The 'Ghostbusters' Are Back

Ready for a scream and a good laugh? "Ghostbusters" is back, this time on DVD.

Startiing Tuesday, Aug. 2, you can get both "Ghostbusters" and "Ghostbusters Two" together in a DVD gift set, which includes deleted scenes, filmmaker's commentary, and, of course, the favorite scary scenes that made the movie such a blockbuster.

Director Ivan Reitman and actor Harold Ramis, who played Dr. Egon Spengler were on The Early Show plaza, reminiscing about the film next to the Ectomobile (Ecto 1).

It was Dan Aykroyd 's idea to buy an ambulance and convert it, Ramis tells co-anchor Rene Syler about the remodeled '59 Cadillac.

Reitman adds, "They'd put on the lights and people would get out of the way, like it was a real ambulance."

That came in handy considering they were driving around New York City, he says. The director explains, "I would say: 'OK! Here is what we have to accomplish on the shot, and do you think you can get back here in five minutes. And Danny [Aykroyd] was such a good driver. I could count on him to get back."

Ramis never got to drive it. He says he always sat in the back. But he has great memories. "[Bill] Murray and Aykroyd are two of the great joy riders of all time. We were always off on some sidetrack," he says.

To shoot the big earthquake scene, they actually managed to create a lot of chaos for drivers around Manhattan. By closing Central Park West, drivers in other intersecting streets got stuck.

Ramis recalls laughing, "It shut down Central Park West. Then, it shut down 65th and 66th going through the park. That shut down Fifth Avenue, and that shut down the whole East Side. Then, it shut down Columbus Circle, which shut down Ninth and Eighth and Broadway."

Laughing Reitman add, "We effectively slowed down Manhattan. People thought it was real. People in buses were stuck."

It was also fun also to see the faces of people who curiously asked about the Ectomobile.

"No one knew it was part of a movie," Ramis says. "And they go: What's that? And we go: Ghostbusters. And they go: Oh, ghostbusters."

All along, Ramis says he knew the film had a great potential for success.

"We were used to the idea that we had the potential to make big, big comedies," Ramis says. "The first time we came together, Ivan produced 'Animal House,' and I was one of the writers of 'Animal House," that was kind of our first Hollywood film."

But it was Aykroyd's idea that made the movie possible.

Reitman explains, "This genius idea that Dan Aykroyd came up with is that there are men that work just like firemen. And they catch ghosts. And even though it is really, really funny, the story actually works. Harold wrote it with Danny. And people get emotionally involved. They get scared. When they go into the library and see that ghost for the first time, people jump out of their seats. And I think they're surprised that that happens in a comedy movie."

"Ghostbusters" was released in single DVDs in late 1990s when there were not a lot of DVD players and the DVDs are in very limited circulation.

Reitman says, "We get told all the time: I love that movie or I showed it to my kids. Kids discover these movies on their own. We're having kind of a renaissance day. Sony just brought out 'Stripes' again, a movie we made almost 20 years ago. Now both of these 'Ghostbuster' movies, I'm feeling good."

DVD Special Features Include:

• Two-Disc DVD set containing Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters 2
  
• Audio Commentary with Ivan Reitman, Harold Ramis and Joe Medjuck
  
• Deleted Scenes
  
• 3 Featurettes
  
• Multi-Angle features
  
• Storyboards
  
• Collectible scrapbook
  
• 2 animated Ghostbusters episodes
  
• Remastered Video
  
• Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1
  
• Subtitles: English