My Expectations on Feig’s Neo Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters 2016 PosterBy Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

As the July 15 date nears, I will be going into this Sony cum Paul Feig helmed reboot of Ghostbusters with very low expectations. Whatever he has envisioned, my hope is that the supernatural characters are interesting enough and the spiritual encounters are played up for terror (however cheesy their threats are) instead of laughs. I played Ghostbusters the Video Game and loved the sense of unease created in the soundscape when my avatar was in the children’s playroom located downstairs in the New York Public Library. The backstory for the Library Ghost was wonderfully expanded upon, and I want to see that in this new film.

Part of this franchise’s charm is because it is inspired by Aykroyd’s genuine interest in the paranormal. The story Ivan Reitman, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis created for the films plays with that concept. Ray Stantz and Egon Spengler treat the study of ghosts seriously, and while their actions come off as funny with what they discover, that gravitas makes up what I love from the original. To see two “scholars” attempting to validate the existence of a spirit world is very interesting to me because I am a paranormal investigator who is looking at reasons why hauntings take place. I like to be entertained by Hollywood’s interpretation of this study too. Whether it’s comedic or dramatic, I will watch them all.

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New Occult’s Tobin’s Spirit Guide May Be Revised for 2016, But It Pales….

41XVj1rd4VL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_By Ed Sum
(The Arcane Collector of Spiritual Lore)

Only the deathly curious will want to investigate the differences between Insight Edition‘s version of Tobin’s Spirit Guide with New Occult Review’s. Well, maybe a die-hard Ghostbuster will want to keep both editions nearby. In what one edition has, I wished the other also echoed. The latter pays closer attention to some of the jargon used in the original films — The “class” is defined, from level one, where these entities are regarded as “babies” of the ghost world to seven, where they are known as “metaspectres” — these are essentially god-like entities capable of destroying planets.

Many types are defined to organise the spirits world into specific categories. There are Apparitions, Banshees, Boogas, Doppelgangers, Dreads. Frights, Phantoms, Poltergeists, Spiritis, Spooks, Sprites, Vapors and Trolls (now try memorizing that and saying it backwards!). Most of the definitions are quickly defined, with very little examples from literary or folklore offered. I would have loved an entry about the Brown Lady of Raynham Hall.

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How Many New or Old Editions of Tobin’s Spirit Guides Do We Need?

Tobin’s Spirit Guide is a must for any collector of Ghostbusters lore, but which edition is considered definitive?

Tobin’s Spirit Guide Front CoverFans of Ghostbusters now have three versions of Tobin’s Spirit Guide to explore the film’s paranormal lore. One is an out-of-print role-playing game supplement by West End Games, designed for gameplay and organizing ghosts by country of origin. The other two are recent editions: one attempts to be a comprehensive reference sorted alphabetically, while the abridged version categorizes entries by ascending danger. The foreword in the latest Insight Editions version notes that this pocket guide provides the essentials for those haunting New York City and the Eastern Seaboard.

For anyone hoping to tackle the authoritative edition, consider it a “sanity roll” (as in Chaosium Inc.’s Call of Cthulhu RPG) to avoid prematurely aging while absorbing the massive 35-pound tome from which these editions are derived. Between the smaller volumes, each entity’s origin and classification are included, and for the bold, locations are listed—though only the fearless need apply.

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Wind up Geek’s Cool Japan: Ghostbusters Music Vid Offers Best of Old and New

GhostbustersJapanBy James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

If Fall Out Boy‘s version of the Ghostbusters theme song is not for you, then stop your crying and dry your eyes because Japan has something a little more retro to offer (and sweeter on the ears).

Japanese comics Tomochika (Why Don’t You Play In Hell?), Oniyakko Tsubaki (Miss Kurosawa Film), Naomi Watanabe (Tug of War!) and Shizuyo Yamasaki (Maniac Hero) star in this homage to the original Ray Parker Jr. music video, complete with neon lights. While the music video was shot on a soundstage, the reason behind such a move may have been to give it a retro feel. But the reboot still retains a presence throughout, the female Ghostbusters are all donned in the latest uniforms and carry the 2016 edition Proton Packs. One the director’s instructions may have been to “have fun” because the female cast (and the ghostly dancers) have taken it to heart.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52-0plebbPk&w=560&h=315%5D
 

Source(s): Polygon.

Video Source(s): Ghostbuster News.

Ghostbusters Gets Animated for the 21st and ½ Century!

The Real Ghostbusters

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Yes, the Duck Dodgers joke is intentional (and off by 300 years), but let’s hope the task of creating a futuristic team of Ghostbusters will be good. Just when fans of this franchise thought they could not hate Sony Pictures, not Paul Feig, even more, perhaps there might be a silver lining coming with an all-new animated series simply titled Ghostbusters: Ecto Force. It’s unlikely to tread on what makes The Real Ghostbusters special.

No extra information is offered in today’s announcement as to what the treatment will be like. Ivan Reitman, the director of the original 1984 blockbuster, is helping to develop the series, and it will be set in the not too distant future of 2050. Ghost Corps, the production company established by him in March 2015 with Dan Aykroyd, Tom Pollock, Ali Bell, Alex Plapinger (and Sony) will be overseeing this project.

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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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