MovieChat Forums > Ghostbusters II (1989) Discussion > why did they make the slime pink? why no...

why did they make the slime pink? why not green?

posted 10 years ago by reaseltbim
23 replies | jump to latest

Has there ever been any explanation from the filmmakers on why they choose the slime to be pink?

that has always bothered me. It is such a weird color for a ghost movie. Specially one where the slime represents hate.

Wouldn't green make more sense? bring green? Specially since other ghosts in the franchise have appeared as green as well? (Paranormal entities being blue or green looking)

just wanted to know if anyone has ever heard or read why they went with pink. it was a very odd choice

[–] novastar_6 10 years ago

Ever see The Blob? Pink is a SCARY color for ooze and slime.

[–] reaseltbim 10 years ago

but the unofficial color of the Ghost busters has always been green

From Slimmer to the cartoon show, Green has always been around in the franchise.
So it is really weird to make it pink

(unless you are right and this was a nod to the Blob)

[–] novastar_6 10 years ago

Slimer wasn't really evil though, he was just a menace and an annoyance, and Vigo's slime was pure unconcentrated evil.

Though actually there were a couple points throughout the film where I thought the slime in its build and movement actually WAS comparable to the 80s Blob, and they were only a year apart, so there may be a connection there. It's funny because the original Blob was red, given that implication, that it's red from its victims' blood, you'd think that'd be a scarier color of choice than pink but they found a way to make pink SCARY as hell.

[–] samhmd-7489 9 years ago

The Blob's color was sort of a plot point. It started out as white, and got more and more red (from the blood and melted people) so it became pink.

By the end, it was pretty much red.

[–] americanadian25 9 years ago

I always assumed it was a reference to The Blob.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqzppLZRNuA

[–] Hendry_William_French 9 years ago

Because it looked cool?

May The Schwartz Be With You

[–] reaseltbim 9 years ago

green would have looked xooler

[–] Hendry_William_French 9 years ago

If it was green then it would've looked like they were shooting snot. The pink slime was probably an aesthetic choice, I thought it looked sweet.

The cheese is old and moldy. Where is the bathroom?

[–] blondcutie1972 8 years ago

Yeah Lonestarr is right, if the slime was green that would have been gross, like them shooting snot from those lasers, pink is definately cooler for the color of the slime.

[–] GreenGoblinsOckVenom86 9 years ago

I'm curious if Tales from the Crypt debuting at the same time had something to do with it. Cause at the end of the intro of that show it showed the a bunch of green slime with purple letters spelling tales from the crypt.

Green Goblin is great! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1L4ZuaVvaw

[–] reaseltbim 9 years ago

really good point

[–] watcher101 9 years ago

I don't have the full details on it, but certain colors display different emotions. Iy could be related to why they chose the color.

[–] reaseltbim 9 years ago

that's true, you are right. maybe pink was the best to use for the story.

[–] watcher101 9 years ago

I did some research. In most cases, pink means love, kindness, hope, etc. But in a negative aspect, pink represents a lack of will power, self-reliance, and self-worth. It can also indicate an overly emotional and overly cautious nature.
So if the slime amplified rage, then the overly emotional part could be related since it enhanced anger and hate, and since the anger is overpowering them, I guess it would make them weak willed.

[–] deem_bastille 9 years ago

I guess it was because the green slime apparently didn't do anything. and the only green slime was slimer. all the other slime was clear.

I guess the pink meant it changes your behavior. and notice the pearly pink versus the clear-ish pink.

Reading the paper can really be depressing. Mr. Dithers fired Dagwood again.

[–] bossdog677 9 years ago

Because Nickledon pretty much owned the Green slime thing by 1989 and they wanted to appeal to adults as well

[–] deem_bastille 9 years ago

gay adults?
Reading the paper can really be depressing. Mr. Dithers fired Dagwood again.

[–] EndlessUniverse 9 years ago

The film has a reddish hue overall, and I'm sure the pink slime matched up with that well.

[–] Snake_MacReady82 9 years ago

The slime (aka ectoplasmic residue) in GB1 was not green. It was clear and slightly pinkish.

Thit and thpin!

[–] haymish28 9 years ago

The pink slime looked awesome! It was also "mood slime," and I suppose you could loosely connect the color pink with emotions/moods... Also, there is something of a gory feel to the slime in the film, which is NOT a single shade of pink, but rather a bubbling, psychic ooze of interlocked tubes of pink, red, and various dark shades. So, in a way, it looks like diluted blood and gore, which makes sense considering the slime's source--Vigo the Carpathian--who "sat on a throne of blood."