Who Ya Gonna Call? That's Right...

 

It was the height of Summer, my parents were a little less oppressive, it being the Summer holidays,  and I had been allowed to stay overnight at the homes of friends where we watched non-stop fantasy and horror videos from Saturday afternoon until late the following Sunday, stopping only to walk the few hundred yards to the local Chinese takeaway where it seemed we tested the entire menu in a single sitting. This was a grand life, and the company and atmosphere always cordial.

Unfortunately, nobody – especially me – was safe from the odd jape, even here. One day the two Pauls (we shall call them Paul 'G' and Paul 'S' ) had told the story of how a previous owner of the house had been found hanging at the top of the stairs like a grizzly marionette. I was suitably ‘creeped out’ and a couple of hours later as I sat in terrified awe watching I think a film called ‘The Entity’, Paul ‘G’ threw a cushion across the room outside of my peripheral vision onto my lap.

The effect was spectacular. Already refusing to go upstairs and across the landing to the bathroom and being the nervous type anyway, I shot vertically into the air with a scream which could match the most talented castrato, before grabbing the cushion and sitting in an almost catatonic state for the next hour.

It was a creepy house at times though. When Paul 'G's parents went on holiday, we spent a week painting, gaming, making the odd trip to Games Workshop to see if Golden Heroes, the latest RPG set in the world of comic book super heroes or Twilight 2000, a game of a realistic post-apocalyptic future had been released. We ate when we felt a collective hunger and slept when the mood took us in the living room that was one of the most comfortable places I have ever slept. I was still wary of the landing and the lads did a sterling job of maintaining my state of nervous caution.

On one particular night we had been watching T.V and had all drifted off. Sometime in the night I awoke on my knees with my upper body on the sofa and head under a cushion. Paul ‘G’ was on the floor, Pete sprawled in a chair and Paul 'S' - ever the poseur – was laying upside down in another chair, his legs vertically up the wall – the male model in repose.

In my fuzzy-headed state I was aware of a bilious green glow in the room, an eerie musical chord and adeep ‘Muwhahamuwhahamuwhahaaaaaaar!’ from close by. I was not the only person who heard it and four teenage lads were suddenly sitting bolt upright, cushions flying as the struggled to assume various poses from ‘karate’ to ‘scared rabbit’.

Unfortunately, it was not a demonic servant from the outer planes of Hell, but the first playing on local radio of the theme to the forthcoming Ghostbusters film by Ray Parker Jr. Paul ‘G’ had at some time in the night, turned off the T.V set and switched on his dad’s ‘radiogram’ which, had a green backlight on the tuner, hence the sickly glow in the room. Every time I hear that song, I still crack into a smile as I remember that night almost 28 years ago.

And that was the start of my love for both Ghostbusters. I refuse to accept that reboot as anything but a cheese induced nightmare. If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it based on some misplaced sense of political correctness... The original film had strong female and ethnic characters and a gender fluid god, a point which seems to have evaded the film types.

Anyway, I have been waiting with much excitement for Ghostbusters: Afterlife because the murmurs and rumours indicated that it was the true heir to the canon. The release date clashed with the Fish gig, to which I'd had tickets for almost two years, but I confess that having listened to the Weltschmerz album, which featured largely in the setlist, I just could not take the dark and pretty fucking miserable tone. 6 tracks in, and I turned it off, realising that my love affair with one of Prog Rock's great frontmen was over.

I offered the tickets free to anyone who wanted them, and that was that.

I then booked two tickets to see Afterlife on it's opening night. It was the best thing I have done in ages.

I am not going to give the plot away, but the film is filled with references and 80s 'easter-eggs' (watch out for the really subtle nod to 'Predator' and the obvious 'Gremlins' reference.

Let's be clear, this film is the hand over from the 20th to 21st century 'Keepers of The Faith' and it is a great one. You find out what happened after the 'Reagan Years' and how the original team were sundered by the actions and beliefs of Egon Spengler. 

The story is linked directly to the original film and not just tangentially.

And the end of the film had this grizzled old bastard of a grognard, shedding tears.

The effects are great and faithful to the original, the humour is certainly there, and the young cast do their predecessors justice. Logan Kim aka 'Podcast' can deliver lines like a veteran, and would get my vote in a Goonies re-boot.

This film is obviously a work of love and is the greatest way that respect and fondness for the late Harold Ramis could be shown. In fact the film is simply dedicated 'For Harold' at the end. 

And speaking of the end, when the end credits roll, and the lights don't come up - STAY IN YOUR SEAT.

If you don't you will miss a great scene, and not find out one of Venkman's shameful little secrets.

I left the cinema last night, texting and mailing to friends, 'You have to see this film. Go... GO NOW!'

And I stand by that statement, this morning. This is a winner and the cast, crew and the Reitman dynasty can rest assured that the stain left by 'that other film' has been removed.

I was so stoked that my desire to get hold of a 1:1 replica proton pack was reignited. Lo and behold, Hasbro Pulse are producing one, and it's a doozy!

https://geekculture.co/geek-review-hasbro-ghostbusters-plasma-series-spenglers-neutrona-wand/ 

https://uk.hasbropulse.com/collections/new-arrivals/products/ghostbusters-plasma-series-spengler-s-neutrona-wand 

https://uk.hasbropulse.com/products/ghostbusters-plasma-series-spengler-s-proton-pack

And at under £500 it's a lot cheaper than even a basic kit-based pack.

And yes, I did... And I don't regret it, ya hear?