For whatever reason, movie and television series reboots are all the rage in the entertainment industry right now.
We’ve had a few series that are connected to what was a big hit in decades past. Remember a few years ago when The Conners relaunched, more than two decades after Rosanne wrapped up? Of course, they lost their big star when Rosanne Barr was turfed after some rather unfortunate comments, but the show had kept going.
Others didn’t fare as well. Remember The Muppets reboot? Or the relaunch of Murphy Brown?
I think we’re getting a Frasier resurrection next year. I was a big fan of Frasier, just like I really enjoyed Murphy Brown and Rosanne. But I didn’t watch the new Murphy Brown episodes, I haven’t watched The Conners and I probably won’t watch the new Frasier.
Sometimes, it’s best to go out when you’re still churning out a great product, and then continue to entertain people each day once the show is in syndication.
The six-year-old child in me got a boost last year with Transformers: Cybertron on Netflix. Great series. Middle-aged me didn’t enjoy this version of Transformers as much as six-year-old me enjoyed the classic Generation 1 cartoon in the 1980s. But the plot and the animation for Cybertron is far advanced from Generation 1.
Six-year-old Dave gets another reason to be excited this coming weekend with the release of Ghostbusters: Afterlife. When I was a kid, Ghostbusters was an awesome movie. The ghosts, the music, the proton packs and the characters – all really cool. And then you had the attack of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man at the end.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but when I think of potential causes for the extinction of humanity, Mr. Stay-Puft wouldn’t have been at the top of my list.
For many in my generation, Ghostbusters was the introduction to the comedic genius of Bill Murray and Dan Ackroyd.
As a bonus, the movie has held up pretty well over time.
Five years later, we had Ghostbusters 2, which was fine, but not as cool as the first. But hey, the odds of a sequel matching the original are about the same a 50:1 longshot winning the Kentucky Derby. It happens, but it’s rare.
A reboot came out a few years ago, with an all-female team. It had its moments, but it didn’t have Bill Murray in a starring role.
Now we’re going to have Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Thirty-two years after Ghostbusters 2. You could call it a sequel, but when it’s 32 years after Ghostbusters 2, it feels like a reboot.
The reviews sound good. You have most of the characters from the 1984 classic, which the exception of Dr. Egon Spengler (portrayed by the late Harold Ramis).
There’s the intrigue associated with the special effects for this particular movie, regardless of whether Mr. Stay-Puft makes an appearance.
It’s a movie that I’m looking forward to seeing in the theatre. Whether I’ll make it to the theatre, well, that’s another story.
The last 20 months have been understandably tough for theatre owners. They couldn’t open for months. Then, when they could, the offerings were limited. They could only show classic movies so many times.
A lot of new releases were pushed back months or even a year. We’re only starting to see marquee movies once again.
And as home entertainment technology evolves, and as streaming services continue to offer more quality movies as original productions, it becomes even more difficult on the theatre companies.
We’ve realized in the past 20 months that going to the movies was a wonderful luxury. It could be a great night out, but it’s still a luxury.
The theatre owners that survive will need to adapt and evolve, and embrace new technology. The Orpheum Theatre in Estevan is a good example of a theatre that has done just that.
Some people want to go to the movies, but can’t because they decided against the COVID-19 vaccine, for whatever reason. Others are leery about going out to anything with indoor crowds, because of concern of catching the virus. If you’re vaccinated, and willing to go out, well, then enjoy the night out. Showing proof of vaccination is pretty easy in Saskatchewan.
If there is a movie that you want to see, and you can make it work, then go.
My six-year-old inner child will likely enjoy Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Hopefully, middle aged me will enjoy it, too.
