Film Review: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (Columbia Pictures/Ghost Corps)

By: Jesse Striewski

I was already aware of some prior negativity being thrown out there regarding the latest fourth entry (we’re not going to include that dreaded 2016 reboot here) in the Ghostbusters franchise, and after catching it on the big screen this past opening weekend, for the life of me I just don’t understand why.

The latest chapter finds the Spengler family (McKenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard, and Carrie Coon) and Grooberson (Paul Rudd) now all fully (and rapidly) established Ghostbusters in New York City via Oklahoma after their encounters in 2021’s Afterlife (I never said there weren’t a few plot holes here). Viewers are instantly thrown into their new chaotic lifestyles, and the adventure quickly begins.

Things seem all-too routine until a random slacker (Kumail Nanjiani) sells a strange orb belonging to his recently deceased grandmother to O.G. Ghostbuster Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) in his occult shop, which just so happens to contain a trapped evil entity capable of being the catalyst to the end of the modern world as we know it.

Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, and Annie Potts all return again from the older films, with even William Atherton reprising his role again as Walter Peck from the 1984 original (which admittedly felt a bit on the “forced” side). Blink and you might even miss the brief cameo of John Rothman as the library administrator from the first film as well. New cast members also include Patton Oswalt, Emily Alyn Lynn, and James Acaster (among others). Curiously however Sigourney Weaver does not show up here even after her quick cameo at the end credits of Afterlife.

There’s moments of nostalgia (the nod to Ray Parker, Jr. on a television set in one scene is a nice touch), but it’s never too overly sentimental. It’s far from a “perfect” film, but I honestly felt like that kid again watching Ghostbusters II up on the big screen in the summer of 1989 (back when life was much more simple). For that, I don’t have all that much to say about Frozen Empire that isn’t positive; the “For Ivan” added on at the ending credits for late Director Ivan Reitman also shows a certain touch of class by new Director Gil Kenan for sure.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Album Review: Judas Priest – Invincible Shield (Columbia/Epic)

By: Jesse Striewski

If there was ever any doubt whether or not Judas Priest could still bring it nineteen albums into their career, it’s quickly answered within seconds of spinning their latest record, Invincible Shield, which hits listeners with a dose of metal perfection right from the start that simply never lets up.

I was legitimately caught off guard by the intensity of opening track “Panic Attack,” a ferocity that continues with the likes of “Devil in Disguise,” “As God Is My Witness,” and “Fight of Your Life” (the latter of which one of three bonus songs found on the “deluxe edition” of the album).

But “Crown of Horns” is without a doubt the true standout here, with some of the best guitar work from the band on the album, and probably one of my favorite songs from them overall in years. Aside from the title track and maybe one or two others, there’s really very few weaker moments to even be found here at all though.

I think it’s safe to say my love for Priest has only increased over the years, and Invincible Shield only helps reinforce this. It’s reassuring to know that Rob Halford and company are still capable of releasing such strong material this deep in to their career, a testament to the character of its core members no doubt.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Album Review: Depeche Mode – Memento Mori (Columbia/Mute)

By: Jesse Striewski

It truly speaks volumes for a band with over four decades worth of experience to still be releasing viable music their fans actually want to hear. But on their fifteenth studio outing (and first since 2017’s Spirit), that’s exactly what Depeche Mode have achieved here with Memento Mori.

Lead-off single “Ghosts Again” has the uncanny ability to sound eerily familiar as though one has heard it before. Its black and white video finds core members Dave Gahan and Martin Gore wandering aimlessly through cemeteries or playing chess on rooftops; one view of it and it’s easy to fall in love with the band all over again.

“My Cosmos is Mine” is far from the strongest track to start the album off with, but things pick up quickly, with tracks like “My Favourite Stranger,” “Never Let Me Go,” and “Don’t Say You Love Me” all invoking that old Depeche Mode sound fans have grown to know and love.

I don’t honestly know how they do it, maintaining popularity when so many other bands from their era (such as The Human League or A Flock of Seagulls) have all but fallen by the wayside when it comes to releasing new material. I myself was even a bit skeptical going in, but it’s so blatantly obvious what masters of their crafts they still are after all this time, which I suppose is what makes Depeche Mode so appealing after all these years.

Rating: 4/5 Stars