13 Easter Eggs You May Not Have Noticed In The Original ‘Ghostbusters’ From 1984

The release of the Ghostbusters reboot on Friday has caused a lot of stir and plenty of talk, but it’s done pretty well at the box office so far. It has been 32 years since the original film was released in theaters, and the reboot pays tribute to it with cameos and numerous Easter Eggs. Still, this release has brought many to watch the original Ghostbusters, and there are plenty of hidden items to look for while checking it out as well.

Box Office Mojo is reporting that the new Ghostbusters has come forth with an estimated $46 million opening weekend at the domestic box office. That’s not huge, but it is impressive for a film that has gotten such bad press, and it will likely go up from there.

While the franchise has been given new life, it’s time to check out 13 Easter Eggs and hidden secrets from the original Ghostbusters that was released in 1984.

1. Goo? — After the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man was taken out by the quartet of heroes, the city of New York is entrenched in pounds and pounds of “marshmallow,” which was actually shaving cream. Walter Peck (William Atherton) actually had more than 50 gallons dropped on him, and it almost knocked him down.

2. Foreshadowing — Speaking of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, his arrival in the second half of the film isn’t his first appearance. When Dana has eggs popping like crazy on her kitchen counter, there is a bag of Stay Puft marshmallows very visible.

3. Replacements — The idea of Ghostbusters was actually meant to be a sketch for Saturday Night Live which would have Aykroyd as Ray, John Belushi as Peter Venkman, and Eddie Murphy as Winston Zeddemore.

4. The Terror Dogs — The statues on top of Dana Barrett’s building weren’t exactly original designs for Ghostbusters. They were originally designed as adornments for a church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

5. Libraries are a big deal — In the opening scene of Ghostbusters, a librarian is scared almost to death by a ghost. While asking her questions and if there is any mental illness in her family, she states she had an uncle who thought he was “Saint Jerome.”

For those that don’t know it, Saint Jerome was the patron saint of libraries.

6. Nod to Carrie — The iconic horror film from 1976 does get a slight reference on the door of Dr. Peter Venkman where graffiti reads “Venkman Burn In Hell” in red lettering. It was originally set to be something more graphic, but it was kept more family-friendly and decided to honor Carrie, which has similar wording on a real estate sign.

7. Security guards were not happy — There is a music montage in the film where the original trio is running around New York looking for ghosts. The cast and crew didn’t exactly get permits for all of those scenes and you can actually see a security guard chasing them in one scene, and that was not scripted.

8. Ad-libs — Almost every single scene in the movie was not filmed as scripted due to the cast. Virtually every scene had at least one or two ad-libs, while Bill Murray spoke almost entirely off the script.

9. Ron Jeremy — Yes, he is in the film and he is fully clothed. Look for the well-known adult film star in the crowd toward the end of the film. He is among the many New Yorkers cheering the Ghostbusters on and celebrating their arrival.

10. The presence of a legend — While on the set for the original Ghostbusters, Dan Aykroyd referred to “Slimer” as the ghost of his good friend John Belushi.

11. Royalty — There is a scene where a newspaper headline reads “Princess Di Expecting Again,” and that is in reference to Princess Diana. Oddly enough, she was pregnant with Prince Harry upon the release of the film.

12. No proton packs? — Believe it or not, the name “Proton Pack” is not mentioned one time in the original film. It actually is not a phrase that is uttered on the big screen until Ghostbusters 2 was released in 1989.

13. Call for help — In the movie, there is a “555” phone number in the commercial for the Ghostbusters, but that is the second number given. Trailers for the film in the early ’80s had an 800-number that fans could call and hear recorded messages from Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray, saying they were out catching ghosts.

It was reported that the number received more than 1,000 calls an hour, 24 hours a day, for six weeks.

It’s really hard to compare the Ghostbusters reboot and the original film so that one can be seen as better than the other. While the storylines are similar and they’re in the same franchise, they are different films and have plenty to offer everyone. Going back to watch the original film and looking for these Easter Eggs and hidden secrets will give fans a newfound respect and even more to enjoy.

[Image via Columbia Pictures]