Ghostbusters Toys Are Coming Home to Hasbro

Just in time for Jason Reitman’s new Ghostbusters film in 2020, Hasbro will be returning to the property that found Kenner Products success during the time of The Real Ghostbusters in the late 1980’s and will be the global master toy licensee for Ghostbusters moving forward. From 1986 to 1991, the Kenner Real Ghostbusters line was a best seller for the company. Kenner was purchased by Hasbro in 1991, around the same time the toy line came to a close.

Additionally, Hasbro has announced an ambitious and praise-worthy initiative to eliminate plastics from their packaging beginning in 2020 to assist in global efforts of conservation and sustainability.

The full press-release from Hasbro is below:

SONY PICTURES CONSUMER PRODUCTS TAPS HASBRO AS GLOBAL MASTER TOY LICENSEE FOR GHOSTBUSTERS™

New Product Line Launches in 2020

PAWTUCKET, R.I. AND LOS ANGELES – AUG. 21, 2019 – Today, Sony Pictures Consumer Products announced that Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS), a global play and entertainment company, has been named the master toy licensee for Ghostbusters worldwide. Under the terms of the agreement, Hasbro will create a wide variety of toys inspired by the franchise and its entertainment properties globally designed to appeal to both fans of the original franchise, and a new generation of Ghostbusters around the world. Hasbro’s Ghostbusters line will be available in 2020, aligning with the promotion of the highly anticipated new Ghostbusters movie that is slated for Summer 2020 in the U.S.

The upcoming product line marks a return to the Ghostbusters franchise by Hasbro. From 1986 to 1991, Kenner, which is now part of Hasbro, created and marketed The Real Ghostbusters toy line, with many of the original developers from Kenner still working with Hasbro. More recently, Hasbro collaborated with Sony Pictures to create the Transformers Generations Collaborative: Ghostbusters Mash-Up Ecto-1 Ectotron which is currently available for pre-order exclusively at GameStop and HasbroPulse.com. Additionally, a Transformers / Ghostbusters crossover comic series is now available from IDW. These collaborations honor both brands’ 35th anniversaries this year.

“Ghostbusters is an iconic and beloved franchise and we are excited and honored to return to the brand as the global master toy licensee and bring new product to the next generation of fans,” said Tom Warner, Senior Vice President, Hasbro. “Drawing on Hasbro’s proprietary insights and culture of innovation, we are working closely with Sony Pictures Consumer Products to create a dynamic new toy line that we can’t wait to share with fans around the world.”

“As we build up to release our new Ghostbusters film next year, it was a natural choice to work with Hasbro to develop an all-new line of toys that not only celebrates the new film but also brings us back to the roots of the original film and toy line,” said Jamie Stevens, Executive Vice President, Sony Pictures Consumer Products. “Hasbro has a proven track record of working with well-known IP to make a variety of high-quality toys and figures that appeal to people of all ages and we are excited to leverage this expertise to bring new product experiences to Ghostbusters fans around the world.”

Enter Paul Rudd to Ghostbusters (2020)

This morning, in a surprise announcement accompanied by a pretty hilarious video on social media, the latest casting for Jason Reitman’s upcoming Ghostbusters film was revealed via Variety: Paul Rudd will be joining the new cast for production which begins in a couple weeks. It is not clear what his role will be at this time. (EDIT: According to Variety he’ll be playing a teacher.) He joins Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, and McKenna Grace as the confirmed members of the cast. According to Jason Reitman at Ghostbusters Fan Fest, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Sigourney Weaver have all read the script. And, just recently on her press tour for Toy Story 4, Annie Potts excitedly didn’t deny that she had heard a thing or two about the new film.

Long-time fans may be having flashbacks as, in 2009 when a third Ghostbusters film was rumored to involve Judd Apatow Rudd’s name was among those that were speculated to be in his recast crew. So persistent were the casting rumors back then that Rudd had to deny his involvement. But now, there’s no denying his involvement this time around.

This will most likely be the first among many announcements and news items as production ramps up in Calgary.

Ghostbusters 35th Anniversary Steelbook (with Fan Commentary) Coming June 11th

Entertainment Weekly exclusively revealed this morning that a new Ghostbusters 35th Anniversary edition steelbook is on the way this June… and there’s a familiar name amid the special features that will be on the disc! Indeed, I was fortunate enough to be asked along with my Ghostbusters Interdimensional Crossrip co-host Chris Stewart to join Eric Reich, Sean Bishop, and Ashley Victoria Robinson on a fan commentary track to play under the first movie!

We really did our best to focus on fun trivia facts both among the production and the lore of the series, point out tiny details in the corners of frames that we’ve always admired, and took advantage of having Ghost Corps’ Eric Reich with us to confirm or debunk some long-standing Ghostbusters urban legends behind the production. It’s a fun track and we hope that you all will enjoy it!

Here’s the rest of the details on the release, a visit to EW will give you a glimpse at a never before seen distributor pitch reel featuring Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd in costume talking to theater owners!

GHOSTBUSTERS

6 Rare & Newly Unearthed Deleted Scenes, including the long-requested Fort Detmerring scenes!

Raw takes for the Central Park bums sequence

1984 ShoWest Exhibitor Reel, featuring Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd pitching an early reel of footage to theatrical exhibitors.

Full Ghostbusters TV Commercial from the film

Ghostbusters TV Commercial Outtakes

“A Moment With the Stars” – original press kit featurette

Original Domestic Teaser Trailer

Original Stereo Audio for the Feature (Blu-ray only)

Fan Commentary featuring Troy Benjamin and Chris Stewart (Interdimensional Crossrippodcast),Ashley Victoria Robinson (Geek History Lesson podcast) and Sean Bishop (Ghostbusters prop replica expert), moderated by Ghost Corps’ Eric Reich

GHOSTBUSTERS II

Commentary featuring Director Ivan Reitman, Star/Co-Writer Dan Aykroyd and Executive Producer Joe Medjuck

“The Oprah Winfrey Show: Cast of Ghostbusters II” – June 1989

Full Ghostbusters II Theatrical EPK

Rare Unfinished Teaser Trailer – featuring the full commercial from the film!

Original Stereo Audio for the Feature (Blu-ray only)

The Next Chapter in the Ghostbusters Franchise Begins

What an absolute whirlwind of a 48-hour span. On Tuesday of this week, Entertainment Weekly exclusively revealed that Jason Reitman (Up in the Air, Juno) and son of Ghostbusters producer/director and Ghost Corps head Ivan Reitman would write and direct a Ghostbusters film set in the original universe from the first two films. Writer Gil Kenan (Monster House, Poltergeist) will co-write the new script with him.

The news is doubly surprising for two reasons:

First of all, Jason Reitman has often been asked if he would ever grab the keys to the Ecto-1 and had always been reluctant to do so - often answering that he prefers making small independent features. But, as the EW article states, Jason approached his father with an idea for a story that immediately took flight and the rest is history. Never say never, as it seems.

Secondly, in an era of faster-than-light news cycles, the film has been operating under the radar completely in secret. Using a security title of “Rust City,” the script has been in development for seemingly quite some time, a production office has been opened (as evidenced by “Rust City” appearing in last week’s Production Weekly), and casting for the film has already begun - again, completely in secret.

If this weren’t enough of a surprise bombshell for a random Tuesday in January, Sony Pictures and Ghost Corps followed up their surprise announcement with a teaser trailer early on Wednesday morning. The tease, more of an announcement than a full length teaser trailer, shows the Ecto-1, long-neglected and rusting under a tarp, housed in a barn where someone is conducting tests with a proton pack. The original Ecto-1, the original proton beam visual effects and even Elmer Bernstein’s iconic themes are featured in the teaser.

More on the film as it develops here on Ghostbusters HQ, and as always, tune-in to the Ghostbusters Interdimensional Crossrip podcast this coming Monday morning for more news, analysis, and commentary.

New Ghostbusters World Gameplay Walkthrough and Trailer Released

The release of Ghostbusters World, the new augmented reality mobile game, is imminent. With the game coming later this year, the promotional push is ramping up. Today, a new trailer and gameplay video featuring fan Greg Miller was released showing off a lot of the features of the game.

I was fortunate to get a hands-on demo of the game as well. I have to say, it’s a whole lot of fun. And a lot more in-depth than expected. The mechanics of the game go far beyond running around your neighborhood and capturing spooks, specters and ghosts. For my full impressions of the game, tune-in to the Ghostbusters Interdimensional Crossrip podcast this Monday, where we’ll discuss the game, chat with a few people behind the scenes, and more!

Here’s a full press release about the items released today. And make sure to listen Monday for more!

SEOUL, September 20, 2018 – Sony Pictures Consumer Products, Ghost Corps and publisher FourThirtyThree Inc. (4:33) have today revealed new gameplay and never-before seen features for the hotly anticipated location-based mobile AR game, Ghostbusters World.

Check out a new gameplay trailer showcasing the exciting new Story and PVP modes here.

Available worldwide in late 2018, Ghostbusters World includes skill-based single-player AR battle mechanics and RPG-style multiplayer mode. The game allows players to battle and capture hundreds of ghosts from all dimensions of the franchise, including the films, TV shows, comic books, theme parks, and video games as well as new ghosts unique to Ghostbusters World. Assemble your team, trade ghosts, gear up, face off in asynchronous PVP battles, and try not to get slimed.

When you’re not out keeping the streets spirit-free or competing against rival Ghostbusters, enjoy your own personal adventure in the game’s single player story mode, featuring original artwork and a full-fledged story from the minds behind the beloved IDW comic book series.

The game is now in soft launch in select countries for Android devices. A collaboration between Sony Pictures Consumer Products, Ghost Corps, the game’s publisher FourThirtyThree Inc.(4:33), and developer Next Age, Ghostbusters World uses Google’s ARCore and Apple’s ARKit to bring the latest AR technology to Ghostbusters all over the world. If you ain’t afraid of no ghosts and want to keep track of news and updates, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Ghostbusters Day 2018 - All the News Fit to Print

It's a flurry of Ghostbusters news out there today, as it should be for the 34th Anniversary celebration. Luckily, Ghost Corps was kind enough to send along a press release that's a great summary of all the goings on today.

Here's the full release:

SONY PICTURES AND GHOST CORPS CELEBRATE GHOSTBUSTERS DAY TODAY AND KICK OFF PLANS FOR TWO YEARS OF CELEBRATIONS

CULVER CITY, Calif., June 8, 2018 – Today is Ghostbusters Day – the annual celebration of the release of the classic comedy and the wave across popular culture that has resonated since its original release on June 8, 1984.  In celebration, Sony Pictures and Ghost Corps are announcing two years of special events, concerts, licensing collaborations, and the first-ever Ghostbusters Fan Fest presented by Wizard World, to take place on June 8-9, 2019, the 35th anniversary of the film.

Ivan Reitman, director/producer of the 1984 film Ghostbusters and principal of Ghost Corps, said, “It’s immensely gratifying to see the way the fans have embraced our movie over the past 34 years, in a way we could never have imagined in 1984.  The credit goes to the fans – collected in over 1,000 fan groups globally – who have kept the flame burning for decades.  I’m excited to see you all at Ghostbusters Fan Fest one year from today!”

Jeffrey Godsick, Executive Vice President, Brand Strategy and Global Partnerships for Sony Pictures, added, “Ghostbusters has not only endured, but has taken on a life of its own and become its own world – from references in ‘Stranger Things’ to the TMNT/Ghostbusters comic-book mashup to fantastic memorabilia, Ghostbusters continues to penetrate pop culture. That’s what these next two years are all about – a celebration of Ghostbusters and the fandom.  It’s an incredible lineup of events.”

For all the details on the celebration, fans can visit www.ghostbusters.com, which relaunches today with all-new design and content from the entire universe of Ghostbusters, including a brand-new Ghostbusters 35th anniversary logo, which will represent the film throughout the 35th anniversary celebration.

Among the treats launching today on the website is the original four-minutes of test footage for the animated series “The Real Ghostbusters,” now restored and in high definition by Ghostbusters superfan Robert Barbieri.  Fans can register for e-mail updates at the site and follow @ghostbusters on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media services to keep up to date on Ghostbusters events, news, charity offers, and more.

Fans can also get involved through a collaboration between the studio, Ghost Corps and Omaze to benefit the For the Win Project. Fans are encouraged to make a $10 donation, and can enter for the chance to win a Grand Prize Experience, which includes lunch for the winner and a guest with Dan Aykroyd, a VIP visit to Sony Pictures, including Ghostbusters HQ offices, a private guided tour of the Sony Pictures museum (which includes Ghostbusters props), photo opportunities in the Ecto-1, and an original Ghostbusters poster created especially for the winner.  Flights and hotels will be included.  Other prize incentives include tickets to the Ghostbusters Fan Fest event and tickets to Ghostbusters Live. Visit omaze.com/ghostbusters to enter for your chance to win. No Purchase Necessary. Void where prohibited. Winners must not be residents of Belgium, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Italy, North Korea, Singapore, Sudan, Syria or Thailand. In certain countries, local rules and laws may restrict or prohibit the award of certain prizes or impose additional restrictions on participation. Entry is subject to all local laws. You must be at least 13 years old to win. Winners under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian as their Guest.   Ends August 8, 2018 at 11:59pm PST.  Go to www.omaze.com/ghostbusters for Official Rules.  Sponsor: Omaze, Inc.

As another way of celebrating Ghostbusters Day, many Ghostbusters licensees and promotional partners will be sliming their social profiles and premiering exciting new products and special offers.  LEGO is debuting two brand-new LEGO Ghostbusters BrickHeadz figures of Peter Venkman (covered in slime) and Slimer. International Game Technology (IGT) announces the revolutionary new Ghostbusters 4D Video Slots game, coming soon to a casino near you.  Immersive, True 4D™ technology delivers glasses-free 3D graphics, and gives players the power to feel energy beams created with hand gestures to capture popular ghosts from the original 1984 film.  For more information, visit IGT.com.

Wizard World is celebrating Ghostbusters Day at its annual Wizard World Comic Con stop in Columbus, Ohio this weekend, with free single-day admission for fans dressed as Ghostbusters, and a unique program of events.  Over the next year, Wizard World will present a touring experience at Wizard World Comic Con events throughout the country featuring a pop-up shop with exclusive Ghostbusters merchandise.  Next year, following the Ghostbusters Fan Fest Event, Wizard World will continue to tour the additional elements debuted for the 35th anniversary celebration.

Later this year, fans will be able to play the Ghostbusters World augmented reality game.  A collaboration between Sony Pictures Consumer Products, Ghost Corps, publisher FourThirtyThree Inc. (4:33) and developer Next Age, the game enables players to battle and capture hundreds of ghosts from all dimensions of the franchise, including the films, TV shows, comic books, theme parks, and video games. It features the latest in AR and other mobile technologies and differentiates itself with skill-based gameplay.  Fans visiting San Diego in July will be able to experience the game’s first public demo build and booth at The Experience at Comic-Con at Petco Park.

Beginning this fall, musical Ghostbusters fans can attend Ghostbusters Live, produced by Schirmer Theatrical – special screenings of the 1984 classic with live accompaniment by symphony orchestras around the world, conducted by Peter Bernstein, the film’s original orchestrator and son of iconic composer Elmer Bernstein, who wrote the film score.  Today, the studio announced that the Ghostbusters Live will be staged in such cities as Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, London, and Dublin, and many, many more to be announced. Fans can find links to a complete schedule at www.schirmertheatrical.com/shows/ghostbusters.

At ghostbusters.com, fans can register for more information for the Ghostbusters Fan Fest Event, which will take place one year from today. At the event, fans will meet for two days at Ghost Corps headquarters on the Sony Pictures Studio lot in Culver City, California.  There, for the first time ever, the studio will join forces with Wizard World to bring fans an unforgettable experience.  For the 35th anniversary, fans will participate in exclusive panels, meet the Ghostbusters creators, talent and crew and experience Ghostbusters augmented reality and virtual reality games.

Get Ready for the Ultimate Ghostbusters Fan Fest in 2019!

Getting a jump on Ghostbusters Day 2018 announcements and celebrations, Wizard World and Ghost Corps announced today their plans for next year. June 8th and 9th, 2019 they're once again opening the doors to the Sony Pictures lot for a Ghostbusters convention in celebration of the original film's 35th anniversary, and Ghostbusters II's 30th anniversary. More information including how to get tickets and programming will surely be coming soon, but in the meantime here is a full press release with all we know so far.

Wizard World Teams With Sony Pictures and Ghost Corps on Ghostbusters Fan Fest Presented by Wizard World, June 8-9, 2019, Celebrating Iconic Film's 35th Anniversary

Year-long Countdown Begins Today At Wizard World Comic Con Columbus With Free Single- Day Admission, 'Ghostbusters'-Themed Programs This Weekend; Fan Fest To Be Held On Sony Pictures Studio Lot Featuring 'Ghostbusters' Creators, Talent and Crew; Event Continues IP Collaboration With Sony

CULVER CITY, California, June 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In anticipation of Ghostbusters Day tomorrow, the anniversary of the classic comedy which released 34 years ago on June 8, 1984, Wizard World, Sony Pictures and Ghost Corps have teamed up to announce an extraordinary live event, the Ghostbusters Fan Fest presented by Wizard World, to be held June 8-9, 2019 at Ghost Corps headquarters on the famed Sony Pictures Studio Lot in Culver City, Calif. Wizard World (OTCBB: WIZD), which produces the largest touring pop culture convention series, will produce the Ghostbusters Fan Fest.

Ghostbusters Fan Fest presented by Wizard World will be the ultimate celebration of the film, which starred Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, and Ernie Hudson and was directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. For the 35th anniversary, fans will participate in exclusive panels, meet the Ghostbusters creators, talent and crew and experience Ghostbusters augmented reality and virtual reality games.

The celebration is officially ON at Wizard World Comic Con Columbus this weekend, with any fan cosplaying in Ghostbusters attire receiving a single-day admission to the event, by visiting the Special Guest Registration booth and showing off his/her Ghostbusters attire. Attendees can also take part in themed events such as a "Slimer" demonstration, trivia and more at Wizard World's eighth annual trip to Columbus.

"Wizard World is proud to team with Sony Pictures and Ghost Corps to celebrate the anniversary of a film which has been the source of enjoyment for so many of our fans over the years," said John D. Maatta, Wizard World CEO. "We are honored that these keepers of the Ghostbusters legacy have entrusted us with producing the high-quality events that we are known for, and are pleased to continue our IP collaboration with Sony Pictures in such a significant way. Sony Pictures continues to be creative and innovative in all of our dealing with them."

"Ghostbusters continues to have a strong fanbase across the world and we are pleased to celebrate the 35th anniversary with a collaboration with Wizard World," added Jeffrey Godsick, Executive Vice President, Brand Strategy and Global Partnerships for Sony Pictures. "We know they will create great experiences at all of their conventions, and they are pulling out all the stops in creating the ultimate fan experience for the Ghostbusters Fan Fest next year."

Over the next year, Wizard World will present a touring experience at Wizard World Comic Con events throughout the country featuring a pop-up shop with exclusive Ghostbusters merchandise. Next year, following the Ghostbusters Fan Fest Event, Wizard World will continue to tour the additional elements debuted for the 35th anniversary celebration. Details will be linked at www.wizardword.com.

Fans can learn more about the Ghostbusters Fan Fest presented by Wizard World starting tomorrow at www.ghostbusters.com.

In Stores and Online Now: Ghostbusters Ectomobile Owner's Workshop Manual

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Now available wherever fine books are sold, the Ghostbusters: Ectomobile - Owner's Workshop Manual! This book goes far beyond just telling you tire pressure and oil change schedule. Learn how to properly operate a standard-issue Ghost Trap. Be kind to your fellow co-workers and finish the Containment Unit procedures to the final step. Learn how and why a Proton Pack uses ions to exhausted and ensnare the supernatural. All that plus do's and don'ts for uniforms and a whole lot more! No Ghostbuster should ever leave home without this handy reference guide - available for purchase on Amazon, at your local Barnes & Noble, the famous Ray's Occult in Manhattan, or wherever fine purveyors of supernatural manuscripts are sold!

The 100th Episode of the Crossrip Podcast with Ivan Reitman and Dan Aykroyd

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Now hitting the podcast feed of your choice, the 100th episode of the Ghostbusters Interdimensional Crossrip podcast! To mark the occasion, we're chatting with Ivan Reitman and Dan Aykroyd about the nature of comedy, the legacy of Ghostbusters, and a whole lot more. Join us on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or by listening via web here!

Crossrip Episode #309 - Talking with the Playmobil Creative Team!

This week on the show, we talk with the German team behind the Playmobil toys and trailers! Joining us around the 30 minute-mark are Alex Ruff (Licensing and Marketing, Product Management at Playmobil), Peter Ohegyi (Project Management, Animated Shorts and Games Apps at Playmobil), and Regina Welker (Creative Director at Woodblock) to talk about the upcoming line-up, the functionality and design of the toys, the future, and a little behind the scenes on the amazing four "reveal trailers" the team created to announce the toy line. But first, some quick news including Saturn Award nominations, Ghostheads out doing good deeds, and more!

Listen here now!

Crossrip Episode #308 - "Lost Scenes Found"

Photo courtesy Spook Central

This week on the show, catching up on a few week's worth of news in one show! The boys talk about the recently found lost scenes including the fabled Fort Detmerring sequence, Toy Fair 2017 news including Diamond Select's Ghostbusters II announcements, Bill Murray chatting GB3, a few Answer the Call tidbits including the destiny of the Egon Spengler bust, Maurice LaMarche talks Real Ghostbusters, and the top ten reasons Ghostbusters II is an underrated classic.

Listen Here Now!

Cataloging the Ghostbusters: Answer the Call Bonus Features (Ongoing)

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Today marks the digital release of Ghostbusters: Answer the Call and the great news is that it's absolutely packed with bonus features (there's almost 35 minutes of "Jokes A Plenty" alternate improv lines on their own). As discussed on the Interdimensional Crossrip podcast, you can almost view the entirety of the four-hour assembly cut between the Extended Version of the film, the deleted scenes, and over an hour of deleted and alternate scenes available via streaming.

There are already quite a few exclusives that are known out there, and there has been a lot of grouping/generalizing in terms of what bonus materials are included in the release - so in an effort to help clarify, I'll do my best to catalog the extras and what platforms they're available on. This article will be updated periodically as information is received/confirmed as to which is on which release, so keep checking back for updates.

KEY: (BD) - Blu-ray Multidisc Package, (IT) - iTunes Digital Release, (VU) - Vudu Digital Release, (AZ) - Amazon Digital Release, (MS) - Microsoft Digital Release, (PS) - Playstation Store Digital Release, (GP) - Google Play Digital Release), (FS) - FIOS Digital Release, (XF) - Xfinity Digital Release, (BB) - Best Buy CinemaNow/UltraViolet Digital Release, (SPS) - Sony Pictures Store/UltraViolet Digital Release, (TG) - Target Exclusive Disc Pack-In

Full Feature Films

Extended Cut of Film (TRT 02:13:42) - (BD, IT, VU)

Theatrical Cut of Film (TRT 01:56:28) - (BD, IT, VU)

Deleted and Alternate Scenes

Past Lives (TRT 00:02:05) - (BD, IT, VU)

The Big Test (TRT 00:00:45) - (BD, IT, VU)

The Breakup (TRT 00:06:28) - (BD, IT, VU)

Where Are You? (TRT 00:00:27) - (BD, IT, VU)

Erin Walks to Class (TRT 00:00:51) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

Phil & Phyllis (TRT 00:04:33) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

The Duke (TRT 00:02:30) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

Erin Gets Fired (TRT 00:03:36) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

The Dean (TRT 00:02:04) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

Tired Shanks (TRT 00:00:55) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

No Graffitti[SIC] (TRT 00:03:10) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

Bennie & Erin (TRT 00:01:11) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

The Longest Job Interview Ever (TRT 00:14:20) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

Tamar (TRT 00:00:53) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

Secret Handshake (TRT 00:02:58) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

Patty's Car (TRT 00:01:49) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

Mrs. Potter (TRT 00:03:09) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

Backstories (TRT 00:04:38) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

Protect the Barrier (TRT 00:03:08) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

The Beasts of Mayhem (TRT 00:00:44) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

The Singer Gets High (TRT 00:02:56) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

Casper (TRT 00:01:51) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

The Mayor's Office (TRT 00:08:07) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

Car Trouble (TRT 00:02:21) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

A Sale on Bonsai (TRT 00:01:28) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

Soups & Salad (TRT 00:04:01) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

Evacuate the City (TRT 00:02:23) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

Visine (TRT 00:01:16) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

Bring It In (TRT 00:01:24) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

So Glad You Came Back (TRT 00:04:33) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

Where's The Walkie? (TRT 00:01:56) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

Uncle Bill (TRT 00:01:40) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

Rebecca Gorin (TRT 00:01:58) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

The New Book (TRT 00:01:19) - (IT, VU - Streaming Only)

Behind the Scenes

Meet the Team (Featurette) (TRT 00:08:03) - (BD, IT, VU)

The Ghosts of Ghostbusters (Featurette) (TRT 00:13:56) - (BD, IT, VU)

Visual Effects: 30 Years Later (Featurette) (TRT 00:15:16) - (BD, IT, VU)

Slime Time (Featurette) (TRT 00:05:15) - (BD, IT, VU)

Chris Hemsworth is Kevin (Featurette) (TRT 00:07:42) - (BD, IT, VU)

Recreating the World of Ghostbusters (Featurette) (TRT Unknown) - (TG - Target Exclusive Bonus Disc)

Stunt Busters! (Featurette) (TRT 00:13:04) - (IT - iTunes Exclusive)

Stunt Coordinator Walter Garcia's Original Stunt-Viz for the Times Square Battle (Featurette) (TRT 00:03:38) - (IT - iTunes Exclusive)

The Full Version of the Times Square Fight with No Visual Effects (Featurette) (TRT 00:05:41) - (IT - iTunes Exclusive)

The Ecto-1 Vignette (Featurette) (TRT 00:01:56) - (VU - Vudu Exclusive - Previously Released as Marketing)

Gag Reel Round 1 (TRT 00:07:34) - (BD, IT, VU)

Gag Reel Round 2 (TRT 00:07:59) - (BD, IT, VU)

Jokes A Plenty - "Free For All" (Alternate Takes/Lines) (TRT 00:11:48) - (BD, IT, VU)

Jokes A Plenty - "Holtzmann Gone Wild" (Alternate Takes/Lines) (TRT 00:09:33) - (BD, IT, VU)

Jokes A Plenty - "The Patty Show" (Alternate Takes/Lines) (TRT 00:05:36) - (BD, IT, VU)

Jokes A Plenty - "Kevin Unleashed" (Alternate Takes/Lines) (TRT 00:04:19) - (BD, IT, VU)

Jokes A Plenty - "The Bird" (Alternate Takes/Lines) (TRT 00:02:25) - (BD, IT, VU)

Jokes A Plenty - "The Dean Goes Down" (Alternate Takes/Lines) (TRT 00:00:50) - (BD, IT, VU)

Miscellaneous Bonus Features

Rowan's Manifesto (Direct to Camera Video Manifesto - Viral Video?) (TRT 00:00:47) - (IT, VU)

Elle King "Good Girls" Music Video (TRT 00:03:09) - (IT - iTunes Exclusive)

Ghostbusters: Answer the Call - GBHQ's Full Review

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It's finally here. After the better part of a year discussing every morsel of news in great detail, Paul Feig's rejuvenation of the Ghostbusters franchise is now in theaters around the world.

I'm no critic, I'm a lover of film. And obviously as this is a Ghostbusters fansite, posting a review would have an incredible bias against it. But if you're looking for my thoughts and in-depth analysis, stay tuned to future episodes of our podcast the Interdimensional Crossrip, where we'll be discussing at great length. But being that this is the first live-action Ghostbusters film hitting theaters since 1989, I can't help myself. After the first viewing, here are some of my thoughts.

It goes without saying that spoilers are present throughout the below. Proceed at your own risk.

OVERALL

This film is a love-letter not just to Ghostbusters and all of the characters and situations that accompany it, but also a love-letter to films from the 1980s in general. While the film didn't receive that great of critical acclaim, I felt the same way about Ghostbusters after watching Kevin Smith's Cop Out, a film that was a perfect 80s movie (the latter being a throwback to the R-rated buddy cop comedies that were made by the dozen in the mid to late 80s) made with modern technology. The same holds true to Paul Feig's Ghostbusters. It's a movie of the 80s, made with all the bells and whistles and style of 2016. It's fun. It plays absurd situations with absolute sincerity and without the snarky cynicism that seems to be the modern status quo. There's a playfulness to the film from the opening frames featuring The Office and Silicon Valley's Zach Woods all the way through the closing credits. In a world where darker and grittier is often perceived as being better, I'm glad that this film didn't follow in that current trend's footsteps.

Like many films of the 80s, it's not perfect. There are a few holes here and there, but nothing that's not easily overlooked in the moment of watching the film. After my first viewing, the third act of the film seems like it was stitched together after several omits where you do get a sense that you're glossing over something that was previously there. You know what really would have helped and have been "so totally 80s" that it would have been perfect? A montage in the middle of the film showing the four Ghostbusters honing in their skills, gaining more and more notoriety, and Rowan breaking the barrier more and more. Just a little bit of a slide from point A to point B would have gone a long way (and would have been a great throwback to the oft-used device). Substance takes a backseat to style in the closing moments of the film, which isn't necessarily a new thing to the Ghostbusters filmed franchise (or the cartoons for that matter). But the end result is so satisfying and fun to watch that you don't really mind.

Tonally, aesthetically, and vocally you can tell that the film took a great deal of care in making sure that every detail was right for the property. The casting is spot-on, the sets and costumes completely and totally on-point, from the minute the theater darkens to the minute those house lights go back up there is no doubt that this is Ghostbusters.

CHARACTERS

As many have said and as I'm sure was completely intentional, the four lead characters are most definitely not the same archetypes as Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler and Winston Zeddemore. Instead, characters are all their own, not fitting into the standard "brain," "mouth," "heart," "everyman" qualities.

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Erin Gilbert

Interestingly enough, our main POV throughout the film seems to be through Kristen Wiig's character Erin Gilbert. She incites the adventure at the beginning of the film by receiving a tip about the haunted Aldridge Mansion. Gilbert is a scientific genius, but a little socially awkward. Her sense of dress and style at the beginning of the film is a point of contention with her overbearing senior played by the always effectively menacing Charles Dance. Gilbert's arc is fun to watch as she goes from a wound tight professor concerned about obtaining her tenure and maintaining a level of professionalism (wanting to call their new business venture the Conductors of the Metaphysical rather than something childish like Ghostbusters). Toward the end of the film, she's confident, has a new sense of style and self-confidence, and embraces being a hero.

Jillian Holtzmann

From the first leaked photography on set, the fans loved Holtzmann. And rightly so. As expected, she's the stand out character of the new film and when all is said and done, is the most unique and previously unseen. She's one part mad scientist, one part whimsical child, with reckless but astounding results. if Egon Spengler was the New Age Spock, it seems that Jillian Holtzmann is the Millennial Doc Brown. A character like this can easily be overplayed to a point where its taxing on the audience and completely unmotivated (ala Lex Luthor in the recent Batman v. Superman) but Kate McKinnon handles the role with grace and ease. She sells over-the-top lines like, "Look over there - THE EYES!" evenhandedly, even throwing in television announcer references and quotations reminiscent of Stephen Furst's character in The Dream Team, leading you to believe that everything is an elaborate alternate universe of her own. She flirts with Erin Gilbert, but then again she flirts with Matt Walsh's heavy Homeland Security character as well. She's unpredictable and incredibly memorable.

Abby Yates

Once again, Melissa McCarthy defies a stereotype and overcomes preconceived notions of the characters that she plays. People who dismissed her character in The Heat as an oafish slob that rested on the laurels of "fat jokes" were completely wrong about the hard-ass, super cop character that she actually played. But here, Yates is sharp, incredibly enthusiastic about her work, and if any of the characters could draw lines of connection to their predecessors, she does feel like the most "Ray Stantz" of the group. Her enthusiasm is infectious. Her exasperation when her soup arrives sans wontons understandable. The subtext between the rift that grew between her and Gilbert makes a lot of sense as one character continued to remain the same, while the other decided to "become an adult" and suppress her childlike wonder. If there's a new heart of the Ghostbusters, it seems to be Yates.

Patti Tolan

Leslie Jones' character takes on the role of Winston of sorts, being the every day average civilian brought into the extreme circumstances. She says things that the audience is absolutely thinking, turning a corner to see mannequins in storage and exclaiming, "Well that's a room full of nightmares." Jones' extroverted and "loud" nature seems to always take center stage in describing her character, as if people were relegating Sam Kinison to just being "that guy who's loud and screams a lot." While both of those statements may be true, it's really in Jones' comedic subtleties that she shines. Grumbles under her breath and asides provide some of the biggest laughs from Tolan.

Supporting Roles

The film is packed with drop-ins and cameos of some of comedies biggest names. True to form there are a lot of surprise cameos that I won't spoil in this review but it's really Chris Hemsworth's well-meaning but dumb as a box of rocks Kevin that takes center stage. Faced with the difficult role of making such a deplorable klutz of a human likeable, much like Rick Moranis' brilliant Louis Tully, you understand why the characters take Kevin under their wing. His lack of intelligence or competence is completely unforgivable. But his charm and his aloofness make him endearing. Andy Garcia and Cecily Strong as the government officials pull a complete 180 of William Atherton's Walter Peck, rather than playing the role of antagonists, they show that the government means well and wants to help but has their hands tied by public perception. It's an interesting spin on politics and our view upon government now versus back in the 1980s.

DESIGN AND VISUAL EFFECTS

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One of the prevailing critical statements against the first handful of trailers for the new Ghostbusters was that it looked like the computer generated effects had taken over completely - but the blend between the practical and the digital is so fantastic, that much like ILM and Stan Winston's brilliant Iron Man suit effects, you have a tough time telling where the practical ends and the digital begins. Actors in harnesses wore interactive glowing lighting effects and were filmed practically, then supplemented by the digital artists in post-production to great effect. The third act is a marvel of design with so much happening in the frame but a very easy to follow focal point. Where most films that have brilliantly elaborate animated effects throw everything and the kitchen sink into a frame to a point that it's complete indecipherable chaos, Ghostbusters makes sure that you're following the plot, never losing sight of the focus in the frame.

Much of that might be attributed to the cinematography of Robert Yeoman, whom I continue to adore. Where he builds entire worlds for Wes Anderson (and yes, made me fall in love with the landscapes of California in The Wizard), Yeoman's cinematography embraces that this is a big, high-concept comedy and really plays with brilliant highlights and saturated colors. Pops of color everywhere (yellow curtains in the Higgins lab, ethereal green glows in the Mercado) go a long way, a testament to the production design of Jefferson Sage as well. The surprise appearance of a familiar firehouse in various forms shows that a meticulous recreation of the Firehouse 23 was recreated on a soundstage in Boston to great effect.

MUSIC

Blending of genres often proves a difficult challenge for composers, note how Elmer Bernstein handled the first film versus how Randy Edelman handled the 1989 film. Bouncy and light is tough to blend seamlessly with the creepy and macabre. Luckily Theodore Shaprio's score is absolutely brilliant, kicking things off with a throwback "scary music" homage to Elmer Bernstein that also sounds so in tone with the Ghostbusters universe that fans have both compared it to the animated The Real Ghostbusters and Extreme Ghostbusters, showing just how on-point it is. Choral elements and chanting really accentuate some of the darker operatic moments of the film, while a Theramin and even rattling chains are used to be unsettling spooky effects. A stand-out among the score is the use of Ray Parker Jr.'s hook on the Ghostbusters theme song as a slowly building hero theme that debuts the moment the team sees their first ghost and turns into a full-on robust theme in the third act at the height of one of the most heroic moments.

Interestingly, given the heavy-hitters on the pop soundtrack - all of the needle-drop in the film for the most part is used as source music, with only the Fall Out Boy collaboration and Ray Parker Jr.'s original theme song being presented front and center. If you're waiting for a "Saving the Day" moment where the pop album takes over to the visuals, it won't be happening as the film rests on Shaprio's amazing score. Curiously, the stand-out song in the film, No Small Children's rocking version of the theme is absent from the US release on iTunes and on CD releases of the soundtrack. Hopefully it will be available as a single soon.

FINAL THOUGHTS

If I were to run into Paul Feig, Katie Dippold, Ivan Reitman, Dan Aykroyd or heck, any of the cast and crew that worked their tails off on this film and on top of having the challenge of completing a very difficult and elaborate film had to deal with the scrutiny, almost pressure-cooker-like atmosphere that quickly surrounded it - I'd have to give each and every one of them a giant hug and thank them from the bottom of my heart. This film could have easily been a soulless, heartless, cynical shell with intellectual property stamped on top of it, but it isn't. It's obvious that everyone involved was well-versed in the source material, understands what made it work so well, and embraces each and every aspect. For the reasons that I don't think I enjoyed certain other big IP films because they exhibited a fundamental lack of understanding of the world, the constraints and perimeters of the storytelling, and the characters and voices that must inhabit the property - Ghostbusters excels. The heart and the soul that made the first two films fun, make you smile, make you laugh, and just all-around get you excited about a fantastical world that's just out of reach are all present here.

It's a shame that it's taken so long for this film to happen, because it's a love-letter to the hard work of those that came before, I know there are several people that are no longer with us that would have loved to have seen it. And I know that after all of the struggle, after all of the red tape, after the huge mountain it took to climb to get a property like Ghostbusters back on the silver screen, they'd share the same sentiment that I do right now...

The future is bright for the Ghostbusters franchise. And this movie is to thank.

Ghosts from Our Past: A Literary Review

Since the 90s, I'd heard murmurings of a fabled book called "Ghosts From Our Past" by two aspiring parapsychologists. I'd checked libraries, local used bookstores, even private collectors, but the book was harder to find than parking in Los Angeles. I had thought the book might have been scarce due to a limited print run, or because the book was so well-regarded that all copies were snatched up as quickly as they could be printed. But, as it seems, it was because the book itself had been buried by the publisher like Atari's E.T. cartridge. Luckily, given the recent events that have taken place in New York City, and the newfound notoriety of the book's authors, Erin Gilbert and Abby L. Yates, the book has been newly revised and with the help of editor Andrew Shaffer, is once again in circulation and readily available.

Given that this book had been my Rosebud, my whale, imagine my bewilderment when a copy of it arrived for review from its publisher. With great delight, I tore into the tome and poured over every page. And boy, was it worth the decades long wait... Even if the hired help spilled some sort of disgusting green glop all over my copy and inserted a letter printed in Comic Sans to apologize for the destruction.

Though many of the book's original text has now found itself slightly dated of the time period in which it was written, with references to The X-Files, and Shawshank Redemption abound revealing just when the book was initially penned, the first-hand accounts as well as the research that has gone into the book is extremely valuable. The ramblings of the books authors have been well-contained and reorganized and rearranged by Shaffer to read more fluidly and comprehensively. The book acts as one part diary of the two authors and their experiences with the paranormal and another part as a field manual and guide for hunters of paranormal entities such as myself. With quick reference material, forms and paperwork for documentation (including all-important liability waivers), and first-hand guidance from the authors, the book is a must-have in the rucksack for any field agent.

Detailed and well-researched explanations of complex theories including the ectomaterialistic nature of ghosts, something that I've oft wondered about myself are presented in the book along side anthropological studies and first-hand accounts of paranormal experiences. Why do ghosts cross the threshold, yet still find themselves clothed? That's explored in the book. What protective barriers exist to keep spirits from crossing over into the physical world? That's explored complete with an easy-to-understand metaphor. Need to study the Yates-Gilbert Equation in greater detail? (Most of it) is presented here as well!

For those who have had encounters with bumps in the night, for those who are interested in exploring the study and location of paranormal and unexplained phenomenon, or for those that are perplexed with events that recently unfolded and have introduced us all to the concept of "Ghostbusters" - I highly recommend this book in its newly revised form.

And I anxiously await subsequent follow-ups, including Kevin Knows Kevin. I hope they are in greater supply and I need not wait another 30 years to read them.

Ghosts From Our Past: Both Literally & Figuratively is on shelves June 28th wherever fine books are sold, a special thank you to those at Ghostbusters, Inc. for providing a review copy.

Ghostbusters: Ecto Force Coming 2018

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And so the post-Ghostbusters (2016) slate begins - Sony Pictures Animation announced a brand-new animated series coming in two year's time, Ghostbusters: Ecto Force.

According to the press release, the series will will further expand the Ghostbusters cinematic universe and focus on a new generation of Ghostbusters in the year 2050 who capture ghosts around the world with help from local teams—and some very cool gear! The younger-skewing Sony Pictures Animation project is being creatively spearheaded by Ivan Reitman and his production company Ghost Corps. Ghostbusters: Ecto Force is eyeing an early 2018 debut.

No word on additional creative team (art director, writers, etc.) but we'll keep you posted as we hear more. Very exciting seeing the possibility of what everything will bring, especially with a premise that is set in the canon universe but more than 30 years in the future. Shade of Dan Aykroyd's original drafts coming to life?

Get Ready for GHOSTBUSTERS DAY on June 8th!

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This is it, this is definitely it!

In celebration of the anniversary of the original Ghostbusters' release in 1984 as well as to help promote the upcoming film in July, there's a huge day planned around this coming June 8th and it's going to be a doozy.

In addition to the live Fathom Events screenings where you can see the original film back up on the big screen and get a special sneak peek of the new film, the original cast of Ghostbusters: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson and Annie Potts will join the new cast Kate McKinnon, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones and Kristen Wiig on the Jimmy Kimmell Live show together for the first time.

Here's the full press release from the good folks at Sony with all of the day's events mapped out, it's going to be a good one!

GHOSTBUSTERS DAY: JUNE 8, 2016
In celebration of GHOSTBUSTERS:

The Original Cast Reunites and Joins the New Cast on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” as
Moviegoers Celebrate the Franchise with Screenings of the Original Film, a Sneak Peek at the New Film, Fun Events, a Contest, and More

Elle King’s “Good Girls” Available at Digital Music Providers Today

CULVER CITY, Calif., June 3, 2016 – In anticipation of the release of Ghostbusters, which brings the legendary franchise back to theaters with a new team fighting the paranormal on July 15, Sony Pictures and moviegoers across the country will celebrate the classic franchise with Ghostbusters Day on Wednesday, June 8 – the anniversary of the release date of the original 1984 film.

On Ghostbusters Day, the cast of the original classic Ghostbusters – including Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Annie Potts – will reunite and join the new Ghostbusters – Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones – as they honor the franchise that evening with an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” “Jimmy Kimmel Live” airs weeknights at 11:35pm Eastern and Pacific / 10:35pm Central on ABC.

Fans will also be able to join in the celebration by seeing a sneak peek of the new film as part of the Fathom Events presentation of the original classic in more than 800 cinemas nationwide on June 8, with encore showings on Sunday, June 12.  In addition, in Brooklyn, BBQ Films will present the world’s only official immersive screening of the classic Ghostbusters – a transportive experience built around the classic movie called GHOSTBUSTERS HQ. 

Participating theaters will also join in the fun with sweepstakes. Cinemark is giving fans the chance to score one of ten signed posters for the new film through a social media giveaway and as a collectible reward in their all-new app-based loyalty program, Cinemark Connections.  And when Regal Cinemas Crown Club Members buy a ticket to the classic movie, they will be entered for the chance to win a flyaway to the premiere of the new Ghostbusters film in Los Angeles, plus a $2500 gift card for travel and accommodations.

Guests of BBQ Films to GHOSTBUSTERS HQ in Brooklyn on the 8th will not only get a 360-degree interactive experience, but also an exclusive first chance to play the new Ghostbusters console game and the mobile game, Ghostbusters: Slime City, both from Activision. Fans will have the chance to record their unique spectral encounters using special GIPHY Cam filters, and enjoy Hi-C Ecto Cooler beverages at the bar. New shows have been added, including a family show. More information is available at www.bbqfilms.com. 

Fans will be able to check out the Ghostbusters’ ride, the Ecto-1, with national and local appearances.

The studio will also launch the Ghostbusters Twitter Mission Sweepstakes on Ghostbusters Day.  The sweepstakes will award cool prizes, like custom Ghostbusters uniforms, every week leading up to the release of the film to users who retweet contest messages.  Twitter users can join in the fun by following @Ghostbusters. 

Fans can also follow the movie at @Ghostbusters on their favorite social networks, as the day will be documented via Facebook Live, Periscope, Snapchat Live Stories, and other social coverage.

In addition, moviegoers can now hear Elle King’s “Good Girls,” from the film’s original soundtrack, which is available now at all digital providers. “Good Girls” was written by Elle King and Dave Bassett and produced by Bassett. The soundtrack will be available on July 15th.

Ghostbusters makes its long-awaited return, rebooted with a cast of hilarious new characters. Thirty years after the beloved original franchise took the world by storm, director Paul Feig brings his fresh take to the supernatural comedy, joined by some of the funniest actors working today – Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, and Chris Hemsworth. This summer, they’re here to save the world! The film is produced by Ivan Reitman and Amy Pascal, and written by Katie Dippold & Paul Feig, based on the 1984 film “Ghostbusters,” an Ivan Reitman film, written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis.

Ghostbusters (2016) Soundtrack Release Date and Details

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Knew that info had to be coming sooner than later and sure enough, today the announcement was made that the new Ghostbusters film will follow in the steps of the original two films with a killer soundtrack album featuring some pretty big names in a wide variety of styles.

From the RCA Records press release:

The soundtrack will feature new music, including Elle King’s “Good Girls,” which will be available at all digital providers tomorrow.  “Good Girls” was written by Elle King and Dave Bassett and produced by Bassett.

Other artists to be featured on the soundtrack include G-Eazy ft. Jeremih, 5 Seconds of Summer, Pentatonix, WALK THE MOON, Fall Out Boy ft. Missy Elliott, Wolf Alice and more.  A full track listing will be announced soon.

Elle King's single will be available through digital outlets tomorrow, so get those iTunes and Amazon accounts ready. Pre-orders will also be up tomorrow as well.

In related news, Theodore Shapiro's score album (being released separately) is up for pre-order on Amazon and got some Empire Magazine inspired cover art today as well.

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If Amazon is to be believed, the score album will be hitting stores a full week earlier than the pop/soundtrack album on July 8th.

Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II 4K UHD Review

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Boy, this is strange. After years in the industry of creating special features for DVD and Blu-rays, I've never really done a review for one. But now that I'm no longer working in that field, and given that the folks in Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's publicity department were kind enough to send me review copies, here goes... my very first disc review of the Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II Ultra-HD 4K Blu-ray releases.

VIDEO QUALITY

Being only the second UHD disc that I've been able to take a look at (the other being the recent Deadpool release), it's tough to have a comparison for these older films in a 4K presentation. But as a fan of Ghostbusters, I loved every frame of what has been done here. In terms of the first film, the picture quality is very comparable to the "Mastered in 4K" release - I'd have to put freeze-frames side by side to get a good idea just where the differences occur in the jump in resolution. But this master is leaps and bounds better than the original pre-remastering Ghostbusters Blu-ray release... which was better than the previous DVD release, which had improved on the original DVD release. That's the good news, with ever release the picture quality continues to shine incrementally. Colors are deep and rich. Sharpness is good without any lines buzzing. I wish I had the ability to take screencaptures from the UHD discs because the picture presentation is absolutely astounding. Grain has been left in place to continue to give the feature presentation a filmic quality (and to mimic what audiences would have seen in theaters with a print projection) but the sharpness and the detail is wonderful. Sure, compared to the Deadpool UHD, there's a noticeable jump in the detail and fidelity of the image between the two, but make no mistake, this is the best that either film has looked in years let alone on a home video release. But chances are, if you purchased either the "Mastered in 4K" Blu-ray a year or two ago or that two-pack Digibook set and you're happy with the picture quality, you might not notice that large of a jump between the two releases.

AUDIO QUALITY

This is where the new release for both films really shines. My Dolby Atmos enabled system loved the brand-new mixes done for both of these films, even if they are a little scaled back when compared to the Deadpool UHD or the most recent Gravity Atmos release. Needless to say, the new mix is a massive upgrade from the stereo mix days, the surrounds get a pretty good workout with a lot of flybys and sound effects enveloping you on both films. It's still not as bombastic of a mix as a modern-era Atmos mix might provide, but for a film that's over 30 years old in the case of the original, it's still pretty darn impressive.

SPECIAL FEATURES

First off... hey! They listened and swapped Slimers so that the correct version of each is on their respective covers (initial versions of the box art solicited had Ghostbusters II Slimer on the original film's cover and vice-versa). It looks like they also nudged the (odd-choice) Fort Detmerring photo on the original films' cover so that the logo isn't chopping off poor Ernie Hudson's head. That said, man those covers are still ugly.

But why judge a book by its cover? Let's dive into what's contained inside...

The UHD discs lack any special features with the exception of an audio commentary, most likely to assure that the highest bit-rate is dedicated to the picture and audio presentation on these discs. But the standard 1080p Blu-ray discs include the same special features that were included on the Digibook two-pack set released in 2014. But hey, this is my first venture into a Blu-ray review, let's leave no stone left unturned and dive into what's here (and what's not). 

Included on the Blu-ray are:

"Who You Gonna Call: A Ghostbusters Retrospective" - called a "roundtable" discussion (though not at a table and is more of a Geoff Boucher moderated Q&A)

"Time is But a Window: Ghostbusters II and Beyond" - the second part of the Geoff Boucher "roundtable" that gives a little bit of a discussion on the production and response of the second film and talks about prospects for a third film at a time when Paul Feig's current July release was unannounced.

Deleted Scenes - 10 scenes from the original film (with several missing that were on the Criterion disc and for some reason still have never made it onto a SPHE release) and 7 very welcome deleted scenes from the second film are presented here... although there are several scenes from the second movie that aren't represented here for one reason or another including a cameo from Eugene Levy we've seen in production photography but never on celluloid. Deleted scenes, especially with actors cut from the film in entirety are always a tricky thing, but those are the types of things that fans would love to see. Maybe some day. Again, good fodder for another box set down the line.

Alternate TV Takes - These are a lot of fun, especially for those of us that grew up without a proper VHS release of the film and instead watched the ABC Sunday Night at the Movies recording we had over and over. A fun inclusion.

Audio Commentary by Ivan Reitman, Harold Ramis and Joe Medjuk (on the first film). This is the same commentary from the 90s, it's fun and light-hearted but a little dated at this point. Dan Aykroyd had said he recorded new commentaries for both films at the time of the original Blu-ray release, neither of which strangely seem to have seen the light of day. Maybe an upcoming box set with the 2016 film?

Slimer Mode - the "BonusView" track over the film is fun, although a bit repetitive of materials elsewhere.

"Ecto-1: Resurrecting the Classic Car" - great 15 minute featurette from when the car was restored for the 25th anniversary. Sadly since that time, the Ecto-1A from the second film has been rotting and still sits in shambles.

Featurettes: Original 1984 featurette (cut from the EPK material, which is fantastic), cast and crew featurette, SFX Team featurette - these are all great though aren't given much time to breathe. There's also a multi-angle feature that is replicated from the original DVD release (and the Criterion Laserdisc before it) where you can see VFX/SFX shots before and after with the touch of a button.

Music Videos: Both the Ray Parker Jr. music video and the Bobby Brown "On Our Own" music video are represented on both discs. Glad to have them. Though there's several other music videos that could and should be included on a future release. The Bus Boys' "Cleanin' Up the Town", Mick Smiley's "Magic", Run DMC's "Ghostbusters" remix.

Trailers - yes. That same weird trailer is on the original film that was on the original Blu-ray release. Must have been a legal issue or something but it's... weird. Maybe they wanted to take advantage of the HD picture by overcutting footage from the film into the trailer with the audio bed, maybe there was a legal reason, but it's strange to hear cut lines of dialogue under the wrong shots (Venkman's cut line about being the "Chairman of the Largest Paranormal Removal Company" under the shot of the original Ghostbusters banner being hung outside the firehouse being the most egregious. Why not include the ORIGINAL original trailer? It's such a strange choice. I can understand not including the trailer on the Criterion disc that includes the unused Ghostbusters theme because of music legality issues, but this one is a head-scratcher to me still.

NOT included on the Blu-ray are: several of the deleted scenes seen on previous releases including the Criterion laserdisc release. There's a whole lot of key behind the scenes elements that have never been explored on a home video release (which hopefully the upcoming "Cleanin' Up the Town" documentary will take care of) but for reference, I did a full breakdown of what would be the ideal set of special features in an old Private Sector column that you can see here courtesy of Proton Charging.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Do you have a 4K TV and the latest Dolby Atmos home theater setup and are you a die-hard Ghostbusters fan? Then this release is for you. But if you purchased the lovely Digibook set no more than a year ago, and you don't have the latest tech setup then there's really no need for you to purchase this set. Much like the "Superbit" releases of old in the DVD days, this is really for the video and audio aficionados, and even then because it's an older movie many people won't be using it as reference for their home theater demos most likely. If you've already got the excellent Digibook Blu-ray set, you might want to hold out to see if another box set of the films is released down the line with more special features. That definitive "Alien Anthology" archival version of Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II in box set is still elusive. Maybe some day, it'll come to pass.

Ghostbusters (2016) Trailer 6 and International Trailer 2 Arrive

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Early this morning, Sony Pictures debuted what's being referred to as "Trailer 6" (what was trailer 5? I'm unsure and still trying to work that out). But it's a solid trailer that really gets back to what this film should be, it's not a big summer action movie, it's a comedy that crosses genres and that exactly what you get from this trailer. Great to hear Ray Parker Jr.'s theme intertwined with the remix that's been featured throughout the rest of the marketing campaign, some definite highlight moments in here as well.

Full thoughts coming on a Cyclotron and several Crossrip episodes to be sure, but check out the new trailer now!

As of now, it's only available through the official Ghostbusters Twitter and Facebook, but we'll embed HD links as soon as we have 'em!

Update: still not able to embed the official videos here. But thanks to KinoCheck here are the domestic "Trailer 6" and the new second international trailer released on the Friday following:

Original Ghostbusters Films Coming to UHD! But What Does That Mean?

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UPDATE (6:04pm): A couple corrections inset c/o Tyler Foster of DVDTalk

Hey, did you hear?

Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II are coming to the new UHD Blu-ray format on June 7th!

And immediately, I know the overwhelming majority of people who heard this news are saying, "Wait, what does that mean exactly?" That press release sure says a lot of fancy things, but I'm not entirely sure how this is different from the version that I just bought of the movie that was "Mastered in 4K?"

So I'll do my best to attempt to explain:

UHD? Wha? How is that different from regular Blu-ray?

If you have an Ultra-HD/4K television set as well as one of the new UHD Blu-ray players, this release is for you. If you have an "older" television set... a 1080p or 2K resolution set and/or your primary Blu-ray player wasn't purchased in the last year, or is an Xbox One or Playstation 4, then this release is NOT for you. Think of it this way, UHD is another run from the studios at trying to entice people back into the physical media format much like 3D was. If you didn't have a 3D compatible TV and Blu-ray player, you weren't able to play back those discs. This is the same issue, if you don't have UHD compatible devices, you won't be able to play these discs back. You'll need a UHD specific player to playback, and it needs to detect a 4K TV on the other end of that HDMI cable. Otherwise, no bueno. Here's a good resource as to what 4K is compared to "old school" high definition c/o Trusted Reviews.

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TL;DR...

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Take a look at your Blu-ray player. Does it have this logo on it? Yes? Do you have a 4K TV? Then you're good. Do you not know what either of those mean? You're probably not ready for these quite yet. It's okay, a lot of folks aren't quite ready for this yet either.

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But wait, I quite literally just bought a Blu-ray last year that said it was "Mastered in 4K" - why would I need this on top of having to buy a new TV and Blu-ray player?

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That's a great question. Essentially what it boils down to is that disc you bought last year, the one with the blue cover to the left, was "Mastered in 4K and Optimized for 4K Sets" but was still only 1080p presented on a lower capacity Blu-ray. Meaning you aren't getting the same dynamic range and resolution that you would be getting on the new UHD. Here's where it gets really confusing for the casual consumer. The release from last year was created from 4K source elements that created the most recent Blu-ray release from a previously existing scan of the negative. Think of it this way, when Ghostbusters first came out on Blu-ray, they created a high-resolution source of the movie, then compressed it down for the Blu-ray format. Then they double-dipped and released this "Optimized" version with a new color pass and range that was specific to 4K TVs, but still only displaying a 1920x1080 resolution. If you remember, this particular disc didn't include any special features, so that they didn't have to compress the movie itself as much and a higher bit rate was allowed for playback through your regular Blu-ray player.

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Troy, you're confusing me more - seriously - how is this different?

Simply, the UHD 4K release announced today takes the same scan done for the "Mastered for 4K" release and presents it at its full potential. Thanks to Tyler Foster at DVDTalk, the 35mm scans already occurred as far back as 2013 (per this Hollywood Reporter article), so the press release is a little misleading. Per their press release: "As two of the first Sony 4K Ultra HD disc releases, both films were fully restored from the 35mm original camera negatives, thereby utilizing in 4K the full resolution, detail and color depth inherent in the film. 4K Ultra HD is the perfect way to finally experience these comprehensive restorations at full 4K resolution in the home – it features four times the resolution of high definition, along with High Dynamic Range (HDR), which produces brilliant highlights, vibrant colors and greater contrast on compatible displays. Additionally, both films have been remixed specifically for the home theater environment with Dolby Atmos® audio, delivering captivating sound that places and moves audio anywhere in the room, including overhead."

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TL;DR...

It's a full resolution 4K picture and new mix of the movie so it'll look and sound different than the one you have now.

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Why would they have done this?

This is just me speculating so take this with a grain of salt but I'm guessing that, in addition to wanting you to buy one last disc format before we go completely "tapeless" this is also an effort to restore the movie so that Sony has masters that can be screened in theaters using the latest digital projection and Dolby Atmos sound. Think of all the midnight screenings and Halloween screenings where you've seen a really lousy film print that's scratched and dirty and all-around ugly looking. My guess is that this is an attempt to preserve the film in its best possible format knowing that the evergreen property is about to receive a resurgence with the new 2016 film.

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Say, how can I learn more?

Here's the full press release, enjoy!

CULVER CITY, Calif. (April, 4 2016) -- Fans will now be able to experience particle beams and ectoplasm like never before when Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II debut June 7 on next generation 4K Ultra HD disc with High Dynamic Range (HDR) from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE). Perfect for Father’s Day gifting, each 4K Ultra HD release will also include the recent anniversary Blu-rays, bursting with all the bonus materials, including previously released legacy content, commentary and the interactive Slimer Mode.
As two of the first Sony 4K Ultra HD disc releases, both films were fully restored from the 35mm original camera negatives, thereby utilizing in 4K the full resolution, detail and color depth inherent in the film. 4K Ultra HD is the perfect way to finally experience these comprehensive restorations at full 4K resolution in the home – it features four times the resolution of high definition, along with High Dynamic Range (HDR), which produces brilliant highlights, vibrant colors and greater contrast on compatible displays. Additionally, both films have been remixed specifically for the home theater environment with Dolby Atmos® audio, delivering captivating sound that places and moves audio anywhere in the room, including overhead.

These new 4K Ultra HD releases precede the July 15 U.S. premiere of Sony Pictures’ highly anticipated new motion picture, Ghostbusters, from director Paul Feig, starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, and Chris Hemsworth.
Also, as part of the excitement surrounding the arrival of the new film, SPHE will release over 50 episodes of the iconic 1980s animated series, The Real Ghostbusters, on DVD July 7 and on Digital, from Ivan Reitman, DiC and Sony Pictures Television.
Both Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II are directed and produced by Ivan Reitman (Meatballs, Stripes), and written by Dan Aykroyd (My Girl) and Harold Ramis (Knocked Up). Bill Murray (St. Vincent), Dan Aykroyd (Blues Brothers), and Sigourney Weaver (Aliens) star, along with Harold Ramis (Groundhog Day) and Rick Moranis (Honey I Shrunk the Kids). Ernie Hudson (TV’s “Oz”) and Annie Potts (TV’s “Designing Women”) also star. Ghostbusters is ranked No. 28 on the AFI’s List of America’s Funniest Movies.

SYNOPSES:

Ghostbusters: University parapsychologists Dr. Peter Venkman (Murray), Dr. Raymond Stanz (Aykroyd) and Dr. Egon Spengler (Ramis) lose a research grant when their experiment methodology is proven to be bogus. The team decides to go into business for themselves and open ‘Ghostbusters,’ a ghost removal service. After struggling to get on their feet, they are summoned to investigate the strange happenings in Dana Barrett’s (Weaver) Central Park West apartment. What they discover is that all Manhattan is being besieged by ghosts and other-worldly demons through a portal in her building.
 
Ghostbusters II: Supernatural superstars Peter Venkman (Murray), Dr. Raymond Stanz (Aykroyd) and Dr. Egon Spengler (Ramis) spring back into action when the infant son of Dana Barrett (Weaver) becomes the target of a powerful demonic force. Reunited with their industrious secretary Janine (Potts) and the nerdy, near-sighted Louis (Moranis), the ‘heroes of the hereafter’ must put a stop to an enormous underground river ready to rot the roots of the entire Big Apple.
 
GHOSTBUSTERS & GHOSTBUSTERS II 4K Ultra HD Releases Include:
• Feature films in 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range (HDR)
• Dolby Atmos soundtracks (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible)*
• Includes high-def Blu-rays featuring the films and special features
 
*To experience Dolby Atmos at home, a Dolby Atmos enabled AV receiver and additional speakers are required, or a Dolby Atmos enabled sound bar; however, Dolby Atmos soundtracks are also fully backward compatible with traditional audio configurations and legacy home entertainment equipment.

GHOSTBUSTERS Blu-ray Special Features:
• Who You Gonna Call: A Ghostbusters Retrospective - Roundtable Discussion with Director Ivan Reitman and Dan Aykroyd (Part 1)
• Poster Art Gallery – Gallery of 1988 artwork
• Ghostbusters Music Video – Ray Parker, Jr.
• Slimer Mode – Picture in Picture and Trivia Track
• Commentary with Ivan Reitman, Harold Ramis & Joe Medjuck
• 10 Deleted Scenes
• 1984 Featurette
• Cast and Crew Featurette
• SFX Team Featurette
• Multi-Angles
• Ecto-1: Resurrecting the Classic Car
• Ghostbusters Garage: Ecto-1 Gallery Storyboard Comparisons
 
GHOSTBUSTERS II Blu-ray Special Features:
• Time Is But A Window: Ghostbusters II and Beyond - Roundtable Discussion with Director Ivan Reitman and Dan Aykroyd (Part 2)
• Deleted Scenes
• “On Our Own” Music Video – Bobby Brown
• Theatrical Trailers