Extreme Halloween - Part 2 ("The True Face Of A Monster" & "Fear Itself")

From September 1st to December 8th 1997, Ghostheads were treated to the first new Ghostbusters media since The Real Ghostbusters aired its last original episode in September 1991. Back in the '90s, everything was EXTREME! So, naturally, we'd get EXTREME GHOSTBUSTERS!!! Yeah, the title was dumb even back then, but at least they weren't "super". The series saw a new crew of young 18- and 19-year-olds being mentored by an older Egon and Janine, who were the only original team members left after the city's influx of spiritual energy ran dry years ago.

A lot of Ghostheads disliked the show at the time, as they wanted to see Peter, Ray, Egon, and Winston; not Eduardo, Kylie, Garrett, and Roland. Those who stuck with it - assuming they could find it, as Sony dropped it into the shittiest syndication deal possible at the time - found a show that was a lot more mature than the "kiddie" stuff ABC was peddling with The Real Ghostbusters in the latter years. I rewatched all 40 episodes last year, and was surprised by how well the show has held up 20+ years later. The writing is sharp, the acting in on point, and the character designs are fantastic. The only thing that sucks is the piss-poor animation. Sorry animators, but flickering back and forth between Photoshop filters is not how you animate proton streams.

Spook Central is giving you the chance to watch this semi-forgotten piece of Ghostbusters lore all throughout the month of October. Every day leading up to Halloween, I will present one or two episodes, with optional English subtitles, and a little bit of commentary from me. A little something to whet your appetite until Afterlife comes out next year. So, sit back, relax, and let's get EXTREME!!!!!

A rash of a racist vandalism against a Jewish temple results in the appearance of a Golem monster, which hunts offenders and traps them in clay cocoons. The Golem, created by the Rabbi's son to protect the temple, soon grows violently out of control, and the Extreme Ghostbusters must devise a way to defeat the seemingly unstoppable ghost before it hurts anyone else.

Further proving that Extreme Ghostbusters is more than just "kid's stuff", this episode deals with the subject of racism and prejudice. I'm pleased that we finally got some Jewish mythology in Ghostbusters media. This is one of the few times in which the Ghostbusters deal with an entity that is not a ghost and can't be contained in a Ghost Trap. I enjoy these types of entities as it means that there has to be a creative way to resolve the conflict instead of the old zap and trap.

FAVORITE QUOTE
Eduardo: Hey dude. You don't like it here, go back and hang with your dumb jock homeboys.

A night club owner uncovers a series of catacombs which are protected by a ghost who can see into people's fears and turns them into reality. The gang has to pull together to face each other's fears and end up finding in the long run that the ghost's fear is human beings.

A chance to explore the characters personalities and their worst fears. Garrett is claustrophobic, Kylie is afraid of maggots, Eduardo has a fear of death, Roland is afraid of his equipment failing, and Slimer is afraid of broccoli. Eduardo says his "Maybe, he's dead" catchphrase twice, while Garrett utters the famous "I ain't afraid of no ghosts" line twice, as well. There were a few catchphrases in the series, most of which originated in the two-part premiere. The series was also keen on referencing dialog from the greater Ghostbusters lore from time to time.

FAVORITE QUOTE
Kylie: Why is it everyone thinks I'm Vampira!
Garrett: Black hair.
Roland: Black nail polish.
Eduardo: Likes Nine Inch Nails.