script3

Ghostbusters

Page 2

                EXT. FIREHALL -- DAY
                The garage bay door is open. Two painters on scaffolding are completing a
                paint job on the front of the structure in flat black paint. A carpenter finishes
                hanging a sign over the door. It reads: GHOSTBUSTERS.

                Then Stantz comes driving up in a very long, gold 1959 Cadillac ambulance
                and turns into the garage bay of the firehall. The car has a battered look to it
                and rumbles noisily due to a broken muffler.

                INT. GARAGE BAY -- DAY
                Stantz hits the siren and flashes the emergency lights as he drives in. Venkman
                crosses to the car as Stantz jumps out enthusiastically.

STANTZ
Everybody can relax. I found the car. How do you like it?

VENKMAN (not terribly pleased)
Do you think it's wide enough? How much?

                STANTZ
                Fourteen hundred. Venkman steps on the front bumper and rocks it. It
                wallows badly.

STANTZ
Just needs a little suspension work ... And a muffler ... And maybe brakes.

                RECEPTION AREA -- DAY
                A bored-looking red-headed young woman, JANINE MELNITZ, sits in a
                swivel chair behind the reception desk, putting another coat of red polish on
                her heavily lacquered nails. Spengler is on his hands and knees wiring up the
                telephone system.

JANINE (with a definitive Queens accent)
You're very handy, I can tell. I bet you like to read a lot, too.

SPENGLER (looks up)
Print is dead.

                JANINE
                That's very fascinating to me. I read a lot myself. Some people think I'm too
                intellectual. But I think reading is a fabulous way to spend your spare time. (he
                doesn't answer) I also play racketball. Do you ever play?

SPENGLER
Is that a game?

                JANINE
                It's a great game! You should play sometime. I bet you'd be good. You seem
                very athletic. Do you have any hobbies?

SPENGLER
I collect spores, molds and fungus.

JANINE
Oh, that's very - unusual.

SPENGLER
I think it's the food of the future.

JANINE
Remind me not to go to lunch with you.

THE DOOR
Dana Barrett enters ance looks around hesitantly,

VENKMAN
He springs into action.

VENKMAN (all charm)
Hello. I'm Peter Venkman. May I help you?

DANA
Yes ... well ... I'm not sure. What I have to say may sound a little ... unusual.

VENKMAN
We're all professionals here, Miss ...

DANA
Barrett. Dana Barrett. They walk toward the inner office.

                VENKMAN
                Why don't you step into the office and we'll talk about it. (to Janine) Hold all
                my calls, Janine.

JANINE
What calls? Venkman frowns and exits with Dana.

                INSERT -- TV MONITOR -- LATER
                Dana is seen in close-up on a TV screen as she finishes telling about her
                experience.

DANA
... and then I opened the door again but it was gone. There was nothing there.

VENKMAN (off-camera)
So what do you think it was?

                INT. OFFICE -- SAME TIME
                Dana is hooked up to a lie detector. Spengler is monitoring the readout and
                videotaping the interview. Venkman and Stantz are listening intently, waiting
                for Dana's assessment of her experience.

DANA (after a long pause)
I think something in my refrigerator is trying to get me.

Venkman stares at her, trying to make sense of her last statement.

                VENKMAN
                Generally, you don't see that kind of behavior in a major appliance. What do
                you think, Egon?

SPENGLER (checking the polygraph)
She's telling the truth -- or at least she thinks she is.

DANA (defensive)
Why would anyone make up a thing like that?

VENKMAN
Some people like the attention. Some people are just crazy.

STANTZ (muses)
You know, Peter, this could be a past life experience intruding on the present.

                SPENGLER
                Or even a race memory, stored in the collective unconscious. And I wouldn't
                rule out clairvoyance or telepathic contact either.

Dana starts laughing. They all regard her curiously.

                DANA (trying to be serious)
                I'm sorry. It's just that I don't believe in any of these things. I don't even know
                my sign.

SPENGLER (checks his notes)
You're a Scorpio with your moon in Leo and Aquarius rising.

DANA
Is that good?

VENKMAN
It means you're bright, ambitious, outgoing and very, very sexy,

Dana looks at Venkman, flattered by the remark but more than a little
suspicious of his motives.

DANA
Is that your professional opinion?

VENKMAN
It's in the stars.

                STANTZ
                Why don't I check out the building? It may have a history of psychic
                turbulence.

VENKMAN
Good idea. (to Dana) Were any other words spoken that you remember?

DANA
No, just that one word -- Zuul -- but I have no idea what it means.

                VENKMAN
                Spengler, see if you can find the word "Zuul" in any of the literature. I'll take
                Miss Barrett home and check out her apartment.

                INT. DANA'S APARTMENT -- LATER THAT AFTERNOON
                The door opens and Dana enters the darkened flat with Venkman. She
                switches on the light and leads him to the living room.

                VENKMAN
                Have you ever thought of moving out -- at least until this disturbance blows
                over?

                DANA
                No. If I moved out now I'd be acknowledging that what happened was real.
                I'm not ready to do that.

Venkman sees the cello leaning up against the wall.

VENKMAN
You play the cello! It's my favorite instrument.

DANA
Really? Do you have a favorite piece?

VENKMAN (thinks)
I'd have to say Prokofiev's third concerto.

DANA
That's a violin concerto.

VENKMAN
Yeah, but it's got a great cello break.

He grabs the cello and starts playing it like a stand-up base. Dana takes the
instrument out of his hands and gently puts it back in the case.

DANA
You really don't act like a scientist.

VENKMAN
No? What do I act like?

DANA
Like a used car salesman.

                VENKMAN
                Thanks. (he gets down to business and starts looking around the apartment)
                What's in there?

He points to a door.

DANA
That's the bedroom, but nothing ever happened in there.

She takes off her jacket.

VENKMAN (noticing her body)
That's too bad.

DANA
What?

VENKMAN
Nothing. Is that the kitchen?

He points to another door.

DANA (nods)
Uh-huh.

VENKMAN
Well, let's check it out.

DANA
I'll wait here if you don't mind.

He enters the kitchen.

                INT. THE KITCHEN -- DAY
                The room is a real mess. Utensils are lying all over the floor. The cabinets and
                walls are splattered with food.

VENKMAN (calls out)
You're quite a housekeeper.

DANA (off-camera)
I told you, I ...

VENKMAN
I know. It happened by itself.

He scans the room with his monitoring device.

VENKMAN (CONT'D)
Nothing.

                He looks in a couple of cabinets, then confronts the refrigerator. With mild
                trepidation he grasps the door handle, then suddenly jerks it open. The handle
                comes off in his hand.

VENKMAN (CONT'D)
Damn!

DANA (off-camera)
Are you all right?

VENKMAN
Yeah, yeah.

He grips the side of the fridge door and pulls it open.

                INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY
                Dana stands there nervously watching the kitchen door. Finally, it opens and
                Venkman comes out munching an apple.

VENKMAN
There's nothing there now and I don't get any significant readings.

DANA
This is terrible. Either there's a monster in my kitchen or I'm completely crazy.

VENKMAN
If it's any comfort to you, I don't think you're crazy.

DANA (laughs ironically)
Thanks. Coming from you that really means a lot to me.

                VENKMAN
                I'm a qualified psychologist. I've got a degree and everything. I believe that
                something happened here and I want to do something about it.

DANA
All right. What do you want to do?

VENKMAN
I think I should spend the night here.

DANA (she's had enough)
That's it. Get out.

VENKMAN
On a purely scientific basis.

DANA
Out!

VENKMAN
I want to help you.

DANA
I'll scream.

VENKMAN
Don't scream.

DANA (urging him to the door)
Then leave.

VENKMAN
Okay, okay. But if anything else happens, you have to promise you'll call me.

DANA (opening the door)
All right.

VENKMAN
Okay. Then I'll go.

DANA
Goodbye.

VENKMAN (in the hall)
No kiss?

She closes the door in his face and triple locks it.

                EXT. HALLWAY -- DAY
                Venkman stands there with his nose flattened against Dana's door. He starts to
                leave just as Louis Tully pokes his head out the door hoping to see Dana. He
                jealously eyes Venkman. Venkman ignores Louis and gets on the elevator.

                Louis spots his newspaper lying on the floor across the hall. Holding the door
                open with one foot, he reaches for the paper but can't quite stretch far enough.
                Trying another approach, he swings the door open, leaps for the paper and
                darts back to the door just as it slams shut in his face, locking him out again.

                INT. FIREHALL KITCHEN -- NIGHT
                Stantz and Spengler are eating Chinese food from several take-out containers.
                Venkman enters.

STANTZ
How was your date?

VENKMAN
It wasn't a date. It was an investigation.

SPENGLER
Did you see anything?

                VENKMAN
                Didn't see anything, Didn't get anything. Nice girl - no ghost. I'm starting to
                worry. You said your graph was pointing to something big. You told me things
                were going to start popping.

STANTZ
They will.

                VENKMAN
                Do you know when that might be? We're on the brink of a very serious
                cash-flow problem.

He plucks a garlic shrimp from one of the Chinese food cartons and walks off
disconsolately.

                EXT. HOTEL SEDGEWICK -- NIGHT
                Two uniformed DOORMEN help people in and out of taxis and limos under
                the hotel's elegant awning.

                INT. HOTEL -- NIGHT
                A "DO NOT DISTURB" sign hangs on the doorknob of Room 1210. Soft
                music is heard coming from the room.

                INT. ROOM 1210 -- NIGHT
                The room is dark but we can hear the sighs
                and heavy breathing of a man and woman
                making love on the bed. The camera PANS
                across the floor following a trail of dropped
                clothing -- a tuxedo jacket and cummerbund,
                white satin high heels, a lacy wedding gown,
                striped tuxedo trousers, satin ladies
                underpants, stockings and garters.

BRIDE (V.O.)
Aren't you glad we waited?

                GROOM (V.O.)
                I don't know. It probably would've been the
                same.

BRIDE (V.O.) (indignant)
Well, thanks a lot.

THE BED
The Groom turns his back to the Bride and pulls the sheet up to his neck.

                BRIDE
                What are you doing? Are you just going to roll over and go to sleep? (he
                doesn't respond) I don't believe this.

She switches on the lamp on the nightstand and picks up a magazine.

                THE AIR VENT
                There is a throbbing shudder as if something powerful was rushing through the
                air duct. A hint of yellowy vapor wafts through the grating and into the room.

                THE NIGHTSTAND
                The travel clock reads 9:45 P.M. Suddenly there is an audible hiss, then the
                glass clockface cracks down the middle with a snap.

THE BRIDE
Startled, she looks at the clock and picks it up to examine it.

BRIDE
Roy? Your clock broke.

GROOM
Nice going, honey. It was brand new.

                BRIDE
                I didn't break your precious clock, Roy! He gets up and heads for the
                bathroom.

BRIDE (CONT'D)
Now where are you going?

GROOM
To the bathroom, where do you think?

BRIDE (to herself)
Have I done the right thing?

                The Groom enters the bathroom and closes the door behind him. The sound
                of water running in the sink is heard. Then the Bride hears a sound like the
                noise a cat makes when trying to dislodge a hairball from its throat.

BRIDE (calls out)
Roy? Are you all right?

The noise increases to the level of ten cats with hairballs.

BRIDE (disgusted)
Hey, sweetheart, will you CUT THAT OUT!!!

GROOM (O.S.)
Uuuuuuugh!!

BRIDE (getting quite nervous)
What's the matter, dear?

She gets out of bed just as he comes charging out, stuttering in stunned horror.
She goes into the bathroom.

BRIDE (V.O.)
What did you do in here? It smells awful!! OH ... Oh, no ... Oh, my God.

The Bride runs out of the bathroom into the arms of her husband who is on the
telephone.

                GROOM
                ... right ... It's smelling up the whole suite ... I don't know ... It's just hanging
                off the ceiling ... I've never seen anything like this ... 1210 ... Quick ...