Ghostbusters (Chapter 10): Checking Out Dana

Checking Out Dana
Type:	Scene
From:	Ghostbusters
Character(s):	Peter Venkman Dana Barrett Louis Tully Ray Stantz Egon Spengler
Run time:	04:26 (23:51 to 28:17)

Checking Out Dana is the tenth chapter on the DVDs of Ghostbusters. This chapter has Peter investigating Dana's apartment and then at the end of the chapter the three Ghostbusters are at the Firehouse eating food bought with the last of the cash.

Cast

• Peter Venkman
• Dana Barrett
• Louis Tully
• Ray Stantz
• Egon Spengler

Equipment

• Ghost Sniffer
• Particle Thrower

Items

• Stay Puft Marshmallows

Locations

• 550 Central Park West
• Firehouse

Plot

The Shandor building loomed amid the buildings in Manhattan. Dana slowly opened her door and inched in. Peter swung the door open and asked her to let him go first in case something happened. He bolted over to her and opened the door behind her. He pointed the Ghost Sniffer around. Dana noted that was just the closet. Peter went to the piano. He lifted the cover and played the two highest notes over and over. He remarked the ghosts hated the sound. Peter warned the non-existent ghosts he was present. He stayed in the middle of the room and used the Sniffer. Dana looked around and started to take her coat off. Peter remarked the apartment had a lot of space. He asked her if she lived alone. She confirmed it. He noted, "Good." She pondered what he meant. He looked at some books stacked on a table. She asked what he was doing with his device. Peter told her it was technical and it was one of their "little toys." He quickly went to another door. Dana told him that was the bedroom, but nothing ever happened in there. Peter looked inside then closed the door and remarked what a crime that was. Dana paused then noted he did not act like a scientist. Peter surmised she meant they were usually pretty stiff. She believed he was more like a game show host. Peter was at a loss. He turned his head and asked her if that was the kitchen. She nodded.

Peter pushed the door open. Dana turned the light on. Everything was still there from when Dana left. Peter tossed the paper bag aside. Peter saw the eggs on the counter and asked her if those were the ones. She confirmed and recounted where she was standing when they just jumped right out of their shells and started to cook on the counter. Peter agreed that was weird. Dana continued and told him that was when she heard that awful noise coming from the refrigerator. Peter lifted up the lettuce and the cooked eggs. Dana asked him if he wanted to check the refrigerator. Peter thought that was a good call. She sighed. Peter slowly opened the refrigerator a crack and remarked, "Oh, my God." Dana became worried. Peter opened it wider and addressed all the junk food. Dana got frustrated. Peter took out an Oscar Mayer pack and asked her if she actually ate it. Dana took it away and exclaimed she saw a big space. Peter lifted the lid off a ceramic dish, it didn't smell good to him. She pointed out there was a building or something with flames coming out of it, there were creatures writhing around growling and snarling, and she heard a voice say "Zuul." Peter apologized and told her he was not getting any reading. Dana questioned if he was using the Sniffer correctly. Peter thought he was and confirmed there were no animals in there. Dana resigned herself to the face there was a monster in her kitchen or she was completely crazy. Peter told her he did not think she was crazy. Dana sarcastically replied she felt so much better. She walked away.

Peter followed her back into the living room and told her he came home from work to my place, and all I had was his work. He sat down. Before Dana could speak, Peter continued and claimed she had the same problem he had. She curtly identified that problem as him. Peter went for broke and admitted he was madly in love with her. She scoffed and looked away from him then asked him to leave. Peter self-narrated about being thrown out of her life, guessed she thought he was a creep and a geek, and she probably was not the first. Dana remarked he was so odd. Peter stopped at the front door and turned to her. She said, "No." Peter declared he got it. She repeated, "No" many times. Peter stated he would prove himself to her. She countered that was not necessary. She started to guide him to the door. Peter believed solving her problem would get her thinking about what made him tick and she was going to be thinking about him after he left. Dana smiled and bet she would. Before she could completely close the door, Peter stuck his face back in and asked for a kiss. She pushed his face out the door and slammed it shut. Louis Tully came out, thinking it was Dana, and tried to go in but he was locked out. He stood with his back to his door. Peter went down the hall lost in thought.

The exterior of the Firehouse. It was evening. Peter, Ray, and Egon sat at a small round table on the second floor and ate takeout Chinese. A snippet of "In The Name of Love" played. Peter raised his Budweiser and made a toast to their first customer. Ray raised his Budweiser and glumly toasted to their first and only customer. Egon stopped working on a particle thrower and raised his TaB. They drank. Peter suggested using some petty cash and taking her out to dinner so they don't lose her. Ray waved his chopsticks in a loose circle and revealed this "magnificent feast" represented the last of the petty cash. Peter stared then before Ray could take a bite, told him to slow down and chew his food.

See Also

• Deleted Scene: Dana

Trivia

Ghostbusters (1984) Trivia

• The exterior shot of the Shandor Building is a combination of the 55 Central Park West building and matte painting.
• Dana's apartment and hall part an interior constructed and extended over two adjoining sound stages, at Stage 12 and 18, at The Burbank Studios in Los Angeles.
• Bill Murray and Sigourney Weaver rehearsed the scene with Ivan Reitman the day before shooting. They restructured the scene and developed new ideas. As a result, the dialogue changed from what was in the final shooting script.
• After a couple takes of the entrance into Dana's apartment, Ivan Reitman suddenly yelled at Bill Murray to do something. Murray improvised the piano riff and "They hate this."
• At around the 26:40 mark of the Preview Cut, included first in the 2022 Ghostbusters Ultimate Edition, after Peter calls the Ghost Sniffer one of their toys, he compliments Dana's taste as he looks around the apartment then looks in the bedroom.
• In the October 7, 1983 draft, on page 25, the line of Dana commenting Peter reminds her of a used car salesman appears for the first time.
• Sigourney Weaver suggested the 'game show host' line, which was deemed more amusing and apropos of Peter Venkman's persona than the 'used car salesman' line.
• At around the 27:10 mark of the Preview Cut, there is a bit more of Peter and Dana entering the kitchen.
• At around the 28:02 mark of the Preview Cut, when Peter goes to check the refrigerator, Dana corrects him and tells him to open the top part. Peter does so then is aghast by all the junk food.
• The contents of Dana's refrigerator included:
  • Oscar Mayer Salami
  • Coca Cola
  • New Coke
  • Wish Bone dressing
  • Perrier
  • Smuckers Strawberry Jam
• Dana alludes to the Temple of Gozer and mentions Zuul.
• At around the 28:54 mark of the Preview Cut, the deleted scene "Dana" plays.
• Peter quickly professing his love for Dana was Bill Murray's idea.
• In the August 5, September 30, and October 7, 1983 drafts, Peter originally offers to stay the night on a purely scientific basis. She threatens to scream. Peter's "No kiss?" line originates in the drafts.
• Sigourney Weaver also suggested Dana's "You are so odd" line.
• After Peter was shoved out by Dana, Peter was scripted to say "What a woman," leaving Louis feeling crestfallen. It was filmed but cut during editing.
• By the September 30 and October 7, 1983 drafts, the apartment investigation ends on Peter walking past Louis, not noticing him. Louis sees his newspaper on the floor and tries to reach for it but has to abandon his doorway and gets locked out.
• At around the 30:47 mark of the Preview Cut, after being forced out into the hallway, Peter remarks, "God, what a woman."
• The outside of the Firehouse was from a night shoot at Hook and Ladder in New York.
• The Firehouse interiors were filmed at Fire Station #23 in Los Angeles.
• A snippet of "In The Name of Love" plays as the boys eat dinner.
• Peter and Ray drank Budweiser while Egon drank a TaB.
• Newly recovered dailies from a Kansas mine revealed some of the alternate takes and discarded material.
  • Takes of Peter playing the piano.
  • A longer take of Peter and Dana walking to the kitchen then Peter playing pretend with utensils.

Ghostbusters II Trivia

• In the Deleted Scene: Dana's Curse, Dana asks Egon and Ray what their readings mean and Peter replies, "It's technical" just like when he used the Ghost Sniffer in her first apartment.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife Trivia

• Phoebe Spengler's line stating she figured Gary Grooberson for a football coach is a callback to the first movie, Chapter 10: Checking Out Dana, when Dana told Peter he seemed more like a game show host than scientist.
• Gary remarking "cool" when he learns Callie Spengler is single mirrors when Peter remarks "good" when he learns Dana lives by herself.
• The Ghost Sniffer makes a cameo when Egon's ghost shows Phoebe his wall of framed diplomas.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Trivia

• Lars Pinfield uses the Ghost Sniffer in Nadeem's Apartment.

IDW Comics Trivia

• On page 6 of Ghostbusters Volume 1 Issue #14, Peter is wearing the outfit he wore before the Sedgewick Hotel bust in Ghostbusters.
• On page 6 of Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #1, the contents of the refrigerator loosely resembles what was in Dana Barrett's in the first movie.
• On page 2 of Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #7, Peter is wearing his outfit from when he investigated Dana's apartment.
• On page 13 of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters Issue #1, on the dining table is the 'magnificent feast' the Ghostbusters dined on just before they got the call from the Sedgewick Hotel.
• On page 11 of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters Issue #2, Egon's "It's...technical" response to the Ghost Sniffer question is a callback to Peter's response in the first movie to Dana's query.
• On page 19 of Ghostbusters International #8, in panel 1, right of Ray's first word balloon is a can of TaB, also seen in the first movie being drunk by Egon.
• On page 16 of Ghostbusters International #10, in panel 2, right of Ray is a can of TAB.
• Dana's game show host line from the first movie is referenced in Peter's biography on a Dramatis Personae Page in Ghostbusters Annual 2017.
• On page 7 of Ghostbusters Crossing Over Issue #2, Peter's outfit is based on the one he wore to his initial investigation in Chapter 10: Checking Out Dana.
• On page 4 of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #3, Rebecca Morales recalls Dana describing Peter as a game show host then remembers she told him so.

Gallery

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Chapter 09: The 1st Customer	Chapter 11: "We Got One!"