Ghostbusters reboot (film) - Female cast

[MinionZombie]

The "International Trailer" with a few bits of new footage ... ... the gags are still pretty naff. I did chuckle at the last one, but other than that they still have that cloyingly 2010's thing of halting everything to be make sure everybody knows you're being self-aware, which always feels a bit forced to me. I'd hope most of the jokes aren't like that, but at this rate...

[bassman]

Ugh.....more "modern" jokes. This trailer also has certain scenes confirming a spoiler-filled test screening review that's out there. And believe me....this review makes this film seem like recent Adam Sandler movies.

[MinionZombie]

Yeah, the crowd surfing gag was nothing but predictable, and the follow up felt clumsy and blunt and not particularly clever/well written as a joke either. It just kind of crashed with a thud. Self awareness can work very well - but it has to be backed up by good writing, and work in the context ... there does seem to be a worrying trend towards that 'halt everything, break the fourth wall without literally breaking it' thing that I mentioned in previous posts. Here it just seems a bit awkward and it doesn't feel like it really fits in with Ghostbusters, if that makes sense? It doesn't seem like the right approach. I'm wondering if the 'Feig approach' is really the right one for this franchise. It worked brilliantly for Bridesmaids, and I've heard good things about Spy ... but those were built from the ground up by Feig and the performers. Trying to fit their style into Ghostbusters feels a bit 'square peg/round hole'... *worried look*

[MinionZombie]

A third trailer has been released ... and the jokes are still the same style of shit in the previous two. *sigh*

[Neil]

^^ Am I picking up you may not be entirely into this flick? (so far)

[MinionZombie]

^^ Am I picking up you may not be entirely into this flick? (so far) It's the jokes, Neil ... they're terrible ... predictable in the extreme, and with no real intelligence to them at all. I half-expect to see Paul Blart: Mall Cop swing by for a cameo! Even the ghost effects, which I kinda liked at first, are now not sitting right with me. Plus, the fact that it's a remake is a giant mark against it. No matter what they're calling it to try and avoid using the dread "remake" word - it's a remake. It just is. Oof ... it does not look good, yeesh. ... Screen Junkies have a chat about it:

[EvilNed]

I've said my piece about it. People are acting to harshly towards it. I think it looks pretty good compared to everything else that gets pushed these days.

[bassman]

The second international trailer is an improvement on the three before it, but I'm still not holding out much hope. Basically I've come to terms with it. This film exists, it could be crap, okay, or the extremely small chance that it's great, but either way the originals will still be there. I'm not necessarily happy about it, but I'm also not going to get all bent out of shape about it like some fans across the net. I do get a nice warm and fuzzy feeling to see my daughters' reactions and excitement for this film. They've grown to love the original films and cartoon because of my fandom and to them, Feig's film looks like a home run. I see it something like the new TMNT films: they're not very good films at all, just goofy entertainment and the kids love the spectical of it all. In the end, they'll have both versions of GB to enjoy. And I can very proudly say that they can quote the original films by heart!

[EvilNed]

I don't think there's any chance of it being great... But I do think there's a good chance of it being a decent Melissa McCarthy vehicle.

[MinionZombie]

Bassman - well, good to hear your daughter's got good taste RE: original GBs and the cartoon. There was a comment made somewhere online, I've forgotten where now, but that this one looks like it's been filmed as a comedy - whereas the originals were filmed as a sort of horror/ghost thriller that just so happened to be funny. I think there's a clear distinction there. Also, my worries come down to the style of comedy - in the originals its very smart, and at times really quite subtle and layered ... in this new one? Going on the trailers it's just that awfully blunt 21st century "stop everything and look at the joke!" style comedy. That style can work, but smashing it into Ghostbusters feels like a square peg slamming into a round hole, two clashing styles. Almost like throwing explicit sex into a romcom. It just doesn't look good. To me at least, Ghostbusters is a franchise that's capable of far better humour than yet another Exorcist reference that's no different or better than previous spoofs over the last 40 years and screaming really loud while stopping everything to say "hey! this is the joke! look at it! look at it! oh, we're so funny, aren't we?" It's like if you took the cast and makers of Airplane, and shoved them into a remake of Swingers - two totally different styles that are great in and on their own terms, but that just don't mix. When I eventually see it, because I will (but not in the cinema, as I so rarely go these days), it could end up having some good points, that's entirely possible, but if the trailers are representative of what the film is ... oh dear, as Neil is known to say.

[bassman]

I totally agree on the style of comedy. But the funny thing is, I get the feeling that even if the original cast had returned as their original characters, those characters would be the only ones with the classic style of comedy and everything else would've been more modern. Times have changed and unfortunately the general audoences' acceptance of that old style of comedy would very likely hurt the film. It was inevitable, regardless of a continuation or remake, that the style of comedy wouldn't match the originals 100%. It's a shame, but it's a reality if you look at the majority of successful comedies today.

[MinionZombie]

I totally agree on the style of comedy. But the funny thing is, I get the feeling that even if the original cast had returned as their original characters, those characters would be the only ones with the classic style of comedy and everything else would've been more modern. Times have changed and unfortunately the general audoences' acceptance of that old style of comedy would very likely hurt the film. It was inevitable, regardless of a continuation or remake, that the style of comedy wouldn't match the originals 100%. It's a shame, but it's a reality if you look at the majority of successful comedies today. Hmmm ... well, it's only a type of comedy that happens to be popular, this whole 'Apatow style'. The telling of the jokes in Ghostbusters might change slightly compared to the 21st century, but ostensibly the jokes still work, and that style of comedy would still work. The 'Apatow style' is often hilarious and there's been some great movies, but they've also got their fair share of problems - they're often overlong (Apatow's films in particular are ill disciplined to say the least when it comes to running times - the four act structure of the exceptionally overlong Funny People, for example), and the moments where you can tell that two or three cameras have been set up just so the actors can riff are painfully obvious (and, at times, indulgent - so we sit through several joke choices that have all made the final cut), and indeed visually speaking these films tend not to be that great. The visual aspect of comedy is missing from most of these 'Apatow style' comedy films. However, not all American comedy has gone fully that way. The Jump Street flicks have some of that 'Apatow riffing' to them, but they also play visually strong and strive to be smart with the story, the characters, the situation, and the formula of the whole thing. I'm a big fan of MacGruber, too. Now, compare that 'Apatow style' to the films of Edgar Wright - hilarious and visually arresting, where the jokes can be played as visual, but are also very smart and exceedingly well structured throughout the entire movie with setups, payoffs, and reversals placed very specifically from start to finish. It's a modern style of comedy, but it's also decidedly smart and decidedly funny. I'm wondering if Feig's GB is going to focus much more on the situation rather than the characters. There was a lot of gold in the originals that was based purely on the characters who happened to be in this extraordinary situation, whereas it seems as if in this new one there's a lot of 'comedy from the situation' being used instead ... and the jokes we've seen thus far are terribly blunt/obvious in how they're going to play out (e.g. the stage dive moment). Moments like that feel terribly Blart-like.

[shootemindehead]

It's like if you took the cast and makers of Airplane, and shoved them into a remake of Swingers - two totally different styles that are great in and on their own terms, but that just don't mix. You see this is the heart of the problem. It's been given to the wrong people. Feig has a particular schtick that worked with 'Bridesmaids', but I don't see it working here. When I eventually see it, because I will (but not in the cinema, as I so rarely go these days), it could end up having some good points, that's entirely possible, but if the trailers are representative of what the film is ... oh dear, as Neil is known to say. I might DL it, if I have absolutely nothing else to watch, or am just curious. But from the trailers I've seen, this thing is going to be wretched. I'm relatively hard to please at the best of times and I don't think Nu-Ghostbusters is going to do it. I'm not even that big a fan of the original. It was a decent, entertaining, film and I remember the Christmas of 'Ghostbusters' and 'Gremlins' very well. But I am constantly surprised at the fondness with which some people look back upon it. But I do understand, completely, why some fans of the original are up in arms about this new thing. They wanted 'Ghostbusters 3' and got this.

[bassman]

Ray Parker Jr created the original iconic theme song, Run DMC put the 80's rap spin on it for GBII, now they've hired Fall Out Boy and Missy Elliot to recreate the song for Feig's film. While I am not a fan of either of those, I always knew they'd get some new and popular artist to cover the song for a new generation. Having said that...ARE they popular anymore?? I'm not up to date with current trendy groups, but I haven't heard of FOB's fame in close to ten years, and the last singIe remember from Elliot was that "it's my window and I can't stand the rain" song that was popular probably 15 years back?? I thought they'd get a singer/group that's actually popular at the moment. I dunno, it just seemed strange to me...

[MinionZombie]

Speaking of Feig, I watched "Spy" the other day - now that I rather enjoyed (even if there were a few parts littered around where scenes went on too long, or needed to be cut differently - e.g. the pre-credits moment where she fires the gardener just didn't work and fell pretty flat after a rather good scene in the restaurant, and yes, some rather obvious jokes you knew the punchline to before they concluded - physical comedy bits, mostly - and a lot of swearing tossed in). However, "Spy" is a new I.P. created by Feig himself in his own mould. Anyone else trying to do it wouldn't work. My biggest concern with his GB film is the square peg/round hole thing. Feig's brand of comedy just doesn't fit what Ghostbusters is.