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[popculturebuffet]

Ghostbusters 40th Anniversary Review: We Got the First One! (Comission for WeirdKev27)

We got one all you happy people! Are you troubled by strange noises in the night? Do you experience feelings of dread in your basement or attic? Have you or your family actually seen a spook, specter or ghost? If the answer is yes, then don't wait another minute. Read this review!

Yes it's time to talk about ghostbusters for my good friend weird kev... whose in the middle of a Hurricane warning so please, give him your good thoughts, prayers if your religious and just.. hope for him.

For now let's focus on Ghostbusters. It's one of the biggest comedies ever made in both scope and pop culture relivance, launching 4 sequels (Which we'll get to over various halloweens) , 2 tv series with a third on the way at the time of this reading, a ton of video games including the excellent liscneed game we'll cover next year, and comics most notably idw's stellar run with the concept including a tmnt crossover which i'll undoubtly cover at this point that's one of the few of idw's many neat TMNT crossovers that's canon to the main books. For real, Ghostbusters/TMNT is plot relevant.

It's a big thing and a big thing to talk about, but it all started with an idea in comedy legend and at the time mostly famous for being an SNL alum and a blues brother Dan Akroyd's Head: Dan came from a family with an intrest in ghosts: his grandpa was a spiratulist, his mother had claimed to see them and Dan had picked up that love of ghosts and the supernatural. The man fully beleives in the beyond and I respect him for it. A chunk of his interview in the old ghostbusters dvd is just him making it clear he does believe and honestly.. I like that. Wether you think ghosts are real or not, I do but do also have the caveat a lot of ghost hunters and mediums are just confidence men, women and nb's. But Dan isn't one, he belives. He's also a bit off and I love him for that, see nothing but trouble for evidence. I haven't yet but you can inflict that on yourself at your leisure.

So Dan dreamed up a wild film set in a futuristic new york where ghostbusters were common as exterminators. He showed it to his friend director Ivan Reitman, who at the time was famous for Bill Murray vehicles Meatballs and Stripes and would go on to have... an objectively weird yet succesful carrier with Twins, Dave , My Super Ex Girlfriend, No Strings Attached and ending with Draft Day of all things a film i'm still not entirely convinced exists. I mean I saw the trailer a lot but i'm still not 100% convinced someone didn't just shoot b roll of Kevin Costner and claim they made a movie and slapped ivan reitman's name on it.

Conspiracy theories aside he was both a talented guy and a friend of Akroyds and despite being reluctant to read it, loved he. He did spot the problem though: it was way too expensive to make. So he suggested moving it to modern day earth and grounding it, having the guys start as college professors who get canned and go into work. Blue collar guys.

To help Reitman brought in another friend of his Harold Ramis. Like Reitman and Akroyd, having written Meatballs , Directed Caddyshack and soon after writing in stripes. The man is a comedy legend and I miss him terribly. Ramis and Akroyd got along well, with Ramis knowing supernatural stuff well even if unlike Dan he didn't belivie.

Dan originally planned for two other comedy legends to be in the movie after adding ramis in the scripting process: John Belushi and Eddie Murphy, both former snl cast members and friends of his. The former didn't work out for tragic reasons you already likely know, with Dan working on the the script just as he got a call saying John was dead. Eddie.. I have no idea. The interviews on the dvd and blu ray said nothing and the oral history I found mentions this but not why it didn't work out. Maybe he was busy, maybe the studio couldn't afford his sallary, we don't know.

So in Jim's place Dan brought in ANOTHER SNL Alumn, one that could help sell the project: Bill Murray. You know him, you love him as a performer, you might want to punch him as a person, and he was a big deal at the time and having worked with Reitman on two previous hits, was an easy get.

Replacing Murphy was Ernie Hudson, an actor who hadn't done much at that point and has had steady gigs as a character actor showing up on Oz, and in a nice roll on Grace and Frankie as Frankie's boyfriend jacob. He was also Agent Fowler in transformers prime, something I didn't know but is neat.

Rounding out the cast was Desinging Women's one and only Mary Jo, Annie Pots as the Busters sassy secretary Janine. Sigourney Weaver auditioned and while reitman was skeptical her barking like a dog and proving she had comedic chops and was willing to do slapstick convinced him. William Atherton was brought on as Dickless antagonist Walter Peck, and canadian comedy legend and the man I wish was my dad Rick Moranis as happless neighbor Louis. The roll was meant for John Candy but Reitman got the sense Candy didn't want to do another wacky supporting role and gave it to Moranis instead.

The cast was set shortly after Reitman made a gamble: he pitched the film to the head of columbia, who agreed despite execs urging him "please for the love of god cancel this expensive comedy", provided they got it done by early next year.

Despite the scramble production seemed to go well. At worst people grumbled about the stoppages to get new york, including sci fi legend Isaac Asamov, but it seemed shooting went well and I don't have much to perform on that. The cast got along and thanks to Bill Murray being a big deal and him an ddan being legends in new york they got into any restraunt early or late as they needed to.

The film was a success, such one that even a test screening with no effects went damn well and well.. here we are. So join me under the cut as I unpack one of the finest horror comedies ever made.

Ghostbusters begins fittingly with a haunting.. and one that scared me as a kid a common story and the reason I didn't glom onto it as much as a kid as i'm sure many of you did. The context probably didn't help: I loved libraries, still do, and the slow buildup as a librarian goes about her day and the reveal of that ghost.. it's a lot.

It's a good thing for our heroes though and I got to hand it to Reitman, Ramis and Akryoyd, the ghostbusters are some of the best protaganists in comedy, three, later four, very fleshed out believable guys acted to perfection. You know em you love em but since i'ts my job they are: Ray Stanz, an excitable beliver in all things spooky who is passionate, gets excited over weird shit when others would say don't, and is basically me if I went into academia: cyncial but also a big ole kid. Egon Spengler is his taciturn best friend, a fellow researcher at the local university who is terse to the extreme to the point it's hard to tell when he's actually joking and Ramis' finest performance.

And finally we have the least of them, despite being often the face of the band, Peter Venkman. The other two are loveable weirdos, ray being an excitable kid at this stuff at his best and goofy and hapless when he ain't at his best and egon terse and professional but both at least studied hard and belive in what their doing. Peter like 95% of Bill Murray characters is coasting along in life best he can on charm. He enters the film shocking a hapless volunteer for funzies while hitting on the other one whose defintely too young for him. And is also a student. Peter.. is a bit of a creep, something that happens to a lot of Bill Murray characters with the passage of time as what passes for "zany trickster who sticks it to the man" in 1984 can be "sleazy at best assault at worst". I mean it's not the worst i've seen, there's a scene in Meatballs where Murray's character tripper half jokingly assaults his love interest and her crying for him to get off and his blaming her after jokingly is played for laughs

But it's still not good. We'll get into this more in a bit once we get to Dana but for now our heroes actually have found something after years of searching and go to the library. We get a lot of great gags out of this, from Peter dryly listing off things like "does your family have a history of schizorphenia" or "have you been drining" to the poor startled old woman, which is so fucked up it works, to one of my faviorite jokes of the film , Peter pointing out the time Egon tried to drill a hole in his head "And it would've worked if you hadn't stopped me. " I forgot till rewatched how joke DENSE this thing is, just enough to never not be entertaining but not enough to smother the plot which is well constructed, loose enough for improved jokes, but tight enough to not waste a second.

So our heroes find the ghost and use the time honored strategy of RUSH HER. This... goes poorly but does mean their real. Unfortunately this happens right around the same time our heroes get sacked. The university is tired of their shit and flim flammery and the dean looks oh so smug as he fires them.. granted I think he's mostly just pissed off with Venkman as he directs most of his rant at him

Egon and Ray getting fired.. is sad as they are genuinely trying. I mean ray's a touch cynical but he still clearly belivies. But while Venkman's key to the team.. it's not as a scientest. He's not stupid or anything, but he's clearly not actually been studying the work and mostly been trying to bang anyone he can with wacky schemes.

He does prove WHY he's part of the team after. As ray bemoans the private sector in a great line "You haven't been outside academia I have. They expect results" that shows he's a tad cynical himself, knowing this shit could take a while or forever, Venkman.. sees the profit and rallies them. They have access to the pest removal system of the decade, a service only THEY can provide, and cutting edge test... why not start their own buienss, rake in the dough and eventually franchise, something I love that the game and later IDW comics actually explored.

The others are convinced and put down a triple mortgage on ray's parents house to get the money for equipment and a place to set up shop. That place is the now iconic firehouse and I love each characters reaction: Peter likes it for being cheap if a wreck, Egon points out every single thing wrong with it, and Ray slides down the fire pole and wonders if they can go ahead and stay the night. God I love ray. I love Egon too but Dan Akroyd has so much fun in this part while still feeling like a fleshed out person.

To assit in this endeavor they hire the wonderful and hilarious Janine Melnetz. As I mentioned Janine is played by Annie Potts of Desgining Women Fame, and i'm sure some of you reading this

Have only vaugely heard of it at best. And since I have an audience allow me to educate ya'll as it's on Hulu and it is fantastic. Desining Women is a classic late 80's early 90's sitcom following Sugarbaker's Design Firm, set up in the house of Julia Sugarbaker, a non nonsense libreal who will tear you to shreds with words on a moments notice, and is run by her and her friends/coworkers: Her fashionable former pagent queen rich as hell pig owning tiara wearing sister Suzanne, the off kilter but kinda nd empathetic charlene, annie's character Mary Jo, a put upon mother of two recently divorced from a cheating Scott Bakula, and Anthony, a sometimes voice of reason and ex con who has worked hard as hell to get his degree and often gets the funniest stuff. There's also Bernice played by the legendary Alice Ghostly who isnt' a main character for most of the show but is close enough and is both out of it and hilarous. There's more I could gush about but it's in all an extremly well written, well acted and hilarous sticom that also wasn't afraid to touch on hard topics, having a fantastic episode about AIDS and I emplore you all to watch it.

Annie Potts is just as on her a game there as here, with Janine's dry sarcasm being a great foil for Peter's, and her crush on Egon being a hilarous runner. In hindsight i'm.. not upset they didn't end up together. I used to be but it's clear he isn't intrested and i'ts hard to tale if his spoors and fungus line is him being genuine or him trying to scare her off. My take?

Our heros soon get their first client in Dana Barret, a cellist who finds an unsettling vistor from the beyond in her fridge

So she calls the Ghostbusters and naturally Peter is there to swoop in and... hit on her. Yeah this is where the bulk of peter being creepy comes from. It dosen't wreck the film but it does make me revaluate my old opinon of them being endgame as in hindsight most of their relationship is Peter going

Just constantly hitting on her. LIke she is kinda into it, but it's still someone called in to do a service not doing that and instead hitting on the client because he finds nothing. And later getting jealous because *gasp* she's hanging out with another guy and not him and he thinks their DAAAATTTTING. Even though he and her aren't DATTTTTING yet. What i'm saying is I don't buy it at all and they don't spend enough time on this romance to make me actually care. Maybe next time.

So with their money pretty much gone before Peter can embezzle it to ask dana out, our heroes finally catch a break: A ghost has been found in a local ritzy hotel and they need to go catch em. That ghost of course is SLIMER!

Slimer is the series mascot. You know him, you love him, some of you may of wanted to strangle him by the end of the cartoon. He's been in 4/5 movies, and in afterlife, his only absence.. was still present via his non union blue guy equilvent muncher. Slimer was their tribute to Jim Belushi, a blob who eats a ton, gets guck on people and likes to party. The kind of role Jim was good at. It's a wonderful tribute and I do like this part of him as stuck even in places where the old cast is absent or barely there.

The slimer effect is excellent and the chase for him, including the natural sliming that happens to Peter is great. Our power trio only has the vaugest idea of what the hell their doing at this point and i'ts fun to see. They still win in the end and I love them blackmailing the snooty hotel man who hired them whose pissed they trashed the ballroom. While they really DIDN'T pay any mind to it, I get focusing more on "get rid of the ghost that's coming in at night and wrecking up the place" over "PLEASE PRESVERE THE RICH PEOPLE SHIT".

It's part of the ghostbusters charm: while once fully assembled their two academics, a conman and a hard working working class guy who also has a degree, their ultimately working class heroes on the whole. THey started thier own buisness, bump up against beuracrats and their first client is a guy working for a snooty rich hotel whose also snooty as hell they succesffully get one over on, planning to release slimer then and there. Or rather back in the empty room where he's away from civlians but still gonna wreck up the place. This is protection wrackety, sure.. but the guy HIRED THEM to do a job and was going to stiff them for.. causing some damage doing it when it's a dangerous job. I have little sympathy for him trying ot stiff them on the bill because he thought they'd be cheap and didn't bother to actually.. ask for a price point before they went in. I also love the detail that slimer had ALWAYS been at the hotel, but the spike in ghost activity thanks to gozer clearly razzed him up.

Such a big bust and big payday puts our heroes on top: Magazine covers, invertviews, and some b roll from the test footage they shot of them running down the street. The ghostbusters astetic is an awesome one: the jumpsuits fitting their working class hero astetic, the big bulky proton packs clearly cobbled together and the ecto one, an old hearse reconfigured into one of the coolest cars in fiction from the siren to the tech on board to the all white paint job.

The montage is fun, allowing us to speed from "we can barely eat" to "Modest success" to the awesome theme song, which came in at the last minute and had to be used. My faviorite bits are the late great Casey Casem reporting on the ghostbusters on america's top 40, and how they apparrently spared a nightclub from a ghost then danced the night away. We were robbed of dan Akroyd's dance moves. The other is that a friendly ghost.. does some sex to ray. We can't see exactly what but we do see Dan Akroyd orgasm and that's really all you need.

WIth this success our heroes hire on a fourth man, Winston Zedmore. Winston is ready to belivie anything for a paycheck which as lot more harmless stance back then and is quickly hired... because he applied I guess. Ernie Hudson, while proud of the legacy of being a prominent black character in sci fi that many a kid looked up to, felt Winston was just kinda there.. he's introduced halfway into the film, dosen't get to do much and is just sorta the guy. Later sequels and adapatations do give winston way more to do, and my guess is Akroyd intended for Eddie Murphy to just improv a character and didn't bother to write in more of one. Winston does serve as a good straight man though, being the calm resonable one in the storm of stocisim, enthuasim and snark that the other three bring.

However while our heroes are now succesful, even having the now iconic no ghost logo which akroyd had sketched into the first script up top, that also brings enemy and they meet their arch enemy: A man who while absent from the sequel would plauge them in the video game/idw continuity and most recently in frozen empire. A man who may or may have no dick but certainly has no ethics. Mr. Walter Peck. Atherton perfectly plays him as a slimy asshole.

What makes peck intresting is he does have some legit concerns: the ghostbusters COULD be conmen and Peter WAS one at the unversity and the montage makes it clear from a cut in by Larry King that some people think they are up to shit. They are also carrying unathorized Nuclear Accelators on their back. The EPA does have a right to check in on them and frankly the ghostbusters are only able to get away with half of what they do because there's no real regulation for catching ghosts. Our heroes are loveable.. but they are reckless jackasesses. It's something that bleeds into the other movies , games and comics starring these guys to the point that the video game has a tally for how much shit you blow up. Winston only stops letting a 13 year old be on the team in frozen empire because Peck tells them to bench Phoebe. Granted said 13 year old is a pro at this and Peck is an asshole, but it's still on brand for the ghost busters to just kinda wing it and hope new york dosen't blow up.

We only root against Peck because again, he's an asshole. THe ghostbusters are likeable hot messes. Peck is that kind of entitled prick given too much power we run into every day. Peck's reaction to being refused entry by Peter, who while a dick to him is within his rights since Peck has no papers nor no identification saying he's actually with the EPA, is to go get a court order.. and then a short while later have a guy with the city he forced into helping him shut them down without having any idea what he's doing. Peck hates the busters on such a fundemental level, assumes their dicks from day one that instead of getting them shut down legally with proper procedure... which he easily could've done as our heroes are not careful nor cautious he barges in and nearly destroys the city.

But before that of course the rest of the plot needs to catch up. So they call in the diamond dogs, specifically gozer's two hell hounds. They grab dana with...demonic hands from her couch they can make manifest to drag her into the gozer dimension. Instead of just.. sending the big dog after her?

Because that's what they do with Dana's neightbor louis. Louis has shown up on occasin and is entertaining, a nerd who is having a party the same night Dana finally agreed to go out with peter and gets grabbed my demonic hands. Louis is a loveable asshole: he clearly does need to learn no as dana isn't intrested and he's disapointed when she can't go to his party, but does invite her to bring peter and it's very clear he isn't pressing harder than just.. asking her to be at his parties. Which isn't a lot but given Peter's tactic was showing up around where she worked to beg her to go out with him, restraint is appreciated. It's the bare minimum but it's also 1984 in thie movie. I also admit part of it is just Moranis charm, he's just such a dweeb in the best way and something I only noticedo n this watch is he's using the most Canadian accent he can, the same one he used for The Great White North sketches on SCTV.

So Louis gets chased by a giant demonic dog having been chosen to be the other possesion target and the sequence is hilarous and ends with the poor guy being possed and wandering the streets. So both halves of the orginzation end up dealing with gozers dogs: Peter finds Dana and after claming to be the keymaster gets inside.. but also restrains her as he realizes she's not herself and was in fact dealing with a possesion, while the rest of the team end up getting louis who wonders around possesed and gets that hilarous helmet clonked on his head once the police drop him off, having no idea what the hell to do with the guy.

SO our heroes figure out what the hell's going on: Gozer is an ancient sumerian god, and one of her worshippers, Ivo Shandor built Dana and Louis' apartment building as a conduit, hence them being chosen. To get into this world Gozer needs their keykeepr and keemaster to

Now why does Gozer need this? I assume they like to watch and that's the best I got.

So they need to keep them apart.. which becomes a problem as a certain dick comes in at just the wrong time to screw them all over: Peck charges back in with that electrican I mentioned, who TELLS Peck "I have no idea what the fuck i'm doing" has him swtich it off.. and ALLL the ghosts the busters have are released, Dana escapes while Venkman goes to meet the others, and Louis escapes in the confusion, with our heroes being drug to the mayors office at the worst possible time. So Gozer no has a possible army, new york is in chaos and getting worse, and the keymaster and keykeeper get it on doggy style in Dana and Louis' bodies, which is gross and uncomfortable if inteitonal.

So as new york buckles under the pressure the mayor asks the pope of.. new york I guess for advice but has nothing. Peck INTENDS for this to be a public hanging for the ghostbusters... and underestiamtes how bad he fucked up. Not only do Ray and Peter mock him with the classic "It's true this man has no dick line", but the ghostbusters are able to convince the mayor that yes this threat is VERY real, they need help and Winston gets his one real moment in the film, pointing out in just a week with the ghostbusters he's seen shit that would turn you white. Venkman as usual deliveris the verbal killing stroke and as much of a dick as he is.. the team does need him as he's the mouthpiece: their the ones who can fix it and if nothing happens well then throw them in jail.

And with a pillar of light errupting as Gozer enters this plain, the boys get what they need, a police escort as they enter to Alesi's truly orgasmic saving the day. An attack from Gozer dosen't knock them down as they get up again. and up.. and up and up and okay they may want to bring it down as they have to deal with so many fucking stairs before they get to the roof, with Dana and Louis now encased in giant dogs as they approach gozer. I love gozer's design, the spangly suit dead eyes and voice performance.

She asks if they be gods, no they be but men. And Peter has some wisdom for ray.

I also like how this comes from his initial plan being "Go get her ray", a nice bit of revenge for Ray's plan with the library ghost being GET HER.

So our heroes do their best but can't really fight a god so Gozer decdies to cut to the chase: CHOOSE THE FORM OF YOUR DESTROYER. This sequence I adore for it's creatvity: It gives gozer some personality beyond evil god as their a sadist, letting our heroes pick their doom and I like how Peter's instant response is clear your head... and how as usual Peter gets way too cocky as ray lets something slip in.. the most innocent thing he could think of..

This... was brilliant. Taking something innocent, a design Dan Akroyd got from his buddy thor because of course Dan Akroyd has a buddy named thor, and making it into a fucking kaiju. The only way our heroes can beat it, say it with me

CROSS THE STREAMS

A chekovs gun from earlier as crossing them could destroy reality.. but so could this little.. er big ole guy. It's honestly kind of insane how easily they beat gozer... just crossing the streams. I mean it causes a big ass explosion and gets them all covered in marshmallow, but it's still pretty simple. But it's a great sequence. our heroes win, dana is seeminglyd ead for a second but she and louis are just in dogs she and peter kiss for some reason and we get one of the best endings in film. From the build up with gozer, to the final desperation movie as easy as it was, to that triumphant walk out, even getting another great rick moranis bit as he's carted off seperately, i'ts fucking genius

And the film as a whole.. holds up well. A bit or two haven't, being an 80's comedy will do that to you 9/10, but the hwole of the film is an inventive romp with tons of iconic gags, designs, and performances. It's a true classic for a reason and still the gold stnadard five movies later. But check back later this halloween as we tackle the less than well recieved sequel and thanks for reading.

[leah-halliwell92]

Crossing Streams

Summary:  Eleni Daniels, botanist, librarian, and demigod...too many things if you were to ask her. She'd moved to New York in the hopes of finding monotony and an opportunity to lay low for a while. Her plan goes up in smoke when a group of wayward ghost hunters and scientists uproot her life, and when a certain always serious scientist piques her interest. And vice-versa.

Prologue

Sarpedon Year XXXX

A hooded figure made its way through the wastelands on Sarpedon. She barely made a sound as they walked on the graveled surface. Gravel met smooth stone as the ominous entrance to a harmless-looking cave came to view. Trepidation was not something she felt often, and fear is not an emotion that registers with her either. She had been summoned with urgency to this very cave. The hood-covered woman had no idea who the person to summon her was. Considering where she currently stood, however, she had a pretty good idea.  

With her guard up, instincts on high alert, and hand on the hilt of her blade, the woman proceeded to enter the cave. She was first met with the sleeping figures of Stheno and Euryale in a corner deeply shrouded in shadow. Walking into the cave freely was a risk, doing so at night when every shadow moves are asking for trouble. She tiptoed to the back where a smaller entrance was and walked in.

Unbeknownst to the newcomer, a blindfolded little girl, barely 6 years of age, felt her quiet footsteps as she walked.  

Just as quietly, if not more so, the little girl made her way to her mother where she lay in wait for her guest.

“Mama, she’s come,” the little girl whispered, reaching her mother’s tail.  

“My Eleni,” her mother’s soothing voice hissed warmly, her tail wrapping gently around her hatchling, pulling her close, “Know that above all, you are my light, my love, and my spirit. No matter where you are, I shall always be with you.”

Medusa had indeed caught sight of their…guest. And in good time too, her sisters’ would not have taken kindly to their guest had they been awake. Not that they take kindly to anyone for that matter.

Eleni’s face was fixed where her mother’s voice was coming from. She reached up and was met with the tiny hisses of her hair as they wrapped themselves around her smaller hands.

Medusa gazed at her daughter, a look of pure heartbreak on her features. She didn’t want to do this, she didn’t want to send her only child away. But she feels her time is coming to an end, and she’d rather die with the knowledge that Eleni is safe than die knowing her daughter, an innocent, will be killed for nothing.

“It’s nesting time,” Medusa said, pressing her forehead to Eleni’s.

Medusa hugged her daughter and slithered to a semi-closed-off area that had a heavily cushioned area and blankets in one corner and a stone oven for warmth.

“Sleep my lovely one,” Medusa urged gently, tucking Eleni under the blanket.

“I love you, mama,” Eleni whispered, falling asleep.

Medusa gently pulled away the blindfold off and just stared at her. Eleni looked as she did before she was cursed. Brown hair, golden highlights, fair skin, and the most tender heart she’d ever met. Much too tender yet for what was to come. This done, Medusa slithered quietly out of her child’s alcove to the main cave that made up their home. She found the hooded figure walking around, on surprisingly light feet, her stance on guard and shield aloft using it as a mirror.

‘Clever girl,’ Medusa thought, an impressed smirk on her face.

“I thought you would not come,” Medusa said, voice resonating through the cavern, her tone neutral and non-violent.

“I summoned,” the hooded woman said, voice guarded and gaze averted, “Do you not believe I would not come to someone who needs my aid?”

“No,” Medusa softly replied, “I feared you’d not come when you realized who it was that summoned you.”

The woman’s stance neutralized some, yet Medusa could clearly see she was very much still on the defensive.

“Why did you?” Came the curious query.

Medusa sighed looking in the direction of her daughter’s alcove, showing a momentary moment of vulnerability… and weakness. Which would have proven fatal were it not for the hooded woman’s careful conclusions on what she was observing.

“My…daughter,” said Medusa, voice tender and a quiet resignation in her eyes, “I need you to take her from this place.”

“Medusa!?” Gasped the woman, astounded.

“Adanna,” Medusa firmly snapped, snakes hissing in warning, “My time is limited, and I will not have my daughter killed for being just that. She may not have been born of the best…means, but she is mine and I adore her with my entire being. You know as well as I that I can and will protect my child to my dying breath. I care not what happens to me, my lady. However, no child mine nor any other’s deserves to see or hear their mother. She also does not deserve to be hunted and killed for being my offspring.”

Adanna looked at Medusa through her shield, astonishment clear on her normally neutral features. She saw the passion on the Gorgon’s face, the devotion she holds for her daughter’s safety. Adanna could also see desperation under the passionate front. Because she knew, she knew Medusa was right, some hero would kill the child all because of her association with her mother.

Through their conversation, Eleni had woken up to her mother’s elevated tone. Sensing her unease, Eleni made her way out of her room, placing her blindfold firmly on and hid behind a boulder looking on as her mother the stranger spoke.  

“You must take her… I am begging you please,” Eleni heard her mother, fear, and sadness dripping from each word.

“Why?” Asked the soft voice of a woman. The question was not maliciously asked, but curious, “Why do you want me to take her?”

Her mother gave a sad and utterly destroyed sigh, “Because you know what it’s like to be the child of a God and be treated like nothing despite you yourself being an innocent.”

Adanna gasped, her eyes wide as Medusa’s implications became clear.

“I know all about you Adanna of Egypt, adopted daughter of Anubis,” said Medusa silkily, knowingly, yet not unkindly, “The daughter of Hades and an Amazon.”

“He is nothing of mine,” Adanna growled.

“That is the fire I want my child raised in!” Medusa excitedly exclaimed, “She’s already been exposed to my unique ability. She is strong Adanna, stronger than even I could possibly imagine.”

Adanna looked at Medusa through her shield, face in clear view of the women each imparting on the other meaning through one last silent conversation. Finally, Adanna relented with a nod.

“She’s behind a bolder,” said Adanna, her stance relaxing fully as Medusa turned to find her daughter right where the amazon said she was.

“Eleni,” Medusa gently called.

The seven-year-old walked to her mother, hands balled into tight fists at her side.

“I will not go,” the child stated.

“You must my child,” Medusa replied, eyes glistening as tears gathered, “For your protection, you must. Adanna, you remember the stories yes? Adanna will show you things I cannot.”

“I can fight mama! I can protect you too!” The child shrieked, the little composure she had falling as the reality of her departure came to fruition.

“It is not about you protecting me or not my little snakeling,” Medusa said gently, her tail wrapping around her daughter to carry her to her arms.

Eleni felt her mother’s arms around her and immediately wound her little arms around her neck.

“I don’t want to go,” the little girl whimpered.

“And I don’t want to send you away,” Medusa said, gently but no less bluntly, pulling back to look at Eleni, “Remember what we talked about?”

“The bad men?” Eleni queried, her blindfold wet from tears, “They are bad men out there looking for you and your sisters. To…to kill you.”

“That is correct,” Medusa confirmed, “Not all of them are bad my love. Men at times must kill to provide and protect. Does that mean that they are all bad? No.”

Eleni’s bottom lip trembled, whimpers leaving her as she lunged to hold her mother tight once more.

“You need you to live,” Medusa stated, “I need you to lead a full and happy life. Do not let anyone tell you you cannot do anything. You are equal to, if not better than they are, and can do things they can just as well.”

Adanna looked on, thinking of her own mother and stepfather. How they both raised her to be the best she could be, no matter her gender, race, or anyone’s thoughts. She found herself with a newfound respect for Medusa, and a newfound coldness towards Athena.  

“I’ll give you some time,” the amazon said, leaving them to have their moment.

“No,” Medusa called, sadness in her voice, “To prolong our farewell is to torture both of us. I will gather her belongings.”

With this said, Medusa went to Eleni’s room, child in her arms to pack.

The little girl did not have much in belongings per se. She had a few dresses and sandals she wore on the daily along with a few scrolls and simple toys. Medusa packed the clothing and shoes, the scroll she’d read to her, and a coronet that belonged to her when she was human.  

Eleni for her part was silent throughout the ordeal, her hold on her mother tight as she packed.  

“Will she love me as you do?” Eleni quietly asked.

Medusa stopped as she slithered out, a thoughtful hum leaving her before she spoke, “I think she will. Adanna is not one to not keep her promises, she’s different my little one.”

“Like me?” Eleni asked curiously.

“Yes,” Medusa smiled, “Like you.”

Adanna knelt to the child’s height as she saw them approach and said, “Though Medusa shall forever be your mother, you have my word and most solemn vow, that I will treat and raise you as my own.”

Medusa’s eyes watered as she nodded her thanks, and placed Eleni on her feet before the Amazon.

“Close your eyes,” Medusa ordered.

Adanna did as was commanded and waited. She held her ground as the feeling of a scaled hand met her upper arm under her cloak. The gesture was appreciated knowing this was without a doubt the hardest thing any mother could do for their child. The hand ran down to her wrist where Adanna felt Medusa raise it about halfway. What she had not expected was the small hand that met her own.  

Eleni’s small hand trembled as she met the other woman’s, nerves clear a she was introduced to the unknown. The little girl expected this to be it, for this to be the introduction and have it be done.  

“May I hug you?” Adanna asked tenderly, surprising the little girl.

Eleni nodded hesitantly at first, taking small steps forward.

Adanna took great care when she embraced Eleni for the first time. She half expected her to pull away back to her mother. But was surprised by the sheer strength of this tiny person a she held onto her for dear life.

“Do you know what your mother looks like?” Adanna asked carefully.

Eleni nodded from her place on Adanna’s shoulder.

Medusa’s eyes widened at the implication the Amazon was making and nodded reluctantly.

“I believe every mother deserves to see their child’s eyes,” Adanna stated, a gentle smile on her face, “You are no exception.”

Adanna gently pulled away from the little girl and gently took off her blindfold.

Eleni blinked, her eyes adjusting to the usual low light of the cave. Her eyes settled on Adanna who smiled gently at her.

“You are so pretty!” Eleni exclaimed, eyes wide.

Medusa looked on satisfied, that her gut feeling came to fruition, and that her daughter would be in the best of hands.

“Look at the shield little one,” Adanna said tenderly nodding to the shield behind the child.

Eleni did as told, fighting the urge to fully turn and face her mother.

Medusa gasped, hands went to cover her mouth as her eyes met Eleni’s for the first time.

“You look just like your mother,” Adanna said, pleased, her father would not be easily identifiable from her looks in years to come.

Medusa stared now crying in earnest. Her daughter is a stark reminder of what she looked like when she was a mere human priestess, and she couldn’t be more grateful. Her daughter would be a woman of both strength and beauty, she would represent something great… She can feel it in her scales.

“Thank you, my lady,” said a grateful Medusa, bowing in gratitude to have seen her child. It would be enough to carry her for as long as she had.

Adanna stood from her kneeling position and bowed in respect. She took Eleni’s hand in one of hers and accepted the pack given to her by Medusa. She noticed a necklace with an amulet around it, looked at Medusa, and nodded in understanding. Memories are precious, and if there was anything to pass down that would be as close to it as the Gorgon would get.

The pair left, Eleni's chin in the air as she tried to be strong.

Medusa watched as the pair walked out of her home a sad look on her face as tears kept falling from her eyes.  

“Good luck my Eleni …”

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Note: Let me know what you think! Like, reblog and comment!

Tag List: @tacticalcinnamonroll​

[songue85]

So lovely to see all the hard work behind this touching tribute. Got to admit at times it felt a bit creepy. Though that does not take away the beauty of it. (x)

[thecreechercatalog]

Ernie Hudson as Winston Zeddmore

Ghostbusters (1984)

[kennythecatgirl]

Not going to lie, I love Winston Zeddmore.

While the other Ghostbusters are more open about their achievements, Winston just drops random lore bombs

He just casually goes "oh yeah, I have a doctorate in Egyptology. I was a Marine and Air Force Major. I also have a black belt in karate "

Like??? Dude?? You're so awesome 😭

[randomitemdrop]

Trick or trivia

Happy Halloween! I do enjoy trivia of many types, but one of my favorite genres is what I call the Berenstein Timeline: unmade shows and movies, versions of classic movies where studios and producers made different decisions, some better, some much worse. All of these are real projects that were, on some level, considered (there are some recurring names)

"Heat Vision & Jack", a 90s pastiche of 70s-80s action shows starring Jack Black as an astronaut on the run from the law and Owen Wilson as his talking motorcycle

"Jurassic Park" directed by Tim Burton with Johnny Depp as Alan Grant, Jim Carrey as Ian Malcolm, and Vincent Price as John Hammond

the 90s "Batman" directed by Ivan Reitman; Bill Murray and Eddie Murphy were going to star but couldn't decide which of them would be Batman and which would be Robin

Back in the 1970s the American network was getting good numbers showing heavily-edited reruns of "Monty Python's Flying Circus", so they tried to sell the Pythons on the next logical step: an animated Saturday morning cartoon

"Edward Scissorhands" still directed by Burton but starring Tom Cruise or maybe Michael Jackson

"Return of the Jedi" directed by David Lynch; Harrison Ford was considering not coming back for the third movie and so when he came out of the carbonite there was a chance he would have been Christopher Walken

Guillermo del Toro's "At the Mountains of Madness". Also "the Hobbit" and lots of other things, he seems to have a lot of unmade projects

the 2010s "Star Trek" movie directed by Quentin Tarantino, where the edgy reboot crew visits the Gangster Planet from that one stupid episode of the original series

Everybody knows about the unmade "Superman Lives" starring Nicolas Cage in the title role, but did you know it was going to be directed by Tim Burton and include Christopher Walken as Brainiac, who would have been a green head on spider legs

Harold Ramis didn't particularly want to act on camera, so when they were casting "Ghostbusters" Egon could have been Christopher Walken, Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Goldblum, or John Lithgow. Supposedly the movie was originally intended to be a relatively serious exploration of Dan Akroyd's very real interest in paranormal investigation, although this clashes a bit with the fact that Peter Venkman was originally going to be played by John Belushi and Winston Zeddmore was written for Eddie Murphy who backed out when the character's backstory and most of his lines were cut

John Waters' animated series "Uncle John" on 90s MTV

the original version of "Bill & Ted's Time Van" starring Pauly Shore and Sean Penn

"Red Dragon" (the original Hannibal Lecter novel) directed by David Lynch starring John Lithgow as Hannibal Lecter and Mel Gibson as Will Graham

the 1970s "Dr. Strange" TV series

the 1990s Disney animated "John Carter of Mars"

the 1990s Warner Bros animated "King Tut" musical with songs by Prince

the serious horror version of "Beetlejuice"

Drew Barrymore's 2000s remake of "Barbarella"

the Dungeons & Dragons movie James Cameron was going to make until TSR left the table over merchandising disputes, forcing Cameron to go work on some dumb movie about the Titanic

American "Doctor Who" movie starring Michael Jackson

Canadian "Doctor Who" cartoon by Nelvana starring a Doctor based intensely off of either Jeff Goldblum or Christopher Lloyd

"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" directed by Terry Gilliam

"Good Omens" directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Johnny Depp and Robin Williams

"The Black Cauldron" using character and background designs by Nightmare-era Tim Burton

[kawaiisakura143]

LADIES & GENTLEMEN & [INSERT OTHER GENDER HERE]

.

.

.

I give y'all each Ghostbuster their own Spotify playlist.

✧

Let me know how I did & if it's kind of accurate or not.

[holewithinahole]

The Spirit’s in It | Egon Spengler x nb!reader [3/3]

Summary: “I didn’t know psychology doctors also specialized in particle physics, is all.”

What you meant as a light joke to relax him did quite the opposite. He straightens, righting up his glasses one more pointless time. “I have a degree in nuclear engineering,” he states before walking out, leaving you confused and feeling like you’ve spent the entire time offending him unintentionally.

Warnings: angst, non-native writer, non-beta’d

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

And here’s the end. I apologise in advance. It's funny despite how aromantic I am how I'm the best at romanticising relationships lmao. I wanted to explore how romantic relationsips are inherently different for neurodivergent people, especially ppl on the autism spectrum. Yeah...

The end is pretty cliché and I kinda hate it but hey, I live for the tropes. I'm gone, bye! Thank for reading this to its end!

At first, you haven’t been able to swing by the Ghostbusters headquarters as much as you would’ve liked, too busy assisting students for future exams. As Egon predicted, psychokinetic energy has kept rising in New York, meaning the three of them were called all the time to assist here and there. Their secretary – Janine Melnitz you learned when Egon introduced you, has been looking more and more like a ghost herself, and you were sincerely impressed by how much energy she still managed to conjure to send people away. All of that resulted in the hiring of a new member of the team, Winston Zeddmore, a gentle soul of a man who took the place of Egon on the field. It’s often easy to read: ‘I didn’t sign up for this bullshit’ on his face, but he’s resilient and hardworking which is everything the Ghostbusters could have needed and more.

A week after your fresh new meeting, you ended up telling Egon and Dr. Stantz about their research papers stored at your place. The latter had been delighted and thanked you profusely. The retrieval had gone without any incident, although you did notice the baffled look that passed between the two of them when they saw the several towers of boxes. (There had been a discreet comment from Egon questioning humans’ propensity to stack things.)  

Why you ended up at Egon’s place you have no idea. Well, you do know how – most of the files were his after all and you couldn’t let Dr. Stantz handle the walking up five flights of stairs on his own. Plus, Egon wanted to look back at some old papers of his; something about a new plan of approach concerning the storage facility issue. So, there you stood, looking around awkwardly as Dr. Stantz retrieved the last box downstairs. It was a simple apartment, messy and not intended to be anything more than an occasional place to sleep – or, surprisingly, a fungus breeding farm.

Your questioning gaze certainly didn’t go unnoticed. “I collect spores and fungi,” he explained.

“Neat.” You didn’t really think before you carried on, “Is that why you studied microbiology?”

“…amongst other things,” Egon said, looking slightly surprised. “I didn’t realize you knew.”

“Uh,” you trailed off. “I’ve read your papers.”

“All of them?”

Can it get any more embarrassing than that? “…might have.”

He didn’t answer and you thanked him internally for it. The visit was short and to the point, Egon clearly looking uncomfortable having other people trespass into his space. That’s what you kept telling yourself anyway, not especially fond of diving back into the whole ‘I’m an embarrassment to myself, him, and society’ spiral.

In itself, routine didn’t change much. You kept doing most of your research at the university, exchanging with the different professors of the lab, giving your opinions on the students’ ongoing thesis and avoiding Dean Yaeger. Then, you’d meet with the doctors after work to discuss the improvements of the containment facility. But the more the days went by, the more Egon’s temper seemed to flare. Not in the usual, explosive or passive-aggressive nature but in the dwindling of words, and the psychosomatic tremor of his eyelid. You hadn’t been truly able to understand why, when, or how.

Which led you to your actual predicament.

“I don’t think it’ll work, Egon.”

Sitting at a desk, you scratch an equation, staring dejectedly at the example of ‘ionization radiation decay meter’ Egon sketched. The man himself has taken his glasses off and pressed his eyes to alleviate his migraine. “We’ll have to include the system later,” he concedes, looking crossed. “I have to analyze today’s samples.”

After downing the cup of cold coffee you forgot on the desk with a disgusted grimace, you slouch on your chair. You watch Egon from the corner of your eye, busy staring and typing on his computer. He lets out an uncharacteristic annoyed noise.

“Not good?” you ask.

“Like I thought, it’s exponential.” He sighs. “Two days ago, PKE was three times less important than today.”

“Something big on the horizon.”

“Yes,” he says.

This tense atmosphere has you overly cautious as if one wrong word could make this artificial veil of normalcy shatter. It makes your skin crawl, inadequately feeling like your mere presence is making things worse. Leaving his computer behind to sit on the couch, he browses through the results he printed. His tiredness is noticeable even from where you are. You’re about to say something when Venkman comes waltzing in, his energy clashing with the general atmosphere of the room, which he notices immediately.

“Well, well,” he says in a singsong tone. “Who are we burying today?”

Egon doesn’t grace him with an answer, only with a glare before looking back at his results.

“It’s been a long day, I guess,” you answer truthfully to loosen the tension.

Venkman, always in theatrics, opens his arms wide. “Look who we’ve got here! Hello there.” He has his usual smirk on. “You’ve been hanging ‘round here more often.”

“Hello, Dr. Venkman.” You smile. “Just trying to help Egon.”

“And why aren’t we on a first-name basis?”

You certainly don’t voice aloud that you don’t want to give him any ideas, which he gets well enough on his own. Egon, for its part, is frowning so hard his eyebrows have merged with the frame of his glasses. You can almost imagine a big molten hole where his eyes are boring through the paper.

“Egon kindly proposed,” you explain.

“Wow, you guys,” Venkman exclaims. You frown at him, confused. “Congrats, Spengie! Don’t forget the invitation.”

This snaps Egon out of his sulking trance, face hardening at Venkman’s inappropriate comment.

“He kindly offered,” you interject, trying your best to look unfazed at the innuendo and to avoid an act of crime against humanity. “You, however, take everything for granted.”

Venkman whistles – which makes you want to strangle him – but at least Egon doesn’t look like he’s going to jump at his throat from across the room anymore.

“Damn, snarky today, uh? Let’s start over then.” Despite his mocking tone, he walks near you and extends a hand that you look at dubiously. “Hi, the name’s Peter.”

A small part of you doesn’t want to shake his hand, just to rile him up but you still do. Strangely enough, there’s an endearing quality to his man, when he wants to.

“Nice to meet you, Peter.”

The man lets out a pleased chuckle. “Now, now, I’m not trying to get you two to leave but this man–” He tugs at his collar. “–has a date tonight and he will be singing in the shower. So, if you want some peace and quiet, now would be a good time to go play in the basement.”

You scoff. “You’ve got a date.”

Venkman seems either completely oblivious or completely disinterested in your tone. “With a sweet creature called Dana Barrett.”

“Don’t forget to ask her about Zuul, Peter,” Egon says, snapping out of his good ten minutes of selective mutism.

Venkman disappears into their common room. “Did I say date?” he shouts. “I meant work meeting.”

True to his words, he starts singing a bad rendition of Queen of Hearts, making sure to annoy the whole building. Even if it grates on your nerves, it’s fascinating to witness this clutter of a place, with such different personas stacked on top of each other. You’ve never heard the story of how the three of them ended up being best buddies and judging by Egon’s closed-up face, today wouldn’t be the day you ask.

After five minutes of excruciating vocalizations, he puts down his results, standing up from the couch. You eye him curiously. “Where’ you going?”

“The basement.”

You frown, standing up. “You know; I don’t think he was serious.”

“I have readings to do downstairs,” he answers shortly.

He walks towards the stairs but stops, pivoting slightly towards you without meeting your eyes. The prickling sensation at the back of your brain is back. You can’t wrap your head around the contrast between his high-strung demeanor and his unspoken invitation to follow him. The confusion suddenly feels too heavy.

“Egon.” He looks up and you’re not expecting the flatness of his expression, how detached he’s looking. “Are you angry?”

It sounds stupid in your own ears, a ridiculous childish question but it’s out of your mouth before you can think about it. Words are wonderful incentives, you think, but sometimes, they just end up pushing people away.

Egon frowns, still not entirely facing you. “No.”

“Then–”

Venkman comes back into the room, whistling loudly. “Still there, lovebirds?”

You turn to answer him but you’re cut off by the loud steps of Egon hurtling down the stairs, leaving you staring dumbly at the invisible trail he left behind. There’s an uncomfortable silence as you frown, heart beating loudly for a reason you can’t really pinpoint. Venkman stands there, undoubtedly conscious of having said the wrong thing.

“Don’t worry, he’s cranky when he doesn’t have his nap.”

You decide to simply gather your belongings and leave. “I’ll come back in a few days.”

Even if Venkman offers to buy you a taxi, you decide to use the subway and as you stare without seeing at the dirty walls of New York’s underground tunnels, you realize that perhaps you’re starting to care a little too much.

Just a tad too much.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Awakening of Gozer

Perhaps you shouldn’t have gone home that day.

For when you heard that in less than twenty-four hours, the Ghostbusters headquarters exploded and that a cloud of psychokinetic energy appeared above Manhattan, you felt that ‘are you angry’ were stupid words to say to somehow you might never see again.

You stand in front of your TV as journalists follow the Ghostbusters’ car through the streets of New York, crowd in a standing ovation. You feel restless as you look through your window, watching the sky turning dark and the full-blown light show the ghosts seem to be throwing downtown. Even when the black clouds dissipate – reminding everyone that it was barely three in the afternoon, you stare, left leg bouncy, at the screen for the final cry of the crowd, hoping, praying, that it’d be of joy.

You’re not truly sure of the feelings rushing through you when they leave this building, dirtied but alive. As soon as you see their proud faces, you turn off the TV, and lay down on the couch, breathing deeply. You close your eyes and contemplate the labyrinth of paths life could have taken in the last two hours. When ten p.m. rolls out, you stand up, driven by some unknown force out of your apartment. Somehow, the sky still holds the purple hues of the paranormal manifestation that plagued New York this evening, ribbons of ghost energy glowing like winter lights and casting discreet colors on the buildings. Tomorrow, you’ll look back at the usual grayish streaks of pollution and everything will feel like a long fever dream.

It’s silly the way the heart and the brain latch on to these human connections like they’re starving. It’s unfortunate, truly. Unfortunate how walking through the chill of the busy streets leads you to his place; a sanctum at the top of a dirty building. And it’s scary how unable you are to stay away, – now and every day – especially when emotions are all over the place; fear in your stomach, anxiety in your loins, need – this unshakable need — in your heart: terrible, voracious, heavy in your limbs as you drag your exhausted body up the stairs. Knocking on the door is, weirdly enough, more nerve-wracking than having witnessed their improbable excursion on television. Egon opens the door, all intrigued eyes and furrowed brows; dressed so casually it seems unreal.

“I know it’s not the time, and that you don’t like people in your space,” you mumble. “But I was— “

Egon steps away from the doorway, inviting you in silently, and it’s almost reluctantly that you step inside. It’s dimly lit but you notice opened notebooks on his table next to three empty mugs.

“Was I interrupting?” you ask, already knowing the answer.

“No,” Egon answers to your surprise. “I was only writing down what happened tonight.”

You hum. “I saw it on TV.”

He gestures to you to take a seat. From your chair, you can see Egon busying himself with his small fungus farm, touching the caps of his mushrooms with the tips of his fingers. “You know; I think you deserve a rest, after saving the city and all.”

“I believe we saved the world.”

The emphasis doesn’t go unnoticed. You chuckle nervously, having found a deep interest in a stain on the floor. “I wonder if your Sumerian God would have been able to conquer the world as a hundred-foot-tall marshmallow man.”

“Gozer is a powerful entity,” he says. “They would have brought the apocalypse on our world.”

“But now it’s gone, eh?” The unusual silence makes you look up at him.  

“We’ve only destroyed a vessel and a portal. There might be more somewhere.”

“Well…” You try to rationalize. “Good thing the Ghostbusters will always be there.”

Egon stills, staring without looking as if he’s debating inside: is it true? Will it be true? Will I do anything to honor this promise? You decide to drop the subject.

“So, how does one destroy the portal of a God? ’Sounds like a lot of molecular bounds to break.”

“We crossed the streams.”

You freeze.

“…I thought you shouldn’t do that, like ever.” It’s easier to fake some lightheartedness in your tone than to face how a simple slip of fate could have made this improvised late-night meeting impossible.

“It did work.”

It’s harder to swallow as if he could suddenly vanish in front of your very eyes, taken away by some dark entity; as if every single particle of his being could disappear forever as they annihilate their counterpart. A total protonic reversal, that’s what Dr. Stantz had said. You unwillingly explore this possibility: how you, safely at home, wouldn’t have known about their utter and complete destruction until the ridiculous vessel of a Sumerian God turned on the city and brought the apocalypse upon the world. Perhaps after a few hours, perhaps after a day, you would have accepted the fact that they had lost. Or you’d have watched an explosion of unimaginable scale, staring blindly at the death of thousands of people and the loss of what became a constant in your life.

You stand up, trying to get rid of the restless energy that has been buzzing underneath your skin for two days now.

“Oh yes, proton-antiproton collisions are usually effective at killing everything around.” You sigh, trying to squash down the trembling in your voice, leaning against his desk. “Even if you weren’t already dead by the annihilation of your own molecules, the explosion would have finished the job.”

But it’s pointless to remind him of what he already knows. Egon still faces his farm but his mechanical movements have stopped. You say, “You’re more of a jackass than I thought.”

“The chances of surviving were low, I’ll admit.”

“No shit,” you mutter lowly. “Bless the uncertainty principle.”

His small cocky smile is an unexpected but welcomed sight. “Quantum theory has never been truly challenging for me.”

It startles a laugh out of you. “You might want to revise your judgment, then.”

Putting down whatever kind of instrument he has been using, he walks closer and leans on the spot next to you; an unusual decision, perhaps even an unspoken attempt at consolation. It’s funny because you’ve never stood this close, ever. There’s always been something between you: a room, a desk, Venkman, your apprehension, his awkwardness… As his shoulder brushes against yours, your heart soars with uneasiness but as soon as you let your bubble of comfort merge with his, it becomes the most natural thing in the world. Only then, at this very instant, does your heartbeat finally slow down, does the gnawing sensation at the pit of your stomach dissipate… leaving you to wonder when it’ll all pop.

“You haven’t told me the purpose of your visit,” Egon says after some time, always traveling the universe at the speed of light.

“Ah yes.” There it is. “I was restless.” He looks at you intently. “It just occurred to me that our last meeting hasn’t been entirely— agreeable.”

You stare at the ground. “I would have preferred not to have left on bad terms.”

“You were worried I wouldn’t come back.” It sounds like an epiphany.

He says ‘I’ and not ‘we’, and you would have liked for his social ineptitude to take a step forward for once, and not his ridiculously sharp sense of observation.

“Well… It’s normal, isn’t it?”

He doesn’t answer. You wish for the world to be ‘normal’ again, or at least the isolated system of your mental landscape. The disruption in the former entity of your thoughts morphs your behaviors, your habits, making you a slave to the random bursts of emotions you’d like to see buried. This energy stays right there, bound by thermodynamics and your fixations. Perhaps this PKE, this conscience energy is the reason for it all.

“I’m afraid that all of this–” You make a half-hearted movement of the arm. “–will disappear.”

“The world?” He asks.

“No. Yes. I mean…“ You swallow. “Here, right now. I’m afraid I’ll wake up in the morning to realize that it’s all gone.”

“I don’t think reality will end during the night.”

You don’t feel like expanding on those uncomfortable feelings so you entertain the idea. “We were about to be wiped out by a God from distant times. If ghosts are proof of anything, it’s that time is meaningless. It could very well end in a few hours.”

Egon doesn’t answer. You let out a sigh. “It’s irrational.”

“Perhaps,” he says after some time. “But fears usually are.”

“People usually fear tangible things, like, I don’t know, ghosts.”

“Ghosts aren’t material per se–”

You chuckle, looking at him. “I knew you’d say that.”

It’s complicated, this situation; how his literal words comfort you in unsuspected ways. It should be annoying, saddening even, to harbor such feelings for someone who lives miles away in his own head of equations, schematics and paranormal theories. You question your behavior, wondering if, in the end, he’s not just another new thing to fixate upon, if he’s not just another unanswered question on your long list of interrogations about life, the universe and everything. If that’s the case then, you can just move on.

“It’s late,” he states.

Perhaps, you can move on. “Yes, I’m gonna go.”

You gather your bag, breaking the fallacy of closeness you had. If the painful torpor your heart is in is any indication, is that it – whatever it is – goes beyond a fixation, but you don't want to confront any of this...

“Goodbye, Egon.”

…unless it’s to run away.

It’s a goodbye, you convince yourself, pushed closer by a disillusioned thought and a hint of desperation. On his face, you can read a plethora of interrogations, each for one flicker of a lid, for one shift of an eye; unique movements as his body stays right in place. It spurs you on, makes you cross the remaining distance between you. And as you place your hand on his arm to not buckle under the pressure, you give a single kiss; a furtive indulgence at the corner of his lips. Something that could be more, something that could be nothing.

You haven’t meant to meet his eyes, but it all seemed inescapable when he didn’t even close them in the first place while you hid safely behind the opaque screen of your lids. It’s confusion, likely a little bit of recoil… You burn brighter from a single kiss, a torch shining a little light on him too, but as adrenaline slips away, you’re faced with darkness again. There’s nothing you can fault him for as it’s your own two legs that took you there in the first place. It’s your own weak heart that pushed you up those stairs as everything else was dragged down by gravity.

You’re out of his apartment as quickly as you can. You know that if you abuse this kindness, your wider smile and warmer face will be the devil’s work; the consequence of pillaging of benevolence you wouldn’t be able to bring yourself to stop. Even with genuine motions, his telltale beat will never follow yours, and even the strongest, wildest embers won’t alienate it faster. You will be a parched man facing a mirage, a moth to an ephemeral flame that will love everything until it’s consumed. But a flame doesn’t love back and love is a sin for the ones that feel it the most.

The next day, the sky is back to its usual color.

[heavenboy09]

Happy Birthday 🎂 🥳 🎉 🎈 🎁 🎊 To The Most Legendary Actors Of Our Time  He Is Has Starred In Various Roles as well as A Few Iconic Roles. But 1 Of His Most Greatest Roles Of All Times.

Started In 1984 In Colombia Pictures, Most Iconic Comedy/ Action / Supernatural Film Of All Times & It Became A Global Sensation

Please Give a Warm Round Of Applause & Birthday Wish To

The 1 & Only

The OG Ghostbuster, Himself

MR. EARNEST "ERNIE" LEE HUDSON AKA WINSTON ZEDDMORE 👻  #ErnieHudson #WinstonZeddmore #GhostBusters

[fearsmagazine]

GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: Columbia Pictures

SYNOPSIS: In the shadow of the iconic New York City firehouse, the Spengler family reunites with the original Ghostbusters. In a new location in Queens they delve into a top-secret research lab, where advanced ghost-busting technology awaits. However, an ancient artifact's discovery unleashes a horde of ghosts, plunging the city into a deathly chill. The only hope for salvation lies in the combined forces of the old and new Ghostbusters as they battle to protect their home and save the world from a looming second Ice Age.

REVIEW: Set after the events of "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" in 2021, "GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE" is a compelling addition to the franchise. It deftly blends elements from the original characters, the animated series, and the computer games, resulting in a movie that caters to both longtime fans and newcomers alike.

In the sequel to the Ghostbusters franchise, Gil Kenan and Jason Reitman's screenplay skillfully interweaves original and new characters, allowing each one to shine. The ghostly threat in this film is a formidable and epic menace, similar to a Bond villain. A variety of new and classic ghosts provide diverse challenges. Key locations include the firehouse, Ray Stantz's Occult bookshop, and the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue.

At the heart of the story is Phoebe Spengler's struggle to balance being a teenager, a Ghostbuster, and her family relationships. This dynamic adds depth and substance to the narrative as the new characters become integrated into the Ghostbusters universe. The film offers a highly satisfying tale and includes numerous Easter eggs that fans will appreciate.

The production values of the movie are superb, featuring a mix of practical and visual effects that bring depth to the Ghostbusters universe. Winston Zeddemore's company offers a blend of old and new equipment, along with Phoebe's unique technological creations. The props are meticulously designed and crafted to enhance visual aesthetics. The ghosts are a well-executed combination of computer-generated imagery and enhanced puppets. The cinematography, framing, and editing contribute to the film's atmosphere and energy. Composer Dario Marianelli delivers a score that pays homage to Elmer Bernstein's original composition while introducing new elements. The music complements the action, creates ambiance, and adds depth to the characters. And of course, no Ghostbusters movie would be complete without the classic theme song by Ray Parker Jr.

The original cast members have aged gracefully, and the screenplay caters to their strengths. Bill Murray remains eternally youthful, embodying an older version of Peter Venkman with the familiar snarky attitude. Dan Aykroyd exudes the wisdom of an old sage, Ernie Hudson grounds the group, and Annie Potts delights as a witty yet mellowed Janine Melnitz. Their combined presence transcends fan expectations.

Contrastingly, the Spangler family—composed of Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, and Mckenna Grace—portrays a natural family dynamic. Paul Rudd tones down his performance from his Marvel character Scott Lang, resulting in a more genuine and organic comedic portrayal. However, the spotlight shines brightest on Mckenna Grace as Phoebe Spengler. She portrays a complex teenager grappling with various issues. Her character is fresh, intelligent, and sympathetic, clearly reflecting her lineage as Egon Spengler's granddaughter.

The latest installment in the Ghostbusters franchise, "Frozen Empire," surpasses the accomplishments of "After Life." It reunites the original cast and introduces new characters, resulting in an exciting adventure that also delves into the backgrounds of the characters, bringing them up to date. The movie sets the groundwork for the establishment of the "Ghostbusters Corps" through the character of Winston Zeddmore, broadening the universe and creating opportunities for future narratives. Given the popularity of episodic storytelling, it's plausible that a Ghostbusters spin-off series could emerge on streaming platforms if the fans turn out for this film. If not, there is likely at least one or two more films in the works.

Regardless, it’s an exciting and gratifying ride that I plan to take a few more times while in the theater.The anticipation and excitement that accompanies the thrill ride is palpable from the moment I step into the theater. The atmosphere is electric and charged with a sense of adventure that captivates me. As I settle into my seat, my heart races with anticipation, knowing that I am in for a wild and unforgettable experience.

GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE’s twists, turns, action and suspense left me exhilarated. The special effects create a vivid and awe-inspiring spectacle. The sights, sounds, and sensations all come together in perfect harmony, leaving me mesmerized and fully engaged. As the credits came to an end with a final musical touch of the Bernstein score I was left with a mix of emotions – a combination of exhilaration, satisfaction, and a lingering sense of wonder with a touch of sadness. As I left the theater, I carried with me the residual effects of the cinematic experience – a renewed sense of energy and a profound gratitude for the opportunity to have embarked on an extraordinary adventure with Ghostbusters young and old.

CAST: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, Celeste O’Connor, Logan Kim, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, and William Atherton. CREW: Director/Screenplay - Gil Kenan; Screenplay - Jason Reitman; Based on the 1984 film “Ghostbusters” an Ivan Reitman film written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis; Producers - Ivan Reitman, Jason Reitman & Jason Blumenfeld; Cinematographer - Eric Steelberg; Score - Dario Marianelli; Editors - Nathan Orloff & Shane Reid; Production Design - Eve Stewart; Costume Designers - Alexis Forte & Ruth Myers; Special Makeup & Live Action Creature Effects Designer - Arjen Tuiten; Special Effects Supervisor - John Van Der Pool; Visual Effects Supervisor - Geoffrey Baumann; Visual Effects - Clear Angle Studios, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Industrial Light & Magic, Barnstorm VFX & Territory Studio

OFFICIAL: www.ghostbusters.com FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/Ghostbusters/ TWITTER: twitter.com/ghostbusters/ TRAILER: https://youtu.be/X7Di42uUaF0?si=sHPmJzSYD7TwLKbn RELEASE DATE: In theaters March 22nd, 2024.

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or 👎 (Dislike)

Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri

[redsnerdden]

Winter is Coming Early In Ghostbusters: The Frozen Empire's Newest Trailers

Winter is Coming Early In Ghostbusters: The Frozen Empire's Newest Trailers #Ghostbusters

To the surprise of many, Ghostbusters: The Frozen Empire got two new trailers today. The main trailer featured a narration from Walter Peck (William Atherton), and the international trailer was narrated by Winston Zeddmore (Ernie Hudson). Both trailers found the Spengler Family, the Original Ghostbusters, and New York coming face to face with a new threat named Garraka, a creature that can…

[pechaberriesandsoju]

Hmmmm, I think.....maybe.....I'll do a little bit of another familial/parental takeover again......just for a moment.

Just a reminder, the parental figures I'm using are:

Tony Stark

Winston Zeddmore

Ray Stantz

Egon Spangler

Peter Venkman

Engineer

Solider

I might throw in some sibling f/os later. Maybe. We'll see.

Inbox is open, be kind and respectful, please! Love you guys, and let's have fun!

[ghostgirldog]

Ghost Girl Blog:

Okay, I admit, I'm 45 years old and I am OBSESSED with Ghostbusters. There, I said it! I have every Ghostbusters movie ever done. And I find it incredibly easy to read each of the characters. I mean, I grew up watching them and yes I remember when the 1984 first film came out. Heck, I remember my uncle with a boom box on his shoulder blasting the Ghostbusters theme song. Anyways without adeu; here's my analysis :

1) Egon Spengler. He's brainy, collects odd things, and a bit of an introvert.

2) Winston Zeddmore. Honest, kind of not-sure-about-this-gig-but-I-need-the-money kind of guy. But once he's sure, he enjoys his work

3) Peter Venkmann. He's a bit of a man that is vain. Kinda thinking that the whole world evolves around him. But underneath that obnoxious exterior lies a softie

4) Ray Stantz. He's a withheld dreamer. He saw a good thing in starting the Ghostbusters with Venkmann, but was a skeptic.

And there you have it. My analysis of the guys. Hope you enjoyed it. Drop me a line and tell me (no bullying) on whether or not you agree.

[ghostbustersreborn]

Chapter 6.

❙.     a pink stream of light shot up from out of the rooftop, shooting out into the sky.

louis followed the light blindlessly with an unconscious tara over his shoulder.

he soon made his way to the apartment complex, the one himself and dana both lived in.

tara began to regain consciousness just as he entered dana's apartment.

half of her apartment was torn a part. dana or the gatekeeper was shown lounging on a chair.

"i am the keymaster." he introduced to her.

"i'm the gatekeeper." she said back to him.

once tara was more awake, her eyes widened.

she tried getting out from his grasp, but his gasp on her was too strong and too tight.

"get off! get off me!" she cried out.

"i have the guard dog." he told the gatekeeper.

he approached her.

the gate keeper smiled in satisfaction.

dropping tara, vinz walked over to the gatekeeper wrapping his arms around her.

tara tried to move, but she was paralyzed from the waist down.

the gatekeeper locked lips with vinz.

when bringing him back up. the two slowly turned around, facing the gaping hole before them that showed a staircase that tara had seen before in her nightmares.

vinz scooped tara up again, having her over his shoulder as they approached the staircase.

god, where were the boys when she needed them?

*

reporters tried getting in to ask the boys questions as they made their way to the mayor's office.

"stay back." ordered the police.

"the ghostbusters are here, mr. mayor."

"the ghostbusters. okay, the ghostbusters." said the mayor, turning to face them. "hey, and where's this peck?"

"i am walter peck, sir." the weasel introduced himself. "and i'm prepared to make a full report. these men are consummate snowball artists. they use sense and nerve gases to induce hallucinations. people think they're seeing ghosts, and they call these bozos, who conveniently show up to deal with the problem with a fake electronic light show." he rambled.

"everything was fine with our system until the power grid was shut off by dickless here." ray stated.

"they caused an explosion!" he snapped.

"is this true?" asked the mayor.

"yes it's true, this man has no dick." peter sassed.

winston rolled his eyes.

weasel went to go fight peter until several police officers stepped in as well as the boys to stop the oncoming fight.

"knock it off!" ordered the mayor. "come on, break it up, break it up." he urged.

"all right. all right. all right!" weasel cried.

"well, that's what i heard." peter said in defense.

"this is city hall, now, what am i going to do here, john?" the mayor asked, sounding absolutely desperate. "what is this?"

"all i know is that was no light show, we saw this morning." john stated.

"i've seen every form of combustion known to man. but this beats the hell out of me." expressed a man with white hair and glasses.

"the walls in the 53rd precinct were bleeding." said a man pointing to a map. "how do you explain that?"

the door opened to the mayor's office and in came the eminence? (you know this is getting serious, if they bring in the eminence.)

"good afternoon, gentlemen." the eminence greeted.

"oh, your eminence." spoke the mayor with such relief.

the eminence came over to the mayor, to which the mayor placed a kiss on the man's hand.

"how are you, lenny?" the eminence asked.

"you're looking good mike." complimented the mayor. "we're in a real fix here." he said touching mike's face. "what do you think i should do?"

"lenny, officially, the church will not take any position on the religious implications of these, uh... phenomena." he explained. "personally, lenny i think it's a sign from god. but don't quote me on that."

"no, i don't think that's a smart move mike." peter voiced.

"now, i'm going to call a press conference and tell everyone to start praying." stated lenny as mike took a seat.

winston cleared his throat.

"i'm uh, winston zeddmore, you're honor." winston stepped up. "look, i've only been with the company for a couple of weeks." he leaned in, setting his hands on his desk. "but i gotta tell you, these things are real. since i joined these men, i have seen shit that'll turn you white."

peter took a step forward.

"well, you can believe mr.pecker." he began.

"my name is peck." the dickless weasel corrected him.

"or you could accept the fact that this city is headed for a disaster of biblical proportions." he confirmed.

"what do you mean "biblical"?" lenny questioned.

"what he means is old testament, mr.mayor, real wrath-of-god type stuff." explained ray.

"exactly." peter nodded.

"fire and brimstone coming down from the skies. river and seas boiling." he claimed.

"forty years of darkness. earthquakes, volcanoes." egon added in.

"the dead rising from the grave." winston chimed in, which made lenny get up from out of his chair.

"human sacrifice. dogs and cats living together. mass hysteria!" peter yelled.

"enough. i get the point!" snapped the mayor.

the weasel looked stunned.

"but what if you're wrong?" lenny questioned.

"if i'm wrong, nothing happens!" peter cried. "we'll go to jail, peacefully, quietly. we'll enjoy it. but my daughter is in danger so for god sakes can you let us go?" his voice dropped to a lower volume when he mentionedhis daughter, he really was worried about her. "but, if i'm right. | his voice going back to it's normal volume | and we can stop this thing. lenny... you will have saved the lives of million of registered voters."

lenny thought about it for a moment. taking all of what the boys said into consideration.

he looked to mike and nodded with a grin, to which mike smiled and nodded back at him.

weasel stepped in, standing next to venkman.

"i don't believe you're seriously considering listening to these men." he said in disbelief.

peter turned to weasel with a smirk.

"get him out of here." ordered the mayor.

peter's smirk turned into a full on grin.

"bye!" he said cockily.

"i'll fix you, venkman. i'm gonna fix you." threatened the weasel as he was dragged to the door.

"i'm gonna get you a nice fruit basket." peter told him. "i'm gonna miss him." he spoke to the boys.

the door closed and the mayor turned to the boys "we got work to do. now what do you need from me?"

*

several military came out getting into their military trucks, ready to help the ghostbusters as best they can.

people cheered in the streets. relieved they would be getting help.

"come on, let's run some red lights!" peter yelled out from the car.

sirens went off, as they drove off into the city to the source of all the ghost problems.

the car stopped at a group of people cheering for them.

"hello, new york." peter greeted, stepping out of the vehicle.

people cheered louder as the rest of the boys got out.

peter shook hands with people as well as giving kisses.

ray followed over.

"hey, everybody!" ray greeted the crowd.

"whoa. dr. ray stantz!" peter exclaimed. "would you please? the heart of the ghostbusters." he said raising his arm up.

"thank you." he said, shyly.

"they love you. they love you here." peter expressed. "i like that shirt friend." he complimented one of the crowd goers.

"all right! all right!" exclaimed the man.

meanwhile up on the building, which zuul claimed to be gozer's temple. tara was sat on the roof, with her hands dangling from the side of the building.

"dad." she weakly called out.

thunder rumbled in the sky, as the sky turned black making it look like night.

tara whimpered. she tried to move but it was no use, her body was paralyzed by whatever spell she was put under.

she just hoped the boys would come to her rescue soon.

very soon.

zuul was laid down on the edge of the building, she stood up.

tara saw her looking at her in the corner of her eye.

zuul approached tara slowly.

"shit." she cursed under her breath, as she tried her hardest to move.

zuul turned her around, making eye contact with her.

"you are the guard dog." she spoke in an ominous voice, as her eyes turned red hypnotizing tara.

"i am the guard dog." tara said once she was under the influence.

"now, get up and guard." she ordered before going back to her post.

tara stood up no longer being paralyzed. she had zero control of her body, only her mind but that wasn't helpful at all.

she went over to the entrance of the stairs, standing by it keeping guard from whomever trespassed.

blue and purple lighting struck in the sky. as gatekeeper and the keymaster looked up in unison.

*

[alexseanchai]

[gif: Winston Zeddmore, the Black man in the original Ghostbusters movie, says, "Uh, if there's a steady paycheck in it, I'll believe in anything you say."]

You know every show that the premise is like “people find out ghosts/monsters/demons are real and are charged with stopping them” appeal to me way more now as a post-graduate not because I believe in ghosts more or whatever but because can you IMAGINE just being handed a job that you don’t even need to apply for? Like just being told “basically there’s this bad thing and all you do is make sure it doesn’t do what it wants” that’s just customer service baby and I worked that for 6 goddamn years! Just TRY getting past “I have a job to offer you” before I can jump down your throat agreeing.

[kawaiisakura143]

Sakura's Business Card

I'm not very good at designing business cards, but I imagine it like a simple design kind of like the 'Zeddmore Industries' business card. If anyone is curious; Sakura had a law firm in 1989 with the card saying 'Rosas' Law Firm', but this business card now takes place throughout the 'Afterlife' & 'Frozen Empire' events. Yes Winston helps out her firm from time to time.