‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’. Image from Sony Pictures
I bet some people are scratching their heads with the title of my newest entertainment-article. Well, let me explain, as to why I chose that title.
But before that, let me say the following first. I do not want to toot my own horn here. But I am as in-tune, ears to the ground, and fully aware when it comes to popular culture and not only on music and entertainment. Yes, my entertainment column has evolved from its music-focused beginnings in early 2012; I believe it had to for many reasons.
To everyone who were there with me since the beginning, and I want to say, “We Made It!” to each every one of you. We made it through all the “storms”, man-made hurdles, and now, we are in the clear. I am what you can say an elite-level entertainment columnist, a “jack-of-all-trades”, a one of one, and when I write about something that connects to my childhood, you bet I am going to put in my thoughts on the matter and it goes without saying, Ghostbusters was a part of my childhood. Everything from the first two movies, the cartoons, the comics, the toys and everything else, I had them. I collected them, and I cherished them. I am a true fan and I know what I am talking about all the time.
I saw ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife‘ a few years ago. It felt as cohesive, fluid, and logical as it can be to the previous sequel of ‘Ghostbusters’, which came out–mind you– more than 30 years ago. It was a heartwarming, entertaining and smartly made movie. It tied a lot of loose ends, filled in some plot holes from the last two movies and gave “Egon Spengler” a fitting tribute. Realistically, in many ways, ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ was the best it can be, given all the circumstances, delays, and predicaments of the decades long “developmental hell” that the second sequel to the movie franchise found itself in.
Since then, the popular-culture-landscape has shifted, times have changed, and everyone got older. Sadly, Harold Ramis, who portrayed “Egon Spengler”, has passed away, but the happy memories, popular culture nostalgia and name recall of ‘Ghostbusters’ has never left the minds and hearts of those of us lucky enough to have gotten to watch the first two movies starring the original four members of the Ghostbusters in “Ray Stantz”, “Peter Venkman”, “Egon Spengler” and “Winston Zeddemore”.
Now we have ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ which really picks the creative mind of Dan Aykroyd, and has bits and pieces of the originally envisioned third Ghostbusters movie that never got made way back in the late 90s, despite having a screenplay already made. This historical Ghostbusters fact has long been public knowledge to all Ghostbusters fans. I can see traces of “what could have been” if the third movie had been made during that decade with ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ because ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ was a tribute to Harold Ramis and completed everything that had to be done about the first movie when it came to the origin of its primary antagonist “Gozer”.
The fact is, Dan Aykroyd has always been one of the main writers and creative forces behind the Ghostbusters movies. I mean he and the late Harold Ramis created Ghostbusters. The man has a brilliant mind and is genuinely interested in the paranormal, mythology, and history. So, with that in the backdrop, it does make complete sense to the theme, tone and premise of ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’.
This time, ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ goes in the direction of mythology and not only on ghosts and the paranormal. Think of Greek gods, Pagan idols, and long-lost tales of ancient forces that once ruled the world. Because, clearly, based on the official trailer, the original remaining Ghostbusters and the new batch are facing a threat that they have never faced before: Indeed, a cold breeze is blowing in their beloved city and people are getting frozen in time due to fear.
Can everyone in the Ghostbusters put a stop to this chilling mythological menace which has put everyone into a deep freeze?
Who are you gonna call?
The Ghostbusters! Go, and watch ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ when it is available in cinemas.