Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021, D: Jason Reitman)
#1001
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
re: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021, D: Jason Reitman)
![Head Scratch](/images/smilies/headscratch.gif)
#1002
DVD Talk Hero
re: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021, D: Jason Reitman)
![Head Scratch](/images/smilies/headscratch.gif)
Cut to me getting my first DVD player in 1998 and GB was one of the first DVDs I bought thinking I’d give it another shot. It was hilarious, I can’t believe how much more I loved it as an adult than I did as a kid! A lot of the jokes, mannerisms, etc. went over my head as a kid but everything landed once I watched it again as an adult. It’s certainly one of the best comedies of all time.
#1003
DVD Talk Hero
re: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021, D: Jason Reitman)
I'm guessing that the trailer was cut the way it was to maintain the surprise that it's a Ghostbusters movie for casual moviegoers sitting in a theater until the Ectomobile is revealed. Until that point, it looks like another big budget horror movie like The Conjuring.
They probably should have had Venkman, Stantz, and Zeddemore appear in the final shot, though.
They probably should have had Venkman, Stantz, and Zeddemore appear in the final shot, though.
#1004
re: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021, D: Jason Reitman)
![Head Scratch](/images/smilies/headscratch.gif)
I remember that when RGB became “Slimer and the Real Ghostbusters” and focused more on comedy and slapstick the show went downhill.
I think GB2 being less scary also played a part in why it wasn’t as good.
#1005
DVD Talk Legend & 2021 TOTY Winner
re: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021, D: Jason Reitman)
I was a 7 year old who was terrified to watch scary movies when Ghostbusters came out. I was convinced to watch Ghostbusters because I was told it was a comedy. I did, and I loved it. Nothing in the movie was scary to me.
#1006
re: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021, D: Jason Reitman)
Of course when I re-watched it as a teen and an adult, it was hilarious in addition to being creepy/spooky. But the way the humor was portrayed was still different compared to outright comedies like Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Coming to America. Come to think of it, I didn't watch much of any comedies around the time of GB1 and the cartoon.
#1007
DVD Talk Legend
re: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021, D: Jason Reitman)
I was ten when it came out and I’ve never been big into horror but I’ve loved Ghostbusters since day one. I even made up my own costume for Halloween one year. And don’t get me started on The Real Ghostbusters every Saturday morning. And of course the toys.
I think the reason it never felt like a comedy to me was it never used the “rule of funny”. There was generally, more or less, an internal logic. If something weird happened, it was because of a ghost or spirit, not just because they wanted a joke in the scene.
I think the reason it never felt like a comedy to me was it never used the “rule of funny”. There was generally, more or less, an internal logic. If something weird happened, it was because of a ghost or spirit, not just because they wanted a joke in the scene.
#1008
DVD Talk Hero
re: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021, D: Jason Reitman)
I've said this before, but every time this comes up I have to say that I've never seen this film as a "comedy". It's always been a scifi adventure that leaned into the funny side of things. It's dealing with absurd situations, so the characters deal with it with humor. This is just a short tease, I think I would trust that Reitman is more concerned with fitting in the mythology than making this a yuk-fest. There will be humor, but it will flow from the situations, not define them (which was a problem with ATC).
It’s #10 on Empires 50 Greatest Comedies of All Time list.
Vulture ranked it #14 on the 20 Best Comedies of All Time.
That’s just what I found in a few minutes of googling. It’s most definitely a comedy. The new trailer definitely needed to show that this is too (unless it isn’t...to which I say...ugh).
And the only reason I posted the original GB teaser was to push back on the idea that a teaser for a comedy doesn’t have to be funny because it’s short and doesn’t reveal the plot. The original GB teaser managed to be funny
![Shrug](/images/smilies/shrug.gif)
#1009
DVD Talk Godfather & 2020 TOTY Winner
re: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021, D: Jason Reitman)
I do think the original has a messy, noisy, and not-very-funny final act. But until then it's pretty amazing.
#1010
re: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021, D: Jason Reitman)
I was ten when it came out and I’ve never been big into horror but I’ve loved Ghostbusters since day one. I even made up my own costume for Halloween one year. And don’t get me started on The Real Ghostbusters every Saturday morning. And of course the toys.
I think the reason it never felt like a comedy to me was it never used the “rule of funny”. There was generally, more or less, an internal logic. If something weird happened, it was because of a ghost or spirit, not just because they wanted a joke in the scene.
I think the reason it never felt like a comedy to me was it never used the “rule of funny”. There was generally, more or less, an internal logic. If something weird happened, it was because of a ghost or spirit, not just because they wanted a joke in the scene.
As for the comedy, another reason I never looked at it like that is because the NY in that movie looked grimey at times, desaturated and real. The cast looked like average looking dudes in their late 30s. Only one guy looked like a comedic actor and that was Rick Moranis. I wasn't even aware at the time that the actor going bald (Murray) and his friend were well-known comedic actors of the time. I think it's telling that the toys, especially the role playing ones, were such a big seller, merchandise-wise for Ghostbusters. There's a sense of adventure in the original films and the cartoon.
Now Steve Martin movies, you just see his exaggerated expressions, the way the film is shot, and even a kid realizes it's purely a comedy.
So yes, I realize Ghostbusters is a comedy. I'm just saying that I never looked at it as strictly a comedy film. Growing up though, it was always kind of its own thing in my mind.
But this is a teaser for Ghostbusters. At this point, you're selling the public on Ghostbusters, not just another comedy movie.
The German trailer is probably slightly better.
Plus, I'd argue that Ghostbusters as a franchise or series night need to evolve in some way, at least in regards to marketing.
Ghostbusters 2 was virtually identical in tone to the first one yet many people consider it to be inferior.
Ghostbusters 2016 was most definitely advertised as a comedy, like the original, and seemed to hit the same notes more or less in the trailer. They even had a cast of SNL alumni like the original. It didn't do well.
Taking advantage of 80s nostalgia, and playing up the spookier elements might, among other things, be the way to make a successful GB sequel.
I'm re-watching the trailer, and I'm enjoying it the second time around.
Paul Rudd's character has the awe and reverence for the Ghostbusters like the now adult fans do. He comes across as kind of a fanboy. So I can relate to him.
Then you have the kids getting into some kind of adventure, and getting surprised like, "It has a gunner seat!?" And I can relate to that too, because as a kid I wanted to have adventures like that, be a Junior Ghostbuster.
Was the gunner seat in the movies, or was that only in the cartoon?
I take it back. I'm interested in this movie now.
Last edited by brayzie; 12-10-19 at 11:37 PM.
#1011
DVD Talk Legend
re: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021, D: Jason Reitman)
![Head Scratch](/images/smilies/headscratch.gif)
#1012
re: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021, D: Jason Reitman)
#1013
DVD Talk Legend
re: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021, D: Jason Reitman)
#1014
DVD Talk Hero
re: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021, D: Jason Reitman)
![Head Scratch](/images/smilies/headscratch.gif)
- "Where do these stairs go?" "They go up."
- "Ray, if someone asks if you're a god, you say YES!"
- "What did you do Ray!?"
- "Let's show this prehistoric bitch how we do things downtown".
- "Well that's something you don't see everyday."
![LOL](/images/smilies/lol.gif)
#1015
DVD Talk Hero
re: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021, D: Jason Reitman)
#1016
DVD Talk Legend
re: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021, D: Jason Reitman)
![Head Scratch](/images/smilies/headscratch.gif)
- "Where do these stairs go?" "They go up."
- "Ray, if someone asks if you're a god, you say YES!"
- "What did you do Ray!?"
- "Let's show this prehistoric bitch how we do things downtown".
- "Well that's something you don't see everyday."
![LOL](/images/smilies/lol.gif)
#1018
DVD Talk Hero
#1019
DVD Talk Limited Edition
#1020
DVD Talk Legend
re: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021, D: Jason Reitman)
Were you a fan of fantasy or science fiction then? I was 3 when it came out, but I think I got into it because of the cartoon series and then I saw the beginning of the movie on TV. I remember being pissed because Bill Murray looked nothing like Venkman, and they ran away from the ghosts like some "geeks." Somehow I saw the movie either on HBO or VHS and thought it was the greatest thing ever. Oh yeah, about the cartoon show. The Boogeyman. That was a creepy episode.
As for the comedy, another reason I never looked at it like that is because the NY in that movie looked grimey at times, desaturated and real. The cast looked like average looking dudes in their late 30s. Only one guy looked like a comedic actor and that was Rick Moranis. I wasn't even aware at the time that the actor going bald (Murray) and his friend were well-known comedic actors of the time. I think it's telling that the toys, especially the role playing ones, were such a big seller, merchandise-wise for Ghostbusters. There's a sense of adventure in the original films and the cartoon.
Now Steve Martin movies, you just see his exaggerated expressions, the way the film is shot, and even a kid realizes it's purely a comedy.
So yes, I realize Ghostbusters is a comedy. I'm just saying that I never looked at it as strictly a comedy film. Growing up though, it was always kind of its own thing in my mind.
As for the comedy, another reason I never looked at it like that is because the NY in that movie looked grimey at times, desaturated and real. The cast looked like average looking dudes in their late 30s. Only one guy looked like a comedic actor and that was Rick Moranis. I wasn't even aware at the time that the actor going bald (Murray) and his friend were well-known comedic actors of the time. I think it's telling that the toys, especially the role playing ones, were such a big seller, merchandise-wise for Ghostbusters. There's a sense of adventure in the original films and the cartoon.
Now Steve Martin movies, you just see his exaggerated expressions, the way the film is shot, and even a kid realizes it's purely a comedy.
So yes, I realize Ghostbusters is a comedy. I'm just saying that I never looked at it as strictly a comedy film. Growing up though, it was always kind of its own thing in my mind.
get that people see it as a comedy and it wins accolades like that, but to me as a kid, comedy was Looney Tunes and Tom & Jerry and The Three Stooges. When absurd stuff happened, it was toon logic or "rule of funny'. Like I said, GB sorta held to an internal logic. I didn't realize the stars were SNL actors. They didn't make jokes to get a laugh from the audience, they made a joke because they were trying to cope with an absurd situation or were sassing each other.
If young Reitman can handle this dual approach - an adventure with comedic elements, this could be very good. I still don't think ATC was outright terrible, but it really needed an outside writer to go over the script and tighten it up. And it didn't need to be a reboot. Just have it be a franchise in another city.
#1021
DVD Talk Hero
re: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021, D: Jason Reitman)
The original Ghostbusters pulled off a really incredible feat... it really blended comedy with action adventure/scifi/horror perfectly and seamlessly. The film could be viewed as either a comedy or a genre adventure; it carried and blended both things so well that it could be both Animal House and Raiders of the Lost Ark at the same time. Push the comedy a little more, and it falls apart (see the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot); push the horror a little more and it falls apart again. It also blended the cartoony (Slimer, Marshmallow Man) and creepy (the cab driver, Zuul) to the point where both poles felt natural together.
#1023
re: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021, D: Jason Reitman)
I always thought it was the perfect symbiosis of comedy and horror that made it so great. As a young kid I barely knew it was a comedy, it was the horror fantasy that pulled me in. It wasn't until I was a young adult that I appreciated the humor. Now I watch it and love it for everything that it is. Comedy/ horror/sci-fi . The rich ambience and atmosphere of New York circa 1983. Even its sparse dramatic and philosophical moments. It's a film that stands the test of time. An absolute cinematic CLASSIC.
#1024
Banned
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Conducting miss-aisle drills and listening to their rock n roll
Posts: 20,052
Received 168 Likes
on
126 Posts
re: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021, D: Jason Reitman)
![Head Scratch](/images/smilies/headscratch.gif)
- "Where do these stairs go?" "They go up."
- "Ray, if someone asks if you're a god, you say YES!"
- "What did you do Ray!?"
- "Let's show this prehistoric bitch how we do things downtown".
- "Well that's something you don't see everyday."
![LOL](/images/smilies/lol.gif)
#1025
DVD Talk Gold Edition
re: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021, D: Jason Reitman)
Before the original GB came out, I remember reading a report that it was going to be a big risk for Hollywood since horror and comedy traditionally did not score well with audiences.