TEASER - 164: Ghostbusters V (with Adam Jackson)

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The writer and friend of the pod Adam Jackson returns for a show about the Ghostbusters series, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year with the latest installment, Ghostbusters V.

We discuss the entire saga; from Ivan Reitman’s classic original, the Real Ghostbusters cartoon that refined the series as entertainment for kids, the disappointing 1989 sequel, the 2016 all-female reboot that became a flashpoint for culture warriors online, and the recent legacy sequels guided by Jason Reitman, which have recast this saga as some form of modern American myth about a family legacy instead of just being high-concept comedies about New York schlubs who become entrepreneurs (aka the winning formula for success)

We praise the Bobby Brown theme for Ghostbusters II, commend Dan Aykroyd for his fully-committed performance in the latest film (a stark contrast to Bill Murray’s clear disinterest in his continuing involvement), and dig into how these new films meant for “the true fans” of the series continually get wrong what the actual legacy of these films is, as Columbia Pictures continues to struggle to make a real cinematic universe out of this IP, forever hoping lightning will strike twice.

Plus: why isn’t Muncher in the new one?

Follow Adam Jackson on Twitter.

Ghostbusters promotional film shown at the ShoWest convention for the cinema exhibition industry, 1984

Clip from the 1985 Academy Awards - nominee for Best Original Song, Ray Parker Jr.’s ‘Ghostbusters’

Music video for Bobby Brown’s ‘On Our Own’ from the Ghostbusters II soundtrack, 1989