Ghostbusters 3 Gets Closer to Our Pitch Every Day!

Earlier this month, Harold “Egon Spengler” Ramis shot a note to the Chicago Tribune confirming that Ghostbusters 3 was in development and that Bill Murray was game to be a part of the production.

Interesting in the note is that Ramis, who also co-scripted both the original and Ghostbusters 2, alludes to the possible involvement of uber-comedy filmmaker of the day, Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, Superbad, Pineapple Express). In particular, Ramis writes “Judd Apatow is co-producing Year One and has made several other films for Sony, so of course the studio is hoping to tap into some of the same acting talent.”

Prior to editing our original pitch down, we had included a much more detailed opening scene aboard the U.S.S. Constitution. In it, we describe the grown Oscar Venkman (adopted son of Peter Venkman and biological son of Dana Barrett) as perhaps best played by Michael Cera.

Micheal Cera, well known for his roles in Arrested Development and Superbad, has the perfect pitch to play a dry-witted, younger Venkman, one that needs to grow into the boots of a ghostbuster. He’s an Apatow regular – and already his name is being bandied about.

I hope that any picture that develops isn’t swamped with Apatow talent, simply because this is really a New York/Second City show. Seth Rogen would fit well, but to capture the true spirit of the Ghostbusters – and if you gotta recast – I think you have to scoop from that well. Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Seth Meyers.

And here’s pullin’ for Tina Fey who has the attitude, the smarts and has the chutzpah to put on the proton pack.

Why haven’t they made The Breakfast Club 2?

Everyone who stands between 35 and 45 has a favorite scene from The Breakfast Club.

• Allison – The Basket Case, played by Ally Sheedy – shaking her hair to make snow, in the form of dandruff, fall on her No. 2 pencil on Desk landscape.
• Brian – The Brain, played by Anthony Michael Hall – confessing that he once tried to kill himself with a flare gun, and then getting high and telling us that “chicks can’t hold dey smoke.”
• Every clash between Andrew – The Athlete, played by Emilio Estevez – and Bender – The Criminal, played by Judd Nelson. And every clash Bender instigates.
• And, of course, The Princess – Claire – played by Molly Ringwald. I know the scene you’re thinking of, and of course I’m thinking of it, too. But beyond that, I was always partial to the scene where Claire and Allison share a friendly moment. Why? Because, as Claire says to Allison, “you’re letting me.”

So, in the 23 years since The Breakfast Club unspooled in theaters, why haven’t these five characters gotten back together?

It’s the same old story. Because no one can agree on anything.

John Hughes, the writer/producer/director, said no way in 1999, because the characters “would never come back together again” and that there “isn’t anything in their lives after high school relevant to that day.”

I beg to differ, and you’ll find that in my next post.

Earlier in this decade, there seemed to be some movement for a sequel, but that fell through again. Why, is anyone’s guess.

And then there’s the question of whether there should be a sequel. I’m all for films staying put without generating a sequel, regardless of success. That’s why you’ll never see a post for Forrest Gump 2 on these pages.

But some stories and characters demand re-visitation. The members of The Breakfast Club are five of them.

For those of us in high school when The Breakfast Club debuted – well, we related to these characters. We knew them, were friends with them, and were them. And like our flesh and blood classmates, we want to know what happened to them after graduation.

How does that usually come about?

High school reunions, of course.

In 1999, Hughes was quoted as saying there’s nothing relevant to high school that would get those five characters in the same room again.

Obviously he never went to any of his high school reunions.

Which leads us to: The Breakfast Club: Reunion.

The Breakfast Club: Reunion

Twenty-five years after serving time in the sprawling library of Shermer High School, our friends – The Brain, The Basket Case, The Athlete, The Criminal and The Princess – return to Shermer for their 25^th High School Reunion.

When we meet them, they seem terribly familiar, but are so different than the kids we knew in 1985.

• Brian Johnson works as a sports agent at a high-powered firm in downtown Chicago. He represents some of the top athletes in the world – and is in incredible shape himself. No longer The Brain, he has turned 180 degrees, having fought against everyone’s perception of him. In fact, he’s become The A—hole.
• Andrew Clark is out-of-shape and single again, after a lengthy divorce. A financial consultant at a mid-sized bank in Philadelphia, Andrew has learned to drown his sorrows in Scotch and soda. He’s no longer The Athlete. He’s the Sad Drunk.
• Allison Reynolds is drop-dead gorgeous. A soccer mom and marathoner, Allison got her act together in college – and got herself a fine arts degree – and now owns a hip gallery downtown. She’s two kids, a successful husband, and a figure to die for. She’s no longer the Basket Case, she’s the Who Is That Girl?
• John Bender calls Shermer High School home. He’s the popular shop teacher, in line to get his masters and maybe move in to administration. He feels good about himself, but his past – and his relationship with his father – have made his ego fragile. Andrew and Brian will challenge that ego, as they determine that he’s a sell-out and fraud. He’s no longer The Criminal, he’s The Man.
• Claire Standish hasn’t changed. She works for her mother’s business and still has the world handed to her on a silver platter. But she’s bored. Dreadfully bored. And fills the nooks and crannies of her life with risks and instant gratification. She’s still The Princess – but you’d best add Dangerous to that name. She works hard to fulfill a long-time fantasy: seeing what John Bender’s got under his hood.

While The Breakfast Club followed our friends throughout the course of a Saturday morning and mid-day, The Breakfast Club Reunion traipses through a Saturday night and dawn. Our friends are bubbling about in mid-life crisis – save for the two who we thought would crash and burn the worst.

The tables are turned as Bender schools his old Club mates on the finer points of the simple life, and Allison teaches us how to save the memories, but leave high school far behind.

Why Haven’t They Made Major League IV?

I can hear his voice ringing in my ears -- the voice of famed Cleveland Indians announcer Harry Doyle as the Tribe score the winning run in a one-game playoff against those wretched New York Yankees and secure a spot in the American League Championship Series: "The Indians win it! The Indians win it! Oh my god, the Indians win it!"

Of course, that win was all celluloid fun -- the final frames of the film Major League – which portrayed a fictional Indians ball club taking on a made-for-the-movies Yankee line-up.

This year’s version of the Indians (eight games out of first and 16 from a Wild Card berth) is nothing like last year’s, when the Tribe whipped the true-to-life, larger-than-life New York Yankees in the play-offs, a series everyone thought the Tribe would lose. That team brought back memories of sitting in my local multiplex (six screens back then, and no stadium seating – eek!) and cheering on the likes of Jake Taylor, Rick Vaughn and Willie “Mays” Hayes.

And it’s seasons like these that make me dig through the DVD collection to watch the movie version win it all – all over again. Of course I follow that up with the passable Major League II and the dismal Major League: Back to the Minors. Dismal in part because the series shifts away from Cleveland to the Minnesota Twins – and we can’t have that, right?

So why haven’t they extended the franchise and made Major League 4?

It could be that Major League: BTTM made $3 million, compared to Major League II’s $30 million and Major League’s $50 million. Plus, the story line was a little stale – and the shift from the Indians to the Twins may have alienated some fans. (Why the shift? Possibly because the Indians made it to the World Series in 1995, a year after Major League II debuted, thus negating their underdog status.)

Still, there’s no reason to go back to this well. And there’s actually one really good reason to do so.

Charlie Sheen.

Sheen played the lovable rebel Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn in both Major Leagues I and II and could be considered the heart and soul of the franchise. I could even wax philosophic with regard to Rick being the “hero” in Campbell’s “hero’s journey,” with Tom Berenger’s Jake Taylor his wise mentor. But that’s neither hither nor thither.

By the time Major League: BTTM debuted in 1998, Sheen was hitting bottom, having accidentally overdosed and landing on famed madam Heidi Fleiss’ client list.

He quickly turned it around, eventually playing a caricature of himself on the ABC sit-com Spin City, replacing Michael J. Fox. Sheen won rave reviews for his TV series debut, and when Spin City folded in 2002 (Sheen played Charlie Crawford and garnered a Golden Globe for his efforts), a new series was written with him in mind: CBS’s hit show Two and a Half Men.

His popularity renewed and his comedy chops bona fide, this is the perfect time for Charlie to return to one the film franchise that helped him make his mark.

My pitch, pun intended:

Major League IV

Retired flame thrower Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn is tapped to coach the United States team in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He quickly discovers that he’s more of a figurehead than a real coach, as his all-star, high-priced, celebrity seeking line-up does only what they want, when they want, and care only about not getting hurt and shoring up their off-season deals.

Repulsed by this turn of events, and cajoled during a one-night bender with former teammate Jake Taylor, Vaughn sends his lineup packing. Faced with one-week to put together another team – and threatened with legal action and a life-time ban by the Commissioner of Baseball – Vaughn convinces Taylor to help him recruit whoever they can, wherever they can.

The reformed team includes members of Indians teams past (Willie “Mays” Hayes, Pedro Cerrano) and new recruits from the far reaches of the country. Ragtag as they come, they’ll have to get behind Vaughn and Taylor, overcome their wacky differences, if they hope to beat the World at America’s pastime.

Ghostbusters Reboot!

Not a couple weeks after posting my first (and, right now, only) “Here’s The Pitch,” Sony has announced that it’s “rebooting” Ghostbusters.

Fantastic news!

Of course, I’m going to guess that new scribes Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg (writer/producers on NBC’s The Office) won’t be following my outline. That’s just a guess.

Their Ghostbusters will feature a whole new cast, but there is word that a number of the original cast members may be involved. This could mean that an iteration of my outline might come to fruition – namely that a couple of folks (my guess is Akroyd and Ramis) will be on hand to pass the torch.

Akroyd – or more appropriately his character, Ray Stantz – is the best choice, in terms of story, to be a supporting character. Stantz is the heart of the Ghostbusters, and Akroyd’s genial smile and pat on the back will give the new ’Busters the appropriate blessing. I could even see Akroyd remaining a focal point, as the new team’s wise leader who tinkers and teaches back at Ghostbusters HQ.

And I could see room for all of the regular cast members to make an appearance. Even Bill Murray would make a cameo, I have to assume.

So who should make up the new fab four? I’m sticking with Tina Fey in the Bill Murray/Peter Venkman role. And I’d love to see her paired with Amy Poehler.

With the scribes ties to The Office, I could see John Krasinski as Oscar Venkman, the adopted son of Peter Venkman and the biological son of Sigourney Weaver’s Dana Barrett. Krasinski plays Jim on the NBC sit-com. And then there’s Rainn Wilson (Dwight Shrute on The Office). He could easily play either the mad scientist type or the crazed survivalist. Or a combination of the two.

Wow, this is exciting news!

Now that I’m almost done with my Breakfast Club 2 pitch, maybe we’ll get an announcement of that new film.

Here’s the (Movie) Pitch: Ghostbusters III

Twenty years after last seeing our Ghostbusters in action, much has changed. The business has been franchised and our quartet runs the company as hands-off executives. The New York branch is still located in our familiar firehouse HQ, but it’s been renovated to reflect the Ghostbusters success – and GB headquarters is now comprised of steel gray offices in a high-rise downtown.

That’s were we catch up with PETER VENKMAN, haranguing the GB’s board of directors before retiring to his corner office. Pete’s a bit older, a bit wiser, but he still promotes that laissez faire attitude. JANINE MELNITZ is still his admin, and she’s still giving him a hard time. RAY STANTZ spends his days bouncing around from branch to branch, longing to be out in the field. EGON SPENGLER runs the Ghostbusters’ research and development arm, and WINSTON ZEDDEMORE is in charge of recruitment and training.
OSCAR, the baby from Ghostbusters II, as you’ll recall, and DANA BARRETT’s son from another marriage, is now Pete’s adopted son – Pete has married Dana – and much of our story revolves around Oscar, Pete and Pete’s father, RON. Ron, by the way, has been dead for 15 years.

We first meet the spectral Ron in the film’s teaser, when he interrupts OSCAR’s date aboard the U.S.S. Constitution in Boston. Ron’s all business – dead business – and conjures up a crew of dead businessmen ghosts to pilot the U.S.S. Constitution to New York, where he demands to see Pete. He has important news –New York is in trouble, once more, as JACOB MARLEY – Yes, that Jacob Marley – has gathered a supernatural force to take over one of the world’s biggest financial institutions, MarchKodiak – and turn it into a soul bank, granting a person’s wildest dreams in exchange for their soul.

Jacob – a demonic version of the Charles Dickens character – succeeds, by the way, and everyone in New York soon lines up at their local MarchKodiak branch to trade their soul for all manner of worldly possessions. For awhile it doesn’t seem half bad, as the wild imaginings of New Yorkers makes living in Manhattan interesting – more interesting than usual.

It makes work for the Ghostbusters all the more hectic, too, as these Wild Dreams grow more wild – and uncontrollable – by the day. Our newest New York Ghostbusters, led by a female GB who looks a lot like TINA FEY need help – and when you need help, who you gonna call? Ray is happy to strap on the proton pack and get back in the game. And to see how the supped-up Ectomobile V takes to the road.

After a few calls, however, Fey and Stantz aren’t getting along. Fey wants to lead her way, and Stantz has his own thoughts about each situation. Fed up, Fey sidelines him and takes her novice team out into the field, leaving Stantz alone in the old HQ without him. Defeated, Ray turns in his resignation to Egon and retires to his small book store downtown.

Meanwhile, Pete finds himself caught in the middle of a stressful situation, as his dead father demands fast action against Marley – his Financial Raiders aboard the Constitution will take matters into their own hands if Pete won’t act – and Oscar sides with his grandfather – if only because his would-be girlfriend is egging him on. Pete tells him he’s done with that – that’s what he’s got people for. He’s a General and they’re the soldiers. And he mostly wants to be left alone.

Eventually, Ron and Oscar sail off aboard the now flying Constitution, leaving Pete behind in his high rise office building.

Things take a turn for the worse when Marley sends out his COLLECTORS – ghastly humanoids who have come to collect payment. Each man and woman whose soul is collected becomes a zombie – set to work in the labyrinth offices of MarchKodiak. And once that happens, New Yorkers’ Wildest Dreams are freed – and turn vicious and mean. It’s a Godzilla-like free-for-all like nothing we’ve ever seen all across the five boroughs.

The Ghostbusters can’t keep up. There’s no way. And during a rather nasty call, Fey’s entire team is swallowed by a rampaging monster. She staggers along the city streets, not sure what to do or where to go.

When she happens to land at the doorstep of Stantz’s book store. Ray finds her, saves her, and discovers what has happened. Immediately, Ray’s on the phone.

All our old pals are gathered in Pete’s corner office. They watch New York fall apart from the huge window. While Ray, Winston, Egon and Fey make plans, Pete’s figured out what it is he has to do. “This cat’s a business man, right? He just wants to be negotiated with.” And with that, Pete heads into the city streets. In a commanding voice, Pete tells his friends to “get out there and kick some ghost ass.”

Ray’s gathered Ego and Winston together and they’ve pulled the old Ecto 1 out of moth balls. Strapping on all their old gear – a little tighter these days – they pile in the car, Fey along with them. Out they go to do battle.

They encounter the giant beast munching on trees in Central Park, and engage in a fight with it. They’re aided by a flying Constitution, which attacks from above. It seems as though they’re about to lose the fight, when the battle takes a turn, and soon they have the beast on the ground, defeated.

Stantz mentions that its incredible luck that they were able to do that. Almost too incredible. It’s Oscar who figures out what must have happened.

And we cut to Pete, signing a deal with Marley, his soul in exchange for his Wildest Dream. As soon as he signs the deal, Marley sics a Collector on him. But before he can collect, Pete asks him why he isn’t interested in what his Wildest Dream is.

A bit of verbal sparring commences, until Pete explains that his Wildest Dream is the success of his friends and family. Marley finds that pitiful, as it doesn’t gain him anything – not even the simplest form of human pleasure, which so many of his customers were happy to trade.

Pete disagrees. And as he does so, both the Ecto 1 and the Constitution crash into the MarchKodiak office building. Proton packs flying and proton wands firing, the group advances on Marley’s position.

Marley reveals his true demon self, and an even greater battle commences. It takes the combined effort of all three Venkman men to finally vanquish him, and return New York to normal.

Totally spent, the Ghostbusters admit they’re “getting too old for this.” And then Oscar admits that he’s just getting started. Fey asks him if he’d like to join her team.

And with that, the torch is passed.

Why haven’t they made Ghostbusters III?

Here’s why. Apparently no one can agree to do it. Fits and starts is probably the best way to describe all the conversation regarding this on-again, off-again project. Do a quick Google search and you’ll discover a couple pages of quotes from Dan Akroyd announcing pre-production on the alleged to-be-shot-in-CGI Ghostbusters III: Hellbent – with all the principals attached – to suggestions that the film may never get made. Akroyd is one of the co-creators of Ghostbusters and played heart-of-gold Ghostbuster Ray Stantz.

But there’s no reason NOT to make it. I mean, c’mon, the original made more than $230 million in the U.S. and $50 million overseas – in 1984! That’s got to be, like, $4 bazillion dollars today. And its 1989 sequel had the biggest three-day opening weekend in history (it lasted all of a week, before Tim Burton’s Batman clobbered that record).

Of course one might regard the soon-to-be-released Ghostbusters: The Video Game as a kind of sequel in absentia, but folks, you know it can’t hold a candle – or a proton wand – to a box of popcorn, a soda, and watching the dry wit of Bill Murray unspool onscreen.

No, this is a movie that has to be made.

Akroyd’s take, of which we’ve only heard bits and pieces, finds three of our four Ghostbusters – Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler and Winston Zeddemore – doing battle with demons from Man‘hell’ton, a kind of demon-plagued, interdimensional, parallel world, accessible to the Ghostbusters via a kind of traversable wormhole. Peter Venkman makes a cameo at the end, and there’s a slew of new, young Ghostbusters poised to take the reins.

Sounds visually wonderful. But where’s the story? (Okay, I haven’t read the script, so it might have a kick-a story – but I’m just not sure about that.) IGN trashed the script, saying it was all jargon and no jokes, and lacked substantial characterization.

At its heart, Ghostbusters is a character-driven comedy with special effects thrown in for good measure. The original works because its more Animal House than Poltergeist – but it combines those elements perfectly.

My Ghostbusters III would slough off the cartoonish colors and comedy of Ghostbusters II and recapture the New York grittiness and acerbic wit of the first. It would steer clear of walking Lady Liberties and emotional slime in favor of spooky ghosts and screwball comedy.

It would be transitional, because if the franchise is to survive, it needs freshened up a bit. Just look at James Bond. We’re on our, what, 80th iteration? And the films still rock.

And for god’s sake, man, it wouldn’t be shot in CGI.

If you’re interested in what I might do, check this out. But I’d be interested in what you’d do, too.

UPDATE: There’s supposed to be “big” news coming out of San Diego’s Comic-Con 2008. Could it be Ghostbusters III?

Obligatory Introductory Post: The Sequel

If you’re looking for the original Obligatory Introductory Post (as suggested by the title above), let me save you the trouble. There isn’t one.
Which begs the question: Should there be?

And with that, therein rests the question that stands as the foundation of this spankin’ brand new entertainment blog: Should there be?

For example, should there be another Ghostbusters movie? Should there be a movie version of Alan Dean Foster’s Spellsinger series. Maybe there are other people out there that’d like to find out what happened to those crazy kids from The Breakfast Club or a feature length Dr. Shrinker film.

And maybe my imagination is the fertile ground from which this veritable garden of bright ideas springs forth, grows into and overtakes the great land of Hollywood where … where …

… Well, you get the idea.

As often as possible, I hope to populate this site with posts that begin with a statement: “Why haven’t they made a movie out of …” or “They oughta make make a movie out of …” or “Maybe there should be a film about …”

Then I’ll follow it up with reasons why they haven’t – or are planning to.

Finally, the best part. I’ll end with my idea – my pitch – on how best to do just that.

And, if it turns out one of these projects (whether my idea or not – and about 99.9 percent of the time, you can rest assured I had NO influence whatsoever) gets greenlit, we’ll follow it with news and speculation – and surely tell them what they’re doing wrong. Because we know everything, right?

So why do this?

Well, for fun, first of all. It’s a great conversation starter and, as movie lovers, something we all do from time to time.

Second, because I know remakes (or “reimaginings”) can be done well. You’ve seen it happen. Battlestar Galactica is a great, recent example. And how’s about the incredible ratings the new Knight Rider received, launching that new series? Or George Clooney’s Ocean’s 11 and its sequels? And the yet to be released JJ Abrams’ Star Trek. Or Get Smart?

It can be done and there are a number of old TV shows, movies, books and comics that are ripe for rediscovery. And I want to rediscover them.

What’s the take home?

If the stars align and the heavens are generous, maybe a producer who’s holding the rights to one of these properties is inspired to move ahead with his or her project.

And if the stars offer free rounds to everyone in the bar and the heavens rain pieces of eight on my tiny little three-bedroom home, maybe someone who owns one of these properties will like my idea oh so very much that they’ll contact me and purchase said pitch.

At the very least, maybe I’ll entertain you, inspire conversation and even gain a little audience to call my own.

So, without further adieu …