Editorials
Kalyn Escaped ‘The Bye Bye Man’ and Interviewed Stacy Title, Trevor Macy and Douglas Smith
In the new film, The Bye Bye Man, three friends who rent a house together on the outskirts of their college campus begin to notice strange events occurring after they find an old coin in a nightstand left by the previous owners. At first it seems that the kids are just experiencing the normal grievances that young people sometimes go through, including getting jealous, feeling resentment towards their new roommates, and catching a common cold, but as times goes on, it becomes clear that something sinister is at play, and the causation of their problems may not lie in what is messing with them, but rather, with who. They not supposed to think it, They’re not supposed to say it, but they are only human, and soon, The Bye Bye Man will come for them all.
On Tuesday, January 10th, I was given the opportunity to go one on one with The Bye Bye Man in a multi sensory horror room experience, held in downtown Los Angeles at The Basement Escape Room which was transformed to look and feel just like the movie. Forced to go into a dark room alone, I was then shown the secrets of The Bye Bye Man by a crazed Elliot, who muttered “Don’t think it, don’t say it” to himself over and over as he dragged me around the room and forced me to look at hysterical drawings and footage of a man driven insane by the very same culprit. You can watch me be terrified in the video below.
After the experience was through, and I nearly escaped through my life (the actors all had a good laugh at how hard I barricaded the door as one of the girls tried to pound her way in to my little bathroom of solitude) I sat down with the director of the film, Stacy Title, producer Trevor Macy, and the Eliot himself, star Douglas Smith. In the interview they told me all about who The Bye Bye Man is, including what his powers entail, where he comes from, and how he digs a hole into his his victims’ brains through psychological torment and forces them to do his bidding.
Apparently, producer Trevor Macy was the one who originated the idea of The Bye Bye Man, as he was inspired by a chapter called “Spotted Island” in a horror anthology novel he read titled The President’s Vampire. According to Macy, it wasn’t just the chapter itself that intrigued him, but the message that preceded the chapter, in particular.
“I was so compelled by the warning in front of this chapter which said if you are particularly skittish, or if you are perceptible to ideas that won’t leave your head, don’t read this” remembers Macy. “I loved the idea of a villain and how he acts a beacon, and he comes to you and he’ll just mess with whatever’s already inside your head. That’s all he needs”.
“The Bye Bye Man is a modern and terrifying and disturbing Boogeyman that I hope can join the ranks of some of the others” says director Stacy Title proudly. “The thing is, he’s very different because he works on you on a psychological level. He gets into your head. You learn his name and he’s telepathic and he knows and he comes closer and you can’t stop thinking about him and the more you think about him the closer he gets. He knows what would scare you and he shows that to you, so in a way, your own mind is working against you and you go crazy. He possesses your mind and makes you do terrible things”.
Whenever The Bye Bye Man is near, his presence becomes clear to whomever he is currently tormenting because they hear the sound of a loud booming train heading their way. Although the cacophony of noise is so overwhelming to the person The Bye Bye Man is hunting that they have to hold their hands over their ears to shield themselves from the screeching of the train’s whistle, it is not audible to anyone else around them. According to Title, there’s a strong reason for the inclusion of the train in the Bye Bye Man’s intricate folklore.
“In terms of the origin of The Bye Bye Man, he was basically an orphaned kid that was tortured back in the day. He got put on a train when he was murdered, and that’s why he comes back to you on the train, and he seeks revenge because he was wronged so deeply”.
Although he’s been called the next Candyman, and some have made comparisons to Freddy Krueger and The Babadook, director Title says their villain is different because the only weapon he needs is the person he’s torturing at any given moment.
“He feeds on your psychological pain, he feeds on the things that you do that cause you pain. So he doesn’t have to like stick a knife in you, he doesn’t have to physically torture you, he tortures you because he makes you do things or see things that upset you, specifically” says Title of her special Boogeyman. “If you’re paranoid, you’re going to be paranoid. If you’re an angry person or you have a temper, you’ll go in that direction. He knows that if you’re jealous he’ll make you be more jealous he’s just really really specific”.
“I think we’re different from that in that the way the villain works is different. In a sense, the only weapon the Bye Bye Man needs is you” states producer Macy. “So he’s different from Jason, he’s different from Freddy, he’s different from Michael Myers. He’s gonna come for you and find what the worst possible thing is. If you’re scared of spiders, he ain’t gonna give you snakes”.
“It’s not like a crazy possession or anything, it’s more like a worm that burrows deeper and deeper into your head” explains lead actor Douglas Smith. “I kept thinking of it like if mental illness was contactable. People should be very supportive of friends and relatives who have a mental illness, but what if it was something you could catch? To me that’s the level of the fear. Like imagine if schizophrenia was contagious. Like can you imagine how terrifying that would be?”
Keeper of coins, runner of trains, and insinuator of insanity, The Bye Bye Man is all this and more, and he’s coming for everyone when he hits theaters everywhere this Friday the 13th. Make sure to see the film The Bye Bye Man when it lands on the big screen this weekend, and check out the video below to see my escape room experience with the Boogeyman himself, below.
![Don't Think It, Don't Say It - Finding the Good in 'The Bye Bye Man' [The Silver Lining]](https://i0.wp.com/bloody-disgusting.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Dont-Think-It-Dont-Say-It-Finding-the-Good-in-The-Bye-Bye-Man-The-Silver-Lining.jpg?resize=400%2C240&ssl=1)
![Don't Think It, Don't Say It - Finding the Good in 'The Bye Bye Man' [The Silver Lining]](https://i0.wp.com/bloody-disgusting.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Dont-Think-It-Dont-Say-It-Finding-the-Good-in-The-Bye-Bye-Man-The-Silver-Lining.jpg?resize=80%2C80&ssl=1)
No conversation about cartoons based on live-action movies is ever complete without mentioning The Real Ghostbusters.
This animated continuation is, warts and all, a notable example of turning a hit movie into a hit series. And although the new target demographic skewed a little younger, even kids-at-heart could partake in the further adventures of Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddemore and Egon Spengler.
For a good part of its run, the show required fans to wait at least a week for more Ghostbustin’. That’s torture for a kiddo. Luckily, though, the entire series, or at least most of it, is now available for streaming.
So, as you revisit The Real Ghostbusters on Tubi—for now it’s just the first five seasons there—use this guide to help prioritize some must-see episodes.
The Boogieman Cometh
“The Boogieman Cometh” (Season 1)
Season One’s “The Boogieman Cometh” is a classic episode featuring one of the show’s more iconic villains. It’s hard to forget the unique character design used for the Boogieman (whose creepy voice was provided by Ray and Slimer’s actor, Frank Welker). In this story, Egon is reunited with that bump-in-the-night entity who haunted his own childhood, all while trying to keep him away from his latest targets: the brother and sister claiming to have the Boogieman in their closet. Although the Ghostbusters do save the day here, the Boogieman eventually returns (“The Bogeyman Is Back“). That same episode also features the love-’em-or-hate-’em Junior Ghostbusters.
Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream
“Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream” (Season 1)
You could say the namesake of “Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream” had good intentions for putting mankind to sleep for the next few centuries—he wanted to end war and keep everyone dreaming. Sounds nice until you remember that whole free will business. But when it seems like the Ghostbusters have lost to their latest foe, the last one standing, Winston, gains a sudden ally. Janine’s dream of becoming a Ghostbuster is manifested, and she helps put this rogue spirit to bed.
When Halloween Was Forever
“When Halloween Was Forever” (Season 1)
Before the show’s execs capitalized on Slimer’s popularity by making him the focus of later episodes, early stories like “When Halloween Was Forever” better utilized that gooey ghost. Here, the spirit of Halloween itself, Samhain, hopes to make the holiday a permanent thing by stopping time. And who does the embodiment of All Hallows’ Eve use in his nefarious plot? Slimer, of course. Thankfully, the lil’ green bud knows where he really belongs, and Samhain is banished (at least until Season 3’s “Halloween II 1/2“).
Night Game
“Night Game” (Season 2)
Because Season Two was rather long, in comparison to other seasons, it accumulated quite a few solid episodes. One of the most beloved, though, is that ultimate good-versus-evil story, “Night Game“. Winston gets to shine here as he participates in a battle that was 500 years in the making. Except this time, the fighting is done on the baseball field. The other-dimensional settings in The Real Ghostbusters are always great, but the one here is particularly memorable.
Drool, the Dog-Faced Goblin
“Drool, the Dog-Faced Goblin” (Season 2)
Not all ghosts and whatnot were bad in The Real Ghostbusters. As “Drool, the Dog-Faced Goblin” showed, some were actually benevolent. Sadly, it took a lot of convincing, and one very heroic act, for Peter and the others to see past this goblin’s grotesque appearance. The heroes find more than one shapeshifter at a sideshow carnival in the Poconos; a sinister Class-4er called the Metamorph does a swell job of menacing the Ghostbusters before they finally realize Drool’s not their culprit. The good guys indeed win here, but that victory is a bittersweet one.
The Collect Call of Cathulhu
“The Collect Call of Cathulhu” (Season 2)
While “The Collect Call of Cathulhu” does misspell “Cthulhu” in the title (probably to avoid legal issues), it is clearly the Old One in this Lovecraft-inspired episode. The story kicks off with the Necronomicon being stolen by the deity’s modern-day cult, who then raise their ancient god at Coney Island. From there, the Ghostbusters’ typical methods don’t work on the big guy, so they seek advice from an old issue of Weird Tales (or “Wierd Tales”, as it’s spelled on screen). That build-up to the finale comes with a decent amount of dread before the Ghostbusters, as well as a scholar named Alice, face off with one of the show’s most powerful entities.
Knock, Knock
“Knock, Knock” (Season 2)
A number of Real Ghostbusters episodes could be reworked into big-screen features, but perhaps “Knock, Knock” is the most hopeful. It helps that this story feels in step with the first two movies. Here, some ignorant construction workers accidentally uncover and open an ancient door in the subway. What’s behind said door is none other than those unspeakable evils that only the Ghostbusters can quell. A good deal of the imagery here is prime for adaptation.
The Grundel
“The Grundel” (Season 3)
One of the darker episodes, which was written by the prominent J. Michael Straczynski, is “The Grundel“. Here, a boy is being influenced by the titular entity, a type of ghost who ultimately turns his targets into new Grundels. The episode does have something of an after-school special quality to it, but that doesn’t take away from the eerier moments. For more Grundel lore, be sure to check out the episode “Grundelesque” from the sequel series, Extreme Ghostbusters.
Standing Room Only
“Standing Room Only” (Season 4)
It’s no secret that The Real Ghostbusters experienced multiple changes after the second season. Out of all of them, though, retooling the show so that Slimer would get more of the spotlight is maybe the most egregious. Thankfully, Season Four (the first to be called Slimer! and the Real Ghostbusters) didn’t completely obey that new directive; episodes like “Standing Room Only” felt more like the old days. The focus here was on the well-being of the city and its people, rather than on the series’ green mascot (or the Junior Ghostbusters). In the episode, Peter’s new ghost attractor isn’t to blame for the ensuing chaos; the ghost-eating Mee-Krah is what’s really imperiling everyone. And the Ghostbusters must dish out everything they have to avoid a doomsday situation.
The Halloween Door
“The Halloween Door” (Season 5)
While many fans will skip the later seasons in their rewatches, episodes like “The Halloween Door” are still worth checking out. This colorful helping of Halloween pandemonium premiered on primetime, so the animation is better than usual. And save for a random musical moment, it’s an enjoyable event. Here, a group of anti-Halloweeners tries to cancel the holiday, but they only end up making things worse by unleashing a baddie named Boogaloo.
The first five seasons of The Real Ghostbusters are available on Tubi, starting on July 15.
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