Posted In: Saw It For You

Ghostbusters 3 (2014)

Tagline: “Bustin’ Makes Me Even More Feel Good!”, “Bustin’ Makes THREE Feel Good!”, “A Third Ghostbuster Movie”

Production Technique: A Columbia Pictures lawyer discovered that the studio’s rights to Bill Murray’s existing likeness extended to new movies. This is how the production of Ghostbusters 3 was able to move forward without Bill Murray’s involvement.

Revealing Mistake: Dan Aykroyd believed that they were filming a Ghostbusters documentary, not Ghostbusters 3. Fortunately, Aykroyd also believes that he is Dr. Ray Stantz of the Ghostbusters.

Trivia: The role of Gozer Jr. was originally offered to Slavitza Jovan, as a nod to her role as the original Gozer the Gozerian. However, casting directors chose Jersey Shore’s Snooki as a playfully-unexpected nod to modern pop culture.

Trivia: A prior agreement between Columbia Pictures and MTV was still in effect at time of shooting, explaining why the rest of the cast of Jersey Shore is also credited with the role of Gozer Jr.

Cameo: Justin Bieber played the man on the bus who, watching the battle with the Demonox Brute, exclaimed “Baby, baby, baby! I believe in the Ghostbusters!”

Incorrectly Regarded As Goof: During the So You Think You Can Dance? scene, Efron Spengler (Zac Efron) can be seen enjoying a 7-Eleven Slurpee from a 48-ounce Ghostbusters 3 commemorative movie cup. This tongue-in-cheek joke is lampshaded by the ensuing 30-second in-movie commercial for the 7-Eleven Ghostbusters 3 tie-in.

Revealing Mistake: The characters “Slimer” and “The All-New Slimer Boyz” were a late CGI addition to the film, which explains why no one in the movie seems to notice or react to their zany antics, including the scene where Spengler explains the central conflict of the film to the hushed New York Supreme Court while Slimer plays, shouts, and flies around inside Spengler’s mouth.

Cameo: Jim Parsons reprising his role as Dr. Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory. After the Terror Puppies explode through his apartment wall, he exclaims “Bazinga? More like Ba-ghost-a!”

Incorrectly Regarded As Goof: Dr. Peter Venkman, being a superimposed image of Bill Murray from 1984, often appears incorrectly scaled on screen compared to the other Ghostbusters. For example, depending on the camera angle in the diner scene, Venkman seems to range from six inches tall to nine feet tall. However, this is covered by Stantz’s exclamation that Venkman’s “spirit tethering” experiment would have “unforeseen consequences.”

Director’s Trademark: QR code in bottom-right corner of theatrical version.

Revealing Mistake: Although it is promised throughout the movie that signing up at “whatsyourghostbuster.com” will “transport you to the wild world of the Ghostbusters,” no world transport of any kind is experienced when the site is visited.

Continuity: During the haunted zeppelin scene, Venkman is seen levitating a copy of Ghostbusters 2 Special Edition on DVD. A moment later it appears to be a copy of Ghostbusters 2 Special Edition on Blu-Ray. (This is fixed on the Blu-Ray version of Ghostbusters 2 Special Edition. However, the mistake is still visible on the DVD version of Ghostbusters 2 Special Edition.)

Trivia: Winston Zeddmore (Ernie Hudson) has no lines of dialogue. He is also conspicuously absent in the mayor’s office scene, after the mayor had demanded to see “all the Ghostbusters.”

Memorable Moments

Efron Spengler: With this many spirits in close proximity, these paranormal capacitance readings are off the charts.

Peter Venkman: Whoa, whoa, nice shootin’, Tex.

Gozer Jr.: We’ve seen a lotta things on this shore, but (unintelligible) get those Ghostbusters.

Ray Stantz: My God… some form of matricular interference has split Gozer the Gozerian into eight powerful Jersey devils!

Peter Venkman: Bite your head off, man.

Winston Zeddmore: (no audio)

Ray Stantz: Ghostbustin’ is tough work. I’m gonna take a break at whatsyourghostbuster.com.

Peter Venkman: Bite your head off, man.

Ray Stantz: Easy, Venkman! No need to get mad, it’s just a great website.