Summary
It may be subtle, but one line fromGhostbusters: Frozen Empireis actually the perfect nod toGhostbustersdirector, Ivan Reitman. Over the years, Reitman has been at the very core ofeveryGhostbustersmovie. In 1984, Reitman directed and produced the very firstGhostbustersmovie. Five years later, he returned forGhostbusters II.From there, he continued to be a producer on every subsequentGhostbustersfilm, including the 2016 remake and the two modern-day reboots starring McKenna Grace. Though Reitman passed away in 2022, his legacy remains in one humorous way inGhostbusters: Frozen Empire.
AlthoughGhostbustersis a massive part of Ivan Reitman’s filmography, the director was at the head of several other iconic comedy films. In the late 1970s,Reitman directed the Bill Murray classics,MeatballsandStripes.Throughout the ’80s and ’90s, he started to collaborate often with Arnold Schwarzenegger, directing films such asTwins, Kindergarten Cop,andJunior.He even earned more recent fame from movies likeNo Strings AttachedandDraft Day.Luckily,Frozen Empirepays respectto Reitman’s best movies by referencing one of the very first films he ever directed.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Ending Explained
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire sees the Ghostbusters up against a chilling new villain. We discuss the film’s biggest moments & what’s next for the team.
Paul Rudd’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’s Character References Ivan Reitman’s From 1973
Gary Wants To Watch Cannibal Girls
InGhostbusters: Frozen Empire,Ivan Reitman is given a subtle but amazing nod in one seemingly innocuous scene. When the Spenglers are about to have a family movie night,Paul Rudd’s Gary suggests that the family watchCannibal Girls.Though this may seem like a rather random movie choice, it is actually a reference to Reitman. In 1973, he directed, executive produced, and wrote the story forCannibal Girls. It was the second feature film he ever made. This cameo is a great detail from Reitman’s career, but it also makes perfect sense forFrozen Empire’sspooky ambiance.
TheCannibal Girlsstory says that the women eat their victims alive, which helps them maintain their beauty and immortality.
Cannibal Girlsitself is ahorror comedy moviestarring Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, and Ronald Ulrich. The movie tells the story of Clifford and Gloria, a couple whose car breaks down in a creepy town called Farnhamville. While there,they hear an urban legend about three women called the Cannibal Girls. The Cannibal Girls story says that the women eat their victims alive, which helps them maintain their beauty and immortality. Eventually, Clifford and Gloria find themselves among the Cannibal Girls and their puppet master, the Reverend.
Cannibal Girls Has Been Referenced Three Times In The Ghostbusters Franchise
Cannibal Girls Is A Pillar Of Ghostbusters
What makes theFrozen Empirereference even better is that it has appeared two other times in previousGhostbustersmovies. InGhostbusters II, Cannibal Girlsis shown to be playing at a New York City theater. Then, inGhostbusters: Afterlife,the same movie is advertised to be playing in another movie theater. In this way,Ghostbusters: Frozen Empireis the first to mention the 1973 film in dialogue, but it is still following in the footsteps of its predecessors. Therefore, this nod to Ivan Reitman feels just right. PerhapsGhostbusters 6will do the same.
Ivan Reitman also took on a voice role in 1984’sGhostbusters.He played Zuul/Slimer.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Cast
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire continues the story of a new generation of ghost hunters composed of Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Podcast (Logan Kim), who received help from the original team in the previous movie. Paul Rudd returns as Gary Grooberson and franchise co-creator Ivan Reitman returns to write and produce.
