Do Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters Exist in the Same Universe? – Great

There are quite a few similarities between the Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters. Both are films that helped define the 80s, yet both feel timeless and aren’t dated. Both have amazing soundtracks, and of course, both star a pre-alien conspiring, crystal skull vodka touting Dan Aykroyd.

However, when you look a little closer at these two franchises, one might have the sudden realization that both are set in the same universe. Now, If you think this article is going to make that argument using some random moment from a throwaway piece of extended universe fiction…well, you would be totally right. But before we get to that let us examine the similar aspects of both films, and why there are grounds for this humble writer to make such a bold statement.

First of all, we have the structure of both films. Both movies open with a mostly silent prologue that sets a slow build for the tone of what you are about to witness. Blues Brothers has Jake being released from prison, Ghostbusters has the librarian going about her business and being spooked. Both scenes conclude when the titles hit alongside the opening fanfare of “She Caught The Katy” and Ray Park Jr.s “Ghostbusters” respectively.

While on the subject of titles, both films actually use a really similar font. The “Goudy” style is actually a favourite of John Landis, and he used it for a lot of his earlier work from Animal House to An American Werewolf In London.

Perhaps Columbia wanted to use a familiar vibe to help promote Ghostbusters seeing as it also featured a lot of Saturday Night Live (SNL)/National Lampoon alumni, although technically the Ghostbusters font is probably closer to the Columna type. Hope that information helps out anyone making a fan film/homage/porn parody out there.

Then we have the endings of both movies, which utilise another favourite 80s staple; headshots with the actor’s names appearing below. The Blues Brothers is a little more on the nose with the actors breaking the forth wall, serenading the audience with Jail House Rock, but both sequences feel like they’re cut from the same cloth. I always thought it was cool that in Blues Brothers Belushi and Aykroyd were credited as their character names. I also blame Ray Stanz signature bow as the reason I picked up a filthy smoking habit, because gosh darn does he look awesome.

Finally, both sequels start with “X Years Later”. Ghostbusters II with a Kubrickian style “5 YEARS LATER” jump and Blues Brothers 2000 with a less garish (or goudy) “18 Years Later” fading in and out at the bottom of the screen.

So far all I’ve done is compare how similar these two films that were made relatively close to each other are, as well as how they feature actors and writers who hang out in the same comedy circles. This is no major revelation yet, so let’s start comparing more visual aspects.

In both films we have protagonists who wear matching uniforms. The brothers of blues have their men in black sunglasses, hats, and suits, while the busters of ghosts have their pest control jumpsuits. But have you ever realized that both forms of transports for our heroes are ex-service vehicles? Not only that, but ones that at one time or another have wacky accessories on their roofs? The Bluesmobile is a 1974 dodge Monaco cop car that towards the end of the second act has a giant speaker affixed to its top to promote the big gig, whereas Ecto-1 is a 1959 Cadillac hearse/ambulance that of course has a variety of paranormal gadgets protruding from its top cover. Is your mind blown yet?

I know that classic cars are a massive passion of Dan Aykroyd’s, so their inclusion isn’t necessarily some kind of mad revelation.

Do you know what else Aykroyd has a passion for? Blues music and the paranormal, clearly a big influence behind his two most famous movies. Ghostbusters doesn’t feature any musical numbers, unless like myself you like to imagine that’s Ray singing “Cleaning Up The Town” as Ecto roars its way to the Sedgewick hotel, or Louis Tully crooning “I Believe it’s Magic” whilst the ghosts are freed from the containment unit wrecking havoc around Manhattan. No, musical numbers do not feature in Ghostbusters.

But ghosts are definitely a feature in Blues Brothers.

There are only a couple of supernatural moments in the original Blues Brothers, with Jake seeing the light in the church and the Penguin’s (mother superior who runs the orphanage, not chubby top-hatted Batman villain) office door slamming behind Jake and Elwood, but in everyone’s favorite totally unnecessary sequel Blues Brothers 2000 we get a heap of paranormal activity. When the band plays “Ghost Riders In The Sky” at a country music festival, ghost riders literally appear in the sky. The models and animation effects also look kind of similar to those used in Ghostbusters too. And towards the end of the movie, if you made it that far, we see voodoo sorcery and possession in one of the weirdest, dumbest moments ever to come out of modern cinema.

Even though I just denounced Blues Brother 2000 for being the vile thing that it is, if you have never seen it, please don’t. But do give the soundtrack album a listen, it’s actually quite good. Is that another comparison we can make? Do all the films have banging soundtracks?

So there you have it, absolute proof that Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters are set in the same universe. Still don’t believe me? Fine, I have one more ace up my sleeve.

In the Ghostbusters comics, Ray has a spirit guide, and it’s none other than Jake Blues.

With that, I rest my case. Don’t try and overthink the date of Jake’s death and when the Ghostbusters comics are set, because you’ll ruin everything.

Maybe both film’s aren’t set in the same universe, or maybe they are. It’s up to your imaginations really. Lets just hope Sony or Universal don’t get any funny ideas about some kind of combined cinematic universe, because after the Amazing Spider-Man and The Mummy attempts, that would truly be horror story worth singing the blues about.

A comic would be cool, though.