It had been forty years since moviegoers saw Dan Aykroyd (Bill Murray), Ernie Hudson and Ernie Hudson save New York City by using their proton pack. They are now appearing in Ghostbusters: AfterlifeIt was a pleasant surprise to OG fans who were unsure if the trio would return. The trio had not appeared together in a while. The passage of time didn’t bypass Aykroyd as he filmed the last scene in the sequel. The OG Ghostbuster demonstrated the major differences between the films of the original films, and the reboot in 2021.
As Winston Zeddemore, Winston Zeddemore and Ray Stantz fought in Gozer The Gozerian’s past battle, the finale was all that devoted fans had hoped for. The OG Ghostbusters were able to kill the ghost but acting and real life merged at the crucial moment. Stantz, after being bombarded back, said ghostbusting had been more painful than he ever remembered. Being the group’s voice of reason, Zeddemore responded with “I do.”Ernie Hudson and Dan Aykroyd were being themselves, not their characters. Aykroyd explained. Vanity FairThe moment as it happened during filming Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
It’s true. Jason: ‘OK, you guys, hop up now.’Yes, it will. ‘hopping up’ here. The climb will be slow to one knee. There will also be some hefting of the backpack, both hands grasping for leverage and pulling me up to my feet. That’s the ‘hop’ that you’re going to get.
Jason Reitman might’ve temporarily forgotten that Aykroyd and the other OG’s were four decades older, and things don’t move like they used to. Ernie Hudson and Bill Murray were in their thirties at the time of filming the first two films. Dan Aykroyd was also in their thirties. All three actors in the reboot were in their sixties or seventies. Like the SNLicon was used to indicate that there was no “hopping up”getting back in action. After not being able to hold the proton gun for so many decades, it took some time for their bodies and minds to heal. Reitman was gracious enough to allow that moment to remain in the film.
While it was nice to see Venkman, Stantz and Zeddemore once more, fans couldn’t help but notice Egon Spengler’s absence. Spengler was the basis for the sequel. Harold Ramis’ passing left a huge hole in the OG’s return, but Jason Reitman kept him in the reboot in some touching ways. Reitman even got the seal of approval from Ramis’ daughter in handling Spengler’s passing. Those loving touches paid off as fans – new and old – showed up opening weekend.
Hopefully, the return to the OGs will lead to more sequels as well as other projects. This is hinted at in the end credits. Maybe Dan Aykroyd’s next ghostbusting adventure will be easier. You can see the OG Ghostbusters in action at http://www.archive.org/ Ghostbusters: AfterlifeIn theaters now