Daddy/Daughter Movie Review. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Hey there MonDavers, it’s been a while since we’ve done one of these, but people seem to dig it when we do. There haven’t been too many movies recently that have had appeal to multiple family members, so the pickings have been slim as far as dual reviews go. However, Tessa and I were both excited to see this one, so here we are with our official review of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

For those who may have somehow missed the media hype on this film, it picks up where Ghostbusters: Afterlife left off, with the Spengler family now living in New York and officially acting as the Ghostbusters. The OG Busters come in to lend a hand as a new villain enters the scene who uses fear itself as a weapon as it tries to freeze out NYC and eventually the world. Along the way, the gang once again gets in trouble with city officials, Phoebe Spengler befriends a ghost, and chaos ensues.

Tessa, you’re up first. What did you think?

T: Hi MonDaves gang!! I really liked this movie, I liked the last one a lot so I’m glad enough people enjoyed it that it got a sequel. I think it kept a lot of the good elements of Afterlife one, like the humor, family dynamics, interesting plot, etc. I liked that they focused more on Phoebe, she’s one of my favorite characters and she deserved more development. I think her arc about proving herself to her family and the world was really cool, and the development of the whole Spengler family was well done. Gary’s arc about trying to fit in as more of a father figure than just the mom’s boyfriend was also nice to see. The mom barely did anything though, which sucks because he was such a good character in the first movie. She literally did nothing, I don’t even remember her name that’s how little she did. At the start of the movie, it seemed like Trevor would have a plotline similar to Pheobe’s about proving that he can do things as an adult now, but that kind of went away after the first 30 minutes. The most he did was bring back Slimer, of whom I don’t care about. Trevor was my favorite character from the first one, so it makes me kind of sad to see all the potential they had with his character go to waste.

But my favorite character in this movie was Melody (shoutout to my sister!!!). She was this ghost girl that Phoebe meets and they become good friends. Phoebe says that Melody is the only one to understand her, and Melody opens up about her past to Phoebe. Even though things did not always stay good between them, I really liked their friendship. I think Melody as a character had so much more potential that the writers didn’t go into. Even though she helped defeat the villain at the end, they barely wrapped up her arc by the end of the movie, which was probably due to them putting way too much stuff in this movie.

I liked the other new character, Nadeem, who also ended up being important to defeating the bad guy, but I still feel like all of his lore was too much. There were so many characters that some of the old characters had like no development, like Podcast and Lucky. I really liked both of them in the first movie, but they didn’t have lot to do in this movie. They both work for different members of the old Ghostbusters now, which is cool, but that’s kinda it. No development on their relationships with the Spenglers or how they’re figuring out how to fight ghosts themselves or anything.

It was also super hard to follow the lore with the new villain, and there were so many references to the original movies that I either didn’t understand or didn’t care about. But it was still really good, somehow. It’s one of those movie where the flaws are very evident, but you don’t really care and you can still enjoy watching. The visuals were really good, it was acted really well, the only real issues were with the writing. And even then, it was well written for how much it tried to shove into the movie. I’m sure a lot of my complaints about development for older characters were originally there and got scrapped because of time. I really liked it and I would definitely go see it again!!

D: Some good points there. You’re gonna get some heat from Gen X for that Slimer comment, though.

T: DOOOONT CAAAARE.

D: Okay then. Moving on.

I agree that the filmmakers put a lot of stuff into this movie, but I didn’t think it was hard to follow. The film does require you to pay a little more attention than you would expect going into it, so that does throw people for a bit of a loop who just want a fun, light comedy. That’s not what this is.

Frozen Empire is heavy on plot, and attempts to make their villain more threatening and scary than ever before. This is a good thing, as it helps keep the stakes high and interest level up. As Tess mentioned there are several references to the original two films, which are nice to see, but some of them feel tacked on and unnecessary.

The only complaint I really have is with the pacing of the film. There is so much plot and exposition in the film that the first third of the movie drags a bit. All the extra stuff in the film makes it feel like the ending is a little bit rushed. It also does leave little room for character development apart from Phoebe and, oddly, the relationship between Ray and Winston.

I suppose the only question remaining is, “Is it funny?”. Well, it’s fun, and humorous, but not so big on the belly laughs. More of a smile and snicker type film than a laugh out loud one. I’d actually like to see it again too, just to maybe pick up on some jokes or references I may have missed the first time through.

Still, for as overstuffed as it is, I also enjoyed it. It’s really good, but it’s maybe one rewrite away from being great. Still, I love the franchise and I love this cast, so Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a win for me.

So let’s rate this thing. Scale of 1-5, one being the lowest. Go.

T: I would say a solid four.

D: Me too. 3.5 feels low, but it’s no 5. So we agree.

T: Yay!!

There you have it folks. Thanks for checking in. See you next time for more MonDaves!

St. Patrick’s Day Post 2024-Random Irish Stuff

St. Patrick’s Day is fast approaching. This is one of my favorite holidays. I’ve got some Irish blood in me, and I adore Irish culture, art, and music year round. Keep in mind, St. Patrick’s Day is a religious holiday observed in the Catholic church. It’s also a day reserved to celebrate Irish heritage and pride. It has become a “party day” for many (even for those with no Irish ancestry at all), but hopefully we can all remember and celebrate that there’s more to this day than dressing in green, wearing a big floppy hat or shamrock glasses, and drinking beer. By the way, if you’re going to drink a beer with some color, make sure it’s either a dark brown Guinness or maybe a nice Irish red, like Killian’s. Stay away from the green stuff-it’s inauthentic and gross. Don’t be that person.

Anyway, since the Emerald Isle will be front and center on everyone’s mind over the next week or so, I thought it might be fun to talk about some of the myths many people believe about Ireland, and perhaps set the record straight a bit. This will give you some interesting things to talk about at your St. Patrick’s day shindig. Provided, of course, you are in any shape to talk. Let’s dive in.

*St. Patrick drove all the snakes from Ireland
Well, no, not technically. Ireland is inhabitable to snakes, and there’s little or no evidence to suggest that there ever were any snakes to begin with. This story is more of an allegory about St. Patrick bringing Christianity to Ireland. Trouble is, it’s not actually that cut and dried.
As near as anybody can figure, St. Patrick was born in Britain or Wales around 390 CE (common, or current, era.) His name was Maewyn, and he was captured in an Irish raid while a teenager. He spent six years in Irish imprisonment (or possibly slavery) before he escaped. Later in life he became a man of the cloth, and went back to Ireland as a missionary because he knew the language and customs and he loved the people.
So that’s where we get the story-St. Patrick drove out the “snakes”, which in this case would be the Pagans. Except he didn’t. Paganism lasted well beyond St. Patrick’s time, and is still practiced today, in Ireland and around the world. Sure, Ireland is predominately Christian now, but it took a long time for the religion to take hold.
St. Patrick may or may not have been the first Christian in Ireland, and he may or may not have used the Shamrock to explain the trinity, as the story goes. None of his writings mention this as far as I can tell. It’s possible that this idea was merely attributed to him over the years, as the stories and myths about the man grew large enough to blend with and, perhaps, overtake the truth.
Still, the patron saint of Ireland is remembered and revered for good reason in the church and beyond.

*Green is the National Color of Ireland
Nope. Ireland has no official color, but many would argue for blue, which was the first color to be used in association with St. Patrick’s Day. Blue is used on the Coat of Arms of Ireland, and the Presidential Standard, a flag flown at the presidential residence.

*The Shamrock is the national symbol of Ireland
Nope again. It’s the harp. The harp is proudly displayed on both the National Coat of Arms, and on the Guinness label. How much more official can you get?

*Ireland is full of redheads
Gonna have to burst your bubble here, but this is a stereotype. The number of redheads in Ireland is probably closer to 10% of the population than the majority that most people in other countries assume. That’s still a lot of people, but far from a majority.

*All Irish people are drunkards.
Really? Okay, so, yeah, alcohol is a large part of the culture, and many social events center around drink. That’s true of most countries, including the USA. Also, there are just, like, a lot of Irish folk songs about alcohol too. Irish pubs are widely renowned, and nearly every major city around the world has an Irish-style pub. So maybe there’s a little truth here, but it’s still a stereotype. As of 2020, studies showed that roughly 20% of the Irish population didn’t drink alcohol at all, and certainly not all who drink do so irresponsibly.

*It is illegal be drunk or swear on a Sunday in Ireland
Actually, yeah. This law was enacted in 1661, prohibiting “drunkenness, cursing, swearing, and profaning of the Lord’s Day.” Shows you how far St. Patrick’s influence got. This law was finally taken off the books in 2015, but something tells me it wasn’t taken very seriously by most people.

Well, there you go, some interesting Irish info for you. I could go on, but I need to save some stuff for next year. Happy St. Patrick’s Day, MonDavers! See you next week.

Quote Me On This

I’ve been thinking about some of the great quotes and sayings in American culture. These are the one that everyone knows and uses, even to the point of them becoming cliche. Yet we return to them time and time again because they’re so ingrained in our psyche, so useful, so wise, and so…wrong.

Yep. There’s a pretty good chance that many of the nuggets of wisdom that we’ve all been saying for years don’t actually mean what we think they mean. At least, they weren’t intended to. Sometimes this comes from an erroneous translation of early text, or just a simple misquotation. Often, the original phrases have been butchered and whole bits left out, or they have been taken completely out of context. Whether this was done on purpose or not is left for the individual to decide, but as these sayings have been passed down through the years, the mistranslations stuck. Because of course they did.

So let’s look into a few of these popular quotes and collective wisdoms that fall into these categories and see if we can’t find a little of the original truth behind them, and maybe blow some minds as well. Sound fun? Cool. Let’s go.

–“Curiosity killed the cat.”
Sure. However (there’s always a “however”) the original statement was a little longer: “Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.” Kinda changes things, huh? Makes you feel better for the kitty-and also maybe not so guilty about exploring your own curiosity, and oh, I don’t know…maybe learning about the world and people around you? Pretty positive change if you ask me.

–“Rome wasn’t built in a day”.
True enough. There’s more though. How about this: “Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it burned in one.” this one dates back to a 16th Century French proverb, and puts an interesting spin on things.

–“The early bird catches the worm.”
Okay so, “The early bird catches the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.” Take that, you early risers! Kidding, of course. Nothing wrong with being an early bird, but being the first to do something doesn’t always bring you success or make you the best in your field. Especially if you’re a worm. This phrase first appeared in American newspapers in the early 1900s.

–“No rest for the wicked.”
This one is both a mistranslation and a misunderstanding. The original quote is from the Bible, Isaiah 15:21, which says: “There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.” Okay, so “rest” and “peace” are similar in meaning, but not interchangeable. The scripture is referring to inner peace and solace, not to a good night’s sleep. While both may be accurate, I have heard many people justify working too hard and losing sleep to their own detriment by using this misquote. Stop it. Take care of yourself physically and mentally. I think God might want that for you.

–“Money is the root of all evil.”
Another biblical misquote. What 1 Timothy 6:10 actually says is: “The love of money is a root of all sorts of evil.” Catch that difference? The Bible doesn’t say you should not have money-ya gotta live, right? It’s just that when your love of money overtakes other things, such as your family and your integrity-it’s a bad, bad thing. This also states that money is not the only cause of evil, but one of many. So, being rich doesn’t necessarily make you a bad person, but not being rich doesn’t automatically let you off the hook either. Pretty deep, huh?

–“The customer is always right.”
Here’s a fun one. The original saying is: “The customer is always right in matters of taste.” This has been credited to Harry Gordon Selfridge, circa 1900. The intention here being that if a customer wants to buy the most horrid shirt in the store, the salesperson should not stand in the way. It does not mean that anyone should put up with abusive or inappropriate behavior from a customer because said customer is “right.”
Now, don’t hear what I’m not saying. Customer disputes or complaints should absolutely be handled with kindness, patience, and grace. Preferably, a solution will be found that not only satisfies the customer, but also doesn’t hurt the business. Still, if a customer is pressuring to go against store policy, reasonable action, or the law (which happens more than you’d think), a line does need to be drawn, especially if the customer is a jerk. Be nice everybody.

–“Nice guys finish last.”
This one is a misquote from baseball manager and hall of famer Leo Durocher who, when referring to another team said that they were: “All nice guys. They’ll finish last.” This was simply a prediction, and a little spirited jab at a rival. That’s it, that’s all. It was never intended to claim that you couldn’t be nice and come out on top. Durocher even said as much in later interviews, but the public perception won out over time.

–“Great minds think alike.”
Well, you’re halfway right. The original phrase, as near as I can find, says: “Great minds think alike, though fools seldom differ.” I like this one, because it kind of turns the tables on what is essentially a banal idea disguised as a compliment, or more realistically, self-aggrandizing behavior. Next time some sheep on an ego trip tries to use this saying to ride your coattails, hit ’em with the second half!
Another meaning to be found here is this: just because the masses have the same opinions doesn’t mean they are correct, or well thought out. We live in an era of purposeful misinformation, opinions over facts, and constant manipulation. This full phrase is a warning to stay alert. I think we all need this advice now more than ever, don’t you?

–“There’s a sucker born every minute.”
All right, so this one isn’t misquoted, but it’s misattributed, which normally may not be to important but in this case I think it is. This phrase is normally attributed to P.T. Barnum, but he didn’t say it. It was said about Barnum by one of his competitors as a condemnation of his business tactics. Over time, the saying stuck with ol’ P.T., and has been used in two main ways.
Firstly, this phrase is used by greedy businessmen (boo!) to justify their own despicable, money grubbing behavior. It is also used by the public to describe the unfortunate souls who fall into the traps laid by said businesspeople who get ripped off and don’t see it coming. It is seldom if ever used as a critique of big corporations or greedy millionaires who came by their fortunes in questionable ways. Something’s amiss here, no? Well, perhaps that only proves the point.

–“An eye for an eye.”
Surprise! Here’s another Biblical quote that doesn’t mean what most people think. this one’s actually a twofer since there is a secular version too, but we’ll get to that in a moment.
The understanding of this doctrine is that if someone pokes out your eye, theirs should be poked out too. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. In modern terms, “let the punishment fit the crime.” As the phrase stands in the book of Leviticus, that is correct.
However (there’s another “however”) when one reads Matthew 5:38-44, and even on through verse 48, Jesus paints a different picture. To boil this all down, what Jesus says is that “You have heard it said an eye for an eye, but I say love your enemy.” That’s a paraphrase, I know, and it’s semi-hypocritical in the context of this particular blog post, but this is the meaning of the scripture’s passage.
Now, non-Christians may be confused by the importance of this, but a lot of what Jesus did when he came on the scene was not only explain the law to his followers, but also show them where they got it wrong, and how to correct their own behavior in context of his teachings. I believe that’s what’s going on here.
Just so this doesn’t turn into a sermon by a guy who is not a pastor, there is still that secular version to discuss, which is as follows: “An eye for an eye only makes the world go blind!” Which is pretty perfect, methinks.

–“Winning isn’t everything.”
This is often said as consolation after a failure, setback, or defeat. It is meant to encourage, to praise the effort involved, and help foster the learning and self growth that can come from these situations. All good things, certainly. The trouble is, that’s only taking half of the saying into account. the full saying is: “Winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.” Kinda changes it all around, doesn’t it? Many people attribute this quote to Vince Lombardi (who did say it), but college coach Red Saunders was the originator. Either way, ouch guys. You need that intensity on game day I suppose, but it’s not a good theory to live your life by, though many people unfortunately do.

And finally,
–“Jack of all trades, master of none.”
Here’s another incomplete quote. The full quote is as follows: “Jack of all trades, master of none…though often times better than a master of one.” Shout out to all the handymen out there! Look, mastering your trade or profession can be a great thing, and props to anyone who has put in the study and work to do so. However (there’s that word again), it can lead to not only rigid thinking, but a sense of superiority as well. These two things can be a little dangerous. Sometimes you need people to think “out of the box,” be flexible enough to go along with whatever happens and do what’s necessary to get the job done. Believe it or not, experience can often mean more than a degree.

There you are, folks. I hope you found this all as interesting as I do, and that you’ve perhaps learned something, or at the least found a different way to look at the phrases you thought you knew. Keep your minds open. Be nice to each other, and be nice to you.

See you next week, MonDavers!

Whistle While You Read

You don’t have to know me long to know that two of my passions are music and reading. When the two combine, I am a happy guy.

There are, of course, a plethora of books written by and about musicians and music itself. Most people would assume that the reader would need to have an interest in the artist or genre being written about to enjoy a given book, but I don’t believe that’s necessarily true.

So I submit the following books as recommendations of music books for non-music geeks.

Love Is A Mixtape: Life And Loss One Song At A Time-Rob Sheffield
Rob Sheffield is a contributing editor to Rolling Stone magazine, and this is his true, tragic love story. The book uses music and the mixtapes made by Rob and the love of his life Renee to frame their all too brief story. This book both will warm your heart and break it. It is a beautiful work that illustrates the power of music as a joyful expression, a melancholy reminder, and ultimately a healer. Music fans of any genre will no doubt relate. If you’re not a music fan, the story will keep you reading along, and perhaps give you some new music to discover. Recommended for everyone.
Traveling Music: Playing Back The Soundtrack To My Life And Times-Neil Peart
Neil Peart (RIP) was the drummer/lyricist for progressive rock band Rush. He is often referred to as the greatest drummer of all time, and is known for intelligent, thought provoking lyrics. His second career was as a travel writer, telling the stories of his (mostly) solo travels and adventures. This book tells the story of one such trip while discussing the music he brought along to loosen to in the car and discussing the impact these particular albums had on his life. The music featured is perhaps a bit more varied than one would think, from jazz to alternative rock and more. Part travelogue, part music review, part autobiography, all good.
The Facts Of Life And Other Dirty Jokes-Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson is a unique American voice, and this is my favorite of the several books he has authored. It features many stories from Willie’s life and career, along with the lyrics to related songs. There are wise observations, tender moments, and laugh out loud stories from all aspects of Nelson’s life. There are also, as the title implies, just a lot of dirty jokes. So if that’s not your thing, maybe give this one a pass. For the rest of us, it’s a fun read.
Man In Black-Johnny Cash
On the other side of the coin, we have this autobiography by Johnny Cash. Yes, it is his life’s tale, but it is also the story of his faith. Cash has always been known to have a dark side that balances the more evangelical bent to his work. This is Johnny Cash diving in to explain at least a little bit of both. Ultimately it is the story of his own redemption. I’ll tell you the truth, I read this book at the exact right time in my life, and it did more for my own spiritual journey than countless sermons, hymns, and Sunday School classes ever did.
Anatomy of a Song: The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changes Rock, R&B and Pop-Marc Myers
Okay, this one might be aimed a little bit more at the music obsessed, but anyone who is interested in the artistic process should find plenty to like here. While this book does not claim to include the greatest songs ever written (though some would qualify), it does do a very good job at putting the featured songs into historical perspective. There are tons of stories about the inspiration behind these tunes, and the sometimes strange stories of how they came to be. Informative and well written.

All right, that should get you started. There are tons more books I could recommend, and I may well do that soon, but these are, I think, a good introduction to the world of music literature for the uninitiated. Keep reading, keep listening, and keep coming back here for more MonDAVEs.

Here’s A Story That’s Not Mine.

Folks, I’ve been a little overwhelmed here lately, and my carpal tunnel is acting up something awful over the last day or so. I’m not really in a place to write one of these this week.

So I’ve asked daughter Melody to step in. She’s going to wing it. I have no idea what you’re about to read but it will be…something.

Take it away, Mel.

What’s up guys, Melody here. To be honest, it was just a silly little joke when I said I would write the blog for my dad. He was like “I don’t really want to write anything,” and I was like “I’ll write it.” So he wrote an intro for me and let me take the wheel. My commitment to the bit is too strong for me to say no, and I don’t have school tomorrow, so there really isn’t any reason for me to not write a MonDave. Remember to like, subscribe, follow, comment, share, and whatever else you have to do so you never miss a MonDave.

So, as previously stated, I have no plan for this. Will I tell fun little stories that make you miss your childhood glory but simultaneously give you fear for today’s youth? Will I present you with my opinions that you won’t take seriously? Will I ramble on like this for the rest of the blog? Maybe. We’ll just have to see.

Even though I am in Honors English, I’m not that good at writing. This is one of the only times I have ever used the first person perspective. I never use it for fiction. It feels like I’m lying the whole time because I didn’t really do that stuff. Even though I am good at lying, I can only take so much. The point of that was that this blog won’t be very well written. I’m bad at writing, proper placement of commas, interacting with my peers, spelling, and plenty of other things, but let’s not dwell.

I’m also bad at transitions. So here’s one of the things I’ve done in my Honors English class. One time, during one of the first weeks of school when everyone is still doing those get to know you games, my English class was playing one of those games. This game was called magician, which didn’t have anything to do with performing mediocre cards tricks (which sucked because I know a really cool mediocre card trick.) Our teacher would select one person to be the magician, who had the special power of getting people out. Then, once a magician was selected, everyone would get up and make eye contact with each other. If you made eye contact with some random person, you were still in the game. But if you made eye contact with the magician, they would blink at you, and you’d be out. You could guess who the magician was at anytime. If you got it right, you won, and if you got it wrong, you were out. The magician would win if nobody ever guessed correctly that they were the magician. The prize for winning? Candy.

Trust me that it’s a lot simpler than it sounds and I’m just bad at explaining things. We played a couple rounds. I was doing pretty good. I never won, but I also didn’t get out. I don’t normally make eye contact with people while I’m walking so I just kinda stared at the floor the whole time. Eventually, it was time for the last round. And I was selected as the magician. You make think, “Oh that’s so cool you’re like the important person whose important and stuff.” But it was not cool.

Like I said, I’m bad at making eye contact while walking. But the magician is supposed to make eye contact. That’s the thing that makes the entire game work. So, I was a really bad magician, we were two minutes in, and I had only gotten one person out. My teacher kept saying things like “c’mon Magician” and “I would get people out if I was the magician.” All this pressure was really getting to me. No magician before me had succeeded, all of them had been discovered and defeated. The odds were stacked against me. Things looked hopeless. How could I ever win? But despite the odds, I managed to go down in magician history.

I got more and more people out, blinking like mad, taking away their numbers and-

Just kidding, that didn’t happen. I’m not that candy motivated. Here’s what I did instead. I needed an easy way out. And there was only one way you were guaranteed to get out. By guessing the magician wrong. There wasn’t a single rule that said the magician couldn’t guess who the magician was. So I guessed the first person I could think of that wasn’t myself.

The teacher looked at me for a moment, clearly deciding weather or she would let me carry out my slightly stupid plan. Finally, she said, “No… they were not the magician.” And I got to sit down and watch as everyone looked at each other with no one getting. All while the teacher and the one person I managed to get out looking at me.

Eventually, the people who were left to walk and look at each other did figure out something was up. I confessed and everyone was a little mad at me for giving them a slightly awkward experience where they were forced to make everyone’s biggest fear, eye contact. And though I tried, my teacher didn’t give me any candy (Even though I was technically never guessed by anyone. But I did guess wrong on who the magician was, so I suppose those two things cancel each other out. Maybe I would have won if I had guessed myself…)

Anyway, the moral of that story was to always use exploit the system for the funniest outcome possible. It’s past my bedtime and I’m tired, so I’m signing off for the night. Catch ya later MonDavers.

Okay, thanks Melody! Well, there you have it. A few notes from my perspective:

1. I think she’s a little better at writing than she gives herself credit for, don’t you?

2. From here on out, you are all going to be referred to as MonDavers. That’s all there is to it. Get comfortable with your new title, and wear it proudly.

See you next week when I promise to write my own stuff.

P.S-Since Melody wrote this, should it technically be called a MelDave? Eh. Probably not.