Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Chapter 11)

Chapter 11
Type:	Scene
From:	Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Character(s):	Phoebe Spengler Sheriff Domingo Egon Spengler Peter Venkman Ray Stantz Callie Spengler Gary Grooberson Deputy Medjuck Trevor Spengler Lucky Domingo
Run time:	06:31 (1:05:06 to 01:11:37)

Chapter 11 features the phone call between Phoebe and Ray and reveals what happened to the Ghostbusters.

Cast

Listed as they appear in film.

• Phoebe Spengler
• Sheriff Domingo
• Egon Spengler (video)
• Peter Venkman (video)
• Ray Stantz
• Callie Spengler
• Gary Grooberson
• Deputy Medjuck
• Trevor Spengler
• Lucky Domingo

Equipment

• Ghost Sniffer (video)
• Stethoscope (video)
• PC-4 Calculator (video)
• Camcorder (video)
• Proton Pack
• Particle Thrower

Locations

• Summerville County Sheriff's Department
• New York City (video)
• Firehouse (video)
• Ray's Occult Books
• Summerville
• Farmhouse

Plot

Sheriff Domingo placed a desk phone in front of her, and advised her to make it quick, then he walked away. Phoebe waited until the coast is clear then she got out a folded up piece of paper and unfolded it. She dialed the Ghostbusters' original phone number, adjusted her glasses and waited for an answer.

Ray Stantz sat at the register in Ray's Occult Books one night after closing. He brushed a crystal. The red phone at the register rang. After a few rings, he stopped and picked up the receiver. He answered and stated the store was closed. Phoebe asked him to wait because she got one phone call on account of being in prison. Ray was intrigued. He recounted the time he was in jail and stated he was not a lawyer but he was listening. She asked him if he was "Ray Stantz, the Ghostbuster." Ray saw that as a cue to hang up. She pleaded with him to hang on because she was calling about Egon Spengler. Ray paused then told her Egon Spengler could rot in hell. Phoebe was silent then informed him Egon died last week. Ray's expression changed and he let out a soft exhale. She thought they were friends. Ray told her that was a long time ago. She asked what happened between them. Ray sighed. He admitted when they started the business, busting ghosts was a gas and it helped the economy was good thanks to the Reagan years and that people believed in them. He revealed business got slow and hauntings got thin. He recalled Peter thought they did their job too well, they could barely keep up their mortgage, and the finale nail was when some actor bought up most of Tribeca, and they lost the firehouse. He revealed it was now a Starbucks. Ray switched the receiver from his right to left ear. Phoebe asked if they all just walked away after that. Ray switched the receiver back to his right ear. He revealed Peter was a professor emeritus at SUNY Cortland and was teaching advertising and promotion, Winston Zeddemore went into finance and made a fortune, while he continued his bookstore. She asked about Egon. Ray noted his actions did not help prevent the end of the business. He told her they went from ten calls a week to one if they were lucky and Egon started to tell people that their ghost problems were irrelevant because the world was coming to an end. Ray admitted Egon got spooky and freaked him out. He moved the receiver back to his left ear and recounted how he went to the Firehouse one morning and Ecto-1, Egon's Proton Pack, all of the Traps, and 16 ounces of fuel isotope were gone along with Egon. Phoebe pointed out he had to have had a reason for doing that. Ray told her Egon called him up about 10 years later from some small town in Oklahoma rambling an about "the rising storm" and "the huge psychic tornado that was gonna "consume humanity in darkness forever." Ray wanted to believe him but could not. Phoebe tried to explain there was a mountain with ancient carvings but he informed her there were a lot of mountains out there with ancient carvings out there. He advised her against chasing ghosts. She revealed to him Egon was her grandfather. Sheriff Domingo pushed the switch hook's button to hang up and announced her time was up. Ray tried to get her back on then put the phone down and thought about what just happened.

Callie and Gary entered the sheriff's office. Deputy Medjuck was at the front desk with another officer. Callie asked where her children were. Medjuck informed her they were in lockup. She stated her children were not criminals. Medjuck believed her in a sarcastic tone. Sheriff Domingo stepped out of his office and told Callie they were driving without a license, had an expired registration, and were speeding. Callie presumed they were not the first to go joyriding in Summerville. Gary protested and pointed out it was a Saturday night. Domingo confirmed they were not the first to joyride but they were the first to destroy half of Main Street with a Proton Pack. He had no idea what it was and pointed to it on the front desk. Gary was amazed by the sight of it. Phoebe and Trevor were escorted to the front. Trevor's cuffs were taken off. Callie asked them what the hell they were thinking. Gary joined in and pointed out they could have really hurt themselves. While Callie's back was to him, Gary's face indicated the opposite and he thought they did something really cool. He casually introduced himself to a confused Trevor. Domingo asked the officers if they processed them out yet. Callie angrily took the cap off a pen and looked at the release form.

Gary leaned toward Phoebe and asked in a whisper if she caught anything. Phoebe indicated it was in the Trap. Callie told them they were leaving then reminded him he was supposed to look after Phoebe this summer. Gary was surprised. Callie clarified she was talking to Trevor. Trevor quibbled the incident was Phoebe's idea. Phoebe inquired about their equipment and Ecto-1. Domingo informed her they would remain nice and safe in their impound locker. Phoebe protested and stated they needed all of it. Callie ordered her to come along. Phoebe stated they caught a ghost. Medjuck snickered and referred to them as the Dirt Farmer's family. Phoebe warned there would be more. Domingo told her she was starting to sound like her lunatic grandfather. Phoebe heard enough, grabbed the Particle Thrower, turned it on, and aimed it at Domingo. Callie stepped in front of her and claimed she did not mean it. Domingo remained calm and asked her if she wanted to spend the night in his jail. Callie forcefully took the thrower away. She held it vertically by the wood grip and handed it to Domingo. Callie ordered Phoebe out again. Phoebe stormed off. Callie called out to Trevor then left the office. Trevor acknowledged Lucky and mused he would see her at work. Lucky nodded and told him she would see him. Gary nodded at Domingo, pointed at the Proton Pack unable to contain himself then left.

Gary parked in front of the Farmhouse. Everyone got out. Gary was about to say something but Trevor and Phoebe walked right into the house. Gary brushed it off. Callie and Gary both half shrugged to each other. She apologized for the night going sideways. He claimed he had a blast and suggested they continue their dinner the next night. Callie asked him if he really wanted more. Gary looked at the bright side: they had kung pao shrimp and went to jail. He was unsure how they were going to top a home run like that. Callie looked down, exhaled, and looked up again. She stated her life was a dumpster fire. Gary declared he loved dumpster fires and she should see his apartment. He corrected himself on the latter. She leaned in and kissed his cheek. He stopped rambling. As she walked to the door, he joked they were moving way too fast and she had to just relax. Gary held up a while plastic bag and offered to give the children their leftover shrimp. Callie closed the door.

Trivia

Ghostbusters: Afterlife Trivia

• The Summerville County Sheriff's Department was filmed at 1112 Railway Street, Crossfield, Canada.
• Phoebe dials the Ghostbusters' original phone number 555-2368 with the 212 New York area code and gets Ray's Occult instead of the Firehouse.
• Ray's Occult Books was faithfully rebuilt by the crew down to the red phone.
• Francois Audouy is friends with Tom Duffield, who worked on Ghostbusters II, and grilled him when it came to creating Ray's Occult.
• The Ray's Occult Books set was built on a sound state at the Calgary Film Centre. It was in the same building as the Temple of Gozer set.
• After the set was built and populated with props, Francois Audouy got an old dust machine used on Hollywood productions and released dust all over then he burned things like incense and patchouli to get the old bookstore smell and look down.
• During development of the Ray's Occult set, it was decided to stay in business, Ray branched out and started selling crystals and incense and leased out space in the back of the store for a palm reader.
• Ray is wearing a Ray's Occult Books T-shirt in his first scene in the movie.
• Ray's arm tattoo references Revelation 6:12, a callback to the first movie, Chapter 20: Keymaster, when he talked to Winston in Ecto-1 (which Ray misquoted as being 7:12).
• Dan Aykroyd contributed to the dialogue in the scene where Phoebe calls the Ghostbusters' phone number and speaks to Ray.
• Ray's monologue in the Ray's Occult scene was originally way longer.
• Ray recalls he was in the slammer once, a reference to when the Ghostbusters were imprisoned briefly after the containment grid was shut down in Chapter 22: Holding Cell.
• Ray gets nostalgic about the Reagan era, when President Ronald Reagen was in office in the 1980s.
• Ray mentioned some actor bought up most of Tribeca and they lost the firehouse. In 1989, Robert De Niro founded TriBeCa Productions with Jane Rosenthal. They opened Tribeca Grill in 1990, organize the annual Tribeca Film Festival, and had stakes in the Greenwich Hotel.
• Ray mentions Peter became Professor Emeritus of Advertising and Promotion at SUNY Cortland. The university is located in upper state New York near Ithaca and Syracuse.
• Ray mentions Winston went into finance and became rich.
  • In a discarded ending of the first movie, the Ghostbusters expanded into an international franchise and Winston stepped out a limousine in a pinstripe suit.
• Ray mentions the Firehouse became a Starbucks.
• Deputy Medjuck is named after Joe Medjuck and portrayed by one of Dan Aykroyd's daughters, Stella Aykroyd.
• Sheriff Domingo brings up the property damage done in Chapter 10.
• Phoebe alludes to Muncher being in the Trap.
• Phoebe mentions the trapping of Muncher in Chapter 10.
• Phoebe's impulsive emotional outburst in the police station mirrors when Egon had an outburst against Walter Peck in the first movie, Chapter 21: Out of Biz.

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed Trivia

• In Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, Act 1 Scene 1, Ray alludes to the schism with Egon and the Firehouse becoming a Starbucks in the interim decades.

Miscellaneous Tertiary Canon Trivia

• On page 16 of Egon's Journal, a supplement of the Hasbro Haslab Ghostbusters Plasma Series Spengler's Proton Pack, there are several references to Chapter 11:
  • The mention of Tribeca being bought up by an actor.
  • Hauntings in New York decreasing.
  • Peter saying they did their job too well.
  • A "Seattle-based conglomerate" wanting to buy the Firehouse.
  • Winston going into finance and Ray focusing on Ray's Occult Books.
• On page 17 of Egon's Journal, there is a reference to Chapter 11:
  • Egon leaving New York with almost all the equipment and Ecto-1.
• On page 27 of Egon's Journal, there is a reference to Chapter 11:
  • Ray's phone call with Egon.
• On page 29 of Egon's Journal, there is a reference to Chapter 11:
  • Peter becoming a Professor Emeritas in advertising and promotion at SUNY Cortland.

Gallery

Primary Canon

Images were grabbed from the Blu-ray by Paul Rudoff. Black bars have been removed, which leaves all images at a 2.40:1 aspect ratio.

Behind the Scenes

2D model concept of Ray's Occult Books, seen in Francois Audouy's case study

Ray's Occult Books set, seen in Francois Audouy's case study

From B-Roll released 10/7/2021

From B-Roll released 10/7/2021

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