tylergfoster wrote: ↑January 15th, 2022, 7:39 pm Impromptu third viewing yesterday after a different plan fell through. Some increasingly granular nitpicks:
- Egon holding up the trap is a strange thing. Is the idea supposed to be that he's taunting the other terror dog by showing that he's captured the first one? He's obviously not going to use that trap to trap the other one.
- One thing the movie really flubs is the idea that Phoebe doesn't believe in ghosts. Feels like that line could just be cut out of the movie, since there is no real awe or shock at discovering that this isn't true.
- Minor gaffe: Phoebe finds the trap in the floor. Where does the pedal come from when she has it the next day in class? It's not attached when Egon puts it in there.
- Many of the instances where characters say "my/your grandfather was Egon Spengler/a Ghostbuster" are weird to me because the characters are shown not knowing that the Ghostbusters existed. After the bus scene, I wish Podcast said something more like, "that was your grandfather in that video. He invented this stuff. He saved New York City." Similarly, when they meet up with Trevor and discover he's got the car, I wish Phoebe said "He was there. This car, this equipment, he helped design it, it's for catching ghosts." That kind of thing.
- It's not super important, because presumably he just leaves, but it's weird how the movie skips from Phoebe and Podcast together after Grooberson drops them off to Phoebe alone, discovering Egon's lab. Honestly, why not just put him in that scene? I get wanting the scene of Phoebe fixing the pack to be a solo thing, but that could be placed later in the evening with a bit of a transition.
- I would cut the little scene after Muncher is trapped where they get pulled over. Just have the cops pull up right after Trevor says, "I was just here yesterday" (and add a line where he says, "There's something up with the mine"), and have the cops pull up behind them right there, and then it flows better into the jail cell scene where he's explaining what he saw.
- I understand that these scenes could be considered narratively unimportant, but along the same lines of Phoebe not believing in ghosts, it's weird how the characters never coordinate with one another. I would cut the "concentric circles" diner scene entirely, but it feels like there should be a scene where they plan to meet up the next day. Phoebe convinces Trevor that something big is happening and they need to stop it, and says they need to get Podcast, and then he enlists Lucky.
- Each time I watch the film, the flaw encapsulated by "Egon Spengler can burn in hell" gets a little bit larger in my mind. I don't know if Egon being right really solves any of his character flaws. It feels like they emphasize other parts of the way he handled being right in order to create something he could be "forgiven" for, but it doesn't really work. I think it would be better if the movie were more about accepting Egon as he was, flaws and all.
- The "no coordination" thing is also really exemplified by the really weirdly-edited scene where Phoebe first confronts Gozer. First of all, the kids are already in the cave when Gozer is released and climbs out of the pit, which makes for a weird thing where they have to wait for her to show up (with the "abruptly dispatching Shandor" bit in the middle). The movie repeats a beat where the dogs settle in on the temple. It's fine if the movie wants to wait to show us the plan until it's happening, but you'd think there'd be a brief bit where Trevor says, "Okay, so, what now?" and Phoebe thinks about it for a second and says, "I have a plan."
Also, I suggested that the trap field should've been used to pull Gozer apart, and watching it again, that is kinda what happens, although it's never stated.
1) Egon holding up the trap was clearly to entice the weakened Gozer into the field. Up until then he likely wasn't sure she'd bite and fall for the trap laid in the field but she ultimately did.
2) Phoebe is a logical character above most other defining traits. She's had zero reason to believe in ghosts her entire life but once multiple points of evidence build up she logically deduces that ghosts are real. She even says in the film that she doesn't respond normally in an outward fashion.
3) If Egon had designed the compartment for the trap, while never shown, I would imagine he had previously stored the pedal and connector in there ahead of time. That way if he was short on time for hiding the trap those components would already be in there if he was on the run with the trap.
4) It's a Ghostbusters movie so I'm not surprised they say the name from a purely brand stand point. In-universe wise the characters who mention it have reason to, as far as I remember. Podcast, while not outwardly knowing them at the beginning of the film, would be all over saying the cool sounding name once he learns it. Trevor knows about them but in a super general passing way, much like how I vaguely know about pop culture references from before I was born.
5) The discovery scene works better as a character development scene with just Phoebe in it. It's Egon and hers' time to bond and grow together. While I like Podcast, I didn't need him clogging up that scene fanboying over a ghost.
6) Eh, it's a personal enjoyment point. I liked the crew getting their moment to shine and celebrate together before get the dooming realization that something bigger is happening at the mine without also having the cops showing up to clutter the scene. It also helps move along the time of day (we go from likely mid afternoon when the chase happens to just before sunset it seems in the pullover scene to night when they're in jail) and allows for a few more beats to lay still before some more comedic lines from Podcast and Trevor as they're pulled over.
7) The Diner scene is essential in handing out necessary exposition in order for the audience to keep up with as well as demonstrate that Phoebe understands what is going on in Summerville. That scene itself establishes something big is happening. We don't need scenes where they formulate a plan when we get to see their plan play out minutes later. We understand they were going to carry on Egon's plan of trapping Zuul or Vinz and leading Gozer back to the trap after distracting the God on its throne.
The Whole "Egon" of the entire movie will surely be a sticking point for some fans. You can argue and counter argue all night and day long that the events don't match the character or doesn't make sense but that doesn't matter because it is what actually happened. Egon figured out the end of the world was coming in Summerville and decided that was where he needed to be. We'll never know what his frame of mind was during that time period so go wild with whatever you want.
9) They already know what the plan is, they don't have to say every step out loud. They need to trap one of Gozer's minions thereby getting her into a weakened state and draw her back to the dirt farm trap. When they arrive and see Callie and Grooberson still in human form they know they need to wait until they assume terror dog form and Gozer actually shows up.
It is slightly weirdly edited and I think it would have been better if Gozer returned and took her throne while hysteria took over the town while the kids were making their way through it (so they could actually see more spooks and specters invade the town while they dodged around them in a fun sequence) but as presented it makes sound sense and keeps the film moving.
10) That's exactly what happens, you can see the form of Gozer get pulled apart to at least 3 or 4 different ethereal "strands" that get pulled into different traps. We can see it happen, I don't think we need it explicitly stated. (Also, while I think Gozer needs to stay trapped, it would be a cool idea to have a villain trying to get each different trap that its in in order to fully return the God, but hopefully that wouldn't happen for a good long time down the road).