Ghostbusters Afterlife Now in Theaters and #1 at the Box Office!

After decades of will it/won’t it (particularly on this site beginning in the early 1990’s), “Ghostbusters III” is now finally in theaters and it is wonderful! The extension of the original Ghostbusters films, Ghostbusters: Afterlife is full of heart and emotion. It continues the story that began in 1984. And it has wowed audiences earning the number one box office spot with a stronger-than-predicted $44 million in 4,315 domestic theater ticket sales, and even more internationally.

It’s easy to say that Ghostbusters: Afterlife had a Herculean task of being a bridge, a bookend, and a launchpad. And somehow was able to juggle all three masterfully - bridging the films from the 80’s to a new generation, bookending a story that began and closes out in 2021, and acts as a launchpad for countless stories to come.

Variety, among other industry trades, sees the strong box office, the warm audience reception, and the potential for stories to come as a signal that the franchise has a strong future. Combined with strong merchandise sales including Hasbro Pulse’s recent crowd funded 1:1 Spengler Proton Pack reaching its goal and continuing to stretch, promotional tie-ins including a limited re-release of Ecto-Cooler for events and a transformation of the iconic Randy’s Donut facade in Los Angeles, and more show the future being bright.

So what’s next?

The Thanksgiving holiday week and the word of mouth will be a strong indication of the continued success of the film. I’ve maintained that Ghostbusters: Afterlife is like a good album that you listen to for the first time and can’t absorb everything. It just continues getting better upon repeated viewing. So make sure to go see it in the theaters and enjoy it on the big screen as much as you can. Home video and VOD sales will also be a good indication of the popularity of the franchise with the lingering pandemic and many people still unable to get into the theaters. Note how there was a ten-fold increase in popularity of Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi as soon as it became available on VOD and the Disney+ streaming platforms to a larger audience that didn’t catch it in theaters.

Long story short, it’s a good time to be a longtime fan of Ghostbusters and the perfect time to be a new fan experiencing the wonder and the wish fulfillment of the franchise for the first time. I have a feeling we ain’t seen nothing yet.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife - Trailer 2 Full Breakdown

This is it, this is definitely it!

A meaty and goosebump-evoking trailer just dropped today for Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

Much like the first trailer, the main focus of this is the family - forced to move to Oklahoma after falling on tough times. Janine, Terror Dogs, Mini Pufts, and Ghostbusting in motion as Jason Reitman has referred to it are all here. There’s a whole lot here to unpack, plus a whole lot that I’m sure we still haven’t seen. In fact, I would argue that we now have a pretty complete picture of what’s in store come November and are being shown just enough to tide us over until the fall.

This was a solid trailer. It hit all of the right notes. It invoked goosebumps on several occasions. And oh boy, does it demonstrate that Jason Reitman wasn’t kidding when he told us hardcore nerds that if we loved easter eggs, we were in for a treat.

Let’s break it down, shall we?

A GREAT MOM

The trailer begins with a very quiet and intimate bit of dialogue between Paul Rudd’s Mr. Grooberson and Carrie Coon’s Callie.

The two sit at a table, and while the trailer frames it to appear to be Spinners, a quick glimpse at the wall next to the two in a later shot shows they’re actually in a Chinese restaurant. In fact, I love that Grooberson has what looks to be one of the deluxe Benihana cocktails in a ceramic glass in front of him. Grooberson tells Callie that she’s a great mom, but she’s not so sure. Callie feels like she’s been a great mother to her oldest, Trevor (Finn Wolfhard). But feels like her introverted daughter Phoebe (McKenna Grace) keeps her at a distance. There’s a sense that Callie and Phoebe can’t find much common ground, and for this her mother is struggling.

I really love how the trailer gently brings us into the world, helps set the stage, and gives us several glimpses of some of the incredible cinematography in store from Eric Steelberg.

AN AWKWARD, NERDY KID

Grooberson’s dialogue reassures Callie that what Phoebe is going through is normal. He calls her an “awkward, nerdy kid” to imagery of her at school being teased. Ghostbusters: The Video Game fans concerned about if the story and events from the game will somehow be referenced or acknowledged in some way will probably quickly notice the Doritos product placement. Hours of gameplay has trained them well.

Anyway, not only is Phoebe failing to connect with her mother on a deeper level, but it appears that she’s an outsider at school as well. It makes the friendship we know she’s to have with Podcast (Logan Kim) that much sweeter. And you feel for her right out of the gate here, hoping that she’ll find that friend as soon as possible.

UPDATE: In Jason Reitman’s IGN commentary over the trailer, he mentions that Phoebe being an outsider is important as the Ghostbusters films have always been about outsiders, the original Ghostbusters having been removed from campus due to their unorthodox ways of study, etc.

Callie and Grooberson’s conversation comes to a conclusion with Phoebe’s mother just wishing, “she’d get into some trouble.” As her mother laments about her daughter needing to be bold and a little more adventurous, we see a continuation of the scene from the first trailer in which Phoebe solves a puzzle built into the floor of the farmhouse in order to find a hidden ghost trap. Perhaps Ghostbusting is exactly the trouble the young and brainy kid needs?

As we, the audience, see the familiar ghost trap, there’s quite literally a drum roll added to the music scoring of the trailer. Perhaps Ghostbusting is exactly the trouble we need too.

JANINE, YOU HAVEN’T CHANGED

The trailer continues with the Trevor dialogue we heard in the first trailer as he explains to Lucky (Celeste O’Connor) that they’re broke and the only thing they have is a “creepy old farmhouse” left to them by their grandfather. But that is the lead in to our first major surprise of the trailer: a glimpse of Annie Potts’ return as Janine Melnitz!

Janine jokes to Callie that her father wasn’t much of a homemaker. “He could hardly keep the power on,” Janine says with a chuckle. If there was any question of the family lineage, this trailer solidifies that Callie and her family are Spengler through-and-through.

Update: To clarify Janine’s connection to Egon, in Jason Reitman’s commentary on the trailer, he says that “clearly Janine and Egon had a connection in 1984” and continued to do so. He mentions that it’s apparent Janine was taking care of him in his old age.

It should be noted at this point that the quiet music that accompanied the beginning of the trailer suddenly has these eerie choral notes added to it. Adding a little bit of that paranormal/otherworldly feeling but keeping the trailer light and playful. I’m not sure if this is Rob Simonsen’s score, but if I had to guess given the way the music builds and shifts, this is an original music bed for the trailer only.

It’s also interesting to see how we’ll be able to revisit the past in the film by use of footage from the original (as seen in the YouTube videos playing on various computers) but also the use of one of my favorite set photography moments framed and displayed in the farmhouse presented as a personal photograph. I know, given how some people reacted to seeing a headshot of Sean Connery used in an Indiana Jones film, these types of touches can take people out of a film. But I think the trailer gives us a great idea of how these moments will be integrated and I love it.

The trailer takes a hard turn with a great back and forth between Callie and Janine. Callie tells Janine that it sounds like her father has left her nothing. Janine playfully retorts, “Well, I wouldn’t say nothing.” This line is masterfully juxtaposed with Trevor opening the barn doors to find the Ectomobile housed under a tarp. The music comes to a crescendo as Trevor lifts the tarp and reveals the Ghostbusters Mooglie logo.

Let’s call this goosebumps moment number one.

THE ONLY ONE WITH AN ENGINE

It’s this part of the trailer where it does something that’s a rarity these days, and that I appreciate so much: the music takes a breath and completely drops off to give us a small vignette of a scene from the film. Phoebe enters the barn to find Trevor working on the Ecto. She ribs him that, of all the broken down cars on the farm, he’s chosen “the station wagon.” Trevor responds that his vehicle of choice was the only one with an engine.

The music and percussion come back in full force to score Trevor on a joy ride through the wheat fields of the farm. He seems to be having a good time.

So am I… this was definitely goosebumps moment number two.

A STORM COMING

Act Two of the trailer starts with a dark and ominous storm coming into Sumerville. There’s trouble in small town Oklahoma. Grooberson reiterates his line about a town with no faultlines shaking on a daily basis to Trevor and Phoebe. Only this time, he receives a response: “Maybe it’s the apocalypse.” Phoebe delivers the line to Grooberson with such amazing deadpan earnestness that you can tell she and grandpa might have a whole lot in common. Including their sense of humor.

The line gives us a good chuckle to break the tension but also sets the stage for what’s to come in the trailer: exactly what Phoebe has predicted.

EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON

As Phoebe tells us that “Egon came here for a reason,” an archival piece of footage and dialogue from the first film plays on her laptop: the commercial playing on Dana Barrett’s television at 55 CPW. As the original Ghostbusters give you their sales pitch, this is where the trailer really kicks into modern trailer overdrive.

Flashes of imagery including the PKE meter, Mini Puft mayhem at Wal-Mart, and more quickly breathe in and out. In fact, if this trailer is our Christmas present in July, this is where we’re unwrapping and unpacking what’s inside the box.

But we also get glimpses of a creepy underground temple with some pretty intense architecture and even creepier statue work. Terror dog/human hybrid statues flanking what looks to be a pharaoh with wings. And gaunt peasants all reaching out to it all. Did Sumerians have pharaohs? Or is this something else? Certainly seems like if there were Gozer worshippers out there, this might be a stone tribute to them. Shout out to the outstanding display of this and everything in the trailer from Production Designer Francois Audouy.

UPDATE: Thanks to the nudge of Mr. Yurcaba for pointing out that pharaoh has a flat top, not a headdress. Hmmm…

The kids discover the terrifying temple and Trevor gives us an “oh my god” to punctuate as they see what we see.

NICE DOGGY, CUTE LITTLE POOCH

Right about this part of the trailer is where my brain explodes and I’m not sure where to start. Imagery is rapid fire as the shit hits the fan.

Phoebe looks into a cauldron in the temple (where there’s numbers behind her that we’ll have to analyze further at some point). And the cork pops on the bottle. As she does so, there’s a terrifying growl in the background foreshadowing some familiar imagery we’re about to see.

But before we get to that, two incredible things are seen as well: familiar purple PKE trails that look a whole lot like those that explode from the firehouse and converge at Spook Central (UPDATE: According to Reitman’s trailer commentary, they found the original 70mm special effects film of the trail animation and utilized them for the new film). And, as Grooberson’s line about New York City looking like “The Walking Dead” is repurposed to sound like he’s talking about Sumerville, there’s an incredible physical creature design sitting at a lunch counter. A half-decomposed cabbie maybe? Wearing a 1970’s collar and neckerchief. To my eye, I’d be willing to bet that’s the work of Arjen Tuiten and his team of creature designers. And it’d make Steve Johnson proud.

Plus it’s such a funny image of this corpse sitting at a lunch counter, and the waiter is pour him coffee like it ain’t no thing. I love it.

UPDATE: Confirmed, the corpse is Arjen Tuiten creation! And duh, it’s not a cabbie - it’s a miner in a mining town.

Back to man’s worst friend: the terror dogs make several appearances in the trailer. First as a cool half-manifested entity above Groobersen and again chasing the poor guy out of a Wal-Mart. Is Groobersen haunted by these things like Louis Tully? Or is something else going on here?

IN A SPIRITUAL SENSE, OF COURSE

If there was a moment that I expected Ray Parker Jr.’s iconic theme song to kick into full gear, this would have been it. The icing on the cake of the trailer, after we see the dead rising from the grave and all hell breaking loose, is Trevor, Phoebe and Podcast all in the Ecto chasing after what we now know is Muncher. The editorial of this is insanely cool. And we get to see the Remote Trap Vehicle (RTV) deployed from the Ecto and how it’s used in the pursuit of Muncher. We’ve seen the gunner seat, but the beats that this moment in the trailer hit, well…

Goosebumps moment number three.

VENKMAN, WE’RE NOT HOME

After all the debate among friends if there would be a “Chewie, We’re Home” moment in this trailer - where we’d see one of the original Ghostbusters live and in the flesh, we got the perfect tease. As Grooberson, Phoebe and Podcast watch the conclusion of the original 1984 ad, the trailer closes with a phone ringing inside a very familiar looking Occult Book shop.

Tattooed arms (I’ve tried with everything I can to see what the tattoo says) pick up the phone and the familiar voice of Dr. Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) curtly tells whomever is on the other end of that phone that, “We’re closed.” A perfect little tease if you ask me. Let’s save seeing Peter, Ray and Winston on-screen to the main event.

UPDATE: In the IGN commentary, Reitman says the tattoo is a reference to the Judgement Day conversation Ray and Winston have in the Ecto during the first film. He also confirms the red phone and all the details of Ray’s Occult are 1:1 accurate to the second Ghostbusters film.

Ghostbusters Afterlife Trailer 2 is Here!

Run. Don’t walk. The long awaited second look at Ghostbusters Afterlife is here! Check out the video via the official Ghostbusters YouTube channel below. And make sure to come back to GBHQ later today for a full breakdown. Plus, the Ghostbusters Interdimensional Crossrip will be teaming up with Yes Have Some for a roundtable discussion tonight at 6pm Pacific.

Get Ready for the Afterlife - New Trailer Debuts Tomorrow!

The wait is finally over!

The past couple weeks, you could almost sense the build-up to something big coming and today the veil of mystery has been lifted. Long after the first trailer in December of 2019, a new trailer will debut tomorrow for the long-anticipated direct follow up to the original two Ghostbusters films, Ghostbusters Afterlife.

More will be revealed in the trailer tomorrow. And expect a full rundown here on the HQ as well as on the Interdimensional Crossrip podcast. But in the meantime, why not prepare yourself with a quick refresher of all that’s come before, starting with the surprise announcement teaser that shocked us in January of 2019, then the first trailer we saw a mere 12 months later.

The Mini-Puft Invasion Has Begun

We all woke up to a changed world yesterday.

Early on Wednesday morning, Jason Reitman and the official Ghostbusters social media channels surprised us all with a film clip from the upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife. The clip, featuring Paul Rudd’s character “Mr. Grooberson” wandering the dessert aisles at Wal-Mart when he hears a scream and goes to investigate. But what he finds ends up being a lot cuter and/or malicious than he may have been expecting.

The short and fun clip is a great example of what’s in store, as nostalgia bones are tickled while the lines between comedy and horror are straddled much like the original Ghostbusters film did. And it’s safe to say that the chaos in that Wal-Mart store is probably just beginning. The clip is also abridged for marketing purposes with several cuts that make it apparent it falls into a larger sequence to be revealed when we’re seeing the film for the first time on the big screen this November.

And the clip is well-timed to start the engine revving of the merchandise powerhouse to come with the film’s release. This morning, Hasbro unveiled what is probably just the tip of the iceberg on their upcoming Afterlife (and Mini-Puft) related merchandise: a blind bag set of Mini-Pufts in various poses.

The bags will be available this Fall, just in time for the holiday season. Here is all the information fit to print from Hasbro:

GHOSTBUSTERS MINI-PUFT SURPRISE 

(Ages 4 and Up / Approx. Retail Price: $5.39 / Available: Fall 2021)

Choose the smallest, most collectible method of your destruction with the GHOSTBUSTERS Mini-Pufts Surprise figures from Hasbro. Detailed to look like characters from the 2021 Ghostbusters: Afterlife film, each series of 1.5-inch Mini-Puft figures is inspired by the original Stay Puft Marshmallow Man but comes equipped with new mischievous personalities from the movie. Kids and collectors alike can open the Stay Puft Marshmallow can and dig into the goopy marshmallow-like compound to see which Mini-Puft figure is inside. 

With multiple blind waves and six unique figures per wave for the GHOSTBUSTERS Mini-Pufts Surprise figures, boys and girls can collect them all! Available at most major retailers nationwide.GHOSTBUSTERS MINI-PUFT SURPRISE

(Ages 4 and Up / Approx. Retail Price: $5.39 / Available: Fall 2021)

Choose the smallest, most collectible method of your destruction with the GHOSTBUSTERS Mini-Pufts Surprise figures from Hasbro. Detailed to look like characters from the 2021 Ghostbusters: Afterlife film, each series of 1.5-inch Mini-Puft figures is inspired by the original Stay Puft Marshmallow Man but comes equipped with new mischievous personalities from the movie. Kids and collectors alike can open the Stay Puft Marshmallow can and dig into the goopy marshmallow-like compound to see which Mini-Puft figure is inside.

With multiple blind waves and six unique figures per wave for the GHOSTBUSTERS Mini-Pufts Surprise figures, boys and girls can collect them all! Available at most major retailers nationwide.

The Most Detailed LEGO Ecto-1 Ever is Coming November 15th!

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LEGO and Ghostbusters.com announced an all-new, highly-detailed Ecto-1 kit inspired by Ghostbusters Afterlife today! Here’s all the news that’s fit to print along with the full press release via LEGO.

The latest LEGO set features:

• All of the roof gear from the original film, including a moving ghost sniffer and radome. Both movements are activated by driving the car’s rear wheels

• A trap door in the rear that can be activated by a lever on the roof to release a remote-controlled ghost trap

• Rear passenger door opens to reveal a scissor-seat mechanism that extends and rotates the rear passenger seat out of the car using a trigger on the roof of the car

• A 5-module steering wheel, corner brick with box, curved windscreen and pop out seat like in the movie

LEGO has announced an all-new Ecto-1 Creator kit coming November 15th, based on the upcoming film Ghostbusters Afterlife! Here's photos, discussion, and a lo...

The new LEGO Ghostbusters ECTO-1 is the most detailed LEGO brick recreation of the car ever produced and is the latest in a collection of film-based LEGO model building kits for adults who love building to relax and escape from the stresses of life. This set features two brand new LEGO brick elements including a new 6x14 curved windscreen and a new 5 module steering wheel.

Talking about the creation of the LEGO Ghostbusters Ecto-1, the set’s LEGO designer, Michael Psiaki said “I love creating LEGO vehicles, and having previously designed the LEGO James Bond Aston Martin DB5, I loved the challenge of working on the ECTO-1. This is the largest and most detailed version of this car that we have ever created. It is crammed full of authentic features and easter eggs that I’m excited for builders to discover as they put this model together.”

The LEGO Ghostbusters ECTO-1 contains 2,352 pieces and measures over 8” (22.5cm) high, 18” (47cm) long and 6” (16.5cm) wide. The set will be available from 15th November ahead of the release of the latest film in the Ghostbusters Franchise, Ghostbusters: Afterlife that launches in 2021.

LEGO Ghostbusters ECTO-1™ will be available directly via LEGO.com and LEGO Stores from November 15th.

For more information and to order yours, check out the official LEGO website!

Ghostbusters Afterlife Moves Release Date to June 11, 2021

Confirmed by Variety yesterday, Jason Reitman’s long-awaited follow-up to the original Ghostbusters films has once again moved its release date to 6/11/21 due to the on-going pandemic. The date moves the film into the traditional June release window where Ghostbusters (1984) and Ghostbusters II (1989) were released over thirty years ago.

The film was originally scheduled to release July 10, 2020 but after the pandemic hit the United States hard in March, the date was pushed to March 5 of the following year. This second move to June 11 of 2021 makes the film intended as a summer blockbuster for Sony Pictures.

For more analysis and to find out what Jason Reitman’s production has been up to the past two weeks, give a special bonus episode of the Crossrip a listen, or check out our YouTube channel update.

In this quick update, Troy talks about the breaking news that Ghostbusters Afterlife has shifted its date to June 11, 2021 - the second change in schedule si...

Hasbro PulseCon Unveils Two New Toy Products

This past weekend was Hasbro’s big virtual PulseCon toy event, a two-day livestream extravaganza that included their biggest brands and some rocking performances, particularly from Jack Black and Kyle Gass and the rest of Tenacious D.

Amid the festivities were two big product reveals. Both of which went up for pre-order on Saturday 9/26 (and in the case of the Ecto, sold out almost immediately).

Here’s all the info on the new products!

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GHOSTBUSTERS KENNER CLASSICS GHOSTPOPPER

(Ages 8 and Up / Approx. Retail Price: $19.99 / Available: January 1, 2021)

Poltergeist popping action is back with the GHOSTBUSTERS Kenner Classics Ghostpopper from Hasbro! Inspired by the classic blaster from Kenner, this retro Ghostpopper is a must have for any Ghostbusters fan and features original Kenner deco and package art inspired by the iconic look from the 80s. Comes with six soft foam Ghostpops and three cut-out Ghost Targets. Available exclusively at Walmart.

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GHOSTBUSTERS PLASMA SERIES ECTO-1

(Ages 14 and Up / Approx. Retail Price: $49.99 / Available: January 1, 2021)

Commemorate the next chapter in the Ghostbusters story, GHOSTBUSTERS: Afterlife, with the GHOSTBUSTERS PLASMA SERIES ECTO-1 1/18th-scale collectible of the iconic Ecto-1 vehicle from Hasbro. Featured in the all-new GHOSTBUSTERS: Afterlife movie, this collectible features premium deco with incredible detailing inspired by the updated look of the new Ecto-1 as seen in the 2021 movie. The GHOSTBUSTERS PLASMA SERIES ECTO-1 collectible also features opening doors, movable pieces, and more features inspired by the movie. Available exclusively at Target.

As for the PulseCon event itself, you can hear Troy’s thoughts on this week’s episode of the Crossrip podcast, but here’s how the run of the show ended up going.

Part 1: Classic Ghostbusters

Panelists: Ernie Hudson, Hasbro Ghostbusters Brand Team

We’ll begin by celebrating the iconic 1984 film. Tune in for ghostly surprises, classic toy news, and a visit from a very special guest: Ernie Hudson, otherwise known as Winston Zeddemore from Ghostbusters! Get ready to hear him answer your fan questions!

Part 2: The Making of Kenner The Real Ghostbusters Toys

Panelists: Mark Boudreaux, Hasbro Ghostbusters Brand Team

We’ll continue our journey through the 80’s with an inside look at the making of the Real Ghostbusters toys from original Kenner toy designer, Mark Boudreaux. Next, you’ll see behind the scenes of sculpting with Dave. Finally, meet the Hasbro team that relaunched the Kenner Real Ghostbusters toys in 2020. Hear about how they answered the call to bring this beloved toy line back for the fans and be the first to see the next Kenner Real Ghostbusters toy to hit shelves!

Part 3: Ghostbusters Afterlife

Panelists: Jason Reitman, Hasbro Ghostbusters Brand Team

We’ll end our celebration with a nod to the future… the new Ghostbusters Afterlife feature film, coming to theaters in March 2021. Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe-winning filmmaker Jason Reitman, director of Ghostbusters Afterlife, will take you on a tour of the Ecto-1 that was used in the new film. He’ll end his tour with an exciting reveal! You’ll then hear from the Hasbro team about the next toy inspired by the Ghostbusters Afterlife film to hit shelves!

A fun event to reach out to the fans during this stay at home pandemic to be sure. Safe to assume this is only the beginning of awesome merch to come from Hasbro given all that was seen at the New York International Toy Fair, and all that’s still to be revealed when Ghostbusters Afterlife hits theaters in 2021!

Ghostbusters: Afterlife - Trailer A Breakdown

“Troy, wondering what you thought about that new Ghostbusters trailer?”

Well, I’ve waited thirty years for this moment. Something tells me that my long-winded and verbose writing sensibilities won’t be able to convey my thoughts in a text message or 140 characters on Twitter. Welcome anyone that I’ve pointed in this direction. I’ve been waiting an awful long time for this. And that’s not to be dismissive of the wonderful experience and entertaining film we received just three short years ago. This is something different. But the same. Something new, but also something familiar. In one word?

Wow.

Quite a bit to unpack in a trailer revealing the first details on what has otherwise been a very tight-lipped production. Needless to say, the first real look at Jason Reitman’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife blew me away. The direct sequel to Ghostbusters II looks to take some twists and turns, while incorporating the iconography and elements that made the original film and its sequel so popular in the 80’s. To be completely honest, it’s quite difficult to sit here and put into words my reaction to seeing a trailer for a movie I’ve been waiting 30 years to see. Excited doesn’t even begin to describe just how fun and exciting this trailer release has been. Not to mention just how special this film release will be.

But you’re not here for a review or my sentiments, you’re here for a breakdown to the trailer with a few comments and screen grabs.

Let’s do it, eh?

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Hitting the Road

Right out of the gate, some stunning cinematography from Eric Steelberg on full-display here as a car full of teenage kids approach what appears to be an old mine elevator at the top of an incredible looking vista. Kids being kids, golden hour in full effect, it’s a lovely first introduction to the world in which this film will inhabit. Finn Wolfhard’s character Trevor answers a pointed question that his family has moved to Summerville because they’re completely broke. To the point that he’s getting a haircut at home by his own mother, Callie (played by Carrie Coon). We’re meeting a family on some hard times, forced to make a hard turn in their lives because of finances.

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Grandpa’s “Creepy Old Farmhouse”

The family pulls up to a farmhouse and barn that looks like they’ve both seen better days. A giant barn with a collapsed roof and several silos surround a Gothic looking weather vein riddled house that may as well be out of the Addams Family. Dire circumstances have forced them to move to a family farm inherited from an, as of now, unknown grandfather. Phoebe (played by Mckenna Grace) gets out of the car with a look on her face that says it all. And those eyeglasses… well, we’ve all talked about who those look like they belong to at great length.

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Something’s Amiss

Trevor’s tender moment with a new friend (Celeste O’Connor’s still as-of-yet-unrevealed character) is interrupted by the mine elevator they’re sitting on shakes violently and a green glow emanates from the mine below them. All is not picture-perfect Americana in Summerville as we’ve been led to believe. An entity explodes from the mine, escaping into the air and pushing the teenagers back in the process. That glimpse of our paranormal haunting kicks us into the studio and production company logos.

Bron Studios/Bron Media Logo

Interestingly, no Ghost Corps logo attached to the trailer. But there is a newcomer to both the trailer and the teaser poster released on Friday, Bron Studios. A Canadian company, Bron gets a logo right after Sony/Columbia possibly suggesting they’re a financial backer of the film or a large partner in some shape or form. A quick look at iMDB shows that Aaron L. Gilbert of Bron Media has been added as an Executive Producer to the film as well.

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Earthquakes and Mr. Grooberson

Here’s our first real taste of how Paul Rudd’s character will factor into the film. He’s intrigued by Summerville’s seismic activities, given the fact that it doesn’t lie on a fault line, nor does it have any of the telltale signs of locations that should be moving and shaking. The protagonist family huddles under a table during a quake where we get a good taste of the film’s humor courtesy of Trevor with a quippy one-liner about the summer that they died under a table. So what is happening? Stay tuned. Also, admittedly I was too distracted by the beautiful lighting in the shot with Trevor to notice the symmetrical book stacking visual gag in the background until others pointed it out. Well played, set dec team. I’d expect there will be visual easter eggs like this throughout the entirety of the film.

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Mystery Box Revealed

Following one of the quakes at their new home, Phoebe seemingly finds a loose floorboard and a sliding puzzle that has been left behind by their grandfather to hide the presence of a familiar ghost trap. Which Phoebe takes to school and shows off to her still unnamed friend, played by Logan Kim. The sight of a ghost trap tickles Mr. Grooberson, who connects it with the famed-Ghostbusters who saved New York City back in the 1980’s. The kids have no idea of the existence of ghosts, nor what occurred back in 1984 near Central Park. Grooberson is more than happy to educate them.

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Jason Reitman Front and Center

After the ghost trap’s appearance, Jason Reitman (deservedly so) gets a card proclaiming the film coming from him as a writer-director hyphenate. The credit comes over an industrial space with a whole lot of Ridley Scott creep-factor going on. If I had one nit to pick with the trailer, it’s the producer in me that is concerned poor Jason’s credit never resolves with the “R” in Reitman not obstructed by the light blooming in the center of the frame.

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A Free-Roaming… Something?

Right after Jason Reitman’s card, comes a panning shot across the same industrial space where a gelatinous blob is in the distance doing something. It’s tough to make out exactly what type of entity we’re looking at here, but it seems to appear (and move) like a microscopic organism or something found at the depths of the sea. Which I quite enjoy. A ghost that looks unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. Also worth noting that the movements feel practical - there is weight and almost a rubbery movement to it just like the creature designs from the shop in the 80’s. Love it.

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New York Was Like the Walking Dead

Mr. Grooberson shows Phoebe and Logan Kim’s character archival footage from the 1980’s where he remembers seeing the ghost trap utilized as a kid. The Ghostbusters were a phenomenon 35 years ago, but have been forgotten. As history tends to move on and generations aren’t impacted by the events of their elders, they’re learning about who the Ghostbusters were. Phoebe comments that her mother has never spoken of the events that took place in New York and that their father isn’t in the picture.

Of note, these two archival shots are incredible angles that I don’t believe I’ve seen before. Perhaps the result of Jason Reitman and his post production team digging into the mines and finding the original dailies and negative from the 1984 film for use in Afterlife?

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PKE Readings and “Does This Pole Still Work?”

Phoebe seems to have found other Ghostbusting equipment and uses it to trace readings back to a makeshift shed. Presumably a continuation of the scene based on the editing, Phoebe slides down a fire pole (!!!) to a subterranean hidden space. She continues to follow readings on the PKE Meter, finding equipment including the orange piece of machinery taken from the original Ghostbusters at Columbia University, a Betamax recorder in the far distance, an oscilloscope, and a whole lot of fungi growing in jars. The camera pans over sample dishes of spores, molds and fungus collections, (subtly cued with Phoebe talking about picking through the rubble of her grandfather’s life) and then continues past a proton pack in process of assembly.

Admittedly, this was the first moment in the trailer where I could feel my heart doing backflips. We’re seeing the past through Phoebe’s eyes and everything looks, feels, and sounds like Ghostbusters. I love it. This movie is about discovery, as we’ve heard many a time from the director. To me, it feels a bit like we’re (the viewer - the broader public outside of us fans) rediscovering our love for what made these movies so popular.

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The Shoe Drops

This is where any other trailer would take the opportunity to pepper in the bass drops, kick in the soft-breathy cover version of Ray Parker Jr.’s theme song, or some other overused cliche. But Ghostbusters Afterlife takes a pretty bold stance and tries something different. And to me, it really works. When Mr. Grooberson discovers that the ghost trap isn’t a replica and is, in fact a real ghost trap (and may be occupied still), he questions who Phoebe is, as there’s a cut to Phoebe’s hand grazing over a rack of flight suits revealing the name tag, “Spengler” barely having enough time to resolve before a smash to black.

In what is absolutely a stroke of genius of whomever is responsible for this wonderful trailer, Bill Murray’s line for the original movie as Venkman and Stantz share a bottle of Apricot Brandy talking about going into business for themselves takes on a whole new meaning: “Call it fate, call it luck, call it karma. I believe everything happens for a reason,” is said while - - to my ear - - a new rendition of the same Elmer Bernstein cue that plays under the scene swells.

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A Certified Genius or an Authentic Wacko

After a “Next Summer” sell card, another beautiful Americana (c/o Calgary) vista of the Shandor Mining Company. Interesting, perhaps Ivo Shandor from the original film fancied himself an entrepreneur at one point before he became an architect? Or perhaps this is a result of his interest in metallurgy mentioned by Stantz? Perhaps he mined his own supplies for projects? Either way, I’m starting to think that Sumeriaville… ahem… sorry… Summerville might be following in a classic trope of some of the best horror stories. A town with an incredibly horrible secret. Warning signs don’t matter to Phoebe and Logan Kim’s character as they trudge ahead.

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Hello, Beautiful

Meanwhile, in the narrative of our trailer, Trevor follows in Phoebe’s footsteps into the fields of the farm and finds something of his own: a beautiful (but a little rusty) 1959 Miller-Meteor Cadillac as the ground shakes again, something shatters through a row of school buses seemingly attacking Phoebe, and the town goes into high-alert. Amid the chaos, there’s a striking 20 frames or so of Phoebe staring into a horrifying fire pit of arms - lost or damned souls? Something else? And immediately after that, Mr. Grooberson frantically tries to escape from a snarling beast that slams a foot on the hood of his automobile. Trevor’s Ecto-1 adventure continues as he turns the key and an homage that would make Laszlo Kovacs proud reveals the familiar license plate and front grill emerging from the garage and into the field for a joy ride. The ol’ Ecto has a whole lotta horsepower left in the tank. That or Trevor, who is seen wearing classic car t-shirts, may have coaxed their car back to a new afterlife?

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Damn Right, This Thing Has a Gunner’s Seat

And that’s when the trailer hits us. What can and should be the most amazing surprise in the trailer (if not unfortunately spoiled for you by a few self-interested rotten apples with horrible cell phone photos) - this isn’t the Ecto we’re familiar with. Perhaps an explanation as to why it’s the ol’ Ecto-1, or maybe the car was always being changed throughout the duration of the Ghostbusters’ longevity, THIS Ectomobile looks to have been heavily modified for field work. Phoebe, with a thrower in her hand, swivels out into an attack position and we’re off to the races. The Ecto-1, with Phoebe in the gunner position, looks to be chasing the microscopic entity seen earlier in the industrial space - though some people have speculated that might be Slimer, I don’t think that’s the case. Either way… Dear Hasbro, take my money now. My goodness, what an awesome set-piece (and toyetic moment) that looks like it will be.

Everything about this movie speaks to me. It’s playing with my nostalgia. It’s also giving us something new and the promise of the next generation discovering the Ghostbusters both on-screen and off. The fact that a main character is named Trevor for some reason immediately made me think of my amazing former boss and now guide to the next generation of comedy Trevor Albert, who was a long-time friend and colleague of Harold Ramis. Phoebe’s an intriguing character and the friendship that we saw Mckenna Grace and Logan Kim develop via social media throughout the course of the production seems to have carried over to their on-screen performances.

Of course, noticeably absent are any of the original cast members. But, as the theme of this trailer and seemingly the movie as a whole is discovery and things slowly unfolding, I can imagine that moment will be saved until the absolute very end of the marketing campaign. If the cast isn’t kept in secret similar to Mark Hamill in The Force Awakens completely. To be completely honest, I don’t want to see another frame until opening day of the film itself. And if this is the only trailer they release, that would be a wonderful mystery box. Particularly for this Ghostbusters podcast host who would have to break another TV spot or trailer down frame by frame. I get the sense that the less we know and see about this movie before the first viewing experience, the better.

But most of all - - the iconography, the designs from Stephen Dane, Michael C. Gross, and so many other artists has carried over successfully and looks authentic. This is no replica, as the trailer blatantly tells us. This is the real deal.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife - First Trailer Released

This morning, Santa delivered a little something special to Ghostbusters fans who have been waiting 30-plus years for a direct sequel to 1989’s Ghostbusters II: the trailer to Jason Reitman’s “Ghostbusters: Afterlife.” Following an incredible first-look reveal via Vanity Fair on Friday, which then included a teaser poster launch, the trailer sets up the family which will be the focus of the July 2020 film.

For more analysis, stay tuned to the Ghostbusters Interdimensional Crossrip podcast. And look here to Ghostbusters HQ for a few more sneak peeks in the future!

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.