Page 7
INT. NYPD LOCK-UP
Winston is staring out through the bars talking to himself.
WINSTON (depressed)
We're gonna get five years for this. Plus they're gonna make us retrap
all those
spooks. I knew I shouldn't have taken this job.
He bangs on the bars and crosses to Venkman, Stantz and Spengler who are
huddled together looking at blueprints of Dana's building.
STANTZ (intense)
Look at the structure of the roof cap. It looks exactly like the kind of
telemetry
tracker NASA uses to identify dead pulsars in other galaxies.
SPENGLER
And look at this, Peter (indicates another diagram) Cold-riveted girders
with
selenium cores.
Venkman leans in to look but suddenly notices that they have an audience.
THE CELL
The Ghostbusters are surrounded by a motley assortment of BUMS,
PUNKS, HOODS and a particularly mean-looking gang of BIKERS, all
listening intently to their discussion.
VENKMAN (to their cellmates)
Everybody with us so far?
The other prisoners mutter and scratch their heads, then drift off.
STANTZ (back to his point)
The ironwork extends down through fifty feet of bedrock and touches the
water table!
He looks at Venkman who doesn't see the significance.
VENKMAN (shrugs)
I guess they don't build them like they used to, huh?
STANTZ
No! Nobody ever built them like this! The architect was either an authentic
whacko or a certified genius. The whole building is like a huge antenna
for
pulling in and concentrating psychokinetic energy.
VENKMAN
Who was the architect?
STANTZ
He's listed on the blueprints as I. Shandor.
SPENGLER (exclaims)
Of course! (the others turn and look at him)
Ivo Shandor, I saw his name in Tobin's
SPIRIT GUIDE. He started a secret society in
1920.
VENKMAN (putting it all together)
Let me guess -- Gozer Worshippers.
SPENGLER
Yes. After the First World War Shandor
decided that society was too sick to survive.
And he wasn't alone. He had close to a
thousand followers when he died. They
conducted rituals, bizarre rituals, intended to
bring about the end of the world.
VENKMAN (now very worried about
Dana)
She said he was "the Destructor."
SPENGLER
Who?
VENKMAN
Gozer.
SPENGLER (confused)
You talked to Gozer?
VENKMAN
Get a grip on yourself, Egon. I talked to Dana Barrett and she referred
to
Gozer as the Destructor.
STANTZ (proud)
See? I told you something big was about to happen.
Winston has heard enough.
WINSTON
This is insane! You actually believe that some moldy Babylonian God is
going
to drop in at 78th and Central Park West and start tearing up the city?
SPENGLER (corrects him)
Sumarian -- not Babylonian,
Winston just shakes his head. Then a uniformed GUARD appears with a
high-ranking POLICE OFFICIAL and unlocks the cell door.
POLICE OFFICIAL
Are you the Ghostbusters?
VENKMAN
What about it?
POLICE OFFICIAL
The mayor wants to see you -- right away. The whole island is going crazy.
Let's go.
They exit.
EXT. CITY HALL
The official cars arrive and the Ghostbusters are hustled past a mob of
reporters, all shouting questions at once.
REPORTERS (as babble)
Are you under arrest? Did you have a bomb factory in the basement? What
are you going to do about all these ghosts?
INT. MAYOR'S OFFICE
Secretaries and aides scurry about in a chaos of telephones and waiting
city
officials. As the Ghostbusters are led through the outer offices, everyone
stops
what they're doing to stare at them.
INT. OFFICE OF THE MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY
The Ghostbusters enter and see a very concerned group of leaders arguing
like crazy. The Police and Fire Commissioners, State and City Police
Commandants, the Archbishop of the New York Diocese, the Regional
Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Governor of the State
of
New York, and various other high-ranking officials.
THE AIDE (entering with the Ghostbusters)
The Ghostbusters are here, Mr. Mayor.
At once, the group turns and instantly regains perfect decorum.
THE MAYOR
He is a likeable Democrat and a man of the people -- particularly the Irish,
Italian and Jewish people.
MAYOR (looking them over)
Okay, the Ghostbusters. And who's Peck?
Peck shoulders his way forward.
PECK (adrenalin pumping)
I'm Walter Peck, sir. And I'm prepared to make a full report. (holds up
dossier) These men are complete snowball artists. They use nerve and sense
gases to induce hallucinations. The people think they're seeing ghosts
and call
these bozos, who conveniently show up to get rid of the problem with a
fake
electronic light show.
MAYOR (to Venkman)
You using nerve gas?
VENKMAN
The man is a psychopath, Your Honor.
PECK
Probably a mixture of gases, no doubt stolen from the Army ...
STANTZ
Bullshit!!!
PECK
... improperly stored and touched off with those high-voltage laser beams
they
use in their light show. They caused an explosion.
The Mayor looks for help from the assembled leaders,
FIRE COMMISSIONER
All I know is, that wasn't a light show we saw this morning. I've seen
every
form of combustion known to man, but this beats me.
POLICE COMMISSIONER
And nobody's using nerve gas on all the people that have seen those ...
things
... all over the city. The walls were bleeding at the 53rd Precinct. How
do you
explain that?
He looks to the Archbishop. Everybody focuses on the ornately attired
Prelate.
ARCHBISHOP
Officially, the Church will not take a position on the religious implications
of
these ... phenomena. However, since they started, people have been lining
up
at every church in the city to confess and take communion. We've had to
put
on extra priests. Personally, I think it's a sign from God but don't quote
me on
that.
MAYOR (shaking his head)
I can't call a press conference and tell everyone to start praying.
WINSTON
He steps forward.
WINSTON
I'm Winston Zeddemore, Your Honor. I've only been with the company for
a
couple of weeks, but I gotta tell you -- these things are real. Since I
joined
these men I have seen shit that would turn you white.
THE MAYOR
He rubs his eyes wearily.
MAYOR (to Venkman)
So what do I do now?
VENKMAN
He seizes the moment.
VENKMAN
Mr. Mayor, it's a pretty simple choice. You can believe Mr. Pecker here
...
PECK (snaps)
That's "Peck!"
VENKMAN (ignores him)
... or you can accept the fact that this city is heading for a disaster
of really
Biblical proportions.
MAYOR
What do you mean "Biblical?"
VENKMAN
Old Testament, Mr. Mayor. "Wrath of God"-type stuff. The seas could boil,
fire and brimstone falling from the sky ...
STANTZ (chimes in)
... forty years of darkness, earthquakes, mass hysteria, human sacrifice
...
MAYOR
Enough! I get the point. (really torn) But what if you're wrong?
VENKMAN
If I'm wrong then nothing happens and you toss us in the can. But if I'm
right,
and if we can stop this thing ... well, let's just say that you could save
the lives
of a lot of registered voters.
The Mayor starts nodding affirmatively, clearly convinced by Venkman's
rational assessment.
PECK (furious)
I don't believe you're seriously considering listening to these men!
The Mayor takes a long look at Peck.
MAYOR
Get him out of here. (Peck looks stricken) We've got work to do. What do
you need from me?
EXT. DANA'S APARTMENT BUILDING - SAME TIME
Louis arrives in front of the building and looks up, Strange lights are
beginning
to flash from the windows, He enters the building and a moment later a
huge
tremor shakes the structure.
INT. DANA'S FLOOR
The elevator doors open and Louis gets out. A crowd of tenants rushes onto
the elevator clutching their most prized possessions. He gets through the
panicked tenants and walks down the hall.
MRS. BLUM, a neighbor, comes out of her apartment carrying an armload of
small appliances.
MRS. BLUM
Louis! What are you doing standing there ... get out of the building ...
don't
you know it's an earthquake or something?
LOUIS
The Traveller is coming.
MRS. BLUM
Don't be crazy. Nobody is going to come and visit you with all this commotion
going on.
She rushes off leaving Louis alone in the hall. He goes to Dana's door
and
mechanically knocks three times. His knocking echoes thunderously
throughout the building.
THE DOOR
It opens and Louis sees Dana standing there. A tremendous thunderclap
rattles the building.
LOUIS (his eyes light up)
Are you the Gatekeeper?
DANA (nods)
I am Zuul.
Hearing that, Louis grabs Dana with a passion
that's been building in his unconscious for 8000
years. He kisses her with savage lust and pulls
her to the floor out of frame as an explosive
force blows through the apartment.
INT. CITY HALL CORRIDOR
Venkman, Stantz and the Mayor walk briskly
toward the vehicle dock at the back of the
building. Aides scurry along behind them,
awaiting instructions.
MAYOR
I don't understand it, Why here? Why now?
VENKMAN
What goes around, comes around, Mr. Mayor. The big Lazy Susan of Karma
just keeps turning and sometimes we get the short end of the stick.
STANTZ
This may be Nature's way of telling us to slow down. You have to admit
it's
kind of humbling, isn't it?
MAYOR (shouts after them)
We're humble already! Hasn't this city suffered enough?
They come out onto the loading dock.
EXT. LOADING DOCK
The Ectomobile is parked there. Winston and Spengler are charging all the
packs off the building current. There's a lot of police activity around
them as
orders are dispatched.
A POLICE CAPTAIN reports to Venkman.
CAPTAIN
We've cleared the whole building and cordonned off the street. I'm massing
our own special tactics squad and the National Guard is on standby.
AIDE
I better alert the Red Cross, too.
SPENGLER
He looks up and sees Janine standing on the dock. She crosses to him.
JANINE (a little teary)
I want you to have this. (she hands him a coin)
SPENGLER
What is it?
JANINE
It's a souvenir from the 1964 World's Fair at Flushing Meadow. It's my
lucky
coin.
SPENGLER
I don't believe in luck.
JANINE
Keep it anyway. I have another one at home.
SPENGLER
Thank you.
They hug.
THE ECTOMOBILE
Stantz, Venkman and Winston get in. Spengler rushes over and joins them.
INT. ECTOMOBILE
Venkman turns around and looks at his friends.
VENKMAN
Okay. Just remember, whatever happens out there, we are total professionals.
Not only are we the best Ghostbusters around, we're the only Ghostbusters
around. It's up to us.
They all shake hands. Then Venkman sticks his hand out the window and
signals like a cavalry officer.
VENKMAN (CONT'D) (shouts)
Move 'em out!
EXT. REAR OF CITY HALL
A pair of police motorcycles comes roaring up the driveway followed by
the
Ectomobile and two police cruisers. The motorcade turns up the street and
heads uptown at high speed. They pass a column of National Guard trucks.
EXT. DANA'S APARTMENT BUILDING
The street has been blocked off with police barricades but a huge crowd
has
gathered nonetheless to watch the strange lights and flashes emanating
from
the upper floors of the building.
THE CROWD
The news media are out in front filming and taping everything. A contingent
of
Doomsday freaks is gathered with signs proclaiming "REPENT FOR THE
END IS AT HAND!" A few Catholic priests are kneeling, performing rites
of
exorcism.
THE CROWD
A gang of punks is hanging around hoping for a disaster. A handful of Hassidic
Jews behind them are wailing in earnest. The police work to restrain the
crowd.
THE STREET
The screaming of sirens turns the attention of the crowd as the motorcade
arrives. As the Ectomobile rounds the corner a huge cheer goes up from
the
crowd.
THE CROWD
The punks cheer. The Hassidic Jews wave their black hats and start dancing
for joy.
THE ECTOMOBILE
It pulls up in front of the building. The doors fly open and the Ghostbusters
all
jump out at once. The crowd roars.
THE PRIESTS
They leap to their feet and give each other "high fives."
VENKMAN
He raises both fists like a victorious boxer.
VENKMAN (shouts to the crowd)
Ghostbusters!
The crowd thunders its approval.
THE GHOSTBUSTERS
They quickly finish suiting up at the rear of the Ectomobile.
VENKMAN (keyed up)
Are we all together on this now?
WINSTON (in earnest)
I think we should get on a plane right now and go to Australia or Indonesia
until this blows over.
VENKMAN
I'm going to make a note of your suggestion and possibly bring it up later
if this
thing really gets out of hand. Now let's move.
They start heading for the lobby entrance to the building,
VOICE IN CROWD (MAN)
Get 'em!
VOICE IN CROWD (GIRL)
All right, Ghostbusters!
The crowd applauds as the Ghostbusters approach the entrance.
THE GHOSTBUSTERS
They stop in front of the building and look up at the roof.
THEIR POV
A blinding flash of light shoots from the rooftop temple.
THE BUILDING ENTRANCE
The whole building seems to groan as if under enormous pressure. Then
suddenly the concrete facade cracks open and the pavement in front of the
building collapses dropping the Ghostbusters and a police car into the
enormous sinkhole. The crowd gasps.
THE SINKHOLE
There is a tense moment of silence, then the Ghostbusters pop up and climb
out of the pit.
VENKMAN
I've heard of underground parking but this is ridiculous.
They flash the "okay" sign to the crowd and enter the building.
EXT. THE ROOFTOP -- SAME TIME
Dana and Louis emerge from the stairwell, approach the Temple and mount
the pedestals once occupied by the Terror Dogs.
THE TEMPLE
The walls begin to vibrate in response.
EXT. THE STREET BELOW
Blinding beams of light flash from all the windows.
INT. STAIRWELL
The Ghostbusters trudge up thirty-five flights of stairs.
