Earlier this year, I picked up the Real Ghostbusters box set, and it started rekindling my life-long love of Ghostbusters. I wanted to share it, but none of my local friends really want to nerd out about it the same why I do. So I made a YouTube video.
The idea is to make a short video talking about each episode of the Real Ghostbusters before the new film hits theaters… though editing this bit took quite a lot longer than I planned. We’ll see where it goes.
I was a little harsh on the first episode – there’s a lot of amazing stuff in RGB, but I’ve always found Ghosts 'R Us to be offputting, off style and generally unpleasant. It doesn’t take long for the series to get its stride, though – season one has a ton of great stories.
The video also talks a little bit about the new movie – kind of poking fun at a lot of the hate for it, but mostly just focusing on how I have no idea who the actresses are. I’m pretty out of touch.
Anyway, I hope 'yall enjoy it. Let me know if you have any tips or suggestions – I’m pretty new to YouTube stuff and what I’m doing right now is very experimental.
Hey great review. I can understand not being terribly impressed with Ghosts R Us, after all it is the first episode and it was trying to figure out what kind of series it was going to be. I mean you have seen the many changes that the show went through some good, many bad. This show was one heck of a ride though. Regarding Killerwatt the next episode I am surprised to find that you find that one weak. I look forward to hearing your view on it. Ironically when I was a kid Killerwatt was the first episode in the series I saw. From the perspective of a 5 year old and a 34 year old, I feel that Killerwatt was a very strong episode. If you look at the trivia in the DVD booklet Killerwatt was actually the first episode to go into production. I am sure you can see from the viewing that this was the one intended to be the first episode. You can see it in the scene where the Ghostbusters go on haunted department store call, Janine blows a kiss to Egon before he leaves and then Slimer slides down the pole and plants a kiss on Janine then flies off with the guys. That moment mirrors the Opening of the series so well that it really sets up the kind feel that the series is going for. In my opinion it is a much stronger introduction to the series than Ghosts R Us. It kept me hooked and after that I never missed an episode. Once again great review you have an awesome structure and I look forward to seeing your reviews of future episodes. I hope you stick with it even after the series starts to go south. As for my opinion of the new film. I am in the same boat as you. I know who Melissa Mcarthy and Kristen Wigg are but I don’t find them very funny. As for Lesley Jones and Kate Mckinnen I have know idea who they are and what they are capable of so I can’t say if they would make decent Ghostbusters. My only vice with the reboot is that it is not in the continuity of the original series. It takes place in a world where Ghostbusters 1 and 2 didn’t happen and that irks me a bit, but I am happy that there are so many of the actors from the original making cameos and as of right now that is the biggest thing I am looking forward too. I am all for these ladies being Ghostbusters, I just wish it was canon with the original universe. I really hate the design of the new car and proton packs, but I believe that I am blinded by pure nostalgia. Anyway sorry for being so long winded I love your video and hope you have more time to put more together. Thanks for sharing.
Yeah, there are a lot of things that are really off style. The cartoony “breaking” of Egon’s PKE meter never happens again, for instance. There are a lot of little things that make it obvious Ghosts R’ Us was an early stage in finding the show’s voice! I didn’t like it, but every show has to go through those stages.
I’ll get into it in more detail in the video (and i might have to rewatch it, i wrote the script a few weeks ago), but Killerwatt isn’t bad, it’s just not great compared to some of the stuff Season One delivers on later. After Killerwatt, we get Mrs. Rogers Neighborhood, which I feel has some bigger themes that are more fun. Killerwatt is okay, and would have been a much MUCH better first episode, though.
This is pretty close to how I feel. I thought Extreme Ghostbusters was pretty rad – so I’m all for a new team – but throwing out the original continuity devalues the new film for me. I can’t say why – it just seems like someone’s already told the story of creating a Ghostbusters company, and I don’t need to see that again. If the new movie does something really unique and new, maybe I’ll be okay with it but.. if the story is one it could have told in the context of the original universe (maybe everybody forgot about the Ghostbusters again, like in the beginning of GB2 and wrote them off as a hoax) then I’ll be kind of annoyed. Like, if it isn’t following the original films.. why make it a Ghostbusters movie? I donno.
I’ll have to wait and see.
I think the new car is okay, all things considered. Very much in the spirit of the original. My only problem with it is that the rubber bumper on the door covers the ghostbusters logo. Looks bad. The new packs are okay, I guess. I’m not crazy about them.
I wonder if they’ll have the same kind of visual effects.
Yeah I am looking forward to the trailer for the new film. I am hoping that the proton pack has the same powering up sound. Whatever the film winds up being I am sure it will be entertaining.
Thanks for the response it is fun to talk about The Real Ghostbusters. Killerwatt was a great introduction and I do agree with you that there were better episodes. When Halloween Was Forever was a real nice strong episode. Mrs Rogers Neighborhood was awesome because I always loved it when the supernatural forces hit them where they lived, with Peter getting possessed and shutting down the containment unit. Citizen Ghost was real fun because it does a good job of answering the questions of what happened after the films conclusion. I can continue yacking your eyes off on season 1, but I will wait to see your reviews which I look forward to. Thanks Again.
Dude I should be thanking you for replying – starting a Youtube series is hard and kinda daunting, and I’m just happy to see that people are liking it.
..but yeah, so much to like about season one. It does a great job building a universe. Looking forward to doing more of these once my voice comes back (i’ve been sick most of this week, which you can hear a little of at the end of the video)
Not that this thread has had a ton of attention, but I figured I may as well update in case anybody found the first video here. I’ve done up episode 2: Killerwatt
I hope to do more than one every couple of weeks soon, but I need to streamline my workflow. As is, each video takes hours upon hours in editing, filming, writing. Ideally, I’d like to get it to a pace where I can do more than one a week.. which should give me enough time to finish the project before the new film comes out.
Finally we’re past the terrible first episode and the better, but middling second adventure, and we’re on to something good: Mrs. Roger’s Neighborhood.
This is the episode that put me at ease: while I watched the first two episodes, I wondered if buying the box set was a mistake. Then I watched this one, and it reminded me of what made The Real Ghostbusters a great show.
Bonus part at the end thinking too much about the team’s vocation.
MODS: Is this thread cool? I seem to just be updating it with the most recent episodes at this point…and I hate being the only person posting in succession of themselves. If this qualifies as SPAM, I’ll gladly stop.
Oh no please don’t stop posting, I know this thread doesn’t get a lot of traffic, but I think traffic might pick up if you keep posting your episodes. That way there are more eps to discuss. Then even more traffic should be going to your Youtube channel. I will be checking on that more so I can see your new episodes. I shared your videos on the Ectopod Facebook page. My partners and I are still trying to get traffic flowing to that sight, but like your vids it’s a labor of love. Is it okay if I continue sharing your work on our site? Just wanted to check.
Again great vids and great views. The Question on the ethics of Ghost Busting are definately going to be brought up again in future episodes and I look forward to more of your work. Awesome Job Man.
I’m not going to stop making the videos either way – I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t breaking a self-promotion forum rule! I’m otherwise happy to drop the videos in here each time I get one up so people can stumble across them at their leisure!
That is awesome. I look forward to seeing more. You are one of many artists I have discovered through this site that I just enjoy. Oh by the way loved your Back to the Future vid.
When I scripted this episode, I found it way more annoying than when I re-watched it for editing – it still has a lot of silly mascot tropes I could do without, but there are a few excellent character moments in there.
Thanks guys! I’m trying to keep pace! This one almost didn’t make it out because my Adobe CC subscription (or rather, the free trial) lapsed a day before I was supposed to edit it, but I manged to stumble through with my old CS4 install.
CS4 really doesn’t like modern media files though, I had to convert the episode to another format before it would happily deal with it.
Feel free to pitch me any suggestions – I’m trying to find ways to speed up production time and exposure on these, though I don’t expect these niche reviews to get a TON of traffic..it would be nice to get more than a few dozen views per episode.
I’m kind of nervous about next week – Boogyman is such a great episode, it’s going to be hard to really give a good, short summery of it.
This episode still holds up, but this time around I noticed some carefully crafted themes that seem directed at teaching kids to overcome their own fears. It was neat!
As expected, good episode.
Edit: Yes that new title card his hideous. I’m trying some experiments with youtube thumbs and metrics. It seems being annoying gets more views? At least that’s what i’m seeing on other videos. So I’m seeing what happens if I make an obnoxious thumbnail. I’ll switch it back if it produces no noticeable difference.
:eyeroll: :sigh: :whatever: