Who You(Tube) gonna call? Ghostbusters streamed for free in the US

Are you troubled by strange noises in the middle of the night? Do you experience feelings of dread in your basement or attic? Have you or your family ever seen a spook, spectre or ghost? If the answer is 'yes', don't wait another minute -- head straight for YouTube to watch Ghostbusters in its entirety.

Not so fast, though: sadly, due to international restrictions, Ghostbusters can't be watched on YouTube by UK users. But we just couldn't pass up the chance to glory in one of the finest films ever made, as YouTube and Sony celebrate the film's 25th birthday.

Interestingly, it could have been a very different movie: originally conceived as a future-set time travel sci-fi adventure, the movie could have starred Dan Aykroyd alongside John Belushi, Chevy Chase and Eddie Murphy, with John Candy in the role played by Rick Moranis. And just imagine what it would have looked like if it was made in 1954.

For US viewers, the film will be on YouTube for a week, or rather it will play in Sony's own Crackle player embedded in the site. It's positive that major studios are beginning to embrace YouTube, rather than blaming it for the end of civilisation as we know it, but most of the other films on offer are either obscure or frankly pony. Other Sony movies available to watch include the gritty Casualties of War, Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone, and The Karate Kid Part III. The YouTube stream of Ghostbusters will include up to eight adverts, and will not be in high definition.

We definitely don't advocate looking up a proxy site and watching it that way... why not save the movie industry and buy Ghostbusters on Blu-ray? It's on iTunes for £2.50 if you're really desperate to watch it on your laptop. And finally, because it's Friday and because we can...