GHOSTBUSTERS Pre-Release - film discussion only, no social commentary please!

Just to try and get it back on here... how bad IS the script dialogue?
and do you think they made it bad just so they could try and improvise on set?

I think they just had a rushed script and they're shooting during what would ideally be writing time, so they still gotta find the thing as they work. That's not always bad, if you've got extremely talented writers, actors, directors on hand. That doesn't seem to be the case here, with Feig taking cues from his extras and throwing out obvious, flat lines to try. I haven't seen much of the script itself, but what they're shooting is not good. The jokes are on par with what you've heard here ("I ain't afraid of no ghosts" as a double negative or "Get ready, you crazy sweaty white people!"). The plot is proving to stay the course with our plot breakdown article. Not subtle, not terribly clever, not at all something original.
 
earning the reboot is an interesting way to phrase it. I don't think the Knight Rider 2008 series 'earned the reboot' label either. that one was super weird. the movie had it set up to be a continuation of the original series, with hasselhoff restarting the foundation. The PILOT, however, totally changed things around 100%. it seemed to be in full reboot mode with a foundation full of people, the crew working as a team. no mention of the original michael knight or kitt. and it was so different from what we knew, instead trying to focus on a group of younger characters and, as I recall, a rather boring and bland re imagining of devon miles.....that it failed miserable. by the time they got back to basic formula, they had about 5 episodes left and by then it's too late. starting with the trope of bringing back KARR, now a transformer of all things. and NO mention of the fact of his history in the old series.

It just makes me wonder why so many people who do reboots want to veer away so much from the classic formula, that it may as well be an entirely new series. take thundercats 2011. They made mumm-ra boring, and far weaker, having him rely on technology and need wings to fly. There was also no REASON for him to be a magician at all. It was NEVER explained why he needed the magic with all this technology around him, other than the fact that mumm-ra in the old series was an ancient devil. The Thundercats came off as jerks ruling over the other animals and treating them like dirt, so you couldn't root for them or feel sad when their civilization died. and by the time they started to get back to basics, the toy line faltered and the show got canceled. cause no one cared.

just once i'd like to see a series continuation rather than a reboot. get as many people back from the original as possible and try to recapture the magic.
something the IDW comic does wonderfully......

That's the problem with reboots and remakes, you stick too close to the original source material you get complaints that it's too similar, so why bother. On the other hand, if you stray too far then people complain that it's too different and too much has changed, make it more like the original. I don't think that the problem is in having remakes and reboots, it's just that not enough people have any idea of how to do it successfully. I think that the new BSG is probably one of the best reboots to date, even if it's not perfect and had, at times, seriously flawed writing. It took some of the core story and visual elements from the original and updated it for a new decade and a new audience..
 
That's the problem with reboots and remakes, you stick too close to the original source material you get complaints that it's too similar, so why bother. On the other hand, if you stray too far then people complain that it's too different and too much has changed, make it more like the original. I don't think that the problem is in having remakes and reboots, it's just that not enough people have any idea of how to do it successfully. I think that the new BSG is probably one of the best reboots to date, even if it's not perfect and had, at times, seriously flawed writing. It took some of the core story and visual elements from the original and updated it for a new decade and a new audience..

Like I said before... I don't mind another Ghostbusters movie, but seriously hope it's not a remake/reboot... if they keep it in the same timeline only as a francize of the original then I could seriously find myself behind this movie. But if they are just remaking the whole thing with women in the roles of the original cast, then I think I'm gonna end up passing all together. I am too much of a GB fan to let them completely remake a movie that meant so much to me when I was growing up. It's like, how would you feel if they remade/rebooted Back to the Future or Star Wars with all new actors but same general storyline? I'm sorry... GB was just too iconic to be remade!
 
Like I said before... I don't mind another Ghostbusters movie, but seriously hope it's not a remake/reboot... if they keep it in the same timeline only as a francize of the original then I could seriously find myself behind this movie. But if they are just remaking the whole thing with women in the roles of the original cast, then I think I'm gonna end up passing all together. I am too much of a GB fan to let them completely remake a movie that meant so much to me when I was growing up. It's like, how would you feel if they remade/rebooted Back to the Future or Star Wars with all new actors but same general storyline? I'm sorry... GB was just too iconic to be remade!


Yeah.....that ship has sailed. Here's the breakdown.

1. It's a not-quite-a-remake. It's an origin story for the female Ghostbusters team. Check out the other thread and look for Westies14's posts on the subject, or he may be kind enough to post a link to the plot breakdown.

2. The plot itself is...nothing special. It's not terrible as a standalone film, but it's not superamazeballs, either.

3. The old continuity is being treated as if it never happened. Ghosts are unknown in this new film's world. There's some suggestion that, in future entries, the ghosts actually are known, but that the government covers it up and will eventually enlist the GBs to help them out, while publicly lambasting them to maintain their cover.

4. There's apparently a musical dance number in the film when a bunch of army troopers get possessed by a rain of slime caused by the main bad guy. There's also a ghost T-Rex that scares a bunch of people. And, apparently there's a metal/hardcore show where Leslie Jones goes on stage for some reason. The GBs turn down a firehouse (I think THE firehouse) as their base. They work out of an office above a Chinese restaurant, instead.


So, yeah, it's not exactly a remake, but it's definitely a reboot that does an origin story.


Like I said, on paper, the story doesn't sound terrible, at least in broad strokes. But the more I hear and read about this film, the less reason I see to do this as a continuity-discarding reboot. But that's what Paul Feig wanted if he was going to do this film, so that's what we're getting because Sony wanted Paul Feig and his Midas touch for comedy.
 
Like I said, on paper, the story doesn't sound terrible, at least in broad strokes. But the more I hear and read about this film, the less reason I see to do this as a continuity-discarding reboot. But that's what Paul Feig wanted if he was going to do this film, so that's what we're getting because Sony wanted Paul Feig and his Midas touch for comedy.

You'know with the....well outright hate for this (seriously I never seen such utter almost blind hate for a revamped/brought back franchise as this,not even Star Wars and the prequels and that is saying something) I wonder if this is gonna sink Feig like the Hindenburg.

It might sink Ghostbusters until all parties involved in the original are dead and gone too,shame but I could see that happening now.
 
You'know with the....well outright hate for this (seriously I never seen such utter almost blind hate for a revamped/brought back franchise as this,not even Star Wars and the prequels and that is saying something) I wonder if this is gonna sink Feig like the Hindenburg.

It might sink Ghostbusters until all parties involved in the original are dead and gone too,shame but I could see that happening now.

To be honest, I doubt it. The film would have to be a massive flop in terms of critical response and box office numbers, beyond just a mere "disappointment." It doesn't have to be a runaway hit for Feig to be safe. It can be a disappointment for the studio or a "moderate success" (which, these days, is the same thing, I think), and Feig will come out fine.

You've got to figure that a studio head isn't really concerned with the quality of the film, but rather with the box office results. One "bump in the road" film in a string of otherwise very successful films won't derail his career. Plus, Feig has an ace up his sleeve: he does comedy with -- and markets to -- women. That's a demographic that can still be developed, so even if this particular film doesn't take off, he's still one of the go-to guys to court that demographic bloc. That will continue to make him appealing to studio execs for a while.


I'd say a more illustrative example is the Farrelly Bros. These guys were the kings of comedy for a period of time in the mid-to-late 90s and early 2000s. They had Dumb & Dumber, Kingpin, and There's Something About Mary, all in a row. They did Me, Myself, & Irene, and then Osmosis Jones, which is -- I think -- the first "bump in the road" that they hit as directors. But Shallow Hal followed it, and it did pretty well at the box office, even if critics didn't like it much.

I think it wasn't really until Stuck on You that you really began to see the decline. That film, apparently, only made around $15 mil beyond its budget, which was a serious drop from how they'd been performing and which I think may not include marketing costs. It was followed by Fever Pitch, which got some REALLY bad press because they filmed during the Red Sox '04 victory, and ended up only doing moderately at the box office. That one also only made about $20mil above budget. The Heartbreak Kid came out in '07, and was a remake. It did better than their previous films (grossing double its budget), but it got negative reviews. That's actually a trend that you start to see after Fever Pitch -- far more negative reviews and moderate successes.

And yet, while these guys have clearly been eclipsed at the box office, they're still making movies and they still have careers.


My point here is that Feig's career won't end if Ghostbusters doesn't do well. Unless it's a HUGE flop and gets massive negative criticism, I think he'll likely even stay in the top tier for comedy directors. He'd need more than one major flop to really bring him down.
 
You'know with the....well outright hate for this (seriously I never seen such utter almost blind hate for a revamped/brought back franchise as this,not even Star Wars and the prequels and that is saying something) I wonder if this is gonna sink Feig like the Hindenburg.

It might sink Ghostbusters until all parties involved in the original are dead and gone too,shame but I could see that happening now.

yep, agreed. people are pretty positive about JJ Wars. ever since this was announced, people have been 100% against the idea. the only people for it are for reasons best left to the other thread. although now since all the pictures and the visit, that tide seems to be changing and people seem to tire of the hate.

I still hope it flops on principal though. as does dan aykroyd. I think before he got his cameo, he was still doing interviews saying he hopes a real GB 3 happens one day.
 
To be honest, I doubt it. The film would have to be a massive flop in terms of critical response and box office numbers, beyond just a mere "disappointment." It doesn't have to be a runaway hit for Feig to be safe. It can be a disappointment for the studio or a "moderate success" (which, these days, is the same thing, I think), and Feig will come out fine.

You've got to figure that a studio head isn't really concerned with the quality of the film, but rather with the box office results.


Unfortunately, I think you are correct.

Also bear in mind, the actual quality of the film has little to do with opening numbers. People always trump opening weekend numbers as if that's the great measure of a movie, but really, thats just how many people who HAVE NOT seen the movie, decided to see the movie. Doesn't mean even one person actually liked it, just that lots of them were curious enough to look.

And there are more than enough people excited about this, that it will get decent numbers. Good or bad, I do think it will make money.
 
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http://lego.gizmodo.com/lego-dimensions-ghostbusters-packs-will-include-stay-pu-1722209700
 

Dan Aykroyd. The Kevin Eastman of ghostbusters. Ivan Reitman. the Peter Laird of Ghostbusters ;o).

2:34 "High watered schmuck". these guys can joke around about themselves, but he knew if he said that, it'd be taken the wrong way by fans and stopped himself.
 
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yep, agreed. people are pretty positive about JJ Wars. ever since this was announced, people have been 100% against the idea. the only people for it are for reasons best left to the other thread. although now since all the pictures and the visit, that tide seems to be changing and people seem to tire of the hate.

I still hope it flops on principal though. as does dan aykroyd. I think before he got his cameo, he was still doing interviews saying he hopes a real GB 3 happens one day.

Yup. Feig doesn't want to do the film, it shows. He wants to make a chick comedy, which is fine if that's what he wants to do, but don't waste our time with shoehorning Ghostbusters into it. JJ LOVES Star Wars. He didn't care **** for Star Trek, and it showed in each and (I swear it's not Khan!) every one. So based on how JJ shat upon Star Trek, we can see from the photos how Feig feels about GB. It's going to be ****, just like F4 is clearly ****. By a director who made a previous good movie, but instead of wanting to make a F4 movie, made a "Cronenberg" body horror film.

STOP TRYING TO FORCE DIRECTORS TO DO **** THEY DON'T WANT TO DO! IT WASTES OUR TIME, MONEY, AND RUINS FRANCHISES!!!
 
Yup. Feig doesn't want to do the film, it shows. He wants to make a chick comedy, which is fine if that's what he wants to do, but don't waste our time with shoehorning Ghostbusters into it. JJ LOVES Star Wars. He didn't care **** for Star Trek, and it showed in each and (I swear it's not Khan!) every one. So based on how JJ shat upon Star Trek, we can see from the photos how Feig feels about GB. It's going to be ****, just like F4 is clearly ****. By a director who made a previous good movie, but instead of wanting to make a F4 movie, made a "Cronenberg" body horror film.

STOP TRYING TO FORCE DIRECTORS TO DO **** THEY DON'T WANT TO DO! IT WASTES OUR TIME, MONEY, AND RUINS FRANCHISES!!!

pretty much. I think JJ just took star trek to get to star wars, and it worked. it made lucasfilm stand up and notice. He pretty much turned star trek INTO star wars and now it's just a generic soul less action flick. that's why I'm cautious but hopeful about episode 7.

I made the mistake of lingering on mike and molly just now. one lead character and another character inside a mourge. lead character gets over her fear of death. other character lifts up the sheet of a dead guy (desecration no less?) and asks 'have you ever seen bigger balls in your life?'

this passes for comedy these days? whatever happened to the tool man crashing a lawn mower through his neighbors fence? sigh...
 
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The actors from the new Ghostbusters visited a children's hospital and there is a picture of the girls letting someone hold the new Neutrino wands and are wearing the new packs...they are not the "Home Depot" packs. Maybe these are the packs they get later in the film and the ones we have seen are the early experimental prototype packs.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/bill-murray-to-appear-in-ghostbusters/ar-BBlAgqB

Oh yeah and Bill Murray is going to be in it...
 
The actors from the new Ghostbusters visited a children's hospital and there is a picture of the girls letting someone hold the new Neutrino wands and are wearing the new packs...they are not the "Home Depot" packs. Maybe these are the packs they get later in the film and the ones we have seen are the early experimental prototype packs.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/bill-murray-to-appear-in-ghostbusters/ar-BBlAgqB

Oh yeah and Bill Murray is going to be in it...

supposedly those where early proto type packs. and what we saw before is apparently a more 'finished' version. they both look like something playmates toys might have designed.
I don't see why the packs need to evolve at all. save that for a sequel. oh, right, they might not get one...ok, now I see the reason.

in other news, I love ya bill, but still, screw you good sir. screw you. sigh.
bill's current walk on role ;o).

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I've seen bits and peices of big bang theory. that one isn't so bad. I make it a point to avoid anything with charlie sheen in it.

as for last man standing, at the time, I dismissed it as an obvious home improvement clone. it looked like the exact same show, just he's got girls now instead of boys. maybe I'll give it another chance.

in other news, anytime I see a defender of this movie on FB, 85% of the time they will defend it by insulting the people who hate it as their only argument. I saw this one online the other day by a strong supporter of this movie. making a robin williams joke might not be the best way to win people over to your side. it's getting ugly out there, folks.
It's kind of sad seeing the fandom tear itself apart. at least here it's been relatively civil.

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