The Remote Trap Vehicle (also known as R.T.V.) is a Trap modified to be remote-controlled and mobile during the vehicular pursuit of an ectoplasmic entity.
History
Primary Canon History
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
In June of 2021, while Trevor, Phoebe, and Podcast pursued Muncher through Summerville in Ecto-1, Podcast discovered a new kind a Trap stored in a chest. He set it on a hatch in the rear then he pulled a lever with a black knob. A section of the floor opened up and a ramp descended to the street. The Remote Trap Vehicle rolled out. Podcast manned the remote control controlling it. Trevor swerved out of the way of traffic and struggled to keep the Ecto-1 straight. As a result, Podcast had a difficult time getting the Remote Trap Vehicle under Muncher. Podcast was about to trap Muncher but they were about to drive head on into a truck. They screamed and Trevor swerved out of the way. They gathered themselves and took off after Muncher. They caught up to him on the gravel road to the Shandor Mining Company. Phoebe once again wrangled him and Podcast sped up the Remote Trap Vehicle. Once he positioned it under Muncher, Podcast flipped red cover away and pushed the button. The Trap opened and successfully captured Muncher.
The Remote Trap Vehicle, along with the other equipment, and Ecto-1 were confiscated by the sheriffs. Two sheriffs played with the Remote Trap Vehicle briefly then it was stored in evidence in a jail cell secured with an ANSI Class One electromagnetic deadbolt. The next day, Phoebe, Podcast, Trevor, and Lucky sneaked into the Summerville County Sheriff's Department to recover the equipment and Ecto-1 while the sheriffs were out responding to calls related to the ghosts infesting the town after Gozer was summoned. Phoebe recognized the deadbolt and stated it was unpickable. Podcast looked inside and got an idea. He reached for the controller then flipped the red cover on the controller. Phoebe ordered him to wait but it was too late. Muncher was released. Podcast's idea worked and Muncher ate through enough of the cell bars before it departed. They retrieved the equipment and left in Ecto-1 with Trevor.
Phoebe distracted Gozer with her jokes at the Temple of Gozer while Podcast positioned the Remote Trap Vehicle under Zuul. It bumped one of Zuul's back legs and Podcast was nearly spotted. Ultimately, Podcast succeeded and trapped Zuul. Callie Spengler, Zuul's host, was taken back into the Ecto-1 then they drove back to the Farmhouse with the Remote Trap Vehicle following close behind. After they passed by Spinners Roller Hop, Podcast lowered the ramp for the Remote Trap Vehicle to drive up. However, Vinz Clortho caught up to them and made a move for the Remote Trap Vehicle. It missed and Podcast steered it onto the sidewalk. Vinz rammed into benches, tables, chairs, and newsstands before stumbling and tripping. Phoebe moved outside on the gunner chair then she blasted Vinz. Podcast lined the Remote Trap Vehicle up with the ramp but faltered on the first attempt then it finally re-entered the car. At the Farmhouse, the Trap was removed and carried by Phoebe to the porch where she held it up to bait Gozer out onto their trap. The plan failed and Gozer ripped the Trap apart, freeing Zuul.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
In the summer of 2024, Trevor deployed the Remote Trap Vehicle to trap the Sewer Dragon. The Sewer Dragon flew upwards and out of range. Callie Spengler launched the Drone Trap and captured the ghost.
Trivia
- The genesis of the Remote Trap Vehicle came from the desire to see an old fashioned 1980s car chase. Once the gunner seat was imagined, the Remote Trap Vehicle idea came soon after.[1]
- Early concepts for the Remote Trap Vehicle's deployment in Ecto-1 included a swing out arm and a rotating turret door.[2][3]
- Concepts by Aaron Gray conceived the remote control integrating Atari and Playstation 1 controllers and a modified foot pedal.[4]
- The prop was fabricated by Studio Art & Technology.[5]
- A Traxxas Stampede 4WD with a completely redone chassis was used for the Remote Trap Vehicle props.[Note 1][6]
- The remote control is a modified Futaba FB-3FN.
- During filming of the first movie, the crew used a Futaba remote control box that allowed for the opening and closing of the Trap's doors.[7]
- The Trap doors on the stunt Remote Trap Vehicle don't open because it was used in the high speed chase scenes. The hero Remote Trap Vehicle props either started opened or closed then moved to the other position.[8]
- A Canadian RC specialist named Mark Evans was hired to operate the Remote Trap Vehicle.[9]
- During filming of Ecto-1 and the Remote Trap Vehicle following Muncher down the gravel road, armorer Ben Eadie accidentally drove the Remote Trap Vehicle into some rocks and it crashed under a camera truck, exploded, and caught on fire. After the write-off paperwork was done, Eadie was told to throw the box of remains away but he put it in his car with the intent to do a restoration.[10][11]
- Sean from the Alberta Ghostbusters made a cast of a dummy version of the Remote Trap Vehicle that was to stick out of the Ecto-1 halfway because it couldn't eject.[12]
- To prevent it from being spoiled too early on in promotion, the R.T.V. was omitted in Trailer #1.
- Before the finale at the Farmhouse, when the R.T.V. drives up the ramp into the Ecto-1, the shot is flipped as evidenced by the letters on the store signs in the background.
- In Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, the R.T.V. appears as an option when the player customizes the base of the Trap.
See Also
- Trap
- Hasbro Ghostbusters: RC RTV Ghost Trap
- Hasbro Ghostbusters Plasma Series: Ecto-1
- Hallmark Ghostbusters Related Items
- Clue Ghostbusters: Afterlife Edition
Appearances
Primary Canon Appearances
Tertiary Canon Appearances
Notes
- ↑ In a Ghostbusters prop group post exchange on Facebook, Ghostbusters: Afterlife Armorer Ben Eadie commented, "The RTV was a Traxxis Stampede 4WD with a completely redone chassis." The post was made by Eadie around November 21, 2021.
References
- ↑ Ghostbusters YouTube "GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE - Jason Reitman and Ben Eadie discuss the RTV | Maker Mondays" 2:10-2:46 1/31/2022 Jason Reitman says: "And if your Ghostbuster is going to be on the move and he's going to be blasting from the side of Ecto-1, you're going to need to find a way to trap him and to trap on the move we thought we're going to need a trap on wheels and we-I remember the sequence in Dirty Harry, "The Dead Pool" where there was a remote control car that was also an explosive and there's this great chase scene through San Francisco. The car would fly over the hill and and and then the little car was like follow it and I think I was channeling that a little bit and we just wanted an old-fashioned 1980s chase sequence."
- ↑ Inguanzo, Ozzy (2021). Ghostbusters: Afterlife The Art and Making of the Movie, p. 99. Titan Books, London UK, ISBN 1789096529. Caption reads: "Early concept for a "swing-out" RTV drop system by Nick Pugh."
- ↑ Inguanzo, Ozzy (2021). Ghostbusters: Afterlife The Art and Making of the Movie, p. 100. Titan Books, London UK, ISBN 1789096529. Caption reads: "An early RTV trap door concept schematic by Nick Pugh included a rotating turret door."
- ↑ Aaron Gray Artstation "Ghostbusters: Afterlife - RTV Remote and Stomp Pedal" 3/28/2022 Aaron Gray says: "Early concepts for the RTV's remote incorporated a really cool Atari Joystick. The script also called for me to reconfigure the stomp pedal slightly."
- ↑ Inguanzo, Ozzy (2021). Ghostbusters: Afterlife The Art and Making of the Movie, p. 102. Titan Books, London UK, ISBN 1789096529. Caption reads: "Fabrication progress on the fully functional RTV prop by Studio Art & Technology."
- ↑ dredmakerroberts Tik Tok "What RC platform was used for the RTV?" 12/8/2021 Ben Eadie says: "It was Traxxas but the reality is it was the Traxxas Stampede."
- ↑ Hake's "Auction #225 Part 2 "GHOSTBUSTERS" & "GHOSTBUSTERS II" GHOST TRAP FILM PROP retrieved 10/28/18 Item description reads: "6x8x14" metal free-wheeling Ghost Trap prop used in both 1984's "Ghostbusters" and its 1989 sequel "Ghostbusters II" comes complete w/electrical wiring and connections, hydraulic foot pedal and remote control box that allows opening and closing of the trap's doors (comes w/display cable)."
- ↑ @dreadmakerroberts TikTok "Did the RTV trap doors open practically on the movie?" 00:14-00:32 1/14/2022 Mike Evans says: "On this stunt R.T.V., the Trap doors were solid. They were not able to open or close. On the hero R.T.V.'s, that were used on set, some were able to open the doors and some were able to close the doors. They had to start in one position then move to the other."
- ↑ Ben Eadie YouTube "GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE - Ben Eadie Rebuilds the RTV | Maker Mondays" 1:07-1:08 2/7/2022 Ben Eadie says: "We hired a guy named Mark Evans."
- ↑ Yes Have Some YouTube "Ben Eadie - Ghostbusters: Afterlife Props, RTV Trap, & Stories from set" 1:04:52-1:05:42 12/3/2021 Ben Eadie says: "So we're in a chase vehicle and I'm driving this thing going 'oh my God, what's my life come to?' and my worst fears come true but we got the shot right but I'm driving along and it's doing well but this thing's not built to be a high performance vehicle. This thing's made to look good not not drive good. Those can be very very different things so so hard to handle to start with so I'm driving along and and yeah I'm going to tell the story again somewhere. I'm yeah anyway so driving along and I hit a rock and it kind of goes off to the side and I'm like like okay so I adjust I just adjust, hits another rock Underneath and it's underneath the camera truck and it explodes like we're talking flames and and parts and these things, all these things these things are like tens of thousands of dollars I'm like 'I'm so (expletive)."
- ↑ Yes Have Some YouTube "Ben Eadie - Ghostbusters: Afterlife Props, RTV Trap, & Stories from set" 1:06:17-1:06:27 12/3/2021 Ben Eadie says: "And you know everything's done. Paperwork's done and they're like 'throw it out' so I did you know, I I threw it out into the dumpster of my car....and I'm gonna rebuild it."
- ↑ The Black Firehouse Podcast Spotify "Session 3: Ghostbusters Afterlife Gunners Seat & Sentry Proton Packs" 19:28-20:41 1/25/2022 Jordin Johanson says: "So just members of my franchise that helped out would be Ashley, who did a lot of paint, weathering, and detailing. She also designed a different neutrona wand box that was ultimately unused but now exists in her home secretly. My good friend James was also involved. He was the one who recommended me specifically which was great. He did a lot of the modeling. He also modeled parts of the Ectomobile that needed to be made. Another friend, Sean. Cast--brought on for casting a dummy version of the R.T.V. That would stick out of the Ectomobile that couldn't eject because was only half a body, it ended before--And Dustin who did electronics and wiring and also ran the wrap party which I also got to be gently involved in. And finally for Ghostbusters friends, Rob who worked on the Sentry Wands specifically. Yes, Genesis Custom Sabers is his company."
Gallery
Maker Mondays
Primary Canon
Tertiary Canon Images
Behind the Scenes
