‘Ghostbusters’ Haunts Movie Theaters Across Long Island, U.S. & Canada Labor Day Weekend

The 1984 box office smash Ghostbusters—starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Sigourney Weaver, among others—will be haunting more than 700 theaters across Long Island, the Unites States and Canada for a limited run this Labor Day Weekend in celebration of its 30th anniversary.

The theatrical re-release of the fully restored and remastered, now-in-HD film kicks off Thursday, August 28—known as National Ghostbusters Day—and will last just one week, with both the original and its sequel Ghostbusters II to be released as a special collector’s Blu-ray set September 16. A Ghostbusters III is also rumored to be in the works.

The comedic cult classic sets Murray, Aykroyd and Harold Ramos as three unemployed parapsychologists who start a ghost-catching business in New York City and, with the addition of Ernie Hudson to their team, end up saving the world from a supernatural apocalypse.

Written by Aykroyd and Ramis and directed by Ivan Reitman, the roles of the ghost hunters were originally created for John Belushi, John Candy and Long Island native Eddie Murphy, but changed when Belushi died in 1982 and the latter two backed out.

Weaver and funnyman Rick Moranis play supporting parts—she as Murray’s love interest and he as a neighbor. Both end up getting possessed, as the “Gate Keeper” and “Key Master,” respectively.

Setting up shop in a firehouse Murray (Peter Venkman), Aykroyd (Raymond Stantz), Ramos (Egon Spengler) and Hudson (Winston Zeddmore) scoot around the city in a jazzed-out ambulance/hearse, known as the Ecto-1, toting proton packs—nuclear particle beam accelerators—across their backs.

The ghosts the unlikely heroes battle throughout the film are as fascinating to watch as hilarious—an eternal fan favorite being the flying pudgy, green, gooey Slimer, who slathers anyone he crashes into with a glowing, translucent ooze called, well, “slime.”

Then there’s the sinister Mister Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, a towering, demonic ghost made out of marshmallows. Lol laughing just writing this.

The movie features one of the catchiest theme songs ever written, “Ghostbusters,” by Ray Parker, Jr., with the immortal lines “Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!” and “I ain’t afraid of no ghost” remaining popular catchphrases to this day. It also spent three weeks at the top of Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart.

It also contains some of the most memorable quotes of the ’80s:

“He just slimed me.”

“We came. We saw. We kicked its ass.”

“Let’s show this prehistoric bitch how we do things downtown.”

“There is no Dana. There is only Zuul.”

“We’ve been going about this all wrong. This Mister Stay Puft’s okay! He’s a sailor, he’s in New York. We get this guy laid, we won’t have any trouble!”

“Don’t cross the streams!”

Ghostbusters was nominated for two Oscars—Best Visual Effects and Best Original Song—but lost to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Woman in Red, respectively. It spawned a follow-up, Ghostbusters II, two cartoon shows, countless toys, merchandise and Halloween costumes.

An absolute classic. Don’t miss this chance to catch it.

Here are a few local theaters and times when Ghostbusters will be playing, check their individual websites for additional show times: