Are the Flowers Still Standing? (Part 1 of 2)

“Aim for the flat top!” I would shout as I fired my proton pack at my parent’s picnic table.

“All right, this chick is TOAST!”

I quickly threw out the trap, slammed my foot down to release the mechanism and turned my head so as to not burn out my retinas. I would then hastily retreat back to my makeshift Ecto-Containment Unit (a hand-made shelving unit built by my father, adorned with a masking tape label that read: ECU – DANGER: THIS IS A HIGH VOLTAGE LASER CONTAINMENT SYSTEM…thanks, Dad). I would then eat a Twinkie (coincidentally, like the proton pack, a Twinkie also has a half-life of 5000 years.)

“Did you tell him about the Twinkie?”

My childhood was all about the Ghostbusters. First falling in love with the cartoon (I was only two when the first movie came out) and then becoming more and more enamored with the franchise via the toys (my mom wouldn’t let me play with the slime in fear of ruining her carpets) to the costumes to the movies to the bed sheets to the theme birthday parties to pretending I was Dr. Peter Venkman to re-hydrating myself with the one and only Ecto-Cooler, I have been deeply in love for almost all of my life. Needless to say, I have my ear to the ground on everything and anything Ghostbusters.

“What about the Twinkie?”

For a while there were many rumors surrounding a possible Ghostbusters 3 that turned out to be factual, in that Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis were getting the band back together for what became Atari’s homage Ghostbusters: The Video Game. While the graphics were fine and the gameplay was repetitive and unnecessarily tedious at best, it was the soundtrack, writing, sound effects and voice acting that made the experience. The names of the achievements alone made it worth the purchase. Hearing the music made the game an enchanted stroll down memory lane. As a Ghostbusters fanatic, playing the game was a beautiful, laugh-filled religious experience, even with its flaws – it left me with a huge smile on my face and a carnivorous need to watch the movies. In comparison to the other disastrous videogames the Ghostbusters appeared in up to this point, this was a revelation.

“That’s a big Twinkie.”

Ghostbusters: The Video Game definitely succeeded in rekindling my passion for the Ghostbusters and led to my outlandish purchase of Time Life’s online only exclusive The Real Ghostbusters: The Complete Collection 25-DVD set (I’m on the 19th DVD). [Editor’s Note: I am jealous. Extremely jealous]

“All right, when we get to twenty, tell me, I’m gonna throw up.”

The Ghostbusters are making a resurgence in online news and in our beloved geek world. This summer, my Spider-Man the Musical hating, partner in Ghostbusters (and Ninja Turtles) crime cousin, Carmen DeLuccia, excitedly sent me this picture from San Diego’s Comic-Con:

Yeah, that’s the Ecto-1. I told her she should have hot-wired it and headed to Manhattan. Since she didn’t, she was able to get a great shot of the promo for Mattel Toys new Ghostbusters line.

(ATTENTION WIFE: Christmas is right around the corner, just a hint)

IDW Publishing announced at New York’s Comic-Con that the Ghostbusters would be involved in its Infestation crossover series along with Star Trek, Transformers and G.I. Joe. IDW has released a few comics under the Ghostbusters name. They are a fun read, but that’s it. If you are a huge fan, definitely check them out, but if you are a casual fan of the Ghostbusters or of comics in general – not worth the cash. For what they’re worth, I like them. They take place within the realm of the cartoon/movies and don’t try to do too much with the lore, so I respect what it was going for: a good time. It also most definitely makes you crave more Ghostbusters.

“There’s something very important I forgot to tell you.”

GHOSTBUSTERS 3!!! While the IMDB site is up, it is bare and filled with rumors, shedding little light on the subject. I’ll give you the breakdown of actual facts so far and save you the countless hours I have spent reading the same articles, rumors and misinformation spread throughout the Internet.

“Don’t cross the streams.”

Ghostbusters is a five-way owned property between Columbia Pictures, Ivan Reitman, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Bill Murray. Nothing is a go without their approval. Not surprisingly, Columbia would green-light a Ghostbusters movie that solely consisted of a swollen Harold Ramis taking a dump in a box with Dan Aykroyd behind him measuring it with a PKE Meter and lighter. Up until this point, all licensing matters have always been deferred to Aykroyd. Aykroyd says yes, they all sign-off.

Murray is the extraordinarily rare breed in Hollywood without an agent or publicist, choosing instead to work only if called on his own 800 number. That is if you can get that number and interest him OR are one of his friends with more direct access to him. Since Ghostbusters 2 hit theaters, fans and the media have been questioning a third chapter. Columbia has always said the possibility is open, but everyone else was kind-of “Eh” on the subject. Especially Murray.

When Murray agreed to voice Venkman in Ghostbusters: The Video Game (on a personal note, I was happiest to hear his actual voice and disappointed the most in his performance in the game) the rumor mill started full swing about the possibilities of a Ghostbusters 3. Like everything else, it began with Aykroyd. The studio offered up the idea of just signing over the franchise to them to either reboot or do a sequel on their own. They must have been drinking too much Crystal Head Vodka. Aykroyd laughed at them (but pushed the wheels in motion on his end). Reitman and Ramis, as per usual, were in if Aykroyd was. Then came the biggest challenge – greater than the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man – Bill Murray.

~

Tune in Monday for the thrilling conclusion!