‘Ghostbusters’ Package Is Inventive Delight

DVD’s special features are becoming more and more sophisticated. And Columbia TriStar’s DVD of the 1984 comedy blockbuster “Ghostbusters” ($25), which arrives in stores Tuesday, is by far the most innovative and fun disc to hit the market this year.

Be prepared to carve out quality time to watch the disc, which includes deleted scenes, documentaries and three different ways to watch the crisp, remastered print of the film, which stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Rick Moranis and Sigourney Weaver.

The animated menus, which re-create the New York skyline, are a delight. Among the special features is “Spook Cemetery,” which contains numerous deleted scenes from the film, including a strange sequence in which a squabbling honeymoon couple encounter a ghost in the bathroom of their swank hotel.

A “making of” documentary that was filmed during the production of the comedy includes funny interviews with Murray and Aykroyd, plus behind-the-scenes footage. A new documentary on the film includes interviews with a now rather dour Aykroyd, Ramis and director Ivan Reitman.

A “before and after” comparison allows viewers--via the angles feature--to look at a rough cut of a scene and then at the completed scene after special effects had been added. Another enjoyable addition is the split-screen feature, which allows viewers to see a scene from the movie and the storyboard of the scene simultaneously.

There is also a lengthy documentary featuring interviews with the visual effects team, who talk about how they created their elements at a time when computerized effects didn’t exist. Also included are more than 50 conceptual drawings of the ghosts and monsters, dozens of original storyboards and hundreds of production photos.

For those with DVD-ROM capability, there are filmographies of the cast and crew and an original final shooting script.

One can watch “Ghostbusters” with production notes as subtitles, so you can learn all sorts of tidbits about the filming, like the fact that they only had five hours to shoot all the sequences in the New York Public Library, and that Aykroyd is actually heavily into the paranormal.

The disc’s calling card is its “live” video commentary. A la “Mystery Science Theatre 3000,” Columbia TriStar filmed Ramis, Reitman and co-producer Joe Medjuck in silhouette watching the entire film and commenting on it. Viewers also have the option of listening to the commentary without seeing the silhouettes.

Thankfully, the three guys are extremely funny and offer delicious information on the making of the film, like the fact that Aykroyd originally wrote the film for himself and John Belushi. John Candy was the original choice to play Moranis’ role of Weaver’s swinging neighbor, but they say that Candy didn’t understand the part, so it went instead to his former “SCTV” colleague, Moranis.

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Universal is releasing two versions of its box-office hit “Patch Adams,” starring Robin Williams.

One disc ($30) offers production notes, cast bios, film highlights, the theatrical trailer and very funny outtakes of the sentimental comedy-drama about a compassionate medical student who believes laughter is the best medicine.

For hard-core “Patchies,” there’s the collector’s edition ($35), which includes a wide-screen version of the film, a “making of” documentary featuring interviews with Williams, director Tom Shadyac, co-star Monica Potter, producer Mike Farrell and the real Dr. “Patch” Adams, who wears a dangling earring in the shape of a fork.

Rounding out the collector’s edition is commentary from director Shadyac, who is best known for his slapstick comedies “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” “The Nutty Professor” and “Liar, Liar.” He’s not very interesting but he does give some insight into his fears about doing a film with heavy dramatic elements and his efforts to achieve a balance between the comedy and the drama. Shadyac also confesses he stole the opening sequence from Milos Forman’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”