Ghostbusters Wiki

Until May 22, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire content will be handled by the administrators. For more detailed information about this, please check out the Spoiler Policy.

READ MORE

Ghostbusters Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Ghostbusters Wiki


Fried Eggs & Zuul is the seventh chapter on the DVDs of Ghostbusters. This chapter introduces the Ecto-1.

Cast[]

Equipment[]

Items[]

Locations[]

Plot[]

In her living room, Dana watched a commercial on her TV. Peter, Ray, and Egon stood side to side with each other outside Hook & Ladder No. 8. They wore blue lab coats. Peter held the camcorder. Ray wore the Ghost Sniffer and pointed it at the camera. Egon had on his stethoscope and PC-4 calculator. Ray asked, "Are you troubled by strange noises in the middle of the night?" Ray stepped back to his mark. Egon stepped forward to his mark and asked, "Do you experience feelings of dread in your basement or attic?" He stepped back to his original mark. Peter stepped forward and asked, "Have you or any of your family ever seen a spook, specter or ghost?" Ray continued, "If the answer is yes, then don't wait another minute. Pick up your phone and call the professionals." Dana placed her grocery bag on her coffee table and took her scarf off. In unison, they said, "Ghostbusters." "GHOSTBUSTERS 555-2368" flashed on the screen. Ray said, "Our courteous and efficient staff is on call twenty-four hours a day to serve all your supernatural elimination needs." Peter, Ray, and Egon were instantly by the door and said in unison, "We're ready to believe you!" They pointed at the camera. Dana smirked and turned the TV off. She picked up her grocery bag and walked into her kitchen. She started taking her groceries out on the table: lettuce, a bag of Stay Puft Marshmallows, a carton of eggs. She walked over to a cabinet and put some boxes away. The carton opened by itself. She placed a Wheat Thins box in last and closed the cabinet. The eggs trembled and leaped out of their shells then cooked on the counter. Dana looked up in surprise. Dana exclaimed, "Oh!" They cooked. She heard a growl. Dana turned to her refrigerator and walked to it. She opened the door and saw another dimension. In the center was a temple. A Terror Dog resting at the temple doors raised its head. Another with longer horns popped its head up in front of her and roared, "Zuul!" Dana screamed and closed the refrigerator.

Renovations were in full swing at Hook & Ladder. Peter supervised Marty and watched him put up a sign that read "GHOSTBUSTERS" in small type face. Peter asked Marty if he thought the sign was too subtle and people wouldn't see the sign. Marty turned his head to Peter and shook his head. A worker walked across with wood. Another came down the ladder across from Marty. A dark black hearse drove up to the firehouse. Peter tried to peer inside and yelled at the driver not to park there. Ray got out of the car. He announced he found the car and revealed it needed some suspension work, shocks, brakes, brake pads, linings, steering box, transmission, and a rear end. Peter asked how much it cost. Ray replied it only cost $4800. Peter was shocked speechless, not in a good way. Ray droned on it might need new rings, also mufflers, and a little wiring.

Quotes[]

Ray: Are you troubled by strange noises in the middle of the night?

Egon: Do you experience feelings of dread in your basement or attic?
Peter: Have you or any of your family ever seen a spook, specter or ghost?
Ray: If the answer is yes, then don't wait another minute. Pick up your phone and call the professionals ...
All: Ghostbusters!
Ray: Our courteous and efficient staff is on call 24 hours a day to serve all your supernatural elimination needs.
All: We're ready to believe you!

Trivia[]

Ghostbusters (1984) Trivia[]

  • In the January 20, 1983 draft:
    • Zuul was a generic term for the other-dimensional creature that would later evolve into the Terror Dogs.[1][2]
    • Gozer was absolute ruler of the sixth dimension and would stop at nothing to recover the Zuul, a most favored pet. In later drafts, Zuul and Vinz Clortho were seeking refuge from Gozer in New York.[3]
  • Dana's apartment, along with the outside hall and Louis' apartment, are interiors were constructed and extended over two adjoining sound stages, Stage 12 and 18, at The Burbank Studios in Los Angeles. They were built by John DeCuir and his team.[4]
  • Photo backdrops were exactly what you would see from the actual building out of any given window. Still photographs were even shot from the roof and all the way around the building, at day and night. These were enlarged into backlit backdrops.[5]
  • The television in Dana's living room is a Sony Trinitron KV-1711.
  • In the August 5, 1983 draft, on pages 25-26, Janine is shown answering the phone in the commercial. Egon is shown using his P.K.E. Meter in the basement. The Proton Pack is featured. Singers sing a lyric, "Ghostbusters - you have a ghost. But you don't want to play host..."
  • In the October 7, 1983 draft, on page 17-18, the Ghostbusters commercial was different in content with a fictional family acting scared, Ray says all the opening lines, and the family sings a jingle at the end. Read excerpt here.
    • Elements of commercial are reused for the commercial in Ghostbusters II. One of the mother's lines, "It's that darn ghost again," is spoken by Janine. One of the father's lines, "I guess we'll just have to move," is spoken by Louis.
  • According to Michael Gross, at one point a Stay Puft Marshmallows spot was considered for either the ending or beginning of the Ghostbusters commercial. A cartoon Stay Puft Marshmallow Man would be dancing around like the Pillsbury Doughboy. It was deemed overkill and discarded.[6]
  • The last box Dana puts into her cabinet are Nabisco Wheat Thins.
  • In the August 5, 1983 draft, on page 27, bread is added to the cooking scene. Slices of Wonder Bread toast themselves and fall forward like dominoes then the eggs spill onto the counter and fry.
  • In the August 5, 1983 draft, on page 28, in the refrigerator, a terrible presence whispers loudly to Dana, "Zuul!! Gatekeeper." She slams the refrigerator shut. The eggs are back in the cartons and the bread back in the bag like nothing happened. The interior of the refrigerator is back to normal, too. After she leaves, every metal utensil and appliance flies across the kitchen and sticks to the refrigerator.
  • At one point, the sequence of Dana slamming the refrigerator, followed by every metal appliance and utensil flying across the kitchen and sticking to the refrigerator door was going to be filmed. The effect would have been achieved by attaching the implements to the refrigerator and then yanking them away with invisible wires as the camera recorded the action in reverse but it was deemed too difficult and the sequence was cut.[7]
  • The eggs were scored with a small electric saw. Each cut was filled in with plaster, sanded smooth and painting. During the filming, air was injected into the egg which caused the egg shells to split along the scored pathways. Thus, the yolk would pop out onto the countertop, which was heated from beneath with two propane burners.[8]
  • The reveal of the Temple of Gozer and Terror Dogs in Dana's refrigerator was done during post-production. The Temple of Gozer shot was taken at the Stage 16 set, the Terror Dogs were a combination of stop-motion animation and the fully-articulated puppet. Various smoke and flame elements were also used.[9]
  • The Gozerian dimension inside Dana's refrigerator was a set at Boss Films Studios, too. A "pool" was formed with plywood and it was filled with smoke and dry ice. While in the Terror Dog puppet, Terri Hardin waited below the camera line then rose and did her roar on cue. The red eyes were operated by someone off-camera.[10]
  • During the first screening of the movie, the reveal of the Temple of Gozer and Terror Dogs was not ready and in its place was a "Scene Missing" card but the scene still got a great response.[11]
  • In the August 5, 1983 draft, on page 20, the No-Ghost sign is put up outside the firehouse immediately after it was purchased.
  • According to Joe Medjuck, it was only 4 weeks into shooting before the name Ghostbusters could be legally used. As a contingency, three different signs were also made up for the carpenter to hang up but the only other serious alternate was Ghoststoppers.[12]
  • The exterior scene outside the Firehouse was filmed at Hook & Ladder in New York.
  • In the July 6, 1983 draft, Ray arrives with a blue and white, 1975 Cadillac Full Formal Excelsior Ambulance that he bought for $600.
  • In the September 30, 1983 draft, on page 21, the Cadillac is now listed as a "very long, gold 1959 Cadillac ambulance" that cost $1400. Ray begins to list off what needs to be fixed in this draft, too.
  • At around the 22:25 mark of the Preview Cut, included for first time in the 2022 Ghostbusters Ultimate Edition, after Ray lists off all the things that need to be fixed on the Cadillac, Peter asks if it has tires. Ray confirms there are four. Peter looks at the lights and comments 'they' don't make them anymore.
  • In Chapter 14: Welcome Aboard, Dana alludes to the refrigerator incident when she learns about Gozer.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife Trivia[]

  • The teenagers looking down the mine shaft and seeing a figure say "Gozer" mirrors Dana's refrigerator scene.
  • Phoebe watches "Old Ghostbusters Ad (1984)" on a laptop in her bedroom. It is the commercial from the first movie, Chapter 7: Fried Eggs & Zuul.
    • However, based on text overlay, the version used was not the one in the first movie. It is a fan-edit of the commercial uploaded by "Core" on June 9, 2017. It was assembled using the text-free commercial outtakes from the PlayStation 3 version of Ghostbusters: The Video Game.
  • Mini-Pufts emerge from bags of Stay Puft Marshmallows in the Summerville Walmart.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game Trivia[]

  • The opening cutscene of Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Realistic Versions) is a new commercial but utilizes the majority of the same script as the first one in the movie. In this one, the Ghostbusters are in their flight suits and it ends on Peter mentioning franchise applications are being accepted.
  • If you stand outside Room 1204 for a minute or so during the Welcome to the Sedgewick level, you can hear the dialogue of the Ghostbusters commercial from the first movie playing inside.
  • On the second floor of the Firehouse, in Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Realistic Versions), on the employee of the month board:
    • For February, the still of Peter is from the commercial in Chapter 7, around the 18:49 mark.
    • For October, the still of Peter is from Chapter 7, around the 20:38 mark, when Peter is looking down at the Cadillac in disbelief at the cost and list of repairs needed.

IDW Comics Trivia[]

  • In Ghostbusters: Guess What's Coming to Dinner?, on page 74, Winston Zeddemore says he hopes "it's not another ghost in the fridge."
  • Cover RI of Ghostbusters Volume 1 Issue #2 is a homage to the commercial.
  • On page 17 of Ghostbusters Volume 1 Issue #4, the original Ghostbusters commercial is playing in 2206.
  • The back cover of the Ghostbusters Volume 1 TPB re-uses Cover B of Issue #2, a take on the commercial.
  • On page 14 of Ghostbusters Volume 1 Issue #12, Ecto-1a's billboard references the 1-800-555-2368 number from the commercial in the first movie
  • On page 4 of Ghostbusters: Times Scare!, Peter uses the KL5-2368 (555-2368) phone number from the first movie.
  • On page 9 of Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #6, behind Janine Melnitz is the car that would become Ecto-1 that Ray just bought.
  • On page 1 of Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #9, the Ghostbusters commercial uses the 555-2368 phone number is from the commercial in the first movie.
  • On page 20 of Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #13, there's bag of Stay Puft Marshmallows.
  • On page 2 of the Ghostbusters: Mass Hysteria hardcover collection, partially cut off in the upper left corner, is a bag of Stay Puft Marshmallows.
  • On page 22 of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters Issue #2, in Ray's locker is a bag of Stay Puft Marshmallows.
  • On page 16 of Ghostbusters Annual 2015, the original Ghostbusters commercial from the first movie plays on the TV on the left.
  • In Ghostbusters International Issue #1, the issue's main story "Ready to Believe Everyone" - a nod to the commercial's slogan.
  • In Ghostbusters 101 Issue #2:
    • On Page 6, in panel 6, Egon has on his lab coat ensemble from the commercial in Ghostbusters, including his stethoscope and PC-4 Calculator.
    • On Page 7, in panel 6, the shot is a homage to the end of the commercial in Ghostbusters along with the 555-2368 phone number in the yellow font. The difference is Winston is now added to the line up.
  • In Ghostbusters: Funko Universe:
    • The Retailer Exclusive Cover takes place in Dana's kitchen and there is a bag of Stay Puft Marshmallows in in the lower right corner.
    • On page 3, Egon wears his blue lab coat from the commercial.
  • On the Subscription Cover of Ghostbusters 101 Issue #4, Peter is wearing his outfit from the commercial in the first movie.
  • On page 18 of Ghostbusters 101 Issue #5, Ray's blue shirt and khaki slacks civies appears to be based on the civies he wears in Chapter 7 and 9 of the first movie but the collar is colored blue instead.
  • On page 17 of Ghostbusters Crossing Over #8, Ray and Egon are in their blue lab coats from the commercial in the first movie. Egon has his Stethoscope and PC-4 Calculator as well.
  • On page 2 of Ghostbusters IDW 20/20, Egon is wearing a blue lab coat from the commercial in the first movie.
  • On page 6 of Transformers/Ghostbusters: Ghosts of Cybertron Issue #4, in panel 2, the 555-2368 phone number from the commercial is on Optimus Prime's vehicle form.
  • On Cover B and page 5 of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #1, the New York Times Monday classifieds references the original 555-2368 Ghostbusters' phone number.
  • On page 6 of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #1, Janine alludes to when Peter asked Marty if the first sign was too subtle or not.
  • On Cover B of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #2, there is a bag of Stay Puft Marshmallows like the one that appeared in the first movie.
  • On Cover B of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #2, a photo of Ray in his blue lab coat from the first commercial.
  • On Cover B of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #2, Ray's file lists the 555-2368 phone number seen in the commercial.
  • On Cover RI of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #2, Ray is in civies from Chapter 7.
  • On Cover B of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #3, there is a photo of Peter in his blue lab coat from the first commercial in Chapter 7: Fried Eggs & Zuul.
  • On Cover RI of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #3, Peter is also in his blue lab coat from the first commercial.
  • On cover B of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #4:
    • Janine's phone references the Ghostbusters' 555-2368 phone number seen in Chapter 7: Fried Eggs & Zuul.
    • The file photo is of Egon in his blue lab coat from the commercial in Chapter 7: Fried Eggs & Zuul.
  • On page 20 of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #4, in panel 3, Peter is in his purple sweater from Chapter 7: Fried Eggs & Zuul when Ray arrives with the car.

Tertiary Canon Trivia[]

  • On page 5 of Egon's Journal, a supplement of the Hasbro Haslab Ghostbusters Plasma Series Spengler's Proton Pack, there is a reference to Chapter 7: Fried Eggs & Zuul:
    • There is the list of repairs for the Cadillac Ray told Peter about.
  • On page 6 of Egon's Journal, there are several references to Chapter 7: Fried Eggs & Zuul:
    • Dana's eggs frying themselves.
    • Dana seeing the Gozerian dimension in her refrigerator.
    • Dana hearing "Zuul."
  • On page 13 of Egon's Journal, there is a reference to Chapter 7: Fried Eggs & Zuul:
    • The newspaper clipping has a photograph of Peter, Ray, and Egon from their first commercial.
  • In Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, the Fab Coat full suit was added on August 1, 2023 in DLC #3 and is based on the lab coats worn by Peter, Egon, and Ray in their commercial in the first movie in Chapter 7.
  • In Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord, one of the unlockable player costumes is the blue lab coat.

References[]

  1. Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 125 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "In Dan Aykroyd's original script, the root of New York's widespread psychic disturbances lay in the fact that a 'Zuul' -- a generic term for the other-dimensional creature which would later evolve into the Terror Dogs -- had somehow strayed out of its rightful time and place and was being held captive by the Ghostbusters' employer, himself a transdimensional being."
  2. Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 45 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Michael Gross says: "Louis' apartment is actually behind the door that Louis comes out of, and Dana's apartment is actually on the other side of the door she enters -- which is unusual in filmmaking. Often, it's cheaper to piece things together. But John DeCuir likes to base his sets in reality as much as possible. And it made things much easier for Ivan when it came to shoot. John's entire crew were really incredible. We went into Dana's apartment set the night before shooting and said, 'We want this changed, we want that changed.' The prop people worked all through the night; and the next morning, the entire set was redressed to our specifications."
  3. Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 125 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "Unfortunately, the Zuul happened to be a favored pet of the all-powerful Gozer -- absolute ruler of the sixth dimension -- who, it seemed, would stop at nothing to recover it. When this concept was superseded in subsequent drafts, Zuul became a given name for the female Terror Dog, which -- along with her like companion Vinz Clortho -- is seeking refuge from the Gozer in New York."
  4. Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 45 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "The sprawling apartment house interiors -- two key apartment and the hallway between them -- extended over two adjoining soundstages on the Burbank studios lot."
  5. Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 61 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Michael Gross says: "So when you're in Dana's apartment and you're looking out the window at the photo backdrops positioned outside, that's an exact point of view from that floor of that address, as it would be looking out of that particular window. He even went to the extent of going up on the roof and shooting still photographs all the way around the building -- both day and night -- so that we could have them enlarged into just the right backlit backdrops."
  6. Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 49 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Michael Gross says: "The Stay-Puft marshmallow man appears several times in the film, because we wanted to build a continuity of his presence. In fact, at one point, we considered either ending or beginning the Ghostbusters commercial with a Stay-Puft spot -- complete with a little stop motion countertop like the Pillsbury doughboy. We discarded that idea, though, as being a bit of overkill."
  7. Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 50 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "At one point, another scene was to follow Dana's departure. As soon as she left the kitchen, every metal appliance and utensil in sight was to fly across the room and stick to the refrigerator door. After discussing numerous ways to achieve the effect -- the most likely being attaching the implements to the refrigerator and then yanking them away with invisible wires as the camera recorded the action in reverse -- the idea was discarded as unnecessarily difficult. In the final edit, the entire sequence cuts immediately after Dana slams the refrigerator door."
  8. Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 48 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "Special effects foreman Joe Day makes last-minute adjustments to Chuck Gaspar's self-frying egg mechanism. Well in advance of photography, selected egg shells were scored with a small electric saw. Each minute cut was filled in with plaster, then sanded smooth and painting. During the scene, air was injected into the eggs from below causing the shells to split along their prescored paths and the insides to pop out and onto the countertop -- surfaced with teflon-coated aluminum and heated from beneath with two propane burners."
  9. Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 49 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "Dana's 'chilling' discovery was revealed in two seperate shots -- complex optical composites pieced together during the final stages of postproduction effects work at Entertainment Effects Group. Assembled from elements generated primarily for other scenes in the film, the hellish Gateway encompassed bits of footage taken on the gigantic Gozer temple set, stop-motion and full-size articulated Terror Dogs, plus various smoke and flame elements."
  10. The Containment Unit YouTube "Terri Hardin (Zuul, Ghostbusters) Interview" 23:22-24:19 1/2/2021 Terri Hardin says: "What they did is they cordoned off a part, second unit, off at Maxella and it was a big plywood-like pool filled with smoke and dry ice and then I was below the line and I would come up and they would have me just bring him up, bring him up, bring him up, and bring him up probably about a 30 or 40 pound dog so after awhile, he's a little tired but you would bring him up and "Rrr" like this and then some body off-camera who could actually see the dog would do the red eyes firing up and down. A lot of times I think it was Randy Cook but I couldn't be sure if that was true. Sometimes with was Tim or Ron. Tim Lawrence or Ron Harrison. Harrison Ray. Changed his name."
  11. Ivan Reitman (1999). Ghostbusters- Commentary (1999) (DVD ts. 20:02-20:22). Columbia TriStar Home Video. Ivan Reitman says: "At that very first screening we talked about, this next special effect was not available and so when the first audience that saw this test screening, it went to that shot and it only said, "Scene missing" and they just freaked out. It was the best response we ever had to the screening. I always thought that we ought to take this crappy effects shot out and leave the "scene missing" here."
  12. Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 50 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Joe Medjuck says: "We were about four weeks into shooting before we knew for certain that we could use the name. Because of that, we had three different signs made up for the carpenter to hang over the firehouse door -- each with a different name on it, although the only other serious contender was Ghoststoppers. Finally, we struck a deal with Filmation that allowed us to stick with our original title."

Gallery[]

Videos[]

Chapter Grabs[]

Collages[]

Behind the Scenes[]

Trivia Images[]

 
Previous Chapter Next Chapter
Chapter 06: Spook Central Chapter 08: "Bug-Eyes Thing"
Advertisement