Ghostbusters' Terror Dogs Still Give Fans Nightmares All These Years Later

Since its 1984 debut, the "Ghostbusters" universe has expanded in ways that nobody could have imagined. But after almost 40 years and innumerable advances in visual effects technology, fans will tell you that you still can't beat the classics. Muncher from "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" can't hold a candle to Slimer. The giant "Ghostbusters" logo monster from the 2016 reboot isn't exactly the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.

And if your goal is getting the snot scared out of you, your best bet, according to commenters on the official "Ghostbusters" YouTube channel, is still to stick with the Terror Dogs from the very first movie. Questionable chroma key work and janky stop motion aside, the canine familiars of Gozer the Gozerian made an unquestionable impact on viewers back in the day — to let one fan, @kevinprehm5210, speak for themselves: "Literally gave me nightmares for a while when I first saw the Terror Dog as a kid, and apprehension of closets."

Who brought the dog? It's a sentiment that was shared by a good number of fans across the comments section of a 2022 video posted by the official "Ghostbusters" YouTube account. Pointing to the scene where Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) finds a Terror Dog in her fridge blasting unholy light out of its mouth, user @milespatterson3594 wrote that it "gave [them] nightmares as a child" and is "still a little scary now even as a grown man."

"Those things still scare me today," admitted @MegaCuttler, with another commenter, @robwalsh9843, stating that "they literally look like they just jumped out of Hell." Another viewer, @Yabuturtle, reminded fans, "It's a comedy and very funny of course, but we can't forget that ['Ghostbusters'] had some legitimately pretty scary stuff in it. Some moments are even scarier than most horror movies I've watched."

With the exceptions of Mr. Stay-Puft and Slimer (née Onionhead), the gargoyle-esque forms of Vinz Cortho and Zuul are definitely the most iconic bad guys in the original "Ghostbusters," even warranting an appearance in the 2021 sequel "Ghostbusters: Afterlife." With their place in the pop culture hive mind seemingly cemented, it feels more likely than not that folks with a dormant fear of the Terror Dogs will be seeing them again soon. Not to worry, though. Maybe you've got a Milk-Bone or something.