Celebrating 35 Years with Scrooged. Yule Love It in 4K!

I would put Scrooged in any top ten holiday or best performances of Bill Murray list because he’s got the touch. Youi’ll laugh and cry all night long!

Scrooged in 4K
Available to purchase on Amazon USA

Paramount Pictures

What old is Scrooged again, and for anyone who has not seen this Bill Murray classic, I recommend picking this title up. Not only does the 4k release offer some bonus features nixed from the Blu-ray, but also, the remaster looks gorgeous! The texture of the black fabrics are better nuanced and the whites are crisp.

And as for deciding what elements should be made 4K, that’s a delicate balancing act. That’s because in 1988, broadcasting used some very low-fi technology (when compared to present day). In UHD, what’s presented is incredible. Instead of ‘remastering’ the broadcast quality of the television program within a show, those were kept low res. Some film grain persists outdoors to convey how Manhattan should look like, and as for the Dolby Vision transfer, it all looks great!

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Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire – How Cold Can It Get In NYC?

Although this teaser trailer to Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is meant to be just that, the hints it offers suggests that unless the team can put the heat back, Manhatten is the last place to experience the next Ice Age!

Ghostbusters Frozen Empire Movie PosterThe largest takeaway from the teaser trailer of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is that something from the Arctic is coming to invade New York! Just what that isn’t the return of the Titanic. That boat isn’t in the running because of what the first film alluded to, so those spirits are probably at peace. And I doubt there’s a malicious force wanting to claim what’s lost decades ago, since it wouldn’t make sense for a continuation.

Instead of simply offering a trailer breakdown, what I offer are my theories on what this fourth film might be about. The ice theme is everywhere, and it might allude to one historical incident from long ago concerning lost sailors. Since the threat is coming from the sea, that must mean someone there is eying the invading New York. According to the official synopsis, “When the discovery of an ancient artefact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.”

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Ghostbusters Afterlife & Ultimate Set in Review

The difference between buying the individual releases of the Ghostbusters film on Blu-ray and the massive 4K box set is not just the cardboard.

Win GHOSTBUSTERS AFTERLIFE on Blu-ray - STARBURST Magazine

Bluray Available to Purchase on Amazon USA (all countries)
4K Ultimate Collection (limited to USA)

The difference between buying the individual releases of the Ghostbusters film on Blu-ray and the massive 4K box set is not just the cardboard. It’s a fairly big box that can be put on a display shelf, and as for the individually cardboard sleeved discs, perhaps moving them onto proper cases is better. Those can be placed on the video library shelf.

The collectable edition has a cool green-coloured light-up effect when you open the faux ghost trap to reveal the packages. The study cardboard construction can take some bruising, but I’ll be trying to keep mine as prestine (still with the plastic sleeve) as possible and dusting it more often than usual. The two bonus discs is the reason why long time fans are buying this edition over the single. I’m still going through them all (as time allows) and find reading the recreation of Don Shay’s Making Ghostbusters book from 1985 the big bonus. 

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How to Jimmy Ghostbusters Right & Why We Need Eugene Levy!

Ghostbusters-Old-and-New-Team-on-Jimmy-Kimmel-Live-ShowBy Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

There’s no denying the fact that the character of Egon Spengler can not be replaced. If Harold Ramis did not pass away two years ago, perhaps the story Dan Aykroyd wanted as the next film might have gone forward. Instead, because time was running out in getting a product out, one of the four remaining co-owners grew impatient and decided on what to produce whether creator Aykroyd, director Ivan Reitman and comedian Bill Murray liked it or not. I felt their appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! was more of a company ploy to put to rest fan’s fears on whether or not the original party are 100% on board with the reboot.

Murray said he felt like a stepfather to the whole thing. As a stakeholder, shouldn’t he be more like a grandfather instead? The slight distancing to his product has to be noted. The quote used most often in other reports is him admitting, “This is a tough movie to pull off because it’s a big concept. There’s a lot on the plate – there’s a lot of expectation.”

Whether the comedy in this movie succeeds or not, my eyes are in the paranormal nerd speak. Is Feig going to bring new love to a serious hobby I adore or will I hang my head in shame? Spengler is still my hero because he gave the film a layer of straightforwardness I treasured!

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Baring Down on Jon Favreau’s The Jungle Book & Fond Recollections of a Tale Spin

THE JUNGLE BOOK

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Disney‘s live-action update to The Jungle Book shares a few visual and narrative similarities with its 1967 counterpart. While it’s a fun nod, I thought the nostalgia was unneeded. In what I enjoyed was a look at a darker, if not more violent, road to adulthood for a child found in the woods. A few scenes will most likely frighten toddlers but for youths, they may handle the bloodshed better. In the animal kingdom, these beasts have to scrounge for their meals and in this version, part of the tale is about the survival of the fittest.

Part of why I love this world is because of Tale Spin . This Disney Afternoon cartoon used characters from this work, introduced new ones (Don Carnage is a hoot) and placed the irrepressible Baloo the Bear (voiced by Phil Harris in the ’67 film, Ed Gilbert in the ‘toon and Bill Murray in this live-action film) in the lead role. Murray nails the adorability factor easily. While there’s no denying Gilbert was following in Harris’ footsteps for tonality and characterization, the generational factor is key to defining which version is going to be the most loved.

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