Saturday, March 23, 2024

GHOSTBUSTERS FROZEN EMPIRE MOVIE REVIEW


Thank you Sony Pictures for inviting me to the Detroit premiere of GHOSTBUSTER: FROZEN EMPIRE that was held at Emagine Theatres' Royal Oak, Michigan location. The Ghostbusters franchise celebrates forty years of busting ghosts with a new sequel to the hit summer flick of 1984 that started it all...the original GHOSTBUSTERS movie. GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE is rated PG-13 for supernatural action/violence, language and suggestive references by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) though from this dad's perspective I didn't see anything particularly troubling that would be prohibitive of younger viewers who aren't inclined to having nightmares about ghosts from seeing it. 

GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE returns the franchise to New York City after its cross country road trip to Oklahoma in the last movie. To honor the legacy of Egon Spengler and reward his daughter and grandkids for their contributions in foiling a new plot by Gozer the Gozerian to unleash anarchy, Winston Zeddemore bankrolls Spengler's daughter Callie (Carrie Coon) and her two children Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) to reinitiate the Ghostbusters business in New York City. They bring along with them the kids former science teacher and Callie's current love interest, Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) as part of the Spengler family making up the new Ghostbusters team.

The movie begins with a haunting flashback scene and a fun, energetic ghost chase that highlight why this franchise can captivate you and has developed such a fanatic following with cosplayers and fan clubs around the world. Starting off the film with the Ghostbusters return to New York City and the campy tone of the original movies shows why this franchise is beloved by so many people forty years after the original movie debuted. I was GEEKED as the movie rolled through its first scenes that this might be the best Ghostbusters movie yet.

Yet then the movie's pace began to freeze like the victim's of the ghostly menace emerging to threaten the Big Apple. A big part of the movie begins to focus on a teen angst side plot involving Phoebe that while played well by Grace just is to be honest is awkward and awful dragging down the energy of the movie and really just was not very enjoyable to watch. Additionally, a lot of the one-liners and physical comedy that makes Ghostbusters entertaining were falling flat in this movie not causing me to chuckle while it was obvious that was the intent of the Director. The slow pacing along with a lack of ghost busting action scenes and moments that generated enthusiasm for the movie by the audience laughing out loud together put a damper on the film for me.


I really enjoyed GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE but one criticism was that it lacked a character with the appeal of Rick Moranis' Louis Tully. GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE attempts to address that with the inclusion of comedian Kumail Nanjiani who takes on a similar, though more heroic role, as Louis Tully. While I give credit to Nanjiani for having some nice moments in the movie, overall his role in the movie falls flat contributing to a lack of positive energy in the vibe of the film. I see what the film's producers were trying to accomplish with Nanjiani's casting and character but unfortunately in my opinion they whiffed in the effort.


The film also brought back two popular characters from GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE for some continuity between the movies, Lucky (Celeste O'Connor) and Podcast (Logan Kim). Lucky's role is puzzling because she has an important leadership role in a new paranormal research center Winston has created to support the new Ghostbusters' operations but states she is in town just for a "summer internship." Lucky also was a love interest of Trevor Spengler in the last movie but there is no connection between the characters, not event as friends of colleagues, in this film. Podcast has run away from home pretending to be at Space Camp so he can live with Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) over the summer to learn more about paranormal investigating. Aykroyd and Kim have some nice scenes together but it lacks the same impressive chemistry the Podcast actor had with Phoebe Spengler in Afterlife which is a detraction instead of an improvement from the previous film.

The film adds two shining performances in engineer James Acaster (Lars Pinfield) who plays a believable science geek and scheming specter Melody (Emily Alyn Lind) who provides a nice performance for a poorly scripted role. GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE also brings back a key adversary from the original 1984 film, Environmental Protection Agency investigator Walter Peck (William Atherton) who is now Mayor of New York. Atherton's character remains as unlikeable as ever and just as much as a thorn in the side of the Ghostbusters.

There are some nice nostalgic moments in GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE including returning to the original Ghostbusters firehouse headquarters and the library featured in the first movie. There are also some nice cameos including super geek Patton Oswalt and Slimer the ghost. I have to admit the Slimer scenes are great!


Of course, the remaining living Ghostbusters, Ray, Winston and Venkman (Bill Murray) along with their assistant Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts) suit up to help save the day. The big climatic battle scene that brings together the new and old Ghostbusters isn't overly dramatic which is disappointing with Ray, Melnitz, Venkman and Winston more being there to be in the moment than contributing to overcoming the movie's primary threat. Yet, seeing the four of them suited up with proton packs is a nostalgic treat for any Ghostbusters fan. 

GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE also brings back the popular miniature Stay Puft marshmallow men from the last movie. They engage in similar hijinks as in Afterlife. They also are featured in a mid-credits post-movie scene. So, don't run out of the theater as the credits roll though you don't need to stay for the entire scroll through them. 


All in all if you are a diehard Ghostbusters fan this is a must-see at a theater on the big screen. For casual fans it can be a pass though I did find it entertaining enough to recommend having you pick it up on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD or Digital for a family move night when it eventually is released on home video. You can preorder the home entertainment release now on Amazon.com. GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE gets a three out of five star Geek Daddy review. 


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GHOSTBUSTERS FROZEN EMPIRE CREDITS BONUS SCENE

ghostbusters frozen empire

Are you a fan of the baby Stay Puft marshmallow men from the GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE movie? Then you'll be geeked to know they make a return in the new Ghostbusters movie that hit theaters this weekend. With that in mind, don't fly out of your seat when the movie ends, as there is a mid-credit scene featuring these gremlins. You don't need to stay till the credits end scrolling though as there is just one extra scene in the movie.

Do you like the inclusion of mid and post credit scenes at the end of movies? Do you stay in the theater or wait until home video releases to see these bonus scenes? Are you geeked that the Stay Puft marshallow men are featured in a GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE mid-credit scene?

ghostbusters frozen empire

Click here to read my GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE movie geek review.

GHOSTBUSTERS BACK IN TOWN COMIC BOOKS

ghostbusters back in town

There are a couple of new Ghostbusters adventures debuting this month with the March release of the movie Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and a comic book series Ghostbusters: Back in Town from Dark Horse Comics. In the movie that premiered this weekend at theaters, Winston Zeddemore, one of the original Ghostbusters team, bankrolls Spengler's daughter Callie and her two children Trevor (and Phoebe to reinitiate the Ghostbusters business in New York City. They bring along with them the kids former science teacher and Callie's now husband, Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd), as part of the Spengler family making up the new Ghostbusters team. There is a two year time jump though between the events in Frozen Empire and what transpired during the last film, Ghostbusters: Afterlife.



What did we miss during that timespan? Well a new four-issue comic book series from Dark Horse Comics is going to provide some of those missing details. An all-new ghostbusting adventure arrives on March 27th with the release of the first issue of Ghostbusters: Back in Town. This limited series bridges the gap between the Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire movies. 

A year and a half after the events of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the Ghostbusters are officially back in business and headed to where it all began: New York City! Callie, Gary, Trevor, and Phoebe are moving into the Firehouse and ready to take on the Spengler family business…or are they? Ghostbusting on top of changing family dynamics has a way of going awry––and that's exactly what one paranormal force is counting on.

Featuring writing by David Booher (Canto, Killer Queens), art by Blue Delliquanti (Adversary, Across a Field of Starlight), colors by Mildred Louis (Rick and Morty), and letters by Jimmy Betancourt of Comicraft, Ghostbusters: Back in Town expands upon the movie experience. The first issue's cover will be illustrated by Kyle Lambert, with a variant cover by Steve Morris.

ghostbusters

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
producer, Jason Reitman, commented to ageekdaddy.com, "Our friends at Dark Horse have picked up the Spengler family and hand delivered them to Manhattan where they will begin their journey back into Ghostbusting! It has been a personal thrill to collaborate with this incredible group of artists and storytellers on new chapters in the proton jungle."

Ghostbusters: Back in Town will be available to purchase from local comic book retailers. Each issue will be 32 pages priced at $3.99. Recommended reading age is 12+. For more information, visit darkhorse.com

Click here to read my Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire movie geek review. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is rated PG-13 for supernatural action/violence, language and suggestive references.

ghostbusters frozen empire

Thursday, March 21, 2024

LAWN MOWING SIMULATOR

lawn mowing simulator

Here's a good way to get a teenager in your life motivated to get a summer job ... have them play LAWN MOWING SIMULATOR now that it is available to play on Nintendo Switch. This video game from astragon isn't just about cutting grass, it promotes entrepreneurship and business skills. Green isn't just the color of grass it is the color of money!

In LAWN MOWING SIMULATOR players build their own lawn mowing empire. This involves hiring new employees, keeping an eye on finances, marketing your business and purchasing new machines. The game includes replicas of real-life licensed lawnmowers from the Toro, SCAG, STIGA and EGO brands recreated in a detailed manner. Each mower comes with its own unique challenges, accessories and upgrades that players have to consider in order to get ahead in a cut-throat business landscape.


Game scenarios send players to various sites that include lively residential areas, historic castle grounds and huge equestrian fields. Each location presents an individual challenge that requires careful inspection of the terrain, the correct choice of blade height and monitoring of the engine load. In addition, accessories such as mulchers, strip rollers, recyclers, grass collectors and flail mowers add to the high level of realism.

nintendo switch

LAWN MOWING SIMULATOR offers individual gaming experiences for every preference with the career mode, the exclusive Quick Mow Mode, which is currently only available in the Switch version, and a challenge mode. Additionally, the Landmark Edition for the Nintendo Switch includes additional content beyond the game's Standard Edition. The Nintendo Switch Landmark Edition also consists of "Dino Safari", where players are transported to four enclosures of a dinosaur park whose lawns need to be carefully tended as well as "Ancient Britain" where the green spaces of remarkable sites in England have to be maintained.

geek daddy blog

Do you have what it takes to build a lawn mowing empire? Give it a shot on the Nintendo Switch LAWN MOWING SIMULATOR from astragon. If this game has piqued your interest, you may also want to check out astragon's construction, police and firefighter themed simulators.

Sunday, March 17, 2024

SIDESHOW BIRTHDAY EXTRAVAGANZA 2024

sideshow birthday extravaganza

One of my favorite shopping sites, Sideshow Collectibles, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a BIRTHDAY EXTRAVAGANZA taking place March 18 - 22, 2024. From the Hot Toys Quarter Scale Iron Man Mark III that guards my desk to the life-size replica of The Child (aka Baby Yoda) incorporated into a lot of my Star Wars themed social media posts, products I've let my geek side show with products picked up from Sideshow Collectibles. 

Enjoy a week of fantastic activities for Sideshow's Birthday Extravaganza starting off with a Live Stream on YouTube at 11am PDT showcasing new product announcements, highlighting special discounts and giving away some cool stuff. Plus, each day during the week 30% Off Select Items - 30 new items each day!

sideshow 30th anniversary

Here is a calendar of Birthday Extravaganza festivities taking place March 18th through the 22nd:

geek daddy blog
sideshow collectibles
sideshow's birthday extravaganza
sideshow birthday extravaganza
giveaways

Happy Birthday Sideshow!

THE TORMENTED

the tormented comic book

Fans of Ghostbusters and the paranormal will want to check out a new spooky comic book series, THE TORMENTED, that is debuting on March 19th as Amazon's Comixology Originals exclusive digital content. Writer, producer, and animator Chuck Austen and artist Patrick Olliffe craft a new 5-issue comic book series about Ryan Auster, a young man starring on a new ghost hunting reality TV show. THE TORMENTED also features colors by Lee Loughridge, letters by Jodi Wynne, and edits by Greg Lockard. 

Ryan Auster is the son of legendary ghost hunters Vera and Adam Austerhölle, but this is a fact he doesn’t share willingly. Unlike his father, mother, and sister, Ryan never had “the gift” to “see” the paranormal, so they’d leave him behind whenever they went out to investigate. But Ryan was hiding his abilities, terrified of the consequences of his supposed “gift,” and the parents who gave them to him. Then, one life-altering night, his entire family is brutally murdered. Instantly orphaned, Ryan was raised by various foster families—many of whom faced horrible fates of their own. 

Now, as an adult, Ryan finds himself the charismatic host of a children’s online cooking show. But when that series suddenly ends, and his pushy producer discovers Ryan’s family history, Ryan is unexpectedly and unwillingly sold as the host of a brand-new ghost hunting reality TV series. Ryan desperately needs the money, but he knows that if he agrees to host “Restless Spirits,” and use his supernatural “gifts,” it will make him a beacon that draws—not only the beings that gruesomely butchered his family—but all the many horrors that hide in the darkness, marking him, and his newfound friends on the show, to suffer the same fate as his murdered family.

the tormented comic book series

“Ryan Auster, our protagonist in THE TORMENTED, sees ghosts, but kept it from his ghost-hunting family because he feared his family more than the ghosts, and because he’s been hiding it his whole life, now in his twenties, he still hasn’t quite learned how to deal with the unexpected spirits, demons, and otherworldly creatures that are constantly invading his life," Chuck Austen communicated to ageekdaddy.com. "This series has been an absolute trip to create with Pat, and I hope readers have as much fun reading the story as we’ve had making it.”

the tormented

Amazon’s Comixology Originals exclusive digital content line is available at no additional cost for members of Amazon Prime, Kindle Unlimited, and Comixology Unlimited, and for purchase at amazon.com/comixology. Prime Reading offers all Amazon Prime members a rotating selection of more than 3,000 digital books, magazines, comics, and more – all at no additional cost to their Prime membership. Kindle Unlimited gives customers access to more than 4 million digital titles, including thousands of audio books and comics, plus current magazines for just $11.99 a month with a free trial period at amazon.com/kindleunlimited. Comixology Unlimited offers over 45,000 comics, graphic novels and manga for just $5.99 a month with a free trial at amazon.com/comixologyunlimited.

NEW SEASON OF DOCTOR WHO TO DEBUT ON DISNEY+

doctor who on disney+

Calling across the Whoniverse! Today, Disney Branded Television and BBC jointly announced the premiere date for the next “Doctor Who” installment, the first-ever season to launch on Disney+ and release simultaneously worldwide. Beginning Friday, May 10, at 7:00 p.m. EDT on Disney+ in the U.S. and internationally (excluding the UK), audiences will return to “The Church on Ruby Road,” which premiered last December, and journey through two all-new episodes. In the UK, the show remains on its traditional home BBC with the season kicking off Saturday, May 11, at 12:00 a.m. GMT on BBC iPlayer, followed by a BBC One broadcast later that day.

This season of “Doctor Who” follows the Doctor and Ruby Sunday through infinite adventures across time and space in the TARDIS. From the Regency era in England to war-torn futures, the duo champion the forces of good while encountering incredible friends and dangerous foes. Showrunner, executive producer and writer Russell T Davies reached out to ageekdaddy.com saying “At last, it’s my great delight to unleash a whole new season of the Doctor and Ruby’s adventures together. Monsters! Chases! Villains! Mysteries! And a terrifying secret that’s been spanning time and space for decades. Don’t miss a second!”

Stay tuned for a brand-new trailer for the upcoming season being released next Friday, March 22 on Disney+.

new season of doctor who

Quintessentially British, “Doctor Who” is one of the longest running action-adventure television series in the world with legions of fans across the globe since its inception on the BBC in 1963. The critically acclaimed show was the UK’s most watched drama on Christmas Day 2023 as Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor took over the TARDIS in “The Church On Ruby Road.”