Please Note: After many years of service, GBHQ is in an "archived" state, content is no longer being updated and some formatting and broken links may be contained without. While we're working to fix all broken elements for the final archive, your patience is appreciated. For more information, please visit the farewell message. Thanks! - Troy Benjamin (NetSolo)
The Private Sector: The Shirt Off My Back Posted by netsolo on Wednesday, October 28 2009
[note: this is mirrored from a simulcast on Proton Charging, Ghostbusters.net, and GBFans - this site will not be updated regularly or with same frequency as those sites, please visit them - thanks, MGMT]
Hot Topic was our hero. I know those aren’t words that are uttered all that frequently, but let me take you in Doc Brown’s DeLorean for a moment. Circa 2000 or 2001 when Ghostbusters was almost completely off the radar, we considered ourselves lucky the moment that official merchandise was being released through Hot Topic in the form of a red “ringer” t-shirt and a hoodie. It was the most we had been enticed with since Extreme Ghostbusters, and we loved every minute of it (you’ll also recall that there was a cell phone cover for the candy bar Nokia phone of choice released at the same time). That red ringer shirt was a big deal, and the message boards were lit up with fans trying to track one down (long before the internet Hot Topic site made things accessible).
Here’s the scary part… I still have that t-shirt. In fact, in complete contrast to 2001, I now have enough Ghostbusters t-shirts that I could probably wear a different one every day for two weeks straight. That’s a lot of damn Ghostbusters t-shirts, and many of them (especially the older ones including the aforementioned “red ringer”) are ugly as sin. I never wear 80% of them.
Why does this come up? Why is Troy waxing semantics about t-shirts? I moved for what seems like the fiftieth time out here in Los Angeles last June and I sat, looking at the stack of Ghostbusters t-shirts in front of me and actually faced a dilemma that “Me of 2001” would never have dreamed of… should I give a few of these to Goodwill?
Aside from my GB Video Game promo shirt and my 25th Anniversary Logo shirt, I never wear them. In fact a few of them were only purchased because of the excitement that I finally had the ability to buy Ghostbusters shirts again. So why am I hanging on to several of these shirts? Nostalgia? Not really, unless I was nostalgic for the “I’ve Been Slimed” shirt that I had as a kid (that, coincidentally you can now buy again from the GBFans.com store). I’m telling you, I could donate a handful of these and before you knew it, you’d see an army of homeless dudes in Santa Monica rocking the No-Ghost logo.
Maybe that’s indicative of how readily available the shirts are now; I can buy a variety of shirts from a variety of places. And, that being the case, maybe the allure of holding onto the shirts from nearing ten years ago had lost its luster. As B.B. once famously said, maybe the thrill is gone? I’m curious if anyone else out there has gone through this transition or faced a similar dilemma?
As an aside, I’d like to thank everyone for their comments and questions following what was just the introductory column of The Private Sector. I figured 9/10ths of folks would be scratching their heads saying, “Net who? That’s a lame name for a lame guy.” (It is, and I am). I’m going to run one question per week with a short answer that hopefully everyone will benefit from… this week’s question comes from “Bennythegeek”, who – in a great letter asks:
“We all know that everyone involved in getting the project running have all said ‘maybe, possibly, it will happen, 2010 start date, 2011 release date & need a production number.’ How can we all sit here and just accept what we’re being told about Sony Pictures not greenlighting the project? Truth be told, ever since the first hints of a new GB video game the GB merch business (ie. figures, RGB box set, ect.) has been booming! But why would they approve it all if Sony had no intentions of doing a third film? Think about it, man! What’s the best way to get a huge fanbase for your film BEFORE it hits the screen?”
Benny, good point – here’s the scoop. The term “greenlight” is thrown around outside of Hollywood quite a bit as the term for “go ahead”. Makes sense – “I just got the greenlight from the wife to play poker tonight”, right? But in reality, here in LaLa Land, it’s a little different. The greenlight isn’t as informal as a “blessing” or “permission.” The greenlight is the term for the official moment that all pieces are in place for the actual physical production of a film to start (that’s also when the majority of the funding is provided by the studio or by the financial backer to start spending money, hence Dan Aykroyd’s quip several weeks ago). Sony is well aware that a third Ghostbusters movie is in pre-production, in fact – they’re the ones that put in the order and approved the new screenwriters to be commissioned to write the film. They have every intention of making another film – as long as all of the proverbial ducks are in a row (and committed to marching in step). So there’s no deception or curtain-pulling involved. Once all parties (including the studio) are happy with the screenplay, once agreements are put into place for key roles including the directors, lead actors, etc., and (without going too far into the business side of things) a very specific line-itemized budget has been submitted and approved, a movie receives the greenlight and (generally) principal photography starts very quickly after that. Sometimes productions WILL have all the pieces in place, but the studio doesn’t want to commit to the financial obligation – and the movie will sit in a purgatory state, infinitely waiting for “the greenlight.”
That said, it’s a pretty safe bet that licensing and merchandising is working very closely with the marketing departments at Sony on a very specific strategy to increase awareness. None of these home video releases, toy releases, etc. is coincidence. These things are planned years in advance… I pause for dramatic tension on this ominous note because I want to tease that there’s someone, wearing a very nice suit, sitting in a very nice desk chair, that knows exactly what’s in store for us all over the course of the next couple years. Think about that…
Whew. That’s all the space the guys are kind enough to give me this week, as always keep your thoughts and questions coming to me at netsolo [at] aol dot com and here in the comments sections of the respective sites. See you next week!
[The Private Sector is a weekly syndicated column written by Troy Benjamin presented every Wednesday on Proton Charging, GB Fans, and Ghostbusters.net as an op-ed look at the goings on in the world of the Ghostbusters franchise.]
The Private Sector: Back in the Saddle Posted by netsolo on Wednesday, October 21 2009
[note: this is mirrored from a simulcast on Proton Charging, Ghostbusters.net, and GBFans - this site will not be updated regularly or with same frequency as those sites, please visit them - thanks, MGMT]
Welcome to The Private Sector, where results are expected and patent clerks still continue to earn next to nothing… This is a bit of a unique experiment as, for the first-time ever; we’re simulcasting an op-ed article across three Ghostbusters fan sites at the same time. Syndication comes to Ghostheadom, you might say.
I know what you’re thinking right about now… So what exactly is this all about, and who the hell is this guy? Is he really that narcissistic to want an article on three websites? First of all, the answer is yes. But here’s the lowdown on what The Private Sector is and who I am.
The Private Sector is going to be an editorial column on recent goings on, a bit of nostalgia, and a whole lot of gibberish spewing from my crazy mind about the crazy community we have. Every Wednesday, Proton Charging, GBFans, and Ghostbusters.net will syndicate the column to each of their sites for your reading pleasure (or displeasure, if you can’t stand me).
Which brings us to the next question that I thought I was effectively going to dodge: who am I? Well, I’m the old man around these parts that grumbles and shouts at people to get off his lawn. Posing under the super-chick-magnet handle NetSolo for close to almost fifteen years, I was the maniac behind the wheel at GhostbustersHQ.com for what seems like an entire lifetime. If you haven’t heard of me, I can’t blame you; I had taken a bit of a backseat in recent years when it came to community goings on. During that time Ghostbusters, as the little franchise that could, exploded and left me behind. I’m actually working in the entertainment industry now and have signed so much of my life away to non-disclosure agreements that make discussing anything that isn’t my opinion increasingly difficult. If you’re interested in my credentials, you’re more than welcome to stalk me on the interwebs over at stillplayingwithtoys.com. Or you can do a Google search for Troy Benjamin – I’m the one that’s not a football player or porn star. Okay, well maybe I aspire to be the latter. But that’s beside the point.
The Private Sector isn’t just an outlet for me to pull a Michael Corleone and come back to the family and get back involved; it’s also very interactive as well. Especially with Ghostbusters III on the horizon, there can be a whole lot of confusion as to how the development and pre-production process for a feature film works. When is a project greenlit? What is needed for that greenlight from the studio? What’s going on behind closed doors now? If you have any questions, no matter how great or small, film related or not, or if you just want to send rampant hate mail – feel free to fire away to netsolo@aol.com (yes, I’m still on AOL – if that’s any indication as to what a fossil I am around these parts).
All right, so with the pleasantries out of the way – we now resume you to your regularly scheduled GB site programming. Tune in next Wednesday for the first REAL column of The Private Sector!
From the ashes... Posted by netsolo on Wednesday, April 15 2009
So long, old friend... Posted by netsolo on Tuesday, July 1 2008
Well guys, I've been threatening it for years... but after spending a good deal of time thinking things over and discussing with friends both on and off the boards, it's time to call it a day.
Since 1996, when it was a little horrific AOL homepage site, Ghostbusters HQ has been a home away from home. It's evolved into an entirely different beast than the wet behind the ears Freshman in high school thought it was going to be. Now after all these years, I'm working in a position where it's against non-disclosure agreements that I've signed to report the news to you guys. I'm at the point where life is moving too fast to worry about who Bo has pissed off this time. I've reached a point where everything seems trivial when it shouldn't.
Looking back, I can't believe how many awesome fanboy things we've all been able to share in these 12 years and I think that this is a good note to end on. With the new game, the Blu-rays, the RGB sets, and so much more to come, it's really a good high note for me to throw in the towel and just be a fan again. This is Ray Bourque holding up the Stanley Cup at the end of his career.
I've been thinking about putting the plug in the ol' sow for quite some time now and when I checked in, as I often do just to make sure things are up and running, and the message board had completely jammed up all 20GB of bandwidth for all of my domains, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. I'm ready for being a Ghosthead to not be a job anymore. After all these years of dealing with the drama and being on the frontlines for this or that, I'm ready to take a backseat and just enjoy it... and the only way to do that is to close and lock the shingles and post a note on the front door.
So Troy, you say-- what about the future? I'm here. And I'm being told the place has boarded up the windows and is closed for business. What am I supposed to do? I've got no place to go?
Well, that's the beauty of it. The HQ is the Millennium Falcon living in a Star Trek world, you've always had Proton Charging, which continues to be a daily stop for me. You've got GB Fans which has turned into one of the coolest user-generated content Ghosthead sites on the 'net and should likewise be a destination. You've got Spook Central which has been there from day one. You've got Fritz's Ecto-Web, Nightsquad, Doreen's long-running site, GBN is apparently coming back, you've even got House and Captain N doing a regular Podcast to keep you company in the car... I know I'm missing about sixty right off the bat so forgive me if I've left you out, but it speaks worlds of the volume out there - tons and tons of choices out there for your content...
There's a close knit group of us that have gotten to know each other over the years and the rapport is something that I could never live without, so I hope that some if not all of you will come over to http://www.stillplayingwithtoys.com/phpbb/index.php over on the Still Playing With Toys site.
As for the HQ, I'll keep the boards up in a locked state for as long as I can. There'll always remain a shell up, at least until I get tired of paying the domain fees at www.ghostbustershq.com - but I'm going to work with AJ, Chris, Paul, and others to smash and grab the content from the HQ to go onto their sites where it can continue to live (I'd hate to have the EGB episode guide that I worked so hard on with Shannon Muir to vanish without a trace).
I'll still be around, hobbling around the boards with my cane yelling at everyone through my dentures about "back in the day." Hopefully you guys will see the reasoning behind what's being done and understand. It was a tough decision to make, especially after so many years of continuing keeping things open being stubborn to let go. But truth be told, coming to the end of this lengthy goodbye feels like a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
So long everyone, it's been nice working with you all - now let's cross the streams and blow the hell out of this place. There's a slight chance we might survive.
Troy
TVShowsonDVD.com reporting Real Ghostbusters sets on the way? Posted by netsolo on Tuesday, April 29 2008
According to TVShowsonDVD.com, there MIGHT be something in the works... hmmm...
Says the website,
"We've received a tip from a reliable source that The Real Ghostbusters is heading to DVD (again). A multi-disc release is apparently in the works for a fall release, and the interesting thing is we're told the set is not coming from Sony (the releasing studio was not named). This is an interesting development since Sony owns the rights, and until now they have been unwilling to license shows to third parties.
Fans will remember Sony released 3 Real Ghostbusters volumes in 2006 containing random episodes from the run of the series. Sales were poor because the releases were targeted towards children and their parents, not fans of the series which are now in their 20s and 30s.
2008 looks bright for Ghostbusters fans; yesterday, many websites previewed the upcoming video game, due for release in the fall, and now there's news the animated series will also be released this year."
Ghostbusters: The Video Game, some more details revealed today! Posted by netsolo on Monday, April 28 2008
First and foremost, the good folks at Sierra/Terminal Reality were kind enough to pass along these hi-res images of gameplay along to the HQ, download to your hearts' content!
Also, news outlets all over the place have been reporting that over 75 minutes of unheard music from the feature film is going to be utilized in the game (wha? that one I'm a bit skeptical on)... and that indeed the Ray Parker Jr. theme will be present, no cover bands necessary. Check out the ever awesome Proton Charging for more!
Ghostbusters: The Video Game... start of viral marketing? Posted by netsolo on Friday, April 11 2008 www.ghostbustersgame.com has posted a new quiz that asks you 21 pretty rough fanboy questions about the Ghostbusters series. Answer them all correctly, and you're rewarded with a concept art wallpaper of an "Opera Ghost" along with a new banner ad to use on your message board exploits...
...but if you do the quiz while logged in using the "application" that you filled out in the previous incarnation of the site, it says that your test results have been sent in for further consideration... hmmm... I smell some sort of viral campaign coming?
Recast Ghostbusters, win a (kinda) cool prize! Posted by netsolo on Friday, April 11 2008
Buzzsugar.com is running a promotion right now where you can recast Ghostbusters and win a prize! Let the site know who you would love to see in the starring roles of the hypothetical remake and win a Buzzsugar t-shirt.
Site news: GBFans.com goes live! Posted by netsolo on Wednesday, February 13 2008
Old school Ghosthead AJ Quick has been hard at work on the site to end all sites (including this old girl who still has at least a few miles left in her). And today it appears that a soft launch of the site has occurred. Head on over to www.gbfans.com and check it out- an interactive Wiki-site to say the least with a wealth of material, fans, and we hear there are go-go dancer cages... but that's just us.
Retailers expecting a "sooner-than expected" launch of new GB game... Posted by netsolo on Wednesday, February 13 2008
According to an article today on Videogamemedia.com - the word on the street is that Ghostbusters: The Video Game could see release as early as October 3 of this year, which is far sooner than the end of October/November release that was originally announced.
I would imagine that more information will pop up on the radar starting this coming Monday with the Game Developers Expo kicking into full gear as well, so button down the hatches, it's about that time for us to get flooded.
Maybe Huey Lewis will sue him too, eh? Posted by netsolo on Monday, February 11 2008
According to a North Scotland website, Jack Black was asked to pen his own version of the Ghostbusters theme song for "Be Kind Rewind" in the event the production was unable to gain rights to the real Ray Parker Jr. theme.
"And then we ended up getting the actual song so it was a waste of time. But then it was kind of funny to go from that one to the real one. It was tricky to make it really recognisably Ghostbusters but totally different notes a little bit different."
Anyone out there speak Italiano? Posted by netsolo on Thursday, February 7 2008
The webmaster of Ghostbusters Italia dropped me an email earlier this week to check out his website and I've got to say that it's fantastic (even though I don't understand a word of it).
If you're fluent and you're a Ghosthead, definitely check out Ghostbusters Italia.
In multi-formats we trust... Posted by netsolo on Thursday, February 7 2008
The Aussie Sydney Morning Herald has an interesting article that brings up an excellent point about the current atmosphere of the gaming market- in which the new Ghostbusters game gets a nod.
The short article suggests that the gaming market is booming and to even further strengthen that, most of the highly anticipated games coming out this year will be available on multiple platforms.
VW presents an interesting argument about Ghostbusters... Posted by netsolo on Wednesday, February 6 2008
Oh yeah, the whole movie is a social statement on the growing problem of obesity. No joke, they make a very valid point.
Now there's something you don't see every day... Posted by netsolo on Wednesday, February 6 2008
c/o Proton Charging - Bollywood is poised to remake Ghostbusters with three of its biggest stars.
Be Kind Rewind soundtrack out now! Posted by netsolo on Wednesday, February 6 2008
"When you're walking down the street, and you see a little ghost..."
A brief 8 second interlude ode to your friend and mine is on the Be Kind Rewind soundtrack which is out on shelves now (and available on iTunes). The soundtrack features score by Jean-Michel Bernard as well as some classy tunes, it's a great listen and highly recommended.
Don't forget that Jack Black and Mos Def bust some heads on February 22nd.
NorCal residents get a chance to see GB on the big screen... Posted by netsolo on Tuesday, February 5 2008
clortho on the boards chimes in with this update for all you Northerners, with your smogless ozone and your... what do they call them? Trees...
Well, it's that time of year again. GB1 will be playing at the UA Arden Fair 6 in Sacramento on Thursday, February 28th at 10pm. This isn't like last year where there were two showings on the same day; they seem to have scaled back to just an evening presentation.
For those in the area, see you there!
THE HQ IS BACK ON THE UPDATING TRAIN! Posted by netsolo on Monday, February 4 2008
It's okay, we'll give you a couple seconds to double-check your calendar to make sure it isn't the first day of April... go ahead...
Satisfied?
Indeed ladies and gentlemen, there's now a reason to actually come back to the main GBHQ page as we can now update the news again! We finally got our news archiving program back up and running (man was it dusty, kind of like that old Commodore 64 that you've had sitting up in your parents' attic for years... no? Just me?)
This is, by no means, any attempt to one up Proton Charging which still should be your one and only news source for all that is Ghostbusters related.
But at least now you can come to the HQ and not think it's still 2006, which was a very good year don't get us wrong but...
Lamarche interview on QuickStopEntertainment.com Posted by netsolo on Friday, August 25 2006
Quickstopenetertainment.com has a great six(!) page interview with Maurice Lamarche, here's a snippet dealing with RGB:
LAMARCHE: Oh god, in 1978 when I recorded it. And then I can’t remember the second one… oh, Take Me Up to the Ball Game, and then… again, two specials and then nothing for about seven years. And then I was lucky enough to get on the second season of Inspector Gadget. And I played The Chief. And dovetailing on that, you know, one right on top of the other was Ghostbusters. Real Ghostbusters, and I got the part of Egon.
QS: When you talk about that audition process, were they asking you to do a Harold Ramis?
LAMARCHE: They asked me not to do Harold Ramis and I still did it. Because I didn’t know anything else to do with the character. So everything at that point that I’d done was derivative and I had absolutely no original thoughts or voices. So the only thing I could do was Ramis. So I did it, and for some reason it was the only voice that sounded like the original voice from the movie. They decided they could let that slide and Egon was such a specific character they really had to honor Harold Ramis’ unique take on that character. After 65 episodes, apparently legend has it Bill Murray finally came forward and said, “How come Harold’s guy sounds just like him and my guy sounds like Garfield?” And they said, “Well, Bill, that’s because the guy who does the voice of Garfield is doing your character.” Now, Bill’s not asking him to be fired or anything. But this one comment from Bill Murray, and with them having Ghostbusters 2 in the works, somebody in the machine said, “You know what? Bill’s unhappy. We got to get a guy who sounds like him.” And so Dave Coulier took over the part after 65 episodes and Lorenzo Music lost the part, and it was a very strange transition because I loved them both, and thought both they did a great job with the character. But the irony - the huge irony - of it is that now with the Garfield movie, Bill Murray has taken over the part originally voiced by Lorenzo Music.
Aykroyd joins Sandler's latest... Posted by netsolo on Wednesday, August 23 2006
Guess his retirement was feigned ala Bill Murray, eh?
Buscemi and Aykroyd Join Chuck and Larry Source: The Hollywood Reporter August 23, 2006
Steve Buscemi and Dan Aykroyd have joined the cast of Adam Sandler's firefighter comedy I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.
The Universal Pictures project revolves around two heterosexual firefighters (Sandler and Kevin James) who pose as a gay married couple in order to qualify for their department's domestic-partner benefits.
Buscemi will play a city official who is dispatched to keep a close eye on Chuck and Larry and is hell bent on revealing their deception. Aykroyd will play the fire department captain. Dennis Dugan directs. Jessica Biel is also in the cast.
The Private Sector: The Shirt Off My Back
