Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (Chapter 07)

Chapter 07 has Phoebe Spengler going on an unauthorized bust with Podcast.

Cast[]

Listed as they appear in film.

Entities[]

Equipment[]

Items[]

Orb of Garraka

Vehicles[]

Ecto-1

Environmental[]

Death Chill

Places/Locations[]

Plot[]

From the second floor of the Firehouse, Phoebe watched Ecto-1 pull out and leave on a call downtown. A pedestrian hurried down the sidewalk as Ecto-1 turned. Phoebe answered a phone call. Phoebe picked the lock on the Proton Locker and took out a Proton Pack. Podcast suited up to help with the bust. He snapped a photograph with the Ecto Goggles and hyped up their reunion then likened them to the Dynamic Duo of Batman and Robin. He asked what they were catching. They left for Melody Diner.

At the Paranormal Research Center, Lars and Lucky finished extracting a ghost from a haunted doll with the Ionic Separator. Possessor, while in possession of a folding chair, tapped on its enclosure to get Lars's attention. Lars informed it he was too busy to play but promised if it was good, he would give it a tennis ball. It stopped tapping. Lucky chose the brass orb from Ray next but it resisted extraction in the Ionic Separator and the center lost power. Lucky wondered why none of the ghosts escaped. Possessor damaged its glass pane with the folding chair. Bonesy phased halfway through the glass pane. Lars was able to restart the Proton Fields before any ghosts escaped. Lars grabbed the orb but his hand suddenly started to freeze. He screamed in pain but managed to drop it onto the floor.

Phoebe and Podcast walked into Melody Diner. Podcast grumbled they better have baklava. They spoke to a waitress on duty. She asked if they came for the ghost. Phoebe and Podcast emphasized the gear they had. The waitress gestured them to a booth. A cook recorded some video while the rest of the staff waited in the kitchen. The ghost haunting the diner turned out to be Melody, the ghost Phoebe met at Washington Square Park the other night. Phoebe hesitated to shoot Melody. Podcast, unaware that they knew each other, was confused and implored Phoebe to shoot. Melody asked who the third wheel was then vanished. Phoebe shot out some window glass. They stepped out of the diner and looked around. Podcast grunted in frustration. The "Melody" part of the Melody Diner neon sign flickered.

Back at the Firehouse, Phoebe hid the pack under her bed. She saw Melody outside her window and straightened up. Phoebe claimed she had great aim and would have caught her if she really wanted to. Melody joked she felt a warm rush of relief. Phoebe asked her if she wanted to hang out. Melody pointed out she was inviting her to hang out in her ghost extermination headquarters. Phoebe watched her transapparate inside. They went to the garage bay then Melody went down through the floor. Phoebe found her staring at the Containment Unit. Melody wondered what happened when a ghost was done. Phoebe revealed she saw it and it was really beautiful: particles lose bonds and float into space. Phoebe recalled Quantum Physics suggests the dead become part of the fabric of the universe. Melody thought that sounded cool and asked if she believed that. Phoebe replied she believed in Quantum Physics. Melody mused her family was there on the other side. Phoebe asked why she was not with them. Melody had no idea and lit a match. She opened the matchbook and the match was back in. Phoebe identified it as an emotionally charged anchor that keeps her tethered to the world. Melody revealed the last match was the one that burned her family alive. Phoebe remarked that would do it. Melody added it was an accident and used to think the matchbook was the key to moving on but made peace with the fact she was not going anywhere. Phoebe felt bad for her. Callie checked on Phoebe in the basement unaware she was giving a tour to a ghost. Phoebe soon realized Melody was gone.

A chant in an ancient language emanated from the brass orb in the Paranormal Research Center.

Trivia[]

The Firehouse ground floor scenes were filmed at Shinfield Studios in Reading, United Kingdom.
The Ionic Separator is unable to extract Garraka from the orb.
A camera trap was built in the back wall to get the shot of Phoebe's face looking into the Proton Locker.^[1]
Podcast's flight suit is like the one he wore in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
Podcast snaps a photograph with the Ecto Goggles and waves it like he did in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
Podcast mentions Batman and Robin's nickname the Dynamic Duo.
The Paranormal Research Center set was at Winnersh Film Studios in Wokingham, United Kingdom.^[2]
The haunted doll exorcised by Lars and Lucky was an actual doll found by Gil Kenan and his wife in an antique shop near their home in Hampstead, London.^[3]
For the scenes when Possessor is in the folding chair, the chair was puppeted by Gil Kenan who lied down on his back.^[4]
Some of Melody Diner's exterior was filmed by a second unit at the Ritz Diner at 1133 1st Avenue in New York. The address number for Melody Diner was changed to 224.
Melody Diner is a combination of second unit exterior filming in New York and a full set at Winnersh Film Studios in the United Kingdom.^[5]
When Phoebe and Podcast enter the diner, an out-of-focus taxi cab can be seen in the background. It has a Liberty Mutual ad on its roof.
"Love is Strange" by Mickey & Sylvia plays in the diner.
Phoebe's bedroom is the same room used as a darkroom during the events of Ghostbusters II.^[6]
Phoebe refers to Melody's ability to phase into her room as "transapparate."
The Firehouse second floor set was at Winnersh Studios in the United Kingdom.^[7]
Melody coming down the fire pole and through the floor was a direct homage to "Sylvie and the Ghost".^[8]
The Firehouse basement were two sets at both Shinfield and Winnersh Studios.^[9]
Melody reveals the fire that killed her, killed her family, too, but calls it an accident.

Notes[]

References[]

↑ whitelock_design_limited instagram 4/24/2024 Luke Whitelock says: "We built a camera trap in the back wall to get the shot on her face looking through."
↑ horacestunts instagram 4/6/2024 Kevin Mangold writes: "Research Lab Winnersh Film Studios, Wokingham, UK."
↑ Gil Kenan (2024). Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire- Commentary (2024) (Blu-ray ts. 37:24-37:40). Sony Pictures. Gil Kenan says: "And then, my wife and I were walking near our house in Hampstead in London. And there's an antique shop on the Flask Walk there that always has weird stuff, and just happened to have two of the creepiest baby dolls I've ever seen in my life."
↑ Gil Kenan (2024). Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire- Commentary (2024) (Blu-ray ts. 39:35-39:47). Sony Pictures. Gil Kenan says: "For the scenes when Lars is communicating with the chair, I was laying down on my back... holding a chair as a giant metal puppet, banging it against the glass, living out my puppetry dreams."
↑ horacestunts instagram 4/10/2024 Kevin Mangold writes: "The attic set was only at Farnborough, but the Research Center, Melody’s Diner, and the roof were at Winnersh. Also, that’s where the Slimer blue screen stuff was shot."
↑ Gil Kenan (2024). Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire- Commentary (2024) (Blu-ray ts. 41:21-41:35). Sony Pictures. Gil Kenan says: "This bedroom where Phoebe has sort of made her room, was made out of what, in the earlier films, was a dark room in the old firehouse."
↑ whitelock_design_limited 4/21/2024 Luke Whitelock writes: "Secondly this set was built at Winnersh studios and my ground floor set was based at Shinfield which was a 10 minute drive away so I couldn't oversee both sets and another Art Director (Tom Weaving) came on board to take over and oversee the finishes."
↑ A Trip to the Movies with Alex Zane YouTube "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire - Spoiler Talk with Director Gil Kenan!" 23:07-23:33 3/21/2024 Gil Kenan says: "There's a moment where Melody moves down one of the fire poles in the firehouse. That moment and the one after when she goes through the floor and disappears through it are a direct visual allusion to Sylvie and the Ghost. Also the score of that film was a critical piece of music I played for Dario Marianelli who scored Frozen Empire in creating a sort of lyrical emotionality."
↑ whitelock_design_limited instagram reply 4/26/2024 Luke Whitelock writes: "there were two sets of the basement one at Winnersh and one at shinfield."