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Zuul the Gatekeeper , or better known as Zuul , is one of the two secondary antagonists (alongside Vinz Clortho ) of the original 1984 Ghostbusters film, and a major antagonist in its 2021 sequel Ghostbusters: Afterlife .

She is is one of the two main minions of the powerful demonic deity known as Gozer and is part of a race of hellhounds known as Terror Dogs . Zuul is known as the " Gatekeeper of Gozer " and is considered by many to be a female entity due to the fact it possessed a female victim and its role as the "Gatekeeper".

Whilst possessing Dana Barrett in Ghostbusters , she was portrayed by Sigourney Weaver , who also played The Director in The Cabin in the Woods . While possessing Callie Spengler in Ghostbusters: Afterlife , she was physically portrayed by Carrie Coon, who also played Proxima Midnight in Avengers: Infinity War , and voiced by Shohreh Aghdashloo, who also portrayed Sunny Quadri in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit .

Biography [ ]

Zuul was worshipped by the Sumerians and Hittites in 6000 BC, along with Gozer before he and his followers were overthrown by the Babylonian goddess Tiamat and her followers and thus banished to another dimension.

Centuries later, Zuul rewakens from its statue-like hibernation after a spirit was seen in a strange temple within another dimension by Dana Barrett from her refrigerator at her 55 Central Park West apartment calling out for her. Zuul later attacked and possessed her inside of her apartment and began seeking out Vinz Clortho, the Keymaster who had likewise possessed Louis Tully's body - the union of these two demons would spark the necessary power to release Gozer into the mortal world and begin the apocalypse.

DanaAttackedByZuul

Dana attacked and then inhabited by Zuul.

Zuul had originally sought out Dana as an apparition inside of her refrigerator. It laid in front of Gozer's Temple and growled the name "Zuul" at a terrified Dana, causing her to seek the Ghostbusters help. Some time after this incident, during a fierce thunderstorm, Zuul manifested itself physically by "hatching" out of one of two dog-like gargoyles sitting atop the Shandor Building in front of the Temple of Gozer. Later that night, Dana arrived at her apartment exhausted and laid back on her sofa after talking to her mother over the phone. She noticed a bright light seeping through the kitchen door frame and saw the door warping, as if being clawed at by a large beast. Before Dana could react, demon claws ripped through the sofa arms pinning her as the kitchen door swung open, revealing Zuul.

Peter meets Zuul

Peter meeting Zuul (in Dana Barrett's body).

A horrified Dana screamed as her sofa slid into the kitchen where The Gatekeeper attacked and inhabited her. While possessing Dana's body, Zuul was able to speak in Dana's voice but could not access her memories or knowledge. Dana now took on the identity of The Gatekeeper and proceeded to wait for Vinz Clortho, The Keymaster, another minion of Gozer who had possessed the body of Louis Tully, Dana's neighbor.

While lying in wait of The Keymaster, Zuul was visited by Peter Venkman, who had previously arranged a date with Dana. Peter immediately noticed the radical change possession had caused in Dana, who was now wearing a very revealing red dress and was aggressively seducing him from the moment she opened the door. Peter is taken aback and initially responds negatively when Zuul seductively asks if he is the Keymaster, this prompts Zuul to slam the dookr furiously in his face. Peter knocked on her door on e again. When Zuul asks once again if he is the Keymaster, he lies to gain entry to the apartment, telling Zuul he was a friend of his.

ZuulBreaksThrough

Zuul roaring monstrously, demonstrating her demonic powers.

Zuul introduced herself as "The Gatekeeper" and told Peter of their plans to prepare for the coming of Gozer, "The Destructor". Zuul laid down on her bed, seducing Peter aggressively. However, he did not reciprocate her lustful intentions and instead focused on trying to talk to "Dana". At first Zuul dismissed his efforts before resuming her wanton seduction but Peter repeatedly refused and restrained her to the bed instead. His persistence began wearing on Zuul and made her increasingly angry and frustrated. Peter asks to speak to Dana and Zuul playfully tells him “there is no Dana, there is only Zuul” then tries to kiss him. Peter restrains her and insists on speaking with Dana which makes her visibly irritated. As Peter asks once more, Zuul (in Dana's body) begins panting desperately before announcing in a deep, demonic growling, voice that "There is no Dana, only Zuul!".

Zuul meets Vinz

The Keymaster finding the Gatekeeper at last.

Peter recoiled briefly before giving her to the count of three to release Dana. With each successive count, Zuul further manifested her demonic nature within Dana's body, first by turning her eyes white while snarling, then by thrashing her head while panting like a beast and finally by growling and snarling uncontrollably while levitating off her bed. Zuul unleashed her frustration with a barrage of inhuman growls before turning over in midair to stare down at a speechless Peter. He observed as Zuul floated above him, purring demonically after her outburst. Peter laid on the bed underneath her and timidly asked her to come down. Zuul briefly stopped purring before she replied with a vicious roar. Zuul was later sedated by Peter and remained asleep until Walter Peck shut down the Ecto-containment unit, allowing The Keymaster to escape.

Upon the release of all of the ghosts, Zuul awoke and gazed ecstatically at the chaotic events from her living room window; as beams of supernatural energy flew past her window Zuul unleashed another monstrous roar which caused her entire living room wall to explode outwards. As Zuul stared through the wreckage of the apartment, Vinz wandered around the city aimlessly searching for her until finally stumbling upon the Shandor Building. Zuul lies seductively on her sofa, waiting for her Keymaster amidst the demolished apartment when she suddenly lifts her head to stare at the front door which burst open to reveal a disheveled Vinz. He introduced himself to a grinning Zuul, who likewise identified herself. Vinz walked into the apartment as the door magically slammed shut behind him. Zuul rose seductively from her sofa as Vinz stared lustfully, she walked toward him and the two demons shared a passionate kiss before walking up a hidden staircase leading to the rooftop where they finally consummated their satanic union.

ZuulTransformation

Zuul absorbing the Temple of Gozer's demonic energy.

Post-coitus the demonic couple took their respective places atop the pedestals occupied by the Terror Dogs. Zuul and Vinz waited until the Temple had amassed enough supernatural energy from the hellish storm raging above them then began raising their arms up to the sky, signaling the beginning of the opening of the doors to the Temple of Gozer.

As their arms reached their peak the two demons became struck by the supernatural lightning being stored atop the Temple; they redirected the energy toward the doors causing them to grind open. Once the entrance to the Temple had swung open, Zuul and Vinz began to completely absorb the lightning's supernatural powers causing their bodies thrashing violently and glow blue as a result.

The Ghostbusters arrived at the rooftop just in time to stare in shock as Zuul and Vinz's human forms succumb to the energy, the two got down on all fours and became engulfed in lightning explosions which transformed them into their true demonic Terror Dog forms. With their transformations complete, the two demonic beasts roar ferociously at the Ghostbusters before taking their places beside Gozer, who entered through the gate with the intent of destroying the world.

After Gozer was defeated by the Ghostbusters, Zuul disappears from this dimension and Dana Barrett is transformed back into a human being, having no recollection of the events that took place since her and Louis' demonic possession.

  • Zuul is referenced in What in Samhain Just Happened?! on page eight. Janine's Car's license plate reads "GBI ZUL".
  • On page 17 and 19 of Ghostbusters Issue #3 , Zuul is referenced by Idulnas and in the Spates Catalog entry for Idulnas. It is said Idulnas' power eclipsed that of Zuul.
  • Despite being a minion of Gozer, Zuul enjoys quite a large fanbase and the name is well-known even to those who are not active Ghostbusters fans due to it often being parodied or referenced in other works.
  • Zuul is mentioned in the post-credits scene of the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot.
  • Zuul is the etymology of the Ankylosaurid dinosaur Zuul crurivastator.

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Meet Zuul, the new dinosaur species named after 'Ghostbusters' demon

Life drawing of Zuul crurivastator. Scientists have dug an exceptionally preserved spiky-tailed dinosaur. It's a new species, dubbed "Zuul cruvirastator," after the horned "Ghostbusters" demon; "crurvivastator" means "destroyer of shins" for the animal's bony club of a tail.

When scientists needed a name for a newfound dinosaur with wicked horns and protruding spikes, they knew exactly who to call.

Researchers christened the discovery Zuul after the uncannily similar monster in the 1984 classic Ghostbusters . After the name popped into her head, “we couldn’t resist,” says Victoria Arbour of Canada’s Royal Ontario Museum.

Like its movie counterpart, Zuul the dinosaur had large horns on its head and smaller spikes on its face. The Cretaceous Zuul was a vegetarian, stuffing down greenery to maintain its 5,500-pound bulk. The celluloid Zuul, on the other hand, served the forces of destruction.

Still, Zuul the dinosaur carried superior weaponry — its long, spiked tail, with a massive knob of bone at the tip. This “tail club” could have smacked around a tyrannosaur intent on having Zuul for dinner. Zuul also might have wielded it against rivals of its own kind.

The tail club inspired the second part of the animal’s full scientific name: Zuul crurivastator, which means Zuul, Destroyer of Shins. The animal makes its scientific debut in a study published by Arbour and her museum colleague David Evans in this week’s Royal Society Open Science .

The dinosaur lived some 75 million years ago in what are now the badlands of northern Montana. In Zuul’s day, the area was a lush landscape swarming with dinosaurs, turtles and crocodile-like creatures. A fossil-hunting company digging up a different dinosaur in 2014 accidentally uncovered Zuul. Arbour and Evans’s museum acquired the fossil, and the scientists realized they had something special on their hands.

Zuul was a type of ankylosaurid, massive plant-eaters armed with tail clubs. North American ankylosaurids are usually found in bits and pieces, with fragments often too small to pinpoint the animal’s species, says Shoji Hayashi of Japan’s Okayama University of Science, who was not part of the study. But the fossil from Montana included the whole skull and the entire tail as well as the rest of the body. It is by far the most complete ankylosaurid ever found in North America.

Even better, part of Zuul’s body was mummified, preserving the fingernail-like sheaths that covered its bony body armor. The level of preservation is “astonishing,” Hayashi says, and should allow researchers to learn more about dinosaur skin and color.

The fossil is “just incredible,” agrees Andrew Farke of California’s Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology, who wasn’t involved in the study. “This is really going to be a keystone for understanding the evolution of this group of ankylosaurs in North America.”

Imaging of the inside of the skull could reveal details about the animal’s brain, such as which senses it relied on most heavily, says Peter Dodson of the University of Pennsylvania, who also wasn't involved in the study.

Zuul’s torso and legs are still encased in a block of rock, which will take several years to chip off. But, the dinosaur is already painting a more accurate picture of ankylosaurids. Sharp, pointy bone plates run the entire length of Zuul’s tail, showing that North American ankylosaurids, not just their Asian counterparts, were heavily armored nearly down to their tail tips. Adults like the new find “probably weren’t going to get eaten by too many other animals, and this is why,” Arbour says. “You’ve got these great spikes.”

Spikes were useful but not necessarily pretty. Dinosaurs of this kind were “grotesque,” Dodson says, and Zuul is “no exception. … Only a mother could love an ankylosaur.”

“Beauty,” responds Arbour, “is in the eye of the beholder.”

Meet Zuul, Destroyer of Shins—a Dinosaur Named After Ghostbusters

It came from a giant Montana quarry, not Sigourney Weaver’s fridge.

zuul in ghostbusters

In 2014, a commercial fossil company was digging for tyrannosaur skeletons in a giant Montana quarry when one of its pit-loaders accidentally bumped into the tail of a very different dinosaur. It was an ankylosaur—a low-slung plant-eater with armored plates on its back, and a huge defensive club at the end of its tail. The company was looking for a tyrannosaur, but it ended up finding the thing that smacks tyrannosaurs in the shins.

The specimen was acquired by the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, and scientists Victoria Arbour and David Evans started examining it last year. They soon realized that it was a new species . Arbour has named a few new ankylosaurs before: Crichtonpelta , after the Jurassic Park author and the Greek word for a small shield; Zaraapelta , after the Mongolian word for hedgehog; and Ziapelta , after the Zia people of New Mexico. But for this new animal, she went in a different direction.

In the creature’s horned head, she saw the spitting image of Zuul, the Gatekeeper of Gozer—the demonic dog that appeared in Ghostbusters and haunted Sigourney Weaver’s fridge. “David and I batted around some ideas and I half-jokingly threw up Zuul,” says Arbour. “He loved it immediately.” And for the species name, they went for “ crurivastator ,” from the Latin words for “destroyer of shins.” “I had really wanted to use that for a long time and I was saving it for a specimen with a really well preserved tail,” says Arbour. “I wasn’t going to get a better choice than with this fellow.”

zuul in ghostbusters

Arbour has been studying ankylosaurs for a decade, and in one of her first studies, she showed that they could indeed destroy shins. By using medical scanners to create three-dimensional computer models of the tail clubs , and putting these through digital crash-tests, she showed that they are formidable weapons. The tails were sturdy enough to swing the clubs, and the largest knobs would have hit with enough force to break bone.

Zuul has an unusually flattened club and spikes running down its length of its tail. Its head, meanwhile, has distinctive peaks and pyramids over the eyes, and short horns projecting back from the skull. But it’s the presence of both head and tail that’s surprising: Zuul is the first ankylosaur in which both features are preserved. For some reason, most of these armored giants are missing either their front or back ends.

Arbour thinks that’s because they’re so bulky and heavy: As the animal decays, these elements snap off and roll away from the rest of the skeleton. It also seems that ankylosaurs were solitary animals, whose fossils are therefore harder to find than those of duck-billed hadrosaurs, or Triceratops and its horned kin. Whatever the reasons, a complete ankylosaur is reason for excitement.

zuul in ghostbusters

“I’m so happy that the Royal Ontario Museum got it and it went to a good home, where it’ll be prepared properly,” says James Kirkland , a state paleontologist for the Utah Geological Survey, who was also contacted about the specimen. “With a specimen like that, if someone just wanted an impressive mounted skeleton, you’d lose a lot of the data. The keratin on the armor is fragile stuff.”

He’s talking about the animal’s skin. After its death, Zuul was partially mummified, so it still retains with many features that are extremely rare in dinosaur fossils, including bony scales called osteoderms, and impressions of the creature’s skin. There are even some dark films that might represent traces of protein like keratin. “It really helps us understand what Zuul looked like while it was alive,” says Arbour. “We want to do tests to see if we can find ancient molecules like keratin in its skin.”

Elsewhere in Canada, the paleontologists of the Royal Tyrrell Museum have also struck gold. In a tar-sand mine in Alberta, they uncovered a nodosaur —an ankylosaur with spines on its neck and shoulders, but no tail club. Like Zuul, it’s also beautifully preserved and partially mummified. “It’s a spectacular specimen,” says Kirkland. “It’s perfect. It’s pickled.”

zuul in ghostbusters

Ankylosaurs “don’t have the same public popularity like tyrannosaurs or raptors,” says Arbour, “but I think interest is increasing.” She hopes that these new discoveries will help to spur that interest. Already, they’ve shown that the group was more successful and species-rich than people had thought. In the millions of years before an asteroid wiped out the majority of dinosaurs, they were flourishing, diversifying, and evolving fast—a dynasty of living tanks, destroying shins and taking names.

Entertainment

'Ghostbusters' Re-Introduces An Original Bad Guy

zuul in ghostbusters

The fun doesn't stop when the credits begin in the new Ghostbusters movie. Audiences are treated to a few bumper scenes while the end titles roll, including a cameo by Sigourney Weaver as Holtzmann's mentor and Chris Hemsworth's possessed secretary Kevin leading the NYPD, SWAT, and other response teams in an on-point dance number. And I sincerely hope you got the memo to stay for the post-credits scene. In less than a minute, the stage is set for a potential Ghostbusters sequel. All four women are in their lab, working. Patty (Leslie Jones) uses headphones to listen to a taped recording; she stops the tape and asks, " What's Zuul ?" A gasp went around my screening at that line, followed by a laugh. But if you're asking yourself who is Zuul , and why is he significant to the Ghostbusters fandom? Basically, he started it all.

The name Zuul might ring a bell, even if you've never seen the original 1984 Ghostbusters . One Zuul-related line in particular found a pop culture foothold. It's been 30+ years and I still see "There is no Dana, only Zuul" in memes. But context helps, so here's the deal with that character and that joke.

Sigourney Weaver plays Dana Barrett, a classical cellist who lives alone in an apartment on Central Park West. She becomes one of the original Ghostbusters' first real clients when she finds a being haunting her kitchen. ("And this voice said 'Zuul.' And then I slammed the refrigerator door and I left. That was two days ago, and I haven't been back to my apartment.") The men check "the usual literature" to find out what they're dealing with and learn that Zuul is a Sumerian demi-god who reached the height of his popularity in 6000 B.C. And though Zuul is said to have been powerful in his own right, he's also a servant of a bigger deal god: Gozer.

Bill Murray's character Dr. Venkman goes with Dana to her apartment to get a reading on any paranormal activity and to needle her about going out with him. He can't find any sign of a ghost or demon, so Dana moves back in. When Venkman picks Dana up for their date, she's been possessed by the spirit of Zuul. He refuses to engage with her possessor, repeatedly asking to speak to Dana. Hence the oft-quoted line above. Zuul has taken over a body in order to mate with "the Keymaster," who moves in to the form of Dana's geeky neighbor, Louis. Their physical consummation is required to bring Gozer onto this metaphysical plane and bring about the destruction of the world. Obviously, the Ghostbusters foil this plan and save New York City. The spirits vacate Dana and Louis, who aren't seriously harmed.

Since this year's Ghostbusters is a complete reboot of the property, technically, none of this ever occurred. The 1984 Ghostbusters V. Gozer showdown happened in a different reality. Otherwise, amateur New York City historian Patty would certainly have heard of Zuul. Screenwriters Paul Feig and Katie Dippold were smart to establish a new villain in the first film and wait to pull in a familiar baddie once their take on the franchise was established. The Wrap reported that Sony is planning on developing a Ghostbusters sequel , so it's only a matter of time before Patty and her colleagues get up close and personal with Zuul. Maybe they should invest in refrigerator locks, just as a precaution.

Images: Columbia Pictures; Giphy (2)

zuul in ghostbusters

May 11, 2017

New Dinosaur Resembles Ghostbusters Monster Zuul

The new ankylosaurus fossil is one of the most complete ever found in North America

By Laura Geggel & LiveScience

What's as long as a pickup truck, as heavy as a white rhinoceros and as weird-looking as Zuul, the monster from the 1984 “Ghostbusters” movie? A newfound species of ankylosaurus .

In a new study, researchers describe the 75-million-year-old dinosaur that lived during the Cretaceous  and sported bony armor and spikes.

Due to its uncanny resemblance to Zuul, paleontologists are calling it Zuul crurivastator (CRUR-uh-vass-TATE-or). The genus name is a nod to Zuul, the fictional Gatekeeper of Gozer in “Ghostbusters.” The species name translates to “destroyer of shins” in Latin, a name inspired by the club at the end of the dinosaur's tail. [ See images of Zuul crurivastator , the 75-million-year-old ankylosaurus ]

Like Zuul in “Ghostbusters,” Z. crurivastator has a short, rounded snout, large horns and a gnarled appearance, the researchers said. They found the beast in 2016 in Montana's Judith River Formation, a site known for its vast array of dinosaur fossils.

But despite the formation's fame among fossil hunters, the discovery of Z. crurivastator took the researchers by surprise. For starters, it is the first ankylosaur from the formation that has received a scientific name, they said. It's also one of the most complete dinosaur skeletons from this formation.

“Remarkably, [it] is the first ankylosaurin skeleton known with a complete skull and tail club , and it is the most complete ankylosaurid ever found in North America,” the researchers wrote in the study.

The Zuul-like specimen also has preserved soft tissues, including osteoderms (armor made of bone), skin impressions and dark films that likely represent preserved keratin, the researchers said.

Z. crurivastator may have looked intimidating, as if it would devour another dinosaur, but it was actually a plant eater, the researchers said. Rather, it likely used the club at the end of its 10-foot-long (3 meters) tail to hit the legs of predators, they added. Moreover, it may have used its powerful tail to battle rival males for mates or territory, the researchers said.

Zuul also sported several rows of large, sharp, bony spikes along its 20-foot-long (6 m) body, the researchers said. It weighed about 5,500 lbs. (2,500 kilograms), about as much as a modern white rhinoceros.

“I’ve been working on ankylosaurs for years, and the spikes running all the way down Zuul’s tail were a fantastic surprise to me — like nothing I’ve ever seen in a North American ankylosaur,” the study's lead researcher, Victoria Arbour, a postdoctoral fellow of paleontology at the Royal Ontario Museum and University of Toronto, said in a statement.

The finding shows that ankylosaurus dinosaurs were evolving rapidly during the late Cretaceous period in North America, the researchers added.

The preservation of Zuul is “truly remarkable,” the study's senior researcher, David Evans, the curator of vertebrate palaeontology at the Royal Ontario Museum, said in the statement.

“Not only is the skeleton almost completely intact, but large parts of the bony armour in the skin are still in its natural position,” Evans said. “Most excitingly, soft tissues such as scales and the horny sheaths of spikes are preserved, which will be a focus of our future research.”

The study will be published today (May 10) in the journal Royal Society Open Science .

Original article on Live Science .

Copyright 2017  LIVESCIENCE.com , a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

New species of incredible 'living tank' dinosaur unveiled

Even fierce tyrannosaurs would have been afraid of Zuul, a club-tailed Cretaceous beast known as the "destroyer of shins."

On the second floor of Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum , the skeleton of an older, ganglier cousin of Tyrannosaurus rex stands tall. But if the creature were alive today, it might be limping. More than 70 million years ago, this Gorgosaurus would have been an apex predator in what are now the badlands of Montana and western Canada. Apex doesn't mean invincible, though. The animal's right shin is a mess of broken bone that healed over in life.

What broke the poor tyrannosaur's leg? Short of hopping in a time machine, researchers can't be sure. But elsewhere in the same museum, visitors can get a glimpse of one of the best—and most exquisite—suspects in this Cretaceous cold case.

Ankylosaurids are best known for their tails, which evolved into stiff sledgehammers capped with bony knobs up to two feet wide. Zuul 's club may have helped it fend off predators or rivals within its own species, earning it the species name crurivastator— Latin for “destroyer of shins.”

Meet Zuul crurivastator, a new species of ankylosaurid that's also the most complete fossil of its kind ever found in North America. In life, the animal was a 20-foot-long living tank bristling with armor and weighing as much as a white rhinoceros . In death, its hulking fossil is amazingly well-preserved from its snout to its sledgehammer-like tail—the perfect weapon for delivering bone-shattering damage.

While Zuul' s discovery was announced in May 2017 , the fossil skull and tail were unveiled to the public on December 15 as part of a new museum exhibit. It's a multimedia extravaganza, featuring a full-size model of the fossil, a huge animation of Zuul in action, and even educational arcade games. (See pictures from an exhibit in New York that showcased dinosaurs in all their feathered glory .)

The rest of the fossil is still being unlocked from its sandstone tomb in a much more sedate warehouse about a hundred miles east of the museum. On a chilly December morning a few days before the unveiling, I visit this facility, owned by Research Casting International, a museum exhibits firm in Trenton, Ontario. As snow gently falls outside, RCI president Peter May ushers me into the main workspace. The sour smell of polyester resin cuts the air as ventilators rumble in the background.

May whisks me down the warehouse's main corridor to a brown tent shielding what looks like a concrete-filled sandbox. Four technicians in dusty blue smocks lie atop the block, buzzing away with tiny handheld jackhammers. Millimeter by millimeter, the needle-tipped tools reveal brownish mineral patches. To my astonishment, the leathery pebbles are bits of armor and individual scales.

Releasing this unusually detailed fossil is achingly precise work, but it will be well worth it. Ankylosaur fossils are rare, and even when they are found, they're often scattered like puzzle pieces due to the decay process. With Zuul , it's almost as if the whole animal was instantly turned to stone.

“It's among the very, very best-in-class of specimens out there,” says paleontologist Victoria Arbour , a curator at Canada's Royal BC Museum and an ankylosaur expert. Already, the scientists can see broken armor along its flank, a clue that Zuul sustained battle damage from other ankylosaurids.

“The quality of the armor and skin preservation has exceeded our wildest dreams,” adds Royal Ontario Museum paleontologist David Evans , who is studying the dinosaur.

Crossing the streams

When Arbour and Evans first announced Zuul , the find made headlines around the world. But in a twist of fate, they weren't the only Canadian paleontologists with a dinosaur to show off that week. Within days, Alberta's Royal Tyrrell Museum unveiled its own remarkable armored dinosaur, a new species later named Borealopelta markmitchelli . ( Read more about Borealopelta in National Geographic magazine .)

At first glance, the pair may evoke dino déjà vu, but they are very different animals. Borealopelta lived a full 35 million years earlier, and unlike Zuul , it didn't have a tail club. Borealopelta also was found years before Zuul , giving its caretakers a head start in preparing the fossil. In 2017, the world could see Borealopelta in all its glory, but at the time, Zuul 's trip back to sunlight was only just beginning.

Zuul began its march to immortality 76 million years ago, near a lush estuary in what's now northern Montana. Ferns and cousins of sycamore trees swayed in the wind, as crocodiles and turtles lurked beneath the water. Somehow, Zuul ended up dead in a river's shallows. As its carcass bloated and floated belly-up , it got caught in a logjam and meandered into an eddy. Waves of sand quickly secured most—but maybe not all—of the fossil. Researchers still haven't found Zuul 's limbs, which scavengers may have gobbled up like dino kebabs.

Once entombed, the dinosaur transformed into a golem, as iron-rich minerals preserved its flesh and bone. Some 40 feet of rock then piled atop Zuul 's sandstone cocoon, and the eroding hillsides never came within 30 feet of the fossil. Eventually, the land above Zuul became a private ranch just south of the U.S.-Canada border.

In 2014, commercial fossil collectors with a company called Theropoda started digging there to excavate the scattered bones of a Gorgosaurus. As the crew followed the skeleton down through a hundred feet of dirt, they struck hard sandstone. Suddenly, one excavator shouted, “This thing's an alien!” He was staring at something that definitely didn't belong to a tyrannosaur: an ankylosaurid's tail club.

Despite marketing many of its fossils to private collectors, the Theropoda crew knew that Zuul was special and that it had to enter the public trust. Soon after finding it, the company contacted Evans, who urged the Royal Ontario Museum to acquire the fossil in 2016. (Learn more about the fossil trade in National Geographic magazine .)

“This is how the system should work,” says Tommy Heitkamp, Theropoda's director of operations.

Who you gonna call?

For Arbour, Zuul' s move to Canada presented a dream opportunity. In a stroke of luck, she was starting a two-year stint at the museum just as the fossil arrived. As she and Evans began studying the dinosaur's skull and tail, which had already been freed from rock, they realized the dinosaur was a newly seen kind of ankylosaurid.

To honor the animal's weaponized tail, the pair picked the species name crurivastator, Latin for “destroyer of shins.” As for the genus name, its horns reminded Arbour of Zuul, the hellhound from the 1984 film Ghostbusters . To make the name official, Evans sought the blessing of a friend of his: paleontology enthusiast Dan Aykroyd , the movie's costar and cowriter. Aykroyd enthusiastically agreed.

Meanwhile, the 20-ton block containing Zuul 's body sat in RCI's warehouse, a silent reminder of the mammoth task ahead. Even getting it inside had been a challenge: The fossil was so heavy, the forklift holding it sank into the parking lot.

The block stood untouched until January 2018, when preparators started working to expose Zuul 's spine and ribcage. Eight months later, they were ready to tackle the dinosaur's back armor, requiring RCI to cut the block in half and then flip it over like a 17,000-pound pancake.

Ever since, preparator Amelia Madill and her team have painstakingly revealed Zuul' s armor. These five women now know the magnitude of the find better than anyone. “When the block arrived, I talked to my dad about it, and I said, Well, that's somebody's life's work right there,” Madill says. “It's an amazing job; it's unreal.”

This nearly whole, deep-black skull belongs to the most complete specimen of Tyrannosaurus rex on display in Europe, an individual nicknamed Tristan Otto. With 170 of its 300-odd bones preserved, this scientifically important but privately owned skeleton is currently at the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin, Germany. Discovered in 2010 in Montana’s famed Hell Creek Formation of the late Cretaceous, the 40-foot-long fossil took four years to excavate and prepare.

Zuul is so unreal, it's put RCI behind schedule. It will take Madill's team until the end of 2018 to finish their work, if not longer. Only then will the fossil's scientific story really begin—including chemical searches for some of the dinosaur's original proteins.

Back in the Royal Ontario Museum, the undisputed star of the new exhibit sits within a Plexiglas box: the skull of Zuul, its mouth agape, its brow perpetually furrowed. Staring at the creature, it almost seems to stare back, until I feel like I'm sensing the daily life it enjoyed 76 million years ago. These jaws once munched on Mesozoic meadows. These eyes with their bony lids once gazed out on a lost world.

The more I look, the more the display cases and placards melt away. There is no present here, only the past brought back to stony life. There is no museum, only Zuul .

Read This Next

Dinosaur ‘mummy’ reveals a surprisingly hoof-like foot, a young tyrannosaur’s last meal gives new insight, could dinosaurs swim a new fossil revives an age-old debate., should t. rex be 3 species new study sparks fierce debate..

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zuul in ghostbusters

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Meet Zuul, the new 'Ghostbusters'-inspired dinosaur

Jackie Dunham CTVNews.ca Writer

@JaclynLDunham Contact

Zuul

The new dinosaur species has been named after the memorable villain "Zuul" from the 1984 film "Ghostbusters." (Danielle Dufault / The Royal Ontario Museum, "Ghostbusters" / Columbia Pictures)

“There is no Dana, only Zuul!”

Only the Zuul in this instance isn’t a wild-haired Sigourney Weaver possessed by the villain Zuul in the original 1984 “Ghostbusters” film, but a newly identified, tail-swinging bad…lands dinosaur.

Officially dubbed “Zuul crurivastator” by the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), the 75-million-year-old herbivore has been named after “Ghostbusters’” Zuul the Gatekeeper of Gozer because of its skull’s resemblance to the blockbuster creature’s horned head.

“Like Zuul, the new species has a short, rounded snout and prominent horns behind the eyes,” ROM paleontologist David Evans said in a press release on Tuesday.

The Ontario museum acquired the well-preserved skeleton in 2016 and set to work researching its unique features.

Along with the short snout and distinctive horns, the new dinosaur was also covered in spikes and wielded a powerful tail with a club on its end to wack other predators, such as the Tyrannosaurus rex, or to use in battle during contests for mates and territory. It’s unclear how the “Ghostbusters” team’s proton packs would have stacked up against that kind of weaponry.

The dinosaur’s armoured body allows it to be categorized into the anklylosaurid species from the Late Cretaceous Period and the second part of its name “crurivastator” means “destroyer of shins.”

“I’ve been working on ankylosaurs for years, and the spikes running all the way down Zuul’s tail were a fantastic surprise to me – like nothing I’ve ever seen in a North American ankylosaur,” Victoria Arbour, an evolutionary biologist and paleontologist at the ROM, said in the press release.

A new species

The dinosaur’s fossils were discovered in the northern Montana badlands, approximately 25 kilometres from the Alberta border, along the Milk River in 2014, by a commercial fossil company searching for tyrannosaur skeletons.

It was excavated from the Judith River Formation of Montana, where some of the first dinosaurs ever discovered in North America were found.

Arbour and her colleague, Evans, realized that the approximately 6-metre-long (20-feet) and 2,500-kilogram (5,500-pound) dinosaur was a new species while they were studying it last year.

“It was the size and shape of the tail club and tail spikes, combined with the shape of the horns and ornaments on the skull, that confirmed this skeleton was a new species of ankylosaur,” Arbour explained. The ROM researchers said the discovery makes Zuul one of the most complete and best-preserved ankylosaurs ever.

“Not only is the skeleton almost completely intact, but large parts of the bony armour in the skin are still in its natural position,” Evans, the leader of the project, said. “Most excitingly, soft tissues such as scales and the horny sheaths of spikes are preserved.”

A visit from Ray Stantz

The ROM scientists aren’t the only ones excited about the latest addition to the ankylosaur species, “Ghostbusters” star and co-writer Dan Aykroyd (aka. Ray Stantz in the film) paid a visit to the new Zuul in Toronto. In a YouTube video released by the ROM on Tuesday, Aykroyd introduces the skull of the new dinosaur species and compares it to a photo of the “terror dog” or Zuul character in the blockbuster.

“We’re so honoured that the Royal Ontario Museum would accord the name of this magnificent creature with the appellation that we called our “terror dog” in the movie,” he said.

With intimidating horns and a menacing three-metre-long tail covered in spikes and ending in a club, the “Ghostbusters” gang should thank their lucky stars they missed the real-life Zuul roaming the North American badlands millions of years ago.

The ROM research on “Zuul crurivastator” has been published in the open-access journal Royal Society Open Science .

Huge thanks to Ghostbusters writer and star Dan Aykroyd for stopping by @ROMtoronto to meet our new #dinosaur Zuul crurivastator! #DinoZuul pic.twitter.com/pmEwGVHxwf — ROM Palaeontology (@ROMPalaeo) May 10, 2017

Zuul skull

The skull of the new dinosaur species has been compared to the villain Zuul in "Ghostbusters." (Brian Boyle / The Royal Ontario Museum)

Zuul

A rendering of the “Zuul crurivastator” by the Royal Ontario Museum. (Danielle Dufault / The Royal Ontario Museum)

Zuul tail

The club on the end of the three-metre-long tail of the new dinosaur is shown. (Brian Boyle / The Royal Ontario Museum)

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Terror dog zuul

Zuul - also known as The Gatekeeper - is a demonic entity from the film Ghostbusters . This creature is a minion of Gozer , an ancient Sumerian deity destined to destroy the world. Whenever Gozer traveled to a new world, it sent its acolytes Vinz Clortho and Zuul ahead to prepare that world for the Destructor's coming. When it manifested in the material world, Zuul took on the form of a Terror Dog .

History [ ]

In 1984, paranormal activity rose dramatically in New York as Gozer the Gozerian approached Earth from across the astral plane. At this time, three scientists - Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz and Egon Spengler - had opened up their own paranormal investigation and elimination business: Ghostbusters Inc.. Their first client was Dana Barrett, a woman who lived at an apartment complex at Central Park West who informed the Ghostbusters that she had seen a demon in her refrigerator, which had called out the name ' Zuul '. While Dr. Venkman investigated Dana's apartment and found no abnormal spiritual energy readings, he and his colleagues would continue to look into the case, eventually learning about Gozer.

Zuul Dana

Weeks later, a thunderstorm occurred and Zuul manifested on the roof of the Shandor Building. While Dana was getting ready for a date with Dr. Venkman, Zuul entered the apartment and possessed her. Venkman arrived later on and Zuul, in Dana's body, greeted him, asking if he was the "Keymaster". Peter initially said no and Dana closed the door on him, but he would knock again and Dana would repeat her question. This time, Peter said yes and was brought inside. Realizing that something was wrong, Peter questioned Dana, who referred to herself as Zuul and told him that Gozer was coming. Peter tried to convince the demon to let him speak to Dana, but Zuul denied him. When Peter kept talking, Zuul levitated off of Dana's bed, ferociously barking at Venkman, who then managed to inject Dana with a large dose of thorazine to knock her out.

The next morning, Walter Peck of the Environmental Protection Agency came to the Ghostbusters' firehouse in order to shut down the Ecto-Containment Unit. Despite the protests of Drs Venkman, Spengler and receptionist Janine Melnitz, Peck shut off the containment grid, causing an explosion of spiritual energy and the release of all the captured ghosts . In the chaos, Vinz Clortho - who had possessed Dana's neighbour Louis Tully - escaped and wandered back to the Shandor Building. When he arrived, he was greeted by Zuul. The two embraced and kissed passionately before ascending a secret stairway leading to a gateway on the roof from which Gozer was to emerge. That night, the Ghostbusters arrived at the Shandor Building's rooftop where they witnessed Louis and Dana transform into Terror Dogs and take their places flanking the gateway as Gozer emerged. They remained in place like stone gargoyles while the Ghostbusters fought against Gozer. After the team crossed their particle streams and destroyed the gate, Gozer and its minions were banished and Louis and Dana were restored to normal, singed from the explosion and buried under the debris of the hollow gargoyles, but otherwise unhurt.

Personality [ ]

Zuul seemed to be the more intelligent of Gozer's minions. For the most part, she was even-tempered when she met Peter Venkman, though became clearly frustrated when Venkman kept talking and asking to speak with the demon's host vessel, claiming "There is no Dana, only Zuul" . Zuul even behaved in quite a seductive manner, apparently open to the possibility of sex with Dr. Venkman after allowing him into Dana's apartment.

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Vinz Clortho

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Vinz Clortho (also known as The Keymaster ) is a demigod and minion of Gozer , alongside Zuul . [1] He possessed Louis Tully in Ghostbusters and Gary Grooberson in Ghostbusters: Afterlife .

  • 1 Canonicity
  • 2.1.1 Before Ghostbusters
  • 2.1.2 Ghostbusters (1984)
  • 2.1.3 Ghostbusters: Afterlife
  • 2.2.1 IDW Comic Series
  • 2.3.1 Ghostbusters: The Board Game
  • 2.3.2 Ghostbusters: Afterlife ScARe
  • 3 Description
  • 4 Personality
  • 6.1.1 IDW Comics/Insight Editions Classification
  • 6.2.1 Ghostbusters: The Board Game Classification
  • 6.2.2 Ghostbusters: Afterlife ScARe Classification
  • 8.1 Ghostbusters Trivia
  • 8.2 Ghostbusters: Afterlife Trivia
  • 8.3 Ghostbusters: The Video Game Trivia
  • 8.4 IDW Comics Trivia
  • 8.5 Insight Editions Trivia
  • 8.6 Ghostbusters: The Computer Game Trivia
  • 8.7 Ghostbusters: Legion Trivia
  • 8.8 Ghostbusters: The Board Game Trivia
  • 8.9 Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord Trivia
  • 9.1 Primary Canon Appearances
  • 9.2 Secondary Canon Appearances
  • 9.3 Tertiary Canon Appearances
  • 10 References
  • 11.1 Primary Canon Images
  • 11.2 Secondary Canon Images
  • 11.3 Secondary Canon (Expanded Universe) Images
  • 11.4 Tertiary Canon Images
  • 11.5 Behind the Scenes Images

Canonicity [ ]

Vinz in the Primary Canon is developed from Ghostbusters (1984) and Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Vinz (prime) appears in the IDW Comic Series, a Secondary Canon, which follows Ghostbusters (1984) and also includes Tobin's Spirit Guide (Insight Editions).

History [ ]

Primary canon history [ ], before ghostbusters [ ].

Vinz Clortho, a minion of the god known as Gozer, was worshiped as a demigod by the Sumerians, Mesopotamians and Hittites in 6000 BC. [2] [3] [4] It was believed the souls of the dead were ruled by Gozer and protected by a powerful Gatekeeper and Keymaster, but in order for Gozer to rise up and walk the human plane again, the Gatekeeper and Keymaster had to assume the form of beasts. [5] [6] Vinz was one of the entities recorded in Tobin's Spirit Guide , including illustrations of its Terror Dog form.

Ghostbusters (1984) [ ]

In 1984, Vinz Clortho first appeared at Dana Barrett's apartment as she returned home with groceries. Vinz Clortho appeared inside her refrigerator, the contents of which were replaced by another dimension also inhabited by the Temple of Gozer and Zuul. Vinz Clortho growled out for Zuul. When Dana noticed it, causing her to scream in horror, slam the fridge door shut and seek the Ghostbusters for help days later. Vinz Clortho manifested on Earth in a couple weeks later, on a Thursday night, after Zuul, on the roof of 550 Central Park West as a large horned beast with vicious red eyes known as a Terror Dog . He ended on up on Louis's bed and waited for him. He growled softly as Louis finally opened the door, but he didn't notice Vinz. He threw Ted and Annette Fleming 's coats toward his bed and it happened to land on Vinz's head. After Louis asked if anyone want to play Parcheesi, everyone heard a growl. Confused as well, Louis turned and said, "Okay, who brought the dog?", apparently under the impression that one of his guests had somehow managed to smuggle their pet into the party. Vinz burst out from Louis Tully's bedroom during the party he was holding for his clients. He landed right on the refreshment table, demolishing it completely. The guests screamed, scattered, and cowered as Vinz focused his attention on Louis. Louis also screamed then fled out into the hall . Outside, Louis ran to the elevator as Vinz came barrelling through his apartment door as well with a loud crash, also managing to damage the door directly opposite. The elevator arrived and Louis got in and pressed the button for the ground floor just as a door down the hall opened and an elderly woman came out to investigate the commotion. Upon spotting the hellhound crouched outside, the old dear exclaimed in shock and wisely hotfooted it back inside to call the police.

Vinz Clortho ran out the building. He knocked the Doorman over but avoided contact with a nearby couple narrowly. The husband clutched his wife. Vinz ran across the street. A taxi braked in the left lane. Vinz hopped over the wall into Central Park . Vinz Clortho caught up to him and cornered him at the Tavern on the Green . Louis tried to talk to him like a person to a regular dog and frantically checked his pocket for a Milk-Bone. Vinz Clortho growled. Louis screamed in terror then slid down to the ground and fainted. Vinz possessed Louis while the people inside Tavern on the Green resumed their discussions. While possessing Louis's body, Vinz was able to speak, but not coherently and was in a disoriented state. He took on the identity of The Keymaster and immediately sought out Zuul the Gatekeeper, another minion of Gozer who had possessed the body of Dana Barrett , Louis's neighbor and not so secret crush. Louis/Vinz emerged from the southern part of Central Park at the Merchant's Gate and entered Columbus Circle. Louis stated he was the Keymaster. A woman shrieked "Ah!" A man held her as Louis scampered by. Louis stated "The Destructor" was coming then also called it "The Traveler" and "The Destroyer." He paused near the performers and looked around. A horse was heard nearby. Louis perked up and mistook the horse for The Gatekeeper. Louis approached a white horse attached to a coach and started talking to it. He introduced himself as Vinz Clortho, Keymaster of Gozer, Volguus Zildrohar, Lord of the Sebouillia. He asked the horse if it was the Gatekeeper. The Coachman got Louis's attention and remarked the horse pulled the wagon but he made the deals. He asked Louis if he wanted a ride. Louis's eyes flared red. He was clearly possessed by Vinz Clortho. The coachman was surprised. The horse turned and looked at Louis. His eyes returned to normal. Louis leaned in closer to the horse and told it to wait for the sign then all prisoners will be released. Louis ran off, plowing right through a woman's bags as she looked in a trash can. She yelled at him. Louis yelled humanity will perish in flame. He yelled for the Gatekeeper.

In search of The Gatekeeper, he was arrested by the police for harassing random people. He was placed in a straight jacket. The police were concerned with placing him in regular lock up and Bellevue Hospital refused to take in Vinz. They went to the Firehouse . Louis wearily asked Egon Spengler if he was the Gatekeeper. Egon scanned Louis with the P.K.E. Meter and watched as the readings quickly surged. Egon turned it off and turned to the Police Sergeant and suggested they better bring him into the Firehouse. The sergeant nodded. Janine Melnitz wrapped around one of his arms as they walked back to the Firehouse. The officer inside and the sergeant lifted Louis, as he stood in place, out of the van. Janine told Egon he was so kind to take care of that man and called him a real humanitarian. Egon remarked he do not think Louis was human. The police released him into the custody of Egon and Janine. Egon used the Aura Video-Analyzer and performed a scan of Vinz's brainwaves which revealed an image of the demonic Terror Dog's head on a screen hooked up to the device. While in Egon's custody the possessed Louis revealed his identity along with Gozer's plan. He stated he was Vinz Clortho, Keymaster of Gozer. Janine looked at Louis's wallet and told Egon his name was Louis Tully and he lived on Central Park West. Janine held the wallet out to Egon. He took it and looked at it. Louis mimicked Egon and also extended his arm to take it. Janine offered Louis some coffee. Louis asked Egon if he did. Egon told him, "Yes, have some." Louis repeated what Egon said. Janine made a face and walked over to the kitchen area. Egon recalled Vinz talked about waiting for a sign and asked him what the sign was. Louis answered it was the coming of Gozer in one of the pre-chosen forms. He reminisced about some of Gozer's past conquests. There was the Rectification of the Vuldronaii , when the Traveler came as a large and moving Torb . Egon looked towards Janine. He also recalled during the Third Reconciliation of the Last of the Meketrex Supplicants , they chose a new form for him, that of a giant Sloar . Janine looked back at Egon. Vinz chuckled at the thought of how many Shubs and Zulls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of a Sloar that day. Janine concluded there was something very strange about Louis. Louis sniffed a clear jar of popcorn as he rotated it. Janine admitted she was usually very psychic, and she had a terrible feeling that something awful was going to happen to Egon. Louis wiped his left cheek with a pizza slice. Janine revealed she believed he was going to die. She went into Egon's arms. He looked up and placed his right arm around her.

The phone rang. Louis jumped and looked around. Egon quickly picked up the phone. Louis picked up the base of the phone. Egon took it from him. The call was from Peter. Egon thanked Louis for his help. Peter informed Egon that Dana was saying she was the Gatekeeper and asked Egon if that made any sense to him. Egon revealed he just met the Keymaster. Louis lifted up the coffee pot. Louis took a drink. Peter thought that was wonderful and they should get them together. Louis with his mouth full, made an odd but cheery face at them. Egon thought that would be extraordinarily dangerous. Peter relented and advised Egon to hold onto the Keymaster and he would head back to the Firehouse. Egon liked the idea and placed the phone back on the receiver. Louis walked over and gave Egon a frying pan. Egon thanked him then turned to Janine and stressed they needed to find Ray and get him back immediately. Louis picked up a lamp and gave it to Egon. On Friday morning, the next day, Walter Peck arrived, before Egon could conduct one last test, and ordered the shut down of the Containment Unit . While Egon tried to explain the danger of doing that, Louis mimicked Egon's hand gestures. When he told Peter what Peck wanted to do, Louis grinned. He watched the Con Edison Man up close as he shut down the power. As the ghosts surged from a hole in the Firehouse' roof, Louis proclaimed that was the sign. Amid the confusion, Vinz managed to escape. He walked down White Street, walking east to West Broadway. He wandering seemingly aimlessly around the chaos, periodically looking up at the sky at the escaped ghosts, until arriving back at the Shandor Building. He walked past a subway tunnel entrance at Broadway & Murray Street. He bumped past an African-American man. He was offended but Louis kept walking up Broadway. At the same time Dana's balcony exploded, Louis paused in Duffy Sqare near the George M. Cohan statue. He crossed the street to the Shandor Building, went up to the twenty second floor and found The Gatekeeper, with whom he shared a passionate kiss at Dana Barrett's apartment. They ascended a secret stairwell leading up to the roof where some time later, they were finally able to mate, opening the gateway to an alternate dimension through which their master, Gozer would enter with the intent of destroying the world. Upon completion of the opening of the gateway Vinz, along with Zuul, transformed into their true demonic Terror Dog forms. After Gozer was defeated by the Ghostbusters, Vinz disappeared from this dimension and Louis Tully was transformed back into a human being, having no recollection of the events that took place since his and Dana's demonic possession.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife [ ]

One evening in summer 2021, Egon Spengler captured Vinz Clortho in a Trap and sped away from the Shandor Mining Company property in a company truck. Unable to trap Zuul, he hid the Trap containing Vinz in a secret space in the floor of his study at the Farmhouse . Several days later, Egon's ghost led his granddaughter Phoebe to it. She unwittingly tried to open the Trap with her friend Podcast and summer school science teacher Gary Grooberson . Gary used a school bus and jumper cables to attempt to get the Trap charged. Instead, Vinz was released. The spectral form of Vinz roared at Gary then flew towards the Shandor Mining Company property. As he flew by, the glass windows on Gary's car and both school buses shattered. Vinz entered the Shandor mine in its P.K.E wisp form and became dormant in a statue of himself for a little over one day.

Vinz broke out of his statue and in his wisp form, entered the Summerville Walmart where Gary was doing some shopping. Vinz shifted into his Terror Dog form, scared some people, and scarfed down on the contents of a bag of Purina Dog Chow. Gary encountered the Mini-Pufts and tried to make a hasty exit. Gary came out an aisle then froze. Vinz Clortho was across from him with his head in the dog food bag. Gary quietly backed up. The Mini-Pufts on a Roomba crashed into his shoe then drove on. Vinz lifted his head out of the bag and stared at Gary. Gary tried to talk to him but Vinz cut him off with a roar. Gary threw his Baskin-Robbins Jamoca container at Vinz's head and ran away, screaming. Vinz chased after him, knocking clothing racks aside, but he slid into some mannequins. He shook a mannequin arm off his head and resumed his pursuit. Gary ran out into the parking lot. Just when the automatic doors closed, Vinz burst through the glass a bit too fast and stuttered. Gary made it to his car. He jumped in headfirst through where the windshield used to be, sat up in the driver's seat and fumbled with his keys. Vinz stomped down on the hood. He snarled. The tires squealed and flattened. Vinz looked down at the tire then turned back, roared, and lunged at Gary. Vinz possessed Gary.

The next day, Vinz went back to the Shandor Mine and used a pipe wrench to move a Proton Cannon's trajectory away from the sacrificial death pit and used it to destroy one of the other cannons. The interdimensional crossrip continued to its intended end. Vinz rested on flat rock outside. Some time later, he looked up and saw Zuul, in possession of Callie, walking towards him. She morphed Callie's clothing into a shiny dress. Vinz quickly got up and briskly walked to her. He complimented her eyes. Zuul spoke in dog gibberish. He thanked her, took the flower off his ear and offered it. She ate it. They kissed passionately and proceeded with their ritual union. Zuul and Vinz walked hand in hand to the Temple of Gozer in the mine then took their places on each side of the stairs and raised their arms up. Gozerian lightning from the disturbance above the mine struck Zuul and Vinz and they transmogrified into their Terror Dog forms. Gozer climbed out of the sacrificial death pit, bisected Ivo Shandor , and greeted Zuul and Vinz. They hopped back to their places and Gozer sat on its throne.

Phoebe distracted Gozer with her jokes while Podcast remote-controlled the Remote Trap Vehicle underneath Zuul and trapped her The Terror Dog form dissipated, Callie was freed, and Gozer's power was split as it was not able to maintain its form without both Zuul and Vinz. With the Remote Trap Vehcile following Ecto-1 and Callie secured, Phoebe, Podcast and Trevor drove away from the Mine towards the Farmhouse in order to lure Gozer there. Vinz caught up to Ecto-1 in Summerville and attempted to retrieve the Trap containing Zuul. Podcast steered it to the sidewalk. Callie asked what that was. Trevor replied that was her boyfriend Gary. She took issue with "boyfriend." Vinz chased the Remote Trap Vehicle onto the sidewalk. He rammed into benches, tables, chairs, and newsstands before stumbling and tripping. Phoebe told her the Gatekeeper was in the Trap and her reunited with the Keymaster was bad. Callie was not catching on. Phoebe put a pin in it, pulled the lever, and moved outside on the gunner chair then she blasted Vinz. Vinz yelped. Podcast drove the Remote Trap Vehicle back into Ecto-1.

After returning to the Farmhouse, Phoebe stood near the porch and baited Gozer onto the dirt field by holding out the Trap holding Zuul. The plan failed, however, and Gozer used Lucky Domingo 's Proton Stream to pull her away from the others. Vinz cut Lucky off from Phoebe and Callie, and Gozer seized the Trap. Gozer broke it open and freed Zuul. Zuul possessed Lucky and transformed again into her Terror Dog form. Zuul's restoration also allowed Gozer to reform. After Peter, Ray and Winston arrived, Peter taunted Gozer. Vinz attempted to charge forward, only to be stopped by Gozer. Zuul and Vinz could only watch on as the Ghostbusters, aided by Phoebe and the ghost of Egon, caught Gozer in a Proton Stream, and Trevor powered the Trap Field with the gunner seat's Proton Pack. With the Traps charged, Callie triggered them. Every entity on and around the property was captured, including Vinz. Vinz's body became a black husk. Mistaking Vinz for Zuul, Trevor pulled the head off, revealing Gary Trevor asked Gary if he was okay. Gary noted his hands hurt from galloping. During an exchange with Callie, Gary realized his head was bleeding from Vinz headbutting a park bench.

Secondary Canon History [ ]

Idw comic series [ ].

1000 years ago, give or take, as a protracted civil war between the Autobots and Decepticons came to an end on Cybertron when the former left the planet. The Decepticons were unable to pursue them due to the presence of Gozer, Zuul, and Vinz Clortho. Megatron , Shockwave , Soundwave , and Starscream approached the Temple of Gozer. After Gozer's counter offensive to Starscream's attack, Megatron declared he would deal with Gozer himself. Megatron walked up the temple stairs. Vinz charged and leaped at him. Megatron knocked him aside and asked Gozer why it came to his world. Gozer replied to came to end Cybertron and implored him to choose the form of their destruction. Vinz Clortho appeared at Gozer's side when he induced telepathic contact with Ray during the Tiamat incident.

Tertiary Canon History [ ]

Ghostbusters: the board game [ ].

"Ghost Card Information" Side A:

  • To Hit: 4 or higher
  • To Trap: Vinz Clortho cannot be Trapped.
  • When Hit: Moves 1 space away from that Ghostbuster.
  • When Missed: Moves 1 space at random, then 1 space towards that Ghostbuster, or towards Zuul if it is on the map.
  • Fear - Ghostbusters adjacent to Vinz Clortho cannot take Actions.
  • Vinz Clortho cannot move through obstacles or leave the map.
  • Push - When Vinz Clortho moves into a Ghostbuster's space, they get Slimed and are moved 1 space in the same direction.

Side B: Vinz Clortho is a demigod and loyal minion to the Sumerian shape-shifting god of destruction, Gozer the Gozerian. Vinz Clortho, known as the Keymaster, and Zuul the Gatekeeper are harbingers of destruction and primary agents for summoning Gozer.

Vinz Clortho appears as a corporeal Terror Dog, which is a large, powerful demonic monster with two horms and glowing red eyes. Vinz is able to possess a human being as a vessel in order to complete the ritual needed to secure Gozer's arrival.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife ScARe [ ]

After the recruit obtained the lever for the Trap Field, Vinz Clortho burst from its statue shell and engaged the recruit, charging at them. During the fight, Clortho tagged in Zuul and vice versa before eventually being trapped.

Clortho was eventually freed from the Containment Unit by Gozer and participated in the climatic showdown, where it engaged the recruit while Gozer recovered. However, it was recaptured by the recruit using the Trap Field.

Description [ ]

Vinz Clortho is a large, horned, dog-like beast with blazing eyes known as a Terror Dog .

As a Sentinel, Vinz becomes a spectral bipedal entity that can switch its legs for a ghost-like tail.

Personality [ ]

Unlike Zuul, Vinz Clortho is more dim-witted due to confusing the Gatekeeper with a horse while attempting to identify his partner. Vinz also repeats human behaviors and speech to mimic humans in close proximity, such as Egon.

Vinz can become reckless when it comes to capturing hosts, as he attacked Louis in full view of others at a party before chasing him out of the building and through an active street. Likewise, he caused collateral damage while chasing after Gary.

Vinz is a male because it has been shown to possess male hosts and its horns are noticeably longer than Zuul's.

Vinz has the power of possession and shape-shifting. He has taken on the corporeal Terror Dog form, a spectral Sentinel form, and a P.K.E. wisp form. In conjunction with Zuul, he can open a portal that Gozer uses to cross over into the physical plane.

Classification [ ]

Secondary canon classification [ ], idw comics/insight editions classification [ ].

Vinz Clortho is a Class 7 fully corporeal possessor. [7]

Tertiary Canon Classification [ ]

Ghostbusters: the board game classification [ ].

Vinz Clortho is a Class 6.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife ScARe Classification [ ]

Vinz Clortho is a Class 7.

  • "I am Vinz, Vinz Clortho, Keymaster of Gozer...Volguus Zildrohoar, Lord of the Seboullia. Are you the Gatekeeper?"
  • "You will perish in flame! Soon as I find the Gatekeeper."
  • "Gozer the Traveller. He will come in one of the pre-chosen forms. During the rectification of the Vuldronaii , the Traveller came as a large, moving Torb ! Then, during the third reconciliation of the last of the Meketrex Supplicants , they chose a new form for him... That of a giant Sloar ! Many Shubs and Zulls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Sloar that day, I can tell you."

Ghostbusters Trivia [ ]

  • At one point, Vinz's design was short and dumpy around the time it was still thought John Candy would have the role of Louis Tully. [8]
  • John Bruno , effects art director, had the task of getting Ted and Annette Fleming 's coats to land on Vinz Clortho. It took several tries. [9]
  • The sequence of Vinz Clortho bursting through Louis' bedroom door, landing on the buffet table and crashing through the apartment door into the hallway were postproduction blue-screen shots utilizing a small-scale stop-motion puppet animated frame by frame. The closeup shots and scenes where Vinz didn't walk, run or jump were filmed on the live-action set using the full-size articulated puppet. [10]
  • In early storyboards, Vinz' clumsiness was more emphasized. He was going to crash into another wall and cause bookshelves to fall over. [11]
  • For the scene where Vinz was in the hallway, a puppeteer was situated through the elevated floor under the puppet. The puppet's facial expressions were cable controlled by six operators working independently but in concert. They used the video camera in the foreground to gauge their actions. [12]
  • In the 8/5/1983 draft, the Police Sergeant admits it took him and seven officers to restrain the possessed Louis. [13]
  • In the 9/30/1983 draft, on page 81-82, the context for why Louis/Vinz got arrested is provided. On Seventh Avenue, Louis/Vinz asks a hooker if she is the Gatekeeper. Ignorant of the situation, she plays along and admits she is. Louis/Vinz then pounces on her. Mounted policeman who were observing Louis/Vinz dismount and proceed to pull him off. [14]
  • When Egon and Janine interview possessed Louis, they simply had Rick Moranis duck out and used a one of the rubber heads of a Terror Dog during the parts where the screen shows Vinz Clortho. [15]
  • While it seemed to be incoherent words, Vinz told the horse he believed to be Zuul, "Wait for the sign. Then all prisoners will be released." After the Ghostbusters' containment grid was shut off, Vinz can be heard saying, "This is it. This is the sign." This would suggest that the prisoners he mentioned before were the imprisoned ghost in the Containment Unit.
  • When Gozer pets Vinz Clortho, the two puppeteers inside the puppet were Mark Bryan Wilson in the front and Tim Lawrence in the rear. [16]
  • In a deleted scene from the first movie, Louis suggests remembering having had sex with Dana Barrett while they were both under possession, to which Dana, unknowingly, believes untrue.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife Trivia [ ]

  • When Gary Grooberson comes upon Vinz Clortho eating bags of dog food, Jason Reitman didn't think the sound the Vinz crunching the food sounded violent enough, so re-recording mixer Will Files added the sound of a lion eating an animal. [17]
  • Vinz eats from Purina Dog Chow Complete Adult with Real Chicken bags.
  • Grooberson was about to call Vinz a nice doggie like Louis did in the first movie but is interrupted by a roar.
  • For the Terror Dogs in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, re-recording mixer Will Files had work with sounds with low fidelity quality. Using the originals as a foundation, they edited it, augmented it, added their own voices pitched down to blend with the animal sounds. [18]
  • Vinz Clortho's clumsy exit was a callback to the first movie, Chapter 17: "Who Brought the Dog?" , when he crashed Louis Tully's party.
  • The crew studied various things for the Terror Dog's movements, including the Running of the Bulls and how the bulls regained their footing after smashing storefronts. [19]
  • Grooberson running to his car and Vinz catching up was a night shoot in the Deerfoot City Walmart parking lot.
  • Like Louis Tully, Grooberson has an awkward moment before he is possessed. The weight of Vinz causes his tires to go flat.
  • Possessed Grooberson is lying down in a pose mirroring possessed Dana in the first movie, Chapter 25: Working the Crowd.
  • Possessed Callie and Grooberson's transformation into Terror Dogs mirrors Dana Barrett and Louis Tully's transformation in the first movie, Chapter 25: Working the Crowd.
  • Unlike Louis Tully, Grooberson appears to recall his possession, at least to an extent, as he remembered what had happened before his transformation into Vinz's Terror Dog form.
  • Afterlife ScARe and other merchandise for the film refer to Vinz Clortho's Sentinel form as a separate entity known as the "Sentinel Terror Dog".

Ghostbusters: The Video Game Trivia [ ]

  • Vinz Clortho is referenced in Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Realistic Versions) in an audio recording found during the Museum of (Super)Natural History Level . [20]
  • The Temple of Gozer level pitch for Ghostbusters: The Video Game would have involved an appearance by Vinz Clortho. [21]

IDW Comics Trivia [ ]

  • On page 17 and 19 of Ghostbusters Issue #3 , Vinz is referenced by Idulnas and in the Spates Catalog entry for Idulnas. It is said Idulnas' power surpassed that of Vinz Clortho.
  • On Cover RI of Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #10 , Vinz appears as part of a recreation of the "Then Die!" scene in the first movie.
  • On page 12 of Ghostbusters 101 #6 , in panel 4, on the left is the panel from the ATC team's Containment Unit that referenced Dana Barrett and Vinz Clortho in the 2016 movie.
  • On page 3 of Ghostbusters Crossing Over Issue #1 , on the far right is the Recent Ingestation screen with the D. Barrett and V. Clortho nod from Chapter 16 of the 2016 movie.
  • Vinz appears on the IDW Convention Variant cover of 35th Anniversary: Ghostbusters .
  • On page 6 of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #3 , Peter alludes to Louis Tully and when Vinz Clortho chased him to the Tavern on the Green in Chapter 18: Terror on the Tavern.

Insight Editions Trivia [ ]

  • On page 82 of Tobin's Spirit Guide , it is mentioned Vinz Clortho and Zuul are the most powerful members of their race. [22]

Ghostbusters: The Computer Game Trivia [ ]

  • In Ghostbusters: The Computer Game (David Crane) , computer versions and the Sega Master System version have his possessed form represented on the map screen (as a key or a small male human depending on the version) wondering the streets til the PK Energy reaches 9999/red, which then he goes to the Zuul/Zule building. While not named, he is also represented as a Terror Dog on the final battle scene in all but the Atari 2600 version of the game. The NES and Master System versions have him spawning small energy balls to shoot at the player.

Ghostbusters: Legion Trivia [ ]

  • In the Legion miniseries , the Keymaster Cologne is named after him.

Ghostbusters: The Board Game Trivia [ ]

  • On February 11, 2015, the 3rd stretch goal of Ghostbusters: The Board Game , $400,000, was introduced: Vinz Clortho. [23]
  • On February 12, 2015, Vinz Clortho was unlocked. [24]
  • The biography mentions Gozer and Zuul

Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord Trivia [ ]

  • The Full Containment Edition and first Buster Bundle included a Keymaster costume based on when he possessed Louis in the first movie.

Appearances [ ]

Primary canon appearances [ ].

  • Chapter 07: Fried Eggs & Zuul
  • Chapter 17: "Who Brought the Dog?"
  • Chapter 18: Terror on the Tavern
  • Mentioned by Dana Barrett (possessed by Zuul).
  • Chapter 20: Keymaster
  • Chapter 21: Out of Biz
  • Chapter 23: Keeper Meets Master
  • Chapter 25: Working the Crowd
  • Chapter 26: Gozer
  • Chapter 27: Stay Puft Man
  • Chapter 28: Crossing Streams

Expanded Universe

  • (Deleted Scene): Bums
  • Louis Encounters Woman
  • (Deleted Scene): Louis Encounters Muggers
  • Alluded to by Louis Tully. [25]

Secondary Canon Appearances [ ]

  • Dramatis Personae - Louis Tully
  • In a flashback on Page 2
  • Keymaster mentioned by Kylie Griffin on Page 9. [26]
  • Mentioned in Story So Far.
  • Alluded to by Peter on page 6. [27]
  • Mentioned on Page 84. [28]
  • Mentioned on Page 92. [29]
  • Vinz's quote used on Page 93.

Tertiary Canon Appearances [ ]

  • Episode 7: "Terror Unleashed"
  • Episode 8: "Sumerian Showdown"
  • Ghostbusters: Deviations
  • Ghostbusters: The Board Game
  • Ghostbusters: The Computer Game (David Crane) All version except the Atari 2600 version

References [ ]

  • ↑ Wallace, Daniel (2015). Ghostbusters The Ultimate Visual History , p. 97. Insight Editions, San Rafael CA USA, ISBN 9781608875108 . John Bruno says: "Then we just had to switch the horns back and forth. The girl had smaller horns, and the guy had a slightly longer set."
  • ↑ Peter Venkman (1999). Ghostbusters - Chapter 14: Welcome Aboard (1984) (DVD ts. 43:33-43:39). Columbia Pictures. Peter says: "Well, the name 'Zuul' refers to a demigod worshiped around 6000 B.C. by the...what's that word?"
  • ↑ Peter Venkman (1999). Ghostbusters - Chapter 14: Welcome Aboard (1984) (DVD ts. 43:41-43:44). Columbia Pictures. Peter says: "Hittites, Mesopotamians, and Sumerians."
  • ↑ Dana Barrett (1999). Ghostbusters - Chapter 14: Welcome Aboard (1984) (DVD ts. 43:47-43:48). Columbia Pictures. Dana says: "Zuul was the minion of Gozer."
  • ↑ Podcast (2022). Ghostbusters: Afterlife Chapter 6 (2021) (Blu-Ray ts. 37:58-38:25). Sony Pictures. Podcast says: "The Sumerians believed in a land of the dead, a dark and shadowy realm within the bowels of the Earth. The souls of the dead are ruled by a mighty god, Gozer, and protected by a powerful Gatekeeper and Keymaster, in order that Gozer might rise up and walk the human plane again. The Gatekeeper and Keymaster must assume the form of beasts ."
  • ↑ Phoebe Spengler (2022). Ghostbusters: Afterlife Chapter 14 (2021) (Blu-Ray ts. 01:30:47-01:30:50). Sony Pictures. Phoebe Spengler says: "She needs both of them. No Gatekeeper, no Gozer."
  • ↑ Narrator (2016). Insight Editions - " Tobin's Spirit Guide " (2016) (Book p.82). Paragraph reads: "CLASS VII. FULLY CORPOREAL POSSESSORS."
  • ↑ Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters , p. 117 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685 . Paragraph reads: "Robert Kline went so far as to devise separate concepts -- one rather svelte creature which would transform into Dana, played by an as yet unspecified actress; and a short dumpy one which would become Louis, played by John Candy."
  • ↑ Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters , p. 114 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685 . Paragraph reads: "Getting the coats to land on the Terror Dogs head -- a job that fell to effects art director John Bruno -- proved to be more difficult than anticipated, requiring numerous repeat attempts before a successful shot was achieved."
  • ↑ Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters , p. 114 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685 . Paragraph reads: "Three scenes in the sequence -- the Terror Dog bursting through the bedroom door, then landing on the buffet table and later crashing through the apartment door into the hallway -- were postproduction blue-screen shots utilizing a small-scale stop-motion puppet animated frame by frame. Closeups -- and other scenes where the creature was not required to walk, run or jump -- were achieved on the live-action set using the full-size articulated puppet."
  • ↑ Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters , p. 120 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685 . Paragraph reads: "The clumsiness of the Terror Dogs was emphasized in some of the early boards, although many of the gags -- including a shot of it sliding into the wall and causing Louis' bookshelves to collapse -- were omitted prior to photography."
  • ↑ Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters , p. 120 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685 . Paragraph reads: "Ivan Reitman coaches the Terror Dog in the apartment house corridor. Major motions were made by a puppeteer whose torso extended up through the elevated floor and into the dog. Facial articulations were cable-controlled by a half-dozen operators working independently, but in concert. The video camera in the foreground was used to that puppeteers below stage could gauge the results of their action on monitors."
  • ↑ Aykroyd, Dan & Ramis, Harold (1983). Ghostbusters (First Draft August 5, 1983) (Script p. 88). Police Sergeant reads: "It took eight of us to restrain him."
  • ↑ Aykroyd, Dan & Ramis, Harold (1983). Ghostbusters (Third Draft September 30, 1983) (Script p. 82). Line reads: "THE MOUNTED POLICEMEN They jump off their horses and rush over to pull Louis off the Hooker."
  • ↑ Joe Medjuck (2005). Ghostbusters - Commentary (2005) (DVD ts. 1:01:24-1:01:44). Columbia TriStar Home Video. Joe Medjuck says: "We used that same um machinery we saw on Sigourney and as the camera moves across Rick ducked out and we put the head of one of those rubber dummies of the Terror Dog in so it would appear like that's what was inside of him. "
  • ↑ The Good, The Bad, and The Sequel Stitcher "Special Effects Master Tim Lawrence" 6:18-6:54 4/17/2019 Tim Lawrence says: "Two weeks after that wrapped, Mark Wilson, who I worked with together on Thriller, had gone on to Boss Film in Marina del Rey to work on Ghostbusters. And they were getting close to needing to shoot the Terror Dogs, the big puppets on the steps of the Temple of Gozer. And he said we need some puppeteers, can you come down and be a puppeteer? So I went down, auditioned, got a position. So that's myself and Mark Wilson are in the long horn dog - the one she pats on the head as she walks down the stairs. Mark's in the front and I'm in the back."
  • ↑ Variety "How ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ Pays Homage to the Original With Audio Easter Eggs" 11/24/2021 Article reads: "Files says that one of the first sounds heard when the characters are introduced in "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" is a terror dog crunching on dog food, but when Reitman heard the sound, it didn't seem violent enough for him. "What you’re hearing,” Files reveals, "is actually the sound of a lion eating an animal"."
  • ↑ Variety "How ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ Pays Homage to the Original With Audio Easter Eggs" 11/24/2021 Article reads: "Bringing back the terror dogs, also featured in the original, presented a greater challenge. When he came across the soundtrack, Files says, the quality was low fidelity. So he used the original effects as a foundation. "We found sounds and tried to guess what the sources were," he explains. "We guessed they were lions and tigers and started playing with them, augmenting them, and we also put our own voices in, pitched down to blend with the animal sounds"."
  • ↑ IGN YouTube "Ghostbusters: Afterlife - Exclusive Trailer Breakdown with Director Jason Reitman" 09:31-09:44 7/26/2021 Jason Reitman says: "So one of the things we studied was the Running of the Bulls and the way those bulls will smash into storefronts and then find their footing again in the way their hooves lose traction on the bricks."
  • ↑ World of Gozer Audio Displays; Board of Trustees area (2009). Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Realistic Versions) - Museum of (Super)Natural History Level (2009) (Video Game). Terminal Reality. Audio Display says: "Gozer the Destroyer became Gozer the Traveler, voyaging to multiple worlds and conquering them. In a key aspect of the legend, Gozer allowed one hero from each world to choose its own Destructor Form. Gozer would then manifest in the chosen form to destroy and conquer that world. Gozer gained access to each world via the coupling of two demigod ambassadors, a Keymaster and a Gatekeeper. History only reveals the names of two of these minions, Vinz Clortho and Zuul. It is believed there are many others. Gozer the Destroyer--"
  • ↑ Reddit AMA "AMA with the developers of 2009's Ghostbusters: The Video Game!" 7/16/16 Drew Haworth says: "Temple of Gozer was a really cool level pitched by Lead Game Designer Steven Cluff that didn't make it into production. Both Zuul & Vinz Clortho made appearances."
  • ↑ Narrator (2016). Insight Editions - " Tobin's Spirit Guide " (2016) (Book p.82). Paragraph reads: "The most powerful members of a race of other-dimensional, bearlike creatures that have sometimes been referred to as "terror dogs," Vinz Clortho and Zuul were possessing entities that could take over the bodies of any mortal species."
  • ↑ Ghostbusters: The Board Game Update #5 2/11/15 "Okay... so she's a dog"
  • ↑ Ghostbusters: The Board Game Update #7 2/12/15 "Vinz Clortho Unlocked!"
  • ↑ Louis Tully (2022). Ghostbusters Ultimate Edition (2022) , Ghostbusters II , Ladies and Gentlemen of the Audience (1989) (Blu-ray ts. 00:19-00:21). Columbia Pictures. Louis Tully says: "'Cause one time, I turned into a dog and they helped me."
  • ↑ Kylie Griffin (2014). IDW Comics - " Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #15 " (2014) (Comic p.9). Kylie says: "He couldn't enter this dimension without followers paving the way, without securing a Keymaster and a Gatekeeper, without having a form chosen for him."
  • ↑ Peter Venkman (2020). IDW Comics - " Ghostbusters Year One Issue #3 " (2020) (Comic p.6). Peter Venkman says: "Walked a dog here or something."
  • ↑ Narrator (2016). Insight Editions - " Tobin's Spirit Guide " (2016) (Book p.84). Paragraph reads: "Like Vinz Clortho and Zuul, it was capable of possessing a being and transmogrifying this host body into a form that matched its own demonic appearances."
  • ↑ Narrator (2016). Insight Editions - " Tobin's Spirit Guide " (2016) (Book p.92). Paragraph reads: "The following information on Gozer's previous destructive forms is taken from an extended interview with Louis Tully (while possessed by the demonic presence known as Vinz Clortho, aka the Keymaster) and is presented for the sake of a more complete profile of Gozer."

Gallery [ ]

Primary canon images [ ].

Vinz Clortho

Secondary Canon Images [ ]

On Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #10 Cover RI

Secondary Canon (Expanded Universe) Images [ ]

As seen in the deleted scene Louis Encounters Muggers

Tertiary Canon Images [ ]

Keymaster costume in Full Containment Edition and Buster Bundle #1 of Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord (Credit: Sony Pictures VR)

Behind the Scenes Images [ ]

Storyboard from Ghostbusters, Chapter 17 (Credit: Heritage Auctions)

  • Ghostbusters
  • 2 Ecto Cooler

Ghostbusters/Walkthrough

Table of Contents

  • Cars and equipment

The following information pertains primarily to the home computer versions of Ghostbusters, although various aspects of these details pertain to the console versions as well.

  • 1 Game flow
  • 2 The city map
  • 3 Capturing ghosts
  • 4 Entering Zuul

Game flow [ edit ]

The general flow of the game occurs as follows:

  • Purchase your car and equipment .
  • Pick a destination on the city map. (Tag ghosts along the way to stall them.)
  • Drive to your chosen destination. (Vacuum any of the ghosts you tagged to reset their position.)
  • Capture ghosts in a ghost trap
  • You are out of empty traps,
  • Two men have been slimed, or
  • Your proton packs are low on energy
  • Once the keymaster and the gatekeeper have entered Zuul (automatic when PKE reaches 9999), you may enter if your current balance exceeds your starting balance.
  • Sneak at least two men through the doors past the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man to win the game.

The city map [ edit ]

Ghostbusters City Map.png

The city map screen is where you will spend a majority of your time planning your efforts to capture ghosts and defeat Gozer. On this map, you will see the city laid out in a grid. Two building are marked; the GBHQ which is where you must return to empty traps, clean up slimed men, and recharge your proton packs, and the Zuul building which is where the ghosts are driven to assemble. Throughout the game, up to four ghosts will be visible on the map, traveling towards Zuul from every corner. While the Psycho-Kinetic Energy rises automatically (it starts out rising at 1 point per second but periodically speeds up until it climbs 4 points per second), every time a ghost reach Zuul, it will jump 100 points. For every 1000 points of PKE that build up, the PKE rises faster and the ghosts' speed increases.

Your current location is indicated by the position that the Ghostbusters logo can be found in when the map appears. Moving the cursor in any direction indicates the path that you would like to drive along on the way to your next destination. The more you move your cursor before selecting a location, the further you will drive, and the longer it will take to reach your destination. Any ghosts that you tag with the cursor will become frozen. As you drive along to your destination, the ghosts that you tag will appear on the street. If your vehicle is equipped with a ghost vacuum, you can suck up the ghost as you drive past it, thereby resetting it's position. In order to select a destination, you must not only press the button, but you must also push the joystick towards one block or the other to indicate which side of the street you wish to arrive at.

As the game progresses, some blocks will begin to flash red. This indicates that a call has come in from a customer that a ghost is in the vicinity and needs to be captured. Assuming you arrive in time, the ghost will be floating outside the building and you will initiate a ghost capture. If you are in possession of the P-K Energy Detector, you will also see certain blocks flash pink when your cursor is situated next to them. A pink flash indicates that this block is about to be visited by a ghost, giving you some advanced warning to plan ahead. Failing to catch a ghost will cause the PKE meter to advance 300 points.

Likewise, if you are in possession of a Marshmallow Detector, certain blocks may flash white while the cursor is alongside them. This indicates that at any moment, the ghosts are going to swarm together on that block and form the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man in an effort to flatten the city block. If the ghosts succeed in this, the mayor will subtract $4000 from your bank account to pay for the damage to the city. The only way to thwart such a tragedy is to be in possession of Ghost Bait. The moment that you observe the ghosts swarming to a block other than Zuul, press the B key on the keyboard to activate the Ghost Bait. If you are successful, the ghosts will be drawn toward you instead, and the mayor will award you $2000 for averting disaster. For this reason, Ghost Bait should never be neglected.

Throughout the game, a key symbol and a gate symbol will wander around the streets. These represent the Keymaster and the Gatekeeper. They will move quite randomly, and they may wander past the Zuul block. If they happen to approach it from the proper side, there is a chance that they will settle into place in the block. Once both the Keymaster and the Gatekeeper are locked in place, Gozer will appear whether you are ready or not. The Keymaster and the Gatekeeper will move directly to Zuul once the PKE reaches 9500, and it's possible for them to arrive once PKE reaches 5000. Before then, you can reset their position to the left of the city by driving to any building.

Capturing ghosts [ edit ]

Ghostbusters Capture.png

Once you identify a city block that is under attack by a ghost and drive to it, you will see the ghost floating around over the sidewalk. The ghost, which usually resembles a Slimer, will dart back and forth in the air quite randomly. Your first step is to position the trap on the sidewalk. Anywhere is fine as long as it's someplace that you believe you can contain the ghost over. The center of the screen is usually a safe bet. When you are satisfied with the trap position, press the button to place it on the ground.

Now you must position two Ghostbusters. You will be in control of the man who placed the trap. Move him to the left or to the right. Before you press the button to station him, make sure that he is facing the direction that you wish for him to face. After you press the button once, the second Ghostbuster will arrive. You must do the same and position him as well, once again making sure that he is facing the proper direction before pressing the button. Once both men are situated, and you press the button, they will fire their proton packs. The reason direction is important is because there are two different strategies for capturing ghosts. On the one hand, you can have both ghostbusters face each other, while on the other hand, they can face the same direction. They each have different pros and cons. (Under no circumstances should you try facing the ghostbusters away from one another, as that is the least effective way to attempt a capture).

If the Ghostbusters face the same way, there is no way that you could accidentally cross the streams of the guns. Crossing the streams is an instant failure and not only allows the ghost to escape but the discharge drains your proton packs, meaning you must return to GBHQ to recharge. If the streams are pointed in the same direction, you create a very narrow space for the ghost to move in, and it becomes easier to hold the ghost in position before triggering the trap. However, this method leaves the top wide open for the ghost to slip out of and fly around again, spoiling your efforts.

If the Ghostbusters face one another, you will certainly risk crossing streams if you're not careful about how close you move each man toward the other. As long as you are careful, this method can offer the benefit of creating an inescapable cone in which the ghost will be trapped. While it is free to roam in whatever space you provide it, it will be less likely to escape through the top, making your efforts more likely to succeed.

Once the beams are active, you will press left and right on the joystick to squeeze the ghost in over the trap. Pressing left will move the right man to the left, while pressing right will move the left man to the right. As a result, the two Ghostbusters can only get closer to one another, never farther away. The idea is to squeeze the beams close enough together so that the ghost remains primarily over the trap. Once you feel that the ghost is positioned properly, you will press the button one final time.

As soon as you press the button, the beams will turn off and the trap beam will extend into the air. Once the beams disappear, the ghost is free to roam through the air again, so there is no guarantee that it will remain where you positioned it and that the trap will successfully catch the ghost. You are only increasing the likelihood that it will work. The trap sends a round lasso of energy which climbs up to the sky and then shrinks back down towards the trap. If the ghost touches the lasso at any time, it will become stuck inside, pulled into the trap, and captured. Capture the ghost and you get paid an amount from $300 to $1,000 (mostly depending on your promptness at responding to the scene).

If you take too long, or the trap misses, the ghost will slime one of your men before getting away. It will also get away if you cross streams but you won't get slimed. Its departure will also cause the PKE to jump up 300 points. Since three men ride in the vehicle, and two men are required to trap a ghost, you can only be slimed twice before you are forced to return to GBHQ and get cleaned up. You are also forced to return to GBHQ if your proton packs are drained. This always happens if you cross streams but can also happen if you take too long trying to corral ghosts with your beams. If a ghost manages to slip away from your beams and you can no longer correct the situation, hope is not lost. At the very least, you may simply be able to time the release of the trap so that you capture the ghost in spite of failing to pin him in.

Entering Zuul [ edit ]

Ghostbusters Marshmallow.png

Entering Zuul is only possible when the Keymaster and the Gatekeeper arrive at Zuul. This becomes possible once the PKE reaches 5000, though they won't make a direct effort to reach Zuul until the PKE reaches at least 9500. If the PKE reaches 9999, the ending is forced. Once this occurs, the game will check to see if you have raised more money than you started with. If your current balance does not exceed the balance you had when you started the game, you will fail and the game will be over. If you have accumulated more money than you started out with, you will be granted an opportunity to enter the building.

Unfortunately, entering the building is no simple matter. Positioned in front of the building is one very large Stay Puff Marshmallow Man. He will be bouncing back and forth in front of the entrance in a constant rhythmic pattern. In order to succeed in the game, you must slip at least two out of three men between the Marshmallow Man's legs and into the door of the building. If a Ghostbuster touches any part of the Marshmallow Man (and the collision is very sensitive, based on direct sprite contact), he will go flying away from the door. If this happens twice, you will once again fail to win the game, and it will end.

To sneak past the Marshmallow man, hug the wall, and wait for him to jump away from you. Once he has landed, quickly walk towards the building's doorway.

If you do succeed in slipping two men in behind Marshmallow Man, you will see the ending sequence where the portal is shut by crossing the streams. You will then be awarded a bonus for finishing the game, and given an account number for you to write down so that you can start a new game with all of the funds that you managed to accumulate.

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The 10 Most Evil Dogs in Movies

D ogs are faithful companions and beloved members of the family, which is why they make the perfect villains. Audiences get to see something as familiar and comforting as a cuddly canine sidekick and it's transformed it into a menacing adversary . This is an effective way for filmmakers to unnerve the audience.

This is a concept that was first unintentionally explored in Old Yeller , which remains the worst movie a child should ever watch. The so-called family film did however show that turning a dog on its master is a solid way to terrify people and, as a result, some of the best movie bad guys are actually evil dogs.

Little Nicky

After two of the devil's three sons escape Hell to wreak havoc on Earth, the devil must send his third son, the mild-mannered Nicky, to bring them back before it's too late.

Release Date 2000-11-10

Director Steven Brill

Cast Rhys Ifans, Reese Witherspoon, Adam Sandler, Patricia Arquette, Harvey Keitel

Runtime 90 minutes

Genres Comedy, Fantasy

Mr. Beefy from the Adam Sandler movie, Little Nicky , isn't evil in the sense that he slaughters the innocent, but he is literally from Hell, so he counts. Little Nicky is the son of Satan, who is sent to the human world to stop his brothers from creating Hell on Earth.

Nicky is unfortunately a bit naive and timid, so he struggles among the living. Papa Satan sends Mr. Beefy, a talking Bulldog, to help Nicky assimilate. Aside from providing laughs, Mr. Beefy teaches Nicky how to eat fried chicken and ultimately helps him defeat his evil brothers.

Pet Sematary Two

Pet sematary ii.

A teenage boy and his father move to his recently-deceased mother's hometown, where they encounter the ancient Native American cemetery with the power to raise the dead.

Release Date 1992-08-28

Director Mary Lambert

Cast Jason McGuire, Edward Furlong, Anthony Edwards

Runtime 100 minutes

Genres Supernatural, Horror

Writers Richard Outten

10 Horror Movie Franchises That Went On Way Too Long

The rules for Pet Sematary are simple: bury something in the sour ground, and it will return to life. They however don't come back good as new and in the first film the protagonist couldn't seem to understand this as he buried his cat, his toddler, and his wife, all who returned as zombified killers.

In Pet Sematary Two , Jeff Mathews inters his beloved Husky mix Zowie in the legendary Miꞌkmaq burial ground, and she predictably comes back more aggressive. In reality, Zowie isn't entirely evil, often showing up just in time to rip the villains apart, but she is still undead, which makes her hard to train.

Zuul & Vinz

Ghostbusters.

Ghostbusters centers around a group of eccentric New York City parapsychologists who investigate, encounter, and capture ghosts, paranormal manifestations, demigods and demons.

Created by Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd

First Film ghostbusters

Latest Film Ghostbusters: Afterlife

First TV Show The Real Ghostbusters

Cast Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Sigourney Weaver, Ernie Hudson, Bill Murray, Kate McKinnon, Finn Wolfhard

In Ghostbusters , Vinz Cloortho is the "Key Master" who possesses Louis Tully, and Zuul is the "Gatekeeper" who takes over Dana Barett. Once together, they open the door to another dimension, allowing Gozer to enter the human realm and attempt to destroy the world with a giant marshmallow man.

It's unclear that Zuul & Vinz are actually dogs, and certainly not any recognizable breeds, but Louis remarks "Nice doggie" when chased down by one of the demigods. Also, in Tobin's Spirit Guide there are illustrations of the two minions of Gozer that are listed as "terror dogs," so they must hail from the canine family.

Man’s Best Friend

Man's best friend.

A genetically engineered dog escapes from the science facility where it was created. A family takes it in unaware of its deadly instincts which soon emerge. The scientist who created the dog tries to find it before its too late.

Release Date 1993-11-19

Director John Lafia

Cast Robert Costanzo, Lance Henriksen, Ally Sheedy

Runtime 87 minutes

Genres Science Fiction, Horror

Studio New Line Cinema

Max from the 1993 film, Man's Best Friend , is a Tibetan Mastiff that has been genetically altered to be faster and stronger, with heightened senses. He wouldn't be staring in a horror film if he was some kind of super dog, so obviously the experiment didn't go well, and the powerful pup went berserk.

Actually, Max racks up a body count that many human slashers would be jealous of . Having his genes spliced with DNA from big cats, snakes, chameleons, and birds of prey, Max is intelligent enough to know how to cut brake lines on a car. He also urinates acid, capable of burning human skin, so he has many tools of destruction at his disposal.

Cujo, a friendly St. Bernard, contracts rabies and conducts a reign of terror on a small American town.

Release Date 1983-08-12

Director Lewis Teague

Cast Daniel Hugh Kelly, Danny Pintauro, Dee Wallace

Runtime 93 minutes

Genres Horror

Story By Stephen King

10 Great Movies Where The Monster Is The Protagonist

The Stephen King adaption, Cujo , did a brilliant job of casting a St. Bernard as the rabid killer dog. It's not a breed associated with aggression, so there is a nice juxtaposition between the perception of it being a friendly dog and the terror it unleashes.

Also, it's big enough to represent a real threat. Nobody wants to get bitten by a rabid Miniature Schnauzer, but it's a survivable attack with proper treatment. A 180-pound St. Bernard with rabies however is capable of tearing a human to shreds.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry potter.

The Harry Potter franchise follows the adventure of a young boy introduced a whole new world of magic, mayhem and darkness. Traversing the obstacles in his path, young Harry's rise to heroics pits him against Lord Voldemort, one of the most dangerous wizards in the world and all his minions.

Created by J.K. Rowling

First Film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Latest Film Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2

Upcoming TV Shows Harry Potter

Cast Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Maggie Smith, Helena Bonham Carter, Daniel Radcliffe, Alan Rickman

Where to watch HBO Max

Spin-offs (Movies) Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

Character(s) Voldemort, Harry Potter

Video Game(s) Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, LEGO Harry Potter Collection, Harry Potter: Puzzles and Spells, Hogwarts Legacy, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, Harry Potter: Magic Awakened, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1

English folklore has a tradition of mysterious black dogs that are supposedly bad omens. In the Harry Potter books, a black dog known as The Grim, is established as the worst possible omen, bringing death to however sees it. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban , the young wizard spots The Grim coming out of the bushes just as the Knight Bus shows up.

Later, in divination class, Harry gets The Grim in his tea leaves reading. Cleary this wasn't a harbinger of Harry's eminent death and The Grim turned out to be his godfather, Sirius Black, who was trying to protect him. Another piece of English folklore is The Gurt Dog, which is a benevolent black dog that acts a guardian, but that's not nearly as ominous.

A trainer attempts to retrain a vicious dog that's been raised to attack black people.

Release Date 1982-11-12

Cast Kristy McNichol, Paul Winfield, Jameson Parker, Burl Ives

Genres Drama, Horror

Studio Paramount Pictures

Story By Romain Gary

10 Scariest Animal Movies, Ranked

Despite staring known actors like Kristy McNichol, Paul Winfield, and Burl Ives, the 1982 film, White Dog is obscure, never having been properly released. Paramount Pictures felt the story of a white German Shepard that had been trained to attack Black people on sight was too controversial and shelved it until 2008 for a DVD release.

Rather than being an exploitation of stereotypes, it's a thought-provoking film that explores the irrational nature of human hatred. The vicious dog is merely a placeholder for the true evil of racism. The theme that racism is learned comes to the conclusion, in the rather upsetting ending, that it however cannot be cured.

Hound of Dracula

Communist soldiers accidentally unleash the part-vampire servant of Dracula, as well as Zoltan, his vampire dog, during excavations in Romania.

Release Date 1978-03-29

Cast Michael Pataki, Jose Ferrer

Make no mistake, Zoltan from the Hound of Dracula , also known as Dracula's Dog , is a vampire, but it's debatable if the Doberman Pinscher is actually evil. Vampires need to feed on blood to live , so it can be argued that they are only trying to survive, which is a natural instinct, not an evil trait.

In the movie, Zoltan is only trying to locate his master, rather than unleashing a campaign of terror and carnage. He does bite a pair of German Shepards and a Pointer, but dogs are pack animals, and who doesn't want friends? Of course being Count Dracula's vampire Doberman, checks off a lot of evil boxes that are hard to ignore.

Zombie Dogs

Resident evil.

A special military unit fights a powerful, out-of-control supercomputer and hundreds of scientists who have mutated into flesh-eating creatures after a laboratory accident.

Release Date 2002-03-15

Director Paul W. S. Anderson

Cast James Purefoy, Michelle Rodriguez, Ryan McCluskey, Milla Jovovich

Main Genre Action

Genres Sci-Fi, Action, Horror

Studio Columbia Tristar Pictures

10 Best Movie Zombies, Ranked By Lethality

Doberman Pinschers were bred aggressive with the specific purpose of being guard dogs. In Resident Evil , The Umbrella Corporation bred them further to be skinless zombie attack dogs, which is as horrifying as it sounds. Even Alice's enhanced abilities are no match for zombie dogs.

Alice is a more-than-capable butt-kicker, but when she encounters the zombie dogs, audiences can feel her sense of terror and helplessness . A product of the "Cerberus Project" these zombie Dobermans were initially developed as a biological weapon, and like every experiment from Umbrella Corp., they proved to be uncontrollable.

Satanic Rottweilers

Mysterious deaths surround an American ambassador. Could the child that he is raising actually be the Antichrist? The Devil's own son?

Release Date 1976-06-25

Director Richard Donner

Cast Harvey Stephens, Lee Remick, gregory peck

Runtime 111 minutes

Studio 20th Century Fox

Many people fear Rottweilers because they are a muscular breed that look menacing. In reality, dogs are only as good as their owners and most Rotties are sweethearts, known for their calm demeanor and even temperament. They almost certainly got their underserved reputation from the Satanic Rottweilers in 1976 film, The Omen .

Sent straight from Hell to protect the Antichrist child, the Rottweilers are some of the scariest creatures in any horror movie. In Greek mythology, Cerberus is the three-headed dog that guards the gates of Hades, but these Rotts are Hellhounds, which are guardians of evil away from the eternal pit of fire.

The 10 Most Evil Dogs in Movies

First Part of ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ Revealed

in Movies & TV

The Ecto-1 in action in the 'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' trailer

With Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) now exactly two months away, marketing for the film has officially entered spoiler territory (take that as your warning!).

While the action-packed trailer for the upcoming film reveals plenty, from Ghostbusters old and new teaming up to New York City unwillingly hosting a “second Ice Age” brought on by supernatural antagonist Garraka , it doesn’t let everything out of the Ecto Containment Unit.

(L to R) Finn Wolfhard, Carrie Coon, Paul Rudd, and McKenna Grace in 'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire'

Related: ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ Sequel Gets New Trailer, Puts ‘Frozen Empire’ to Shame

However, a recent Empire magazine world exclusive has revealed plenty. For starters, we know that the Ghostbusters’ former secretary, Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts),  is finally suiting up , “ugly little spud” Slimer is also back in the fold , franchise newcomer James Acaster’s character has been named , and we’ve also seen the new and improved Firehouse.

As part of that seemingly bottomless exclusive, Frozen Empire writer/director Gil Kenan and writer/producer Jason Reitman have also revealed the details for the film’s opening sequence, which features “the biggest ghost” in the franchise.

Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) in the 'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' trailer

Related:  Sony Releases Brand-New ‘Ghostbusters’ Short Film Online

“The joy of Frozen Empire is that it opens with a ghost chase,” Jason Reitman told Empire. “We throw you right back into Ecto-1, sliding around corners in Manhattan, chasing the biggest ghost we’ve ever seen in Ghostbusters.”

Part of this scene appears in the trailer, where the Ecto-1 can indeed be seen behaving like it’s suddenly part of the Fast and Furious franchise, performing a sharp U-turn on an NYC street corner before making a beeline for the unseen entity.

New York City being frozen in the 'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' trailer

Related:  Returning ‘Ghostbusters’ Actor Slammed by Fans After Appearing in New Trailer

The ghost in question is a blue-ish sewer-dwelling apparition reportedly named “the Sewer Dragon” that was revealed in the film’s official poster several weeks ago. Check it out below, as shared by the official Ghostbusters X (formerly Twitter) account :

Who you gonna call when the world freezes over? #Ghostbusters : Frozen Empire is coming exclusively to movie theaters March 29, 2024.
Who you gonna call when the world freezes over? #Ghostbusters : Frozen Empire is coming exclusively to movie theaters March 29, 2024. pic.twitter.com/7Bl09alrj0 — Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (@GBFrozenEmpire) December 19, 2023

Check out the trailer for Frozen Empire below, per Sony Pictures :

Related:  All 4 ‘Ghostbusters’ Movies Ranked Worst to Best

Per the website for the film , here’s the official synopsis:

In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the Spengler family returns to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – to team up with the original Ghostbusters, who’ve developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.

Frozen Empire stars Carrie Coon (Callie Spengler), Paul Rudd (Gary Grooberson), McKenna Grace (Phoebe Spengler), Finn Wolfhard (Trevor Spengler), Celeste O’Connor (Lucky Domingo), Logan Kim (Podcast), Dan Aykroyd (Ray Stantz), Annie Potts (Janine Melnitz), William Atherton (Walter Peck), Ernie Hudson (Winston Zeddemore), Bill Murray (Peter Venkman), James Acaster (Lars Pinfield), Patton Oswalt (Dr. Hubert Wartzki), Kumail Nanjiani (Nadeem Razmaadi), and Emily Alyn Lind in an undisclosed role.

Frozen Empire will now be released on March 22, 2024 .

An upcoming four-issue comic book series titled Ghostbusters: Back in Town (2024) will be released on March 27, 2024.

Are you excited about Frozen Empire ? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!

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One fossil is upending our inderstanding of Ankylosaur behavior

Note:   Dr. David Evans is the keynote speaker at NHMU’s DinoFest: Damage & Defense on January 27-28, 2024.

For paleontologists trying to tease hints from fossils mangled by geologic time, insights into the activities of a particular dinosaur are precious.

The top photo is an artists illustration of the Ankylosaur, the bottom is the fossilized Ankylosaur.

PHOTO CREDIT: Image courtesy of David Evans

An illustration of Zuul (top) and a photo of the fossilized armor (bottom).

Consider the ankylosaur, a four-legged Cretaceous plant-eater known for its armor plates and hefty club-like tail. You’d be forgiven for imagining this tail club was well-suited for kneecapping any would-be predator like  T. Rex . Not out of the question, said one expert, Dr. David Evans of the Royal Ontario Museum, but he suspects ankylosaurs evolved such tail clubs for a wholly different purpose—one that reveals something about how these dinosaurs spent their days.

Evans’ argument concerns a remarkable specimen from Montana that he and Dr. Victoria Arbour first  described in 2017  as a new species of ankylosaur,  Zuul crurivastator . We’ll unpack that name and its backstory further down, but for now, know that “Zuul” is also something of a mononym, as in: “We are not sure exactly how old Zuul was when the specimen died 76 million years ago, but we are certain that it was quite an old individual that lived a full life.”

“It’s pretty much complete from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail,” Evans said. While the specimen’s legs are missing—nothing is perfect—what’s there is more than just bones. “And this is where Zuul is really, really special. Probably most of the body is the fossilized skin… So all of the armor plates are in place on the back, and it’s all covered in fossilized skin.”

That bony armor wasn’t just for show. Along Zuul’s flanks, its spikes, or osteoderms, show signs of repeated injury and healing. Close analysis suggests those injuries weren’t from thwarted attacks by hungry predators, but are what you’d expect from “intraspecific combat,” as Evans and Arbour put it in a  2022 paper with  Dr. Lindsay Zanno . That is, they think these ankylosaurs were wailing  on each other  with their tail clubs:

“There is little doubt that the tail club could have been used in defense when needed, but our results suggest that sexual selection drove the evolution of this impressive weapon. This changes the prevailing view of ankylosaurs, suggesting they were behaviorally complex animals that likely engaged in ritualized combat for social dominance as in other ornithischian dinosaurs and mammals.”

A man stands against shelves of dinosaur fossils.

David Evans.

In this type of combat, Evans said, “animals tend not to fight each other to the death. It tends to be a test of strength… The animals can exert their dominance, but without killing the other animal.” This explains why Zuul’s injuries are concentrated around the hips, where a mortal wound would be unlikely, rather than the ribs or head.

The discovery that Zuul’s injuries likely owe to “jousting” with others of its club-tailed kind points, in turn, toward a heretofore underappreciated social complexity, upending a century-old notion of ankylosaurs as dimwitted loners. This insight into not just what  Zuul crurivastator  was but how it lived will feature in a keynote Evans is set to give later this month as part of the Natural History Museum of Utah’s two-day  DinoFest  event.

Origin stories

“I am your typical dinosaur kid,” said Evans, a paleontologist at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. “I have wanted to be a paleontologist since I can remember—and since my family can remember.”

His first exposure to dinosaurs was a book his grandmother gave him with he was 3 years old. At age 4, his family took him to the very museum that now employs him, “and from that point on, I always wanted to be a paleontologist, and that’s what I worked my whole life to be. One of my dream jobs was to be the paleontologist at the place where I first saw real dinosaurs, and I’m literally living my childhood dream.”

A skull of the ankylosaur on a stand.

Zuul crurivastator skull.

This telling of the story skips over a few beats, but if you’re wondering, they include a bachelor’s degree (2003) from the University of British Columbia and a Ph.D. (2007) from the University of Toronto’s Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, where he is now an associate professor. He has been party to the discovery of more than a dozen new dinosaur species.

As for his DinoFest talk at NHMU, it’s titled “Zuul: Armored Dinosaur Fight Club.” The pun calls to mind a line from the 1999 cult movie  Fight Club , in which, like ankylosaurs, some dudes wail on each other. But while Brad Pitt declares, “I don’t want to die without any scars,” this was decidedly a non-issue for Zuul. That name also happens to be a movie reference.

Who you gonna call?

The original paper introducing  Zuul crurivastator  said the name “refers to Zuul the Gatekeeper of Gozer, a fictional monster from the 1984 film  Ghostbusters ,” while “crurivastator” is Latin for “destroyer of shins.”

The Zuul of  Ghostbusters  is a “terror dog” to which, Evans observes, our Zuul bears a striking resemblance: “It has this short, rounded snout with wrinkly scales that run over the top of the nose onto the forehead. It’s got the horns that sweep back behind the eyes, and the spikes on the neck even.”

A man lays next to the Ankylosaur fossil.

Dr. David Evans lays next to the fossilized armor of the ankylosaur “Zuul.”

When Arbour first thought of the name “Zuul,” Evans knew just who to call. He happened to have a connection to Dan Akroyd, who co-wrote and stars in the movie, “because I actually taught his family how to dig up dinosaurs for a fundraising event for another museum a few years earlier.”

Evans reached out about using the name, and Akroyd “was so excited. He responded immediately and was like, ‘Absolutely, it’s such an honor. These armored dinosaurs were my favorite dinosaurs when I was a kid.’” The Emmy-winning SNL alum even appeared in a short behind-the-scenes  video  comparing the cinematic terror dog to the “real” terror dog.

Zuul’s next act

After a stint in Japan, where it was the centerpiece of Dinosaur Expo 2023, Zuul is now back in Toronto, where it still has plenty more it can tell us, Evans said.

“One of the exciting things about the soft tissue preservation is that we have a lot more work to do there,” potentially at a molecular level that could reveal much more about Zuul’s life, possibly down to details about what it was eating and the world it lived in. Purely from the standpoint of writerly convenience, it would be handy to find out whether Zuul was a he or a she; one day soon, we might.

Though Evans cautions we’re not there yet, “we’ve done some preliminary analysis that shows that we do seem to have some soft tissues preserved at the molecular level, which is really exciting. Who knows where that can lead?”

About Daniel Potter

Daniel Potter is a science writer based in Nashville, Tennessee. He’s appeared on Science Friday and PBS NewsHour, and has also written for the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Some of his work on natural history appears in the 2023 book Bay Curious: Exploring the Hidden True Stories of the San Francisco Bay Area. These days, he also writes about climate change for Terra.do.

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Leslie Jones, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Chris Hemsworth, and Kristen Wiig in Ghostbusters (2016)

Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann, and subway worker Patty Tolan band together to stop the other... Read all Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann, and subway worker Patty Tolan band together to stop the otherworldly threat. Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann, and subway worker Patty Tolan band together to stop the otherworldly threat.

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  • Trivia Although Harold Ramis passed away in 2014 and thus could not make a cameo alongside his fellow castmates, there is a bust of Ramis' head just outside of Erin's university office near the beginning of the film. The bust was later donated to the Harold Ramis Film School at Chicago's Second City, where Ramis began his career.
  • Goofs When you see the second shot of the outside of the Chinese restaurant/Ghostbusters base of operation (right after the subway train encounter), you can see the Ecto in the garage...this is before they even got the car from Patty. However, this mistake was digitally removed for the Blu-ray release.

Patty Tolan : [about Rowan's huge transformation] What part of "small and friendly" did he not understand?

  • Crazy credits In the post-credit scene after the credits are over, you see the girls in their lab. Patty has on a headset and is listening to an audio tape, repeating one section several times. Erin asks if she has something. Patty answers, "What's Zuul?"
  • Alternate versions Extended BluRay version is 2hs 13 mins long.
  • Connections Featured in The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Zooey Deschanel/Kelly Clarkson/Paul Feig/Bonnie Raitt/Stephen 'tWitch' Boss (2016)
  • Soundtracks Ghostbusters Written and Performed by Ray Parker Jr. (as Ray Parker, Jr.) Courtesy of Raydio Music Corp.

User reviews 2.5K

  • Sep 1, 2023

Reboots & Remakes

Production art

  • July 15, 2016 (United States)
  • United States
  • Official Site
  • Ghostbusters: Answer the Call
  • Boston, Massachusetts, USA
  • Columbia Pictures
  • LStar Capital
  • Village Roadshow Pictures
  • See more company credits at IMDbPro
  • $144,000,000 (estimated)
  • $128,350,574
  • $46,018,755
  • Jul 17, 2016
  • $229,147,509

Technical specs

  • Runtime 1 hour 57 minutes
  • Dolby Digital
  • Dolby Atmos
  • IMAX 6-Track
  • Dolby Surround 7.1

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Screen Rant

Original ghostbusters team (with 1 twist) suits up again in frozen empire image.

Three members of the original 1984 Ghostbusters team suits up again with one added member in a new image for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

  • A new image for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire shows the original Ghostbusters group – with a twist.
  • Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire will see the return of original cast members Ernie Hudson, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Annie Potts, alongside new cast members.
  • Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is set for release on March 22, 2024.

The original Ghostbusters crew puts on their suits again in a new image from Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire . Ghostbusters was first released in 1984, and featured a leading cast of Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson. The whole team would reunite in 1989's Ghostbusters 2 , and then again for brief cameos Ghostbusters (2016) and Ghostbusters: Afterlife (though sadly without Ramis, who passed away in 2014, but did have his character Egon resurrected via CGI for Afterlife ). Now, Murray, Hudson, and Aykroyd will return to fight ghosts in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire releasing on March 22.

From Empire , a new image from Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire shows members of the original cast with one twist. In the image, Aykroyd, Murray, and Hudson are again clad in their Ghostbusters attire, but rather than Ramis' Dr. Spengler, another original movie cast member, Annie Potts’ Janine, suits up to join the ghostbusting team. Check out the image below:

What To Expect From Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

The new Ghosbusters sequels represent the second attempt to remake the franchise for a 21st century audience, the first being the widely-criticized 2016 remake of Ghostbusters . Ghostbusters: Afterlife was a true sequel to the 1980s movies and directed by Jason Reitman, son of original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman, who steps in as a producer and writer for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire . That film introduced new cast members Carrie Coon, McKenna Grace, and Finn Wolfhard as Spengler's family living in Oklahoma, and saw them face off against the returning villains Gozer , Zuul, and Vinz Clortho.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire will see Afterlife' s cast return alongside several of the original cast members, who will also have much larger roles in this outing. The film will return to New York City where a new supernatural threat is covering the city with a deadly freeze. The familiar setting and including the older actors alongside newer stars will allow Frozen Empire to continue following the franchise's new direction while still retaining the nostalgia for the original movies.

Frozen Empire Is Taking Ghostbusters In A Direction It Should've Gone Over 3 Decades Ago

As per the new image, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire will also expand upon the Ghostbusters lore by expanding on the roles of the older cast members as well. Janine has historically assumed the role of the secretary for the Ghostbusters, who only occasionally busts out the ghoul-fighting garb herself. In the image, Janine’s costume would suggest she's become a more full-time entry into the main Ghostbusters team. Just how involved she'll be in the action remains to be seen, but it certainly appears Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire will incorporate Janine as Spengler's replacement in the original line-up as they work in tandem to save NYC with the new generation of Ghostbusters.

Source: Empire

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire continues the story of a new generation of ghost hunters composed of Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Podcast (Logan Kim), who received help from the original team in the previous movie. Paul Rudd returns as Gary Grooberson and franchise co-creator Ivan Reitman returns to write and produce.

The Real Ghostbusters Writer Claims Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Never Got In Touch

"... just can't seem to remember the name...".

Ryan Leston Avatar

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is reportedly inspired by The Real Ghostbusters animated series .

However, writer J. Michael Straczynski has alleged the production never got in touch with him, despite the fact he created some of its creepiest monsters.

“Trying to remember who created and/or developed some of those ‘weird-as-f*ck villains’,” he sarcastically said via Twitter . “Pretty sure he could have been of help if they had just reached out to him... just can't seem to remember the name...”

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Image Credit: Sony Pictures.

According to Empire Magazine , the upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife sequel is inspired by the Ghostbusters cartoon, which debuted in 1986.

The show essentially continued the adventures of the classic Ghostbusters: Dr. Peter Venkman, Dr. Egon Spengler, Dr. Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddemore, their secretary Janine Melnitz, and their mascot ghost Slimer.

However, it also introduced a whole host of interesting new ghosts and ghouls. Director Gil Kenan said that the upcoming film is influenced by the show’s “wild, original and weird-as-f**k villains.” Those villains include Drool the Dog-Faced Goblin, as well as the alternate-universe Peoplebusters.

“We wanted to bring that show’s looseness and fearlessness to this movie,” added Kenan. “I think it’s going to surprise people just how big this film is.”

Whether or not any of Straczynski’s villains make it to the big screen remains to be seen, but the writer did pen numerous episodes of the classic ‘80s cartoon. Straczynski, best known as the creator of the science fiction television series Babylon 5 , claimed that the movie did not reach out, and when asked if he was unavailable at the time, he quipped: “Trying to remember... nope, not really... for sure I did some laundry at one point... yes, maybe that was the issue.”

IGN’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife review gave it 9/10 and said: “Director Jason Reitman does his father and fans proud with a funny, sweet, and spooky family movie that proudly takes on the legacy of Ghostbusters, while also introducing something exciting and new. It helps that Mckenna Grace is the kind of talent that only comes around once in a generation: charming, authentic, and the beating heart of this already heartfelt movie. Get ready to fall in love with the Ghostbusters all over again.”

Want to read more about Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire? Check out the first trailer for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and find out when the upcoming Ghostbusters sequel debuts in theaters .

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter .

In This Article

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

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An illustration of two ankylosaurs battling by using their large tail clubs.

Zuul crurivastator in battle. Illustration by Henry Sharpe courtesy of David Evans.

How One Amazing Fossil Is Upending Our Understanding of Ankylosaur Behavior

Note: Dr. David Evans will be a keynote speaker at NHMU's DinoFest: Damage & Defense on January 27-28, 2024.  Learn more and prebook DinoFest tickets here . 

By Daniel Potter

For paleontologists trying to tease hints from fossils mangled by geologic time, insights into the activities of a particular dinosaur are precious.

Consider the ankylosaur, a four-legged Cretaceous plant-eater known for its armor plates and hefty club-like tail. You’d be forgiven for imagining this tail club was well-suited for kneecapping any would-be predator like T. Rex . Not out of the question, says one expert, Dr. David Evans of the Royal Ontario Museum, but he suspects ankylosaurs evolved such tail clubs for a wholly different purpose—one that reveals something about how these dinosaurs spent their days.

The fossilized skull of the ankylosaur Zuul

Zuul crurivastator skull. Image courtesy of David Evans

Evans’ argument concerns a remarkable specimen from Montana that he and Dr. Victoria Arbour first described in 2017 as a new species of ankylosaur, Zuul crurivastator . We’ll unpack that name and its backstory further down, but for now, know that “Zuul” is also something of a mononym, as in: “We are not sure exactly how old Zuul was when the specimen died 76 million years ago, but we are certain that it was quite an old individual that lived a full life.”

“It’s pretty much complete from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail,” Evans says. While the specimen’s legs are missing—nothing is perfect—what’s there is more than just bones. “And this is where Zuul is really, really special. Probably most of the body is the fossilized skin… So all of the armor plates are in place on the back, and it’s all covered in fossilized skin.”

A diptych of an illustration of Zuul and a photograph of the fossilized armor.

An illustration of Zuul (top) and a photo of the fossilized armor (bottom). Image courtesy of David Evans

That bony armor wasn’t just for show. Along Zuul’s flanks, its spikes, or osteoderms, show signs of repeated injury and healing. Close analysis suggests those injuries weren’t from thwarted attacks by hungry predators, but are what you’d expect from “intraspecific combat,” as Evans and Arbour put it in a 2022 paper with Dr. Lindsay Zanno . That is, they think these ankylosaurs were wailing on each other with their tail clubs:

“There is little doubt that the tail club could have been used in defence when needed, but our results suggest that sexual selection drove the evolution of this impressive weapon. This changes the prevailing view of ankylosaurs, suggesting they were behaviorally complex animals that likely engaged in ritualized combat for social dominance as in other ornithischian dinosaurs and mammals.”

In this type of combat, Evans says, “animals tend not to fight each other to the death. It tends to be a test of strength… The animals can exert their dominance, but without killing the other animal.” This explains why Zuul’s injuries are concentrated around the hips, where a mortal wound would be unlikely, rather than the ribs or head.

The discovery that Zuul’s injuries likely owe to “jousting” with others of its club-tailed kind points, in turn, toward a heretofore underappreciated social complexity, upending a century-old notion of ankylosaurs as dimwitted loners. This insight into not just what Zuul crurivastator  was but how it lived will feature in a keynote Evans is set to give later this month as part of the Natural History Museum of Utah’s two-day DinoFest event. 

Origin Stories

“I am your typical dinosaur kid,” says Evans, a paleontologist at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. “I have wanted to be a paleontologist since I can remember—and since my family can remember.” 

David Evans stands on a box in a warehouse surrounded by fossils.

Image courtesy of David Evans

His first exposure to dinosaurs was a book his grandmother gave him with he was 3 years old. At age 4, his family took him to the very museum that now employs him, “and from that point on, I always wanted to be a paleontologist, and that’s what I worked my whole life to be. One of my dream jobs was to be the paleontologist at the place where I first saw real dinosaurs, and I’m literally living my childhood dream.”

This telling of the story skips over a few beats, but if you’re wondering, they include a bachelor's degree (2003) from the University of British Columbia and a Ph.D. (2007) from the University of Toronto’s Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, where he is now an associate professor. He has been party to the discovery of more than a dozen new dinosaur species.

As for his DinoFest talk at NHMU, it’s titled “Zuul: Armored Dinosaur Fight Club.” The pun calls to mind a line from the 1999 cult movie Fight Club , in which, like ankylosaurs, some dudes wail on each other. But while Brad Pitt declares, “I don’t want to die without any scars,” this was decidedly a non-issue for Zuul. That name also happens to be a movie reference.

Who You Gonna Call?

The original paper introducing Zuul crurivastator says the name “refers to Zuul the Gatekeeper of Gozer, a fictional monster from the 1984 film Ghostbusters ,” while “crurivastator” is Latin for “destroyer of shins.” 

David Evans lays next to the fossilized armor of the ankylosaur.

Dr. David Evans lays next to the fossilized armor of the ankylosaur "Zuul." Image courtesy of David Evans

The Zuul of Ghostbusters  is a “terror dog” to which, Evans observes, our Zuul bears a striking resemblance: “It has this short, rounded snout with wrinkly scales that run over the top of the nose onto the forehead. It’s got the horns that sweep back behind the eyes, and the spikes on the neck even.” 

When Arbour first thought of the name “Zuul,” Evans knew just who to call. He happened to have a connection to Dan Akroyd, who co-wrote and stars in the movie, “because I actually taught his family how to dig up dinosaurs for a fundraising event for another museum a few years earlier.” 

Evans reached out about using the name, and Akroyd “was so excited. He responded immediately and was like, ‘Absolutely, it’s such an honor. These armored dinosaurs were my favorite dinosaurs when I was a kid.’” The Emmy-winning SNL alum even appeared in a short behind-the-scenes video comparing the cinematic terror dog to the “real” terror dog.

Zuul’s Next Act

After a stint in Japan, where it was the centerpiece of Dinosaur Expo 2023, Zuul is now back in Toronto, where it still has plenty more it can tell us, Evans says. 

“One of the exciting things about the soft tissue preservation is that we have a lot more work to do there,” potentially at a molecular level that could reveal much more about Zuul’s life, possibly down to details about what it was eating and the world it lived in. Purely from the standpoint of writerly convenience, it would be handy to find out whether Zuul was a he or a she; one day soon, we might.

Though Evans cautions we’re not there yet, “we’ve done some preliminary analysis that shows that we do seem to have some soft tissues preserved at the molecular level, which is really exciting. Who knows where that can lead?”

Dr. Evans at DinoFest 2024

Learn more about Dr. Evans’ research on  Zuul crurivastator during his upcoming lecture at NHMU’s DinoFest , happening January 27–28 at the Museum in Salt Lake City.

Dan Potter

By Dan Potter

Daniel Potter is a science writer based in Nashville, Tennessee. He's appeared on Science Friday and PBS NewsHour, and has also written for the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Some of his work on natural history appears in the 2023 book Bay Curious: Exploring the Hidden True Stories of the San Francisco Bay Area. These days, he also writes about climate change for Terra.do.

Article tags

Area of science.

  • Paleontology

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IMAGES

  1. Zuul ghostbusters 1984 hi-res stock photography and images

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  2. Zuul the Gatekeeper, Ghostbusters.

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  3. Zuul, the Gatekeeper : r/ghostbusters

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  4. Ghostbusters (1984)

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  5. Gallery: Ivy as Zuul

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  6. Ghostbusters

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VIDEO

  1. Ghostbusters

  2. ghostbusters

  3. Ghostbusters Teaser

  4. Ghostbusters?!?

  5. GHOSTBUSTERS

  6. "Ghostbusters" Mega Drive

COMMENTS

  1. Zuul

    Zuul (also known as The Gatekeeper) is a demigod and minion of Gozer, alongside Vinz Clortho. She [1] possessed Dana Barrett in Ghostbusters and both Callie Spengler and Lucky Domingo in Ghostbusters: Afterlife . Contents

  2. Ghostbusters

    Dana Barrett discovers ZUUL in her refrigerator. Ghostbusters on Blu-ray: http://amzn.to/1KL2W7L

  3. Ghostbusters (1984)

    Directed by Ivan Reitman ... (directed by) Writing Credits Cast (in credits order) verified as complete Produced by Music by Elmer Bernstein Cinematography by László Kovács ... director of photography (as Laszlo Kovacs) Editing by Casting By Karen Rea ... (casting by) Production Design by John DeCuir ... (as John De Cuir) (production design by)

  4. Zuul

    Zuul is known as the " Gatekeeper of Gozer " and is considered by many to be a female entity due to the fact it possessed a female victim and its role as the "Gatekeeper". Whilst possessing Dana Barrett in Ghostbusters, she was portrayed by Sigourney Weaver, who also played The Cabin in the Woods.

  5. Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

    Directed by Jason Reitman Writing Credits Cast (in credits order) verified as complete Produced by Music by Rob Simonsen ... (music by) Cinematography by Eric Steelberg ... director of photography Editing by Dana E. Glauberman Nathan Orloff Casting By Production Design by François Audouy Art Direction by Set Decoration by Costume Design by

  6. Zuul

    Zuul is a genus of herbivorous ankylosaurine dinosaur from the Campanian Judith River Formation of Montana. The type species is Zuul crurivastator.

  7. Ghostbusters

    She recounts witnessing a demonic dog-like creature in her refrigerator utter a single word: "Zuul". Ray and Egon research Zuul and details of Dana's building while Peter inspects her apartment and unsuccessfully attempts to seduce her. The Ghostbusters are hired to remove a gluttonous ghost, Slimer, from the Sedgewick Hotel.

  8. Ghostbusters

    Dr. Peter Venkman is trying to get through to his would-be girlfriend, Dana Barrett, who happens to be possessed by ZUUL.Ghostbusters on Blu-ray: http://amzn...

  9. The 'Ghostbusters' dinosaur: Species named Zuul, Destroyer of Shins

    Meet Zuul, the new dinosaur species named after 'Ghostbusters' demon. When scientists needed a name for a newfound dinosaur with wicked horns and protruding spikes, they knew exactly who to call ...

  10. Meet Zuul, the Dinosaur Named After the Ghostbusters Monster

    In the creature's horned head, she saw the spitting image of Zuul, the Gatekeeper of Gozer—the demonic dog that appeared in Ghostbusters and haunted Sigourney Weaver's fridge. "David and I ...

  11. Who Is Zuul? The 'Ghostbusters' Post-Credits Scene Teases The Return Of

    The name Zuul might ring a bell, even if you've never seen the original 1984 Ghostbusters. One Zuul-related line in particular found a pop culture foothold. One Zuul-related line in particular ...

  12. New Dinosaur Resembles Ghostbusters Monster Zuul

    A newfound species of ankylosaurus. In a new study, researchers describe the 75-million-year-old dinosaur that lived during the Cretaceous and sported bony armor and spikes. Due to its uncanny...

  13. Turns out that a 'Ghostbusters' monster was actually a real dinosaur

    Now, not to get too nerdy, but fans will remember that though Zuul first appeared in the film inhabiting the body of a "terror dog" creature in the film (Akroyd's words!), the spirit of Zuul,...

  14. Dana vs. The Ghosts

    There is no Dana, only Zuul! Watch all of Dana's ghost encounters in #Ghostbusters and #Ghostbusters2 now!Watch Ghostbusters Now: http://AAN.SonyPictures.com...

  15. 10 Ghosts That Need To Return In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

    Slimer, Muncher, Vigo the Carpathian, Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, the Dream Ghost, Zombie Taxi Driver, Library Ghost, Icon Ghost, Zuul, and Gozer should all make a comeback in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.

  16. Amazing 'Ghostbusters' dinosaur fossil, Zuul, goes on display

    Zuul's demonic looks inspired researchers to name it after a monster from the film Ghostbusters—but the animal thirsted for buds, not blood; Zuul was an herbivore. Photograph Mark Thiessen ...

  17. Meet Zuul, the new 'Ghostbusters'-inspired dinosaur

    With prominent horns and a short snout, the skull of a newly-discovered dinosaur species may seem oddly familiar, particularly for fans of the 1984 classic "Ghostbusters." Meet "Zuul ...

  18. Zuul

    Zuul - also known as The Gatekeeper - is a demonic entity from the film Ghostbusters. This creature is a minion of Gozer, an ancient Sumerian deity destined to destroy the world. Whenever Gozer traveled to a new world, it sent its acolytes Vinz Clortho and Zuul ahead to prepare that world for the Destructor's coming.

  19. Ghostbusters (1984)

    80 Play trailer 1:35 38 Videos 99+ Photos Action Comedy Fantasy Three parapsychologists forced out of their university funding set up shop as a unique ghost removal service in New York City, attracting frightened yet skeptical customers. Director Ivan Reitman Writers Dan Aykroyd Harold Ramis Rick Moranis Stars Bill Murray Dan Aykroyd

  20. Vinz Clortho

    Vinz Clortho manifested on Earth in a couple weeks later, on a Thursday night, after Zuul, on the roof of 550 Central Park West as a large horned beast with vicious red eyes known as a Terror Dog. He ended on up on Louis's bed and waited for him. He growled softly as Louis finally opened the door, but he didn't notice Vinz.

  21. Who Ya Gonna Call?: 10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About Ghostbusters

    Zuul is the main antagonist in Ghostbusters. Despite the fact that he appears in various different forms throughout the film - a refrigerator, a demon dog, possessing Dana's body, etc. - his voice is always the same, and that voice was provided by the movie's director, Ivan Reitman. RELATED: The Ultimate Ghostbusters Gift Guide

  22. Ghostbusters/Walkthrough

    Entering Zuul . Entering Zuul is only possible when the Keymaster and the Gatekeeper arrive at Zuul. This becomes possible once the PKE reaches 5000, though they won't make a direct effort to reach Zuul until the PKE reaches at least 9500. If the PKE reaches 9999, the ending is forced.

  23. The 10 Most Evil Dogs in Movies

    In Ghostbusters, Vinz Cloortho is the "Key Master" who possesses Louis Tully, and Zuul is the "Gatekeeper" who takes over Dana Barett.Once together, they open the door to another dimension ...

  24. First Part of 'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' Revealed

    But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age. Frozen Empire stars ...

  25. One fossil is upending our inderstanding of Ankylosaur behavior

    The original paper introducing Zuul crurivastator said the name "refers to Zuul the Gatekeeper of Gozer, a fictional monster from the 1984 film Ghostbusters," while "crurivastator" is Latin for "destroyer of shins."

  26. Ghostbusters (2016)

    Action Comedy Fantasy Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann, and subway worker Patty Tolan band together to stop the otherworldly threat. Director Paul Feig Writers Katie Dippold Paul Feig Ivan Reitman Stars Melissa McCarthy Kristen Wiig Kate McKinnon

  27. Original Ghostbusters Team (With 1 Twist) Suits Up Again In Frozen

    The original Ghostbusters crew puts on their suits again in a new image from Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Ghostbusters was first released in 1984, and featured a leading cast of Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson.The whole team would reunite in 1989's Ghostbusters 2, and then again for brief cameos Ghostbusters (2016) and Ghostbusters: Afterlife (though sadly without ...

  28. The Real Ghostbusters Writer Claims Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire ...

    The show essentially continued the adventures of the classic Ghostbusters: Dr. Peter Venkman, Dr. Egon Spengler, Dr. Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddemore, their secretary Janine Melnitz, and their mascot ...

  29. How One Amazing Fossil Is Upending Our Understanding of Ankylosaur

    Evans' argument concerns a remarkable specimen from Montana that he and Dr. Victoria Arbour first described in 2017 as a new species of ankylosaur, Zuul crurivastator.We'll unpack that name and its backstory further down, but for now, know that "Zuul" is also something of a mononym, as in: "We are not sure exactly how old Zuul was when the specimen died 76 million years ago, but we ...