Ghostbusters’ Missing Detail Debunked A Dark Venkman Theory

One detail from the novelization of the original Ghostbusters film disproves a dark theory regarding Peter Venkman’s intentions heading into his date with Dana Barrett. This theory centers around the question of how Venkman acquired the medication he used to sedate Barrett after determining that she had been demonically possessed. However, even ignoring the book, there are details in the film which clearly refute the idea that Venkman, for all his questionable habits, would ever take advantage of a woman unable to give consent.

The first Ghostbusters movie was hard to quantify when it was released in 1984, as it mixed elements of comedy, action, science-fiction, and horror. This conflict was present even in the original screenplay conceived by Dan Aykroyd, which was designed as a vehicle for Aykroyd and his Saturday Night Live co-star John Belushi, yet darker and more focused on the science-fiction elements of the concept than humor. This has led to some conflict among fans of the franchise regarding the balance of comedic and horrific elements in subsequent Ghostbusters spin-offs.

To that end, some fans have reconsidered and reanalyzed certain aspects of Ghostbusters that have not aged well in the decades since its release. It has been noted, for instance, that the original film has a surprisingly conservative viewpoint, painting government regulation and environmental protection as bad things, with an EPA agent trying to shut down the Ghostbusters after being denied the right to inspect their facilities. So too have some fans come to question the character of Dr. Peter Venkman and his treatment of women, particularly the Ghostbusters’ first client, Dana Barrett.

The Dark Venkman Theory

The first scene of Ghostbusters to feature Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) quickly established him as a flirtatious fixer, rigging a test for psychic abilities in order to secure a date with an attractive test subject. If Ray Stantz was the heart of the Ghostbusters and Egon Spengler the brains of the operation, Peter Venkman was the face, handling most of the company’s public relations and press. Despite holding doctorates in parapsychology and psychology, Venkman was shown to have the heart of a conman, treating science, in the words of Dean Yeager of Columbia University, “as some kind of dodge or hustle.” He was also far more interested in Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) as a prospective romantic partner than as a client when she came to the Ghostbusters for help with her haunted apartment.

Later in the movie, after Venkman had persuaded Barrett to go out on a date with him, he arrived at her apartment to find her dressed in a diaphanous red dress that left little to the imagination. Barrett asked if Venkman was the Keymaster and introduced herself as Zuul the Gatekeeper, before trying to seduce Venkman, who kept asking if he could talk to Dana Barrett instead of Zuul. This led to Venkman sedating Barrett with “about 300 cc’s of Thorazine” before calling in to Ghostbusters HQ and learning that Spengler was questioning a man who also claimed to be a servant of the ancient god Gozer known as the Keymaster.

The question of why Venkman just happened to have enough Thorazine to render an adult woman unconscious gave rise to a dark fan theory that Venkman went into his date with Dana Barrett intending to drug her. Clever fans have pointed out that it would have been impossible for Venkman to legally acquire the drug, which requires a prescription. This suggests that in addition to having plotted to make a woman insensible, Venkman was also a thief, likely stealing the medication or a prescription pad from one of his fellow Ghostbusters who did have a medical degree.

A Ghostbusters Novel Detail The Movie Didn’t Mention

Thankfully, a solution was provided in Ghostbusters: The Supernatural Spectacular, a novelization of the first Ghostbusters film written by Richard Mueller, based on the final shooting screenplay by Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd. During the scene in which Peter Venkman discovered that Dana Barrett had been possessed by Zuul, he was described as going through the drawers of her dresser, thinking “She’s an artist…she’s got to have some Valium somewhere.” The novel does not specify what medication Venkman used to sedate Barrett, but does confirm he used what was at hand rather than something he just happened to have with him.

This interpretation of events is subtly confirmed in the Ghostbusters film. In the scene where Venkman checks in with Spengler, disheveled dresser drawers can clearly be seen in the background. This suggested that Venkman had searched for some kind of sedative that Dana Barrett was already taking. While it was a bit of a coincidence that she might be taking strong sedatives, the movie further justified this conceit with an earlier remark by Barrett’s neighbor, Louis Tully (Rick Moranis), that he was buying lots of generic brand acetylsalicylic acid from Walgreen’s for his headaches. This hinted that the two neighbors were under some sort of psychic stress before they became possessed by the Keymaster and Gatekeeper of Gozer.

Why Venkman’s Behavior In The Movie Doesn’t Fit The Theory

Even without the novelization’s explanation of where Venkman got the drugs to sedate Dana Barrett and the subtle evidence suggested by the rummaged-through dresser, the dark Venkman theory doesn’t hold water in the face of one simple fact: Venkman repeatedly rejected Zuul’s advances. When the possessed Barrett answered the door, she made it more than clear what her intentions were, asking Venkman, “Do you want this body?” before trying to force herself on him. The Ghostbuster played by Bill Murray refused, however, after it became clear that Dana was not in control of her own actions and that she was not indulging in some sort of kinky roleplaying scenario.

If Peter Venkman had gone into his date with Dana Barrett with the intention of drugging her and taking advantage of her, it is highly unlikely he would have turned Zuul down. He certainly wouldn’t have made his now-famous declaration that he made it a rule “never to get involved with possessed people.” Venkman may have been a bit of a sleaze in how he treated women in Ghostbusters, but he was repeatedly shown to have a good heart when push came to shove.

About The Author

Matt Morrison
(1835 Articles Published)

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Matt Morrison has been writing about comics since before the word
“blogging” was coined. He got his start writing for the
legendary DC Comics digital fanzine Fanzing,
before receiving his own column, The Mount. Since then he has gone on
to write for over a dozen websites, including 411
Mania, Comics
Nexus and The Cult of Nobody. He holds both an MS in Information
Science from the University of North Texas and a BFA from the
University of Texas at Arlington. Known as a font of comic book
history trivia, he has delivered lectures on the history of American
Comic Books, Japanese Manga, Doctor Who, and Cosplay at over a dozen conventions
and served as an Expert In-Residence for a course on Graphic Novels
for Librarians at the University of North Texas. In addition to his
work for Screen Rant, Matt is currently the Editor In Chief of
Kabooooom.com and writes reviews for No
Flying, No Tights – a graphic literature and anime review site
aimed at teachers and librarians. He also maintains a personal blog –
My Geeky Geeky Ways –
which hosts his extensive episode guide for the television series
making up The Arrowverse as well as his
comedic Let’s Play videos. What little spare time he has is
devoted towards acting, role-playing, movie-riffing and sarcasm. You
can follow his adventures on Twitter, @GeekyGeekyWays.

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