C2E2 Panel w/ First Issue Club & The Short Box!
April 12, 2024

MOVIE REVIEW: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire & Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (Part Two)

MOVIE REVIEW: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire & Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (Part Two)

"The world, right now, is experiencing unusual paranormal activity. We are here to answer that call. Because we... ARE THE GHOSTBUSTERS!"

For part two of episode 151, we finish up our review of the fifth installment of the Monsterverse: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and then go directly into our discussion of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

Aaron’s Arcade [Sponsored by G Fuel]  (41:14)

Chris’ Corner [Sponsered by The Fantasy Shop] (45:16)

C2E2 Panel Information for "A Comic Podcast Crossover Live Show: The Short Box x The Oblivion Bar x First Issue Club"

Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on Threads
Follow us on BlueSky
Like us on Facebook
Consider supporting us over on Patreon
Download the BEST digital comic book reader Omnibus
Stock up on G Fuel (CODE: OBP)
Thank you DreamKid for our Oblivion Bar music
Thank you Kevin Zeigler for our Oblivion Bar art

Transcript
WEBVTT

00:00:00.462 --> 00:00:11.648
you Welcome to the Oblivion Bar podcast with your host Chris Hacker and Aaron Knowles.

00:00:28.193 --> 00:00:36.097
Godzilla's movements and mannerism, namely the scene where he's sleeping curled up inside the Roman Colosseum, were based on director Adam Wingard's cat, Mischief.

00:00:36.097 --> 00:00:36.798
As we said.

00:00:36.798 --> 00:00:36.957
Yeah.

00:00:36.957 --> 00:00:37.579
Kill it.

00:00:37.579 --> 00:00:38.658
That's pretty obvious.

00:00:38.838 --> 00:00:39.619
Yeah.

00:00:39.619 --> 00:00:43.841
For Trapper's appearance, Adam Wingard wanted him to have the 80s action figure feel.

00:00:43.841 --> 00:00:45.923
Nailed it! And was based on the G.I.

00:00:45.923 --> 00:00:47.243
Joe character, Chuckles.

00:00:47.243 --> 00:00:48.264
No notes.

00:00:48.384 --> 00:00:49.045
No notes.

00:00:49.045 --> 00:00:50.526
He fucking nailed it.

00:00:50.526 --> 00:00:52.546
It was just like the fun character.

00:00:52.546 --> 00:00:53.707
Like, I want to be best friends.

00:00:53.707 --> 00:00:55.188
I want to be on his staff.

00:00:55.188 --> 00:00:57.630
I was getting Han Solo vibes, too.

00:00:57.630 --> 00:01:00.030
Like just kinda like too cool for school kinda guy.

00:01:00.030 --> 00:01:01.570
Yeah, scruffy nerf herder.

00:01:02.031 --> 00:01:07.334
The image used for the blueprints of the Beast Glove is the arm of the Pacific Rim Jaeger Gypsy Danger.

00:01:07.334 --> 00:01:18.021
Beast stands for bio-enhanced anatomic, which is not anatomic, seismic thunder, which is so badass.

00:01:18.021 --> 00:01:19.721
I love the connection there.

00:01:19.902 --> 00:01:25.745
Because again, portals, titans, it's such a cool, it's such an obvious influence, yeah.

00:01:25.745 --> 00:01:26.325
Absolutely.

00:01:26.325 --> 00:01:35.429
While Shimo's exact age is unknown, she has been referred to some as the first Titan, indicating her to be older than any of the other Titans.

00:01:35.429 --> 00:01:37.310
And then lastly, Chris, I'll hand them over.

00:01:37.310 --> 00:01:38.409
I just want to cover this one.

00:01:38.409 --> 00:01:43.772
In Skar King's throne room, several female apes holding red or orange furred infants can be seen.

00:01:43.772 --> 00:01:49.114
This strongly implies that he reproduced with these females and that Suko is probably one of his many children.

00:01:49.114 --> 00:02:00.379
Yeah, he was like, again, like that very human, I don't think, cause he knows that he needs to like, I don't know, he's just, he's such a fucking asshole.

00:02:00.420 --> 00:02:02.781
Humans are opportunistic creatures.

00:02:02.781 --> 00:02:06.164
We're often looking, we're at the top of the food chain and that didn't happen by accident.

00:02:06.164 --> 00:02:07.084
We made that happen.

00:02:07.084 --> 00:02:15.349
Like we came, we were born into this world as the lowest and we became what we are now, talking about Batman and King Kong on this podcast.

00:02:15.349 --> 00:02:16.010
Like we've done it.

00:02:16.010 --> 00:02:19.794
We've peaked in the food chain.

00:02:19.794 --> 00:02:21.775
So- Now we're just going down.

00:02:22.055 --> 00:02:22.495
Yeah, exactly.

00:02:22.495 --> 00:02:23.596
Now we're going backwards.

00:02:23.596 --> 00:02:24.637
Scar King is exactly that.

00:02:24.637 --> 00:02:25.801
He is opportunistic.

00:02:25.801 --> 00:02:27.021
He is conniving.

00:02:27.021 --> 00:02:28.641
He is power hungry.

00:02:28.641 --> 00:02:29.222
All the things.

00:02:29.222 --> 00:02:31.562
Like he represents the worst in humanity, I think.

00:02:31.562 --> 00:02:33.743
And of course King Kong represents the best.

00:02:33.743 --> 00:02:39.104
He is selfless and he has valor and he only just, he wants to be around loved ones, right?

00:02:39.104 --> 00:02:41.605
And he has a tooth that's made out of carbon fiber.

00:02:41.605 --> 00:02:42.825
So that's cool, you know?

00:02:42.825 --> 00:02:44.046
That's Skar King laughed at.

00:02:44.046 --> 00:02:48.388
Yeah, he pointed out, I was like, hey, look at this fucking- Look at this nerd.

00:02:48.388 --> 00:02:48.668
Nerd.

00:02:48.668 --> 00:02:49.647
Nerd, look at this nerd.

00:02:49.647 --> 00:02:50.448
Human tooth.

00:02:50.448 --> 00:02:51.468
You needed a human tooth?

00:02:51.468 --> 00:02:52.209
You fucking nerd.

00:02:52.209 --> 00:02:53.829
Where's your glasses at, nerd?

00:02:55.213 --> 00:03:10.204
He got braces, what a nerd! All right, the Gator Snake serpent that Kong fights in the lake is a callback to the first planned villain of Kong's Co-Island, which was going to be a huge serpent that lived in the water before it was replaced by the Skullcrawlers.

00:03:10.204 --> 00:03:11.164
I think that was a good choice.

00:03:11.164 --> 00:03:13.306
I like the Skullcrawlers in that film.

00:03:13.447 --> 00:03:23.272
For the color visuals, Adam Wingard revealed, whenever I was talking to the visual artists, what I told them was, I want the color palette of this film to resemble the experience you get when you walk down a toy alley.

00:03:23.801 --> 00:03:26.342
in the 1980s when there were Thundercats and G.I.

00:03:26.342 --> 00:03:28.502
Joe and Transformers, which...

00:03:29.002 --> 00:03:29.483
Nailed it.

00:03:29.483 --> 00:03:40.486
The fight between Kong and Scar King in the trailer was inspired by a fight scene in the film Emperor of the North from 1973 where the characters A, number one, and Shaq fight with a fire axe and chains.

00:03:40.486 --> 00:03:42.146
Aaron, are you familiar with this film, Emperor of the North?

00:03:42.146 --> 00:03:49.989
No, but I also heard that another influence was the fight scene between Rowdy Roddy Piper and...

00:03:51.873 --> 00:03:52.954
What's his name?

00:03:53.174 --> 00:03:55.454
From They Live.

00:03:55.454 --> 00:03:58.534
I know the fight you're talking about is when they're like on top of the car and.

00:03:58.534 --> 00:04:04.657
It's like 20 minutes, like a 20 minute fight of just them beating the shit out of each other for no fucking reason, like no outcome.

00:04:04.657 --> 00:04:10.737
I think that's the Kong, like when they first get together, like that's the Kong Godzilla fight influenced that one.

00:04:10.899 --> 00:04:12.338
It's not Louis Gossett Jr., is it?

00:04:12.338 --> 00:04:14.939
I don't know, that's a good question, I have no idea.

00:04:14.939 --> 00:04:15.580
I'm gonna look it up.

00:04:15.580 --> 00:04:16.600
All right, go ahead, get up.

00:04:16.600 --> 00:04:17.300
I'll do the last one here.

00:04:17.300 --> 00:04:21.278
The New Empire holds the record for the most Titans to appear in a Monsterverse film.

00:04:21.278 --> 00:04:23.238
outside of stock footage with at least nine.

00:04:23.238 --> 00:04:24.759
So there are nine Titans in this film.

00:04:24.759 --> 00:04:26.180
So that's pretty- Keith David.

00:04:26.180 --> 00:04:26.721
Keith David.

00:04:26.721 --> 00:04:27.242
Oh, of course.

00:04:27.242 --> 00:04:27.901
Yeah, Keith David.

00:04:27.901 --> 00:04:29.002
All right.

00:04:29.062 --> 00:04:32.144
That'll do it for our coverage, Godzilla Kong, the new empire, Aaron.

00:04:32.144 --> 00:04:33.966
Let's go ahead and give our final thoughts.

00:04:33.966 --> 00:04:36.788
Final thoughts on the fifth installment in the Monsterverse.

00:04:36.788 --> 00:04:39.290
Final thoughts are, it was super fun.

00:04:39.290 --> 00:04:41.391
It was exactly what we wanted.

00:04:41.572 --> 00:04:45.694
And, you know, this is one that I will definitely buy a steel book for.

00:04:45.694 --> 00:04:46.274
Absolutely.

00:04:46.274 --> 00:04:47.336
100% agree.

00:04:47.336 --> 00:04:48.115
Steel book worthy.

00:04:48.115 --> 00:04:49.930
I had so much fun with this movie.

00:04:49.930 --> 00:04:51.089
I want more of this.

00:04:51.089 --> 00:04:57.392
Like I said, it's supplanted the Fast and Furious series as my favorite brain candy franchise going forward.

00:04:57.713 --> 00:04:58.553
I love this.

00:04:58.553 --> 00:05:00.274
I love everything about this.

00:05:00.334 --> 00:05:02.937
Obviously there are some glaring issues.

00:05:02.937 --> 00:05:05.237
There are pacing issues.

00:05:05.278 --> 00:05:06.678
The human characters don't matter.

00:05:06.678 --> 00:05:07.718
There are things, right?

00:05:07.718 --> 00:05:12.281
But the important thing is that they nailed the things they needed to nail and it was a ton of fun.

00:05:12.281 --> 00:05:15.663
And to be hyper critical of a film like this would be silly.

00:05:15.663 --> 00:05:19.822
So, let's go ahead and rate this thing out of five David Winer's.

00:05:19.822 --> 00:05:20.281
Of course, David A.

00:05:20.281 --> 00:05:23.504
Weiner is our favorite documentarian, writer, director.

00:05:23.684 --> 00:05:25.204
A Search of Tomorrow and A Search of Darkness.

00:05:25.204 --> 00:05:26.725
We've had on the show many times.

00:05:26.725 --> 00:05:27.387
Aaron, if you don't mind.

00:05:27.387 --> 00:05:29.567
David A.

00:05:29.567 --> 00:05:30.788
Weiner.

00:05:30.788 --> 00:05:32.370
We need like a water chime.

00:05:32.370 --> 00:05:32.651
Ting.

00:05:32.651 --> 00:05:35.232
At the end of that.

00:05:35.232 --> 00:05:36.333
Can I give my rating first?

00:05:36.333 --> 00:05:38.115
Because I always give mine second.

00:05:38.115 --> 00:05:39.536
Just so I'm not influencing you.

00:05:39.536 --> 00:05:40.096
I'm going to give it.

00:05:40.096 --> 00:05:42.516
Because I feel like my rating is maybe a hot take.

00:05:42.798 --> 00:05:45.959
I'm going to give Godzilla Kong, The New Empire, four David A.

00:05:45.959 --> 00:05:46.839
Weiners.

00:05:46.880 --> 00:05:48.321
I really like this movie.

00:05:48.485 --> 00:05:53.869
Again, we're like, we are of the same mind, but like always point five apart.

00:05:53.928 --> 00:05:55.531
I'm going to give it a three point five.

00:05:55.531 --> 00:05:55.971
Sure.

00:05:55.971 --> 00:05:56.891
OK.

00:05:56.891 --> 00:05:58.913
And that and that's I loved it.

00:05:58.913 --> 00:06:00.093
I really did.

00:06:00.093 --> 00:06:02.576
But I can't say it was like a maze.

00:06:02.576 --> 00:06:04.937
I can't say it was like Godzilla minus one level.

00:06:04.937 --> 00:06:05.497
You know what I mean?

00:06:05.497 --> 00:06:06.677
Well, that's tough.

00:06:06.677 --> 00:06:07.358
That's going to be tough.

00:06:07.358 --> 00:06:09.279
This is not at all the same.

00:06:09.480 --> 00:06:10.880
It's not an art house.

00:06:10.880 --> 00:06:11.461
Godzilla.

00:06:11.461 --> 00:06:12.041
I get it.

00:06:12.041 --> 00:06:12.822
I get it.

00:06:12.822 --> 00:06:16.264
But like, I got to base it off of what I love and the things that I enjoyed.

00:06:16.264 --> 00:06:17.084
And again.

00:06:17.398 --> 00:06:22.523
Maybe I'll revisit it again, like when I can to see it again and maybe give it a four also.

00:06:22.523 --> 00:06:24.045
I really enjoyed it.

00:06:24.064 --> 00:06:30.110
It could have also been like the mood that I was in because when I got there, I was a little disappointed in the theater's activities.

00:06:30.110 --> 00:06:34.956
I was disappointed they didn't have the merchandise because I wanted some merchandise, like all that stuff.

00:06:34.956 --> 00:06:39.139
So it could have been that, I'll revisit it, but I think right now I'm giving it a 3.5.

00:06:39.380 --> 00:06:40.040
Sure.

00:06:40.305 --> 00:06:40.826
All right.

00:06:40.826 --> 00:06:42.067
Where's it at in your monster verse?

00:06:42.067 --> 00:06:46.630
Can you off the top of your head, can you think about where it lies in terms of all of those films?

00:06:46.630 --> 00:06:52.096
So again, we have Godzilla, we have Godzilla, King of the Monsters, we have Kong Skull Island, we have Godzilla versus Kong.

00:06:52.096 --> 00:06:53.156
And then this, you know what?

00:06:53.156 --> 00:06:54.478
I'm going to leave the people hanging.

00:06:54.478 --> 00:06:54.918
OK.

00:06:54.918 --> 00:06:59.401
And I'm going to say check our social media because you know what I'm going to do once the show is over today?

00:06:59.401 --> 00:07:04.045
I will create a letterbox list and we'll post that on our social.

00:07:04.045 --> 00:07:07.449
So, yeah, I think I'll leave them hanging for that and I'll put up a list.

00:07:07.449 --> 00:07:08.428
OK, I think.

00:07:08.682 --> 00:07:10.682
I don't have it listed here, but I'm just gonna say off the top of my head.

00:07:10.682 --> 00:07:12.403
I'm gonna say off the dome.

00:07:12.403 --> 00:07:13.103
Off the dezoom.

00:07:13.103 --> 00:07:17.627
I've got Godzilla at number one, still I think the best version of whatever this is.

00:07:17.627 --> 00:07:20.988
It's funny because it is very grounded and this is super silly because it's number two.

00:07:20.988 --> 00:07:23.569
Godzilla at Kong, the new empire is number two for me.

00:07:23.569 --> 00:07:28.012
Then I would say Godzilla, King of the Monsters is number three.

00:07:28.012 --> 00:07:30.033
Kong Skull Island is number four.

00:07:30.033 --> 00:07:31.995
And then Godzilla versus Kong is number five.

00:07:31.995 --> 00:07:35.156
However, I should just say broadly, I like all of these films.

00:07:35.156 --> 00:07:36.297
None of them are bad.

00:07:36.401 --> 00:07:37.482
had to put them in a certain order.

00:07:37.482 --> 00:07:40.562
It's hard to put a top five when there's only five.

00:07:40.562 --> 00:07:41.024
Right.

00:07:41.024 --> 00:07:41.204
Yeah.

00:07:41.204 --> 00:07:42.663
You know, absolutely.

00:07:42.843 --> 00:07:44.745
All right, Aaron, let's go and get into our next review here.

00:07:44.745 --> 00:07:48.185
We've got Ghostbusters Frozen Empire.

00:07:48.226 --> 00:07:49.526
Again, spoilers ahead for this film.

00:07:49.526 --> 00:07:52.769
This is the fourth installment, I guess.

00:07:52.769 --> 00:07:53.908
Well, OK.

00:07:53.908 --> 00:07:55.889
I don't think it's the fifth because one doesn't really count.

00:07:55.889 --> 00:07:56.889
We don't look at it.

00:07:56.889 --> 00:07:57.730
Don't look at it.

00:07:57.730 --> 00:07:58.911
Stop looking at it.

00:07:59.771 --> 00:08:01.531
But mom, don't look at honey.

00:08:01.531 --> 00:08:02.413
It's looking at you high.

00:08:02.413 --> 00:08:03.252
So no.

00:08:03.593 --> 00:08:04.572
So, yeah.

00:08:04.665 --> 00:08:07.786
I mean, it technically is the fifth Ghostbusters film.

00:08:08.206 --> 00:08:10.206
We're talking about the female lead Ghostbusters, everybody.

00:08:10.206 --> 00:08:18.949
2016's Ghostbusters Answer the Call with, yes, it is a female team, but that has nothing to do with why this movie is fucking horrible.

00:08:18.949 --> 00:08:20.629
All right.

00:08:20.629 --> 00:08:23.151
Well, let's let's, spoilers ahead for everybody.

00:08:23.230 --> 00:08:24.091
Spon-ass.

00:08:24.091 --> 00:08:26.932
Initial thoughts on Ghostbusters Frozen Empire.

00:08:27.031 --> 00:08:28.771
I had a great time with this.

00:08:28.771 --> 00:08:30.112
I had a great...

00:08:30.112 --> 00:08:31.552
Tell people, tell people how you saw it.

00:08:31.552 --> 00:08:33.110
Also, let's, we should talk about that.

00:08:33.110 --> 00:08:35.270
Okay, so I saw it twice actually already.

00:08:35.270 --> 00:08:36.471
The first time I saw it.

00:08:36.471 --> 00:08:37.591
Before everybody else could see it.

00:08:37.591 --> 00:08:38.251
Before everybody else.

00:08:38.251 --> 00:08:47.216
The first time I saw it was, it was a screening at a Regal, and I went to that one, got invited by Sony.

00:08:47.417 --> 00:08:49.759
So that was really fun.

00:08:49.759 --> 00:08:52.059
It was a bunch of podcasters.

00:08:52.059 --> 00:08:56.182
It was a bunch of article writers, influencers, things like that.

00:08:56.182 --> 00:09:01.544
And then the second time I saw it, I went and saw it with the New York City Ghostbusters, which I'm now a recruit for.

00:09:01.544 --> 00:09:03.065
I'm in my probation.

00:09:03.138 --> 00:09:03.597
phase.

00:09:03.597 --> 00:09:05.077
I'm in my probie phase.

00:09:05.197 --> 00:09:14.900
And yeah, so getting to see it with like 50 other plus Ghostbusters in costume, proton packs, all that stuff was amazing.

00:09:14.900 --> 00:09:25.724
And it was this whole like regal event thing at the union or was it walk, E walks using the E walk theater in New York from yeah, not the little bears and start from Endor.

00:09:25.724 --> 00:09:27.783
Yeah, not from Endor.

00:09:29.524 --> 00:09:31.365
Chewbacca is not from Endor.

00:09:32.385 --> 00:09:33.206
So, yeah, it was.

00:09:33.206 --> 00:09:34.706
But that was really fun to get to see it.

00:09:34.706 --> 00:09:40.068
But that I'll say this, that was in a 4DX theater, which I will never go back to.

00:09:40.068 --> 00:09:40.849
OK, I was going to ask.

00:09:40.849 --> 00:09:43.409
So what did they make it cold in the room?

00:09:43.409 --> 00:09:44.791
Did they spritz you with some?

00:09:44.791 --> 00:09:50.033
It's basically like a roller coaster, like all the seats move like it's jarring.

00:09:50.033 --> 00:09:54.634
It is so I could not I could not focus on the movie.

00:09:54.634 --> 00:09:54.875
Yeah.

00:09:54.875 --> 00:09:56.735
What movie would you even want to see in that setting?

00:09:56.735 --> 00:09:57.216
I don't even know.

00:09:57.216 --> 00:09:58.316
Fast and Furious.

00:09:58.416 --> 00:10:00.616
Maybe Fast and Furious, maybe like an avatar, perhaps.

00:10:00.616 --> 00:10:01.636
I don't know.

00:10:01.636 --> 00:10:02.217
No, not even that.

00:10:02.217 --> 00:10:04.899
Just like that's not really nothing.

00:10:04.899 --> 00:10:05.960
It was like it was horrible.

00:10:05.960 --> 00:10:07.100
Like they sprayed you.

00:10:07.100 --> 00:10:08.721
They puffed air in your face.

00:10:08.721 --> 00:10:10.123
They made it cold.

00:10:10.123 --> 00:10:11.283
They made it hot.

00:10:11.283 --> 00:10:14.645
Like it was just, it was the most jarring experience.

00:10:14.645 --> 00:10:17.307
And I never want to see a movie in that again.

00:10:17.307 --> 00:10:18.749
That sounds like my nightmare.

00:10:18.749 --> 00:10:20.389
Honestly, I don't ever want to do that.

00:10:20.389 --> 00:10:24.072
It was, it was like, like stimulation overload.

00:10:24.072 --> 00:10:24.572
Oh, sure.

00:10:24.572 --> 00:10:24.753
Okay.

00:10:24.753 --> 00:10:25.452
All right.

00:10:25.452 --> 00:10:28.394
Well, my initial thoughts on this film, Aaron, and I hate to disappoint you.

00:10:28.394 --> 00:10:30.177
I did not like this movie at all.

00:10:30.177 --> 00:10:31.817
I thought this movie was pretty bad.

00:10:31.817 --> 00:10:33.418
Honestly, pretty polarizing.

00:10:33.499 --> 00:10:35.600
It's just, I don't know what this is.

00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:37.442
Like what is Ghostbusters anymore?

00:10:37.442 --> 00:10:40.163
I think there's a lot of questions we can ask and I can kind of elaborate on why.

00:10:40.163 --> 00:10:41.443
Let's chat about it.

00:10:41.443 --> 00:10:42.144
Should we?

00:10:42.144 --> 00:10:43.206
Maybe I can talk to you about it.

00:10:43.206 --> 00:10:44.505
Maybe I can help you.

00:10:44.606 --> 00:10:45.407
I would love that, honestly.

00:10:45.407 --> 00:10:45.506
Okay.

00:10:45.506 --> 00:10:53.572
Because what the Ghostbusters to me was four grimy guys get together and bust some ghosts.

00:10:53.572 --> 00:10:54.634
They don't have great equipment.

00:10:54.634 --> 00:10:56.054
They're kind of down to luck.

00:10:56.054 --> 00:10:59.856
They just are New York's last defense in this sort of.

00:11:00.033 --> 00:11:07.619
Defeated New York's early, you know early 80s defeated New York and there's nothing Glowy or shiny about it.

00:11:07.619 --> 00:11:28.212
It's just that right and it seems like and there's some caveats to this I think that what it seems like the Ghostbusters has become is High quality family fund that everyone and grandma can enjoy You know me can I say something absolutely please if you've ever watched the first Ghostbusters Which plenty of us have if the Ghostbusters had never done anything.

00:11:28.212 --> 00:11:30.717
There would be no issue Okay, that's fair.

00:11:30.717 --> 00:11:31.118
Yeah.

00:11:31.118 --> 00:11:33.057
I mean, Dan Acquard gets blown by a ghost in that movie.

00:11:33.057 --> 00:11:33.759
So that's pretty cool.

00:11:33.759 --> 00:11:35.038
Yeah.

00:11:35.038 --> 00:11:39.480
But I'm just saying if there if the Ghostbusters had never formed, there would be no issue.

00:11:39.580 --> 00:11:42.041
That's like the age old superhero challenge, right?

00:11:42.041 --> 00:11:44.662
Like power incites power.

00:11:44.662 --> 00:11:49.702
So people will always challenge you because they want to they want to defeat whoever's on top.

00:11:49.702 --> 00:11:51.023
But no, but I'm saying this.

00:11:51.023 --> 00:12:25.464
Like if you watch the original movie, the only reason the ghost like that, the entire culmination climax of that film occurs, Walter Peck goes into the Ghostbusters facility and fucks up the storage unit Yeah, had there never been a storage unit no sign no Key master thing like they would there would have been I mean there would have been happily it would not have Like giving them the sign, you know, I mean sure so like I feel like without You make the argument for this movie too, like McKenna Grace her character Phoebe.

00:12:25.464 --> 00:12:33.561
This whole film is basically on her back Well, also Camille Nandiani's character as well, where he brings in the orb and like, you're absolutely right.

00:12:33.561 --> 00:12:41.005
A lot of the issues, Garza, the reason why he's released is because Dan Aykroyd, his character, it's trickling effects.

00:12:41.005 --> 00:12:48.711
But my whole point, I need to finish this, is that this film, it felt like broken up scenes around the old cast.

00:12:48.711 --> 00:13:00.658
And I think that, I'm conflicted here, Aaron, because on one hand, of course, it's cool to see Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, everybody back in this film and back in the Ghostbusters suits, but I think this was the first time that I got like kind of tired of it.

00:13:00.658 --> 00:13:04.120
I'm like, can we just move on to the new Ghostbusters?

00:13:04.120 --> 00:13:04.221
Yeah.

00:13:04.221 --> 00:13:05.001
You know what I mean?

00:13:05.001 --> 00:13:06.842
Like, and it's your it's glaring.

00:13:06.842 --> 00:13:07.363
Yeah.

00:13:07.363 --> 00:13:09.864
You're feeling what a lot of people are feeling.

00:13:10.004 --> 00:13:15.788
And they're feeling that this movie is relying too heavily on nostalgia.

00:13:15.788 --> 00:13:16.548
Mm hmm.

00:13:16.548 --> 00:13:22.150
Like you're feeling like again, there's a very polarizing looking, a very polarizing sense of this film.

00:13:22.150 --> 00:13:24.011
You have a lot of people who are like, this is great.

00:13:24.011 --> 00:13:24.773
I love it.

00:13:24.773 --> 00:13:26.774
Great to see the new cast, the old cast.

00:13:26.774 --> 00:13:38.041
To me, this is like when we described Dune 2, one of the things you described was kind of like the new school, like kind of like sending off like the old guard.

00:13:38.221 --> 00:13:49.048
And that's what I feel like this is because what we're seeing in this film, and I'm gonna go over the summary in a second, pardon the pun, but a spiritual send off for the older team.

00:13:49.089 --> 00:13:51.169
Like this was like a last hurrah for them.

00:13:51.169 --> 00:13:52.711
Couldn't we have done that in Afterlife?

00:13:52.711 --> 00:13:56.793
Like, didn't we do that actually with like even the ghost of Egon?

00:13:57.542 --> 00:14:01.865
Yes and no, but you have to have that transition point and that's what this movie is.

00:14:01.865 --> 00:14:02.884
I thought that would have been perfect.

00:14:02.884 --> 00:14:04.546
Honestly, I think that would have been great.

00:14:04.546 --> 00:14:05.246
But you still.

00:14:05.246 --> 00:14:05.846
Okay.

00:14:05.846 --> 00:14:11.269
We would have went in straight to this film with them taking over the firehouse and then bam, McKenna Grace and co are helping out.

00:14:11.269 --> 00:14:18.053
And I think that this film suffers greatly because they keep referring and McKenna Grace actually comments on this later on in the in the notes.

00:14:18.053 --> 00:14:24.417
But like they could have just continued the legacy with Camille Nongiani joining the team and all like.

00:14:24.761 --> 00:14:26.761
Even like Dan Aykroyd in the background, I would have been fine with that.

00:14:26.761 --> 00:14:30.602
But like bringing in Bill Murray and even like Winston, what's his name?

00:14:30.602 --> 00:14:31.543
Zettelmore.

00:14:31.543 --> 00:14:31.943
Yeah.

00:14:31.943 --> 00:14:32.903
Even Winston Zettelmore.

00:14:32.903 --> 00:14:36.144
I know I'm like calling some by their cast name and some by the actual actor name.

00:14:36.144 --> 00:14:38.745
But like, yeah, it just I don't know.

00:14:38.745 --> 00:14:39.365
Ernie Hudson, thank you.

00:14:39.365 --> 00:14:40.025
I don't know.

00:14:40.025 --> 00:14:40.586
I just didn't.

00:14:40.586 --> 00:14:41.726
Is this what you want, Aaron?

00:14:41.726 --> 00:14:47.307
Like as a true Ghostbusters fan, this type of thing where it's like very family friendly driven.

00:14:47.307 --> 00:14:52.168
We're bringing back the old cast for every entry, like kind of again, glossy.

00:14:52.418 --> 00:14:54.879
kind of New York and you, is this what you want?

00:14:54.879 --> 00:15:03.922
I don't know what I want as a Ghostbuster because I need the studios to show me and tell me what I want to see because we're in unknown territory with this.

00:15:03.922 --> 00:15:05.403
Let me go over to the summary.

00:15:05.582 --> 00:15:09.083
Let me kind of like give you a breakdown of like what I would have wanted to see.

00:15:09.083 --> 00:15:09.965
Sure, okay.

00:15:09.965 --> 00:15:21.909
So the summary of this film is the Spangler family returns the iconic New York City firehouse where the original Ghostbusters first set up shop back in 1984 when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Garaka.

00:15:21.909 --> 00:15:29.816
who's basically a demon god, Ghostbusters new and old must unite to protect their home and save the city from a second ice age.

00:15:30.056 --> 00:15:34.740
So here are the important things that we had to hit in this film.

00:15:34.879 --> 00:15:46.250
So we had to bring the new team into the firehouse, get them established with a new set of new gear, outfit them, and then get them to work.

00:15:46.389 --> 00:15:50.773
In order to do that, you have to bring in the old school team.

00:15:51.094 --> 00:15:53.215
But at the same time, I do see what you're saying.

00:15:53.215 --> 00:16:21.894
And I would have liked more of them more like taking more of a backseat rather than them being really relied upon so much, you know, like have, you know, Ray and have all these guys like have them be like retired, but like still kind of like around the shop, like being the shop, but Winston should be really the only one who's calling the shots because he's the one financing now he did so well in financial in the financial district that he is now Financing the entire Ghostbusters operation.

00:16:21.894 --> 00:16:23.755
He's the one who's paying for all the R&D.

00:16:24.017 --> 00:16:34.184
He's paying for all the training He's paying for all the new equipment You got Janine who's kind of like still doing her administrative stuff behind the behind the scenes true Like why is Bill Murray there?

00:16:34.184 --> 00:16:48.116
Bill Murray is only there because they needed it They it would be weird if Peter wasn't there It would be weird if he exactly if he wasn't there he out of all of them Bill Murray has been the one who is very stoically and very slick said many times.

00:16:48.116 --> 00:16:49.076
I'm done.

00:16:49.076 --> 00:16:51.081
Yeah but he keeps coming back.

00:16:51.081 --> 00:16:52.283
But he keeps coming back.

00:16:52.283 --> 00:17:00.249
I would have been fine if they would have just brought him in for that one scene with Camille Nanjiani's character with the fire master, like where he's basically doing the same thing he did in the first movie.

00:17:00.249 --> 00:17:08.994
Like if he had just come back for that and maybe just like, like you said, been around to help in the background, in the finale, like in the third act, I would have been totally fine with that.

00:17:08.994 --> 00:17:12.602
But putting them in the suits again is where I kind of draw the line in terms of my believability.

00:17:12.602 --> 00:17:20.604
we're now approaching really my only main issue with this movie was the fact of how easy it was for them to capture Garaka at the end of the day.

00:17:20.663 --> 00:17:22.104
Pretty weak villain.

00:17:22.104 --> 00:17:28.286
This whole movie led up to this like demon God who's about to destroy earth and like cause a new ice age and all this stuff.

00:17:28.286 --> 00:17:34.768
And then the, the culminating fight was really maybe 10 minutes of this entire film.

00:17:34.807 --> 00:18:12.042
And honestly, if anything, it really shows how par in the use impotent the older team was when it came to how much of an effect they had on fighting these because really the only reason That they were able to capture him was because of the new team and or Patrick Arrocha was because of the new team and because of the Involvement of the older team it really brought more issues than it was than it was necessary So I think if anything like I said, this is like a spiritual kind of like goodbye Like we don't really need the old-school Ghostbusters anymore at least out in in gear to accomplish the mission.

00:18:12.042 --> 00:18:12.584
Yeah.

00:18:12.584 --> 00:18:14.744
I just, the humor didn't work for me either.

00:18:14.744 --> 00:18:21.490
A lot of the, all the funny, the only funny parts in this movie were Camille Nanjiani, uh, parts of Bill Murray and Pat Oswald.

00:18:21.490 --> 00:18:22.310
Good friend of the show.

00:18:22.310 --> 00:18:30.636
You know, like those guys really on any, any other joke that was said in this film, I did not even chuckle at, which was kind of a bummer, but let's, we'll talk about it more as we go along.

00:18:30.636 --> 00:18:33.438
So frozen empire was released 40 years after the first film.

00:18:33.438 --> 00:18:37.781
It was also the, uh, it was also released in time for the hundredth anniversary of Columbia pictures.

00:18:37.781 --> 00:18:45.868
which I don't know if you saw the Aaron, but the kind of rotating images of the lady there in the beginning and then the 10th anniversary of her, Harold Ramis is passing.

00:18:45.868 --> 00:18:48.471
So this was really scheduled to be released on December 20th.

00:18:48.471 --> 00:18:56.017
I said earlier, November, I actually meant December 20th of last year, but due to the sag after a WGA strikes, it was delayed until March 29th.

00:18:56.198 --> 00:19:04.766
And despite the heavy influence of the animated series, Aaron, which I know you're a big fan of in this film, the real Gus Ghostbusters story, editor and comic book writer, Jay Michael Sierdzynski.

00:19:04.766 --> 00:19:08.226
revealed that he was never consulted by the filmmakers of this film.

00:19:08.247 --> 00:19:14.647
Strzecinski didn't even find out that this was an influence for the film until Empire magazine broke out the news in the fall of 2023.

00:19:15.249 --> 00:19:18.608
So wouldn't have been a good idea to get Strzecinski involved.

00:19:19.009 --> 00:19:22.609
The guy who basically created and was the show runner of the animated series.

00:19:23.030 --> 00:19:30.192
I mean, I don't, it's again, this is, this is a departure because if you look at, again, I'm just going to say this one, I haven't really said this part.

00:19:31.212 --> 00:19:33.093
The original films were.

00:19:34.405 --> 00:19:36.965
where the real Ghostbusters cartoon came from.

00:19:37.267 --> 00:19:43.449
This is even a departure from the first two films and even the cartoon.

00:19:43.449 --> 00:19:48.329
This is a departure because if you look at it, yeah, like you said earlier, this is about four grimy dudes who are on a team.

00:19:48.329 --> 00:19:54.832
No, they're not really grimy, but this is now becoming more of a family film, like a family franchise.

00:19:54.832 --> 00:19:56.132
Yeah, that's what I've been saying.

00:19:56.132 --> 00:19:58.833
It's divulging into rated G instead of PG-13.

00:20:00.846 --> 00:20:03.086
We got someone gets called dickless in this movie at one point.

00:20:03.086 --> 00:20:03.606
That's about it.

00:20:03.606 --> 00:20:03.987
Really.

00:20:03.987 --> 00:20:05.327
That was the funniest part.

00:20:05.327 --> 00:20:07.148
Like it might be part of it's all dark and horny.

00:20:07.849 --> 00:20:09.069
No, it wasn't necessary.

00:20:09.289 --> 00:20:11.412
The fact that they put that on a shirt was ridiculous.

00:20:11.412 --> 00:20:14.532
But yeah, I love like, hey, like you should be thanking them.

00:20:14.532 --> 00:20:14.874
Dickless.

00:20:14.874 --> 00:20:16.855
That was the funniest part of the fucking movie.

00:20:16.974 --> 00:20:30.766
But yeah, anyways, I feel like this is like this is going in a direction that is making what Ghostbusters could have been, which is more of a family friendly, like approachable franchise, which I'm not bad about it because it's not like it's a kids movie.

00:20:30.766 --> 00:20:32.227
It's not a kids movie.

00:20:32.227 --> 00:20:34.387
It's it's an adolescent film.

00:20:34.387 --> 00:20:39.849
It's a it's a it's a film where older kids and younger adults and older adults can all enjoy it.

00:20:39.849 --> 00:20:41.391
That's why I like it.

00:20:41.391 --> 00:20:45.712
Yeah, but I think if you alienate the older crowd with a movie like this, then it doesn't become all ages.

00:20:45.712 --> 00:20:47.573
It becomes strictly a kids film.

00:20:47.633 --> 00:20:48.253
You see what I'm saying?

00:20:48.253 --> 00:20:53.296
Like the Ghostbusters films are fun for all ages because adults and children can enjoy it.

00:20:53.296 --> 00:20:58.076
You've got the kind of a kind of a high brow hilarious.

00:20:58.165 --> 00:21:05.166
form of comedy with the, you know, the members of, I would never really argue that, that Ghostbusters was for children.

00:21:05.166 --> 00:21:05.988
Oh, and 100%.

00:21:05.988 --> 00:21:08.248
I don't think it is either, but I think they can enjoy it.

00:21:08.248 --> 00:21:08.949
They can.

00:21:08.949 --> 00:21:10.368
I think they can enjoy this.

00:21:10.368 --> 00:21:13.009
My point is that they made this film for kids.

00:21:13.009 --> 00:21:14.910
There's no way that this was made for people like us.

00:21:14.910 --> 00:21:17.131
This film was not like, well, let me say this.

00:21:17.131 --> 00:21:20.731
I think that they had us in mind because they obviously included the old Ghostbusters.

00:21:20.731 --> 00:21:20.832
Yeah.

00:21:20.832 --> 00:21:25.792
Like they wanted to do certain things for the older audience, but I think it just felt very half-baked.

00:21:25.792 --> 00:21:28.707
And the, the actual content in the film.

00:21:28.727 --> 00:21:29.627
Like that's where it stopped.

00:21:29.627 --> 00:21:30.949
That's where the buck stopped was.

00:21:30.949 --> 00:21:32.170
I disagree.

00:21:32.170 --> 00:21:33.851
Let's bring in the old guys.

00:21:33.851 --> 00:21:35.353
That'll appease the older audience.

00:21:35.353 --> 00:21:40.997
And let's make it more kind of again, glossy and sort of PG or rated G for like the actual content.

00:21:40.997 --> 00:21:44.900
You're almost arguing like the, some of these people who are like, oh, this film's woke.

00:21:44.900 --> 00:21:47.142
This is interesting.

00:21:47.142 --> 00:21:48.542
Is that your daddy's Ghostbusters?

00:21:48.542 --> 00:21:48.903
This is woke.

00:21:48.903 --> 00:21:50.664
This is woke Ghostbusters.

00:21:50.664 --> 00:21:52.346
You got it.

00:21:52.346 --> 00:21:53.247
This is woke Busters.

00:21:53.247 --> 00:21:55.509
Phoebe is in love with a, with a gay ghost.

00:21:55.509 --> 00:21:56.528
What the hell?

00:21:56.726 --> 00:21:57.586
Yeah.

00:21:57.586 --> 00:21:59.166
Spanglers aren't gay.

00:21:59.208 --> 00:22:00.647
My Spangler ain't gay.

00:22:02.289 --> 00:22:03.351
No, that's not what I'm saying.

00:22:03.351 --> 00:22:09.855
I'm just saying that like eBreak, the ecto one eBreak into the other direction is glaring and I don't like it.

00:22:09.855 --> 00:22:19.964
I'm okay for making things more accessible for all audiences, but you have to put the effort in for the older audience more so than the younger audience because the younger audience is going to be into this regardless, I think.

00:22:19.964 --> 00:22:22.307
Like if you're, if you're marketing it correctly.

00:22:22.307 --> 00:22:26.409
My one real big gripe and it's not even a big gripe.

00:22:27.278 --> 00:22:41.040
And I've been getting some a little bit of hate for this for this feeling on it is there's the first ghost chase they're chasing the what's it the Manhattan sewer dragon the hell's kitchen hell's kitchen sewer dragon.

00:22:41.040 --> 00:22:46.962
Yeah, um through the streets and phoebe like ejects into the I forget the seats the seat.

00:22:46.962 --> 00:22:48.363
Yeah, but it's called something else.

00:22:48.363 --> 00:22:51.403
But like it's like a gunnery Yeah, the gunner seat.

00:22:51.423 --> 00:23:03.634
Um, so she like sits on that but and then and then at one point the mom like puts on the goggles and like starts using like an FPV, like a first person view drone to capture this dragon.

00:23:03.634 --> 00:23:08.036
And in my opinion, that's the stupidest thing of this movie.

00:23:08.036 --> 00:23:11.478
Why was she in the goggles and why was Phoebe?

00:23:11.478 --> 00:23:12.659
They should have reversed that.

00:23:12.659 --> 00:23:21.943
I feel like if anything, the mom over time would have gotten better at catching ghosts and she would have been the one in the gunner seat.

00:23:21.943 --> 00:23:24.605
And then Phoebe would have been the one flying the drone.

00:23:24.726 --> 00:23:29.326
Yeah, but then you couldn't have the subplot of Phoebe being a young girl and she should be on the Ghostbusters.

00:23:29.326 --> 00:23:30.407
Exactly.

00:23:30.688 --> 00:23:31.428
That's where that comes from.

00:23:31.428 --> 00:23:32.509
And again, it's half baked.

00:23:32.509 --> 00:23:41.873
It's that you have a story element that you think makes sense because you have another story element down the road, but it destroys a character's like what a character would do generally.

00:23:41.873 --> 00:23:42.272
Right.

00:23:42.272 --> 00:23:43.093
Yeah, I get what you're saying.

00:23:43.093 --> 00:23:43.772
Absolutely.

00:23:43.772 --> 00:23:51.276
But it would destroy other elements of the movie that I would say that the main crux or the main pillar of Phoebe's arc in this is that she's a young girl.

00:23:51.276 --> 00:23:54.196
She shouldn't be busting ghosts this early in her life.

00:23:54.221 --> 00:23:55.803
and everyone's trying to stop her, right?

00:23:55.803 --> 00:24:03.409
And then at the end, she shows that she can do it because her partner ghost person helped her, you know, like, anyway, all right, let's keep moving along here.

00:24:03.409 --> 00:24:12.036
So the box office for this, as of April 4th, Frozen Empire has grossed 77.1 million domestically and 35.1 million in other territories.

00:24:12.036 --> 00:24:14.577
On a budget of 100 million.

00:24:14.577 --> 00:24:19.281
So relatively cheap-ish, like it's made a worldwide total of 112, so it's made its budget back.

00:24:19.281 --> 00:24:23.662
But of course, Aaron, as we know, you gotta double it plus more to earn a profit.

00:24:23.662 --> 00:24:25.643
any profit at all because of marketing and whatnot.

00:24:25.643 --> 00:24:46.299
So Frozen Empire debuted at $45 million in its opening weekend, landing between Ghostbusters from 2016, everyone's favorite Ghostbusters, at $46 million in 2016 to Ghostbusters Afterlife at $44 million in 2021, topping the box office in its first week and pushing the Ghostbusters franchise to $1 billion total across all entries.

00:24:46.299 --> 00:24:54.502
So it was in number one for one week and then the next week, Godzilla, And the Empire is Strokeback.

00:24:54.502 --> 00:24:57.244
And the Empire is Strokeback, as we've said, everyone.

00:24:57.244 --> 00:24:58.005
Strokeback.

00:24:58.005 --> 00:24:59.145
Is Strokeback?

00:24:59.145 --> 00:24:59.526
Strokeback.

00:24:59.526 --> 00:25:00.567
Stroke it back.

00:25:00.567 --> 00:25:01.887
Strokeback Mountain.

00:25:02.868 --> 00:25:06.270
The director is Gil Keenan from 2006's Monster House.

00:25:06.270 --> 00:25:08.833
So interesting what's starting off with a horror film.

00:25:08.833 --> 00:25:11.394
City of Ember, which I don't know if you've seen City of Ember.

00:25:11.474 --> 00:25:12.796
I love that movie.

00:25:12.796 --> 00:25:13.776
I have not seen it, no.

00:25:13.776 --> 00:25:18.740
So it came out around the same time, I want to say, like when a lot of books are coming out, like, what's that one?

00:25:18.740 --> 00:25:21.621
The Mockingjay, the Hunger Games?

00:25:22.201 --> 00:25:23.521
things like that.

00:25:23.981 --> 00:25:27.262
Yeah, so it's very fun book, very fun movie.

00:25:27.262 --> 00:25:28.363
I really enjoyed it.

00:25:28.363 --> 00:25:32.743
Poltergeist 2015, and I never saw this, but A Boy Called Christmas.

00:25:32.944 --> 00:25:33.644
That was a Netflix movie.

00:25:33.644 --> 00:25:33.805
Yeah.

00:25:33.805 --> 00:25:34.545
Okay.

00:25:34.904 --> 00:25:44.428
Isn't it funny that both these directors, Gil Keenan and Adam Wingard, both started off earlier in their career making remakes of classic horror films and them not being well-received.

00:25:44.428 --> 00:25:46.587
Yeah.

00:25:46.587 --> 00:25:51.306
Also Monster House was nominated for an Academy Award for best animated feature, but it lost to Happy Feet.

00:25:51.306 --> 00:25:57.391
So, and then Keenan co-wrote 2021's Ghostbusters Afterlife with Jason Reitman.

00:25:57.391 --> 00:26:00.192
Aaron, if you remember, we talked about Afterlife here on the show.

00:26:00.192 --> 00:26:01.775
Yes, this sounds familiar.

00:26:01.775 --> 00:26:02.855
And we liked it.

00:26:03.375 --> 00:26:04.396
I really liked Afterlife.

00:26:04.396 --> 00:26:08.721
I was really excited about where the franchise was kind of rebooting into the next era.

00:26:08.721 --> 00:26:09.981
Obviously not anymore.

00:26:09.981 --> 00:26:11.382
Not anymore, everybody.

00:26:11.803 --> 00:26:14.806
Aaron, remember that number I said earlier about the runtime for New Empire?

00:26:14.806 --> 00:26:17.105
believe it was one hour and 55 minutes.

00:26:17.105 --> 00:26:21.106
Interesting, because this movie is also one hour and 55 minutes.

00:26:21.106 --> 00:26:21.906
Goodness.

00:26:21.906 --> 00:26:26.068
Remember I said earlier that there's a lot of connections with these two films.

00:26:26.068 --> 00:26:30.869
Of course, their original, you know, Godzilla versus Kong, Ghostbusters Afterlife, both came out in 2021.

00:26:31.089 --> 00:26:32.990
Both were relative successes.

00:26:33.010 --> 00:26:41.792
Both are legacy sequels for already established characters and or franchises, and both came out this year essentially in the same time, and both are one hour and 55 minutes.

00:26:41.792 --> 00:26:43.713
And just one is just way better than the other.

00:26:43.713 --> 00:26:45.835
if I'm being honest.

00:26:45.835 --> 00:26:47.236
Well, let's go over the cast.

00:26:47.236 --> 00:26:51.500
McKenna Grace is Phoebe Spangler, Paul Rudd is Carrie Gruber.

00:26:51.500 --> 00:26:53.441
Good to see Gruber's in back.

00:26:53.441 --> 00:26:53.602
Yep.

00:26:53.602 --> 00:27:00.946
Carrie is Callie Spangler, Finn Wolfhard as Trevor Spangler, Kumal Nanjiani as Nadim Razmati.

00:27:00.946 --> 00:27:03.609
Good friend of the pod, Patton Oswalt as Dr.

00:27:03.609 --> 00:27:08.993
Hubert Wardsky, Madame Web's own Celeste O'Connor as Lucky Domingo.

00:27:09.253 --> 00:27:12.036
Bill Murray as Peter Venkman, Dan Ackroyd as Dr.

00:27:12.036 --> 00:27:13.566
Raymond Ray Stance.

00:27:13.566 --> 00:27:15.385
Ernie Hudson is Winston Zettimore.

00:27:15.385 --> 00:27:16.807
Annie Paz is Janine Melnitz.

00:27:16.807 --> 00:27:21.249
William Atherton as Mayor Walter Dickless Peck.

00:27:22.409 --> 00:27:24.289
Logan Kim as podcast.

00:27:24.289 --> 00:27:26.510
Emily Allen Lind as Melody.

00:27:26.510 --> 00:27:29.553
Another similarity, both movies have a podcaster in it.

00:27:29.553 --> 00:27:31.252
Yes.

00:27:31.252 --> 00:27:38.757
And I know like a lot of people were like for some reason, podcast is like a favorite character amongst everybody.

00:27:38.757 --> 00:27:39.656
Yeah, he's great.

00:27:39.896 --> 00:27:41.054
But I feel like his.

00:27:41.054 --> 00:27:43.816
His part was very, was a little too small in this one.

00:27:43.816 --> 00:27:49.500
Yeah, but I would say like, they definitely gave us a backseat to Finn Wolfman's Trevor.

00:27:49.540 --> 00:27:54.084
Obviously, Celeste O'Connor's Lucky was also given a little bit of a backseat in this movie.

00:27:54.084 --> 00:27:55.184
And then also podcast.

00:27:55.184 --> 00:27:59.188
They're all just like characters that were in the previous film that just didn't have as much to do in this film.

00:27:59.208 --> 00:28:05.673
I will say of this cast, and we're notorious about this, McKenna Grace per usual is incredible in this movie.

00:28:05.673 --> 00:28:08.776
I think I love her kind of headlining this franchise.

00:28:08.776 --> 00:28:14.532
I like her in everything that she does, but I think that her as Phoebe Spangler was without a doubt the most compelling part of this movie.

00:28:14.532 --> 00:28:17.035
And I, if anything else, I just wanted more of her.

00:28:17.055 --> 00:28:21.159
And you know, speaking of McKenna Grace, she actually, and I kind of referenced this earlier.

00:28:21.159 --> 00:28:33.930
She said it was somewhat difficult to work, you know, alongside the surviving original cast members compared to Ghostbusters Afterlife because in Afterlife, the original cast members just came in at the end and shot for two weeks for the climax because again, they just kind of show up, right?

00:28:34.351 --> 00:28:43.016
Grace admitted that while it was fun working with them and hearing their stories, She felt a little intimidated and worried about screwing up in front of the guys who started this whole thing 40 years ago.

00:28:43.016 --> 00:28:45.817
So I can, I can definitely see that being a real, a real challenge for her.

00:28:45.817 --> 00:28:52.921
One thing I love about McKenna Grace is like how much she loves playing Phoebe Spangler and being a Ghostbuster.

00:28:52.921 --> 00:29:00.864
Like if you follow her on any of her social media or Tik Tok, anything like that, she has and will always be like a Ghostbusters fan.

00:29:00.864 --> 00:29:14.138
And it's so cute to see like she even shows like her baby pictures and not just that, but like Trevor Spangler from his time in, you know, in Stranger Things, when if you know anything, like they dressed up as Ghostbusters for several Halloweens.

00:29:14.138 --> 00:29:17.441
It's just great to see that there's like an affinity there.

00:29:17.642 --> 00:29:18.521
Absolutely.

00:29:18.563 --> 00:29:18.782
Yeah.

00:29:18.782 --> 00:29:24.008
So of the cast members here, you know, we just spoke on McKenna Grace being pretty good in this film.

00:29:24.008 --> 00:29:28.211
Is there another actor that or another character that you kind of attached to that you were impressed with?

00:29:28.211 --> 00:29:30.752
To be honest, like Camille Nanjiani's character.

00:29:31.094 --> 00:29:42.200
not so, not a whole lot, but definitely to a point where like I, I very much focused on what his addition to this film slash universe could be.

00:29:42.200 --> 00:29:42.779
Yeah.

00:29:43.201 --> 00:30:05.660
You know, one thing that I find really interesting is like this felt like a real desire to expand the universe more into the occult and cause you know, if we, if you watch the original films, obviously there's a little bit of psychokinesis, some telepathy, some psychic powers, but very much it's an undertone of the film.

00:30:05.660 --> 00:30:11.184
It's a very low piece of information that's kind of just shoehorned in there.

00:30:11.244 --> 00:30:20.273
Whereas this is a real power and this could open up a lot of interesting things for this franchise going forward.

00:30:20.273 --> 00:30:21.273
Yeah, 100%.

00:30:21.555 --> 00:30:23.135
I really liked Camille.

00:30:23.135 --> 00:30:23.817
Camille?

00:30:23.817 --> 00:30:24.814
Camille or Camille?

00:30:24.814 --> 00:30:25.773
I think Camille.

00:30:25.773 --> 00:30:27.773
I really like Camille's character in this as well.

00:30:27.773 --> 00:30:33.715
Again, as I said a moment ago, Patton Oswalt in this film, he's in it for about 10 minutes, but he's hilarious.

00:30:33.715 --> 00:30:34.496
Yes.

00:30:34.496 --> 00:30:37.257
Both of those two and they're kind of comedic relief in this film.

00:30:37.257 --> 00:30:43.838
Because again, if this is going to be sort of a, you know, all ages, family friendly kind of Ghostbusters, I at least want it to be entertaining and funny.

00:30:43.838 --> 00:30:47.799
And I thought those two were really the like the two hallmarks of humor in this entire film.

00:30:47.799 --> 00:30:54.281
So John Rockman reprises his role from the original Ghostbusters as the library, the library administer.

00:30:54.281 --> 00:31:01.767
So if you remember in the first film, he's also, I also, when I saw him, I was like, he's also in Jingle All the Way, which is a weird reference.

00:31:01.767 --> 00:31:03.968
He's one of the guys giving out a turbo man in the mall.

00:31:03.968 --> 00:31:05.949
So it's a funny one.

00:31:06.009 --> 00:31:12.973
A little, I don't know if you, you can tell me if this is in the fun facts or not, but I wanted to say, did you know that the lions in front of the library have names?

00:31:12.973 --> 00:31:14.555
Yeah, they say it in the film, don't they?

00:31:14.555 --> 00:31:15.195
Yep.

00:31:15.195 --> 00:31:17.336
Yeah, what are the, it's fortune and something else.

00:31:17.336 --> 00:31:18.758
Patience and fortitude.

00:31:18.758 --> 00:31:19.378
Oh, fortitude.

00:31:19.378 --> 00:31:20.298
That's right, yeah.

00:31:20.298 --> 00:31:27.200
Which my only issue, and I don't know if this is a glaring issue, but- one of the lions is destroyed and then at the end of the movie it's right back there.

00:31:27.200 --> 00:31:28.201
It's right back.

00:31:28.201 --> 00:31:31.143
I mean, the same thing with the Statue of Liberty from Ghostbusters too, right?

00:31:31.143 --> 00:31:32.503
Like they just bring it back.

00:31:32.503 --> 00:31:33.423
How do they put it back?

00:31:33.423 --> 00:31:33.964
They put it back.

00:31:33.964 --> 00:31:40.588
Let's see, you're the first time Annie Potts who plays Janine Melanetz wears the Ghostbusters outfit is in this film.

00:31:40.588 --> 00:31:44.251
However, Janine did wear one in the animated series, The Real Ghostbusters.

00:31:44.251 --> 00:31:45.432
I think hers is pink.

00:31:45.432 --> 00:31:46.992
Ghostbusters, what do you want?

00:31:47.713 --> 00:31:52.057
Yeah, so yeah, I love Janine and her pink outfit in The Real Ghostbusters from 1986.

00:31:53.218 --> 00:32:06.307
You know, it's one of those iconic looks that a lot of people are actually like, you know, people are creating their own customized Suits and proton packs, which I love and I love seeing a good Jeanine Ghostbusters, I don't even want to call it a mashup because it's actual thing.

00:32:06.307 --> 00:32:07.488
But right.

00:32:07.488 --> 00:32:08.127
Let's move on.

00:32:08.127 --> 00:32:15.452
Let's talk about Tall dark and horny from this film Very very under baked villain if I can say.

00:32:15.692 --> 00:32:24.358
Oh my god curious thoughts underused under baked left in the oven not long enough and then served way too cold.

00:32:24.358 --> 00:32:25.199
That's right.

00:32:26.180 --> 00:32:27.721
Pun.

00:32:27.721 --> 00:32:34.664
So thousands of years ago, Garaka or the Death Chill was summoned to help an unnamed king conquer East and Central Asia.

00:32:34.664 --> 00:32:36.786
The king feared Garaka's power.

00:32:36.826 --> 00:32:46.991
And so once he had established his kingdom, he ripped off Garaka's horns, which were basically the main source of his power, which is kind of weird, but yeah, they're the source of his power.

00:32:47.071 --> 00:32:49.865
Crippled Garaka was extremely, so.

00:32:49.865 --> 00:32:52.806
you know, he was extremely powerful with his horns, obviously without he's not.

00:32:52.806 --> 00:32:59.147
And then he kind of like, got him like caught in this like brass pokeball, you know, by, by some fire.

00:32:59.147 --> 00:33:00.048
Yeah.

00:33:00.608 --> 00:33:02.028
I choose you.

00:33:03.210 --> 00:33:04.150
Garaka.

00:33:04.210 --> 00:33:05.490
I was going to say what Articuno.

00:33:05.490 --> 00:33:07.631
Yeah, yeah, that is so yeah.

00:33:07.631 --> 00:33:15.349
So Garaka was caught any law, you know, uh, by the fire masters who are these like, I don't know, they're like firebenders.

00:33:15.349 --> 00:33:16.490
from Avatar.

00:33:16.490 --> 00:33:19.432
Exactly that, yes.

00:33:19.432 --> 00:33:27.019
So Brass, as we talk about in the film, Brass is a device that can help capture and control evil.

00:33:27.019 --> 00:33:30.521
And so that's why you see in the little closet, the whole room is Brass.

00:33:30.521 --> 00:33:33.765
And it's silent, it's also sound deadening or whatever.

00:33:34.306 --> 00:33:36.426
And that's where Garaka remained.

00:33:36.928 --> 00:33:43.958
Garaka is considered a class seven deity, which is amongst the strongest in Ghostbusters canon.

00:33:43.958 --> 00:33:47.538
Are there any other seven or class seven that we meet in any of the Ghostbusters films?

00:33:47.538 --> 00:33:49.278
Like is Gorsa?

00:33:49.278 --> 00:33:50.598
Gorsa is the name of the...

00:33:50.598 --> 00:33:55.621
I don't, I want to see, like, let me look it up because I want to see if Vigo, excuse me, if Vigo is a class seven.

00:33:55.621 --> 00:34:09.684
Yeah, I will say just since I already said it a moment ago, while you're looking that up, I just felt like this, you kind of mentioned it too, is that like we get all this build up for Garaka in this film and then he shows up, they do a little, like he frees us some folks and then like no one dies in this.

00:34:09.684 --> 00:34:11.885
Like it just all felt so underwhelming.

00:34:11.885 --> 00:34:12.438
I don't know.

00:34:12.438 --> 00:34:25.380
Maybe I was just like turned off from it already, like going into the final third act, but by the end of it, it just felt like Phoebe through the power of love and with her friends around, she was able to defeat one of the strongest deities in the Ghostbusters canon.

00:34:25.380 --> 00:34:38.523
So Gozer, Vince Clortho and Zul are class seven, it looks like, but Vigo is not because he's, you know, he's not a deity, he's just a human ghost, like a big asshole.

00:34:38.585 --> 00:34:40.385
This is a really creepy painting.

00:34:40.385 --> 00:34:40.864
Yeah.

00:34:40.864 --> 00:34:42.282
Viggole.

00:34:42.282 --> 00:34:46.423
Yeah, so I don't have anything else really to say about this film, Aaron, unless you have something that we can get into fun facts.

00:34:46.423 --> 00:34:48.626
But I again, I just I didn't love it.

00:34:48.626 --> 00:34:49.346
I just didn't love it.

00:34:49.346 --> 00:34:49.666
I don't know.

00:34:49.666 --> 00:34:52.128
And maybe I'll watch it again and find something new to like about it.

00:34:52.128 --> 00:34:56.251
But this is just a wild departure from afterlife, which I really enjoyed.

00:34:56.251 --> 00:34:57.472
So let's go over the fun facts.

00:34:57.472 --> 00:35:00.833
I'll give my last kind of thoughts on the film.

00:35:00.833 --> 00:35:01.875
Maybe you can sway me there.

00:35:01.875 --> 00:35:02.594
Sway me at the end.

00:35:02.594 --> 00:35:03.456
I'll do my best.

00:35:03.456 --> 00:35:10.001
But I think you have you have I'm not gonna lie, you have some very strong arguments for your reasoning.

00:35:10.001 --> 00:35:11.753
And I can see that, you know.

00:35:11.753 --> 00:35:17.235
Well, we talked about in the Godzilla Kong New Empire review that being hypercritical films like this are silly.

00:35:17.235 --> 00:35:22.418
But I think if you're going to divulge into brain candy, there has to be some fun in it.

00:35:22.418 --> 00:35:29.443
And I just felt like this was a lot of like it honestly, this is the way I kind of felt about it in my head when I was watching it was like it felt like this was made like by committee.

00:35:29.443 --> 00:35:32.465
It felt like this was a conveyor belt Ghost Western's film to me.

00:35:32.465 --> 00:35:35.106
Like there just wasn't there was something there's something missing.

00:35:35.106 --> 00:35:37.927
And I'm having a hard time really pinpointing what that is.

00:35:37.927 --> 00:35:39.447
But it just didn't speak to me.

00:35:41.429 --> 00:35:46.552
built up so much and then they kind of just like, like CGI fest.

00:35:46.552 --> 00:35:52.974
It was also like, there was like, okay, like a little fucking tricycle was terrifying, you know, but like, it was like the whole buildup was so long.

00:35:52.974 --> 00:35:56.576
And from the beginning it built up and then it just lets you off.

00:35:56.576 --> 00:36:00.536
Like, like after this like 10 minute, like battle, it was anticlimactic.

00:36:00.536 --> 00:36:02.878
I mean, that's really what this movie, it was anticlimactic.

00:36:02.878 --> 00:36:09.340
And it's like, you just, you didn't give us anything that fulfilled what this, like what we've gotten in previous Ghostbuster films.

00:36:09.340 --> 00:36:11.121
So I did like the ending though.

00:36:11.161 --> 00:36:16.864
the ending where they kind of reenact the ending of the first one and everyone's kind of celebrating the team.

00:36:16.864 --> 00:36:17.405
That's all fun.

00:36:17.405 --> 00:36:18.485
And that's cool.

00:36:18.485 --> 00:36:25.150
But again, I think it all felt kind of like manipulative to like call that out after that kind of subpar third act.

00:36:25.150 --> 00:36:27.130
But anyway, let's get into some fun facts here, Aaron.

00:36:27.130 --> 00:36:37.476
So Frozen Empire is dedicated to the late Ivan Reitman, who was the original director of the first two films and passed away on February 12th, 2022, which they think they say at the end there for Ivan, which is pretty cool.

00:36:38.121 --> 00:36:43.344
When Gary says he picked out a movie for movie night, he holds up a VHS copy of Cannibal Girls from 1973.

00:36:43.766 --> 00:36:48.489
This is the second feature film directed by Ivan Reiman who directed the first two Ghostbusters films as I just said.

00:36:48.489 --> 00:36:50.311
It's a family film.

00:36:50.311 --> 00:36:51.931
It's true family fun.

00:36:52.831 --> 00:36:56.335
This is the first Ghostbusters film without the mention of Sigourney Weaver's character Donna Barrett.

00:36:56.335 --> 00:36:56.914
Is it Dana?

00:36:56.914 --> 00:36:57.735
Dana.

00:36:57.936 --> 00:37:01.498
Yeah, but she's actually, she is actually mentioned on it.

00:37:01.498 --> 00:37:04.001
There's a sign in front of the library that has her name on it.

00:37:04.001 --> 00:37:05.641
She's doing like a symposium.

00:37:05.773 --> 00:37:06.373
Oh, okay.

00:37:06.373 --> 00:37:06.934
I didn't see that.

00:37:06.934 --> 00:37:07.193
Okay.

00:37:07.193 --> 00:37:08.153
That's pretty cool.

00:37:08.233 --> 00:37:13.155
In the background of the new facility, the slime, slime blowers used in the Ghostbusters two film can be seen.

00:37:13.155 --> 00:37:18.496
One of the engineers is spraying another, perhaps a test, a test to see the effects of slime.

00:37:18.496 --> 00:37:21.297
In the crowd scene at the end, there is a nod to the original Ghostbusters.

00:37:21.297 --> 00:37:22.617
This is my favorite.

00:37:22.958 --> 00:37:25.259
I said earlier, there's a random of voices.

00:37:25.259 --> 00:37:26.219
You should be thanking them.

00:37:26.219 --> 00:37:27.179
You like thanking them.

00:37:27.179 --> 00:37:27.559
Dickless.

00:37:27.559 --> 00:37:34.829
And he's like saying that to Mayor Pack, who, who in the original film, Bill Murray's character says, uh, Yes, it is true, sir.

00:37:34.829 --> 00:37:36.409
This man has no penis.

00:37:37.351 --> 00:37:41.851
And then when investigating Nadine's flat, Lars is using a back rack sniffer.

00:37:41.851 --> 00:37:46.632
It's the same equipment that Peter Venkman is using in Dana's flat in Ghostbusters.

00:37:46.632 --> 00:37:48.753
It's very, it's very complex.

00:37:50.173 --> 00:37:50.934
Are you using that correct?

00:37:50.934 --> 00:37:51.813
I think so.

00:37:51.974 --> 00:38:02.610
Towards the end of the movie, after they beat Garaka and the big gust of wind blows on everybody's, everyone Phoebe's curly hair is sticking up, seems to be a tribute, if you will, of the way her, her grandfather Egon's hair.

00:38:02.610 --> 00:38:05.090
always did in the original Ghostbusters movie.

00:38:05.090 --> 00:38:16.596
The scene in which Trevor attempts to catch Slimer are similar to a subplot that was filmed for Ghostbusters 2 but ended up being cut, which was them always, like, it's always been like an ongoing thing of them trying to catch Slimer.

00:38:16.596 --> 00:38:17.697
It's just, yeah.

00:38:17.697 --> 00:38:19.496
In that- He's always around, but they just don't ever catch him.

00:38:19.496 --> 00:38:28.630
Yeah, in that deleted subplot, which also took place inside the Ghostbusters HQ and was supposed to be a running gag in that film, Louis totally tried to catch Slimer on several occasions.

00:38:28.630 --> 00:38:29.190
but failed.

00:38:29.190 --> 00:38:33.693
He also tries to bait him into a trap with food, something that Trevor does as well.

00:38:34.152 --> 00:38:37.054
Alrighty, Aaron, final thoughts on Ghostbusters, Frozen Empire.

00:38:37.054 --> 00:38:41.217
I see the issues and I, and this is not a perfect film.

00:38:41.338 --> 00:38:47.641
I had fun with it, but there are a lot of choices they could have made differently that would have improved it.

00:38:48.003 --> 00:38:50.083
So I enjoyed it.

00:38:50.083 --> 00:38:51.385
I had a great time with it.

00:38:51.385 --> 00:38:52.166
I was smiling.

00:38:52.166 --> 00:38:53.266
I was laughing.

00:38:53.266 --> 00:38:59.965
I just, I think for me, the glaring issue mostly is just the ending battle.

00:38:59.965 --> 00:39:01.467
It's anticlimactic.

00:39:01.467 --> 00:39:02.126
Sure.

00:39:02.347 --> 00:39:02.547
Yeah.

00:39:02.547 --> 00:39:04.248
Like I said, I don't want to harp on this too much.

00:39:04.248 --> 00:39:07.168
I just want, you know, it's just not my Ghostbusters film.

00:39:07.168 --> 00:39:10.851
I don't think I like this one less than the 2016 version, honestly.

00:39:10.851 --> 00:39:11.550
Holy shit.

00:39:11.550 --> 00:39:12.592
I think this is my least favorite.

00:39:12.592 --> 00:39:13.652
Holy shit.

00:39:13.652 --> 00:39:14.652
That hurts my heart.

00:39:14.652 --> 00:39:15.172
Yep.

00:39:15.172 --> 00:39:17.434
Did not like this even a little bit.

00:39:17.994 --> 00:39:22.076
This was like one of the very first times I've seen Paul Rudd in a film that I wasn't just completely smitten by him.

00:39:22.076 --> 00:39:23.836
And he has moments as he often does.

00:39:23.836 --> 00:39:30.547
But like in this film, I just I remember I was saying earlier about how like there are parts where someone was telling a joke and just no one laughed.

00:39:30.547 --> 00:39:33.090
It was mostly from Paul Rudd's character, from Gary, right?

00:39:33.510 --> 00:39:34.371
McKenna Grace is great.

00:39:34.371 --> 00:39:36.431
I hope she keeps headlining this series.

00:39:36.431 --> 00:39:39.713
I want her to continue on and be kind of the lead of this franchise going forward.

00:39:39.713 --> 00:39:43.635
I'm just, I'm done with the old Ghostbusters being in these films.

00:39:43.637 --> 00:39:45.117
I love the first Ghostbusters.

00:39:45.117 --> 00:39:48.559
I notoriously don't like the second one, but I really love the first one.

00:39:48.659 --> 00:39:51.681
And I think that they had their time.

00:39:51.726 --> 00:39:56.407
And they've said, I mean, Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray have both said they want to be done with this franchise.

00:39:56.407 --> 00:39:57.748
So just be done with it.

00:39:57.748 --> 00:39:59.030
Like it's clear that you're just showing up.

00:39:59.030 --> 00:40:03.592
Like this film and the way it was cut, made it look like these guys were on set for like a week and a half, maybe.

00:40:03.592 --> 00:40:08.635
There were certain parts of the movie where we just like e-cut into the old Ghostbusters that I know wear for no reason.

00:40:08.635 --> 00:40:10.096
And I just, I don't know.

00:40:10.096 --> 00:40:11.356
I want something new.

00:40:11.356 --> 00:40:14.358
I know what I want from the Ghostbusters is not this.

00:40:14.358 --> 00:40:15.219
I don't want whatever this is.

00:40:15.219 --> 00:40:19.641
So that, and personally, I would love for them to wait a couple of years.

00:40:19.722 --> 00:40:23.563
on Ghostbusters and bring it back in a couple of years after they have some definitive good ideas.

00:40:23.844 --> 00:40:25.684
So yeah, sorry, Aaron.

00:40:25.684 --> 00:40:26.164
Sorry.

00:40:26.164 --> 00:40:28.786
Sorry to hurt your heart there, but didn't love this.

00:40:28.786 --> 00:40:29.927
So wow.

00:40:30.248 --> 00:40:31.347
But I'm glad you had a good time with it.

00:40:31.347 --> 00:40:32.289
I will say that.

00:40:32.289 --> 00:40:32.489
Yep.

00:40:32.489 --> 00:40:34.469
I'm just going to give you my rating because I don't care what yours is.

00:40:34.469 --> 00:40:35.210
I mean, I want to know.

00:40:35.210 --> 00:40:36.351
I'm sorry.

00:40:36.351 --> 00:40:37.032
That's rude.

00:40:37.032 --> 00:40:38.052
I want to hear your rating.

00:40:38.052 --> 00:40:39.112
I want to hear your rating.

00:40:39.492 --> 00:40:40.474
I mean, I'm not.

00:40:40.474 --> 00:40:41.514
I was hoping to give it more.

00:40:41.514 --> 00:40:42.534
I'm going to give it a three.

00:40:42.534 --> 00:40:43.416
No.

00:40:43.416 --> 00:40:44.655
Yeah, that's fair.

00:40:44.655 --> 00:40:44.936
Three.

00:40:44.936 --> 00:40:45.536
Let me guess.

00:40:45.536 --> 00:40:46.976
Is yours like a one?

00:40:47.018 --> 00:40:47.998
That's a 1.5 for me.

00:40:47.998 --> 00:40:48.358
Yeah.

00:40:48.358 --> 00:40:49.318
Oh, okay.

00:40:49.318 --> 00:40:49.597
Yeah.

00:40:49.597 --> 00:40:50.619
One is really, really bad.

00:40:50.619 --> 00:40:51.998
Like that's almost irredeemable bad.

00:40:51.998 --> 00:40:59.181
There are some things that I like about this movie and it's always fun to just watch a Ghostbusters film, but yeah, just the worst version of this possible.

00:40:59.181 --> 00:41:01.262
Like this is just not my thing.

00:41:01.262 --> 00:41:01.902
Everybody.

00:41:01.902 --> 00:41:03.141
And I don't want to keep talking about it.

00:41:03.141 --> 00:41:03.882
I'm done with it.

00:41:03.882 --> 00:41:04.402
I'm over it.

00:41:04.402 --> 00:41:06.282
I'm over it.

00:41:06.983 --> 00:41:11.184
That concludes our double feature Empire Strike Back reviews.

00:41:11.184 --> 00:41:13.744
So Aaron, let's get into my favorite segment of the show.

00:41:13.744 --> 00:41:14.664
Aaron's Arcade.

00:41:16.769 --> 00:41:19.664
It's time for Aaron's Arcade.

00:41:22.998 --> 00:41:24.918
Whoa, welcome back to Ares Arcade.

00:41:24.918 --> 00:41:36.623
Ares Arcade is sponsored by G Fuel, whether you're a casual gamer, a content creator, an everyday Joe or an esports pro, G Fuel sugar-free antioxidant, vitamin-fortified, focus-enhancing, and high-performance energy products will give you the edge you need to fuel your grind.

00:41:36.623 --> 00:41:37.164
How was that, Chris?

00:41:37.164 --> 00:41:37.623
That was very pretty.

00:41:37.623 --> 00:41:38.224
That was a good one.

00:41:38.224 --> 00:41:39.565
Yeah.

00:41:39.565 --> 00:41:41.684
While stocking up at G, while stocking, see I fucked it up there.

00:41:41.684 --> 00:41:42.505
Oh, you messed it up now.

00:41:42.505 --> 00:41:47.807
While stocking up at gfuel.com, use our code O-B-P at checkout for 10% off your entire order.

00:41:47.807 --> 00:41:49.309
That's O-B-P at checkout.

00:41:49.309 --> 00:41:51.648
Remember, it's stacks, okay?

00:41:51.938 --> 00:41:55.579
So this week I am covering Tetris Connect.

00:41:55.579 --> 00:41:58.199
Now you may be asking, Aaron, why Tetris Connect?

00:41:58.199 --> 00:42:00.320
Tetris Connect has been out for years.

00:42:00.320 --> 00:42:00.961
That's right.

00:42:00.961 --> 00:42:03.663
Tetris itself has been out for decades.

00:42:03.663 --> 00:42:11.545
I grew up playing Tetris, but you know what happens when you come out with a really great game and then you put it down and then somebody picks it up and then they put it down, they play it again.

00:42:11.545 --> 00:42:14.086
They realize there is so much more to it.

00:42:14.086 --> 00:42:15.588
Is that your daddy's Tetris?

00:42:15.588 --> 00:42:17.208
This is not your daddy's Tetris.

00:42:17.208 --> 00:42:18.268
And I just recently discovered that.

00:42:18.268 --> 00:42:19.090
So I am...

00:42:19.090 --> 00:42:20.050
I am a huge fan of Tetris.

00:42:20.050 --> 00:42:22.172
Little thing, little known thing about Aaron.

00:42:22.172 --> 00:42:27.396
He is an immense puzzler and he is a genius at Tetris.

00:42:27.396 --> 00:42:29.317
He's also a genius.

00:42:29.317 --> 00:42:30.277
A genius.

00:42:30.277 --> 00:42:30.918
Je ne suis.

00:42:30.918 --> 00:42:33.119
I don't even know if it's French, but anyways.

00:42:33.280 --> 00:42:36.021
So Tetris has always been like a passion of mine.

00:42:36.021 --> 00:42:40.445
I recently repicked up Tetris Connect, which I've played on VR.

00:42:40.445 --> 00:42:46.528
Right now I'm currently playing it on my Steam Deck, which is really good there, great sound.

00:42:46.885 --> 00:42:53.248
Tetris Connect feels more like your original Tetris, but with like a beautiful kind of ambiance to it.

00:42:53.248 --> 00:42:55.367
Like there's a lot of background beauty to it.

00:42:55.367 --> 00:42:57.268
There's like some graphics there.

00:42:57.268 --> 00:42:58.489
They like, they changed the pieces.

00:42:58.489 --> 00:42:59.750
Like everything kind of flows together.

00:42:59.750 --> 00:43:00.590
There's different modes.

00:43:00.590 --> 00:43:03.570
Like there's a zone battle mode, classic score mode, connected mode.

00:43:03.570 --> 00:43:08.791
Like all these different modes have different like, like they're like versus mode, but it's also like collaboration mode.

00:43:09.233 --> 00:43:10.353
What are my favorite is like this.

00:43:10.353 --> 00:43:12.132
There's like a mood mode.

00:43:12.445 --> 00:43:23.114
So if you're ever in like a mood, like you want to calm down or you want to relax, or if you're like in a hype mode, you can like choose the mode and you can play a different version of this game based on the mood that you're in.

00:43:23.713 --> 00:43:24.954
And it's so much fun.

00:43:24.954 --> 00:43:30.619
And I still don't know what it's called, but I've been playing this game for, I played like a while ago and I picked it back up.

00:43:30.619 --> 00:43:37.684
Apparently there's like a button that you can, you can press like a trigger and it like creates like this almost.

00:43:38.909 --> 00:43:43.391
Like, you know, some of these games have like a, like a, like a hyper mode or like, you know, you press the button.

00:43:43.391 --> 00:43:47.273
It's like, you, you filled up your, your power bar and it's like power.

00:43:47.753 --> 00:43:50.936
I didn't know this, but there's apparently a mode like that in this game.

00:43:50.936 --> 00:43:52.617
And I never used it before.

00:43:52.617 --> 00:43:54.518
I just thought it was like, Oh, you're doing really good.

00:43:54.518 --> 00:43:55.759
My bars at max.

00:43:55.759 --> 00:43:56.739
I'm fucking killing it.

00:43:56.739 --> 00:43:57.860
Yeah.

00:43:57.860 --> 00:44:00.201
This makes it, this like kicks it up into a whole new level.

00:44:00.201 --> 00:44:01.322
It like jumps your score up.

00:44:01.322 --> 00:44:03.603
There's like, you know, modifier and multipliers.

00:44:03.603 --> 00:44:04.704
It's cool.

00:44:04.704 --> 00:44:05.684
I just figured out how to use that.

00:44:05.684 --> 00:44:07.905
I still don't know what it's called, but it's really fun.

00:44:08.309 --> 00:44:16.932
But yeah, if you ever like are a Tetris fan, you want to get into something that's kind of again, very beautiful ambience, the music behind the game is beautiful.

00:44:16.932 --> 00:44:19.693
It feels like almost like a like a what do you call it?

00:44:19.693 --> 00:44:22.815
Like one of those rhythmic games, but it's very beat inspired.

00:44:22.815 --> 00:44:27.016
It's just not I'm not gonna well, yeah, like Beat Saber, like guitar here.

00:44:27.016 --> 00:44:28.898
Those are all like rhythm games.

00:44:29.038 --> 00:44:37.286
This one has that feeling, but there's no there's no impact of your pacing on it.

00:44:37.286 --> 00:44:41.867
on the actual music, but it's again, it's like the soundtrack is so gorgeous.

00:44:41.867 --> 00:44:42.487
I love it.

00:44:42.487 --> 00:44:44.387
And so I highly recommend it.

00:44:44.467 --> 00:44:48.349
Definitely pick it up if you're a fan of Tetris or puzzling games at all.

00:44:48.849 --> 00:44:54.391
If you ever see you wanna kick back and relax and play something that's kind of like smooth and again, that cool ambiance, I highly recommend it.

00:44:54.391 --> 00:45:00.132
Again, Tetris Effect, I'm pretty sure it's on like every fucking platform that's out there.

00:45:00.592 --> 00:45:03.952
Even better if you tried in VR, it is the most.

00:45:04.626 --> 00:45:06.369
immersive, beautiful experience.

00:45:06.369 --> 00:45:07.550
It's so great.

00:45:07.893 --> 00:45:11.039
And that's all I got to say for this week of Aaron's Arcade.

00:45:11.039 --> 00:45:16.349
Let's move on to my favorite part of the show, my favorite segment, which is Chris's Corner.

00:45:18.670 --> 00:45:21.681
It's time for Chris's Corner.

00:45:26.206 --> 00:45:35.673
Alrighty Christmas corner is sponsored by the fantasy shop since 1981 the fantasy shop has been the best place to find comic book graphic novels Board games role-playing games and card games in the greater st.

00:45:35.673 --> 00:45:43.320
Louis area Check them out at fantasy shop online comm and make sure you stop in and say hello the next time you're in town Next time you're in the loo as we call it there in st.

00:45:43.320 --> 00:45:48.824
Louis This week Aaron we're gonna talk about X-men 97 the first three episodes.

00:45:48.824 --> 00:46:00.648
This is obviously the brand new revival of the X-men the animated series from 1992 to 1997 on Disney Plus continuing where the series ended back then, back when Saban took it over and destroyed it.

00:46:00.847 --> 00:46:05.510
This new series depicts the X-Men facing dangerous challenges following the loss of their leader, Professor X.

00:46:05.510 --> 00:46:08.992
It basically picks up right after the death of Professor X, which I thought was really interesting.

00:46:08.992 --> 00:46:11.733
So Aaron, have you watched any of X-Men 97 yet?

00:46:11.733 --> 00:46:13.934
I was gonna comment once you were finished.

00:46:13.934 --> 00:46:14.614
Go ahead.

00:46:14.614 --> 00:46:16.215
I watched one episode.

00:46:16.494 --> 00:46:17.335
Thoughts?

00:46:17.615 --> 00:46:21.217
I'm not, I'm not, this might be a hot take, but I'm not that big of a fan.

00:46:21.333 --> 00:46:21.994
All right, that's fair.

00:46:21.994 --> 00:46:30.297
I mean, I've been on record saying that the original X-Men animated series is pretty bad, honestly, like it's got an amazing theme song and like it's obviously.

00:46:30.297 --> 00:46:31.438
Na na na.

00:46:31.438 --> 00:46:32.137
Yeah, yeah, of course.

00:46:32.137 --> 00:46:33.117
Na na na.

00:46:33.117 --> 00:46:38.260
And it was big for when we were young, but like trying going back and watching it now, it's not very good everybody, just being honest.

00:46:38.260 --> 00:46:39.420
But this is, I like this.

00:46:39.420 --> 00:46:42.621
I like what, like this is getting a lot of hype for being like the best thing ever.

00:46:42.621 --> 00:46:45.963
And I don't know if I necessarily agree with that, but I think it is the best version of this.

00:46:45.963 --> 00:46:50.485
Like whatever X-Men the animated series can do, I think this is the best version of that.

00:46:50.485 --> 00:46:51.050
So.

00:46:51.050 --> 00:47:04.440
Disney Plus actually revealed that the first episode to me, my X-Men had 4 million views worldwide within the first five days of its release, which makes it the second most watched first season premiere for an animated series on the service, only behind, did I say first?

00:47:04.440 --> 00:47:09.583
Second most, second most watched, only behind the first episode of Marvel's, Marvel Studios What If?

00:47:09.583 --> 00:47:16.130
So I don't really have a ton to say because there's only, there's been four episodes total, I haven't seen the fourth episode, but the first three episodes I really liked.

00:47:16.130 --> 00:47:17.010
I think it's fun.

00:47:17.010 --> 00:47:20.313
You could show it to a young person, they probably could enjoy it as well.

00:47:20.998 --> 00:47:22.978
It is again, it's not incredible.

00:47:22.978 --> 00:47:23.958
It's just, it's good.

00:47:23.958 --> 00:47:24.900
It's just fun.

00:47:24.920 --> 00:47:26.541
There's like cool factors in it.

00:47:26.541 --> 00:47:38.967
Like they're like the first main fight where they like land in the Sahara desert and like Scott summer Cyclops uses his, uh, fight his I beam to like, you know, stop his land.

00:47:38.967 --> 00:47:39.989
It's pretty bad ass.

00:47:39.989 --> 00:47:43.331
Like there's some pretty epic stuff, but it's also like very cheesy.

00:47:43.331 --> 00:47:50.938
Like there's that first scene, the first battle where storm comes in and she's like, you know, says something cheesy on her way in.

00:47:50.938 --> 00:47:52.438
She's very like Shakespearean kind of speak.

00:47:52.438 --> 00:47:58.619
So I'm just like, you know, to me, like the voice acting doesn't feel natural as it.

00:47:58.619 --> 00:48:01.021
It doesn't feel as good as it did back in the when I was a kid.

00:48:01.021 --> 00:48:05.762
And maybe those are maybe those are, you know, the blinders on that I have from when I was a kid.

00:48:05.762 --> 00:48:06.402
Those filters.

00:48:06.402 --> 00:48:10.643
But I don't know, like it doesn't jive as much as it did for me when I was a kid.

00:48:10.643 --> 00:48:18.061
And it's everything, you know, it's from Gambit's not, you know, people are pissed off about him.

00:48:18.061 --> 00:48:20.523
cooking in like a midriff cutoff shirt cooking.

00:48:20.523 --> 00:48:21.882
Is that your daddy's gambit?

00:48:21.882 --> 00:48:23.422
He's not your daddy's gambit.

00:48:23.583 --> 00:48:31.067
Apparently there's some very like heavy homosexual undertones between Morph and Wolverine.

00:48:31.067 --> 00:48:33.547
Oh fuck yeah, I didn't hear that, but I want that.

00:48:33.547 --> 00:48:34.568
I want all of that.

00:48:34.568 --> 00:48:35.047
Yeah.

00:48:35.047 --> 00:48:36.929
I need to see whatever that relationship is.

00:48:37.009 --> 00:48:42.731
Because apparently there's like a scene where Morph like comes into the shower.

00:48:43.092 --> 00:48:43.512
Oh yeah.

00:48:43.512 --> 00:48:44.592
Where Logan is taking a shower.

00:48:44.592 --> 00:48:47.670
Maybe Morph has like a crush on Wolverine perhaps?

00:48:47.670 --> 00:48:49.630
But it seems mutual.

00:48:49.630 --> 00:48:52.552
Well, I mean, that's okay, sure.

00:48:52.851 --> 00:48:57.434
I mean, did you hear about this, that Han Solo and Lando are lovers as well?

00:48:57.434 --> 00:48:58.074
Did you hear about this?

00:48:58.074 --> 00:48:59.175
I did.

00:48:59.175 --> 00:48:59.735
It's like Jay Leno.

00:48:59.735 --> 00:49:00.637
You heard about this?

00:49:00.637 --> 00:49:00.956
No.

00:49:00.956 --> 00:49:04.559
Yeah, apparently that's so, why am I spacing his name?

00:49:04.559 --> 00:49:07.260
The guy who played Lando, Billy D.

00:49:07.260 --> 00:49:08.561
Williams was Lando.

00:49:08.561 --> 00:49:08.840
Billy D.

00:49:08.840 --> 00:49:09.581
Williams, yeah.

00:49:09.581 --> 00:49:16.585
It just seems weird to like toss these undertones into a revival of a show that we watched when we were.

00:49:17.117 --> 00:49:24.721
knee high to a grasshopper sitting on the carpet in front of the TV munching our, our fruity pebbles on a Saturday morning.

00:49:24.721 --> 00:49:26.282
You know, it's like, what is up with us today?

00:49:26.282 --> 00:49:29.943
Why are we so, why are we so anti progression?

00:49:29.943 --> 00:49:33.724
I'm not, you are like, I'm okay with gay Wolverine.

00:49:33.724 --> 00:49:34.204
I'm cool with it.

00:49:34.204 --> 00:49:34.625
Fine.

00:49:34.625 --> 00:49:35.326
I'm fine.

00:49:35.326 --> 00:49:36.646
Listen, you know, my voice.

00:49:36.646 --> 00:49:37.246
I'm fine.

00:49:37.246 --> 00:49:38.166
All right.

00:49:38.166 --> 00:49:39.067
I love it.

00:49:39.067 --> 00:49:42.829
I love it.

00:49:44.557 --> 00:49:46.958
There's a scene where Wolverine and Gene have a moment.

00:49:46.958 --> 00:49:49.818
So I think if nothing else, he could be by, but it doesn't matter.

00:49:49.818 --> 00:49:51.139
Ex-man 97.

00:49:51.980 --> 00:49:52.460
It's fine.

00:49:52.460 --> 00:49:52.900
I like it.

00:49:52.900 --> 00:49:53.519
It's cool.

00:49:53.519 --> 00:49:54.300
Whatever.

00:49:54.360 --> 00:49:55.420
Maybe we'll talk about it on the show later.

00:49:55.420 --> 00:49:58.420
It's only been three episodes, but that'll do it for episode 151.

00:49:58.641 --> 00:49:59.541
Everyone, it's been two hours.

00:49:59.541 --> 00:50:00.181
All right, we're done.

00:50:00.181 --> 00:50:01.942
We're done.

00:50:01.942 --> 00:50:03.663
The tank is empty, everybody.

00:50:03.663 --> 00:50:04.902
My tank's full.

00:50:07.123 --> 00:50:12.873
Next week on the show for episode 152, we are gonna be having one of the best comic book writers in the world.

00:50:12.873 --> 00:50:20.074
Jason Aaron on the show to talk about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Berserker, Uncle Scrooge, action comics, all the things.

00:50:20.456 --> 00:50:30.778
As many people know, Jason Aaron's been on the show once before and he also is the creator behind, I think, question mark, maybe my favorite run of all time with his Thor run, seven year run on Thor.

00:50:30.778 --> 00:50:34.659
So very good conversation, excited for everyone to check that out.

00:50:34.699 --> 00:50:40.481
Excited for everyone to eventually check out his TMNT first issue, TMNT Alpha number one.

00:50:40.481 --> 00:50:41.485
I'm pretty sure that's...

00:50:41.485 --> 00:50:43.126
Chris Burnham on art, so it's gonna be exciting.

00:50:43.126 --> 00:50:45.027
But Aaron, that'll do it for episode 151.

00:50:45.849 --> 00:50:47.389
Please take us out of here.

00:50:48.150 --> 00:50:53.253
Nuh- Subscribe to our podcast.

00:50:53.253 --> 00:50:55.594
Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Audible, iHeartRadio.

00:50:55.594 --> 00:50:57.896
Wherever you listen to your podcasts, that's where we are.

00:50:57.896 --> 00:51:10.641
Thank you to our patrons, Alex, Alice, Aaron, Botta from Short Box, Cassidy, Chris from Botta Boom Pod, Chris J, Christie, David, Elliot, George, Greg from First Issue Club, Haley, Ham6, Jake from Spektales, Jake S, Jeremy, Kenny, Kyle.

00:51:10.641 --> 00:51:18.684
Loci, Mac, Miles, Mike, Robert, Sean, Travis, and Bradley, Sircombe, Bookcouples, Counseling, follow us on social media, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Bluesguy, and threads.

00:51:18.684 --> 00:51:20.306
Hat, Oblivion Bar Pod.

00:51:20.306 --> 00:51:21.706
Thank you Omnibus for sponsoring the show.

00:51:21.706 --> 00:51:22.686
Check the link in our show notes.

00:51:22.686 --> 00:51:25.027
Upgrade how you read comics digitally.

00:51:25.027 --> 00:51:25.907
It's bitchin'.

00:51:25.907 --> 00:51:29.628
Official merch of the show can be found at our website, www.

00:51:30.550 --> 00:51:32.690
Thank you Kevin Siegler for all our Oblivion Bar art.

00:51:32.690 --> 00:51:34.190
He's at the Zig Zone on Instagram.

00:51:34.190 --> 00:51:36.351
Thank you Dream Kid for all of our musical themes.

00:51:36.351 --> 00:51:38.012
Thank you DJ Skyvac for our grid theme.

00:51:38.012 --> 00:51:40.052
Thank you Fantasy Shop for sponsoring the show.

00:51:40.306 --> 00:51:47.431
And last but not least, do not forget to tip your bartenders 20% or more, or you will probably not enjoy the tip they give you.

00:51:47.431 --> 00:51:47.972
All right, everybody.

00:51:47.972 --> 00:51:51.474
Thank you so much for listening to episode 151 of the oblivion bar podcast.

00:51:51.474 --> 00:51:53.536
We will see you next week for episode 152.