It really is. Beetlejuice is the king of Tim Burton movies, and is one of the most influential comedies of the 80s. But, this movie is definitely not for the faint of heart. It is a movie about a perverted ghost, after all. Let’s jump in, shall we?
Beetlejuice is an American Comedy/Horror movie released in 1988 and directed by Tim Burton. Starring Micheal Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Catherine O’Hara, Jeffery Jones, and Winona Ryder, it grossed $74.2 million and was the movie that put Tim Burton on the map, and Micheal Keaton too.
Plot Time, Boys!
Barbara and Adam Maitland decide to spend their vacation decorating their idyllic Connecticut country home. Relative Jane Butterfield, a pushy real estate agent, hounds them with purchase offers that she solicits against their will. As the two are driving home from a trip to town, Barbara swerves to avoid a dog and the car plunges into a river.
After they return home, Adam decides to retrace their steps as they cannot recall how they got home. Upon stepping outside, he is taken to a desert world with monstrous sandworms before being pulled back in by Barbara. Even though he had been gone for less than a minute, Barbara claims he had been gone for two hours. She and Adam notice that they now lack reflections and they discover a Handbook for the Recently Deceased and realize they did not survive the crash.
Jane immediately sells the house to the Deetz family, from New York City. Charles Deetz is a former real estate developer; his wife Delia, a sculptor; and his thirteen year old goth daughter Lydia, from his first marriage, is an aspiring photographer. Under the guidance of interior designer Otho, Delia begins to transform the house into a posh modern art piece. Consulting the Handbook, the Maitlands travel to a netherworld waiting room populated by other distressed souls, where they discover that the afterlife is structured according to a complex bureaucracy involving vouchers and the usual overworked caseworkers. The Maitlands’ own caseworker, Juno, informs them that they must remain in the house for 125 years. If they want the Deetzes out of the house, it is up to them to scare them away. Barbara’s and Adam’s attempts at scaring the family prove counterproductive, despite their ability to shape-shift into monsters, as nobody can see or hear them.
While the Maitlands are away seeing Juno, Lydia discovers the handbook and reads it. Although Adam and Barbara remain invisible to Charles and Delia, Lydia can see the ghost couple and befriends them. Against Juno’s advice, the Maitlands contact the miscreant Beetlejuice, Juno’s former assistant and now freelance “bio-exorcist” ghost, to scare away the Deetzes. However, Beetlejuice quickly offends the Maitlands with his crude and morbid demeanor; and they reconsider hiring him, though too late to stop him from wreaking havoc during a small dinner party, when the Deetzes have invited Delia’s agent, Bernard, along with Otho and other friends. However, the living are only intrigued by the turn of events.
The small town’s charm and the supernatural events inspire Charles to pitch his boss Maxie Dean on transforming the town into a tourist hot spot, but Maxie wants proof of the ghosts. Using the Handbook for the Recently Deceased, Otho conducts what he thinks is a séance and summons Adam and Barbara, but they begin to decay, as Otho had unwittingly performed an exorcism instead. Horrified, Lydia begrudgingly summons Beetlejuice for help; but he agrees to help her only on the condition that she marry him, enabling him to freely cause chaos in the mortal world. Beetlejuice saves the Maitlands and disposes of Maxie, his wife, and Otho, then prepares a wedding before a ghastly minister. The Maitlands intervene before the ceremony is completed, with Barbara riding a sandworm through the house to devour Beetlejuice.
Finally, the Deetzes and Maitlands agree to live in harmony within the house. Adam, Barbara and Lydia are seen in a remodeled part of the house dancing to Harry Belafonte’s “Jump in the Line” (with Lydia floating in the air) to celebrate Lydia getting an “A” on her math test. Meanwhile, Beetlejuice is stuck in the afterlife waiting room; there, he attempts to cut in front of a witch doctor, who shrinks his head in retaliation.
Best Scene, Here I come!
I believe the best scene is where the Maitlands meet Beetlejuice. The teleportation effect is quite cool, and Beetlejuice’s following interaction with them is cool. It showcases his core personality traits(perverted, eccentric, crazy, quick to anger) and it is fun to watch Micheal Keaton act like this. The scene where he does the “Scariest Face” is still creepy, but leaves enough to the imagination to still be creepier.
The Cast, Yay.
Micheal Keaton(Beetlejuice) is an American actor(age 68) who is hilarious to watch in this movie. He overacts at a Jim Carry level, and it’s a joy to watch. He perfectly captures the role of Beetlejuice, and hopefully will reprise his role in Beetlejuice Two. His career includes: Batman, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spotlight, The Founder, and Batman Returns.
Alec Baldwin(Adam Maitland) is an American actor(age 61) who does a fine job stacked against Micheal Keaton. His chemistry with Geena Davis is quite apparent, and he does an overall good job with what he was given. His career includes: It’s Complicated, The Hunt For Red October, The Boss Baby, A Star Is Born(2018), The Departed, and The Cat In The Hat.
Winona Ryder(Lydia Deetz) is an American actress(age 47) who does a very good job in this movie. She is also pretty fun to watch, and her obvious distaste for Beetlejuice is still pretty fun to watch. She’s just great. Her career includes: Stranger Things, Friends, Edward Scissorhands, Heathers, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and Black Swan.
Now, What Actual Critics Think! I’m Not An Actual Critic So I Don’t Do This For A Living!
Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
IMDB: 7.5/10
Metacritic: 70%
Outro Time!
Oh man, Beetlejuice is a fun movie. I highly recommend that you go and watch it. It is a good Halloween film, but not too scary. It’s the film that launched Tim Burton’s career(and Micheal Keaton’s), it’s one of the most influential films of the 80s, and it’s fun overall, I give you…..
Beetlejuice.
The Underage Critic 