[hutto]

Cinematography isn’t just about camera moves & angles. It’s mostly about lighting & that’s what what sticks out to me. The trailer that we saw had beautiful imagery and some nice lighting. Again, I know this is just one little scene(and in a supermarket no less which tends to have harsh lighting). Someone mentioned up there it could be zoomed in to 16:9 & maybe that’s it. Could be.

Hang with me through the post. This is constructive criticism mixed with a realization, not "OMG THIS IS THE WORST THING EVER." These are notes, not gripes.

That commercial vibe comes from a few things:

• The composition of the shot over Rudd's shoulder as we see the freezer case from a straight-on view, filling the screen with product (much different than having two loose Coke cans)

• The setdec... an entire freezer might not be monopolized by one brand, planogrammed and "faced out" in that manner AND have a Baskin Robbins poster on the side the next freezer case over in a real retail environment
  [EDIT: apparently freezer cases might get face-outs like this -- my expertise is with non-grocery retail environments, so it seemed unrealistic to me until hearing feedback from people possessing more specified knowledge]]

• Having Rudd examine Baskin Robbins branded toppings (which might not even exist?)

• Having the character comment out loud on the flavor instead of irreverently saying something like "look at all the junk food"

But here's the thing... maybe that commercial vibe is deliberate.

Perhaps the audio we hear in the clip is not what we'll hear in the theatrical release. Reitman enjoyed skewering products and institutions in "Thank You For Smoking." All it would take to subvert all this product placement would be a music cue.

Consider what happens if instead of hearing Elmer Bernstein we hear cheesy muzak playing on the intercom.

Check out what happens when you combine that video with the elevator music from Blues Brothers:
https://tubedubber.com/?q=X9eh37VDAG0:F ... :100:0:1:1
[if the link doesn't automatically start, hit the play button]

Syncs up strangely well, doesn't it? I doubt we'd hear something as old as Girl From Ipanema, but a twenty-year old song played in this fashion could fit perfectly (Britney Spears Toxic in muzak form would be fun and sardonic). Or maybe even a retro cover of a certain franchise-famous song...

Using a different musical cue totally changes the mood, sends up the visuals of the marketing, and makes the marshmallow carnage that much more subversive.

Baskin Robbins always finds out.

[Bison256]

The reaction to the mini pufts is interesting. It's overall positive, but there's a minority of folks who don't care for the dark humor. Perhaps it's because I'm a pessimist but I love it. They're like stay puft, gremlins and garbage pale kids rolled into one!

[RedSpecial]

I'm all for them too for the exact reason you mentioned, Bison.
They tread that old line for GB creature effects of wacky and cartoonish yet potentially terrifying.

[Davideverona]

Everyone is screaming "ah!!! They're going for the Baby Yoda effect!".

And everyone keeps forgetting that Afterlife was written in 2017/2018 and shot in 2019.

The Mandalorian revealed Baby Yoda in 2019.

[Hairy Biker]

Everyone is screaming "ah!!! They're going for the Baby Yoda effect!".

And everyone keeps forgetting that Afterlife was written in 2017/2018 and shot in 2019.

The Mandalorian revealed Baby Yoda in 2019.

Thats what I thought, but then I remembered only we, the fans, would be fully aware of that. The straights only take it at face value unaware of the long process behind it.


I don't have an issue with the clip at all. It feels 100% Ghostbusters to me. The whole dark humour of it feels totally Aykroydian (Bass-O-Matic '76 anyone?), Its very 80s too, I get the Gremlins vibe alot out of it. I honestly love it.
To me it never felt like an ad for anything. It felt 100% lifted from the film. And I love it.

[Kingpin]

My point was it doesn’t jive from what else I’ve seen from the movie

We'll have to agree to disagree, as it seems perfectly in-keeping with most of interior locations we can see in the trailer... Rather than lit like some movies or TV shows where they're over-saturated with light (like pretty much any studio sitcom for instance), the lighting in the interior locations feels more realistic, based on the time of day we're seeing those scenes.

The more dramatic bits of lighting seem saved for the daytime, outdoor scenes, and obviously we're not going to get a lot of that deep into the box mart in a scene that's set at night.

[Hairy Biker]

My point was it doesn’t jive from what else I’ve seen from the movie

We'll have to agree to disagree, as it seems perfectly in-keeping with most of interior locations we can see in the trailer... Rather than lit like some movies or TV shows where they're over-saturated with light (like pretty much any studio sitcom for instance), the lighting in the interior locations feels more realistic, based on the time of day we're seeing those scenes.

The more dramatic bits of lighting seem saved for the daytime, outdoor scenes, and obviously we're not going to get a lot of that deep into the box mart in a scene that's set at night.

Having worked in a big box for about 9 years I can tell you that lighting is perfectly accurate to the end of the day lighting in reality.

[groschopf]

Having worked in a big box for about 9 years I can tell you that lighting is perfectly accurate to the end of the day lighting in reality.

Sure. The only thing that sucks souls more than a rooftop superconductive antennae is the fluorescent lighting inside of a big box store.

[Bison256]

Everyone is screaming "ah!!! They're going for the Baby Yoda effect!".

And everyone keeps forgetting that Afterlife was written in 2017/2018 and shot in 2019.

The Mandalorian revealed Baby Yoda in 2019.

This trend can be traced back to the minions, who first appeared in Despicable Me, 11 years ago. It amazes me how short people's memory is.

[Timo]

We can go even furher to the Real Ghostbusters episodes "Adventures in slime and space" and "Janine's day off"

[RichardLess]

Do alot of y'all just like to hear yourselves complain? This message board is the 1% in terms of Ghostbusters fandom. My two friends who are part of our costume group aren't members here, but they still love Ghostbusters. The point is, this movie has the unfortunate task of having to do alot at once. By my count it has to make up for the short comings of the 2016 reboot, set-up the franchise to continue in the 21st century with a new group of core characters, and continue the legacy and story set by the original two. It's spinning alot of plates, so of course there will be plot points and design choices that play it safe.

It's a sequel to a franchise, playing it safe is a requirement. It really bums me out that so many see to be waiting to put every frame under a microscope. We still know almost nothing about the plot and have ZERO idea how what we have seen factors into the overall story. If you wanna start feeling let down by a movie that's shown a single trailer and a heavily edited scene that's fine. But maybe take a step back. It wasn't made for us alone.

There’s nothing more irksome than the “ooh this movie has to do this and that and that’s why it’s like this”. No. There was a lot of that BS with the Star Wars sequels. “Ooh that movie had to get people to forget the prequels & remember what Star Wars really was”. It’s BS.

This movie, and every movie for that matter, has one job. Be a good movie. Everything else is a distraction & window dressing. If you make the best movie you can, without worrying about any of that other bull crap, everything usually falls into place ok.

And while you are correct to think that this wasn’t made for us alone, get ready to hear the “it’s for the fans” bit over and over and over again. I think we may have already heard that bell rung once or twice.

I think we all want this movie to succeed. I’m giving this clip a hard time because I’m seeing how it’s being interpreted. Right or wrong. Doesn’t matter when Baby Yoda and this were conceived(poor choice of words). What matters, to the public, is who got there first. There’s nothing worse than the perception of following a trend for the trends sake.

And I’m sorry but enough with the f**king Stay Puft Marshmellow Man already. This was always an iffy creative choice. Unless they found some unexpected way to really make it work, fan service is all it is. Empty Calories. Just like I don’t want the original guys shoehorned into this movie, I don’t want anything else either.


But this clip? In the little context we have? The more I see & think about it? I think it’s shit. It’s not about “hearing myself complain”. This a message board. Where we discuss the good and the bad. I’m going to give my honest thought & opinions. I know there’s a lot of you out there that will defend & champion anything with the “Ghostbusters” label slapped on it. That’s not me. I loved the first trailer. Didn’t like this. You’re going to get opinions that aren’t all happy & roses. Best get use to that without thinking people are just trying to “hear themselves complain”.

[mrmichaelt]

Also in the clip you don't get to see the contents of the freezer doors on the other sides, so it's safe to assume it would be other brands.

Definitely. To the right of Baskin-Robbins' in the clip is Nestle's Parlour brand which is <drum roll> mostly sold in Canada.

[Dr.D]

But this clip? In the little context we have? The more I see & think about it? I think it’s shit. It’s not about “hearing myself complain”. This a message board. Where we discuss the good and the bad. I’m going to give my honest thought & opinions. I know there’s a lot of you out there that will defend & champion anything with the “Ghostbusters” label slapped on it. That’s not me. I loved the first trailer. Didn’t like this. You’re going to get opinions that aren’t all happy & roses. Best get use to that without thinking people are just trying to “hear themselves complain”.

I didn't champion anything. I simply pointed out there is so little context to the miniscule amounts of footage that we've seen that it's no use getting worked up one way or the other. Way more pragmatic to wait and see.

I'll just be the guy over here not getting upset about a movie I haven't seen yet.

[timeware]

Were getting worked up because

A: Were in a pandemic
B: We are really, really under some serious cabin fever
C: No beer, and no play make Homer something, something
D: The last movie bombed
E: Take your pick.

I get it. I'm with you that things in the movie have been overused. How many times do we have to see Mario fight Bowser, or how long does Sonic have to fight Dr. Robotnick? I mean even the Power Ranger's got rid of Rita and Zedd at some point.

Like I said the mini-pufts are new, it's an iconic nod. It works. It's getting people riled up like the phony Sonic is terrible movie concept. I think that was the goal here. The mini puft's aren't everyones cup of tea, but I like them and at least they aren't gigantic. Yet.

I don't think they can get away with having giant Stay Puft on top of the mini's. It's going to be over kill.

[groschopf]

Let's lower the temperature here.

Richardless doesn't have to like the clip and has a fair point with Stay Puft being overused.
Dr. D has a fair point about seeing the clip "in situ" before judging it.

The delay of the film has tested our collective patience. Nonetheless, let's remember to be kind and not goad each other. We've already lived through 2016 once.

[groschopf]

Timeware said it better and with a lot more humor

[Michael Scott]

Let’s pair this clip together with the trailer a bit more. Grooberson was the one showing the kids the videos of the Manhattan Crossrip. You’d think he’d have knowledge of Mr. Stay Puft’s attack in 1984. Now as far as we know he’s the first to come across the Mini Pufts wreaking havoc. I’d like to know what was going through his mind as he put those two together!

[Krenzy]

How about a theory?

Watching GB1 tonight with my son, I had a thought: what if Egon's death was foretold by Janine? "I'm usually very psychic. I'm afraid you're going to die."

Maybe she was seeing Egon's death with a Gozer encounter yet to come?

[Hairy Biker]

How about a theory?

Watching GB1 tonight with my son, I had a thought: what if Egon's death was foretold by Janine? "I'm usually very psychic. I'm afraid you're going to die."

Maybe she was seeing Egon's death with a Gozer encounter yet to come?

Retro active plot device!


I understand why people are hesitant. I think some of still have PTSI from the remake.

[timeware]

If someone would make an edit of all trailers it would be nice to see if the puft scene makes sense before or after he meet's the kids. If this happens after the school day is out it would make more sense that something like the terror dog prevents him from reaching the farm house.

If he's aware of the stay puft attack why the hell is he so keen on poking that mini? Again we could all be blowing smoke if this is a commercial.

[mrmichaelt]

If he's aware of the stay puft attack why the hell is he so keen on poking that mini?

It's a natural reaction to seeing something amazing unfold in front of your eyes in a mundane place? I'm sure after he's able to process it all after the shock wears off and a Terror Dog pursues him, he puts 1 and 1 together and flight kicks in and he runs to his car.

[RichardLess]

But this clip? In the little context we have? The more I see & think about it? I think it’s shit. It’s not about “hearing myself complain”. This a message board. Where we discuss the good and the bad. I’m going to give my honest thought & opinions. I know there’s a lot of you out there that will defend & champion anything with the “Ghostbusters” label slapped on it. That’s not me. I loved the first trailer. Didn’t like this. You’re going to get opinions that aren’t all happy & roses. Best get use to that without thinking people are just trying to “hear themselves complain”.

I didn't champion anything. I simply pointed out there is so little context to the miniscule amounts of footage that we've seen that it's no use getting worked up one way or the other. Way more pragmatic to wait and see.

I'll just be the guy over here not getting upset about a movie I haven't seen yet.

Nor did I say you championed anything. I said there are fans out there who do that sort of thing. That wasn’t aimed at you or anyone in particular. Just a general statement of fandom.

I’ve mentioned *numerous* times that we don’t know the context. When the awful GB16 trailer came out, there were certain things that didn’t work. Saying so doesn’t mean you are judging the movie. Only the trailer & a joke as presented in the trailer.

No one is judging the final film(I hope). No one is saying “oh it’s going to suck”. So please go ahead and be that guy who doesn’t get upset about a movie they haven’t seen. (Do you also not get excited about movies you haven’t seen? Just seems like a weird thing to say lol). What can be done is judge ideas presented in marketing material. I’m not upset. Not in the least. I’m disappointed.

I am still very much looking forward to this movie. But I also wish there was a bit less recycled elements from the 1st movie. But like I’ve said, maybe it’ll all work in the film & this will be moot come November.

[RichardLess]

Let's lower the temperature here.

Richardless doesn't have to like the clip and has a fair point with Stay Puft being overused.
Dr. D has a fair point about seeing the clip "in situ" before judging it.

The delay of the film has tested our collective patience. Nonetheless, let's remember to be kind and not goad each other. We've already lived through 2016 once.

It’s all good.

[Alphagaia]

The more we are going to see of this movie the more people will feel let down or will feel excited. It's inevitable and those opinions are going to clash sometimes, especially because everyone wants this movie to be the savior of the franchise.

[JWils23]

FWIW after reading this thread I’ve passed this on to about a dozen people and not a single reaction has been negative. These people are by no definition of the word ghostheads, so I feel like while it’s a small sample it would still be reflective of a broader audience. What’s funny is the over whelming response was not about the mini pufts, but about Paul Rudd A lot of responses along the lines of “wait, Paul Rudd is in this?? Now I’m definitely seeing it!” Can’t blame them, who doesn’t love Paul Rudd?

[timeware]

Baskin Robins.

[zeta otaku]

who doesn’t love Paul Rudd?

The poor souls he drains of blood in order to retain his vigor and youth as most immortals do. Listen, dude doesn't friggin age, so he's either a vampire, an alien, a VERY work focused time traveler, or a goddamn robot!

Baskin Robins.

Them too.

[Coover5]

Oh please. Just because it turns out cave drawings were the first Paul Rudd movies and the Dead Sea Scrolls turned out to be his scripts I hardly think he's immortal.

[timeware]

The Rudder on this ship is going over board I think.

[Alphagaia]

Oh Paul Rudd is the vampire meme nowadays? Last time it was Keanu Reeves or Johnny Depp or something.