Connect with us

Editorials

The 15 Best Halloween TV Specials!

Published

on

With the spookiest season of the year right around the corner, we look at some of the best times Halloween invaded TV
in spite of it ultimately coming down to marketing and advertising dollars in the end, I still like it when television shows indulge in holidays. Shows like Friends could even help make a name for themselves by tapping into the perfect holiday and making it a yearly tradition. Christmas specials have been a long-standing tradition and no doubt see the most attention, but Halloween has done a respectable job at getting up there and becoming a nearly as popular staple for TV to give in to. With Halloween’s arrival this year being imminent, we thought we would dig into some of the best Halloween episodes of television! Here’s your new binge list!


Psychoville
“Halloween Special”

+++ PUBLICATION OF THIS IMAGE IS STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNTIL 00.01 HOURS TUESDAY OCTOBER 26TH, 2010++ BBC Picture shows: EILEEN ATKINS as Kenchington and STEVE PEMBERTON as David TX: BBC TWO TBA WARNING: Use of this copyright image is subject to the terms of use of BBC Pictures' BBC Digital Picture Service. In particular, this image may only be published in print for editorial use during the publicity period (the weeks immediately leading up to and including the transmission week of the relevant programme or event and three review weeks following) for the purpose of publicising the programme, person or service pictured and provided the BBC and the copyright holder in the caption are credited. Any use of this image on the internet and other online communication services will require a separate prior agreement with BBC Pictures. For any other purpose whatsoever, including advertising and commercial prior written approval from the copyright holder will be required.

This British acid trip might not be on your radar, but it’s the show that I think of when it comes to Halloween and it’s produced the prototypical Halloween special as far as I’m concerned. The main reason this episode (which is brilliantly a collection of short stories, while also a hugely canonical installment that bridges the show’s first and second seasons) resonates so much is because show creators, Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, are tremendous horror junkies. Their show to begin with is a huge love letter to the genre and so while most British series turn out an Xmas special there’s a certain poetic justice that instead Psychoville would turn out a Halloween one. Christmas means nothing to them. All Hallow’s Eve is their holy day. Messed up stories that include ruminations on The Ring, An American Werewolf in London, and The Eye fill the episode, while simultaneously accumulating a rather large (lasting) body count for a comedy series. Seek out this show and this special and add some flavor to your holiday!


The Simpsons
“Treehouse of Horror V and XIV”

simpsonstreehouseofhorror
The Simpsons is a no brainer here. The show loves Halloween so thoroughly that they’ve made their “Treehouse of Horror” segments a yearly fixture in the show for 28 seasons (that’s a total of 84 segments total, for those doing the ghoulish math). Due to the sheer wealth here, and certain Treehouse of Horrors from the show’s golden years seem like the obvious answer, I’ve included both an entry from the show’s early years as well as from its later half (and if ya’ don’t like it you can take it up with Halloween List Court). “Treehouse of Horror V” is pretty flawless Simpsons. The three segments, “The Shinning”, “Time and Punishment”, and “Nightmare Cafeteria,” are all efficient missiles of comedy. “Time and Punishment” is such a tight, wonderful entry and “The Shinning” is as strong as parody gets.

Then, from season 15, “Treehouse of Horror XIV” has a surprising amount of merits to it for later Simpsons. Here, the stories, “Reaper Madness”, “Frinkenstein” and, “Stop the World, I Want to Goof Off,” all hit different heights of humor. Homer as the Grim Reaper has a lot of value to it (as does him recalling his stint as Death in another segment). “Frinkenstein” brilliantly casts Jerry Lewis as Professor Frink’s father, and the latter is just fun, frantic visual gags.


Curb Your Enthusiasm
“Trick or Treat”

curbyourenthusiasmtrickortreat
“Trick or Treat” is a strong example of early Curb Your Enthusiasm that operates on all cylinders and comes together in sublime fashion. Unsurprisingly Larry fails to give some costumeless Halloweeners any candy, and he finds his house ending up the recipient of some vandalism. In perfect Larry David-like fashion, he breaks down the phrase “trick or treat” to an extreme degree and trying to use it as means to get these kids thrown away. Plus, there’s the glorious analysis as to whether “Bald Asshole” qualifies as a hate crime or not, and what sort of rights bald people actually have. As one might suspect from Curb, there’s plenty of other disparate plot lines bumping around in this episode involving things like an anniversary, a cobb salad, and Wagner music, but it’s Larry’s battle with the vandals that’s the element that revolves around Halloween.


Happy Endings
“Spooky Endings”

happyendingsspookyendings
Most people have clued in towards the brilliance of Happy Endings at this point (although perhaps a little too late for the show’s own good), but at the least you can honor the show during the Halloween season with a tremendously funny episode from its too-short run. The majority of the gang ends up at a warehouse Halloween party where everyone’s biggest concerns are their costumes, which have failed to make an impression yet. Getting an episode that’s mostly all about the stress and disappointment of costuming on Halloween is a great idea and one that’s far too relatable. Plus. Dave as Austin Powers. The episode relegates Brad and Jane to spend Halloween in the suburbs and their solitary storyline over there does not disappoint either. Renegade trick-or-treaters and costumes gone awry is what Halloween is all about.


It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
“Who Got Sweet Dee Pregnant?”

alwayssunnywhogotdeepregnant
There was a bit of a bombshell when it was announced that Kaitlin Olson got pregnant and that her pregnancy would even be incorporated into Dee’s character on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. While adding a baby to a series is fair cause for alarm (especially on a show like this), “Who Got Sweet Dee Pregnant?” happens to turn out to be one of the series’ weirdest, funniest episodes, and a lot of that good will comes from the fact that the gang mashes all of this up with Halloween. This episode juxtaposes the entertaining scares of the holiday with the very real scare that one of the gang is allegedly the father of Dee’s baby. Accordingly, everyone accounts their hazy, boozy Halloween night with the hopes of getting to the bottom of this awfulness. Plus, this episode also has some of the most broad, out there jokes in the entirety of It’s Always Sunny. There’s an unbelievable running joke in the episode where Dee is increasingly depicted as a giant bird during the stories, and it’s so damn weird and good. Also, Mac as Aragorn. So yeah.


Parks and Recreation
“Greg Pikitis”

parksandrecgregpikitis

One of the first true classics from out of Parks and Recreation’s oeuvre. “Greg Pikitis” sees a determined Leslie using the brunt of her resources to take down the vandal that’s making working in the Parks Department so difficult lately. Parks and Rec is so good when the story is Leslie versus someone and “Greg Pikitis” is a great example of everyone getting collectively outsmarted and banding together to take someone down. The episode is incredibly solid when it comes to characterization and dialogue with Halloween being a particularly good look for the show. The only shame here is that Pikitis wasn’t made a yearly threat and a continual foe for Leslie to thwart, like Brooklyn Nine-Nine would do.


Cheers 
“Bar Wars V: The Final Judgment”

cheersbarwars

And speaking of traditions, Cheers does some wonderful work with its many “Bar Wars” episodes, all of which are fantastic occurrences, but “Bar Wars V: The Final Judgment” is particularly wonderful. It works so well due to just how far it goes, its incorporation of an “actual” corpse, and that it also happens to be the favorite “Bar Wars” episode of Ken Levine, the co-writer of these yearly installments. This is the best sort of episode where you’re guessing the whole time if a prank is going on or not and when the other shoe is finally going to drop. “Bar Wars V” sets Sam against the rest of the Cheers crew as he is the lone person that believes that their rival, Gary, is not actually dead and really just pulling off the most elaborate “Bar Wars” prank of all time. It’s so, so good to see how unbelieving Sam is and if all of this is actually going to pull the rug out from under you or not. The episode juggles between outlandish prank and Sam simultaneously going through the stages of grief as he tries to process this loss he’s experienced. It’s surprisingly deep, with the ending also being just perfect, perfect comedy that I won’t dare spoil for you.


Community
“Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps”

communityhorrorfiction

Community is exactly the sort of wonderfully inventive show that treats Halloween with respect. This is a show that turns out a flawless claymation or musical installment for Christmas and then will do a Hearts of Darkness homage for absolutely no reason at all. Everyone goes on about Community’s Halloween zombie episode, but let me argue that “Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps” is the stronger episode. “Horror Fiction” not only has a super self-aware script by series creator Dan Harmon himself that captures the spirit of telling scary stories around the campfire. Somehow Harmon crams seven complete, hilarious stories into this episode and it’s just a feat in storytelling.


Boys Meets World
“And Then There Was Shawn”

boymeeetsworldandthentherewasshawn

So for some reason Boy Meets World decides to do a slasher/Agatha Christie parody and it’s maybe their greatest episode of all time. They even go as far as casting a ’90s Jennifer Love Hewitt in the final girl role. Rather brilliantly, the episode uses this stylistic swap as a means of commenting upon what’s going on with Shawn, his new relationship, and Cory. This “mental break” that’s being experienced makes total sense in the context, but it’s just so much fun to see tropes like power outages, lightning, and dramatic music stings all perfectly landing. This might not even be a Halloween episode per se, but it’s got a high body count and endless love for the slasher genre. It’s worth mentioning that Boy Meets World would also do an homage to Psycho in “The Psychotic Episode,” which is also a ton of fun, but this one just does it all better. Someone needs to get Girl Meets World to start doing spiritual sequels to these scary episodes, stat.


Brooklyn Nine-Nine
“Halloween Trilogy”

brooklynnineninehalloween

If there is any modern contemporary to Cheers’ annual “Bar Wars” challenges, it’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s charming “Greatest Detective/Genius” recurring contest. These episodes have pitted Peralta against Holt (and increasingly more of the 99) in an extreme measuring of skills that uses the frivolity and erratic nature of Halloween to its advantage. The series just did their fourth installment of this and it doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of slowing down. With different flairs and aspects being present in each year’s competition, things also stay fresh without this feeling derivative each time. If anything it’s exciting.


Frasier
“Room Full of Heroes”

frasierroomfullofheroes

Frasier is the sort of high brow show that can spend an entire episode on wine tasting, the opera, or charting the lineage of some Russian family tree, but it’s a show that’s also capable of delighting in such silly frivolity, with “Room Full of Heroes” very comfortably falling into the category of the latter. The episode in question sees Frasier throwing one of his trademark parties, with this one having the Halloween-related caveat that everyone most come adorned in the costume of their hero. This results in some fantastic costume decisions, including Roz as Wonder Woman, Frasier as Sigmund Freud (not Fidel Castro), Martin as Joe DiMaggio, Daphne as Elton John, and Niles, brilliantly dressing as Martin. It’s endless fun to just watch this crew play as their personae for an episode, but the real gem here is in the double dose of Martin that we get. Watching Niles perfectly imitate Martin, creating an echo effect in the room is fantastic, and the feud and jealousy that it starts between Frasier and Niles is trademark Frasier material. This Halloween installment has a lot of fun, but it’s also not afraid to pack some personal issues and get emotional for a minute.


South Park
“A Nightmare on Facetime”

southparkblockbuster

South Park has done a number of great Halloween episodes, and this technically isn’t one of them, but I felt like getting a little crazy here and this episode is an inspired Shining homage, so let’s give it a break. Randy comes into possession of a Blockbuster location on its last legs and impulsively moves his family in with the most optimistic of expectations. It’s so, so funny to see this dead chain sucking out Randy’s soul, making him go crazy while also faithfully riffing on the beats of the classic film. This idea sneaks up on you and don’t realize how solid a concept it is until it’s deep in the thick of it all. Besides, when is a Randy episode of South Park ever a bad thing?


Millennium
“The Curse of Frank Black”

millenniumcurseoffrankblack

Millennium came onto the scene with great potential, acting as a second more extreme, religious-based series for Chris Carter while The X-Files was operating at peak popularity. While Carter’s dour series failed to catch on and underwent multiple facelifts, it’s agreed by many fans that the series’ Halloween episode, “The Curse of Frank Black” is one of the show’s very best entries. “The Curse of Frank Black” is watchable even if you’ve never seen an episode of the show before. It almost feels like a haunted, mostly silent short film that just happens to feature Frank Black in it. The episode largely sees a stoic Frank wandering the streets on Halloween and taking in his life and what’s become of it (not to mention how he’s viewed by others). It might not be the most exciting Millennium episode and it doesn’t throw a bunch of demons or serial killers at you, but it’s a tragic tone piece that highlights how strong of an actor Lance Henriksen is.


King of the Hill
“Hilloween”

kingofthehillhilloween

The marvelously dry King of the Hill with Hank disapproving (“The boy ain’t right”) and raining on his parade. So when that cross section of interests intersects with Halloween, things get particularly interesting. The episode manages to open a pretty engaging, thought provoking conversation on the Pagan aspects of the holiday and what’s the “right” behavior for this spooky holiday. Plus, what’s more inspiring than Hank and friends proudly marching through the streets chanting “Trick or treat!” as if it’s some protest chant?


Tales From the Darkside
“Halloween Candy”

talesfromthedarksidehalloweencandy

Tales From the Darkside might not feature as many classics as Tales From the Crypt, but that doesn’t mean that the anthology series is without its merits. “Halloween Candy” is a disturbing entry that’s directed by Tom Savini and widely considered to be one of Darkside’s best and scariest episodes (including the George A. Romero scripted pilot, “Trick or Treat”). The story looks at a terribly bitter old man, Michael Killup, who doesn’t want to give candy out to self-entitled children, with his grown son even trying to cover for him. Killup’s aversion to children is kind of insane. He just doesn’t want to give them candy. As thin as a character trait as that makes, it still works. Moments like where he’s dishing out “goblin candy” to kids highlights just how much of a callous asshole the man is. We’re literally given no reason to want to root for him. You want to see him get his just desserts. It’s all beautifully constructed.

After Killup has sufficiently broken the dreams of the neighborhood children, a troll inconspicuously joins the scene and Savini’s work with it is great, terrifying stuff. Savini chooses to show the troll through quick flashes and clever angles to make him even scarier. There’s a great sense of dread building through all of this as Killup gets victimized. The in essential doorbell becomes an increasingly terrifying sound. The phrase “Trick or treat” likewise becomes downright menacing by the end of the episode.  There is also plenty of horror here stemming beyond the troll, like in a set piece involving a crawling bag that ends up being full of bugs. It’s a fantastic visual. Later on when even Killup’s eggs explode with cockroaches, it’s even more effective. There’s also an added time loss aspect to things where it seems like this Halloween nightmare is never going to end and that this man is trapped in purgatory. And talk about creepy endings!

Lists by design have to leave things out, so tell us what the glaring omissions are here in your opinion. Maybe you’re a fan of How I Met Your Mother’s “Slutty Pumpkin” outing. Does NewsRadio’s Halloween installment need to be on here? Or do you consider ALF’s “Some Enchanted Evening” mandatory Halloween viewing? Sound off and trick or treat!

Daniel Kurland is a freelance writer, comedian, and critic, whose work can be read on Splitsider, Bloody Disgusting, Den of Geek, ScreenRant, and across the Internet. Daniel knows that "Psycho II" is better than the original and that the last season of "The X-Files" doesn't deserve the bile that it conjures. If you want a drink thrown in your face, talk to him about "Silent Night, Deadly Night Part II," but he'll always happily talk about the "Puppet Master" franchise. The owls are not what they seem.

Editorials

The 10 Scariest Moments in the ‘Ghostbusters’ Movie Franchise

Published

on

scariest Ghostbusters

WARNING: The following contains mild spoilers for the Ghostbusters franchise. 

Yes, Ghostbusters is a horror movie – gateway horror to be exact. Setting aside the fact that the title literally contains the word “ghost,” a foundational element of the scariest genre, the franchise follows a group of paranormal researchers who battle entities attacking from beyond the grave. After countless rewatches, the classic films and newer sequels may not scare us much anymore, but how many times have we as genre fans asserted that a film does not have to be “scary” to be considered horror?

Genre classification is nebulous and any film that centers on ghosts has a place in the sprawling house of horror. Yes, it’s true that most viewers over the age of thirteen will find more to laugh about than scream while watching a Ghostbusters film, but each entry contains a handful of terrifying moments. With Gil Kenan’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire uniting three generations of the parascientific warriors, perhaps it’s time to highlight the most frightening moments from each phase of this legendary franchise. 


Ghostbusters (1984)

A Haunted Library

scariest Ghostbusters movie

Ivan Reitman’s original film begins with a campfire tale come to life. We follow an unsuspecting librarian as she ventures deep into the stacks to reshelve a book. With her hair blowing from a spectral breeze, we watch a hardcover float across the aisle to the opposite shelf. A second book follows, but the librarian remains unaware. She finally notices the disturbance when card catalog drawers open on their own spewing cards into the air like literary geysers. She flees through the maze of narrow stacks only to come face to face with a mysterious force who blows her back with a powerful roar. We won’t see the Library Ghost (Ruth Oliver) until a later scene, but this introduction firmly positions the film that follows in the world of horror. On first watch, we can only speculate as to the ghost’s malevolence and whether or not the librarian has survived the encounter. It’s the perfect introduction to a world in which ghosts are not only real, they will pounce on unsuspecting humans at the drop of a … book. 

Shaky Ground

The original finale may not be the film’s most terrifying moment, but it has become the franchise’s most iconic image. When faced with choosing a form for Gozer (Slavitza Jovan), Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) inadvertently conjures up an image from his childhood. Moments later, a set of once-cheery eyes peer through the skyscrapers. The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man towers over the city, stomping and destroying everything in its path. While there’s definitely something terrifying about a jovial mascot turned deadly killer, what happens moments before is arguably scarier. 

The Ghostbusters arrive at the luxury apartment building to throngs of adoring fans. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) plays into this hero-worship and promises an easy solution to a supernatural problem. But before they can enter the building, lightning strikes the upper floors sending massive chunks of brick and cement raining down on the barricaded street. The ground begins to shake and a giant fissure swallows the entire team. It’s a destabilizing moment made all the more terrifying by its shocking reality. Speculation about the existence of ghosts may vary from person to person, but there’s no doubt that sinkholes are very real. It’s entirely possible that the ground we’re standing on right now could spontaneously begin to crumble, sucking us down into a seemingly bottomless void beneath the earth. 


Ghostbusters II (1989)

Runaway Baby

Ivan Reitman’s sequel begins with a sly update on the life of a beloved character as Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) pushes a baby carriage containing her infant son Oscar (Henry and William Deutschendorf). When last we saw the attractive cellist, she was kissing Venkman in the wreckage of Gozer’s demise and the thought of this loveable lady’s man becoming a father may be more nerve-wracking than anything contained in the first film. We never learn much about Oscar’s real father, but we do discover that fate has a sinister plan for the adorable child. While Dana chats with her landlord, Oscar’s carriage rolls a few feet away. Dana reaches for the handle, but the buggy begins speeding down the sidewalk careening through the busy crowds. As if guided by unseen hands, the carriage twists and turns, then abruptly swerves into oncoming traffic. Cars honk and veer out of the way, but the racing carriage marks a collision course with an approaching bus. The wheels screech to a halt moments before what would surely be a deadly crash and Dana rushes to embrace her vulnerable child. This harrowing scene is likely to terrorize any parent who’s experienced the fear of trying to protect a baby in an unpredictable world.  

Sewer Screams

scariest Ghostbusters scene

While investigating the second film’s primary villain, Vigo the Carpathian (Wilhelm von Homburg), three of the Ghostbusters venture into the sewers hoping to find a growing river of slime. Ray, Winston (Ernie Hudson), and Egon (Harold Ramis) trek down an abandoned subway line while speculating about the hordes of cockroaches and rats they hear scurrying behind the walls. These vermin may be scary, but there are more malevolent monsters lurking in the dark. Ray and Egon both amuse themselves with the tunnel’s echo but Winston’s “hello” goes unanswered. Moments later, a demonic voice bellows his name from the dark end of the corridor. Waiting behind him is a severed head floating in the empty tunnel. As he tries to retreat, the team finds themselves surrounded by dozens of ghoulish heads that disappear faster than they materialized. Moments later, a ghostly train hurtles towards them, swallowing Winston in its spectral glow. Egon theorizes that something is trying to keep them from reaching their destination with effective scares designed to frighten the Ghostbusters and audience alike.  


Ghostbusters (2016)

Haunted Basement

Like its predecessor, Paul Feig’s remake opens with a spooky vignette. Garrett (Zach Woods) gives a tour of the Aldridge Mansion, a 19th century manor preserved in the middle of the busy city, and walks visitors through a troubling history of excess and cruelty. Hoping to inject a bit of excitement, he pauses near the basement door and tells the horrifying story of Gertrude Aldridge (Bess Rous), a wealthy heiress who murdered the house’s many servants. Hoping to avoid a public scandal, her family locked her in the basement and her restless spirit can still be heard trying to escape. Garrett triggers a trick candlestick to fly off the shelf, hinting at the spirit’s presence, but a late night incident shows that the deceased murderess may actually be lurking in her ancestral home. While closing up for the night, Garrett hears ominous noises from behind the barricaded door and watches the knob rattle against the heavy locks. An unseen attacker hurls him through the house and eventually drives him down the basement stairs to a sea of green slime pooling on the floor. The stairs crumble leaving the tour guide hanging on to the door frame for dear life as a spectral figure glides toward him with menacing hands outstretched. Once again, we won’t see the fully revealed ghost of Gertrude Aldridge until later in the film, but this terrifying opening sets the stage for a dangerous showdown with an army of the dead.

Mannequin On the Move

The scariest moment of the 2016 remake is arguably the vicious online hatred sparked well before the film’s release. In response to brutal comments posted to the first official trailer, the cast returned to film an additional scene in which they react to dehumanizing negativity. But another sequence may cut closer to the heart of this upsetting experience. The Ghostbusters respond to a call at a concert venue and split up to cover more ground. Patty (Leslie Jones) enters what she calls a “room full of nightmares” and immediately reverses course to avoid a multitude of mannequins stacked haphazardly in the dark. As she walks out the door, one of the faceless creatures turns its head her way. Walking on its own, this sentient prop follows her down the hall, pausing the moment she turns around. Eventually breaking cover, the mannequin chases Patty down the hall to the rest of the team. They unleash their proton packs and make quick work of the gargoyle-like ghost. Though this connection is surely unintentional, it’s a terrifying parallel to a faceless monster sneaking up to attack a woman simply trying to do her job. 


Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

Smoke and Monsters

While Ghostbusters: Afterlife is nowhere near as scary as the horror films playing in the local summer school science class, Jason Reitman’s legacyquel does contain its share of frights. The film opens with a harrowing scene as we join Egon (Oliver Cooper) in the last moments of his life. Racing away from a sinister mountain, Egon’s truck collides with an unseen force and flips upside down in a field of corn. The elderly scientist races back to his crumbling farmhouse with a trap in hand, intent on ensnaring this invisible being. Unfortunately, the power fails and Egon has no choice but to hide the trap under the floorboards and wait. He sits in a comfortable old chair as a horrifying cloud of smoke drifts in behind him, momentarily forming the shape of a fanged beast. Demonic hands grab him from within the chair, likely causing the heart attack that will be listed on his death certificate. But his abandoned PKE meter below the chair activates, reminding us that Egon may be deceased, but he is far from gone.  

The Terror Returns

scariest Ghostbusters moments

Ghostbusters: Afterlife turns out to be a touching tribute to Harold Ramis as his friends and family unite to complete the beloved scientist’s heroic mission. In addition to a tearjerker ending, Reitman also includes a bevy of callbacks to the original film. Not only do the Spenglers square off against the team’s first enemy, Gozer (Emma Portner), the nonbinary entity brings back the Terror Dogs that once possessed Dana Barret and Louis Tully (Rick Moranis). These demonic beasts first rear their ugly heads while Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) stops by Walmart to buy a midnight snack. While the horde of mini marshmallow men are eerie in their gleeful self-destruction, the ghostly canine that chases him through the store is the stuff of nightmares. Early iterations of this fearsome creature are hindered by ’80s-era special effects, but Reitman’s version feels frighteningly real. While Gary frantically tries to find his keys, this Terror Dog snarls at him from atop his car dashboard, leaving the endearing science teacher with no way to escape. 


Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

Frozen Dinner 

After a film set in a small mountain town, the opening of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire takes us back to New York circa 1904. We see the fire station in its early years as a horse-drawn carriage responds to a call. Arriving at the scene, a fireman tests the door for heat and watches in horror as his hand instantly freezes. Inside, they find jagged shards of ice surrounding and piercing a frozen dinner party. Guests are posed in various states of ice-covered surprise while an eerie record skips in the corner. A figure covered in brass armor we will come to know as a Fire Master is crouched in the corner clutching a mysterious orb. When the fireman touches this rippling sphere, the frozen diners’ heads begin to explode, an ominous precursor to the chilling threat awaiting the newest Ghostbusting team. 

Lights Out

If Ghostbusters: Afterlife featured the lo-fi gear of the 80s, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire hurls us into the future. Wealthy financier Winston Zeddemore has been surreptitiously building a new containment unit to relieve pressure on the original model along with a secret lab designed to study ghosts and haunted objects. In addition to fancy new gadgets and gear, this facility contains several captured spirits like a fanged Wraith and a speedy Possessor. Lab techs assure the astonished Spengler team that they are perfectly safe, but it seems they’ve overestimated the facility’s security. Lucky (Celeste O’Connor) and Lars (James Acaster) are studying the aforementioned orb when the power goes out, leaving them stranded in the dark with a cache of haunted objects. Not only does the ancient sphere hold a deadly spirit, the proton fields containing the captured ghosts have just been disabled. These terrifying creatures begin to drift through the walls toward the defenseless lab techs, perhaps at the bidding of an evil commander. Thankfully the generator kicks on in the nick of time, drawing the ghosts back into their cells. It’s a tense moment reminding us that no matter how charming the Ghostbusters may be, they still spend their days with evil spirits just waiting for an opportunity to wreak havoc.  


The Ghostbusters franchise excels at mixing humor and fear, practically setting the blueprint for the modern horror comedy. Moments from the original two films terrified a generation of gen-xers and elder millennials and newer iterations are currently scaring their kids. The fifth franchise installment effectively passes the proton pack torch to a new generation of Ghostbusters and we can only hope additional films will continue to induct future generations of Ghostbusters fans into the horror family as well. 

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is now playing in theaters. Read our review.

Continue Reading