in by my youthful charm. A man with real power, like me It won't be too hard to find out who's shit stirring this and deal with them.
TODD You're skating on thin ice.
VENKMAN (looking under desk at floor, surprised)
Oh, that explains why it's so cold.
He gets up.
VENKMAN Your five minutes are up. Go find some criminals.
Todd gets up.
INT. UPSTAIRS LANDING - DAY
CLARENCE is walking curiously around Gracie Mansion. He's talking to someone on the phone.
CLARENCE It's really nice. You should see the number of bedrooms I've seen five so far, and still going. This property's gotta be at least sixty thousand dollars a year, just in property tax alone. It's massive.
Do you know the history of this place? It was built by a Scotsman and he sold it to someone and he sold it to someone else who died.
Then the city took it over and had some money making idea; ice-cream for a dollar or something.
(short pause) (in disbelief)
Why would I scream for a dollar?
I'm an accountant, not a beggar.
No, it's not the same thing!
Anyway, then they taught immigrants to speak English here.
Peter's father probably learnt English right here Oh? You're in a hurry? Sure. I'll tell you the rest another time.
His head (only) peeps round corner looking into a spare bedroom. He then enters.
CLARENCE Alright, I'll email it to you. Let me take your email address just a minute. I need a piece of paper
He pulls out a pen and a notepad from his inside pocket and sits down on the bed. The camera shows Clarence falling backwards through the bedspread and just two feet sailing upward in the air. The springs are broken and Clarence's backside is on the floor, sandwiched in the springs. Only arms, legs and a head are visible the rest of him swallowed up by the bed.
CLARENCE (looking flustered)
Er, can you read that out again?
He writes down the email address whilst sitting like a fool between the bed planks. The camera pans to the entrance. Venkman is standing there watching.
CLARENCE (complains)
You can get in but you can't get out.
(trying in vain to get up)
VENKMAN (earnest)
Stay right there. I'll get Miguel!
(calling into corridor)
Miguel! Can you bring my camera!
MIGUEL comes scurrying with a camera.
VENKMAN (to Miguel)
Get a photo for the scrapbook.
Miguel aims the camera at Venkman.
MIGUEL (enthusiastic)
Smile!
VENKMAN Not me. Him.
Miguel snaps a photo of Clarence and then helps him out.
VENKMAN You're coming tonight?
CLARENCE Yes. Formal dress, right?
VENKMAN Yeah, but remember last time we said formal dress you came in flannel trousers and a wooly jumper? Formal dress means black suit and tie.
Clarence suddenly sticks his (long) blue tongue out in Venkman's face.
CLARENCE Is it gone?
He sticks it out a second time for Venkman to see.
VENKMAN (dryly)
Not yet sadly.
CLARENCE Oh well. See you tonight.
VENKMAN (still smirking at his own joke)
Yeah. Bye bye now.
INT. VENKMAN'S SITTING ROOM - DAY
All the Ghostbusters are in the sitting room.
VENKMAN OK, so talk to me.
STANTZ Michelle, can you run it?
MICHELLE has plugged her laptop into Venkman's large flat screen TV. An image of Vinnie Kray pops up.
MICHELLE This is Vinnie Kray. He operates under the front of Kray Fisheries but his real income is drugs. He's a twenty-first century drug-lord.
Speed. E's. All the man made stuff. This guy turned an unheard of product into the latest craze in less than two weeks. Oxidado.
JIM Oxi destroys lives more quickly than any other drug.
EDEN I pulled oxi apart in my lab. It's basically cocaine, gasoline and kerosene, with a dash of calcium oxide. It stops dopamine re absorption. It's a damn effective drug. Whoever made it was pure genius.
SPENGLER Eden, you go and chemically analyze narcotics for kicks? Does Mom know about this?
VENKMAN Ok boys, cookery class is later.
You can exchange recipes then.
OSCAR Where did you get your sample,
Eden? On [known drug dealing street]?
EDEN From the DEA. Michelle and I were looking into creating an antidote for overdoses. Or maybe like a vaccine.
Images of Recall molecules appear on screen.
MICHELLE Yeah, well, we shelved that.
Anyway, Vinnie's done a U-turn now. He's dropped traditional narcotics and found a way to distill evil from ghosts. He's smart. He reverse-assembled Recall to understand the basics. Then he started tinkering.
ZEDMORE I don't get it. He was making big money before. Why change M.O.?
VENKMAN Money, no competition, super addictive. And legal. Why didn't I think of this (smiles)
STANTZ The downside is, when the evil suddenly increases this much in one area, it creates a negative force field irresistible to evil spirits. It attracts more and more evil maybe even spirits from beyond our dimension.
SPENGLER It's a vicious circle. Areas of ultra-low pressure rapidly attract areas of higher pressure, creating an exponential psychokinetic vortex of evil.
Venkman taps on an imaginary keyboard on the desk.
SPENGLER What are you doing?
VENKMAN Turning on English subtitles.
Spengler picks up a Nat Geo magazine.
SPENGLER Well, let's say this gibbon represents the normal range of evil in New York as it is today.
(showing everyone)
The head represents the highest peak and the feet, the lowest point. If my predictions are correct the next peak could be the size of a large baboon. That's if we're lucky. If we're unlucky it'll look more like a gorilla the size of King Kong on stilts.
VENKMAN That's one ugly monkey.
(intrigued)
Do we wanna elaborate on the stilts thing? Why not just say 'a disproportionately large gorilla'?
SPENGLER Because the two scales won't overlap. The best acts of tomorrow would still be more depraved than then worst acts of today.
VENKMAN Nothing too bad then?
STANTZ (passionate)
We need to find where he's stashing our ghosts and get them back!
ZEDMORE Yeah. And make sure he can't help himself to any more.
VENKMAN I arranged with my contact at the Secret Service to sort out security.
ZEDMORE Good.
OSCAR One thing's for sure. We have to get this scumbag put away. For a long time.
MICHELLE Check this out.
(mayor's guest list pops up on screen)
There's three of Vinnie's people from Kray Fisheries on the guest list tonight.
VENKMAN They obviously have friends in high places; me.
JIM If someone could swipe one of their access cards, I have a gadget to get the card copied.
There's gotta be some dirt buried in his office
ZEDMORE What, you just carry a card copier around just like waiting for the right moment? Is there something you want to tell me?
MICHELLE Just when you think you know someone
JIM Look, I saw one for sale on Ebay.
And I was interested in how it works. That's all. It's quite simple really I'll show you some time.
OSCAR Gee, we can make a date of it. We can go to the library and read some reference books in the morning and afterwards we can go to your place and check out your thing.
JIM (chortles)
Hey, ain't none of you guys gonna be checking out my thing.
(pauses)
Believe me,
(smirks)
it ain't gonna do your egos any good.
VENKMAN (to Jim)
So stick that copier in your pants; then security won't find it. Can you handle that thing tonight?
JIM Handle it? You kidding? They don't call me the Gadget King for nothing.
NATALIA appears in the doorway, waiting in silence.
OSCAR (frowns)
The Gadget King? Nobody calls you that. That's what you call yourself.
VENKMAN What's up Natalia?
NATALIA Lunch is served, sir.
INT. SEDGEWICK BANQUET HALL - NIGHT
The junior Ghostbusters are standing together, watching the Kray employees and making plans.
OSCAR (to Michelle and Eden)
You two are gonna have to do it.
Jim's chickened out of it.
EDEN Oh, and you think we're OK with it?
JIM Well, without trying to be rude,
you guys have honest-looking faces people trust you.
EDEN Thanks for noticing. The reason we have honest faces, is because we are honest, decent people.
OSCAR (pitching)
Good. 'Cos someone gotta do the right thing someone's gotta save the world from this Evil shit, and that someone should be you!
EDEN Yeah, well
JIM (self-important)
You guys get the card. I'll do the rest.
He walks off.
VENKMAN'S TABLE VENKMAN, DANA, STANZ, CLARISSA,
SPENGLER, JOYCE, WINSTON and RUBY sit at one table. Four waiters stand majestically between the couples, nod subtly at each other and dramatically pull the cloche's off in unison. Inside each cloche is a bowl, visibly empty on the top half. Venkman looks at it. He leans forward a bit and there's still nothing to be seen. He leans forward a bit more and sees a single, small piece of parsley.
VENKMAN Is that the starter, or the main course?
BENOIR THE WAITER (French accent)
It's chicken soup to start, sir.
The waiters pour soup elegantly into the bowls from jugs.
SPENGLER (looking at his phone)
You'll never guess who wants to meet us?
STANTZ Who?
SPENGLER Stephen Hawking! The world's greatest scientist wants to meet US!
THE KRAY EMPLOYEES' TABLE
MICHELLE is sitting down at the table with three Kray Employees. EDEN is standing up, feigning looking around the room. He walks near the first Kray employee, shortens himself by bending his knees and reaching into the man's jacket which is on the chair.
He finds nothing.
EDEN (to Kray Employee #1)
So what brings you guys here tonight?
KRAY EMPLOYEE #1
The mayor's reception..?
EDEN Oh, you're telecom consultants?
It's always hard to get reception here it's 'cos the signal sort of comes out like a donut. It comes off the roof and this is literally the dead zone in the center.
Eden tinkers with his cell phone.
KRAY EMPLOYEE #2 (bored)
Sure.
Eden looks meaningfully at Michelle. She does something to draw attention to herself. It works. Eden moves closer to his next target. His knees are bent, and he repeats the act on KRAY EMPLOYEE #3, a gay man.
He dips his hand into the man's pocket and pulls out a card and a thin phone then his backside suddenly gets bumped into by the waiter's trolley. He drops the card but not the phone. BENOIR the waiter tries to pass with Crepe Suzette.
BENOIR (with a strong French accent)
Ah, je regrete! Excuse me, please.
EDEN (panicky voice)
Oh my God! Your pancakes are on fire! Quick, take them back to the kitchen!
Eden kicks the access card under the table to MICHELLE.
No one notices. Everyone is looking at the pancakes. He tries to drop the phone back into the man's pocket. Just then Governor Schwarzenegger turns around.
KRAY EMPLOYEE #3
Governor Schwarzenegger!
KRAY EMPLOYEE #3 rapidly gets up and dashes towards Governor Schwarzenegger. Eden, who's still entangled in the pocket, has to run alongside him trying to get free.
Jim arrives at the table and watches Eden following KRAY EMPLOYEE #3, valiantly at his side, his hand still in his pocket. They leave the room.
KRAY EMPLOYEE #3 sits down in an office chair, opposite the Concierge. He looks very surprised when Eden sits down right next to him. Eden sees the height controller for the chair and presses it with his foot. The man starts sinking down. With the height reduction Eden's hand is finally free. The chair continues sinking. The man suddenly notices, gets enraged and starts hitting Eden on the leg.
KRAY EMPLOYEE #3 (furious)
Stop doing that!
(slapping at Eden's leg rapidly and repeatedly)
The Concierge man arrives, and looks surprised at KRAY EMPLOYEE #3 slapping Eden's leg.
EDEN Stop hitting me.
KRAY EMPLOYEE #3 You're keeping me down.
EDEN Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to.
CONCIERGE MAN (walking away)
I'll give you two a moment alone.
Eden is completely confused.
BACK TO VENKMAN'S TABLE
The hotel manager, O'KEEFE, comes up to VENKMAN.
O'KEEFE Could I talk to you about a slightly sensitive matter?
VENKMAN This better be good.
O'KEEFE whispers something in Venkman's ear.
VENKMAN (unimpressed)
The Flying Saucer Poltergeist is back? Bad timing.
O'KEEFE What do you mean, back? He obviously never disappeared.
VENKMAN No, we caught him but he's back he escaped.
O'KEEFE How convenient.
VENKMAN Believe me, I have more riding on this than you do. It was me who stuck out my neck and promised half of New York it was gone.
O'KEEFE (handing Venkman household keys)
Your men are going to need these.
Can they have it removed before the press gets to hear about it?
VENKMAN Relax. I'll have my son take care of it.
O'KEEFE'S POV VENKMAN walks over and finds OSCAR and the others. He's telling them about the ghost.
VENKMAN Old Saucer's back. You guys need to make this go away, DISCREETLY.
None of the guests can know about this. Most of them are my supporters, or worse my enemies but they are all in politics one way or another.
EDEN What politicians don't believe in ghosts?
VENKMAN Huh? They're politicians aren't they? Their beliefs are entirely forged on financial directive. But if they see this thing tonight I don't know I'm gonna say to my voters.
MICHELLE How about the truth?
VENKMAN (disapproving)
Uh-huh. I'm in politics now. I don't have that luxury. I'd have to blame it on terrorism, or global warming or the Marshmallow Man. Or the Republicans.
OSCAR It's OK Dad, we've got your back.
I'll get Jake down here with our gear.
Oscar phones Jake (who is their van-driver/assistant,
trainee-Ghostbuster).
Jake is an ex-marine. He's a strong, tough, no-nonsense guy with very little humor and a macho image; but with a heart of gold.
OSCAR Jake, I need a favor. Get to the Sedgewick with our gear.
(short silence)
It's a bad line. Bring our gear.
(speaks loudly and clearly)
Our proton packs and our jumpsuits.
(almost shouting)
Our costumes to the party (short silence)
What? You're coming as a pirate?
(he gets it)
No Ghostbusters' costumes. OK.
We'll see you here in fifteen.
Song: 'Getting-ready-to-Ghostbust' song, reminiscent of Ghostbusters #1.
INT. GHOSTBUSTERS H.Q. - NIGHT
JAKE is zealously grabbing the proton packs and checking the equipment. He gets in a Ghostbusters' van.
INT. HOTEL SERVICE CORRIDOR - NIGHT
The junior Ghostbusters get down from the third floor to the hotel service corridor in the basement and meet Jake.
They get changed into jumpsuits and do their final equipment checks.
The music fades out.
INT. THE LIFT SHAFT - NIGHT
The Ghostbusters appear at the lift shaft in their outfits. An OLD WAITER gets in the lift with them,
carrying a tray.
OLD WAITER Are you some kind of Bio Hazard group or something?
OSCAR Yeah, in a way - someone saw a cockroach on twelve (smirks)
The man looks at them disbelievingly.
OSCAR Only kidding! These are our ' '
GHOSTBUSTERS ' ' costumes.
(he says "Ghostbusters"
slowly and makes demonstrative quotation marks with his fingers)
OLD WAITER Oh, for the MAYYYOR! Of course!
(chortles)
He'll love that. He was a real good Ghost Buster in his day.
Quite famous for it too even had a TV show doing ghost stuff. Say,
those costumes look real good. You don't see them like that in the Halloween shops!
OSCAR (nodding)
We had to have these specially made.
The old waiter exits on floor six.
The Ghostbusters exit on floor eight.
EDEN Let's split up.
They split up and creep round the corridors. They start looking for the ghost, all separately.
INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR - NIGHT
JIM sees some slime and takes it off the wall. While he's examining the jelly-like slime inches from his face, he becomes aware that he's being watched from behind. It's the HOTEL SECURITY GUARD.
Jim tries to flick the slime on the floor. It doesn't drop off. It just sticks to his fingers. He shakes his hand and the detached end gets stuck to his nose, looking like mucus.
The Hotel Security Guard comes round the side of Jim,
watching him. Jim gets the slime off his nose, and back onto his hand. It's moving by itself.
JIM Aargh!
He looks at it.
HOTEL SECURITY GUARD (reaching for a tissue)
Tissue?
JIM (still looking at slim)
No, not tissue. More like mucus.
High energy mucus.
The Hotel Security Guard pulls a face and walks off.
INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR - NIGHT
EDEN is in another corridor. He spots the ghost. It looks like a saucer, a disk bucked inward in the middle like a red blood cell standing on its side; slightly wider at the bottom. It's smaller than Slimer and has the same spindly arms, and a very mischievous face. It seeps into a room.
INT. ROOM 816 - NIGHT
Eden carefully follows the ghost and opens the door with his key. It's dark. Eden and the ghost both see each other at the same time and pause. The ghost throws a vase of flowers at Eden. He ducks down. It makes a loud crash and a woman, sleeping in the dark, wakes up with a loud,
high-pitched scream.
MELODY Aaah!
HOTEL SECURITY GUARD comes rushing in.
HOTEL SECURITY GUARD (turning on lights)
What's going on?
He sees Eden kneeling down on one knee next to the woman's bed. Her bedspread is covered with red roses and water from the vase.
(Melody and Eden talk at high-speed, and high-pitch at the same time*)
MELODY What is it? What's going on? Who are you? What'r you doing?
EDEN It's fine it's nothing it's OK shush! Shush!
HOTEL SECURITY GUARD What are you doing?
EDEN I just came in to... erm,
The ghost appears and snatches Eden's thermal periscope from this proton pack; then throws it at Eden who manages to catch it and starts patting the floor with it.
EDEN (CONT'D)
... fix the carpet. There's a lump here, see.
He hammers at the imaginary bump in the carpet.
MELODY stares at him.
EDEN The carpet's fine now. Sorry about your sheets, (looking at wet sheets with roses all over it)
those roses... it wasn't me, by the way.
HOTEL SECURITY GUARD Who was it then, pervo? The ghost of Christmas past?
EDEN Mmm. Kind of.
The ghost appears under Melody's bed, staring straight at Eden, tapping it's fingers with one hand and resting it's chin in the other.
EDEN (looking at ghost)
No, I see your point. There's no ghost in this hotel. OK it was me.
Sorry.
Eden goes out.
INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR - NIGHT
HOTEL SECURITY GUARD follows EDEN.
HOTEL SECURITY GUARD That was a stupid thing to do! And let me give you some free advice,
from one romantic to another: If you're trying to impress a woman with all the roses and kneeling stuff how about you lose the cold shower part, huh?
EDEN I just couldn't help it. You have to believe I did not mean to frighten that lady.
HOTEL SECURITY GUARD I'll let it go. This time.
EDEN Thanks.
HOTEL SECURITY GUARD But don't let me catch you in there again you hear?
EDEN Oh no. You won't.
INT. OPPOSITE HOTEL CORRIDOR - NIGHT
JAKE is walking around. Suddenly the ghost's face half appears, looking through the door. It sees him and flies at him at high speed, throwing a marble object, which hits his foot. It's Jake's first time at being attacked by a poltergeist and he gets scared.
JAKE (in pain)
Aah-ouch!
(on radio)
Mayday, mayday! Room 810! He's here. Help!
JAKE bravely follows it down the corridor. He peers round a corner and it's there. It throws another marble object at his foot and laughs.
JAKE (annoyed)
Ow!
He picks the object up, but the ghost comes in close and snatches it from him with both hands and smashes it onto his foot a third time. Jake stands there grimacing,
containing the pain. The ghost laughs and vanishes down the stair case. EDEN comes round the corner.
EDEN Where is he?
JAKE (still in pain)
I'm gonna crack a toe at this rate.
EDEN (lost)
Krakatoa? Indonesia? I thought you said he was here?
JAKE What?
SPENGLER, STANTZ and VENKMAN appear behind them.
EDEN (to the Senior Ghostbusters)
Jake thinks he's in Indonesia.
VENKMAN No as far as I remember this is Manhattan (looking out the staircase window,
craning his neck)
Yep, it's still there. I recognize the skyline.
(points out the window)
See, that's Central Park, right there behind those buildings.
JAKE That's all cleared up then. Did you come to give us a hand?
VENKMAN No, we've been invited to meet and greet the greatest scientist alive.
SPENGLER (bursting)
Stephen Hawking!
EDEN (sees the ghost hovering down the stairs, waving at him)
Oh my God! Can we leave this ghost for another time and come with you?
VENKMAN (sees the ghost)
He's right there. You can't just leave him. When we're finished in here that thing better be contained.
JAKE Yes sir.
The senior Ghostbusters go into Hawking's suite.
JAKE I think he went down. I'll go check.
Jake goes downstairs.
Eden goes looking for the ghost again. He uses the thermal periscope to look round corners. After a while he spots the ghost, and tiptoes behind a pillar.
Unseen by Eden, the HOTEL SECURITY GUARD appears in the corridor and MELODY comes out of her room, talking on her cell phone.
MELODY (into phone)
Okay, I'll see you in reception.
I'll be there in a minute.
Eden is watching the ghost in the ceiling through the two foot thermal imaging periscope. The ghost gets nearer,
until it's right where Eden's hiding.
Suddenly Eden rushes out with his periscope in one hand,
above his head, and the proton thrower in the other,
looking like he's about to knock someone out. The periscope looks like a bat. Melody is standing right there, under the bat.
EDEN (aggressive)
Come here. You're my ghoul now!
Eden freezes when he sees Melody under his periscope, and pauses with his hands still up high. The ghost doubles over from laughter and vanishes through a wall.
EDEN (miserably)
...My tool. My tool for smoothing down bulges.
Eden hammers down the carpet with the periscope, trying to cover up being caught ghostbusting.
HOTEL SECURITY GUARD You again. I got news for you. She ain't your girl. Women can't be possessed, you know.
EDEN (getting obsessive,
forgetting not to mention ghosts)
Women can't be possessed? Well,
that's just not true. I treated a woman like that less than a month ago.
The security man stares at Eden, unable to believe what he's hearing.
EDEN (CONT'D)
If I hadn't; phuh it would have been bad. It's not easy to overpower a strong spirit but you can't let them control you. You need maximum discipline.
MELODY Creep.
She walks off.
EDEN She's obviously scared by it. But you know, if she came to my place and saw what we do there, she'd change her mind.
HOTEL SECURITY GUARD I'm warning you. I'm gonna have to ask you to leave the hotel if you don't back off.
EDEN (hurt)
Why would you say that to me? Oh,
you don't believe in... that stuff...
(cheerful)
Sure. Well, we'll just agree to disagree.
Eden walks off. The Hotel Security Guard shudders.
HOTEL SECURITY GUARD (under his breath)
One more violation, just one more...
JIM (O.S.)
(over radio)
I found him. He's just gone into 904.
Eden runs up a level to room 904.
INT. ROOM 904 - DAY
JAKE and EDEN arrive at the same time. OSCAR is already there. JIM and Oscar are holding the ghost in their streams.
JIM We can keep him here, but we can't trap him. We need another Lithium ion battery from the van.
OSCAR Jake, you're on it. Let's get this done.
There's a noise outside in the corridor. Oscar looks out,
and pops back into the room unnaturally quickly. He locks the door.
OSCAR (in a loud whisper)
Someone's coming! I think it's the people in here. Where's Harold Camping when you need him?
JIM Do something.
OSCAR Hide the ghost.
JIM Good idea.
OSCAR (lifting a chest lid)
Put it in here
Someone tries to come into the room but finds the door's locked. The door hammers angrily.
JIM Just a minute!
The door hammers.
OSCAR (to Jim)
Get that thing in there, quick.
Jim puts the trap with the poltergeist in the chest,
leaving the trap going.
JIM Battery's almost flat. We could lose him any minute.
OSCAR Then hurry up!
The door bangs violently.
As Oscar opens the door, Jim closes the lid on the ghost.
OSCAR Oh, sorry. We thought you were the maid.
(eyeing up a beautiful female guest)
Wish you were the maid
MALE GUEST (suspicious)
What have you three men been locking yourselves away in our room for?
JIM (going to power cabinet)
Changing the light bulb. There you go (flick switch twice)
It's all working now.
MALE GUEST A light bulb, huh? All three of you were necessary to change one light bulb? I don't believe it.
OSCAR (fake grin)
Well, this is New York you know;
union regulations and all that!
The ghost starts making ghostly howls inside the chest.
Jim tries to distract them.
JIM (high pitched and double speed)
OH MY GOD!
(screams and points next to the chest)
A Cockroach! Two of them. Hundreds!
The couple look where he's pointing.
EDEN (continues screaming)
Aahh, gross! It's the chest it's infested get it out of here!
Grab a corner gross, aahh!
All the Ghostbusters start shouting to drown the ghost's shouts.
ALL THE GHOSTBUSTERS (continuous shouting)
Ahhhhhhh!
They quickly grab the chest and rush out the room with the ghost the chest, who's still howling.
MALE GUEST I really just
Jim puts out his hand in stop sign.
JIM No need for thanks it's all part of the service!
They disappear off, carrying the ghost in the chest.
INT. THE HOTEL CORRIDOR - NIGHT
JAKE comes out the other lift with the battery and gives it to EDEN.
EDEN Let's get this over with.
Eden fits the new battery and the final part of the entrapment is successful. The ghost vanishes into the trap and they all heave a sigh of relief.
INT. BANQUET HALL - DAY
The junior Ghostbusters appear at VENKMAN'S side.
VENKMAN Did you get 'im?
OSCAR Oh yeah. It was real smooth.
VENKMAN I owe you one. OK, I'm up. You're back just in time for my speech.
Venkman is relishing his moment on stage. He gets up on stage and takes the microphone.
VENKMAN (game-show host style)
Good Evening New York! You've all been so generous supporting my campaign. And I'm not gonna repay that generosity tonight with a long tome.
But thank you. Most mayors and politicians say one thing and do another. The Venkman campaign is not about that.
It's not about being the mayor for everyone; it's about being the mayor for the people that matter - you, my supporters. I love you!
I know you're all wondering why I chose the Sedgewick over Gracie. Well, if I am really honest, I didn't want the mess. You party-animals will probably trash the place, so what better place to trash than the place it all started
Late one night, thirty years ago, after way too much Chinese food, I lost my virginity in this hotel my Ghostbusting virginity that is I was slimed upstairs on the twelfth floor.
Then Ray, Egon and I risked our necks to bust a real nasty one right here in this room and that skinflint over there
(pointing to the manager)
thought he'd shaft us on payment O'Keefe is still a tightass but at least he's working for me now.
Since then we've been arrested, sued, arrested again and sued again.
(pauses)
And arrested again and sued some more - but the Ghostbusters continued to work improving everyone lives in New York. Soul Energy, our latest venture, is delivering clean, cheap power to millions of homes across the whole Tri-State.
(pauses)
Mayor Venkman is the man for the job and Mayor Venkman will deliver. Enjoy the evening, folks!
The crowd clap. CLARENCE is in the crowd. He sticks his tongue out, staring at it close up, using a metal wrist watch as a mirror.
JIM appears at ZEDMORE'S side.
ZEDMORE Hey.
JIM It worked. We're now the proud owners of a nice, new, shiny access card to Kray's office.
ZEDMORE Great.
JIM (happy)
I hope that scumbag leaves the milk and cookies out 'cos he's gonna have an unexpected visitor tomorrow.
EXT. VINNIE KRAY'S OFFICE SIGN "KRAY FISHERIES INC." -
DAY
INT. KRAY'S OFFICE CORRIDOR - DAY
SHAWN comes out the elevator on the fourteenth floor.
INT. GHOSTBUSTERS BOARDROOM - DAY
MARK, the junior and the senior Ghostbusters are sitting round the boardroom table.
SHAWN (O.S.)
(on conference phone)
I'm outside the lifts on floor fourteen. Where to now?
MARK Turn Right. Keep going to the end.
It's the corner office.
BACK TO INT. VINNIE'S OFFICE CORRIDOR - DAY
SHAWN Got it.
Shawn walks to the end and picks the lock.
SHAWN Going in.
BACK TO INT. GHOSTBUSTERS BOARDROOM - DAY
MARK Don't touch anything. Don't move anything.
BACK TO INT.
VINNIE'S CORNER OFFICE
SHAWN You think?
Shawn searches Vinnie's office.
SHAWN Nothing... There's nothing.
Everything seems legit.
BACK TO INT. GHOSTBUSTERS BOARDROOM - DAY
MARK There's probably nothing. He burns everything dubious.
SHAWN (O.S.)
I'll check the ashtray.
MARK Don't bothe
SHAWN (O.S.)
There's a piece of burned paper in the ashtray.
SPENGLER Can you read anything?
SHAWN (O.S.)
Nothing.
SPENGLER I can read burned papers with potassium ferrocyanide and hydrochloric acid. Just don't let it crumble. You need to transfer it into something like a hardback book very carefully.
BACK TO INT. VINNIE'S CORNER OFFICE - DAY
SHAWN I'm on it.
Shawn moves the paper intact into a thick brochure from the bin.
INT. GHOSTBUSTERS CHEMISTRY LAB - DAY
Everyone is sitting round a table, eating takeout food.
They're watching Spengler at the head of the table, who has the ticket covered in chemicals.
SPENGLER It should be ready about now.
Everyone crowds round the ticket.
STANTZ I can see something.
ZEDMORE (surprised)
I think it's a ticket.
OSCAR It's Madam Tussauds (troubled)
The wax museum
JIM Not exactly incriminating stuff.
MICHELLE Who actually burns their ticket to Madam Tussauds anyway?
OSCAR Other than Evel Knievel I can't think of anyone.
JIM That's what stinks. There's gotta be something fishy at the wax works.
OSCAR Jacque Cousteau?
STANTZ Maybe Kray Fisheries? They do fish.
EDEN We should go over there and find out.
MICHELLE If that's where the drug factory is, it's gonna be crazily dangerous.
OSCAR (hooked)
You make a good point. When do we go?
JIM (dreading it)
Oh God, do I have a badge on my arm saying Drug Buster?
INT. MME TUSSAUDS - DAY
OSCAR, EDEN and JIM walk around the wax celebrities.
(They walk past wax figures of famous co-actors from Murray's, Aykroyd's, Ramis' and Hudson's previous movies,
such as Andie MacDowell, Eddie Murphy, Michael O'Keefe,
S. Epatha Merkerson etc.) They read the PKE meter and go unnoticed out the fire exit.
INT. THE WAXWORKS STAIRWELL - DAY
OSCAR Hey. Check this out.
Oscar is looking at some discarded waxworks items in a large industrial garbage bin.
JIM What are you doing you going through the trash now?
OSCAR A good detective always looks in the bin. Didn't you watch Colombo when you were a kid? Check it out there's loads of cool stuff here.
He finds a pile of discarded wax things. He pulls out a cracked Elvis face. Jim finds John McPearson's wax face and holds it over his own.
JIM Whooo, I'm McPearson's evil twin brother.
OSCAR God that's realistic. That's actually terrifying.
Looks like McPearson's forgot to put sun block on his hands though.
JIM Didn't have you down as a racist.
OSCAR Didn't think you preferred white skin. Whatever happened to Black Pride? We'll just call you Michael Jackson from now on.
EDEN Guys, just take your memorabilia with you. There's something here.
OSCAR (looks at his PKE meter and tries different places)
Let's try here.
(he points the meter down the stairs)
Down here.
(exited)
Maybe it's Vinnie's ghost-farm.
JIM (trying it on)
How about I go up and you go down?
OSCAR You're not copping out on us now.
They go down the stairwell.
JIM It's not the ghosts I'm worried about, it's the drug deal
OSCAR (arriving at door,
interrupts Jim)
There's something behind this door. Jim, you're supposed to be the gadget king find us a cool gadget for getting through this door.
JIM (shakes head)
Uh-uh.
OSCAR (annoyed)
You're the one with the card copier you've gotta have a trick for opening doors. Do something.
Melt it if you have to.
Jim goes up and looks at door, concentrating hard. He tries the door handle. The door's open. He opens it cautiously.
JIM (victorious)
... A trick for opening doors.
(referring to the handle)
OSCAR That's even better than melting it.
They enter the room.
INT. WAXWORKS BASEMENT - DAY
EDEN PKE meter's off the chart.
The PKE meter beeps.
EDEN (looking at some large, metal containers and his PKE meter)
That's gotta be our ghosts.
JIM (quietly)
Shh, there's someone there.
Jim sees the back of a man's head through the glass between the two rooms.
OSCAR (quietly)
Jim, sneak up and shut the door.
Jim doesn't respond.
OSCAR (irritated)
Correction, Oscar, bitch, sneak up and shut the door.
Oscar shuts and locks the door very slowly and quietly.
It clicks. The man looks up and shouts.
MAN Oy!
A number of men wearing nothing but underwear appear at the window separating the two rooms.
JIM (eyes widening)
Shit! They're coming!
EDEN (very shocked)
And they've got no clothes on!
OSCAR (thinking fast)
They're never gonna let us come back here. We have to release them now.
EDEN (calculating fast)
You can't. 5000 ghosts that would have been about six years of work.
JIM We can get them back off the streets, even if it takes time.
OSCAR It's our only chance to stop Vinnie.
EDEN Somewhere in that batch is our only [Class 28 Second Dimension Apparition]. He's imperative to our second dimension research.
JIM We lose him either way. These guys could ship them off to Kazakhstan for all we know.
OSCAR (stressed)
Get a move on before they come in here.
Oscar starts tinkering with the container. A shot is fired at the glass. It's bullet proof glass.
OSCAR How does this open? There's a code here. You have to crack it, Jim.
Jim studies the container.
JIM (looking at mob of angry men)
Take too long. We have to shut this thing down.
More shots are fired. Jim visually traces the power source. He yanks a door off a crawlspace and looks inside.
JIM I need an insulated knife!
Oscar gives him a rigging knife. Jim cuts the insulation off some large wires and steps out the crawlspace. He leans back in carefully and pushes the wires together,
short circuiting them. There's a massive spark and the wires jump.
The metal walls of the container buckle from the inside,
then burst open. The ghosts start breaking out. They rush out by the thousand as the gunmen come running in in their underwear, firing at the Ghostbusters. The ghosts fly at the gunmen and terrify them.
Many of the ghosts come at the Ghostbusters, who flee up stairs, through the waxworks and out on the street,
followed by a stream of ghosts.
EXT. COMPOSITE NEW YORK SCENES DAY & NIGHT
Short composite of scenes set to music: All the 5000 ghosts are loose in the city and fly around everywhere.
The day turns to night.
EXT. GHOSTBUSTERS H.Q. - ENTRANCE - NIGHT
A TV REPORTER is outside Ghostbuster's H.Q. entrance. The music fades out.
TV REPORTER Behind me is the Ghostbusters headquarters here in downtown Manhattan, where the phones have been ringing off the hook for the last six hours with reports of ghost sightings from across all the five boroughs.
INT. JOHN MCPEARSON'S SUITE AT THE SEDGEWICK - NIGHT
TV REPORTER (V.O.) (CONT'D)
We're waiting now for Ray Stantz,
the president to join us but we're told he's not expected back for another hour. We'll bring you more on this story as it develops.
John and Carmela are watching the reporter on the nine o'clock news.
CARMELA Look John. It's happening to everyone. We should report it too.
MCPEARSON Yeah OK. We'll go tomorrow.
INT. GHOSTBUSTERS' RECEPTION - MORNING - 8:00 AM
After a night of many ghost reports, MCPEARSON and CARMELA walk in. VENKMAN is at reception and he watches McPearson telling SHARON about his ghost.
SHARON You're our fifty-third client tonight.
Venkman faces John McPearson.
VENKMAN John McPearson isn't it?
MCPEARSON Yeah. Oh, Mayor Venkman.
VENKMAN I recognized you. My son's a fan.
MCPEARSON That's great.
VENKMAN He's a Ghostbuster here. Why don't I have him call you and you can show him what happened?
MCPEARSON Yeah, sure. Do we do this around the same time we saw it, or what?
VENKMAN Yeah, sure. Around, one a.m.?
(quickly covers up)
or midnight, or what time?
MCPEARSON Yeah, one o'clock. Good guess.
VENKMAN They're very active at that time.
I'll let my son know. Sharon, take Mr. McPearson's details, will you?
SHARON Sure, sir.
VENKMAN (to McPearson)
We'll call you.
MCPEARSON Thanks.
Venkman walks towards the lifts and is stopped by OSCAR.
INT. THE GHOSTBUSTERS' LOBBY - MORNING
OSCAR Dad that's John McPearson. What was all that about?
VENKMAN Looks like that poor man was victim of a really nasty ghost. I told him you're a fan and you'll be checking out his house to see what happened. Not bad, huh? I got you a meeting with your hero!
OSCAR (pleased)
Yeah, not bad at all.
They look up, as SPENGLER comes along, carrying a scary looking model monster face with moving eyeballs under his arm. JAKE is with him.
SPENGLER I have a serious problem.
VENKMAN (studying Spengler's toy)
It finally got to you, huh? It's called Juvenile Regression. It happens when a person is subjected to too much paranormal activity for a prolonged period of time.
Spengler pulls the model mask off the Mickey Mouse football it was mounted on.
SPENGLER Oh...
(looks at mask)
We're decoding their senses. We're testing if they can pick up the presence of another apparition though sight alone.
He stuffs the mask into his pocket.
SPENGLER (CONT'D)
(looks at Venkman intrigued)
Do you ever remember hearing the name Zildrohar?
VENKMAN Zildrohar? No.
SPENGLER Jake's got an old lady over in that room saying that she has two ghosts transforming themselves into snarling beasts from smart looking gentlemen in Panama hats.
VENKMAN In Panama hats? They can't have been very big then.
JAKE The woman heard one of them say Zildrohar. Egon thinks it might be a demi-God.
SPENGLER I've just looked it up in Tobin's Spirit Guide and it says it's a deadly force capable of destroying an entire city in just one night.
VENKMAN (surprised)
It sounds serious.
SPENGLER It is serious. I think you, I and the others better look into this ourselves. If I'm right about this, it's a lot more than just a regular ghost.
(to Jake)
Jake, I could really use a G.I.
Joe like you in the research lab.
Let me get you set up. We'll take the client from here.
JAKE Sure.
EXT. UPMARKET NEW YORK RESIDENTIAL STREET - MORNING
The four senior Ghostbusters park up behind the GRANDMOTHER and walk with her to her house. She unlocks the door and they go in.
INT. HUSBAND'S STUDY - MORNING
The GRANDMOTHER shows the Ghostbusters her husband's study. They see the ghosts. They recognize them as the Scoleri brothers, in different clothing. They are wearing three piece suits and Panama hats. One is examining her jewelry with much interest, and the other is counting the money taken out of her safe, all piled up on the table.
STANTZ (surprised)
The Scoleri brothers! They've changed clothes.
VENKMAN (to Stantz)
It happens. It's been twenty-five years. I know Egon's changed his clothes at least twice in that time.
SPENGLER This is a [Class 17 Partial Matter Financial Phantasm]. They're money mad, which explains what they're doing in this house. They never said Zildrohar before though. Are you sure they said "Zildrohar,"
Mrs. Crapisi?
GRANDMOTHER Certainly. I heard them say it as clear as day.
VENKMAN Talk to them, Ray.
STANTZ Hi again. Long time no see. That's a lot of dough. You like that huh?
The ghosts ignore him and continue studying the lady's possessions.
STANTZ (to the Grandmother)
We're gonna have to safeguard your money.
He reaches for the money, but just before he can grab it,
the ghost transforms into a growling monster, showing it's teeth. All the money gets instantly swept up and is mysteriously floating in the ceiling. One of the ghosts roars and Stantz is hit on the head with a cushion the nearest thing to the ghost.
STANTZ Ahh! Ouch.
VENKMAN Whoa, talk about the dollar going up.
Stantz tries to reach for the jewelry, but the other brother repeats the act and all the jewelry floats in the ceiling. Stantz promptly gets another pillow in the head.
STANTZ (annoyed at being hit a second time)
Ouch!
(rubs his head)
VENKMAN I guess that's today's high for gold.
ZEDMORE Are we ready?
The Ghostbusters fire up their proton streams.
STANTZ On your marks, get set get them!
The Ghostbusters pair up and aim two streams at each ghost. The ghosts, still in beast form, roar and bare their teeth; then vanish out the balcony window. The money and jewelry fall from the ceiling.
EXT. GRANDMOTHER'S ROOF BALCONY - MORNING
The Ghostbusters run after them and watch them go on the neighbor's roof balcony.
STANTZ Damn!
VENKMAN I don't know why, but they remind me of my bank manager.
ZEDMORE It's the way they handle other people's finances. Always slightly out of reach.
STANTZ We're not gonna let them get away are we? Come on!
Stantz runs to the edge of the Grandmother's roof balcony and climbs onto the neighbor's roof. The others follow.
EXT. ITALIAN FAMILY'S ROOF BALCONY - MORNING
The balcony has open French doors. The Ghostbusters have walked in on a mafia drug deal. They see five men. One man closes a case full of money and they overhear them talking.
MAFFIA GUY#1
You shouldn't have taken out the Di Carlo brothers. It was too risky.
They look out and see the Ghostbusters. Guns come out,
click and point at them. The men haven't seen the ghosts yet.
MAFIA BOSS (to beefcakes)
Take 'em.
The beefcakes point their guns at the Ghostbusters and direct them to come in and stand by the balcony doors.
INT. ITALIAN FAMILY'S SITTING ROOM - MORNING
MAFIA BOSS (overly calm and threatening, Italian accent)
Coming here without an invitation was a big mistake.
VENKMAN keeps his wits about him and snatches the money case. One of the Scoleri brothers sweeps up the money instantly and it floats in the ceiling.
Venkman ducks, knowing what happens next, but the mafia beefcake is caught unaware and gets a metal plate Frisbee'd at his head. He's out for the count.
Venkman quickly takes the unconscious man's Rolex and holds it up for the ghosts to see. The other brother makes it float. Venkman dodges, and this time an armchair comes flying at the second beefcake. He passes out too.
The Mafia boss has turned white from fear.
VENKMAN I reckon those guys are a couple of your old associates coming back to haunt you.
The boss looks worried. All the Ghostbusters point their proton throwers at the business men remaining.
ZEDMORE (opens the closet door)
Get in there.
VENKMAN And don't come out the closet!
(to the others)
I'll have Steve deal with this.
His father's an Executive Director at the FBI. He can get things done fast.
Venkman dials his friend and has a short conversation out of earshot.
STANTZ Let's deal with the 'other'
problem.
(nods his head sideways towards the ghosts)
Venkman returns and they raise their streams at a ratio of two humans to one ghost. They expertly push the ghosts together into the center and the zap them jointly into the trap.
SPENGLER What about the guys in the closet?
VENKMAN It's a lifestyle thing
ZEDMORE pushes a sofa against the closet.
ZEDMORE That should do it.
In silence Venkman points to a large crack between the double doors. Spengler goes up to the crack and studies it up close. He sees a beady eye inside the closet looking back at him.
In silence he gesticulates to Zedmore to bring a huge toy giraffe in the room. Spengler blocks the closet door with his back and pulls out his scary mask from his pocket. He fits it on top of the giraffe, and presses a control/button to make the eyes move realistically.
The Mafia Boss' eye peers through the crack in the door.
He sees the monster face outside and jumps back in fear.
SPENGLER Just like old times.
STANTZ We should do this more often.
VENKMAN I miss it the most. Unlike you I've been away from this for six months. But, I still have Ghostbusters right here.
(he gesticulates theatrically at his heart)
But you have to give me credit - I still protect Ghostbusters'
interests. Speaking of which I'm late for a meeting with Frank. I'm having him dig up some dirt on Vinnie.
STANTZ Yeah, and I've gotta get back to the office.
ZEDMORE Me too.
STANTZ I'm gonna have Jim research everything there is to know about this Zildrohar.
SPENGLER I have to turn off Jake's treadmill. I'm measuring the ghost's perception of his alpha waves as he gets tired. He'll be tired by now.
They leave.
INT. GRACIE MANSION - DAY
FRANK is in the sitting room, waiting. DANA is there.
DANA He just called. He'll be about half an hour. Shall I turn on the TV for you?
FRANK No, it's fine.
DANA I'm sorry I can't stay. I'm meeting someone for breakfast.
FRANK Don't worry. I have some phone calls to make anyway.
DANA (to Frank)
See you later.
FRANK See you.
Dana leaves. Frank's face looks evil. He phones someone.
FRANK (into phone)
Vinnie Kray please. I have a tip off for him. Good morning Mr.
Kray. Well, see me as a friend.
We have a mutual enemy; the Venkman family. Let's say you were interested in getting medical supplies for Alzheimer's, I happen to know how to swing it. Dana Venkman. The mayor's wife. Use her son. He pissed off some Japanese monks and they want blood. Abseiling down some sacred monument. Crazy kid. Just threaten to tell them where he lives.
Nothing. Just seeing that family pay is enough for me.
He hangs up and dials a new number.
FRANK (into phone)
Put me through to Juan Delgado please. Frank Pacciti.
I have a tip-off for him. Good morning Mr. Delgado. Well, I have a tip about Mayor Venkman. It relates to your daughter. It seems he's been up to some pretty nasty tricks and your daughter may just have been frightened half to death just for one of his publicity stunts. If it was my daughter, I'd go and check it out for myself. They're going to your daughter's house tonight to catch a fake ghost. At one a.m. Good.
I hope you deal with it.
INT. SPENGLER'S LAB - DAY
SPENGLER walks in to his lab. JAKE is there, and collapses on the treadmill which is moving unusually fast. He sits in a heap, sweating and panting. He's exhausted and is wearing a ridiculous looking head gadget. The treadmill keeps moving. Jake can't budge.
SPENGLER Oh, sorry to keep you so long Now let's see...
Spengler looks at a computer screen.
SPENGLER Huh! Interesting
SPENGLER (turns to face Jake)
Are you ready for another run?
Jake slowly turns his head to face Spengler, looking irritated and violated.
EXT. GRACIE MANSION CARPARK - NIGHT
OSCAR drives into the car park and VENKMAN is there.
OSCAR Hey Dad.
VENKMAN Hey. Listen There's something I need to tell you before you go to McPearson's tonight.
OSCAR What's up?
VENKMAN You know how much I'm always trying to do the right thing by my family and by the Ghostbusters?
OSCAR Sure.
VENKMAN Well, I'm trying to raise money for Ray and Egon's new containment system so we can double our efficiency
OSCAR Yeah, Dad. I know.
VENKMAN Well, here's the thing. And as bad as it may sound, I arranged a bit of haunting for someone. With some stuff from a joke shop.
OSCAR Not ('drum roll' tone of voice)
from a JOKE SHOP! I suppose you had a reason for this wanton display of deviance?
VENKMAN It's the money. We can get a pile of R&D credits flowing our way if I can just get people to realize how important our work is.
INT. GRACIE'S LOBBY - NIGHT
VENKMAN and OSCAR enter Gracie Mansion.
VENKMAN (CONT'D)
The idea was to get a celebrity to stand up and vouch for us. That was before this new surge of paranormal activity. To tell you the truth it seems a bit superfluous now.
OSCAR You think?
VENKMAN (getting to the point)
Look, the reason I'm telling you,
is because the guy we haunted is John McPearson.
OSCAR (angry)
John McPearson? Why would you do that?
VENKMAN I told you the why. So what I need you to do, is go over there tonight and make it look good.
OSCAR I don't believe you.
VENKMAN Well, you can always leave it.
Just let them go back to their own house with all the best forensic detectives their sort of money can buy It won't be long before they put two and two together and come up with the Ghostbusters and to him, that means you.
OSCAR I don't have a choice, do I? But I'm not happy about it.
VENKMAN That's settled then. Bring Eden and Jim too.
OSCAR (sighs)
Oh God, I haven't charged the traps yet. The batteries are nearly flat.
VENKMAN So? I didn't say catch a ghost. I said make it look good.
OSCAR (planning it)
I'm gonna need a sheet and some of those helium balloons we had for your campaign.
VENKMAN (can't believe it)
A helium balloon and a sheet?
(visualizing it)
McPearson's like twenty-three -
not three; you are aware of that,
aren't you?
OSCAR (sulking)
I didn't exactly have a lot of time to prepare.
VENKMAN (incredulous)
Don't tell me you're cutting holes in the sheet for the eyes, too?
OSCAR Remember whose face is on the balloon It'd probably look more scary if I cut it big enough to show the whole face.
Venkman pulls a dissatisfied, posing smile.
OSCAR I'm doing this by the seat of my pants.
VENKMAN Sounds like you're gonna be losing your pants.
INT. MCPEARSON'S HOUSE - NIGHT
EDEN is pumping up two helium balloons with Venkman's smiling facing on it. He places them subtly behind the curtains and covers them with a white sheet. It looks like a cartoon-like ghost.
JIM (quietly to Eden,
cringing at their awful creation)
This was such a bad idea. We should have had Jake dress up instead.
EDEN He's only got a pirate costume.
It's not believable.
JIM Oh, and this thing is?
Jim is pretending to operate a large 'PKE reader' the helium pump. Their acting is hammy.
EDEN (dreadful acting,
looking around)
There's something really nasty round here.
JIM (bad acting)
Yeah, of monstrous proportions.
MCPEARSON and DELGADO are there.
MCPEARSON (vindicated)
What did I tell you?
DELGADO (to McPearson)
I have a feeling this might turn out to be some sort of joke. Let's see what they actually find.
OSCAR It's gotta be up here.
Oscar leads the way upstairs. Eden follows, and Jim comes last.
EDEN (overdoing the acting)
You guys just stay right there.
We're fearless. We'll just go upstairs and apprehend the beast.
They nearly reach the top of the stairs. A load thud is heard from downstairs.
EDEN What was that?
A very sudden, loud, long roar is heard from downstairs.
They look down and see a monstrous apparition.
JIM (screams)
Real ghost!
OSCAR (covering up)
Real big ghost. Real, real big.
Jim runs up and Eden runs down and as a result they fall over each other. They lose their footing at the top of the stairs.
Jim is on the narrow part of the wedge-shaped step and goes bumping down the stairs on his backside. Eden follows a few feet behind, bumping after him. They look like they're coming to a stop, but gain momentum again and keep on bumping down until they reach the bottom.
Delgado moves towards the curtain where the helium balloons are hidden. The poltergeist suddenly grabs hold of Delgado.
DELGADO He's got me!
Oscar runs down the stairs past the two others, and fires his thrower at the ghost. The ghost roars at Oscar.
OSCAR (annoyed, speaking commandingly)
You shut up.
JIM Our trap's not gonna be 'enough'.
Delgado grabs at the curtain where the balloons are. The ghost gets enraged and holds Delgado harder.
DELGADO (to ghost)
Let go of me you bastard!
Eden and Jim join Oscar. They all aim their proton streams at the poltergeist. The ghost can't move, but the trap can't contain it either.
EDEN This trap's no good.
DELGADO (desperate)
Can't you do something?
JIM How about a Gorbachov cocktail?
EDEN Molotov cocktail, stupid. And it only works with a Partial Matter Apparition.
JIM Anyone got any better ideas?
EDEN I've got it!
Eden thinks he's identified the ghost type. He grabs the helium pump from Jim and sprays him in the mouth.
JIM (angry, but very squeaky voice)
Hey, cut it out! What are you doing?
Eden ignores him and studies the ghost's reaction. It seems to laugh.
EDEN (quietly to Oscar)
It's a [Class 19 Juvenile Phantasm]. They love toys. It's here for the balloons.
OSCAR (decisive)
John. Get out the house! We'll get Mr. Delgado.
John goes out. Oscar grabs the balloons and the sheet and makes it out the back door. The ghost lets go of Delgado and rushes after Oscar. Oscar ties the balloons, wrapped inside the sheet, to the roof rack of the van.
The ghost starts boxing Oscar. He dodges.
OSCAR (melodious)
Guys Could use some assistance here
The other two come out the house with a very shaken Delgado.
OSCAR Let's get it back to base.
DELGADO (to Oscar, shaken up)
I never knew ghosts even existed.
I'd like donate something substantial to your research. Is there anything the Ghostbusters need?
OSCAR Well, actually we're trying to get a new containment system built Give my dad a call; he handles investment.
MCPEARSON (to Delgado)
That's Mayor Venkman.
DELGADO I will do that.
The Ghostbusters drive off.
EXT. COMPOSITE NEW YORK SCENES - NIGHT & DAY
Short composite of scenes set to (funny) music: The sheet gives way to the balloons and Venkman's smiling face becomes visible. The two smiling-faced balloons flail after the van. They get downtown, and two drunk bums try to pop the balloons at the traffic lights. The ghost is still following the van and it's very protective of the balloons. It picks up the bums and throws them hard onto the sidewalk. They look shocked.
Short composite of scenes set to (eerie) music: The night turns into day. City scenes show New Yorkers behaving badly. A NUN is denying soup to homeless people; a TRAFFIC WARDEN is putting tickets on cars parked legally,
even cars moving slowly along.
Ghosts and ghouls are flying around in subways,
supermarkets, offices, the police stations and courts.
SPENGLER is in his car, driving to work. He sees an OLD GRANDMA mugging someone at gun point on the street. The music fades out.
EXT. NEW YORK STREETS - MORNING 8:00 AM
OLD GRANDMA (pointing an M16 at a degenerate)
Go ahead Punk. Make my day. Hand it over.
SPENGLER does a double take.
INT. GHOSTBUSTERS H.Q. - MORNING
SPENGLER walks in. STANTZ is there and notices Spengler looks off.
STANTZ You look like that time when Dean Yaeger confiscated your fungus collection. Has one of your fungi died?
SPENGLER Worse.
STANTZ The Nobel Committee, right?
SPENGLER (depressed)
Yeah. I got a fax this morning.
They're saying we're manufacturing narcotics from the same fundamental molecule we used for Recall.
(troubled)
Where do they get this stuff from?
STANTZ We're gonna have to appeal it.
SPENGLER Yeah. Talk to Pete. He'll have some good contacts.
EDEN joins them.
EDEN Hey. Is it me, or are people acting strangely in the city?
STANTZ I noticed that. I saw a nun refusing a homeless man soup this morning.
SPENGLER Me too. I saw an old grandma mugging someone with an uzzi in broad daylight.
STANTZ Wow.
(troubled)
Everyone's getting hooked on Evil.
Let's see if they're saying anything about it on the news.
STANTZ turns on the TV. It's not news yet, so he turns the volume down.
STANTZ I forgot to tell you my bad news.
SPENGLER What?
STANTZ It's Zildrohar. Jim called me.
He's been digging around the history archives and it turns out it's another name for Gozer.
SPENGLER Gozer? That is incredibly bad news. Are you sure?
STANTZ I verified it. It's all happening again. And the worst thing is we may have started it.
EDEN Oh, you mean by creating Recall?
STANTZ Without Recall, Vinnie would have never made Evil.
SPENGLER (working it out)
And the irresistible force field of so many New Yorkers acting evil
STANTZ (correcting)
More evil.
SPENGLER (CONT'D)
as well as the sudden increase of ghosts, is creating a vortex of ill will so strong that Gozer can't keep away.
EDEN Kind of like magnetic attraction?
SPENGLER Exactly. It's a well-documented fact that the more evil people act, the more it spreads and the more it spreads, the more evil people want to act.
EDEN So catching the ghosts would weaken Gozer's attraction to Earth?
SPENGLER Dramatically.
THE TV The news is showing a crazy going on about Rapture and the End of the World.
STANTZ (turning the TV volume up)
I wonder if that's another money making scheme or maybe with this talk of Gozer, this really could be the end
EDEN Where is Gozer now?
SPENGLER He exists in another dimension.
Mathematically it's proven there are eleven dimensions. Our best bet would be to stop him getting together with the ghosts.
NEWS REPORTER (V.O.)
... The Sumerians were the first to predict solar eclipses the Aztecs believed the darkening of the light heralded a new era, but these days it's just an exciting phenomena. Next Sunday in the Tri State area around twelve fifteen the sky will turn dark for around seven minutes, so don't miss it!
STANTZ The darkening of the light! That's it! The ghosts are supposed to pay tribute during the darkening of the light! It must be a solar eclipse
Spengler grabs a book on Mesopotamian Mythology and starts reading.
SPENGLER It says here: "Psychokinetic beings are drawn up to the thermosphere to pay tribute to the night-God during the darkening of the light, which is recognized as a predictable blocking of photons".
(looks at Stantz for a reaction)
A predictable blocking of photons!
You're right a solar eclipse!
STANTZ OK, the eclipse fixes the when and the where. But what about the how?
SPENGLER We could build a proton super canon and get them all at once
STANTZ What power would we need?
SPENGLER (calculates fast)
Ur, 1000 MW is 1 Billion Watts divide by 480 Volts is 2.083 million Amps. Converted to D.C. lose about four percent... Not gonna work it's more Amps than all of Manhattan's grids put together. And it's gotta be in just one place, at one precise moment.
STANTZ That sort of power would probably be best compared to something like Tunguska.
SPENGLER What did you say?
STANTZ I said it would best be compared to Tunguska.
Spengler just stares at him, transfixed.
STANTZ Tunguska was where a meteor exploded in the mesosphere, but the shockwave coming off it was so extreme that 50ft pine trees were flattened in a 300 mile radius.
They looked like puny toothpicks.
SPENGLER Yeah I know what it was. You just gave me an amazing idea.
STANTZ What?
SPENGLER Well, you know we've got some NEO's coming and meteor showers for the next few days
STANTZ Oh, you're NOT thinking
SPENGLER Oh, I am If we could weaken the ghosts with a Tunguska style shockwave - a bit like those pine trees - then we'd have enough power in the city to get them.
We'd have to shut the city down of course, but Pete could make that happen.
STANTZ We'd have to find a way to get the meteors in at just the right angle to collide with each other It's pretty radical but in theory, it could just work.
EDEN Radical? What, willfully smashing up meteors over a city with eight million people? Terrorism is still an offence in this country you know.
SPENGLER It sounds a bit crazy. But with the 500 MW available to us, we can't do it any other way. We need to dramatically weaken the ghost's to have a hope in hell of catching them.
EDEN There's a lot to go wrong.
STANTZ But we have to stop Gozer coming back to destroy the world.
SPENGLER If we could control the meteors with absolute precision it should be fine.
EDEN If you want the ultimate NEO buster I know just the guy.
Simon Johnson. He works as Senior Mission Director at the Shooting Star Project. We went to university together.
The Shooting Star Project is a government initiative to safeguard Earth from NEO's using a defense satellite armed with a laser and missiles without warheads for backup.
STANTZ Get him down here. I'm gonna bring the rest of the team up to speed.
Then; it's trigonometry time!
(he grins contently,
anticipating great enjoyment)
Eden picks up his cell phone and starts dialing.
INT. GHOSTBUSTERS H.Q., RESEARCH LAB - DAY
Composite scenes set to music: SPENGLER, EDEN, STANTZ,
MICHELLE and JIM are frantically calculating trajectories, speed, power etc. SIMON, Eden's crazy scientist friend is there, wearing an 'I love Super Stars' T-shirt. The clock handle spins from 10:30 AM to 4:00 PM.
The music fades out.
DANA enters.
STANTZ (to Dana)
We've got it! The workings are done. Now we've just gotta find a way to smash the meteors at the calculated trajectory.
SPENGLER And build the proton super-canons.
JIM Then the ghosts are gonna be toast.
Dana laughs.
DANA Whatever it is, it sounds like you've got your work cut out. I guess I won't see you much between now and Christmas
SPENGLER We don't have that much time the meteors are here this Sunday noon.
DANA (surprised)
What's happening on Sunday?
STANTZ We're gonna save the world from Gozer your old friend. And if our calculations are correct, all the Evil addicts should be back to normal afterwards.
DANA Wow. Well, I'd better let you get on with it. I was just passing, so I thought I'd look for Oscar. His dentist keeps calling and apparently he's not picking up. Is he here?
OSCAR (O.S.)
(voice coming from adjacent room melodious intonation)
He's definitely not in here
Dana laughs.
JIM I can take a message.
DANA (speaking loudly for Oscar's benefit)
Tell him, "go to the dentist!".
Oh, and Peter and I are having dinner at Juan Delgado's tonight.
He's gonna want to join us. John and Carmela are gonna be there.
OSCAR (pops head round door)
I'll be there!
INT. GHOSTBUSTERS H.Q., CARPARK - DAY
Dana goes back to her car, in the underground car park.
Two of Vinnie's scumbags come up to her.
SCUMBAG #1 Can you get to it?
DANA Yes. But there's too many people in there right now.
SCUMBAG #2 You'd better go tonight lady, or you'll regret it.
DANA Tonight? Ghostbusting is a twenty four/seven operation. The night's our busiest time.
The scumbag lifts his jacket and shows her his weapon.
DANA It's no good threatening me with that. You need me alive to get past the retina scanner. I'll do it Sunday lunchtime. There's some big experiment going down, so it'll be half empty in here.
SCUMBAG #1 We'll go with you, just to make sure you don't switch the stuff.
DANA No. I will bring the viles and meet you here. And I'm going to need the hundred thousand in a bank account. I can't be caught with that much cash. And I want to meet directly with your boss. Tell him if he wants it, he'll be here personally on Sunday at two.
SCUMBAG # 2 If you're not here on Sunday,
lady
DANA I'll be here. Make sure Vinnie is,
or the deal's off.
INT. CITY HALL, MAYOR'S OFFICE - DAY 6:30 PM
VENKMAN, OSCAR, JIM greet MARK as he enters. Mark is wearing a red T-shirt.
MARK I got your message.
VENKMAN Yeah. I was hoping you'd know something about Vinnie we can use.
We're running out of ideas and we need evidence.
MARK Well, you searched his office I tried to find out everything I could about him when I was undercover but he could have other places I don't know about.
VENKMAN What about friends or family? Is there anyone he trusts to keep his dirt safe for him?
MARK He's quite close to his brother,
Paul. He's the warden at Riker's.
VENKMAN OK. We'll look into him.
MARK But Paul won't keep anything illegit around himself. He defines a whole new level of paranoia with this kind of stuff. That's why he's the warden; not an inmate.
Cos he sure as hell isn't a hundred percent clean.
JIM OK, so what about inside the prison?
MARK Yeah, maybe
JIM If anything was stored at Rikers it couldn't be connected to either of them.
MARK Yeah. Try it.
OSCAR We'd need to know which box to look for.
MARK Miles Alton. That's his alias.
VENKMAN That's a weird thing to remember.
MARK It's one of the things I committed to memory. I told you, I know Vinnie's life history.
I know what coffee he drinks, I know what wheel trims he likes; I even know his favorite type of nail clippers
OSCAR Seriously? People have favorite ones?
MARK (CONT'D)
hell I know what his best uncle has for breakfast on a Sunday.
(Mark and Oscar speak at the same time*)
VENKMAN (responds to Oscar)
Uncles? Yes.
(to Mark)
So you think Riker's is our best bet?
MARK I'd say it's worth a shot.
VENKMAN I'll let the guys know the good news first thing tomorrow.
(to Oscar and Jim)
You guys won't mind going in to retrieve some stuff from Rikers will you?
OSCAR Sounds like fun. I could come home with an inmate and stick him on my trophy wall.
JIM (shaking head in disbelief)
You've gotta be kidding.
VENKMAN Why the long face? You are aware you're breaking in not out of jail, right?
JIM (sullen, visualizing it)
Not yet, anyway.
EXT. CITY HALL PARKING - NIGHT 7:00 PM
TODD and his colleague MARSHALL from the FBI are sitting in a stakeout car, watching the Mayor's Office.
TODD Oh my God! Look who the Mayor's meeting with. I told you those guys are in it up to their necks.
MARSHALL Who's the guy?
TODD The guy in red is Mark Smith one of Vinnie Kray's scumbags.
(thoughtful)
So they make the dope at Soul Energy... Mark moves it to Vinnie,
and Vinnie distributes it. That's how they do it. Hah! This amphibian's gonna nail himself a mayor
They watch MARK talking to JIM and OSCAR in the carpark.
Jim looks briefly over in Todd's direction and makes a mental note of him.
TODD The Ghostbusters are looking at fifteen to twenty-five years for this.
MARSHALL So what now?
TODD We need evidence. Consider yourself promoted to official Ghostbusters' shadow. You don't lose them for a second you got that? Get anything you can.
MARSHALL Which guy do I follow?
TODD The black guy's a scientist, not a deal-maker. Follow the other guy.
He's the mayor's stepson, Oscar Venkman.
They watch Mark shake hands and say goodbye to Jim and Oscar. They all go to their cars and get in.
EXT. UPMARKET ROAD TOWARDS THE HAMPTONS - DUSK
MARSHALL is following the Venkman's new Lincoln. They're driving towards the Hamptons. They're all dressed up to meet the Delgados.
VENKMAN is talking to DANA about getting investment from Delgado to expand Ghostbusters and Soul Energy. Subtly in the background there are two skeleton ghosts in a vegetable van at a T-junction, waiting to turn into the road. The skeletons get between Marshall and the Venkman's.
VENKMAN The sky's the limit. Just imagine Oscar and the others building an empire, with power stations in every major city... Every success starts with a dream.
Suddenly a screech is heard behind them. They turn around and see the two skeletons in the van. They're accelerating towards the Venkman's car.
DANA Oh, my God, what's that?
They look behind them.
VENKMAN It looks like a couple of [Class 9 Roaming Repeaters] doing some joyriding. Shall we challenge them to a race?
DANA Real men don't race with ladies in the car.
VENKMAN Trust me - those guys aren't real men.
(bumpers touch)
OSCAR They seem to be having a race with us.
The ghosts screech up next to them, jeering and pulling aggressive faces.
VENKMAN (to the ghosts)
You think you're gonna burn my Lincoln with your hippy truck?
One of the ghosts grabs something and holds it threateningly, about to throw it at them.
Peter accelerates fast, burning rubber. The ghost throws something which hits the bumper. It's a tomato. The ghosts grind their teeth.
BIRD'S EYE POV
The cars speed down the road.
The ghosts throw tomatoes. The two cars swerve to avoid a stone bollard in the road.
THE CAR
DANA Are they throwing tomatoes at us?
OSCAR I think so.
VENKMAN You'd think they'd come up with a more creative way to 'buu' us.
Venkman looks at the van text . It says "CIA'S FRUIT AND VEGETABLE MARKET". The "LU" in LUCIA'S is almost unreadable, crossed out with graffiti.
VENKMAN You spooks wanna play? Come on then.
Venkman accelerates hard. The car shoots past the camera 'Brave New World' music fades in. They hold on tight. A mouthy skeleton hangs out the window trying to throw more tomatoes. Venkman zigzags to avoid the tomatoes.
(the music shows determination)
Oscar's eyes widen as he looks back. The music fades out.
OSCAR Watch out!
Venkman looks in the mirror.
VENKMAN Holy shit!
The ghost has just finished carving out an enormous Jack O'Lantern. He has a whole pile of them. They start throwing them at the Venkman's car.
A huge pumpkin gets stuck on their roof rack and suddenly a pumpkin face is peering in at them through the half open sun roof. Everyone is startled.
Dana puts her hand up to push it off and has to open the sunroof all the way. She pushes it away from the hole,
but unseen by her, it's still caught in the roof rails.
VENKMAN Hold on! See if those spooks can do this.
Venkman flips the car on two wheels and drives through a narrow slip road bordered by two stone pillars.
MARSHALL (face in disbelief)
Holy shit!
Wheels screech from the ghost van. The ghosts brace themselves. They try to stop but smash into the pillars.
THE VENKMAN'S POV
From a semi bird's eye POV the ghost van disappears fast into the distance, showing that it stopped but the Venkman's continue.
MARSHALL'S CAR Marshall, who's just a few feet behind the ghost's, crashes into them.
THE ECTO VAN
Ghostbusters song fades in. OSCAR, EDEN and JIM arrive,
in the van. Ghostbusters music fades out.
VENKMAN'S CAR Venkman flips the car back down and stops. The Jack O' Lantern falls down through the sun roof and onto his face, through a head sized hole cut into the bottom.
VENKMAN (scream)
Ahh!
DANA and OSCAR
(scream)
Ahh!
Venkman throws off the Jack O' Lantern and turns to look at the Ghostbusters catching the skeletons.
VENKMAN (with some pumpkin in his hair)
See what happens when a Venkman flips. You don't want to be on the wrong side of that.
OSCAR That would sound so much cooler if you didn't have bits of pumpkin in your hair, Dad.
DANA removes it. They drive off again.
THE GHOST'S VAN
The Ghostbusters song fades in. The ghosts fight and throw pumpkins at the Ghostbusters. They dodge the pumpkins. Finally the ghosts get zapped up by the Ghostbusters. The Ghostbusters music fades out.
EXT. THE DELGADO MANSION - NIGHT
Venkman pulls up at the Delgado Mansion. They get out and knock on the door. It opens and they go in.
EXT. SERVICE STATION - NIGHT
MARSHALL is walking down the street and gets to a service station. He finds a call box and goes to make a call.
MARSHALL Todd. It's Marshall. I lost them.
I had a car crash. Yeah. In the Hamptons. The ultra-rich area.
Gotta be some drug-lord. I don't know which house they went to. Yes, sir. I will tomorrow.
INT. THE DELGADO MANSION - NIGHT
The Venkman's and the Delgado's have finished dinner, and are seated around the lounge, having coffee. DANA is getting along well with MRS. DELGADO and OSCAR is talking to MCPEARSON and CARMELA.
The men are discussing investment into Ghostbusters.
VENKMAN We're thinking of expanding into the west coast, probably L.A. They could seriously use a new power company there. And we're thinking about Dallas and maybe Chicago.
A MAID comes in and serves drinks.
DELGADO Peter, would you like to step into my office? I've got something I think you're gonna want to see.
VENKMAN What?
They go through to the office.
DELGADO See what you think about this.
He plays the audio file and Venkman listens to the conversation between Delgado and Frank.
VENKMAN (putting it together)
That explains a few things. You know if there's ever anything I can do for you, you'll just call me, right?
DELGADO I was counting on it.
VENKMAN Well, I think it's time we were on our way. I have a judge I've gotta go see tonight.
DELGADO Sure.
VENKMAN Thanks for a great evening. We'll do it again soon. Next time,
you're coming to Gracie.
DELGADO I look forward to it.
They shake hands.
INT. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE FRANK'S APARTMENT - MORNING 8:00 AM
VENKMAN rings the doorbell at Frank's apartment. With him are two MALE NURSES from a Rehab Center. FRANK opens the door.
VENKMAN Hi Frank. Can we come in?
FRANK Sure.
INT. FRANK'S APARTMENT - MORNING
VENKMAN and the MALE NURSES enter. Venkman hands FRANK a court order.
VENKMAN This is a court order compelling you to get into a rehab. You've gotten hooked on Evil and I want you to get clean.
Frank looks at it.
FRANK You can't do this.
VENKMAN That's just it, under the mental hygiene act I can.
FRANK What's the big idea?
VENKMAN I know what you did to wreck things for me and Egon and Ray.
THE PARROT Un-elect mayor Venkman, un-elect mayor Venkman.
Frank looks dissatisfied at the parrot.
VENKMAN Thanks for the vote of confidence Polly. Frank, I'm looking out for you.
FRANK Oh, the ever-caring friend, huh?
Could never do anything wrong.
VENKMAN I'm doing the right thing.
(to the nurses)
Take him, and keep him under lock and key. He's a danger to himself and to society. And to his parrot.
FRANK I'll find a way to get back at you, Peter.
VENKMAN You'll thank me one day.
INT. GHOSTBUSTERS H.Q. - DAY
The junior Ghostbusters are there. JAKE enters.
MICHELLE Hey.
JAKE Hey. We got a lot of work orders?
JIM Didn't they tell you? Peter's got us breaking into jail now.
JAKE Are you freaking kidding me?
JIM I wish I was.
JAKE And what happens when we get caught?
Jake is a muscular marine.
OSCAR That's what you're here for. Use your charm and get us out of it.
JAKE We need a reason for being there.
OSCAR We're taking Slimer. We can release him and put on a good show if we have to.
JIM Jake's got a point. It's not about a show.
You might be comfortable doing this but I'm not, and I think I speak for all of us. You might feel some great inner need to go skydiving or swimming with sharks or breaking into State Penitentiaries but the rest of us don't.
EDEN Peter should get someone else to do this.
OSCAR The last guy we trusted to get things done was Frank. Until he got himself hooked on Evil. He's in rehab now. We can't trust people these days.
JIM We're educated people. We don't need to voluntarily choose a life of crime and throw away our whole lives behind bars.
OSCAR Well, I guess I can do it on my own... There's so much paranormal activity out there right now I could be caught in the Federal Reserve wearing stripes and carrying a swag bag they'd still be begging me for help when they see Slimer. They have no choice.
JIM Sounds like abuse of power.
OSCAR Have you forgotten that it's Vinnie who's the criminal here not us? We're the victims. The world is the victim.
JIM I guess
OSCAR If it wasn't for Vinnie we wouldn't have Gozer coming back to destroy the world. I don't know about you but I say we teach that bastard some manners.
JIM Jeez Oscar, if your dad had to pick a place for us cut our teeth at law breaking which by the way is not cool why did he have to go and make it law enforcement?
'Go-Get-'Em' music fades in. They leave the office, get in the van, and drive to Riker's.
EXT. RIKERS CAR PARK - DAY
They pull up in Riker's car park, having got past security. The music fades out.
EDEN And that's just to get into the car park? I thought our honest faces would have counted for something.
JAKE They did. That was interrogation lite, believe me.
JIM (staring at the scene)
This is just like a recurring nightmare I kept having throughout my second year at university when a friend of mine wound up in here because of an unpaid parking fine.
OSCAR What an ass. Had to be one of your friends.
(eager)
Come on, this is a once-in-a lifetime opportunity! You only get to do this when you're young, free and single.
JIM (sullen)
With a strong emphasis on the FREE.
MARSHALL parks up, following the Ghostbusters. He gets out and follows them keeping his distance.
INT. RIKERS SAFETY DEPOSIT BOXES - DAY
The Ghostbusters are just outside the safety deposit boxes.
EDEN stops and freezes, and watches MARSHALL appear,
break a laser beam and set off the alarm. Eden and JIM are confused and don't know what to do.
OSCAR doesn't care and continues to opens the box. He removes the papers inside it and stuffs them in his clothes, then runs back towards the others.
OSCAR Got it!
Four huge PRISON GUARDS appear, responding to the alarm.
JAKE opens the box with Slimer in it.
JAKE (into Slimer's trap)
Slimer! It's time!
He waits a second. No Slimer appears.
EDEN We're fighting a Class Five Non Repeating Phantasm.
He looks for a reaction, but there is none.
JIM A very dangerous ghost.
(pointing to jumpsuit logo)
We're the Ghostbusters. See?
PRISON GUARD #1 (cocking his head)
Right.
The guards come towards them.
EDEN What, you don't believe us? You think we're just lying to you?
PRISON GUARD #2 (threateningly)
Crossed my mind.
PRISON GUARD #3
You're not here for the beer and you're not here for the women.
OSCAR I can think of at least a dozen guys who'd love to have some fun with you girls.
The four guards walk forward in unison.
JAKE (whispering to Slimer)
Come on Slimer put in an appearance for the team!
There's no Slimer.
JAKE What's up, man? Wrong time to be sulking.
Jake feels the urge to have a punch-up with the guards,
but controls it and looks to Oscar for ideas.
OSCAR (to Jake)
Food!
He speaks directly to Slimer.
OSCAR (speaking clearly)
The canteen here serves great hot dogs...
Whoosh! Slimer comes out and pulls a big mouthy face at the four guards. They are terrified, and scamper off whimpering.
JAKE Thanks, Slimer. The canteen's that way.
Jake points and Slimer goes off.
EXT. RIKERS CAR PARK - DAY
The junior Ghostbusters exit the prison and drive off calmly in the van.
INT. GHOSTBUSTERS H.Q., LOBBY - DAY 7:00 PM
The junior Ghostbusters enter the lobby.
EDEN I'm gonna see Dad about that high frequency whistle.
JAKE Slimer has a whistle?
EDEN Yeah. We trained him to associate it with hot dogs.
INT. GHOSTBUSTERS H.Q.,COFFEE ROOM - DAY
OSCAR, JIM and JAKE find VENKMAN, STANTZ, MICHELLE and WINSTON in a plush management coffee lounge.
VENKMAN Did you get anything?
OSCAR Take a look.
He tosses the envelope at VENKMAN who opens it and looks through the contents.
VENKMAN Off-shore accounts and transactions.
(he studies it)
These go back six years Not bad.
(to Stantz)
Take a look.
STANTZ takes it, half looks at it and passes it on to Zedmore. Oscar looks over his shoulder.
OSCAR (enthusiastic)
What do you think? He's gotta be embezzling from KRAY FISHERIES,
right?
JIM (hopeful)
We can have him put away until the next ice-age.
ZEDMORE (looking at papers)
Maybe. Let's see what the FBI think. It mightn't be enough.
There's no hard evidence tying him to these accounts.
VENKMAN Can you take care of it Michelle?
MICHELLE Sure. I'll fax it to the FBI right now.
Michelle takes the evidence from Zedmore and leaves.
Venkman gets on the phone to someone.
STANTZ (impressed)
Well, I must admit, I didn't think you guys had it in you.
JIM (forgetting his earlier cowardice)
We're not scared of getting down in the mud and fighting if we have to.
Jake gives him a warning look. SPENGLER and EDEN enter.
EDEN Slimer's back! He remembered his whistle.
JAKE (pleased)
I've gotten used to having that ugly little spud around.
EDEN (to Jim)
What did they think of the evidence?
JIM Ray nearly fell off his chair.
EDEN (misunderstanding)
Oh! Was he hurt?
Michelle enters. She takes cups down from the cupboard and looks in the usual place for teabags. Then she looks in a different cupboard for them.
MICHELLE Where's my tea?
SPENGLER (mishears it as M.I.T.)
Around Boston. How come you don't know that?
(pauses indignantly)
What do they teach you these days?
MICHELLE (trying to understand)
Boston..? Oh, you mean like the Boston Tea Party?
(looking at all the empty tea containers)
Yeah, you definitely have a point there.
(she opens and looks in yet another tea container it too is empty)
There's nothing in that one!
SPENGLER (misunderstanding Michelle)
You're right. There's nothing in it at all. History doesn't teach real-world skills. I knew where M.I.T. was when I was four years old.
Venkman comes back from his phone call.
EDEN Dad, weren't you gonna tell them about the satellite readings?
SPENGLER Right. The update is this; the city wide PKE readings are starting to get critical. Larry and I were looking at the satellite and it's gonna be a problem.
VENKMAN How much of a problem?
SPENGLER Everywhere in the Tri-State is bad but we noticed one place where the worst growth is happening. The kind of 'nursery'.
STANTZ Where?
SPENGLER Well, you remember in 1989, when all the evil was moving round the city..?
ZEDMORE Oh no. No, no, no, no, no.
SPENGLER No, no it's nothing like that.
The sewers are only the hotspot for the nursery. They move somewhere else when they're fully grown.
STANTZ And how long does that take?
SPENGLER Well, that's the problem. One week. It's a [Class 14 Bio .
Phantasm]. What we're talking about is a psychokinetic being effectively possessing one of the most plentiful life forms on earth. Bacteria.
(looks at everyone for a reaction)
It's making use of the way bacteria rapidly divide to effectively multiply itself.
STANTZ (deeply interested)
That shows that the ghosts are following the same laws of evolution as the regular kingdoms of life. Nature always 'thinks outside the box' to find the most optimal way.
SPENGLER That's exactly what's happened.
Now they appear to be reproducing.
Fast.
(wonders off topic)
Did you know that some bacteria have a reproduction cycle of twenty minutes?
VENKMAN (misunderstanding)
Twenty minutes? I heard of a guy who could go for thirty minutes once
STANTZ (helpfully)
No. From the creation of a new organism until it reproduces itself.
VENKMAN (gets it)
I knew that! I am a doctor,
remember?
ZEDMORE Egon; you do have a solution,
right? Tell me you have some good news.
SPENGLER Well, it's goodish, I guess. If we can just remove the 'breeding adults' from the sewers there's only like a dozen of them we can more or less delay the whole thing for a week.
STANTZ (cheerful)
And by then it won't matter...
OSCAR You guys may have been willing to get down and dirty in the sewers,
but I didn't sign up for that. I have a date tonight!
VENKMAN Then maybe you give Scooby and Shaggy a bell. Someone's gotta be live bait.
EDEN (to Oscar)
The world's about to come to an end and you're dating?
OSCAR What do you want me to do? Enroll in a new degree course?
Eden shakes his head, shrugging it off.
STANTZ Look guys, the readings are here to give us early warning. We didn't have Satellite PKE readings in our day. Take my advice, you want to be dealing with it now. A dozen breeding adults could become fifty thousand at this rate, and then you won't have a choice.
VENKMAN There may just be a way to outsource this job
OSCAR How?
VENKMAN (to Jim)
You said you've acquired a tail?
OSCAR A tail? That could be useful. We could play pin the tail on the ghost. I always thought they looked kinda naked without them.
JIM (to Venkman)
Yeah. Wherever we go, he's there.
I saw him watching us outside City Hall and then I saw him last night when you guys went to see Delgado.
He had a little running with the Skeletor twins. He's probably outside waiting for us right now.
VENKMAN (to Stantz)
Let's show 'em how it's done, old school Egon, do you still have the ingredients here to make that Ghost-nip Cocktail?
SPENGLER Oh, it's just some isoprene,
cyclopentane, lactone and the 'piece de la r sistance';
reconstituted animal membrane...
VENKMAN You mean a hotdog?
SPENGLER Yes, colloquially speaking When do you need it by?
VENKMAN By the morning. Come on! What are we waiting for?
The junior Ghostbusters exchange speculative looks. They all go to the chemistry lab.
INT. THE CHEMISTRY LAB - NIGHT
VENKMAN, STANTZ and ZEDMORE prepare a recording of the junior Ghostbusters' voices and upload it on an iPod.
CHEMISTRY LAB SPENGLER is wearing his chemistry coat and mask. He's making a chemical cocktail. Unexpectedly a balloon with Venkman's face on it pops up from above a ficus. It's a helium balloon and the face is smiling a lot.
Spengler is too concentrated to look up, but sees it in the corner of his eye through his mask and thinks it's Venkman.
SPENGLER (still looking at his work)
Peter, I think if the cyclopentane and the lactone don't bond in two fused rings, it mightn't be a hundred percent stable a half hour from now. There's a possibility of 'over-attraction'. But I'm seventy five percent certain that won't happen. What do you think?
There is a silence.
SPENGLER Peter?
Silence.
SPENGLER Peter, stop smiling and say something.
The silence continues.
SPENGLER Peter, I know you're there. I can see you.
Silence.
SPENGLER (getting annoyed)
Alright. Play your juvenile little games then.
Still silence.
SPENGLER You're getting back at me for last Easter. I get that. Sometimes I get a bit intense about my work. I said I was sorry.
Michelle tidies the balloon away, but Spengler doesn't see her.
EXT. THE STREET - MORNING 8:00 AM
The junior Ghostbusters walk past MARSHALL. He's 'in cognito' with sunglasses and a hat, but JIM recognizes him.
JIM (overly articulately,
within Marshall's earshot)
We'll cut through the sewers. We gotta get some privacy for this shit.
OSCAR (smirking at his words)
The mind boggles.
Jim puts some bollards around the manhole and opens the lid.
JIM (loudly, for Marshall's benefit)
One of you can go first.
OSCAR (loudly)
I'll go. I'm not scared of rats.
Oscar starts climbing down. JAKE drives up in a plain van with sliding doors, blocking the line of sight for Marshall. Jake is 'in disguise', wearing a cap. Marshall doesn't notice him. All the Ghostbusters climb into the van through the sliding doors.
They drive away and stop at the next manhole. They open it and drop down the iPod on a rope, and play the recording of their voices loudly. They secure the dangling iPod. They park somewhere discreet and settle down to watch Marshall.
JIM (enjoying himself)
Wo-hey, he took the bate.
They look. Marshall is climbing down into the sewers.
They laugh. MICHELLE comes walking past Marshall, as if from nowhere, and spays his jacket generously with the Ghost-Nip spray. He looks up at her confused.
MICHELLE Pervert!
She walks off indignantly. (She's wearing a skirt.)
INT. THE SEWERS - MORNING
MARSHALL is stumbling around in the sewers. He meets with a dozen ghosts and is terrified. He runs as fast as he can without falling; stumbling along, followed by the ghosts. They're attracted to his Ghost-Nip odor. At the other entrance he finds the dangling iPod and works it all out. He's fuming.
As he climbes up the hole, one of the ghosts slimes his face. The ghosts continue to hover around him. Marshall's slimy face pops up the hole.
JIM Oh, it's you following us like a bad smell.
OSCAR We're actually hiring people with your aptitude for this sort of work. You can send your resume to the HRM Dept. We'll put in a good word for you.
EDEN (to the others)
I told you the Ghost-Nip would work.
MARSHALL (enraged)
You played me?
The Ghostbusters start zapping up the ghosts.
STANTZ, SPENGLER, ZEDMORE, VENKMAN and CLARENCE arrive at the scene and watch.
Marshall spots TODD coming along the road and panics. He tries desperately to wipe off the slime, but can't. It's a rare, super-sticky variety.
He makes a mad dash to the nearest street vendor and grabs a children's clown mask to cover his face, and tosses a note at the vendor. His eyes move sideways tracking Todd. Todd stops to watch the ghosts being zapped up by the Ghostbusters.
An unrelated ghost comes to watch. He steals a carton of popcorn from a street vendor and stands next to Clarence,
munching.
Clarence carefully turns his head slowly sideways, gets scared and runs away. The ghost follows, giggling.
Clarence gets cornered between a repair van and the ghost. He stands, arms out, flat against the van, staring with his mouth open. The ghost eats another piece of popcorn. Clarence feels a bit more brave and clambers up on the van roof. A boom truck with a large hook drives past, catching Clarence's clothes and lifts him off,
kicking and screaming.
CLARENCE (high-pitched squeaking)
Ahhh!
Todd notices Clarence, and runs over to see.
TODD'S POV The camera looks down the road.
Clarence' arms and legs are flailing around as he dangles there, going down road, getting smaller and smaller in the distance, still shouting.
Todd calls dispatch on his cell phone and leaves.
Marshall relaxes when Todd's gone, and tries to remove the mask. He can get it off; it's stuck to his face with super-sticky ectoplasm. Oscar looks at him.
OSCAR Contrary to popular opinion,
ghosts are ok with the whole clown thing you're not gonna scare them off. You need one of these.
(points at proton pack)
EDEN (feeling guilty)
The reason they're crazy about you, is your Eau de Ghost-Nip.
JIM (eyes watering from the bad sewer smell)
More like Eau de Toilette
Michelle smiles and shakes the spray can for him to see.
MICHELLE Oh, and by the way, [Class 14 Bio .. Phantasms] have really sticky ectoplasm. My dad was thinking of going into the superglue business before they came up with green power.
MARSHALL All right, you've had your fun.
How do I get this slime off?
VENKMAN You don't.
MARSHALL Come on
VENKMAN (lying)
It'll come off by itself in about three to six months.
Marshall rushes forward and violently snatches the ghost trap and the spray can.
MARSHALL (angry)
Two can play at that game
He starts undoing the trap.
ALL THE GHOSTBUSTERS Don't!
MARSHALL Tell me, or I'll unleash this.
Marshall sprays towards Venkman, but the nozzle is counter intuitive and he sprays towards himself instead.
MICHELLE (appeasing)
It comes off really easily with cooking oil.
It's too late. A ghost is already starting to seep out.
VENKMAN Give me that thing.
He snatches the trap decisively from Marshall and shuts it. The ghosts that escaped are the two Scoleri brothers.
They convert themselves into beast mode, growling and snarling, then leap inside Marshall, possessing him.
Instantly Marshall mysteriously becomes two people. They both look like a possessed clown, complete with mask.
Everyone is taken aback. The Marshall brothers disappear down the streets.
VENKMAN (shocked)
The Scoleri brothers!
Clarence can you call Clarence?
Anyone seen Clarence?
STANTZ I know where those two went.
EVERYONE Where?
STANTZ Wall Street! The Scoleri brothers are money mad. The NYSE's the target!
(to Jim)
Jim, have we got a spare proton pack?
JIM Yeah, always. Why?
STANTZ Cos' I'm coming with you. Who's with me?
(looking at the senior Ghostbusters)
VENKMAN (looking at watch)
I've gotta get to work. Let me know when you've got them.
SPENGLER I'm in the middle of a critical experiment I started last night.
ZEDMORE I've got a meeting with the EPA.
We don't wanna be cancelling on those guys. I'll take these back.
(taking the full trap)
THE ECTO VAN
The junior Ghostbusters and Stantz get into the van.
Stantz gets changed into a jumpsuit with 'Stantz'
stitched on it. It rips dramatically down one side.
STANTZ (he freezes, and looks)
Oh, no way.
He realizes it was Michelle's jumpsuit.
STANTZ Michelle?
MICHELLE What?
STANTZ (hopeful)
Was this an old ripped jumpsuit you were gonna to donate to charity?
She looks at it and sees the rip.
MICHELLE No. That's a new ripped jumpsuit; which I'm gonna donate to charity.
STANTZ Oh. That was lucky.
JIM (showing Stantz)
That's yours.
Stantz get changed into his own jumpsuit.
EXT. THE STREET - DAY
They get out the car.
STANTZ Michelle, we'll need satellite.
MICHELLE On it.
Michelle stays in the van with JAKE, working from her laptop. The Ghostbusters go on foot. The ghosts disappear into the NYSE.
MICHELLE (O.S.)
(coming over radio)
You were right. They're right outside the NYSE.
STANTZ (into radio)
There's only one way to save the dollar! You've got to phone the NYSE's CEO. Have him shut trading down for ten minutes.
The Ghostbusters keep running.
STANTZ runs into EDDIE MURPHY. They're old friends.
EDDIE MURPHY (addresses Dan Akroid as his character from Trading Places)
Hey, Louis, how's it going?
STANTZ It's Ray.
EDDIE MURPHY Ray? I keep calling you Louis.
STANTZ Can't stop. Got an emergency at the NYSE!
EDDIE MURPHY What's up?
STANTZ (hesitates)
Listen, can you go short for me?
EDDIE MURPHY (smirks)
I always go long.
STANTZ The market's gonna crash. You'll see I'm right.
EDDIE MURPHY How much are we betting? The usual amount?
STANTZ You're on. So you'll go short for me on something?
EDDIE MURPHY Something? Wanna be a bit more specific?
STANTZ Kray Fisheries. Use ALL my balance. Take this (handing him his iPhone)
Wait ten minutes for the big crash and then buy. I'm logged in. Gotta go!
EDDIE MURPHY (amused)
Sure thing, man.
STANTZ runs after the other Ghostbuster's into the NYSE.
Eddie Murphy looks after him, looking quizzical.
Eddie Murphy looks at Stantz trading balance. It's $42,700.
He commits most of Stantz' money on Kray Fisheries Inc.
and presses "Sell".
MICHELLE (V.O)
(coming over Stantz'
radio)
They told me to get lost. You'll have to find another way to stop them.
STANTZ (into radio)
We'll try.
INT. NYSE, BASEMENT VAULT - DAY
The Ghostbusters see the MARSHALL BROTHERS in the vault.
They're stealing million dollar bonds. The Marshall brothers see them, and the bonds instantly float in the ceiling.
A safe deposit box is thrown in their direction, but there are bars between them and the Ghostbusters. JIM tries to crack the entry system but he can't.
JIM It's water tight.
OSCAR That's good. They're predicting rain.
The Marshall brothers click the door open, and the alarm goes off. The Ghostbusters run into the vault with their proton streams zapping, trying to catch the ghosts.
Four security men and a tough-looking woman rush towards the alarm.
MARSHALL GHOST #1 (into OSCAR's ear)
Now it's Marshalls one,
Ghostbusters zero. Ha, ha, ha
They seep through the wall.
OSCAR (calling after THE MARSHALL BROTHERS)
Actually, it's Marshalls one,
Ghostbusters one don't forget that. And it's not over yet!
The security men see the Ghostbuster's in the vault.
EDEN Oh great! There's something very repetitive about this.
OSCAR I think they hit this vault just to set us up. And we walked straight into it.
JIM Literally.
The security men arrive. They grab hold of the Ghostbusters.
STANTZ I know you're not gonna believe this, but it wasn't us.
GUARD #1 How did I know you were gonna say that? I must be psychic. Let me guess, it was that guard over there.
STANTZ It was the Marshalls. They took all your stuff.
He gesticulates towards all the bonds on the floor. A guard picks one up.
GUARD #2 dollar bonds.
GUARD #1 (in disbelief)
You're saying U.S. Marshalls did this? Where are they then?
STANTZ They escaped a minute ago.
HEAD GUARD Escaped? Bill, any Marshalls on the perimeter cameras in the last ten minutes?
BILL THE GUARD
No Sir, nothing. Just these guys.
STANTZ No, see, they were dressed up as clowns well, not really dressed up they were wearing clown masks.
HEAD GUARD (unimpressed)
Clown masks?
HEAD GUARD Bill, any clowns in the last ten minutes?
BILL GUARD No sir, just these clowns here.
(nodding at Ghostbusters)
STANTZ Look, I don't seem to be explaining myself
HEAD GUARD Read him his rights.
STANTZ Please don't!
The guards exchange looks.
STANTZ Look, there's been a misunderstanding. They weren't actually Marshalls. Or clowns.
They were ghosts
HEAD GUARD (rattled)
Save it for the jury! Come on You have the right to remain silent...
STANTZ I don't want to remain silent!
Please can I just explain? There's gotta be something in the constitution giving me the right to explain myself!?
HEAD GUARD Explain it to your lawyer.
(to a female guard)
Take him away and search him.
A tough-looking female guard marches off with Stantz.
STANTZ (calling to the guys)
Don't worry, I'll get this sorted out.
JIM Look - we're Ghostbusters! See (pointing to logo on arm)
HEAD GUARD Yeah, and I'm the President of the United States!
(thinks he's funny)
And your great uncle's the mayor right?
OSCAR My dad's the mayor
HEAD GUARD Of course he is! Don't forget about the clowns and the US Marshalls is he their dad too?
EDEN I think it's best if I explain.
(certain he can get through)
It's perfectly straightforward.
The two U.S. Marshalls we mentioned - they weren't actually Marshalls at all.
GUARD looks amused.
EDEN (CONT'D)
There's a man, called James Marshall... James Marshall got his face plastered with ectoplasm;
then he got a clown mask stuck to the ectoplasm After that, he got possessed by a ghost. And after that, he divided into two ghosts..!
Then, the two ghosts well, poltergeists really went into the vault, took your million dollar bonds and escaped through the wall just as we were trying to catch them and that's where you guys came along and saw us,
thinking it was us all along... And right about now,
they're trying to crash the stock market..! Which bit of that is so hard for you to understand?
HEAD GUARD None of it. It's all very clear now.
EDEN (happy)
All it took was a simple explanation.
HEAD GUARD (to another guard)
Take 'em Watch out they don't disappear through the walls though.
OSCAR You don't believe us. Fine. Call the mayor. He really is my father.
If you just let me make the call,
I'll prove it to you.
GUARD #2 (unsure)
Maybe we should let him make one call? You know the mayor was a Ghostbuster once.
HEAD GUARD (annoyed)
One call. To the mayor you say?
Bill, get the mayor on the phone for me. His 'son' wants him.
Bill gets Venkman on the phone and hands it to the head guard.
HEAD GUARD (into phone)
Mr. Mayor, hi, it's Dick Russell here
He has a short conversation, then returns.
HEAD GUARD It looks like I owe you boys an apology.
OSCAR Pardon? I didn't quite catch that?
HEAD GUARD Don't push it, son.
(his back to Oscar)
You're free to go.
OSCAR Did you hear that guys? We're free to go.
JIM (nervous)
And that's just what we're doing.
Thanks.
(to the others)
Let's get out of here.
The female guard returns with Stantz. He looks flustered.
EXT. NYSE ENTRANCE - DAY
The Ghostbusters leave the NYSE.
JIM That was close!
STANTZ I told you I'd get us out of there.
EXT. WALL STREET - DAY
EDEN phones Michelle and puts her on hands free.
MICHELLE (O.S.)
What's happening?
EDEN We lost the Marshalls.
MICHELLE (O.S.)
I see them. They're just outside,
in the crowd. If you head east you should see them. Oh, by the way,
we just saw the biggest stock market crash in like a gazillion years - were the Marshalls behind that?
EDEN Yeah.
STANTZ (singing happily)
Number one, number one, number one
OSCAR What's that about?
STANTZ I had some insurance. I think I just made about $20,000
JIM (whistles)
Not bad.
OSCAR (sees the ghosts)
They're right there!
JIM They're not even worried about us,
are they?
The ghosts see the Ghostbusters and move on. They stop and perch on a modern monument on Broadway, waiting until the Ghostbusters come, then move.
THE VAN The Ghostbusters follow them in the van but lose them again.
EDEN (looking over Michelle's shoulder)
Can you see them?
MICHELLE Their every step. They just drifted in at Downtown hospital.
OSCAR Jake...
JAKE (signaling to turn off)
Already on it. We'll be there in five.
It's nearly sundown.
INT. DOWNTOWN HOSPITAL - DUSK
The Ghostbusters exit the lift on the fifth floor. EDEN stops and grabs some tin foil from a food trolley en route.
OSCAR OK (accepting/approving)
That's useful A lot of people swear by lead these days of course. Cos' they say the mother ship can beam through foil.
EDEN It's in case there's any more laser beams. This time I'm prepared.
(holds up the foil)
STANTZ Let's split up.
Oscar and Eden take one corridor; Stantz and JIM another.
Eden goes straight ahead and Oscar to the left.
INT. DOWNTOWN HOSPITAL, END ROOM - DUSK
OSCAR looks from the corridor into a room at the end. He suddenly sees EDEN being pushed into a filing cabinet by the MARSHALL BROTHERS. They laugh demonically, enjoying toying with the Ghostbusters.
They magically melt holes in all three drawers, so Eden can fit. Oscar runs to his help. The ghosts see him and attack him too. Oscar ends up on a hospital bed, unable to move, petrified.
A NURSE comes through the room, which connects to other rooms.
OSCAR (only able to move his head)
Nurse, can you get my friend out the filing cabinet?
NURSE (disbelief)
Your FRIEND? What is he? A spider?
OSCAR (small nods)
Uh, similar. But not as cute. Why don't you open the drawers and see for yourself?
She sighs, and opens the top drawer.
The nurse jumps back and clutches her heart.
EDEN's head and shoulders come out, and somehow the tin foil has gotten wrapped round his head.
(he's having to bend uncomfortably)
EDEN (shouting loudly through to other rooms)
The Marshalls are here!
(sounds like "The Martians are here")
The nurse pulls a face, thinking he's crazy.
OSCAR I know, but I can't do anything.
I've been petrified.
EDEN Oh there you are. That just great!
The nurse looks bewildered.
NURSE (speaking clearly like they're stupid)
There are no such thing as aliens.
Eden is still poking out the drawer. He can't resist getting fanatical over the nurse's comment.
EDEN That's a very strange thing to say. Life existing ONLY around a single star in the entire universe That's mathematically improbable, you know that don't you? Consider that there are over a 300 Sextillion stars out there,
all at different stages of stellar evolution.
NURSE Sure mister.
EDEN In case you can't visualize a 300 Sextillion; that's 3x10 to the power of 23.
NURSE (trying to appease the crazy)
Oh, wow.
EDEN And for all we know, there are more universes beyond - multiple multi-verses.
The very existence of life here not to mention it's diversity is proof that life is a phenomenon of the very laws of nature.
The nurse smiles, unnaturally.
NURSE Right.
EDEN (CONT'D)
When the circumstances are right,
life appears just like the elements can't help themselves from fusing and forming new elements. So you see, life is mathematically and chemically probable to spring up everywhere.
The nurse is now sure he's obsessed with aliens. She looks at him like a crazy.
NURSE (worried)
Jesus.
EDEN Oh, you're religious? Don't worry there's no law of science that disproves the existence of God.
Why is it impossible for God to have created science? Don't you think God created the laws of science, the laws of probability and - evolution?
NURSE Sure. You have a valid point there, mister.
EDEN (pleased)
Mr. Spengler. But you can call me Eden.
Eden pulls the foil off his head and puts his hand out to shake hers. She pretends not to see and ignores him.
OSCAR (smirking)
Wow, that was spectacular. Where's a camera when you want one?
EDEN Oh, thank you. Thank you.
OSCAR Just one question
EDEN (thinking Oscar wants to debate alien life)
It's not hard to understand
OSCAR Are you comfortable in there?
EDEN (comes down to earth)
A bit cramped, actually. Could someone give me a hand? Nurse?
She goes reluctantly over to help him.
OSCAR (intrigued)
How are you actually doing that?
EDEN What?
OSCAR Fitting yourself so neatly into that drawer.
EDEN Oh, that. The Marshalls melted it with a laser or something.
The nurse is convinced they are both completely crazy.
Oscar sees STANTZ and JIM in the corridor.
OSCAR (shouting)
In here! The Marshalls got us!
Stantz and Jim enter. The nurse scurries off with the appearance of more 'crazies'.
OSCAR Oh, whoa! I can feel myself.
(with a bit too much pleasure)
Oh, that's great.
STANTZ Let's go find these clowns.
JIM We need to stop them slipping through the walls.
EDEN (hatches a plan)
Does any of this kit run at 100 Petahertz?
JIM (shocked at Eden's slip-up)
Duh X-Rays?
EDEN Of course! We can hit the resonant frequency of their matter cavity because they're Partial Matter Apparitions. We can stun them! Why didn't we think of that before?
INT. DOWNTOWN HOSPITAL, X-RAY ROOM - NIGHT
STANTZ sees a poster showing endangered resources. He stops and stares at it.
STANTZ (disproportionately shocked)
Oh my God! Indium is going to be completely depleted by 2015!
OSCAR (indignant)
We are still fighting Gozer's messengers Maybe when you've finished reading that we can get back to it?
Stantz joins them.
EDEN and JIM are tinkering with the X-Ray machine. The ghosts are coming down the corridor, laughing.
JIM The rays position should be right about here.
(pointing)
Stantz misunderstands and stands where Jim pointed.
STANTZ Ray's in position.
The ghosts come in; cupboard doors fly open and they shove Stantz inside, laughing. Jim aims the X-Rays at the ghosts. The frequency stuns them. The effect shows blue light and their skeletons flashing.
Stantz peeks out the cupboard, then comes out carefully.
He starts firing his proton stream, holding the ghosts in position. Oscar, Eden and Jim join him, and the four of them zap the ghosts into the Re-possessor.
STANTZ Let's get back and get piece of work un-possessed.
EDEN I just remembered about something
STANTZ What?
EDEN The Separator module isn't working. Remember we busted it in July..? Well, we haven't had any more possessed clients since then,
so I guess we forgot.
Stantz examines it and finds Eden's right.
OSCAR You're not just gonna leave that guy in there with the Scoleri brothers are you?
STANTZ Just until we can fix the Separator. But he's possessed he won't care.
(to Eden)
Your father and I will have to fix it up in the morning. We'll need to pick up some parts.
INT. FBI OFFICE - DAY
DANA is sitting opposite TODD'S desk in his office.
TODD I don't know this Vinnie Kray. Who is he?
DANA The DEA have had him under surveillance for the last year.
Talk to a guy called Mark Hunter.
He'll tell you everything.
TODD I'll do that. And you're sure about his money laundering and tax evasion?
DANA You can check it out for yourself.
We faxed all the evidence we had to you guys on Wednesday.
TODD Gotta link those off-shore accounts to Kray to prove any of this.
DANA (nods)
I know.
TODD I'll talk to Hunter. And I'll have a couple of agents come and be there at your meeting. But if the bank transfer's not from one of those accounts, we won't have him.
I really hope you're right about this.
Dana gets up to go.
DANA Me too. Well, see you on Sunday.
TODD Yeah. Bye.
INT. GHOSTBUSTERS H.Q., THE LAB - DUSK
EDEN is working on the Re-possessor containing Marshall.
MCPEARSON enters.
MCPEARSON Hey Eden.
EDEN (annoyed)
Yeah.
MCPEARSON What's eating you?
EDEN Well, for your information, this re-possessor isn't distributing protons properly.
MCPEARSON That's bad, right?
EDEN The neutron-splitter isn't getting a clean separation. Some of the neutrons are slipping through seriously weakening the proton stream.
MCPEARSON Why don't you just take it back to the shop?
EDEN (indignant)
Take it back to the shop? Ray and my father hand-crafted this. No one in the world except them has ever made one. We've just patched up the Separator module, but it seems the surge damaged the neutron-splitter too and that's a whole lot worse.
MCPEARSON (uncomfortable)
Right.
EDEN (troubled)
The trouble is, I have a possessed man and a ghost trapped in here with minutes to go before the big separation
Something happens on the machine.
EDEN (panicking)
Oh Shit! No way.
He fiddles with the machine.
EDEN (in disbelief)
I can't fix it in time.
MCPEARSON Shall I get someone?
EDEN (speaking fast)
Hold this for me. Look - make sure it's aligned like this. If this fails, this guy will lose his memories forever.
MCPEARSON Whoa. Sure.
McPearson takes control of the Re-possessor. Eden hurries off to get a replacement neutron-splitter. He comes back fast, rips out some hardware and plugs in a new device.
There's a roar inside the holding-cell and the two clown faced MARSHALL BROTHERS become one single man again the original James Marshall. The two ghosts become ghosts again in the form of roaring beasts.
Something in the machine suddenly short circuits, and there's a small explosion. The ghosts thrash around violently inside the bubble.
Suddenly there's a rip in the force field and the two ghosts escape and jump into the nearest person;
McPearson. He becomes two McPearson's and they disappear through the wall.
INT. GHOSTBUSTERS H.Q., MEETING ROOM - DUSK
SPENGLER, STANTZ, MICHELLE and JIM are in a meeting room.
There are papers all over the table.
The two MCPEARSON BROTHERS come running through the wall,
the table, the notes and through Spengler, before disappearing out the other wall.
Spengler catapults out of his seat and dashes into Eden's room.
BACK TO INT. GHOSTBUSTERS H.Q., THE LAB - DUSK
SPENGLER sees the broken force field and knows what happened. MARSHALL stands there dumbstruck and scared.
SPENGLER (exasperated)
The Scoleri brothers can't help themselves from possessing people can they?
EDEN (stress reaction)
What makes you think I let them possess anyone? Why can't you have some faith in me? Why do you just come in here and assume I've gone and let them escape?
SPENGLER Where are they then?
EDEN (admits it)
They escaped.
SPENGLER (nods)
I saw. They came to our meeting and went through our notes And then through me.
STANTZ comes in and looks at the chaos.
EDEN I had to install the spare neutron splitter. It's totally busted. I knew we should have repaired it back in July.
SPENGLER You're right. But you're wrong about one thing. I do have faith in you. No-one's blaming you.
EDEN The force field burst before containment was complete. They got McPearson.
SPENGLER (sympathetic)
I know.
STANTZ (motivated)
We have to go after them!
(looking at watch)
It's Terry's shift. I'll have them search the area.
SPENGLER And Michelle can track his phone.
Stantz leaves to go and fix it.
INT. OPERATION CENTER - DAY
STANTZ enters the Operation Center.
STANTZ Michelle, can you track McPearson's cell phone?
MICHELLE I can. But I'm not supposed to.
Stantz gives her a weary look.
MICHELLE OK. Give me a minute.
She does something on her computer. A satellite map of New York pops up on screen.
MICHELLE His phone's turned off. Or dropped out. I'll leave it pinging. If it comes back on, I'll know about it.
Stantz is studying the satellite map.
STANTZ (mystified)
That's funny Take a look at this.
MICHELLE What?
STANTZ There's a perfect triangle between Dana's old apartment at 55 Central Park West, Vinnie's office and our office. It's like we're in a triangle of evil.
MICHELLE Triangle of evil?
STANTZ Triangles have mathematical importance for the old Mesopotamian Gods.
MICHELLE I'll measure it.
Michelle measures it on her computer.
MICHELLE If it's a triangle you're after,
the third coordinate would be [Acme Tower], not our office.
STANTZ [Acme Tower]? Can you get a hold of the blueprints for it?
MICHELLE As in the Department of City Planning blueprints? Did you really have to ask? You know I can.
She produces the blueprints which appear on the big screen.
MICHELLE Done.
Stantz starts reading intently.
STANTZ Weird Remember how the metallurgy in Dana's old apartment was designed as a giant wave guide for evil spirits?
MICHELLE Dad, that building was destroyed before I was born.
JIM and SPENGLER enter and watch.
STANTZ It's almost the same design and it goes equally deep. 'I.
Shandor'! Oh my God! It's the same architecht! How could I have been so sloppy? I should have gone through all the buildings with a toothcomb when we heard Gozer was coming!
Spengler walks up behind him and looks.
STANTZ (CONT'D)
That's where he's gonna come down.
(pointing)
The northwest corner office. I need to see the tenant list fast.
Michelle taps on her keyboard.
SPENGLER What are you looking for?
STANTZ The northwest corner office, top floor. Floor 66.
Michelle brings a list up on screen.
STANTZ (reading list)
GoSir Host
JIM GoSir Host. That's the guy with the all women on his adverts,
right?
MICHELLE No, you're not listening.
(articulating)
Go-Sir Host
JIM (putting it together)
GO-SIR; Gozer...
STANTZ That's the guy Gozer's gonna be meeting!
(determined)
We have to go there and stop them!
Let's tell Peter over dinner. He wants to meet everyone at the Sedgewick tonight. Michelle, are you and Eden coming?
MICHELLE I'll leave it pinging McPearson overnight.
EXT. GHOSTBUSTERS H.Q. - MORNING
Ghostbusters' employees are coming to work.
INT. GHOSTBUSTERS H.Q., OPEN PLAN OFFICE - MORNING
OSCAR walks in with a coffee cup and finds MICHELLE.
OSCAR Hey. Any news on McPearson?
MICHELLE Not yet. I'll check again.
She goes through to the Operation Center.
MICHELLE (calling through office)
We got him!
Oscar, STANTZ and JIM rush to the O.C.
OSCAR Where?
Michelle is at her workstation. A map of New York pops up, showing the Verizon base stations. There's a blinking color showing where McPearson is.
MICHELLE Thank God, it came into range.
EDEN and SPENGLER enter.
JIM (studying screen)
The Yankee Stadium!
OSCAR He's gone to watch the game That Re-possessor better be fixed.
SPENGLER It's patched up. It'll work, but the neutron-splitter is kind of held together with tape. There's no guarantees McPearson will ever get his memories back after we separate him and the ghosts.
OSCAR (looking at others)
We can't gamble with John's life like that.
STANTZ What about the OTHER way?
SPENGLER (knowingly)
Oh, the OTHER way It's risky.
OSCAR What is it?
STANTZ The brain-stem initiator. We evoke an emotion that's so strong and so basic it's almost rooted in the brain-stem.
MICHELLE What are you saying?
SPENGLER The ghosts are controlling the Insula and the Nucleus Accumbens.
But not the brain stem. It's the most primitive part the only part they can't control that's why he's in control of his own breathing and body functions.
JIM So what you're saying, is the more basic the emotion, the more likely that he can override the ghosts?
SPENGLER Right. The next most primitive part of the brain is the Amygdala.
It's possible that the ghosts aren't controlling that either.
STANTZ We need to find some activity where his actions are second nature and where his emotions run high forcibly linking the two parts.
SPENGLER Some long-term skill something like riding a bike. His Amygdala will probably go on autopilot from there on and he'll be able to override the ghosts.
OSCAR What about baseball?
STANTZ Of course! Baseball.
OSCAR What's he gonna do? Watch the highlights of his career?
STANTZ Won't work. No game produces the same rush twice. His reflexes wont' kick in.
SPENGLER You need a player who looks just like him so he believes he's playing a new game. Does he have a brother?
JIM (insincere)
It just so happens that McPearson does have an evil twin brother
EXT. YANKEE STADIUM - DAY
OSCAR is wearing the McPearson wax mask under the catcher's helmet. He looks just like the real McPearson.
OSCAR How do I look?
JIM I wasn't gonna say anything
OSCAR Thanks, I feel so much better.
EDEN (looking at the readings)
They're close.
They walk around looking for McPearson.
JIM (sees them)
Oh, great! They're in the middle of all those people.
EDEN Oscar, get your face on that camera they won't be able to resist checking you out.
Oscar walks in front of a camera. His image is displayed on the stadium screens. The possessed MCPEARSON BROTHERS take the bate. They head towards the Ghostbusters.
EDEN It's working.
JIM Oscar, get them over here.
They lead the ghosts to a private box. Eden and Jim start zapping the ghosts with their proton streams. They successfully contain them in the Re-possessor.
JIM They he should get a decent view from here.
OSCAR I'm on. Gotta go.
JIM Are you ready for this, man?
OSCAR (confident)
Sure am. Always wanted to play in the big leagues.
Oscar goes off.
JIM (shaking head)
It ain't right that he's not even a little bit nervous.
EXT. YANKEE STADIUM, THE FIELD - DAY
EDEN and JIM watch the field.
JIM (sees Oscar)
He's in. His team mates haven't kicked him out yet.
EDEN That's a good sign.
OSCAR plays the game well. The crowd are on a high. The real MCPEARSON, in ghost form, watches the game.
At the height of the game the ghosts jerk and start getting captivated by the game. Occasionally images of McPearson's face appear on the big screen. It has a positive affect.
When the game is finally won, and the crowd cheers, the brothers are suddenly jerked free from McPearson, and he is himself again. Some blue electric lights flicker around them as they separate.
Eden quickly does something with the machine to trap the ghosts. The force field vanishes and the real McPearson stands there, free.
MCPEARSON Oh my God! What happened?
JIM Nothing much. Just you were possessed by a pair of badass ghosts. But you're OK now. I think. What's your name?
MCPEARSON John McPearson.
JIM What's your first memory?
MCPEARSON Waking up with my face in my food.
JIM Good.
(facing Eden)
His memories are all there!
Eden ignores him.
JIM (CONT'D)
Hey man, I thought you'd be doing your 'happy dance' by now. Eden?
He waves his hand in front of Eden.
JIM Hey, can you see me? Or have I suddenly turned into a ghost?
Jim suddenly clicks and is overcome by fear.
JIM (animal-like, deep voice filled with panic)
Oh my God! Now he's lost his memories!
Eden is just staring out at the baseball stadium as if possessed.
JIM (scared now)
Eden! Talk to me, man.
EDEN (speaks softly, still in his trance -
sounds like "you reek-a")
Eureka.
JIM smells his armpits.
JIM No, I don't.
EDEN No. Eureka.
JIM (annoyed)
Are you dis'ing me, man?
Eden is still looking out over the baseball field.
EDEN No Eureka. It means "I found it..." In Greek. The meteors. I know how we can direct them with a hundred percent accuracy.
He turns to face Jim and McPearson.
EDEN (CONT'D)
You know all the problems we were having with the accuracy?
(to McPearson)
We kept hitting small irregular shapes sticking out the meteors,
which shifted the trajectory for miles in the wrong direction.
MCPEARSON Right.
JIM Yeah.
EDEN (mostly to McPearson)
Well, that doesn't matter when you bat them out into space, but if you're trying to collide two meteors inwards towards earth, it matters down to the last millimeter.
MCPEARSON Sure.
JIM Yeah, I know And?
EDEN Well THIS is the answer!
(gesticulating towards the field)
Baseball. Like a baseball glove.
We cut a hole in the meteor first with the laser. Then we shoot the missile right into the hole! We get the perfect trajectory!
He pauses.
EDEN (CONT'D)
I'd better get back and take care of it.
MCPEARSON I'm glad you got so much out the game but can someone tell me what happened?
JIM I'll give you the skinny on the way
McPearson and Jim go off to find Oscar.
EXT. COMPOSITE NEW YORK SCENES - DAY
Short composite of scenes set to music: The ghosts increase in quantity and the Evil addicts are becoming more plentiful and more depraved. The music fades.
INT. GHOSTBUSTERS H.Q., BOARDROOM - DAY
All eight senior and junior Ghostbusters are present,
including VENKMAN. JAKE is also there. They're having a strategy meeting. MICHELLE runs the visuals from her laptop, which appear on the big screen.
VENKMAN According to Ray the ghosts are gonna pay tribute inside the 'Triangle of Evil.' I've put a team roughly on each corner of this triangle.
(high-end 3D graphics appear, with a model of each Ghostbuster in his or her assigned rooftop)
The teams are as follows; Winston and Jim, Egon and Jake and Ray and Oscar. Michelle, Eden and Simon are working from the O.C. Eden and Simon are on meteor collision.
Michelle is field coordinator as usual.
MICHELLE You can see where you're supposed to be.
(smiles)
I made computer characters to represent you all.
(shows them)
OSCAR Why the big heads? Are they our ego's?
MICHELLE In your case yes. In everyone else's; just to make them more personable.
SPENGLER takes over the presentation.
SPENGLER (to Michelle)
Show the super-proton traps,
please.
(3D model appears on screen)
I can't show you the real thing they're not ready 'til tomorrow morning.
ZEDMORE Isn't that cutting it a bit fine?
SPENGLER Time is the one thing we don't have. Which brings me to an important point...
We didn't have time to build two separate traps so this is two-in-one. The wiring will be different depending how weak the ghosts are when they fall. And that depends on Eden and Simon's choice of meteors.
(he stares intently at the team)
A reduction of 50-100 PKE/ghost, you set it like this:
(horseshoe shape wiring appears on screen)
A bus.
The Ghostbusters make a mental note of it.
A reduction of 10-50 PKE, and you set it like this:
(animation plays and circular wiring is shown)
A ring. You got that?
EVERYONE confirms.
EDEN Plan A is to use the first two meteors just after the eclipse. If that works out, you don't touch the wiring; you leave it as it is.
Venkman takes over again.
VENKMAN I'm gonna go to GoSir host and deal with Gozer's buddy, whoever he is.
ZEDMORE You'd better take the Re-possessor with you, in case it's a replay of Dana back in '84.
VENKMAN (nods)
Yeah. I already arranged for the buildings to be evacuated in case another marshmallow man decides to deluge everyone in goo.
MICHELLE (scared)
What if we can't defeat Gozer?
VENKMAN (speaking like a commander)
I know most of you guys are scared but be scared of failure, not of the situation. We've fought Gozer before and won. Yeah, it's scary knowing that the only thing standing between civilization and extinction is us.
THE SCREEN The camera zooms in to the 3D model. A clock on a building shows 12:05. The camera zooms out from the clock and the scene is happening in the real world. All teams are in position.
EXT. NEW YORK ROOFTOPS - DAY
VENKMAN (O.S.) (CONT'D)
(voice coming through radios)
Everything we take for granted will be undone, our hopes gone,
our dreams shattered. But we knew this day would come . and that day is today. The Ghostbusters are mankind's last line of defense.
(short pause)
So let's get sharp and get focused because we hold the future of the world in our hands and we're not gonna let it down. Are you with me?
EVERYONE confirms into their radios from their assigned rooftops.
EXT. GHOSTBUSTERS' ROOFTOP - DAY
JAKE (talking like a marine)
Hoo-rah!
SPENGLER Proton pack ready.
EXT. TEAM ZEDMORE'S ROOFTOP - DAY
WINSTON Oh yeah.
JIM Hell yeah.
EXT. TEAM STANTZ' ROOFTOP DAY
OSCAR You better believe it.
STANTZ Let's get 'em.
A 'Save-the-Day' song, like in Ghostbusters #1 fades in.
The Ghostbusters are getting set up for the big showdown.
Stantz sets up the proton super-canon and the new trap.
The music fades out.
EXT. TEAM STANTZ' ROOFTOP
STANTZ We're all set.
OSCAR looks at a countdown app loaded on his iPhone. It shows five minutes.
OSCAR Five minutes to go. I always wanted to see a solar eclipse.
STANTZ (into radio)
Listen up guys; safety tip. When it goes dark you better brace yourself for some serious ghost action... It's gonna be worse than opening night down at the Apple store on Fifth.
ZEDMORE (O.S.)
(coming over radio)
I hear you Ray.
VENKMAN (O.S.)
(coming over radio)
Thanks Ray. So no sneaking off to the Apple store guys. If you need a new phone; get a Samsung. OK guys, I'm outta here.
INT. OPERATION CENTER - DAY
EDEN and SIMON are sitting at workstations in the O.C.
SIMON The laser's out!
EDEN (frustrated)
Damn! Do we really have to tell the guys?
SIMON We'll just pick the next two meteors.
EDEN So there's no chance of scrambling a bunch of Inuits to bounce a 200 km high thermal shock wave back here then?
MICHELLE (looking at screen)
Your laser was out by 0.0031mm you can't seriously be saying it would've come down over Nunavut if you'd fired?
EDEN (calculating in his head)
Well, you have to [mathematical technobabble/trigonometry]. We should get approximately uh what should we get?
(Michelle and Eden at the same time*)
MICHELLE (helpfully)
A calculator?
EDEN Uh about 1033.
EDEN (CONT'D)
No more like 939
MICHELLE (smiling)
calculators?
Eden looks at her confused.
MICHELLE Let's worry about it another time.
Let's save the world instead.
She picks up the radio.
MICHELLE Listen up guys. Abort Plan A.
We'll let you know when we know about the wiring.
EXT. VINNIE'S BUILDING - DAY
VENKMAN films himself on his iPhone, making a televised address standing outside the building on the street.
VENKMAN Friends, Voters, Countrymen; lend me your ears.
We're gonna need to turn out the lights for the next twenty minutes so we can power the Ghostbusters' proton canons and kick some spook ass. So sit tight and when the lights are out don't do anything I wouldn't .
This is Mayor Peter Venkman over and out.
EXT. TEAM STANTZ' ROOFTOP - DAY, DUSKY SKY
Oscar's countdown beeps. The time is 12:15. It starts going dark. All at the same time hundreds of ghosts and ghouls start flying around. Suddenly a banshee jumps out from nowhere. She flies between STANTZ and OSCAR,
screeching at 190 db in their ears. A strong wind yanks Oscar's iPhone out his hands. He watches it fall down the side of the building.
There is complete silence. Neither of them can hear anything. They just see each other's lips move. Oscar shows Stantz he can't hear, using hand signals.
STANTZ (into radio)
Michelle, can you hear me? Neither Oscar or I can hear anything. A screecher got us.
Stantz listens for an answer.
STANTZ (CONT'D)
When you know about the wiring,
text us on Oscar's phone.
INT. OPERATION CENTER - DAY
MICHELLE (speaking loudly into radio, hoping Stantz can hear)
Dad, I hear you.
As soon as I know I'm texting you.
I'm sending Oscar a test message now.
She turns off the radio, types a test message from her computer and hits 'send'. She suddenly has a psychic vision of Stantz falling off the building. She looks horrified.
MICHELLE (impatient)
Why won't he answer?
She resends the message.
MICHELLE (into radio)
Dad? What's happening? Can you answer the message!
(to herself)
Oh shit! He can't hear me
She phones her mother.
MICHELLE (upset)
Mom, it's Dad... I'm worried about him. He's got tinnitus and he can't hear anything. And now they're not answering my text messages And I just had a vision of him falling off the building!
INT. COFFEE SHOP NEAR STANTZ' BUILDING - DAY
Michelle's mother CLARISSA in a nearby coffee shop with all the other Ghostbusters' wives.
CLARISSA I've been picking up on something too. I'll go and see him. I'll call you when I'm there.
Clarissa hangs up and turns to face the other Ghostbuster wives.
CLARISSA Ray and Oscar have lost communication. I'm gonna go and check up on them.
(to Dana)
You want to come?
DANA Of course.
JOYCE I'm coming with you too.
RUBY (getting up)
Me too. Safety in numbers, eh?
CLARISSA Great. It's weirdo-central out there.
They leave the coffee shop.
INT. OPERATION CENTER - DAY
EDEN and SIMON are working frantically at their workstations, configuring the laser onboard 'Morpheus,'
the defense satellite.
SPENGLER comes in.
SPENGLER (tense)
We've used up one of seven minutes
SIMON We're working onboard Morpheus now. Any second...
Everyone watches the screen with anticipation.
SIMON (CONT'D)
Laser's done! The problem is that the meteor rotated when we cut into it. We need four or five minutes to maneuver Morpheus into the new position.
SPENGLER Cutting it fine we gotta do this in the next six minutes before the ghosts go home.
INT. TEAM STANTZ' BUILDING - DAY
DANA, CLARISSA, JOYCE and RUBY enter the empty building.
Clarissa flinches. She listens.
The women see four Evil dealers who see the women at the same time. They are scary-looking scumbags. They run towards the women, determined to get them.
The women run down a stairwell. The four dealers follow them with their guns drawn.
The women hide in the car park. They take off their shoes and move quietly between the cars. The dealers are high on Evil, looking for them.
EXT. TEAM STANTZ' ROOFTOP - DAY
Team Stantz are signing to each other. The conversation is with hand signals only.
STANTZ (with hand signals)
Your phone where?
OSCAR (pointing down to building)
Down there.
STANTZ (shocked, repeats Oscar's hand signals)
Down there?
Oscar nods. Then he points to Stantz and makes a telephone symbol.
OSCAR Your phone where?
Stantz shakes his head and points towards the NYSE. He finally gets what danger they're in, and grabs his radio.
STANTZ (into radio)
Michelle, can you hear me we do NOT have Oscar's phone. You have to find another way to let us know how to wire the trap.
Oscar shows Stantz his watch. There's five minutes left before the eclipse is over.
STANTZ (CONT'D)
(into radio)
You'll have to give us a visual sign.
INT. OPERATION CENTER - DAY
Michelle is worried for Stantz.
MICHELLE (to Emmet)
Dad and Oscar don't have a phone!
And we're out of time. We have to signal to them somehow!
EXT. GOSIR HOST BUILDING
INT. GOSIR HOST BUILDING - DAY
VENKMAN takes the lift to Floor 66, then calls the power station.
VENKMAN OK guys. Disconnect the power now.
EXT. NEW YORK CITY - DAY, BLACK SKY
New York's power grid shuts down. It looks dramatic as it all goes dark, except a select few offices and hotels,
and the emergency services.
INT. GOSIR HOST BUILDING - DAY, BLACK SKY
By the light coming from the emergency lights, VENKMAN sees the GoSir Host office door is ajar. He enters quietly. He's surprised to see VINNIE taking a French maid's costume out the cupboard.
Venkman prepares his Re-Possessor. Vinnie hears him and turns around.
VENKMAN (teasing)
Hi Vinnie. You wearing that specially for Gozer?
VINNIE (deep, unearthly voice)
There is no Vinnie. Only Zuul.
VENKMAN (knows where this is going)
I know what you're gonna say next.
VINNIE What?
VENKMAN No, not that; are you the Key Master?
VINNIE Yes, I am.
A WOMAN enters in silky clothing.
VENKMAN (puts it together)
Let me guess. She's the Gate Keeper, right?
VINNIE Gozer the Destructor will come
Venkman aims his Re-possessor stream at the woman,
because Vinnie is behind a pillar. The woman is zapped up. Vinnie roars like a beast.
VINNIE How dare you bar the way of Gozer?
Venkman aims his proton stream at Vinnie and starts zapping him. Vinnie makes a fist and throws something at Venkman. It is a wave of supernatural powers. Venkman collapses. He watches Vinnie get successfully zapped up in the Re-Possessor.
Venkman groans in pain, and goes unconscious.
INT. OPERATION CENTER - DAY, BLACK SKY
MICHELLE gets a sudden psychic vision that Venkman is injured. It flashes in repeat. She dials his number, but the phone just rings.
MICHELLE Eden, Peter's not picking up and I keep having visions of him being hurt. Something must have happened. I think I should call an ambulance.
EDEN Yes. He could have been hurt by Gozer.
MICHELLE I'm worried about Mom too. She's not answering either.
EDEN Hm. She's gotta walk up all those steps and there's probably no reception. Why don't you give her a few more minutes?
Michelle dials 911.
OPERATOR (O.S.)
what's your emergency?
EXT. GHOSTBUSTERS H.Q., ROOFTOP - DAY, BLACK SKY
SPENGLER has a large battery-driven lamp. He sends a Morse code message to STANTZ and OSCAR.
EXT. TEAM STANTZ' ROOFTOP - DAY, BLACK SKY
OSCAR sees the signal first, and taps STANTZ shoulder,
pointing to the signal.
STANTZ I can see your signal, Egon. Can you start over?
Spengler resends the message and Stantz watches it carefully.
STANTZ (into radio)
RING. Got it. I'm on it!
EXT. GOSIR HOST BUILDING, ROOFTOP - DAY, BLACK SKY
An air ambulance lands on the roof. PARAMEDICS get out with a stretcher and rush to the 66th floor. They find VENKMAN.
PARAMEDIC #1 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
PARAMEDIC #2 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
Venkman is taken off in the air ambulance.
INT. AIR AMBULANCE - DAY, BLACK SKY
VENKMAN experiences an overwhelming bright, white light.
INT. WHITE UNEARTHLY LIGHT
He sees a large figure of a man with a beard standing in the light. Unknown to Venkman, it's GOZER. He speaks with a booming, powerful voice.
GOZER I suppose I have to offer you the job now.
VENKMAN What job?
GOZER After you eliminated the competition so proficiently, I naturally assumed you were looking to re-place him. I like a bit of rivalry. But you're no good to me half-delirious.
VENKMAN Who are you?
GOZER I am Gozer, the destructor; your new boss.
VENKMAN That's a new look for you.
GOZER A shape-changer can choose any form.
VENKMAN You looked cuter last time.
GOZER As my right hand man you will have all the power you want.
VENKMAN (surprised)
Why would I want your power? You know I'm the mayor of New York,
don't you?
GOZER You'll be able to do anything you want. All you have to do is accept my offer, and the power is yours.
VENKMAN You are one guy whose bribes I won't even consider.
GOZER When I offer this sort of power,
people don't tell me no.
VENKMAN No?
INT. DOWNTOWN HOSPITAL - DAY, BLACK SKY
Venkman comes back into consciousness. He sees two paramedics panicking to keep him alive.
PARAMEDIC #1 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
PARAMEDIC #2 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
Venkman drifts into unconsciousness again. He sees the white light again.
INT. WHITE UNEARTHLY LIGHT
GOZER I'll give you the power.
Gozer sends paranormal powers to Venkman.
GOZER It's all yours. Now you're able to do whatever you please. Just picture what you want in your inner mind. Do you want a large beer?
VENKMAN Are you sure you're not the Ghost of Christmas Present? You've got the beard for it.
GOZER We're going on a little journey.
VENKMAN I had a feeling you were gonna say that. If I'm supposed to be Scrooge, who's Marley then?
Clarence Tully? He's a bit of a loan-shark.
GOZER Let's see, what's this?
INT. STANTZ' BUILDING, CAR PARK - DAY, BLACK SKY
As if by magic, Gozer and Venkman are standing in the car park with Dana and the other women. Venkman is invisible to everyone there.
GOZER Oh, it's your wife. She looks like she's in a spot of trouble (he laughs)
You can save her. All you have to do, is visualize it.
As the DOPE DEALERS get close to the women, Dana throws one of her shoes. The men run towards the sound. The women run for it quietly, barefoot, but the men see them.
One of them fires his gun, but misses.
Venkman concentrates hard and suddenly the two dope dealers get hit and knocked out by the whiplash of a snapping overhead cable. The women take their chance and run up the stairs. Two more dope dealers run after them.
Venkman concentrates and immediately one of them gets bopped on the head by a heavy door suddenly closing as he runs through it.
The other man continues to chase the women. Venkman concentrates again. The man stumbles and falls down half a flight of stairs, where he remains, unconscious.
GOZER Congratulations, you saved them.
That wasn't too hard was it? I think our relationship's going to work out just fine
INT. DOWNTOWN HOSPITAL, CORRIDOR - DAY, BLACK SKY
Venkman comes back into consciousness. He finds himself being carried into the hospital. He sees the hospital staff walking next to him and the lamps in the ceiling go by, one by one.
EXT. TEAM STANTZ' ROOFTOP - DAY, BLACK SKY
The women finally arrive on the rooftop. CLARISSA hugs STANTZ. DANA goes to OSCAR.
CLARISSA (to Stantz)
I was so worried about you!
STANTZ (oblivious)
Everything's fine. We're all set.
CLARISSA (speaking into Stantz' radio)
Michelle? Dad's fine. And he's ready to go.
INT. OPERATION CENTER - DAY, BLACK SKY
MICHELLE Thank God.
She hangs up.
MICHELLE (to Eden and Simon)
Dad's good to go.
SIMON (theatrically)
Show time!
He does something on screen, and hits the return key.
EDEN Michelle, let the guys know. It's 30 seconds.
Michelle grabs the radio.
MICHELLE We're doing this now, guys. Impact in 30 seconds. See you on the other side!
(pause)
seconds to impact 10 seconds
EXT. THE SKY - DAY, BLACK SKY
Dramatic music fades in. A crescendo builds, getting louder.
MICHELLE 4, 3, 2, 1...
Suddenly there's a big explosion and a sizzling blue light way up in the sky. The New York skyline lights up.
There's a visible line of distortion around the circumference of the shockwave as it ripples through the sky.
Thousands of ghosts start falling down, looking shell shocked and feeble. The Ghostbusters switch on their canons. They whirr. A row of LED's turn first green, then orange and finally red. The ghosts have a long, slow fall from the thermosphere down to Earth. The Ghostbusters watch the falling ghosts through a telescopic sight with thermal imaging. The music fades out.
STANTZ (still deaf, but elevated)
We did it! A thermal Air-Quake! We recreated Tunguska.
INT. OPERATION CENTER - DAY, BLACK SKY
MICHELLE (on radio)
Watch your eyes. The sun's coming out in five seconds.
Five seconds pass. It remains dark.
MICHELLE (to Eden)
What's going on?
EDEN (worried)
I don't know. Something's wrong.
EXT. ALL THE ROOFTOPS - DAY, BLACK SKY
The first ghosts arrive within the Ghostbusters reach.
They fire the canons and join their streams in the center of the three buildings two men per canon, stabilizing the recoil.
They start zapping up hundreds of ghosts into the super trap. They have to use all their strength to hold the streams in position.
INT. HOSPITAL - DAY, BLACK SKY
VENKMAN is in hospital, surrounded by hospital staff fighting to keep him alive.
INT. WHITE UNEARTHLY LIGHT
VENKMAN goes unconscious again, and continues his conversation with GOZER.
GOZER Mwa ha ha You used your new powers. You're equal to God now no higher, ha ha. You get to choose who lives and who dies. We don't have to listen to God, you and me.
VENKMAN Saving Dana was one thing but God? That's a bit out my league.
GOZER It's not that hard, you'll see.
How many regular churchgoers do you think claim to be equal to God, every single day?
VENKMAN Well, my great aunt on my mother's side, once wrote a fascinating 400 page book called "Idaho Valley Churchgoing in the Twentieth Century" but I only memorized about three quarters of it (regretful)
I kick myself now, of course.
GOZER Lots of them! They give themselves the right to judge everyone and pursue whom they please. They've got the right idea Who's God to pass judgment anyway?
VENKMAN Why don't you hook up with one of them then?
GOZER (unhappy)
You and I connected through the wave guide when I came down the building...
(encouragingly)
But you can change... You can be like them! Now, think hard. Have you got any siblings you're jealous of? Or maybe a nosy neighbor?
VENKMAN (overly patient)
I'm an only child. And this is New York. People hear no evil, see no evil. I guess that's how come you're here.
GOZER What about your friend Frank? You want to hurt him back, don't you?
VENKMAN I'm getting him straightened out.
GOZER (rolls eyes/melodic voice)
Tiresome
Venkman leaves Gozer as he suddenly becomes conscious.
Medical staff rush around him. He drifts back into unconsciousness again, and Gozer is still there.
INT. WHITE UNEARTHLY LIGHT
GOZER (enthusiastic)
Come with me.
EXT. GHOSTBUSTERS H.Q. ROOFTOP - DAY, BLACK SKY
GOZER and VENKMAN suddenly appear on a rooftop with Spengler and Jake.
VENKMAN (looking down)
Whoah!
GOZER Oh dear... Look at that. There's Egon his proton pack's about to explode. And everyone around will die too... But if you use your powers you can save them. You choose. Save them or leave them to die
Spengler is panicking, trying to get his pack off himself. There is a small lightning flash and steam pouring out the proton pack.
THE PROTON PACK
Janine's recorded voice: Warning; reactor core overheating
Venkman concentrates, makes the wish. Instantly the steam stops.
THE PROTON PACK
Janine's recorded voice: Reactor core stabilized
Jake runs to Spengler's back and checks the gauge.
JAKE It's OK, man!
Spengler looks mystified but relieved.
GOZER Ha! Fun, isn't it?
EXT. TEAM ZEDMORE'S ROOFTOP - DAY, BLACK SKY
VENKMAN and GOZER are transported to Zedmore and Jim's building.
GOZER Ah, who's this? Isn't it Winston and his son?
Venkman watches Zedmore and Jim zap up ghosts. A small twister appears, pulling Zedmore in. Jim grabs him, while holding on to a mast.
GOZER (cheerful)
They're about to fall into a psychokinetic vortex. Oh look!
That ghost is helping him on his way.
A nasty ghost is running repeatedly at Zedmore, trying to push him in, but is has no mass so it just goes through him. Jim is holding on to his father with all his strength.
JIM I got you! Hold on!
Venkman concentrates and makes a wish. The vortex immediately swallows up the nearby ghosts; then dissipates. Zedmore and Jim are safe. They look at each other, shell shocked.
GOZER You did it again my friend! What shall we do next?
EXT. TEAM STANTZ' ROOFTOP - DAY, BLACK SKY
VENKMAN and GOZER are transported Stantz' and Oscar's building. Some stone gargoyles have come to life and are eating at the building.
GOZER Uh-oh! It looks like Ray and your son can't hear those gargoyles nibbling at the brickwork... Oh,
whoops. I think they're about to (singing intonation)
fa-all
STANTZ and Oscar start to fall. Instantly Venkman concentrates and wills the collapsing wall to get caught on something and create a balcony.
STANTZ and Oscar fall, but are caught by the make-shift balcony. Oscar nearly falls down. He's hanging over the edge of the building, holding on with his hands.
Stantz scrambles up, but is too far away to reach Oscar.
Oscar's arm is bleeding, injured by some rebar.
OSCAR (about to fall)
Ahh!
Venkman concentrates hard and suddenly a huge gust of wind picks Oscar up and throws him back onto the roof.
Stantz climbs back on to the roof too. They both look dazed.
GOZER See. I told you you'd do it. And you did. Mwa ha ha ha ha.
VENKMAN I saved them I didn't hurt anyone.
GOZER Not yet, no. But what about Frank?
He was a friend from high-school and he turned on you. He deserves revenge, doesn't he?
VENKMAN He didn't know what he was doing.
INT. REHAB CENTER - DAY, BLACK SKY
VENKMAN and GOZER appear in FRANK'S room at the Rehab Center.
GOZER Ah, there he is. All you have to do, is wish him ill Look, he's ripping up your picture in that magazine. You have to deal with him! Come on, it'll be fun. Er, I mean, justice.
VENKMAN You know it won't.
GOZER (at breaking point)
Oh, for hell's sake, you pitiful human. What is wrong with you? I'm starting to lose respect for you.
VENKMAN (bewildered)
You still think I'm after your good opinion, don't you? You're not very bright for a demi-God.
You seem to have forgotten; you're a destructor but I'm not.
GOZER (energetic sales pitch)
You can always start small and ramp up? Anyway, God allows for destruction all the time.
VENKMAN I know. But when I went to school,
that decision belonged to God alone. What do you want me to do?
Push God off his seat and take over his job?
GOZER (overly patient)
Yes. Clever human I knew you'd get it in the end. And I gave you the power to do it too.
(reminding/harmonic voice)
You'll live forever What do you say?
VENKMAN It's tempting. But no.
GOZER (threatening voice)
I'm starting to get bored of you.
I gave you wonderful powers. You owe me. Either you join me, or you die!
VENKMAN I'd rather die than join you.
GOZER Die then! Just lie down and accept your death, human
VENKMAN Do it. I accept death.
GOZER Then so be it!
Gozer sends a giant bolt of blue towards Venkman.
Venkman's monitor stops beeping and flat lines.
It suddenly goes light. There's midday sun the eclipse is over.
EXT. NEW YORK STREETS - DAY
The ghosts have all been zapped up by the Ghostbusters.
All the Evil addicts return to their normal state.
Everyone is happy. There is cheering and celebrating in the streets below by the crowd watching the rooftop spectacle.
EXT. TEAM ZEDMORE'S ROOFTOP - DAY
ZEDMORE I love this town!
JIM (looking all around)
It actually worked!
EXT. GHOSTBUSTERS H.Q. ROOFTOP - DAY
MICHELLE, EDEN and SIMON have joined SPENGLER and JAKE on the roof.
JAKE We made it!
SPENGLER You bet we did.
MICHELLE I can't believe it.
EDEN Peter must have won over Gozer
SPENGLER The light came back. That proves Gozer must be back in another dimension by now.
EXT. TEAM STANTZ' ROOFTOP - DAY
STANTZ We got them!
CLARISSA (to Stantz)
How's your hearing?
STANTZ What?
OSCAR (now able to hear)
I'm OK but he still can't hear.
DANA (to Oscar)
Let's check on Dad.
Dana dials Venkman.
INT. HOSPITAL BEDROOM - DAY
Venkman's cell phone rings a few times. VENKMAN is lying on the bed, covered with a sheet. A NURSE is doing something with him and uncovers his face for a moment. A DOCTOR is about to leave the room.
VENKMAN (gasps a sudden breath)
Hup.
NURSE (shocked)
Oh my God, he's alive!
The doctor rushes up to Venkman.
DOCTOR Mr. Mayor, can you hear me?
There's no answer. Venkman groans.
NURSE We're gonna need to put him in the MRI and check him out. I mean,
check his brain out.
DOCTOR He was a bit strange before but I don't know what we're gonna be dealing with now.
VENKMAN (opens one eye,
normal voice)
I heard that. You're obviously a Republican.
DOCTOR (surprised)
Oh!
Do you know you were clinically dead for ten minutes? It's a miracle. Praise God.
VENKMAN Aren't you supposed to say "Praise the Lord" not "Praise God"?
DOCTOR (annoyed)
What in the world would you know about it anyway?
VENKMAN (authoritative)
Well, I have seen it, you know
DOCTOR (eyes widen, face full of awe,
thinking he means heaven)
Oh
VENKMAN What's it called..? That's it!
(snaps fingers)
"Coming to America." With Eddie Murphy!
DOCTOR (not impressed)
Oh.
VENKMAN (disoriented)
Nurse, how long have I been out of it? What happened?
NURSE (passionate)
We nearly lost you sir!
(to doctor)
I'll get the MRI set up.
The nurse leaves. The doctor listens to his heart with a stethoscope and does whatever doctor's do.
Venkman looks around the room. He looks out the window and sees people celebrating.
VENKMAN Doc, put on the news.
The doctor turns on the TV news. The news is broadcasting live footage from New York. Venkman sees the city celebrations.
NEWS ANCHOR (V.O.)
Let's go live to our affiliate station KL-XY...
REPORTER COX (V.O.)
Hi, this is Katie Cox with KLXY coming live to you from Fifth avenue which has just been the scene of a showdown between the residents of New York and Gozer the Gozerian. We're joined by one of the Ghostbusters, Egon Spengler.
Hazmat is there, putting Egon's proton pack in a lead lined box and scanning it with a Geiger counter.
REPORTER COX (V.O.)
Is there some contamination?
SPENGLER (V.O.)
No. My proton pack just started overheating for no reason. We need to get it back to the lab to examine it. But I thought that was it. It's times like these when you really wonder if there is a God out there.
VENKMAN (realizing it wasn't a dream)
No way! Just no way! I don't believe it... I saved them... Boy!
Are they going to owe me
REPORTER COX (V.O.)
Why are Hazmat here?
SPENGLER (V.O.)
It's just a precaution.
Everything's safe.
REPORTER COX (V.O.)
Have you got any comment on the death of Mayor Venkman?
SPENGLER (V.O.)
(stressed and pained)
What do you mean?
The scene is no longer TV footage, but real. Zedmore and Jim pull up in their car next to Spengler.
ZEDMORE Ah, Egon, thank God you're alright! Is Ray here yet?
EGON (shakes head)
They're saying Peter's dead
ZEDMORE Good Jesus, that can't be true!
How?
THE OB TRUCK
Peter Venkman appears live on the OB truck and Times Square and the police frequency is broadcasting the audio.
VENKMAN (V.O.)
(filmed on his iPhone)
Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated. Gozer tried to slap me down but no Goze is going to drive this Venkman out of town.
This is my town and I kicked that Goze's butt back to the second dimension.
The crowd starts screaming and applauding. Spengler and Zedmore look shaken up but relieved.
INT. AMBULANCE - DAY
VENKMAN keeps cussing at the ambulance driver. The DOCTOR is with him.
VENKMAN Can't this thing go any faster? I can't get speeding fines I'm the mayor.
DOCTOR We're nearly there Mayor.
Ambulance pulls up. Venkman opens the rear doors and gets out, looking for Dana and Oscar.
DANA (running towards him)
Peter, thank God you're alright!
Everyone said you were dead
VENKMAN I got you worried there, didn't I?
Got myself worried too for a while, but then I realized no out of-towner's going tell Peter Venkman what to do.
OSCAR How did you deal with him?
VENKMAN Another time, son, another time.
DANA (gazing at him)
Are you alright? You don't seem injured.
VENKMAN Nah, this old Ghostbuster just wants his woman. Come here!
Venkman pulls Dana close and they kiss. Oscar faces away,
embarrassed.
An EMT is looking at Stantz' ears.
EMT At least you can hear a little now. You were lucky. It'll get better over the next twenty-four hours.
STANTZ Oh good.
Todd arrives with three other men from the FBI.
TODD (to Venkman)
Your wife explained everything
Venkman pulls a face, looking cantankerous.
STANTZ We never manufactured any drugs.
TODD I know.
(to Venkman)
Mr. Mayor, you were right about Vinnie Kray. I've got three of my best men ready to be there for your wife's meeting.
VENKMAN And now you're gonna get the judge to rescind that Cease and Desist order, right? When this is all over you and I are going to talk,
you schmuck.
TODD It'll be done today.
VENKMAN About time.
Larry arrives with Frank. Frank is himself again.
FRANK (going up to Stantz)
I'm gonna call the Nobel Committee and tell them the truth about you and Egon. I don't know why I said that shit. You guys have earned that prize.
VENKMAN (to Frank)
You do that!
(to Todd)
You can make things right here. I want an FBI report attesting Egon's and Ray's innocence.
TODD Yes, Mr. Mayor. I'll forward the report when I get back to the office.
STANTZ Thanks.
VENKMAN Good.
DANA (looking at watch)
We've got to get to the office;
I'm meeting Vinnie in ten minutes.
All the Ghostbusters, Frank, Mark, Todd and his men head to Ghostbusters' H.Q.
INT. GHOSTBUSTERS H.Q., UNDERGROUND CARPARK - DAY 1:55 PM
VENKMAN (to Dana)
You don't have to do this.
DANA Yes, I do. Mark, have you got the vile-case?
VENKMAN A vile case? Is it really that disgusting? If you show it to me I'll make sure I don't buy you one like that.
Dana laughs, and feels a bit braver.
DANA I'm ready.
VENKMAN (hands case of viles to Mark)
Take this horrible, revolting case.
MARK Let's go.
Dana and Mark go the meeting place. Mark is carrying a case of Recall viles. Venkman and Winston remain next door. Winston has a gun loaded and ready. Todd and his three agents are there.
VINNIE Have you got the Recall?
DANA Yes. Have you got my 100K?
SCUMBAG #1 Show us the stuff first.
DANA Mark?
MARK (opening case)
Right here.
Paul and SCUMBAG #1 walk up and take a look.
PAUL
OK.
They transfer the money to Dana using a laptop.
VINNIE It's done.
Dana verifies it on her iPhone. She nods at Mark.
MARK That should be enough Recall there to make a lot of Evil
INT. THE ADJECENT ROOM - DAY
VENKMAN looks at the bank balance on his iPhone. ZEDMORE is looking at it too.
VENKMAN (jubilant)
Yeah..! She got him! We can tie him in to that account now.
TODD OK.
(looking at Venkman's phone)
We're going in.
INT. THE CARPARK - DAY
TODD, the three FBI AGENTS, VENKMAN and ZEDMORE enter the car park from another door. They have recorded the whole thing. The Kray's and the scumbags are taken aback.
FBI AGENT #1
You're under arrest.
Mark smiles. Vinnie notices and turns to face him.
VINNIE (to Mark)
You were in on it weren't you?
MARK Was I?
VINNIE I trusted you.
PAUL (speaks confidently)
Whatever. Ghost energy isn't a crime in the State of New York.
We'll be out before tomorrow lunchtime.
FBI AGENT #1 (laughs)
We're not interested in Evil!
We've got enough evidence of money laundering, tax evasion and embezzling to make you disappear for long time. Cuff him and get him out of here.
(to Paul)
And you, we've got enough evidence for you to join him. Cuff him too.
FBI AGENT #3 cuffs him.
FBI AGENT #2 (to Vinnie)
You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions. Do you understand?
Anything you do or say may be used against you in a court of law. Do you understand? You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police
Venkman goes up and holds Dana, who suddenly feels very weak. All the Ghostbusters join them and watch Kray and his people being taken away.
FBI AGENT #2 (quietly as background noise)
and to have an attorney present during any questioning now or in the future. Do you understand? If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you without cost. If you do not have an attorney available, you have the right to remain silent until you have an opportunity to consult with one.
VENKMAN I guess nobody told them. NO-ONE messes with the Ghostbusters.
(Victorious smirk)
They all look victorious and go out on the city streets. People see them and clap, having heard what went down on the news.
GHOSTBUSTERS SONG City-wide Celebrations.