By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)
Spoiler Alert
The first Ghostbusters film is a beloved introduction to a ragtag group of scientists kicked out of university for their questionable belief in ghosts. They gathered enough spectral data to realize its possible to contain these spirits, and turn their idea into a business since they are considered ‘pests.’ Their first client, the lovely Dana Barrett hired this team to figure out why her apartment is spook central, and the god they prevented from appearing closed off the movie. Paranormal activity still took place throughout New York State, but it wouldn’t really pick up again until five years have passed.
It wasn’t until Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler, Peter Venkman and Winston Zeddemore had to deal with the spirit of a mad despot trapped in a painting when things truly quieted down. Spengler wasn’t ready to rest and even after this case, he knew there was a grande scheme happening while his teammates believed it was over. Flash forward to Ghostbusters: Afterlife, not everyone remembers the events from decades ago and we see him out on his own, dealing with a huge supernatural threat.