Light 'Em Up: Ghostbusters Past, Present & Future Review

With Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire set for release in less than three weeks, Sony has been running the marketing train at full speed. Recently, Sony released a 23-minute featurette entitled Light 'Em Up: Ghostbusters Past, Present & Future as promotion for Frozen Empire, but neglected to let anyone know about it. Even worse, it's currently only available on the Hulu streaming service, so most people won't even get to see it! I don't think that's how advertising is supposed to work.

In a totally random, and completely baffling move, Light 'Em Up: Ghostbusters: Past, Present & Future can only be found on Hulu as an extra for the original Ghostbusters movie. If you buy, or already own, the movie on Hulu, you can watch the featurette. If you own the movie on Movies Anywhere, Vudu, or Amazon, Sony doesn't love you. It isn't currently not available on any of those services. I checked.

Thankfully, I got a copy of the featurette from a guy who got it from a girl who got it from Joe Willie Namath. How Broadway Joe got a copy, I'll never know. Anyway, in an effort to document this featurette, while providing extra promotion for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, I thought I would do a comprehensive review of Light 'Em Up: Ghostbusters Past, Present & Future. BE FOREWARNED: THERE MAY BE SOME MINOR FROZEN EMPIRE PLOT SPOILERS IF YOU KEEP READING.

The featurette opens with clips from Frozen Empire, and the older Ghostbusters films, with various bits of dialog from them intermingled really nicely. Cue the title.


Our hosts for this featurette are Kumail Nanjiani (Nadeem Razmaadi) and Patton Oswalt (Dr. Hubert Wartzki), on the same set they filmed the "Ghosting Insurance" faux commercial. While they are talking, a large screen on the right shows the logos for all five Ghostbusters films. Yes, this featurette is including the 2016 film (aka "Answer the Call", "Feig's Folly", "the parody", "that thing we'd all like to forget") as part of the franchise, even though it is not part of the prime canon because Feig didn't want it to be.


Kumail and Patton talk about what they like about each of the Ghostbusters films. The duo then discuss their roles in Frozen Empire. Kumail informs that Patton's character, Dr. Hubert Wartzki, is only there to "explain the lore of the Death Chill from the comforts of a cozy library". They stop there, so as to avoid spoilers.


Finn Wolfhard tells us how this film follows Afterlife, while the Ecto-1 sits behind him.


Director and co-writer Gil Kenan is up to bat, sitting in front of the containment unit, while talking about the Spenglers coming to New York City. Although out-of-focus, some Mini Pufts can be seen climbing all over the containment unit.


Cue Jason Reitman, the new film's co-writer and producer. He talks about what he wanted to see in the movie.


The "Ghostbusters cheerleader" Dan Aykroyd, sitting on the upper floor firehouse set, lets us know what the winning formula to a Ghostbusters film is. "You keep the DNA of it alive by mixing lightness and comedy with fear and threat."


A new Frozen Empire clip of Callie and Gary talking in the basement. "I gotta warn you. I mean, I can be scary." She sarcastically replies, "Yeah, you're a monster." Well, he DID turn into a Terror Dog that one time.


Ruddy Buddy states that "as these films have evolved and it's gone from Ivan to Jason to Gil, there's a lot of love and pride, I think, that it isn't just making a movie." He's talking over some behind the scenes footage of each person from Afterlife and Frozen Empire.


In some previously-recorded interview footage, Kumail is in front of the Ecto-1. "This new one is completely unlike any story we've seen in a Ghostbusters film, but it still very much feels Ghostbusters."


Dan comments about passing the torch, followed by a new shot of the Spenglers looking towards screen right.


Kumail and Patton talk about the qualities of playing a ghostbuster. An interview clip of Rudd from Afterlife: "That's part of the appeal, actually, of the Ghostbusters franchise. You're always dealing with these very intelligent outsiders who are trying to figure out what's going on in the situation through science and smarts."


Another vintage interview, this time of Jason talking about how the films are usually about four people opening a ghostbusting business. A clip from the 2016 film where Kevin first enters the Chinese restaurant headquarters, is followed by Janine introducing Winston to Peter and Ray, and then "We be fast and they be slow" from Ghostbusters II.


Jason continues by discussing his intentions for writing each of the new Spengler family members. He is followed by an interview clip of Ivan Reitman that he did for Afterlife. The elder Reitman says that the first film started out as a story of friendship, but then became about an extended family.


The awesome Mckenna Grace says that "Ivan and Bill and Ernie and Dan and Harold created something so special with the first film, and that everybody who watched it could feel it."


The franchise is about outsiders. More archival interviews. Holy Shit! An archival photo from the first film that is NOT blurred! Look, it says "Panaflex" right there on the camera. Could Sony have actually decided against all of that blurring bullshit?!?


Praise is given to the original crew. Harold Ramis, though an archival interview, and NOT CGI this time, praises Bill Murray.


Outtakes from the first film's ballroom exit scene. These all appeared on the last Blu-ray release. More discussion of the characters created for the first film, with Winston having been created because Ivan needed someone "who could ask the questions that the real audience could ask". Ernie Hudson, though an archival interview, tells us what Winston brings to the team. "He is sort of the everyman. The other guys are a bit more zany. Winston is sort of very practical, but I think he is meant to be that. He's meant to be sort of the balance there."


Sigourney, Annie, and Rick are briefly mentioned by Paul Rudd. He then lists the new actors in Frozen Empire: Kumail, James Acaster, and Patton. A new clip of Hubert (Patton) on the phone saying "What!" to someone.


Another new shot (I think) of wide-eyed Lucky entering the secret pantry room.


A new shot, though one we saw in a promo photo, of the Golden Orb in the lab. Podcast says, "Cool". Lars (James Acaster) remarks, "Empirically."


New behind-the-scenes footage of Jason, in front of a news van...


...and Gil, on the firehouse set. Patton informs that both men are at the center of the franchise's ongoing success. Kumail: "Here's to the next 40 years, because these guys have this world in their blood."


Gil directs the scene where the New York Public Library lion is possessed by The Possessor.


Both men are praised by Finn. All of the cast and crew are gathered on the UK set on what, I assume, is the last day of filming. I spy Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, William Atherton, Ernie Hudson, Finn Wolfhard, Gil Kenan, Logan Kim, Annie Potts, Jason Reitman, and many more. Jason is standing near the light-up logo sign that hangs outside the firehouse talking into a microphone, though the original audio is not heard.


We finally hear from "Hot Mom" Carrie Coon, who plays "Hot Mom" Callie Spengler. Typecasting? She and Kumail talk about Jason and how he grew up with this franchise.


Ivan is given his flowers by the cast and crew. This includes a new interview with William Atherton on the police station set. It's nice that we finally get some words from him.


Kumail is sporting a "mood reader" (what Egon wore in the Ghostbusters II deleted scene where he and Ray tested the slime), while Patton has a pack strapped to his back. The point being that the gadgets in Ghostbusters always look "hand-made".


Some more new Frozen Empire behind-the-scenes footage shows the actor playing Slimer, wearing blue pants that will be removed digitally later. I have no idea who is under the spud. I hope it's Robin Navlyt/Shelby, but I doubt it.


Another crew member is working on Garraka's horns.


Practical effects. The joy of the props being real. A mix of new and vintage interviews. Young Mckenna, in an interview for Afterlife, describes what it was like putting on the Proton Pack. "Whenever I first put it on shooting... Yeah, I cried."


The RTV is used in Frozen Empire's Sewer Dragon chase scene. Carrie is happy that she gets to pilot the drone trap.


The Ecto-1 is discussed. More Sewer Dragon chase shots of the revived Ecto-1 with its "racing stripes".


A new face: Ben Hall, the "HOD Prop Modeller" for Frozen Empire.


A look at some of the new props in the workshop. The cyclotron-exposed Proton Pack.


The Golden Orb on its staff. I think that's Adam Savage holding it; assuming a connection with the NASA-logo-ripoff "Savage" shirt the guy is wearing.


Garraka's horns.


The arm-mounted Proton Gun.


Ben says that they had help building the props thanks to the Ghostbusters fans. Lots of Proton Pack boudoir photos. One shows a pack charging station that seems inspired by the equipment station in the 2016 film; best seen when Abby goes to destroy the packs.


It's time to discuss the ghosts, because you can't spell "Ghostbusters" without "ghosts". Several talking heads - no, not those guys - talk about the spooky specters of the franchise. Patton, in a pre-recorded interview clip, says his favorite is Slimer. This is followed by a clip of the ugly little spud coming out of a hot dog cart from the 2016 film.


Stay Puft is Jason's fave, which is why he created the Mini Pufts. Logan Kim, who is in desperate need of a comb, says that "Ray smuggled the Mini Pufts back from Summerville to New York City".


Podcast mercilessly smushes a Mini Puft with his sneaker, having grown very hateful of them after his Summerville experience. Phoebe looks on in shock.


Gozer and Vigo are discussed. A clip is shown from the 2014 archival interview with Ivan and Dan that appear on that year's Blu-ray release of the second film. In a new Mckenna interview, she says that "there's a lot of spooky specters in this Ghostbusters movie". Finally, sweet Celeste O'Connor shows up to say that "there's a lot of really fun new ghosts" in Frozen Empire.


This leads to Finn talking about The Possessor, while we see a clip of it animating a trash bag running rampant in a library. See, the Hasbro Callie figure's companion ghost makes sense now.


Pukey Power! He's Mckenna's favorite because "he just looks so silly". Garraka, the film's lead villain, only gets a few seconds of time. If I were him, I'd be pissed. Moving on, Stay Puft in the original film is Patton's favorite moment from the franchise. For Kumail, it's the moment where Egon helps Phoebe defeat Gozer in Afterlife. He informs those who didn't already know, that Ivan was the hand double for Egon in that scene; with photos of Ivan in the jumpsuit on set. Patton didn't know. I guess he didn't completely read the script for this featurette. Kumail: "In a franchise about the family we have and the family we find, it doesn't get more family than that."


Jason's scene in Ghostbusters II leads into a discussion of the fans. Lots of footage is shown from the Ghostbusters Fan Fest event in June 2019. Jason considers himself the first Ghostbusters fan. A clip of his deleted scene from the first film appearing in Afterlife backs up his story.


Oh, my. Even Sigourney Weaver is here... albeit through an interview she did for Afterlife.


Kumail proclaims that "Ghostbusters is literally my favorite thing in the world that's not a human being or an animal. It was my first favorite movie. I've seen all the Ghostbusters movies so many times. I've seen the entire animated series. So I am a massive, massive, massive Ghostbusters fan." A clip from the restored Real Ghostbusters pilot appears when he talks about the animated series...


...as does the end of the Extreme Ghostbusters opening sequence. Yes, that orphan child of the franchise is finally getting some love from Sony. More on that at the end.


Adorable Annie Potts, through an interview she did for Afterlife, talks about the Janine "dolls" that people bring to her as gifts.


Various photos of vintage and newer Ghostbusters merchandise, while Dan talks about that stuff. The 2009 video game is briefly seen, as are several of the IDW comics when Dan specifically says "comic books". Kinda weird that Sony didn't use footage of the more recent video games and the Dark Horse comic covers. Yes, the clip of him talking comes from that 2014 interview, but Sony could have changed the video to showcase something more recent. At least it ends with some of the more recent stuff sitting alongside the old stuff on a shelf somewhere. Ghost Corps headquarters, perhaps?


Dan talks about fan tattoos in an Afterlife interview clip of the three guys with Ivan. Some are shown. In that same interview clip, the fan groups are discussed. The framed patches at Ghost Corps headquarters are shown, though I don't see my Spook Central 15th Anniversary patch there anymore. I hope they just moved it, and didn't discard it.


Closing remarks from the hosts, who promise the "full Patton Oswalt". I'd rather see The Full Monty than the full Patton Oswalt.


Cue the end credits, which are followed by a card telling us to "catch up on the Ghostbusters films on Hulu before you see Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire". In the small print under this, it states that "Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Ghostbusters: Answer The Call are available on Digital Retailers", "The Real Ghostbusters is now available on Digital", and most shockingly of all, that "Extreme Ghostbusters is now available on DVD". Yes, after 25 years, Sony has finally decided that it cares about this lost relic of the franchise and is giving it a Complete Series DVD release on March 19, 2024. Sadly, I have reason to believe that it will be a Manufacture-On-Demand DVD-R product, and not real factory-pressed dual-layer discs, but I'm hoping that I'm wrong. Either way, I'll have a review of the set sometime later here on Spook Central.


The preceding was a commentary on the 23-minute video below, which is compressed and in DVD-resolution, but does include optional English SDH subtitles.


VIP BONUS FEATURE - The full 200-image set of 1280x720 screenshots plus the original 1280x720 210MB MP4 video file

And that sums up the entire featurette. It's a really cool bit of advertising for Frozen Empire, so it's really surprising that not only was it released without any fanfare, but that's it's (currently) exclusive to Hulu and not more widely available. I would think that Sony would want EVERYONE to see this featurette as a way to promote Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, which will be released in theaters (in the U.S.) on March 22nd. Buy tickets on Ghostbusters.com right now! Thanks to Derek B. for providing me with a copy of this featurette. Hopefully it will be included on the physical disc home video release of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire in a few months, along with all of the other video advertising.