More info and pics from the Real Ghostbusters DVD set!

(J. Michael Straczynski and DVD producer Andy Mangels)

The pre-order deal is over, but it’s never too late to pre-order the DVD (here if you’re in Canada.)

I just received some information about the upcoming Real Ghostbusters DVD set, by Time-Life. Suffice to say, it’s not what you’d call “simple.”

For starters, Time-Life has announced that they will be using Steelbook DVD cases – you may have seen them in stores for special edition DVDs. They look like they sound – they are cases that open like a book, and the front and back “covers” are printed metal.

The Real Ghostbusters DVDs will be housed in 5 separate Steelbook cases, which will then be put in the Firehouse box.

Stay tuned for a look at the final box design!

“When we were designing what The Real Ghostbusters: The Complete Series would contain for commentaries,” says Andy Mangels, the producer of all special content on the DVDs, “my production partner, Reed Kaplan, had an excellent idea. As you’ll see from the following pictures, the commentaries are an immersive visual experience. Participants were filmed with two cameras and headset microphones, enabling them to converse freely with each other while viewing the episode. Reed designed the screen so that there are four constantly moving elements: two ‘panels’ with the commentary participants are at the top, while the lower right corner has the episode playing in realtime. The background of the widescreen image is also the episode playing, in a highly blurred fashion, essentially adding moving wallpaper. Finally, at the lower middle of the screen is a slideshow from each episode, which changes at least once per minute. We think that the Visual Commentary package looks stupendous, and it will be interesting for fans to be voyeurs to the process of creating the commentaries as they watch the people who created the series, who are in turn, watching their creation and sharing fascinating behind-the-scenes stories!”

And now, the list and particulars of the commentary tracks for all 25 discs PLUS a handful of screengrabs from the commentary tracks and menus (all lot of sites are getting their own selection of screengrabs, so be sure to make the rounds to see more) – it’s HUGE, so make the jump to see all the goodies!

[NOTE: Click to see the full-sized images]

THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS: The Complete Series
Visual Commentary Tracks and participants (times listed)
25 discs – 21 Visual Commentaries – 88 intros – 5 featurettes

————————————————————————————–

——–DISC 1——–

#1 Visual Commentary Track “GHOSTS R US” with Len Janson (writer & story editor), Kevin Alteri (director & storyboard supervisor), Dan Riba (storyboard artist), hosted by Andy Mangels [23:38]

#4 Visual Commentary Track “SLIMER, COME HOME” with Dan Riba (storyboard artist) and Gabi Payn (character designer), hosted by Andy Mangels [23:44]

——–DISC 2——–

#10 Visual Commentary Track “TAKE TWO” with J. Michael Straczynski (writer & story editor), Joe Medjuck (executive producer), and Michael C. Gross (executive producer), hosted by Andy Mangels [23:45]

——–DISC 3——–

#20 Visual Commentary Track “ADVENTURES IN SLIME AND SPACE” with David Gerrold (writer), hosted by Andy Mangels [22:22]

——–DISC 4——–

#22 Visual Commentary Track “VENKMAN’S GHOST REPELLERS” with Richard Mueller (writer) and James Eatock (publisher of cereal: geek magazine) [22:22]

——–DISC 6——–

#33 Visual Commentary Track ” DON’T FORGET THE MOTOR CITY” with Dennys McCoy & Pam Hickey (writers) [22:22]

——–DISC 7——–

#41 Visual Commentary Track “THE COLLECT CALL OF CATHULHU” with Marsha Goodman (voice director & voice casting) and James Eatock (publisher of cereal: geek magazine) [22:22]

——–DISC 8——–

#45 Visual Commentary Track “EGON ON THE RAMPAGE” with Marc Scott Zicree (writer), Maurice La Marche (voice of “Egon”), and Laura Summer (voice of 1st “Janine”), hosted by Andy Mangels [22:25]

——–DISC 9——–

#53 Visual Commentary Track “THE SCARING OF THE GREEN” with Michael Edens (writer) and Michael Swanigan (storyboard artist), hosted by Andy Mangels [22:21]

——–DISC 11——– (7 eps +1 commentary +6 intros = 186 minutes)

#63 Visual Commentary Track “THE CABINET OF CALAMARI” with Michael Edens (writer), Michael Swanigan (storyboard artist), and James Eatock (publisher of cereal: geek magazine), hosted by Andy Mangels [21:47]

——–DISC 12——–

#71 Visual Commentary Track “THE DEVIL TO PAY” with Dennys McCoy & Pam Hickey (writers), hosted by Andy Mangels [22:22]

——–DISC 13——–

#76 Visual Commentary Track “EGON’S DRAGON” with Kathryn Drennan (writer), hosted by Andy Mangels [22:24]

#79 Visual Commentary Track “BABY SPOOKUMS” with Len Janson (writer & story editor), hosted by Andy Mangels [22:58]

——–DISC 14——–

#85 Visual Commentary Track “HALLOWEEN II 1/2″ with Dennys McCoy & Pam Hickey (writers), hosted by Andy Mangels [22:22]

——–DISC 16——–

#99 Visual Commentary Track “THE BROOKLYN TRIANGLE” with Richard Mueller (writer) and Derdad Aghamalian (color key artist), hosted by Andy Mangels [22:54]

——–DISC 18——–

#114 Visual Commentary Track “THE HALLOWEEN DOOR” with J. Michael Straczynski (writer & story editor), hosted by Andy Mangels [23:15]

——–DISC 19——–

#118 Visual Commentary Track “JANINE, YOU’VE CHANGED” with J. Michael Straczynski (writer & story editor), Marsha Goodman (voice director & voice casting), and Kath Soucie (voice of 2nd “Janine”), hosted by Andy Mangels [23:19]

——–DISC 22——–

#134 Visual Commentary Track “20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE STREET” with Richard Mueller (writer), hosted by Andy Mangels [22:57]

——–DISC 24——–

#SL8 Visual Commentary Track “BEACH BLANKET BRUISER / CLASS CLOWN / DOG DAYS” with Francis Moss (writer) and Darrell McNeil (animator), hosted by Andy Mangels [21:37]

#SL12 Visual Commentary Track “RAINY DAY SLIMER / SLIMER & THE BEANSTALK / SPACE CASE” Dennys McCoy & Pam Hickey (writers) and Darrell McNeil (animator), hosted by Andy Mangels [22:58]

——–DISC 25——–

#00 Promo Pilot Visual Commentary Track [3:46]
Kevin Altieri (director and storyboard supervisor) and Dan Riba (storyboard artist) provide a fast-paced Visual Commentary Track telling about the unseen pilot!