"Ghostbusters II" (DVD) Release Date (box set): August 2, 2005 Release Date (individually): March 14, 2006 MPAA Rating: PG Movie Length: 108 minutes Color/Black&White: Color Closed-Captioned: Yes Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1/2.0 (language dependent) Format: Widescreen (Enhanced for 16x9 TVs) Languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Thai DVD-Rom Enhanced: No Layers: Dual (most likely) Sides: One Regional Coding: 1 Video Format: NTSC Package Type: Slim Keep Case in Slipsleeve Box SPHE Catalog Number: 05160LT2 (05160 box)

This DVD was bundled with Ghostbusters as part of the "Double Feature Gift Set." Each movie was in it's own clear slim case with artwork, nestled inside an outer slipsleeve box, along with a "movie scrapbook" (a glossy 24-page book with photos, concept art, storyboards, biographies, and making-of information). The original release had the wrong aspect ratio data list on the back of the outer box (the movie was fine). In the second or third printing, this was corrected, as I've seen the corrected box on Wal-Mart shelves ever since.

There have been two significant re-releases. It was released individually on March 14, 2006. In 2008, the "gift set" was repackaged in one double-disc plastic case, sans the "movie scrapbook", under the title "Ghostbusters Collection". I saw it on a Wal-Mart shelf in July 2008 selling for $9.96.

Special Features

• Remastered Video (& Audio?)
• Two Real Ghostbusters episodes: Citizen Ghost and Partners In Slime
• GB1-Style Menus

Missing Special Features
(from the 1999 DVD release)

• All four trailers.
• Talent Biographies/Filmographies (and related menu photos).
• All menu photos.
• Stereo (2 channel) audio track. (If this was the film's original audio track, and not a downmix of the 5.1 track, then this should have stayed. They should have included GB1's original stereo [or mono?] audio track as well.)
• Pan & Scan "Full Screen" version (the only missing feature that I'm GLAD is gone!).

Errors

• The Real Ghostbusters episode "Partners In Slime" was apparently transferred incorrectly. When Sony transferred the video to DVD, they played their original master recording (tape, probably) at a slower than normal speed, resulting in slower/long drawn-out audio (the theme and background music are most noticable), audio defects (the mechanical/echo/hiccupy sound in the dialogue), and a runtime that is considerably longer than that of the original ABC broadcast! Excluding the opening title sequence and end credits, the ABC broadcast runs 21:20 (11:58 before commercial + 9:22 after commercial = 21:20); the DVD runs 24:04 (1:07 start - 25:11 end = 24:04). The DVD is 2:44 longer than the original ABC broadcast! (In case you're wondering, no new footage was added to the episode on DVD.)

DVD Notes

• The main menu essentially is the same as the GB1 DVD, which makes no sense since the Shandor Building was not in that movie. At least they replaced the walking Mr. Stay-Puft with the Statue of Liberty. They should have replaced the background music as well. Bobby Brown's "On Our Own" is more appropriate than Ray Parker Jr.'s "Ghostbusters."
• The menus take you all over the place with no rhyme or reason as to why. Click on "Languages" on the movie theater, and you'll be taken to a menu on the adjacent building. Click on "Spook Central" on the grey building(!), and you'll be taken to a menu on the Shandor Building rooftop.
• Before the movie starts you have to view several non-skippable warning screens. However, there's an easy way around this. Instead of selecting "Play Movie" from any of the menus, just go into "Scene Selections" and select Chapter 1.
• Real Ghostbusters - Citizen Ghost notes:
  * Uses "The Real Ghostbusters" opening.
  * Has original DIC logo at end, but they replaced the Columbia Pictures Television (a Coca-Cola Company) logo with the recent Columbia/Tristar Television Distribution (a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company) logo.
• Real Ghostbusters - Partners In Slime notes:
  * Uses the "Slimer & The Real Ghostbusters" opening.
  * Has both original end logos.

Packaging

• Ghostbusters II Case Artwork
• Ghostbusters II Disc Artwork
• Ghostbusters II Key Art (1000x1732, 473 Kb, cover art without the text, courtesy of the SPHE Publicity website)
• Ghostbusters II Disc In Case

Multimedia

• Back Cover Group Shot (courtesy of the SPHE Publicity website, preview image)
• Back Cover Slimed Shot (courtesy of the SPHE Publicity website, preview image)
• DVD-ROM Jacket Art MP2 Files (this is the only real worthwhile content on the DVD-ROM portion of the disc)
• Main Menu, Advance Image (notice it lists Previews on the movie theater, which isn't in the final product; and Languages above Animated Episodes) (image courtesy of the SPHE Publicity website)

Outside Links

• Official Mini-Site
• Captain Nate's Screen Captures & Photos
• Giant Magazine Review - This is the same magazine who put that Free Issue card in with the DVD set.