This last Saturday was the screening of Ghostbusters at the Loft Cinema in Tucson, AZ. We’ve been working with the theater on the screening planning since the first week of February.
We were quite surprised to pull up to the theater and see that instead of the marquee simply saying “Ghostbusters”, it read “AZ GHOSTBUSTERS LIVE.”
We started the evening by doing a scan of the lobby so people entering the theater to take pictures with us. We used some simple stuff for our scanning equipment since we don’t have a pke yet. The theater director went on stage and started telling the story on how the theater is supposed to be really haunted. The theater had a guy dressed as a ghost messing around with people in the audience while he was telling this story. The ghost hid and they stated the music video for the theme song, we came out two on each side and started handing out our marshmallows and twinkies. At the end of the song we got up and did the cartoon dance and naturally everyone went crazy. The host asked us if we had found anything yet and then the ghost popped up in the audience and ran out. We pulled wands and gave chase. Then they had a trivia contest when they gave out a poster and dvds and some of or AZ GB logo t-shirts we donated. After that we came back to the stage with a trap and announced the theater is clean.
It was the first time all of us had seen the movie in a theater. We were pleased to see alot of kids in the audience and alot of their parents told us it was their kids 1st time seeing the movie. We were glad we could be a part of that. We can’t wait for next years show. The theater holds 500 and we had around 200, next year we’re planning on having the screening earlier in the month when there is less conflicting activities for Halloween, but now we have one under our belts and we’re very happy with how it turned out.
Next year we’ll have to add the musical number “Springtime For Gozer.”
Thats really cool. Glad to see you guys helping to keep the GB franchise alive!
If you guys were really slick, next year you could make a video of proton streams shooting a ghost via backdrop and projector. Looks like the stage you were on is perfect for that! Stand in a spot that the stream is going to shoot from and nab yourself a slimer!
Thanks. Yeah we thought about trying something like that to add to it so we’ll take any suggestions. We have a year and know the theater’s layout and capabilities now.
Well in that case…I’ll tell you my image of what I would do if I were in your position…
I would find someone who can make a simple video of basic proton streams and slimer. Make it one solid video with no inturruption, so you could just turn it on and walk away.
You could use tape on the ground in a “X” shape as the point of particle stream effect on the screen so you know where to stand.
While the owner of the theatre is talking about how its haunted and introducing you guys or whatever, someone could cue up the video. It could have slimer floating around on the top half of the screen. When he says “seen any ghosts around here yet?”…you could then notice slimer and get ready to trap him. (you could time everything with a simple stop watch so you know exactly when the proton streams are going to go on.)
When the time is right, you could then go to your respective “X” marks on the ground (I assume 3) and get ready for the proton stream effects. You could have a good 20-30 seconds of particle stream shooting so the fourth person can set the trap (again in a respective X mark where the trap effect will happen). Also, while your shooting in that 20-30 second time frame, you could throw in some one liners, like for example, talk about not crossing the streams. Trap slimer and make the crowd cheer. Then you could go into the theme song or whatever you wanted to do.
Of course you would have to practice this a few times so you dont mess up at the night of the event.
It wouldnt be that hard at all. Heck, you could even go down to the local college and find some students who are in computer animation classes and have them do this as a project for you. I’m sure the’ll do it for free, it’ll fetch them a “A” and you’ll be happy with the results!
Anyways…thats what I always wanted to do. Just my .02 cents.
Spring is probably going to be our slow time of the year. I would highly suggest you guys making it down to San Diego next July. Considering how many people asked us about your team and ecto this year. We’ll definitely be there.
I would have to check with our friend that made them for us. It was a combination of the screepcap of the bag and the shirt that was released that used the same graphic for the big guy as the bag.
Are those REAL Staypuft marshmallows, or were they silkscreeneed? Did anyone else show up in gear? That nice that you are all so organized and can get together on a regular basis. with the wife working nighshift, we are practically hermits. tomorrow is different, however! Ahahahahahahahhaaaaaaa!
A friend of mine recently suggested I google our team to see what is out there online I don’t know about. I found quite a few listing about the screening and just found this one from the University of Arizona events calendar:
The Ghostbusters Spooktacular - The Arizona Ghostbusters, most likely a bunch of dorky Bob Dobbs guys who like to dress up in costume, will lead the audience in a Ghostbusters sing-a-long and perform a ghostbusting on the Loft’s resident ghost. Come for the off-chance that you can see a grown man dressed up like Slimer. 7 p.m. $5. The Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd.
I’m not mad, but I do want a full definition of what a Bob Dobb is. Haven’t heard of that one. I’m from the mid-west, is it a western term for nerd?
There’s actually a way you can keep tabs on google searches automaticall. It’s called Google Alerts.
Basically you can enter in whatever you want to know about, and when google logs a site containing certain phrases or information, it emails you a link. I’ve had one on my group since we started, it’s a great way to keep tabs on the buzz generated by your group.
It is important to note that “■■■■ 'em if they can’t take a joke” is one of the quote attributed to the Bob Dobbs character, or at least that saying is pertinent to people who do what we do.
Thanks. I’ll try that google alert. I can’t believe I spaced Bob Dobbs. I’ve been meaning to become a member of the church of subgenius too. Since it didn’t hurt the outcome of the event I was thinking it couldn’t have been too bad, I just wanted to know how they were advertising us.
I was really hoping to find some good bad TMZ style press like ‘local busters double park’.
Ya know, I remember seeing press about that show on a wildcat page (I think you actually may have linked it yourself), and it didn’t say what it says now. Perhaps it was changed? Or maybe it was printed the original way in a newspaper and then changed to be a little more ‘hip’ and ironic for the college press? The best exchange I’ve ever had about people who make fun of us was with a local radio DJ last year. I said something like, “So they’re going to call us nerds and dorks. It’s like making fun of a clown, what are you gonna do, point out that he has big shoes? It doesn’t work like that.”
Being the black sheep can be a lot of fun, so long as you’re not on your own. I’ve crashed numerous ricer and street racer car shows with the ecto (and about five friends), and each time we have stolen the thunder of other cars. It warms my the cockles of my heart to see a crowd around a 4-cylinder Subaru Outback, and a bunch of red-faced Littleton yuppie larvae whose Mitsubishi Evolutions stomping their feet. This year it’ll be even worse since with the jeep and some crazy hearses, we’ll have our own nerd section. Keep up the good work, boys!
Well it was a press release the theater sent out to alot of local websites, they all said the same thing, that one just added that little line. One the didn’t even spell ghostbusters right.
Oh we’ll be crashing some parties with our ecto too. I know it will be fun. I’ll make an update on that soon.
