Blitzway - 1/6 Scale Ghostbusters - Collectible Figures

[xipotec]

GB 2 had a great start, but it goes off the rails after the toaster scene.....

Emotionally charged slime is a great idea....but the entire ending is awful. The Statue of Liberty walking in any way is just stupid. They would have been better served if the statue became an actually spirit type ghost, rather than a walking monster.

Viggo was just not menacing enough either. He ended up as a weak villain.

The courtroom scene, the underground slime , and the kidnapping scenes were great stuff.


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[Alice]

Reitman has said that the end of GB2 was iffy from the start, and what you see on the screen was them attempting to rework the ending after the fact. The reason the climax takes place in a fairly small section of the museum and not an elaborate set piece like Gozer's temple is because that whole ending was a reshoot. He said there were several shots where, if the camera had panned an inch left or right you would have seen the edge of the set walls. The original plan didn't seem to work out, so they hastily came up with a rework that, ironically, mirrored the ending of the first movie, only on a much smaller scale that made the climax pretty weak.

 

[xipotec]

Do we know what the first attempt was?


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[Wor-Gar]

They just use the script itself in screenwriting classes as an example of how to properly write a script in terms of formatting, pacing, etc. Has nothing to do with the subject matter. Just how well the script itself was crafted over the three revisions it went through to boil it down to just the bare essentials of what a script should be. It's a perfect example of a no-nonsense, barebones script. It's can be viewed as a frame work that can then be decorated with the details of your choosing. Which is why GB2 is quite literally the same frame work with different decoration.

Interesting. Can you share which class uses Ghostbusters as a structural format for screenwriting? I'm genuinely curious to look further into this class.

 

[SilverStar17]

Just the fact that Ghostbusters 2 follows the exact same formula as Ghostbusters. T2 follows the same formula as Terminator, but people overlook it, partly because the repeated formula was intentional and had a spin on the first movie and partly because it's one of the best movies of all time.

Overall GB2 follows the same beats as Ghostbusters.

GB = The guys are in financial trouble and start a business. GB2 = Same, but just restarting a business.
GB = Pete trying to win over Dana. GB2 = Pete trying to re-win over Dana.
GB = Annoying, weird guy obsessed with Dana (Louis). GB2 = Annoying, weird guy obsessed with Dana (Janosz)
GB = The guys prove themselves in the Sedgewick. GB2 = The guys prove themselves in the courtroom.
GB = Business booms with a montage. GB2 = Business booms with a montage.
GB = Winston is absent for the first third or so of the film. GB2 = Winston is pretty much absent for the first third or so of the film.
GB = Government weasel harasses the guys (Walter Peck.) GB2 = Government weasel harasses the guys (Jack Hardemeyer.)
GB = The guys are arrested. GB2 = The guys are committed.
GB = Supernatural cataclysm/ghost montage. GB2 = Supernatural cataclysm/ghost montage.
GB = Mayor releases the guys and asks them to help. GB2 = Mayor releases the guys and asks them to help.
GB = Oversized thing walking through the city (Stay-Puft.) GB2 = Oversized thing walking through the city (Lady Liberty.)
GB = Gozer finally physically manifests in the final act. GB2 = Vigo finally physically manifests in the final act.
GB = Guys shoot the portal and defeat Gozer/Portal explodes. GB2 = Guys shoot the painting and defeat Vigo/Painting explodes.
GB = Guys walk out of Dana's apartment building as credits roll. GB2 = Guys walk out of museum as credits roll.

They basically took the original script and mad-libbed it. It has enough new stuff to make you not really realize it's basically the same movie, but when you really look at it it's undeniable.

I recall even recognizing this as a child.

 

[Alice]

Do we know what the first attempt was?

There were several differences with Vigo's origins in the original script, but Oscar actually gets possessed and moves around like a full grown adult in baby form, and Vigo also uses the statue of liberty as a weapon against the guys instead of the guys using it to break in to the museum. Again, similar to how Gozer took the form of Stay-Puft in the original. I believe the way events take place in the film's climax were written into the script, but the way they filmed it didn't work in Reitman's eyes, so they reshot the entire thing using the same scripted events, but shooting them an alternate way.

Interesting. Can you share which class uses Ghostbusters as a structural format for screenwriting? I'm genuinely curious to look further into this class.

I can't recall exactly where I read it, but I don't think it's a specific class. I think I read some article about screenwriting classes using various scripts for various examples of how to write in different styles (Tarantino's Pulp Fiction was another that was mentioned). Ghostbusters was given as an example of a script screenwriting classes regularly use as an example of an all around good script, since it has the basics of what every script needs and has little to no superfluous material.

 

[SilverStar17]

The appeal of GB to me is that it has a blend of genres without putting too much of an emphasis on trying to be any one of those genres.

 

[Alice]

Yeah. The blend and balance of genres is one of the strong points. You have legitimate comedy, but you can also watch it as a semi-serious sci-fi horror. The science of the ghosts, while being played for laughs in several instances, does seem to have a tinge of credibility behind them as well due to Dan's real life fascination with paranormal phenomena.

 

[Snake Plissken]

GB = The guys are in financial trouble and start a business. GB2 = Same, but just restarting a business.
GB = Pete trying to win over Dana. GB2 = Pete trying to re-win over Dana.
GB = Annoying, weird guy obsessed with Dana (Louis). GB2 = Annoying, weird guy obsessed with Dana (Janosz)
GB = The guys prove themselves in the Sedgewick. GB2 = The guys prove themselves in the courtroom.
GB = Business booms with a montage. GB2 = Business booms with a montage.
GB = Winston is absent for the first third or so of the film. GB2 = Winston is pretty much absent for the first third or so of the film.
GB = Government weasel harasses the guys (Walter Peck.) GB2 = Government weasel harasses the guys (Jack Hardemeyer.)
GB = The guys are arrested. GB2 = The guys are committed.
GB = Supernatural cataclysm/ghost montage. GB2 = Supernatural cataclysm/ghost montage.
GB = Mayor releases the guys and asks them to help. GB2 = Mayor releases the guys and asks them to help.
GB = Oversized thing walking through the city (Stay-Puft.) GB2 = Oversized thing walking through the city (Lady Liberty.)
GB = Gozer finally physically manifests in the final act. GB2 = Vigo finally physically manifests in the final act.
GB = Guys shoot the portal and defeat Gozer/Portal explodes. GB2 = Guys shoot the painting and defeat Vigo/Painting explodes.
GB = Guys walk out of Dana's apartment building as credits roll. GB2 = Guys walk out of museum as credits roll.

All stuff I've come to notice over the years, but seeing it written out like that really shows how unoriginal the film is. It didn't take any chances at all. Most sequels do this, and play it safe with what "works."

You know, it always bothered me that Winston wasn't at the trial. Where the **** was he? They're his bosses, or were at that point given the company was dead. He could of at least been in the gallery.

I do like the general idea of GBII. Having it deal with the social decay of 80s NYC was a great plot idea, but it's built within the framework of the previous movie.

You can remove Gozer and stick Vigo and his entire plot within GBI and you got GBII.

 

[Alice]

You know, it always bothered me that Winston wasn't at the trial. Where the **** was he? They're his bosses, or were at that point given the company was dead. He could of at least been in the gallery.

Well, we know he was there, since he made his presence known, but the commonly held theory is he was helping people evacuate in the lobby since there were only three packs in the room. No reason for him to be in the way, but a two to three second shot showing him helping people evacuate would been all that was needed.

 

[Snake Plissken]

Well, we know he was there, since he made his presence known, but the commonly held theory is he was helping people evacuate in the lobby since there were only three packs in the room. No reason for him to be in the way, but a two to three second shot showing him helping people evacuate would been all that was needed.

Damn I forgot he was there in the beginning, but to not have him there for catching the ghosts really mirrors the first film too much with just the three, and not in a good way.

I just watched it recently too and it's something I tend to forget.

 

[Alice]

Yeah. I feel bad for Ernie, because he was criminally underused in GB2. Some of my favourite moments in the movie featured him (the ghost train WIIIIINSTOOOON, and him saving the day when the dark room caught fire). That said, I almost feel complicit, because my favourite scene in the movie is the digging up the street scene. I managed to get a press kit photo of that scene and get it signed by Aykroyd, Murray and Ramis, but I've never gotten the chance to meet Ernie and get a photo signed by him. I really do feel like he's the eternally forgotten ghostbuster.

 

[Ninja4H]

Okay, i've finally decided to get the group, just as singles (money issues and all). Started with Ray, should arrive tomorrow. Now, what batteries do I need for the proton pack? Ridiculous that a figure so expensive doesn't come with batteries. Yoish.

Also, while the GBII conversation is going I might as well start a verbal war:
Who remembers seeing Slimer fly out of the Statue of Liberty at the end of the film?

 

[Alice]

Okay, i've finally decided to get the group, just as singles (money issues and all). Started with Ray, should arrive tomorrow. Now, what batteries do I need for the proton pack? Ridiculous that a figure so expensive doesn't come with batteries. Yoish.

CR2032

Also, while the GBII conversation is going I might as well start a verbal war:
Who remembers seeing Slimer fly out of the Statue of Liberty at the end of the film?

Plenty of people seem to remember it, but no one actually saw it. It was scripted, but never filmed. The ending of the guys celebrating the return of the statue to Liberty Island, getting the key to the city and subsequently talking about their ancestry was filmed, but cut. The camera was scripted to pull up and Slimer was going to fly out of the statue. Due to that scene being cut before the Slimer effect was produced it was deemed unecessary.

Anyone that remembers a Slimer finale is just a victim of the Mandela Effect.

There were snippets of the Liberty Island scene used during the credits roll, but no Slimer.

 

[Ninja4H]

I swear I recall seeing that at the cinemas as a kid, though. Baffled the heck out of when I read it didn't happen.


Still baffles the heck out of me...

 

[SilverStar17]

Damn I forgot he was there in the beginning, but to not have him there for catching the ghosts really mirrors the first film too much with just the three, and not in a good way.

I just watched it recently too and it's something I tend to forget.

Yeah he was indeed there.

Winston: "Wow, seems like a pretty open minded guy, huh?"
Egon: "Yeah they call him "The Hammer."

Like you stated though, I always wondered why he didn't join in on the bust with the Scoleri Brothers. However, as Alice pointed out, there were only three packs at the courtroom, which would make sense being that it was just them three digging the hole in First Avenue so therefore, there were likely only three packs in the trunk that the police confiscated.

What I can't fathom is why in the investigation regarding Oscar, they wouldn't have at that point then included Winston on it when they realized that they had to dig (though of course they really didn't have to) and that the investigation was going to perhaps be more than they thought. You'd think Ray would inform him of what was going on and asked him to join in, since it seemed like he and Winston were good buds.

 

[HopeOfTheFuture]

Who remembers seeing Slimer fly out of the Statue of Liberty at the end of the film?

I do. Seriously.

 

[drfeelgood]

[What I can't fathom is why in the investigation regarding Oscar, they wouldn't have at that point then included Winston on it when they realized that they had to dig (though of course they really didn't have to) and that the investigation was going to perhaps be more than they thought. You'd think Ray would inform him of what was going on and asked him to join in, since it seemed like he and Winston were good buds.[/QUOTE]

They where investigating the occurrence with Oscar in an unofficial capacity after an informal request from Dana to Egon, Egon drafted in Ray as those two are the real boffins, Peter forced his way in, thus ending up being just the three of them with Dana at the start and running into the street. The court room scene also leads us to believe that they can no longer use their equipment or operate as The Ghostbusters officially as a court order prohibits them from performing paranormal investigation or extermination. There where only three packs in the courthouse, as these where confiscated from their vehicle located at the scene.

(what they where doing on 5th avenue, digging up the street was illegal, even more so because they are not allowed, maybe Winston wanted no part of that, being a bit saner then the rest of them, or in their rush to uncover what was going on just neglected to tell him, he was only staff in the first film, while those three where close friends who got up to shenanigans) Winston is obviously still in communication with them as shown at the very start with him and Ray at the children's party, but we never find out what Winston is doing to make ends meet. Egon is doing behavioural something in a lab, Ray owns a book shop and Peter is a crappy cable channel host. Its not till the montage after the court house that we see all four of them together for the first time now wearing all blue boiler suits. In GBII you actually see Peter being removed more from the trio and Winston taking his place. You see much more of him in the second film, he saves them from the photographic lab, he goes underground into the river of Slime etc, Which is why he ends up on all the promotional material for the second film along with Weaver.

 

[Rambler]

All these years later, I would still like to run some gynecological tests on the mother.

 

[Alice]

Who wouldn't?