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James Wan‘s Atomic Monster To Develop Horror Indie Game ‘Pacific Drive’ into TV Series

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Pacific Drive

Ironwood Studios’ supernatural survival title Pacific Drive became a surprise hit upon release earlier this year. Now, Variety reports that James Wan’s Atomic Monster production company has acquired rights to develop Pacific Drive into a TV series.

The game created by Cassandra Dracott is “a retropunk-style driving and survival game set to an experimental electronic music soundtrack that challenges players to escape a surreal and abandoned exclusion zone with their car as their only companion in the dark and chilling world.”

The survival-horror driving sim puts players behind the wheel of a quirky station wagon stranded in a supernaturally-afflicted version of 1990s Cascadia, with players dealing with radioactive storms, sentient dumpsters and other dangerous anomalies.

James Wan and Atomic Monster’s Michael Clear and Rob Hackett will executive produce the TV series adaptation of the project along with Jeff Ludwig of The Menagerie Productions. The series has not been picked up by a streamer or network as of yet, but it’s still early in the development process.

Luis H.C. wrote in his 4-star review of the game, “It’s not just the mechanics that suck you in, however. From the heavily stylized recreation of the Pacific Northwest wilderness to the moody radio that keeps you company as you travel on lonely roads, it’s really easy to engage with this interactive master-class in atmosphere despite the general lack of traditional action.” And, “Of course, it’s often said that the greatest thing a work of art can do is leave you wanting more, and that is certainly the case with Pacific Drive.”

Fresh from being earning a nomination from The Game Awards this year, Pacific Drive most recently released a free Winter update package for fans.

The news comes on the heels of Atomic Monster’s “Teacup” that premiered this Fall, and the production company is already hard at work on “The Munsters” reboot series “1313.”

Stay tuned for additional details on Pacific Drive as they arrive.

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Horror journalist, RT Top Critic, and Critics Choice Association member. Has appeared on PBS series' Monstrum, served on the SXSW Midnighter shorts jury, and moderated horror panels for WonderCon, SeriesFest, and Popcorn Frights Film Fest.

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‘The Real Ghostbusters’: 10 Must-Watch Episodes from the Classic Series Now Streaming

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must-watch "The Real Ghostbusters" Animated Series Appears on Amazon Prime Video!

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 real ghostbusters

“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

ghostbusters

“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

ghostbusters

“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

ghostbusters

“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

ghostbusters

“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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