If I were to describe the newest “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” clip to you in just a few words, it would have to be: hilariously disturbing. Sony has dropped a brand-new clip from the forthcoming film that reminds us how much Ghostbusters nostalgia we will see in “Ghostbusters: Afterlife.” Setting aside all of the proton packs and ECTO-1 that we saw in the first trailer, this clip drops a look at a familiar ghastly and tasty sentient treat that has since multiplied and has the personality of the pill-bodied minions.
When I saw this on director Jason Reitman’s Twitter, the clip almost looked like Paul Rudd starring in a Baskin-Robbins commercial – if that is the key to his youthful look, then I am going to eat all of the Baskin-Robbins. But the film takes a quick turn when he hears distant screaming in the grocery store. Unsure of what it is, Rudd continues shopping down the aisle and comes across a mini Stay Puft Marshmallow Man popping out of a package of Stay Puft Marshmallows. Intrigued, he goes in to poke at it, only to get bitten. Then a group of Stay Puft Marshmallow men taking a rumba for a joyride slam into Rudd’s foot.
The clip then transitions into something even more disturbing as one of the marshmallows impales two others with a pike and proceeds to roast them over an open fire grill. Meanwhile, another is about to become a s’more. And all of this happens to the shock and horror of Rudd.
Understandably, Sony wants to remind us about “Ghostbusters: Afterlife.” But at the same time, one has to wonder why not just release a trailer to give us a better sense of what to expect instead of releasing a completely out-of-context clip. Sure, it may be filled with that ooey-gooey nostalgic goodness by giving the nod to the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, but that is all it amounts to. Unless the clip’s point was to introduce a twisted version of Minions, this clip successfully delivers. But I doubt that was the point of this clip.
That being said, the clip is just a clip, and there is a whole lot more to director Jason Reitman’s film than just some wacky yet unnerving imagery of cute tiny creatures causing chaos and mischief.
Here’s the official plot synopsis:
“In Ghostbusters: Afterlife, when a single mom and her two kids arrive in a small town, they begin to discover their connection to the original ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind.”
“Ghostbusters: Afterlife” opens in theaters on November 11, 2021.
