Tonight we kicked 2008 to the curb by watching both Ghostbusters movies. Katie, Dan, and I watched the first one, then made a trip to Meijer where we found Charles. We came back and started Ghostbusters II at exactly 10:31:23 so that, at exactly the stroke of midnight, the Statue of Liberty's torch exploded in the new year with pyrotechnic precision. The Walkman is started at T minus 28 seconds:


It was a good evening. Hopefully more like these will propagate 2009.

I also nominate Jackie Wilson's "Higher and Higher" as the official song of 2009. Want a copy? Here's the version off the soundtrack for you to enjoy.

At midnight, January 1, 2009

Millions will watch Dick Clark drop a ball on New York

Instead, we'll be watching the Ghostbusters clean up that town



Here's a complimentary copy of the Ghostbusters theme
For this New Year we're going to forgo Dick Clark to instead watch everyone's favorite jumpsuited boys (not Devo) gettin' busy riddin' the city that never sleeps from a major paranormal problem. This will involve watching Ghostbusters (1984) and Ghostbusters II (1989). In between films we've inserted almost three hours to fill with games or another movie -- whatever we'd like!

As with last year, we've crunched the numbers and arrived at the exact second in which to start Ghostbusters II in order to have an important climactic moment sync up precisely with the stroke of midnight. I've troubleshoot it a bit more, so that six-second delay from last year should not be an issue again. Why, this is so important, I had to invoke math. That's special.

Here's the base schedule if you're interested in showing up:

Wednesday, December 31, 2008 - Thursday, January 1, 2009
Ghostbusters : 6:00:00 - 7:45:00 PM (1 hour, 45 minutes)
Open for games & prep : 7:45:00 - 10:31:23 PM (2 hours, 46 minutes)
Ghostbusters II : 10:31:23 - 12:20:03 AM (1 hour, 48 minutes)

The one thing I have to stress is that this won't be a booze-pounding, raucous affair. It will be a drier, quieter, ghostier New Years than the other parties out there.

So, y'know, we'll be here if you're interested!

Tonight I spent two hours getting the full running times down for the New Year's movies to ensure everything syncs up properly and we don't run into last year's timing mishap.

The official release will post later today. I just need to finish a few things first, so keep an eye out.

I'm still working on the New Year's event, but it looks like we'll be expanding it a fair bit and will have actual game-playing rather than just simply movies. I'll be working out a rudimentary schedule in the next few days to gauge movie times since it all needs to be synced up just so, but there will be extra time for non-movie playthings as well.

This is entirely contingent on what other people have going on, but if you haven't anywhere else to go on New Year's Eve then why not watch both Ghostbusters films?

Remember last year, when we synced up SNAKES ON A PLANE to have Sam Jackson go crazy at midnight? This is the same idea, with a key climactic incident in Ghostbusters II being timed for midnight on-the-dot. I'll do more troubleshooting this year to prevent the six-second delay we wound up with last time. Besides which, Ghostbusters II takes place on New Year's Eve, so there is a theme!

If you're interested and available, that will be on Wednesday the 31st and will depend on what else is happening that night. I really don't care much for the Dick Clark and ball-dropping thing, so this is my solution to those who may feel the same.