Ghostbusters Afterlife

Do the following words mean anything to you: Spengler, Ecto 1, Shandor, Muncher, Keymaster, or Zuul? If so, I have just the movie for you! If you have no idea what any of those words mean, I think you would enjoy this movie anyway. “Ghostbusters Afterlife” is chock full of references and homages to the original movie, while at the same time adding new life into the Ghostbusters franchise. The newest spectre seekers are played by some up and coming youngsters: Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things and It, as Trevor), Mckenna Grace (as Phoebe), Celeste O’Connor and Logan Kim (Podcast). Trevor and Grace are siblings who are dragged to the middle of nowhere to live in a spooky old house inherited by their mom (Carrie Coon). Her father, who she hates for having essentially abandoned her as a child, left it to her. Circumstances force them to move out west! Unbeknownst to them, their grandfather was Egon Spengler, one of the original Ghostbusters (played back then by Harold Ramis). The plot follows the kids and their friends – Podcast is especially fun – as they try to figure out why various strange phenomena are occurring in their small, seemingly boring, town. Strange sounds, daily earthquakes, and other spooky things are happening. Paul Rudd plays a disaffected teacher who has lost interest in the job. He shows his summer school students some very inappropriate movies. But ultra-smart Phoebe connects with him when she finds he is an ameteur siesmologist. They start investigating the reasons for the unnatural quakes; while Trevor and Podcast track other sources and clues. There are a lot of little sub stories, and plenty of references and humor that come along the way. And it all adds up to some special arrivals who “help” the kids save the planet.   By the way,stay to the very end to see a spoiler for a sequel, perhaps.  SPOILER ALERT: It has been all over the internet that some of the characters from the original 1984 movie show up in this one, and they do! If you are a fan, you will be satisfied and a little moved by the end of it all. There’s more than enough to entertain fans at any level.