Ghostbusters (2016)

[Ubiquitous]

Hasn't this movie come out and flopped yet?

[NutMeg]

On 5/24/2016 at 8:24 AM, millennium said:

Hmm.   Personally, I don't think misogyny is so rampant that it accounts for even a portion of the disdain and apprehension accompanying this film.   To me, it seems more likely it's on account of yet another reboot of a cherished film for reasons that have nothing to do with art or creativity.   The perception of stunt casting.   Dislike of some of the actresses associated with it.   And backlash to the advance hype -- including two painfully unfunny trailers. 

It's been really interesting learning about the backlash to this film, where it came from, what it was targeted at, all female cast, some female cast, just the reboot in and of itself...

Maybe my post will be very unpopular, because I don't give a damn. I never considered Ghost busters to be a classic. I didn't even see it in a cinema, and that was when I would watch 2-3 movies a week, because the marketing was very obnoxious - these ghosts everywhere were rather cute, the song on the radio wasn't bad,  but I was always a contrarian, and never wanted to do what I was supposed/expected to do. So no, I was not going to see "that" (TM my younger self, who was only into author movies, the more cryptic the better). I still ended end watching it years later on TV, and while it was fun, I still don't get the fuss about it - is it because it watched it much later, and it was meant to be enjoyed fresh? I may be rambling, and maybe you all saw something that I missed, but I thing Ghostbusters was never the chef d'œuvre of the year, and frankly I don't care one bit if there is or is not a remake, and whether or not if stays true to the original. If I see it, it will be on TV, or on  plane, if I'm lacking other choices. I do, though, dislike that the backlash is targeted at this being a female cast - what does the fact that the cast is female have to do with the quality (or lack of) the script overall?      

[millennium]

3 hours ago, NutMeg said:

It's been really interesting learning about the backlash to this film, where it came from, what it was targeted at, all female cast, some female cast, just the reboot in and of itself...

Maybe my post will be very unpopular, because I don't give a damn. I never considered Ghost busters to be a classic. I didn't even see it in a cinema, and that was when I would watch 2-3 movies a week, because the marketing was very obnoxious - these ghosts everywhere were rather cute, the song on the radio wasn't bad,  but I was always a contrarian, and never wanted to do what I was supposed/expected to do. So no, I was not going to see "that" (TM my younger self, who was only into author movies, the more cryptic the better). I still ended end watching it years later on TV, and while it was fun, I still don't get the fuss about it - is it because it watched it much later, and it was meant to be enjoyed fresh? I may be rambling, and maybe you all saw something that I missed, but I thing Ghostbusters was never the chef d'œuvre of the year, and frankly I don't care one bit if there is or is not a remake, and whether or not if stays true to the original. If I see it, it will be on TV, or on  plane, if I'm lacking other choices. I do, though, dislike that the backlash is targeted at this being a female cast - what does the fact that the cast is female have to do with the quality (or lack of) the script overall?      

I don't think of it as a "classic" either.    It was a funny movie but I don't think I've watched it again since it first came out, nor do I have a desire to see it.    It did its job at the time, which is more than I can say for a lot of movies.  There's a little nostalgia, but I don't have any emotional attachment.

I keep reading comments by people who saw it when they were "seven or eight years old" and say it was a "cherished" part of their childhood   Maybe I'm old fashioned but I don't think it was a movie appropriate for kids so young (and still isn't.).   Characters in kids' movies generally don't refer to each other as "dickless" or have Sigourney Weaver gyrating salaciously (and that's just the stuff I remember).     I know they marketed it as being for kids, i.e., action figures, lunch boxes, etc.   But that was pure profiteering, with no regard for standards. 

Today, maybe, in a world where nine and ten years olds shout obscenities at each other while playing in the park, Ghostbusters passes for a kids' movie.   But it wouldn't in my house.

Edited July 2, 2016 by millennium

[millennium]

Given that this movie has become something of a hot potato in the world of social media, do you think mainstream critics will be cowed into giving it "diplomatic" reviews even if it sucks?    I imagine they risk accusations of misogyny against them and their media outlets if they say or write anything negative about it.

[Watcher0363]

I am still not going to see this at a movie theater. But the latest trailer I saw with the "Power of pain compels you," made me laugh. So if it is actually still in the movie. I will be making a Redbox rental.

[Morrigan2575]

10 hours ago, Watcher0363 said:

I am still not going to see this at a movie theater. But the latest trailer I saw with the "Power of pain compels you," made me laugh. So if it is actually still in the movie. I will be making a Redbox rental.

It's actually, "the power Patty compels you"...personally I found that entire scene annoying and a total cliche. I said it before and I'll say it again the humor in this movie is massively sophomoric  (and I'm not claiming to be an intellectual) but, everything from the vomit to the prat falls to the special effects are geared towards kids.  Now, I have no problem with kids movies but, the best ones IMO, are the movies that have depth, where the surface jokes are designed for kids but, the underlying story is for the adults/parents. Based on the trailers, there's nothing in the movie for adults, IMO.

There's actually only one joke/gag in the trailers that made me laugh, it's the mall scene where one of the girls has a wig/hat on and pretends to be mannequin. 

Edited July 3, 2016 by Morrigan2575

[slf]

On 7/2/2016 at 8:45 PM, millennium said:

Given that this movie has become something of a hot potato in the world of social media, do you think mainstream critics will be cowed into giving it "diplomatic" reviews even if it sucks?    I imagine they risk accusations of misogyny against them and their media outlets if they say or write anything negative about it.

I don't. If critics or anyone else in journalism/Hollywood fear accusations of misogyny and racism they've got weird ways of showing it. I know it's a common accusation that evil internet feminists force people into submission but I've never known that to actually happen; every now and again a company, studio, writer, or whoever's being put on blast releases a half-assed apology but otherwise keeps on keeping on.

If anything I see some critics - likely none of the major ones - who'll give the movie bad reviews framing it as them braving opposition.

Edited July 4, 2016 by slf

[snickers]

Quote

Hasn't this movie come out and flopped yet?

If this question is for real the answer is NO-it comes out July 15 I think.

 

So-at first I had no interest in seeing it.  Then i saw the first trailer and it peaked my interest....now though...I am not sure.....I think it could go either way.

 

I guess I'll end up waiting to see what the reviews say, or if it is playing at the drive in near me I'll go regardless.  If it flops, it will follow the trend.....

[Browncoat]

I haven't decided whether or not to see it.  I am of the "did we really need a remake?" camp (regardless of the cast -- they could have remade it with the original cast and I'd still feel the same way.  Incidentally, I am a female feminist.), and the trailers have not piqued my interest in the slightest.  Well, except to turn me off with the vomiting librarian, of course.  I did and do love the original, and perhaps it is nostalgia, since the summer it came out was a really good summer for me, but I don't care.  I'll still watch it when I run across it on TV.

[calliope1975]

I'm gonna go see it. Probably buy my tix tomorrow. If it sucks, it won't be the first or last time I've spent money on a bad movie, and if it makes me laugh, win win win. Plus, I get popcorn and perhaps an Icee.

[millennium]

Movies are $15 where I am.   A movie has to be pretty spectacular to open my wallet that much.   It's kind of a curse that I can remember going to the movies for $1-3. 

[Dandesun]

Well, we probably didn't need a remake but if I have to choose between the first remake of Ghostbusters than the fiftieth remake of Tarzan.

I love Ghostbusters, saw it in the theater as a kid with my family, laughed a LOT and it surprisingly didn't scar me considering I am a gigantic wuss when it comes to scary things (okay, the crypt-keeper cab driver did give me the heebie-jeebies) and I didn't get a lot of the jokes, either. I have watched it several times over the decades since and have probably used 'That's a big Twinkie' and 'What did you do, Ray?' more than once in conversation. I have definitely used 'Art deco, very nice' and 'Tell me when we get to 20 because I'm gonna throw up' more than once in conversation.

So I have good memories of this movie when it came out and over the years. I wasn't impressed with the first trailer but I'm probably going to give this movie a chance. Why not? It looks like it could be fun and that's why I go to the movies. Plus, the backlash has been so ugly that it gets my back up. I rather felt the same way about John Carter. I didn't think that movie deserved the sheer amount of hate it got, either.

[VCRTracking]

I didn't know what Leslie says at the end until I saw a GIF on Tumblr. She said "Holtzy get down!" "Holtzy' short for Holtzmann, Kate McKinnon's character.

Edited July 8, 2016 by VCRTracking

[Dancingjaneway]

I'm super pumped to see this because I will watch anything with Kate McKinnon in it. 

[MisterGlass]

I'll probably see this, unless the reviews are truly dire, because I want to give it a chance after all this kerfuffle.

On 7/2/2016 at 2:19 PM, millennium said:

I keep reading comments by people who saw it when they were "seven or eight years old" and say it was a "cherished" part of their childhood   Maybe I'm old fashioned but I don't think it was a movie appropriate for kids so young (and still isn't.).

I was probably that age when I saw it.  The most objectionable parts went over my head.  It isn't as beloved to me as Star Wars, but I still have a soft spot for it.  I remember being a big fan of the cartoon series that followed, which I think was much more child oriented.  I remember there being an episode where Egon somehow inherited a dragon.

[VCRTracking]

Hitfix Review:

'Ghostbusters' successfully passes the torch to a new generation
 

[BetterButter]

GHOSTBUSTERS Review: Bad News For The Ghostbros

[VCRTracking]

As a Kate McKinnon fan I'm so happy that people are saying she steals the movie!

[Ms Blue Jay]

I've heard both Kate and Chris do , now.  Reviews seem positive so far -- heard that the film is not perfect but the characters are great and that it is funny.  Lots of reviews are rolling in now.

[Morrigan2575]

 Variety gave it a bad review. So did The Hollywood Reporter. Oh and The Village Voice

Edited July 10, 2016 by Morrigan2575

[VCRTracking]

73 percent on Rotten Tomatoes so far which is more than I hoped for seeing the trailers. Much like The Force Awakens most of the criticisms are about how it's paying too much fanservice and references to the original and much like TFA the best parts are when it does it it's own thing and is different.

[Dancingjaneway]

I'm really hoping that this movie helps/doesn't hurt Kate's career. I want to see her do really well when she decides to leave SNL. 

Edited July 11, 2016 by Dancingjaneway

[PatternRec]

On 7/2/2016 at 6:45 PM, millennium said:

Given that this movie has become something of a hot potato in the world of social media, do you think mainstream critics will be cowed into giving it "diplomatic" reviews even if it sucks?    I imagine they risk accusations of misogyny against them and their media outlets if they say or write anything negative about it.

I'd imagine a good reviewer who didn't like the movie would advise what was bad about the film while making it clear the faults had nothing to do with gender. I have to admit the first trailer really let me down, but the people who already think the movie sucks based on genderswapping the roles without having seen the movie are responding to something else, not the quality of writing, performances etc. 

[Spartan Girl]

So now the troll whiners are saying that all the positive reviews are probably bought and paid for by Sony, and a group is gathering on Reddit to try and make the movie bomb.

I. Am. So. Fucking. Sick. Of. This. Shit.

[Shannon L.]

15 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

So now the troll whiners are saying that all the positive reviews are probably bought and paid for by Sony, and a group is gathering on Reddit to try and make the movie bomb.

I was just reading a review of it and was wondering if the trolls would come out and say that Sony bought the good reviews.  So predictable.

16 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

I. Am. So. Fucking. Sick. Of. This. Shit.

Me, too.  In fact, I was on the fence about this one, then heard about some decent reviews and told my kid, who wants to see it, that maybe I'd take him to a Sunday morning (read: cheapest tickets) viewing, but now, I think I'll not only definitely take him, but we'll see it in 3-D just to give the movie a few more dollars (but, still first thing Sunday morning--we can't afford full price on a regular basis--especially in 3-D, so we save that for the movies we really, really want to see).

[galax-arena]

On 7/11/2016 at 0:24 PM, Spartan Girl said:

So now the troll whiners are saying that all the positive reviews are probably bought and paid for by Sony, and a group is gathering on Reddit to try and make the movie bomb.

I. Am. So. Fucking. Sick. Of. This. Shit.

The bros are so pressed. 

I wasn't planning on watching this film because the only thing I really remember about Ghostbusters is that creepy-ass portrait villain from the second movie. The franchise in general is something I'm pretty meh about. But much like how the people whining about Lucy Liu's casting in Elementary made me give the show a chance, looks like I'll be giving this one a shot too. 

Preemptive disclaimer: NO, I don't think you're necessarily sexist/misogynistic if you just so happen to not like the movie for other reasons blah blah blah. Relax. But if you're getting THIS angry that the critics don't agree with you, to the point where you want to manipulate/brigade message boards to sink any positive reviews? That's telling. Like, I think Star Wars is overhyped to hell and back but I'm not pissy that the critics like it. 

Edited July 16, 2016 by galax-arena

[FurryFury]

Quote

the only thing I really remember about Ghostbusters is that creepy-ass portrait villain from the second movie. 

I thought I was the only one.

[galax-arena]

It was the stuff of nightmares. Honestly, if this Ghostbusters reboot has a similarly creepy villain I might get excited about watching the movie for its own sake and not because I'm a petty asshole who wants to bathe in people's tears. 

According to this guy, Ghostbusters now has a higher RT score than Interstellar, the Prestige, the Boondock Saints, Ghostbusters 2, Batman v. Superman, Warcraft, the Hateful Eight, Space Jam, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Man of Steel. Some movies don't really fit in with the others but I think he chose movies that fanboys like jerking off to.  

[Bruinsfan]

Seeing The Prestige and The Hateful Eight on that list surprises me; weren't both critical darlings? I wouldn't have expected even a really good comedy to outdo them review-wise.

Of course, getting a better RT score than Batman v. Superman basically means it's not an Adam Sandler movie or a videogame adaptation directed by Uwe Boll.

Edited July 12, 2016 by Bruinsfan

[Fukui San]

I bought tickets to this movie even though I'm a parent whose time is completely consumed by parenting and work and thus I don't have any hope of actually seeing any movie, even ones I badly want to see like CA: Civil War.  That's how much the Men's Rights Activist constant drumbeat monthslong misogynist hatred of this movie bugs me.  I may buy two tickets a week until it's out of theaters and then buy the DVD at which point I'd actually be able to see it. On the movie's own merits I'd only be mildly interested in seeing the damn thing, but if it ruins some of these assholes' day it'd be money well spent.

[Hybridcookie]

So I saw this last night, and I loved it. The whole cast is so good particularly Kate McKinnon. I'll definitely see it again

[PatternRec]

25 minutes ago, Hybridcookie said:

So I saw this last night, and I loved it. The whole cast is so good particularly Kate McKinnon. I'll definitely see it again

I <3 McKinnon *so* much. I haven't seen the movie yet but I am so happy she's getting a lot of praise. 

[DollEyes]

  While I was already planning to see the reboot, the mostly good reviews are encouraging. As for the members of the "He-Men Wimmen H8terz Club" (tm The Little Rascals) who've hating on it sight unseen, their stupidity doesn't just burn; it's at backdraft levels. They're entitled to their opinions, but most of the vitriol towards this movie has been disgusting, to say the least. 

  As for the troll in one of the articles about the backlash who compared the remake to "raping [their] childhood," really, bitch? I didn't feel "raped" when The Wizard Of Oz was turned into The Wiz.  That cheap shot both insults the movie and trivializes rape. As far as I'm concerned, that kind of attitude says much worse about them than it does about the movie. 

Edited July 12, 2016 by DollEyes

[BetterButter]

Honest Trailers - Ghostbusters 2

[Chaos Theory]

Ok I am starting to get offended that people are so gosh darn offended.  I had no interest in this for my own reasons but I may go and see it now just out of curiosity and sheer annoyance.

[Hybridcookie]

I work in a cinema and everyone I've spoken seems to have enjoyed it. I asked two little boys if they liked it - they both did and one replied "yeah, who doesn't." which was nice to hear

ETA: Just seen this review which I really liked (just ignore the comments):

http://collider.com/ghostbusters-review/

Edited July 12, 2016 by Hybridcookie

[Spartan Girl]

To anyone that has already seen it: is the original theme song used at all?

[slf]

On 7/11/2016 at 11:24 AM, Spartan Girl said:

So now the troll whiners are saying that all the positive reviews are probably bought and paid for by Sony, and a group is gathering on Reddit to try and make the movie bomb.

I. Am. So. Fucking. Sick. Of. This. Shit.

Oh, so that's their story now? For over a week they've been complaining about the lack of reviews and were circulating the rumor that Sony had put an embargo on reviews until after the movie opened so that they couldn't have a negative effect on ticket sales.

Such pissbabies.

Edited July 13, 2016 by slf

[Bruinsfan]

I hope it grosses half a billion dollars in the US just to twist the knife.

[SeanC]

I saw it earlier.  My verdict overall would be that I enjoyed it.  It's unlikely that people will regularly quote from this 30+ years from now, but that's a pretty high standard, one that even the movie's own sequel couldn't meet.

Kate McKinnon was the cast standout for me, even though her character really doesn't have much definition beyond acting weird.

I thought Neil Casey had a nice presence as the villain, to the point where it's a shame when he switches bodies and then turns into a big monster toward the final third.

[inkworks]

The amount of hate this movie is receiving is outrageous. It's all coming from people who haven't even seen it yet. Why not watch it first and then give your opinion?

Anyway, I'm going to see it tomorrow night and I'm looking forward to it :)

[galax-arena]

 

Cry more. 

(No, I mean it, please cry more. The tears of whiny fanboys keep me young.) 

[purplemouth]

I saw it this afternoon and really enjoyed it. Of course, I didn't go into it expecting to get all butthurt about everything, 'cause it's a movie, not life or death. Great chemistry among the cast and it made me laugh. I'm not really into cool guns or weapons in movies, but some of their gadgets were awesome.

[Hybridcookie]

When it was announced, I didn't have much interest in the Ghostbusters reboot - I was never a fan of the original, and while I watched the cartoon (the one with Kylie in it - Extreme Ghostbusters?), but I liked the cast and the trailers and wanted to give it a shot.

But after months and months of people whining and complaining about how much it's gonna suck, how it shouldn't be made, how it's not going to be the same 'because them being women just didn't seem right', I feel weirdly protective over this film, not sure how to explain it. I saw it the first chance I got and I really liked it. I don't usually rate stuff on IMDB, but I made sure I rated this. I don't post here very often - mostly just lurk, but I posted my mini review here, as well as on Tumblr and a couple of other places, and I've been recommending it to people in the cinema, and it just annoys me that it's getting such low ratings on IMDB and other places by people who have never seen it and just hate it because they hate it.

The Lost Boys has been my favourite film since I was a kid and when I saw there was a sequel years later, with pretty much the same storyline with a whole new cast, I was apprehensive, and I watched it and it sucked, but it didn't take away from the original. I still love the original just as much as I did.

I wish people could give it a shot and judge it as a film rather than just automatically hating it because of it's existence.

Sorry that that was a bit long and rambly, but it's late and I just have a lot of feelings that I wanted to express about this film and things surrounding it

[magdalene]

The original movie didn't make much impression on me but I will have to see this one just because of the laughable whining against it. 

Every day I wake up to more distressing world news and this movie gets the collective panties of the fan boys in a twist? Good grief.

Wasn't there also a vocal group who poo-poo'd the last Mad Max movie for being "too female centric"?  Why so afraid of the vagina?

[DrSpaceman73]

I saw it and thought it was just OK.  I didn't dislike it, was an enjoyable movie.  I just didn't find it that funny.  Some of the lines that were supposed to be funny just didn't land and fell flat. 

And I also thought Kate McKinnon was annoying and unfunny.  She is the only one that bugged me and that I disliked.  She seemed to overact and try too hard. 

I will say I saw the original again last month for the first time in about 30 years and it wasn't as good or as funny as I remember.  The main difference between the new movie and the old one is Bill Murray.  In my opinion he really made the first film.  No one in this movie really stood out to me like that. (Yes I know Bill Murray was in the new one in a small part.  None of the main characters stand out like him though)

In the end this is a whole lot of discussion and criticism over a perfectly OK but fairly mediocre remake.  The pre-release criticism probably backfired and is giving the movie more attention than it would have otherwise received. 

My opinion is the pre-release criticism was over the top and stupid.  At the same time though, I think the reviews of it I have read are overrating it. 

Edited July 16, 2016 by DrSpaceman73

[pivot]

Saw this tonight. Lots of laughs in the theater. Funny movie with some genuine scary moments. I thought they did a good job of having the movie stand on its own while still throwing out some homages to the original movie. Thought Leslie Jones and Chris Hemsworth stole the show. Wiig was surprisingly not annoying in the movie. And I really loved the ending of the movie where they kicked some ass. Nice to see a team of competent women kicking ass without having to be half-naked or wearing skintight leather.

It's expected to do around $40-50mm this weekend which somehow is already being treated as a disappointment. 

Edited July 16, 2016 by pivot

[NumberCruncher]

I just got back from Ghostbusters as well.  It was enjoyable but is not going to be a lasting classic.  My impression was in line with most critics in that regard though I, too, think they've overrated it a bit.  It was pretty much what I expected it to be--a bit of a caricature of the original.  There were several LOL moments but also forced humor which I felt wasn't terribly organic.  I liked all of the team, even Kristen Wiig, which is huge for me because I've never enjoyed her in movies.  Hemsworth was surprisingly delightful and his ending credits sequence was honestly better than the movie itself.  All in all I wasn't sorry I saw what amounted to a nice diversion from the crap going on in the world.

3 hours ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

In the end this is a whole lot of discussion and criticism over a perfectly OK but fairly mediocre remake.  The pre-release criticism probably backfired and is giving the movie more attention than it would have otherwise received. 

^^^This.  I thought the same thing walking out of the theater.  It's ironic that we spent months and months of arguing over what turned out to be a fairly decent movie that didn't command one-tenth of the level of press/attention it received.

[Bruinsfan]

10 hours ago, magdalene said:

Wasn't there also a vocal group who poo-poo'd the last Mad Max movie for being "too female centric"?  Why so afraid of the vagina?

People are always going to fear the unknown.

[Vella]

This film was so silly and funny and the action/ghostbusting sequences were exciting and there were definitely jump moments I wasn't expecting.  It was a perfect summer movie.  That's all it needed to be and that is all it set out to be.