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That time the Ghostbusters got chased off by Casper the Friendly Ghost and his uncles

Some ghosts can't be busted.

Dan Aykroyd in Casper
Image credit: Universal Pictures

The Ghostbusters have tackled some pretty strange and scary creatures in their day. Giant marshmallow men. Evil paintings. Destroyers out of time and space. Is there any spook or specter that they can’t bust? Yes – Casper and his three ghostly uncles managed to send the Ghostbusters packing in a brief but memorable cameo in 1995’s Casper film.

Carrigan Crittenden inherits the spacious but remarkably haunted Whipstaff Manor from her late father. In order to get the rumored treasure hidden within, she needs those pesky ghosts gone. When a good old-fashioned exorcism doesn’t do the trick, she seeks a more modern solution, calling in Ray Stanz from the Ghostbusters to clear the place out. Unfortunately, things don’t go as planned and Ray flees the scene while simply saying “Who ya gonna call? Someone else.”

It is actually an interesting cameo for the time and not just because of the sudden appearance of a mustache on Dan Aykroyd’s face. Casper was produced by Amblin Entertainment and Universal Pictures, while Ghostbusters has fallen under the Colombia Pictures and Sony Pictures umbrellas over the years. Just the presence of the unmistakable Ghostbusters logo on Akroyd’s shoulder would require a fair amount of paperwork for the production team – all for what amounts to a 12-second cameo in the movie.

The implication of the two movies sharing a universe opens up some questions, of course. If the events of Ghostbusters, which proved to the world that ghosts really exist, why do people show skepticism toward Dr. Harvey’s claim to provide therapy to the “living impaired?” Ultimately, it's best not to think too much about it and just enjoy the whimsical world of Casper.


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Trent Cannon

Trent Cannon: Trent is a freelance writer who has been covering anime, video games, and pop culture for a decade. (He/Him)

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