When there’s something strange in the neighborhood, who you gonna call? All your friends to come over for dinner and a movie, of course!
Skip the gory slasher flicks this Halloween and go for a classic comedy with just the right amount of paranormal spooks to make you work up an appetite: “Ghostbusters!” Luckily, we have the perfect “Ghostbusters”-themed menu for you.
Want to see more? Check out our other Dinner and a movie features here!
Dress the part
You can go for an all ’80s theme or pick out the best of the movie’s costumes, like Dana Barrett’s sexy orange Gatekeeper dress, the iconic tan jumpsuit uniforms, Gozer the Gozerian’s white body stocking (Pinterest has some great ideas involving iridescent plastic bubbles and spiderweb mesh), the librarian ghost’s lavender Victorian gown, Louis Tully’s nerd getup (complete with metal colander headgear), or a classic sailor look in honor of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.
You could even throw people off by wearing a black body stocking and a pumpkin mask like the dancing weatherman — he is jammin’ to the “Ghostbusters” theme song, after all.
If you have a home office lined with books, consider throwing your monster mash bash in there as a nod to the scenes in the New York Public Library.
Get your “Ghostbusters” on
Fending off paranormal entities really stokes your hunger. Before you can stuff your gob like Slimer, though, you have to get the movie ready:
MOVIE: “Ghostbusters” (Don’t have it? Get it at Amazon or see more options)
RUNNING TIME: 1 hour, 47 minutes
YEAR OF RELEASE: 1984
RATING: PG
STARRING: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver
Dinner and a movie: Your “Ghostbusters” menu
And now, for our feature presentation…
Beverages
Break the ice with a “Ghostbusters” drinking game. Whip up a batch of Slimer shooters: green Jell-O shots made with vodka. Ectoplasm-y! Take a shot every time:
- Louis gets locked out of his apartment.
- Someone gets slimed.
- Someone says “Ghostbusters.”
- Someone says “Keymaster” or “Gatekeeper.”
- Someone says “Gozer” or “Zuul.”
- Venkman says something misogynistic.
- Egon cites a statistic.
- You see someone smoking.
- A proton pack is fired.
- Someone talks about crossing the streams.
Stir up a pitcher of Real Housewives’s caramel appletinis, which also happen to be the exact color of ectoplasm and are a sweet nod to the movie’s setting, the Big Apple. Finish your drink when Slimer is captured and when the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man is vanquished forever (and remember to have a designated driver or keep your Uber app open so your guests have a safe ride home).
ALSO TRY: Pumpkin fizz cocktail
Now you need some food to soak up all that booze. Nosh on these dishes so good they seem supernatural!
Nibbles: Slimer marshmallow fondue
Alas, you may never experience getting slimed (because life obviously isn’t fair). But you can live vicariously through bits of fruit, bread and — duh — marshmallows when you dunk them in Campfire’s green Slimer fondue.
Appetizer: Wonton crackers
Move on to some wonton crackers, because the Ghostbusters practically live on Chinese takeout in their firehouse headquarters. These are easy, crispy and delicious, and can be made up to four days ahead of time.
Entrée: Steak and eggs
For your main course: Nosh My Way’s steak and eggs. A New York strip steak is as iconic as the Empire State Building itself. But just a heads-up, the eggs aren’t going to cook themselves unless you live in Dana’s apartment. Better break out that frying pan!
ALSO TRY: Grilled baby back ribs
Side dish: Sweet potato fries with marshmallow sauce
As your side, we suggest these scary delicious sweet potato fries with coconut marshmallow vanilla sauce (mmm, Stay Puft).
Dessert: Homemade twinkies
And finally, a sweet treat to finish it off. Try Joy the Baker’s homemade snack cakes, naturally full of all the psychokinetic energy in the New York area. That’s a big Twinkie!
ALSO TRY: Monster cake pops
Now make sure anyone who partook of alcohol heads home in a cab — no one’s driving after that drinking game. Just hope their cab driver doesn’t look like this guy.