They looked inside Dan Lanigan’s Spengler Hero Pack!
Could have watched hours of this!
Yeah, I wish they just did like a slide show of photos of the inside at the end of the video. I caught myself grumbling at the bald guy to move out of the bloody shot so we have a clear shot of the shell interior, lol.
I caught myself grumbling at the dude standing next to Adam Savage of all people and yet belching out the idea to “ask ChatGPT how this all works”
Exactly. It’s doubly irritating because the net worth of the individuals in the video is staggering–not to mention their networks of friends, colleagues, and others “in the know” with regards to props.
Yet despite having the means to seek out someone who could help them decode the amazing vintage electronics from this fantastic piece of film history…his first thought was, “Hey let’s ask ChatGPT how this works!” That it was that guy’s first thought is what really turns my stomach. We’re so cooked.
Other than that, great video.
With that much money in that room, they really should have someone there to replace the old and potentially leaky capacitors. That pack having a few add-ons to the board won’t change the price, but having running lights would and be a much more interesting video. . I also understand keeping it original but I think I would bolt up a N filter and a cranked knob. Still a cool video
Zero mention of the pack’s appearance in “Casper” either. Such a missed opportunity to show how the pack looked 6 years after GB2 (with that same upper bolt and the loose/dangling barrel):
Whoa, that’s awesome. This Spengler Hero pack was in GB1, GB2, and Casper. Wild.
I forgot but which Spengler pack did they scan to make the one Phoebe finds in Afterlife? I remember a bts where they were some archive room and Violet put the original pack on. Was that a Hero pack, too, or a Super Hero or Semi Spengler?
I believe the one they took the pics with Violet was the OG Super Hero, but they “said” it was Harold’s. I think?
I’ve got some quotes from Total Film #317 saying, "In order to recreate Egon’s Proton Pack, Harold Ramis’ original prop was Lidar-scanned, rebuilt “down to the millimetre” and aged to give it “the kind of battle scars you would think it would have by now”. And also in SFX Magazine #345 and the Afterlife Art of book, it’s mentioned they got “the original proton packs from Sony’s archives in order to scan them for our own equipment.” Ah, I’ll have to go look for some photos of that, I think there are. Now this is bugging me.
edit: Can only see a bit of the pack:
If I remember right, the worn down all silver cylinder on the rear of the thrower is one of the distinguishing features of the Super Hero pack.
I recall a longer HGA and bumper on the Super Hero? I want to say they were wearing them in those promo photos with Gozer at the temple set.
While I loved the video I wish they’d had a fan in there who knew about the packs and could have pointed out details like Casper and different aspects of the pack.
They did a video on a Luke Skywalker lightsaber recently and had a guy in who is just a fan who replicates them.
Surely someone from our community could have been there.
I’d have cast my vote for The Proton Pack Is Not A Toy (aka the Proton Pack Detective).
(there’s more but I can’t be bothered pasting them all here :lol: )
And of course
The Phoebe pack was based on The Superhero, this can be seen in a few of the details of the pack, also at the time the prop was developed for Afterlife, the Spengs was already in a private collection.
The Superhero is the original pack that was built before the other 4.
Thanks!
Do we know the locations of the others?
-Spengler Super Hero - Sony Archives
-I recall a Venkman one from at least GB2 was in a children’s museum in Indiana maybe in the 2010s?
-A Stantz one was at the National Film and Sci-Fi Museum in 2021 but not sure if that’s a hero or semi.
-Can’t say I ever saw a Zeddemore show up.
edit: Just remembered a Spengler Hero was in display in '84 in Arizona!
Venkman Hero: Sony Archives
Stantz Hero: Private Collection (currently on display at a museum in the UK)
Spengler Hero: Private Collection (Dan Lanigan)
Zeddemore Hero: Unknown
Super Hero: Sony Archives
Venkman Semi-Hero: Lost
Stantz Semi-Hero: Sony Archives
Spengler Semi-Hero: Sony Archives
Zeddemore Semi-Hero: Unknown
Tully Semi-Hero: Unknown, but the wand sold last year likely belonged to this pack.
Semi-Hero #6: Sony Archives
Pour one out for the Venkman Semi-hero. Anyone else an old man like me and remember when that all went down?
Yep.
While some consolation can be taken from the fact it was only a Semi-Hero, and that it would’ve been virtually identical to the other five, its accidental destruction is still a damn shame.
Did you say “accidental destruction”?! Oh, man…