The special effects artist who designed the ghost Slimer for “Ghostbusters” got some help from beyond the grave. Or maybe it was just the drugs.
His name is Steve Johnson, and he says his initial instructions were to create something that looked like “a smile with arms.” But nothing seemed to satisfy the filmmakers.
Eventually, he was told to make Slimer look like John Belushi, who was originally supposed to play Peter Venkman. He died of a drug overdose before production started, and Bill Murray got the gig.
So, Steve stayed up all night . . . did a lot of drugs . . . and finished Slimer, with the help of John’s actual ghost.
Steve says, quote, “I was three grams into the night and in a cocaine-induced delusional paranoia and I literally thought that John Belushi’s ghost came to me to help me out.”
He claims John’s ghost encouraged him, and even MODELED for him. When they were finished, Steve says John’s ghost looked at the cocaine and told him, quote, “Watch that [stuff] Steve, it’ll kill you.”
