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Jeanine You Changed is a great back end episode that explains a lot of things in a neat way. Masquerade is a great Venkman episode. Nightgame is great too, Winston centric episode with a fun premise and a great final joke.
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Aug 5, 2021 18:10
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From the GBS WandomWaffle thread: This is a vintage gif, baby 
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Aug 5, 2021 18:55
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I like the RGB YT channel adds an Arsenio Hall hashtag.
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Aug 5, 2021 20:43
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Violator posted:I happened to rewatch GB1 a couple weeks ago and some of the stuff I love the most is the things I didn’t pick up as a kid. Like after the hotel bust Egon subtly shaking his head and rubbing his nose with certain fingers to tell Venkman how much to charge. A weirdo scientist but a sly business man too. This is the scene that made me really appreciate the difference between a widescreen theatrical print and the pan and scan VHS i watched until it died as a kid. You literally can't see this joke in the pan and scan. They focus on venkman and you never really see his fingers doing that. e: i am reasonably pumped for this new film, trailer was dope e2: on the topic of RGB i had a VHS with Drool the Dog Faced Goblin, The Rosebud citizen kane one, and Murray the Mantis, and drat thats a really top notch collection of episodes now that i look back on it. The Notorious ZSB fucked around with this message at 20:04 on Aug 6, 2021 |
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Aug 6, 2021 19:58
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One of my favorite gags in GB1 is Venkman telling the mayor how, if he's right, he'll have saved the lives of millions of registered voters, and the mayor looks over to the Cardinal, who gives him a knowing smirk/nod. It's one of many bits I never picked up on as a kid but now I laugh every time I see it.
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Aug 6, 2021 20:05
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"You can believe Mr. Pecker...." "My name... is PECK."
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Aug 6, 2021 20:16
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TL posted:One of my favorite gags in GB1 is Venkman telling the mayor how, if he's right, he'll have saved the lives of millions of registered voters, and the mayor looks over to the Cardinal, who gives him a knowing smirk/nod. It's one of many bits I never picked up on as a kid but now I laugh every time I see it. It’s interesting to me just how much the movie is driven by Venkman’s need to hustle people. Practically every plot point is a direct result of Venkman trying to get one over on someone. The one guy who takes nothing seriously is the driving force of everything that happens.
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Aug 6, 2021 20:29
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Splint Chesthair posted:It’s interesting to me just how much the movie is driven by Venkman’s need to hustle people. Practically every plot point is a direct result of Venkman trying to get one over on someone. The one guy who takes nothing seriously is the driving force of everything that happens. That's a very good point I've never really thought of. There's really no reason for Venkman to be such a dick to Peck when he first appears, but Venkman has to be Venkman.
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Aug 6, 2021 22:43
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TL posted:That's a very good point I've never really thought of. There's really no reason for Venkman to be such a dick to Peck when he first appears, but Venkman has to be Venkman. To be fair Peck is skeptical of Venkman's credentials which gets things off to a bad start.
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Aug 6, 2021 23:10
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Bacon Terrorist posted:To be fair Peck is skeptical of Venkman's credentials which gets things off to a bad start. Which, in fairness to Peck (and he doesn't deserve it), is pretty reasonable. I would be skeptical of everything about Venkman including the name.
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Aug 6, 2021 23:24
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It's Peck's body language as well, his vibe, it is clear he wasn't there for good reasons. Back when I used to work customer service I could always tell before a customer said anything that they were gonna give me a hard time. I reckon it's a bit like that.
Karloff fucked around with this message at 23:43 on Aug 6, 2021 |
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Aug 6, 2021 23:37
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TL posted:That's a very good point I've never really thought of. There's really no reason for Venkman to be such a dick to Peck when he first appears, but Venkman has to be Venkman. Venkman sees an opportunity to turn the tables on a Dean Yeager type with the tiny scrap of authority he has.
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Aug 7, 2021 00:12
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Splint Chesthair posted:It’s interesting to me just how much the movie is driven by Venkman’s need to hustle people. Practically every plot point is a direct result of Venkman trying to get one over on someone. The one guy who takes nothing seriously is the driving force of everything that happens. Once thing that Bill Murray and I think Reitman did well is basically portray as insecure. They especially note that Dana saying "you're an odd little man" I forget if they say if its an adlib but they thought it was important to keep because HE IS odd. Also, if not mentioned before if you are looking for Ghostbuster's episodes on Youtube, watch Citizen Ghost the best Ghostbusters sequel.
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Aug 7, 2021 00:25
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RGB is genuinely scary at times, and I loved watching it to see which monster would terrify the snot out of me as a kid. It also had some great titles for episodes. The Collect Call of C'thulu? Come on, that rules.
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Aug 7, 2021 06:18
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I watched the first two the other day, and while I already caught the flick's weird libertarian ethos years ago, until now, I've had a rather huge blind spot for what a huge loving creep Venkman is to Dana, who wants absolutely nothing to do with him in both flicks right up until the plot decides she's changed her mind for no reason. Like, she tells him no so many times and he just blows right past all of them.
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Aug 7, 2021 06:51
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LividLiquid posted:I watched the first two the other day, and while I already caught the flick's weird libertarian ethos years ago, until now, I've had a rather huge blind spot for what a huge loving creep Venkman is to Dana, who wants absolutely nothing to do with him in both flicks right up until the plot decides she's changed her mind for no reason. Like, she tells him no so many times and he just blows right past all of them. I know what you're saying but it is part of the overall arc reflected in the B plot, for better or worse by today's standards. Dana has a problem, Venkman is hired to fix it but doesn't know what he is doing at first. He swears to solve her problem and prove himself to her, which she acknowledges only to solve her problem. In GB1 via the montage we see her opinion of Venkman and the Ghostbusters improves, to the point she accepts a date with him at the next meeting (initially reluctant but the script needs the plot to happen and the ground has been laid for a change in attitude, mirroring the city's change in attitude towards them). Similarly in GB2, Venkman treated her badly in the 5 year gap. Ghostbusters are discredited again, by investigating her problem they then get vindicated (another montage) and Dana comes to Venkman when the bathtub attacks. Again, mirroring the same way the Mayor blanks him at the start and begs him at the end. It definitely wouldn't fly in modern cinema but I think the persistent loser/creep was basically a trope in 80s cinema? Edit: TV Tropes would have Dana as a Damsel in Distress/Defrosting Ice Queen hybrid, not unlike a certain Princess Leia though Han was more of a jerk than a creep to her. Bacon Terrorist fucked around with this message at 07:24 on Aug 7, 2021 |
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Aug 7, 2021 07:16
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Edit: Deleted duplicate.
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Aug 7, 2021 07:23
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Bacon Terrorist posted:It definitely wouldn't fly in modern cinema but I think the persistent loser/creep was basically a trope in 80s cinema? Oh, yes. The 'charming lothario' for lack of a better term was definitely a thing back then, especially in the slobs v. snobs comedies.
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Aug 7, 2021 14:41
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Ghostbusters definitely led me to have some less-than-good ideas of what constituted a positive role model. I thought Venkman was "cool" because he was funny, and his assholishness and creepy behavior flew over my head. It's why I later thought you were supposed to root for characters like Duckman, etc. A good jerk character can make you laugh, but you still need to understand that they're an rear end in a top hat.
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Aug 7, 2021 22:37
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King Vidiot posted:Ghostbusters definitely led me to have some less-than-good ideas of what constituted a positive role model. I thought Venkman was "cool" because he was funny, and his assholishness and creepy behavior flew over my head. It's why I later thought you were supposed to root for characters like Duckman, etc. All of us Xers fell prey to what Boomers taught us was good. The latter half was able to get over it for the most part, I think.
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Aug 8, 2021 01:15
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King Vidiot posted:Ghostbusters definitely led me to have some less-than-good ideas of what constituted a positive role model. I thought Venkman was "cool" because he was funny, and his assholishness and creepy behavior flew over my head. It's why I later thought you were supposed to root for characters like Duckman, etc. Ghostbusters certainly had young me dangerously close to going down the road of "How dare those EPA people tell those hard working smart guys what to do. See? Look how inept they are!" where these days it's kinda not hard to notice that Walter Peck spends a lot of time actually trying to talk to the Ghostbusters about the unlicensed nuclear devices they have in the middle of loving Manhattan and in return Peter basically blows him off and ignores him at every chance until he is literally forced to get the police to come in because the Ghostbusters won't talk to him.
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Aug 8, 2021 01:17
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ImpAtom posted:Ghostbusters certainly had young me dangerously close to going down the road of "How dare those EPA people tell those hard working smart guys what to do. See? Look how inept they are!" where these days it's kinda not hard to notice that Walter Peck spends a lot of time actually trying to talk to the Ghostbusters about the unlicensed nuclear devices they have in the middle of loving Manhattan and in return Peter basically blows him off and ignores him at every chance until he is literally forced to get the police to come in because the Ghostbusters won't talk to him. Don't forget that Venkman had a powerful sedative on him on his date.
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Aug 8, 2021 01:39
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Darko posted:All of us Xers fell prey to what Boomers taught us was good. The latter half was able to get over it for the most part, I think. I mean I'm an Xennial so I think I turned out alright, morally at least. But I was still kind of an edgelord and borderline misogynist up until my mid-20s or so and I think I have some of the media I consumed as a youngster to blame for that.
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Aug 8, 2021 01:56
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King Vidiot posted:I mean I'm an Xennial so I think I turned out alright, morally at least. But I was still kind of an edgelord and borderline misogynist up until my mid-20s or so and I think I have some of the media I consumed as a youngster to blame for that. So... Prince Vidiot?
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Aug 8, 2021 02:38
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Just rewatching GB2. It’s never occurred to me before, but why is Winston even still working with the other three at the start? Eleven-five a year presumably wasn’t that great a salary back in 1984, and once the business collapses to the point that they have to start doing kids parties for meagre money, you’d think he’d try and get another “steady pay check”. Would have been a good way to explain Winston’s absence for the first part of the film, and then when everything starts going south again they could have re-hired him as they’d know he was good for it.
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Aug 8, 2021 09:59
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Even more jarring with GB2 is that Winston is literally in the opening scenes, in full gear with Ray, yet when they investigate the weird event with Dana he doesn't go along despite being more of a Ghostbuster than Egon or Peter in the previous years based on the evidence presented to us. Regarding the thorazine thing, it's sketchy but I like to think based on the way the script in GB1 plays fast and loose with the time and it needs Dana to be sedated to bring the third act in, it could be argued Venkman went out to get something rather than had it for 'reasons'. After all she aggressively comes on to him and he declines knowing she is possessed, a guy carrying round sedatives routinely for sketchy reasons would surely have just gone with it.
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Aug 8, 2021 10:28
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I used to assume that Venkman went out at some point to get the thorazine, but now realised: how? If he had a psychiatry doctorate rather than psychology ("and parapsychology"), he'd be a medical doctor and could legitimately write prescriptions. But he's not, so either  or he genuinely does carry powerful antipsychotic sedatives on dates.
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Aug 8, 2021 10:54
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GazChap posted:Just rewatching GB2. It’s never occurred to me before, but why is Winston even still working with the other three at the start? I assumed they had another steady paycheck and the birthday thing was a weekend side gig. I mean ray also owned a book shop and he was still going to parties for the extra cash. But yeah, it really could have used even just a quick scene where ray asks him if he wants to come along with a sort of "is it a paying gig?" "no" then a hung up phone or whatever you have to do.
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Aug 8, 2021 14:27
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Payndz posted:I used to assume that Venkman went out at some point to get the thorazine, but now realised: how? If he had a psychiatry doctorate rather than psychology ("and parapsychology"), he'd be a medical doctor and could legitimately write prescriptions. But he's not, so either I read someone suggest that Aykroyd didn't know that psychologists couldn't also write prescriptions. So it's either that or Venkman is one of the biggest creeps in movie history. Or both.
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Aug 8, 2021 15:08
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Yeah, would have helped enormously. GB2 still holds up IMO though, and my rewatch hasn’t changed that opinion. I don’t really get why people didn’t like it, other than it being a sort of retread of the first movie - but it’s just different enough for me to not mind. The painting at the end can gently caress right off though  One thing that both movies really sell well for me is that these four guys (well, mainly three) have been good friends for years - I assume their history together as actors and comedians is a big part of this, but the acting is on point too. Loads of little subtle looks and smiles. ATC just didn’t have any of that. You kinda get the feeling they all hate each other, or dislike each other certainly. Also, found myself wondering on this rewatch if Bobby Brown asking for a proton pack only to be told they’re “not a toy” is a not-so-subtle protest at the merchandising that the movies attracted.
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Aug 8, 2021 15:11
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I never even considered where he got the Thorazine, but then when I was doing most of my Ghostbusters re-watching I didn't even know what Thorazine was (other than tranquilizer/sleeping pills from the context). When I gave it any thought at all, I just assumed Dana had it in her medicine cabinet as an anxiety or sleep aid 
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Aug 8, 2021 17:21
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King Vidiot posted:I never even considered where he got the Thorazine, but then when I was doing most of my Ghostbusters re-watching I didn't even know what Thorazine was (other than tranquilizer/sleeping pills from the context). I've also seen 'Dana already had it' but there's certainly enough evidence to infer Peter went out and got it. Honestly I think it's just Aykroyd and Ramis thought psychologists could write scrips like psychiatrists.
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Aug 8, 2021 17:29
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One of the previous times this discussion happened, I believe it turned out psychiatrists actually could recommend thorazine for patients around the time of production, but Dana having a sizable bottle of the stuff that may or may not require a syringe to dose is still pretty suspect. Venkman carrying some on him just by random happenstance is even more suspect. But, when given the chance, he keeps it in his pants and applies the thorazine to sedate and then not sleep with her. So... who fuckin' knows.
Inkspot fucked around with this message at 17:55 on Aug 8, 2021 |
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Aug 8, 2021 17:53
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I didn't even know it was an injectable sedative, so I guess it goes to show I still didn't know what Thorazine was!
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Aug 8, 2021 18:25
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As with many or most 80s comedies, the entire joke is that the Ghostbusters are terrible people who are allowed to ‘get away with it’ under a thin justification of “slobs versus snobs” or whatever. There’s no need to rationalize away all the problematic content; Venkman is a conman who likes to abuse whatever limited authority he has over people, and that’s amusing for the same reason it’s amusing that they unleashed deadly atomic weaponry in the middle of NYC.
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Aug 8, 2021 18:25
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Imminent destruction of NYC aside, the guys thought that crossing the streams would wipe all of Manhattan out in a single blast but they did it anyways because there was a "slim chance they'd survive". They also did it with no real idea what they were doing, or that it would have any effect on the Gozer portal. I also wonder about Venkman's earlier speech about fate and karma, and how everything that happens in the movie seems predestined. Venkman couldn't help but be a poo poo to Peck, Peck couldn't help but flex his authority and gently caress around with dangerous technology he'd never seen before. Did Shandor know this, was he banking on a team of "ghostbusters" to come along, focus all of the psychic energy in NYC at a single location only to have it all released in a pissing contest between two assholes, resulting in all of those restless spirits being pulled into a conduit at the top of his building and summoning Gozer?
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Aug 8, 2021 18:33
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King Vidiot posted:Imminent destruction of NYC aside, the guys thought that crossing the streams would wipe all of Manhattan out in a single blast but they did it anyways because there was a "slim chance they'd survive". They also did it with no real idea what they were doing, or that it would have any effect on the Gozer portal. I mostly want to bring this up because: Peck was absolutely 100% not flexing his authority. He had a genuine sit down conversation with Peter where Peter absolute-loving-lutely blew off everything he said. Even after the "magic word" like Peck was reasonable enough to say please Venkmen still blew him off. Even if you blame him for being too quick to turn off the storage facility, the fact that it only took the power shutting off for the storage facility to explode meant it was a ticking time bomb since they would have to depend on there never being a power outage ever in their lovely rented firehouse. (And in fact Peter asks about the grid earlier in the film and it says it isn't holding up well.) ImpAtom fucked around with this message at 19:01 on Aug 8, 2021 |
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Aug 8, 2021 18:53
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Point taken about Peck, we're only shown Peck from the GB's (and Reitman's) point of view. But I would think that the containment unit would have a backup generator. The drat thing is a prison for ghosts, you don't set up a prison for ghosts if a power outage is just going to let all of them go at once.
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Aug 8, 2021 19:03
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King Vidiot posted:Point taken about Peck, we're only shown Peck from the GB's (and Reitman's) point of view. But I would think that the containment unit would have a backup generator. The drat thing is a prison for ghosts, you don't set up a prison for ghosts if a power outage is just going to let all of them go at once. You do if you're the Ghostbusters though. In fact the very first thing Peter does after meeting Peck is come downstairs, mention that he showed up, and then ask if "the grid is holding up." Plus it's the power that is shut off, not the unit itself, so if it had any sort of backup generator it presumably should have kicked in right there and then.
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Aug 8, 2021 19:09
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I don't know, to me it looked like what they shut off was the storage unit itself plus the backup generators and/or failsafes. Egon says they "shut off the protection grid" which I assume is some sort of backup or failsafe. If they cut the power they just would've gone straight for the circuit breaker and cut it off there.
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Aug 8, 2021 19:13
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