Retrospective: Four Decades of Bustin’ on the Big Screen with ‘Ghostbusters’ By Jesse Striewski

One memory from my ’80s childhood has always stuck with me; I was in the garage hanging out with a friend, in mid-conversation with a copy of a book adaptation of 1984’s Ghostbusters in my hand when, I looked up to find a loose neighborhood dog standing at the end of the driveway, snarling in my direction with all of its fury. Instinctively, I threw said book in its direction prior to bolting for the back door before it had a chance to maim either one of us.

That’s just one of many personal Ghostbusters-related stories I can recall. When originally conceived by series creators Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, I doubt they had in mind a franchise consisting of merchandise that ended up in the hands of just about every kid in the decade it was released (nor do I think envisioned said kids using it to fend off stray dogs as frightening as the two “terror dogs” featured in their own film, though I could be wrong).

Directed by Ivan Reitman, the film follows three New York City-based parapsychologists – Dr. Ray Stantz (Aykroyd), Dr. Egon Spengler (Ramis), and Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray, in a role originally intended for John Belushi before his untimely death) – who go into business together catching ghosts and becoming local heroes in the process.

Once business starts really picking up, they’re able to hire both a receptionist named Janine (Annie Potts), and a fourth member, Winston Zeddmore (Ernie Hudson). And the group is further expanded by a love interest for Venkman, Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) and her quirky neighbor Louis Tully (Rick Moranis). From then on, all the pieces to the puzzle seemingly fit together flawlessly on screen before our eyes.

Released the same day as a another massive ’80s hit, Gremlins, Ghostbusters was a bona fide blockbuster, with each of said films eventually reaching iconic status (ironically, I remember my family getting both movies on VHS at the same time, and still have both copies to this very day – one of which now actually signed by a cast member, which I’ll get to shortly) and becoming required viewing in just about every suburban household at the time.

Not long after the film’s release came the animated series The Real Ghostbusters in 1986, and a media franchise of toys, video games, lunchboxes, and nearly anything else one can think of, was officially spawned. An inevitable sequel, simply titled Ghostbusters II, finally appeared in 1989, and while not always looked back on with fondness, the second entry served as another rite of passage of sorts for me when going to see it in the theater, becoming the first film I ever watched completely independently/solo, thanks to the cinema being so full it was impossible to find more than one seat at a time.

After a number of years laying dormant, the series was finally revived in 2016 with an unfortunate reboot that would’ve been best left on the shelf than actually produced. Thankfully, a “proper” sequel finally appeared in the form of 2021’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife, which saw the continuation of original characters (and many returning cast members) and even their ancestors. Another admirable follow-up, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, haunted theaters as recently as just this past March.

In 2015, my wife Brooke and I were lucky enough to meet Dr. Stantz himself, Dan Aykroyd, where I had him sign that very VHS tape that sat on top of my family’s entertainment center all those years prior (see photo). While a great moment nonetheless, I only wish I had asked all the questions I would later think of after-the-fact (naturally!).

The author (left) with Ghostbusters actor and writer/co-creator Dan Aykroyd in Orlando, FL on 3/21/15 (Photo by Brooke Striewski).

And then of course there’s the coinciding song that no Ghostbusters conversation is truly complete without. Written and recorded by Ray Parker, Jr., the song was released the same time as the film, and its star-studded music video was also directed by Reitman. In 2022, the family and I got our second, firsthand ghost “encounter” when we saw Parker live at Epcot that October, receiving his biggest reaction of course at the intro to his biggest hit to date.

Ray Parker, Jr. performing “Ghostbusters” at Epcot in Orlando, FL on 10/21/22 (Photo by Brooke Striewski).

Four decades later, we’re still here talking about the franchise with a fondness that few other film series can actually rival. It was a moment of time when American cinema and art was truly at a peak not seen before, or since its release. I will gladly remain stuck in that era of time for the remainder of my days rather than entertain ninety percent of what Hollywood tries passing as “entertainment” these days.

A signed copy by Dan Aykroyd of the original Ghostbusters on VHS from the author’s collection.

Ray Parker Jr. at Epcot’s Eat to the Beat Concert Series in Orlando, FL on 10/21/22 By Jesse Striewski/Photos By Brooke Striewski

2022 has been an unprecedented year of eclectic live events of all sorts for Rewind It Magazine, thanks largely in part to the various concerts held at Epcot in Orlando, FL, the most recent of them being Ray Parker Jr. at the park’s latest Eat to the Beat concert series on Friday, October 21.

Although forever known for being the composer and performer of the hit 1984 single “Ghostbusters” (which served as the theme to the film of the same name), Parker has been churning out hits since the ’70s as founding member of funk/R&B outfit Raydio, as well as his collaborations with numerous artists like Stevie Wonder and Barry White.

Parker’s set that night appropriately featured hits throughout his career, opening with two tracks from his Raydio days, “Jack and Jill,” “You Can’t Change That,” and “A Woman Needs Love (Just Like you Do),” three tracks that I had previously forgotten even existed (the middle number being what I actually refer to as a ‘Walgreens’ song, which is what I called songs that used to play while I worked there years ago).

Ray Parker, Jr. lights up the stage in Orlando, FL on 10/21/22.

Parker than followed this up with his 1982 hit “The Other Woman” from the album of the same name before indulging in a brief guitar solo. After that, he went into “that song,” and fans in attendance clutching their Ghostbusters records were finally able to fully rejoice.

The song is truly timeless, stretching across multiple generations and living on nearly four decades after its original release. Hooky no doubt but still fun nonetheless, especially in a live setting, and I’m sure everyone who was there to hear it in person last weekend would surely agree.

Simple Plan at Epcot’s Garden Rocks on 6/4/22 By Jesse Striewski/Photos By Brooke Striewski

I can’t say that pop punkers Simple Plan have ever been at the top of my list of bands to see – and I’m pretty sure I actually have seen them at at least one of the many Warped Tours I made my way to in the early 2000’s (though can’t say I even remember). But, my teenaged kid wanted to check them out at Epcot’s Garden Rocks series, and knowing this is the band that does the theme song for What’s New Scooby-Doo?, I said “why not?”

It was quickly apparent after arriving in time for their second set this past Saturday, June 4, that this was obviously not the same crowd that were here with us for other recent shows like Starship Featuring Mickey Thomas. But still, there was no denying the amount of energy on stage, and it was no doubt infectious on tracks like “Nothing’s Ever Going to Bring Me Down,” “Jump,” “When I’m Gone,” “The Antidote,” “Vacation,” “I Can’t Keep My Hands Off You,” and “Crazy.” A brief guitar solo segued into the band’s biggest hit, “I’m Just a Kid” (which appeared in just about every clunker stoner flick back in the day like Grind and The New Guy).

When the band re-emerged for their third and final set of the night, they surprisingly played a completely different set (albeit still no theme from Scooby-Doo thrown in, unfortunately), and opened with the 2002 pop punk staple “Addicted” (one of the few songs in the band’s catalog I actually know well, thanks to it forever being tied to the memory of a break up at the time).

From then on the band continued to bring it with both old songs and new in the form of “The Worst Day Ever,” “Astronaut,” and “Iconic” before going though a trio of covers that the crowd went crazy over, including Smash Mouth’s “All Star,” Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8er Boi,” and The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside.” The band then wrapped things up with “Where I Belong” and finally, “Perfect,” which saw cell phones lighting up the night sky.

Although I probably won’t be rushing to see Simple Plan again the next time they come around, I can’t say I regret catching them this past weekend. And if their brand of catchy pop tunes is up your alley, by all means, check them out if you get the chance.

Tony Orlando at Epcot’s Garden Rocks on 5/21/22 By Jesse Striewski/Photos By Brooke and Jacob Striewski

This was originally going to be a much different concert review than it is, but sometimes life has a funny way of working out. When I headed to Epcot with the family for yet another Garden Rocks concert I was expecting to see ’80s new wavers A Flock of Seagulls. But it became quickly apparent that was not happening when, after arriving, the older gentleman next to us quipped, “You guys don’t look old enough to know who Tony Orlando is!”

And so began our adventure at a Tony Orlando show, which was surprisingly more entertaining than any of us expected the ’70s performer to be. It’s doubtful that few in attendance were expecting Orlando to open with a blistering cover of Led Zepplin’s “Whole Lotta Love” either, but that’s exactly how it went down.

From then on, Orlando ran through his most popular hits including “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Around the Old Oak Tree,” “Candida,” and “Knock Three Times,” before going into a medely of “La Bamba/Twist and Shout.” In between all of this, there was a brief solo that found drummer Timothy Pope emerging from behind his set to continue playing his sticks on everything from a bar stool, to the very front of the stage itself.

Tony Orlando and fan during his show at Epcot on 5/21/22.

There was also some interaction between Orlando and a female fan holding a sign with a photo of them from 1979 on it. Orlando promptly invited the fan onto stage, where he finally planted a smooch on her after all these years. This of course drew plenty of applause from the audience.

Next up, 18-year-old bassist Captain Sibley took over vocals for a cover of Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al,” showcasing the young newcommer’s talent, before finally finishing the set with hyped-up version of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode.” I can’t say I was ever a big Tony Orlando fan, but I also cannot deny how much fun he was to watch perform live, proving that nothing beats live music no matter what.

Berlin at Epcot’s Garden Rocks on 4/30/22 By Jesse Striewski/Photos By Brooke Striewski

I really didn’t have intentions of going to yet another Garden Rocks concert at Epcot this past Saturday, April 30. But my wife/photographer Brooke insisted we each meet there after our schedules aligned, and I’m glad we did (ironically, I ended up seeing the whole show while she missed a good portion of it!). And truth be told, I didn’t even know much of Berlin’s material until I first met said lovely wife of mine roughly a decade ago.

The band took the stage right at 8:00pm (for the sixth and final time of the weekend according to singer Terri Nunn) opening their short set with “Masquerade.” More fan favorites like “No More Words,” “The Metro,” and the newer “Animal” continued the show before Nunn slowed things down a bit to tell a brief but teary-eyed story about meeting Walt Disney in person when she was a child.

This tender moment segued into the group’s most well-known hit, the synth-pop ballad “Take My Breath Away” from the 1986 Tom Cruise blockbuster Top Gun, which of course the crowd ate up with more than just a little bit of delight (and on a side note, I often point to said film as the movie that really “awakened” me to rock music with its soundtrack, so on a personal level it was great seeing another band that performed on it live, with Cheap Trick and Loverboy being the other two).

But it didn’t end there; a high octane cover of The Cult’s “She Sells Sanctuary” gave Nunn an excuse to run from the stage into the audience and continue singing among a stunned, ecstatic crowd. For the finale, bassist John Crawford put down his four-string to duet with Nunn on a PG-rated version of “Sex (I’m A…),” which if I’m not mistaken, contained some alternate, Disney-inspired lyrics to better suite the atmosphere.

After this, all of the band members gathered arm-in-arm on stage to take a gracious bow. It was a fitting, classy goodbye to an already appreciative audience, and a night few in attendance are likely to forget anytime soon. The only downfall of the entire evening? The lone young lady thrashing herself next to us and hitting us with her hair the entire time. A word of advice in the off-chance she’s reading this; when at a concert, have some courtesy for those near you, because you never know if those people next to are actually there to get coverage (like this) of the show for you.

Berlin taking a bow after their final set at Epcot’s Garden Rocks on Saturday, April 30, 2022 (Photo by Brooke Striewski).

Starship Featuring Mickey Thomas at Epcot’s Garden Rocks on 4/23/22 By Jesse Striewski/Photos By Brooke and Jacob Striewski

There was never a shortage of pop hits from various different groups that I was exposed to as a kid growing up in the ’80s. And while I largely ignored much of that music once I hit adolescence and punk rock and heavy metal took over, I’ve since opened my mind more again in my older age (if you couldn’t already tell!), my musical pallet effectively coming full circle.

Last month, I caught ’70s prog rockers The Orchestra Starring Former Members of ELO at Epcot’s annual Garden Rocks festival; this past weekend, I made it back out there with the family, this time to catch Starship Featuring Mickey Thomas, who surprised us with a an out-of-this-world performance this past Saturday, April 23.

Those keen on their music trivia know that the roots of Starship go all the way back to ’60s rock outfit Jefferson Airplane, who evolved into Jefferson Starship in the ’70s, before finally settling upon just Starship in the ’80s (the “Featuring Mickey Thomas” part was added in the early ’90s, to avoid any confusion with the current incarnation of Jefferson Starship that’s also still active). And although original singer Grace Slick will always remain a favorite among fans, she’s been long-since retired for a good three decades now.

But Thomas – who originally joined during the ’70s Jefferson Starship era – has kept the name going nicely, with newcomer Cian Coey stepping into Slick’s shoes with ease, and adding a youthful sex appeal to the band. Also notable in the lineup these days is guitarist John Roth, who has also been with ’80s rockers Winger on and off since the early ’90s.

This past Saturday evening’s performances featured tracks from every era in the band’s history, as they opened their first set with “Jane” before going into one of their first number-one hits, “Sara.” They followed this up with the massive hit “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us,” famously known for its use in the 1987 film Mannequin. After that, the band dug even deeper with “White Rabbit,” “Miracles,” “Count on Me,” and “Somebody to Love,” before ending things on an epic high note with the criminally underrated anthem, “We Built This City.”

During the band’s second set, my son Jacob and I sneaked off in the park to try the new Test Track ride, but were back in time to catch the third set of the evening after sunset, which was somewhat changed up from their first. This time around, the guys (and girl) surprisingly started out with “We Built This City,” but again followed with the one-two power ballad punch of “Sara” and “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us.”

They wasted no time again to run through the Jefferson Airplane staples “White Rabbit” and “Somebody to Love,” before closing with “Rock Music,” which found Thomas belting out a line from Led Zepplin’s “Whole Lotta Love” during its climax. It was a great ending to an already great evening filled with timeless classics. I pity the closed-minded who look down on bands like Starship, they truly don’t know the good time they’re missing out on.

Starpship during their first performance of the day on 4/23/22 (photo by Jacob Striewski).

The Orchestra Starring Former Members of ELO at Epcot’s Garden Rocks Series on 3/27/22 By Jesse Striewski/Photos By Brooke Striewski

Earlier this month, Epcot kicked off it’s annual Garden Rocks concert series, which hosts a number of different artists spanning the course of numerous decades. This past weekend featured The Orchestra Starring Former Members of ELO, which not only features members from ’70s and ’80s prog rock outfit Electric Light Orchestra and ELO Part II as their name would suggest, but it should also be noted that former Styx guitarist/bassist Glen Burtnik is a part of the lineup as well. This past Sunday, March 27, Rewind It Magazine was able to make it out to catch one of the band’s many sets over their four day period here.

No doubt that some purists out there will likely scream there’s no ELO without Jeff Lynne leading it, but I’ve always been of the mindset that I’d rather have someone still performing the songs live, rather than no one at all. And after a full day of family fun spent at place like Epcot, what better high note is there to end on then to listen to some classic prog rock?

The band first took stage on this beautiful Florida day at 5:30pm, opening with the massive hit “Evil Woman.” More fan favorites in the form of “Sweet Talkin’ Woman,” “Hold on Tight,” “Can’t Get It Out of My Head,” and “Above the Clouds.” But nothing quite compared to the one-two punch they ended with of “Mr. Blue Sky” and “Don’t Bring Me Down,” at which point the band had the entire crowd standing on their feet.

As much as I wanted to stick around for their next set to see if they played my personal favorite (“Turn to Stone”) or not, we had other places to hit on our agenda before we left the park for the day. But as luck would have it, we had circled almost completely back around by the end of their second set to hear them performing just enough of said song. It was the perfect ending to an already memorable day, one I hope you can experience for yourself someday as well (the band will also be performing one last round of sets at Epcot tonight).