MPAA Rating: PG/Genre: Dark Fantasy Horror Comedy/Stars: Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jones, Catherine O’Hara, Winona Ryder, Sylvia Sidney, Robert Goulet, Dick Cavett, Glenn Shadix, Annie McEnroe, Simmy Bow, Maree Cheatham, Carmen Filpi, Tony Cox, Susan Kellermann, Adelle Lutz, Patrice Martinez/Runtime: 92 minutes
I think it can safely be said that every single director that you have, to whatever degree, heard of in your life at some point all have one thing in common. That being that they all had that one movie that before it was released some people might have heard of them, but after it came out they definitely were on the minds of both the general movie-going public to say nothing of the studios at large. I mean yes Duel and The Sugarland Express were, and still are, a pair of terrific films, but honestly you could argue that it was Jaws in 1975 that really introduced audiences to the brilliance of one Steven Spielberg. Likewise, yes Boxcar Bertha is a fine film in its own right, but for me it will always be Mean Streets that wound up announcing to the world that Martin Scorsese had arrived on the scene and was here to stay through ups, downs, and whatever the heck 1997’s Kundun was. Along with those, I definitely can see how audiences might never have thought it after seeing the theatrical cut of Alien 3 back in 1992, but after the release of Seven in 1995 you cannot say that David Fincher was not a force to be reckoned with in the land of movie magic and thankfully every movie he has made since then has definitely proven that and then some. Lastly, The Duelists from 1977 is (from what I hear) a solid debut, but it would wind up being 1979’s Alien that really introduced audiences to the skill and talents of one Sir Ridley Scott (to say nothing of his talent for the director’s cuts of his films often times being significantly superior to the theatrical cuts the studios wind up releasing to the masses). Of course, the reason I bring this up to you dear reader is because I feel that if you wanted to add anyone else to that list then one name you easily could, and arguably should, add is none other than Tim Burton. Indeed here is a guy who audiences nowadays know for being delightfully dark and quirky (oh and for helming a 2019 live-action remake of Dumbo), but who at one time was only known for being the guy who brought Pee-wee Herman to the big screen with Pee-wee’s Big Adventure in 1985. Then in the year 1988, audiences were treated to a slice of cinema from Burton that managed to change that and, in the process, give audiences the Burton his fans all know and love today. That being a slice of cinema known as Beetlejuice. A film that not only do I have a bit of a soft spot for (having chosen that over Hocus Pocus for my October movie nights since at least the age of 6), but which also has aged incredibly well. To be sure, it’s not a flawless film by any means, but with absolutely wonderful work on both sides of the camera Beetlejuice is definitely one spooky yet also silly cinematic outing that you and the little monsters in your life are sure to enjoy time and time again.
The plot is as follows: Taking us as an audience to the seemingly picturesque little community of Winter River in the state of Connecticut, Beetlejuice gets its spine-tingling story afoot by introducing us to a young married couple by the name of Barbara and Adam Maitland. A couple who, among other things worth knowing about them, have decided to spend that most precious of time (especially when you’re an adult; trust me on this kids) known as their vacation doing something rather unusual. No it’s not going down to Vegas, staying at a first-class hotel on the Strip, and the first night hitting a 10 million dollar jackpot thus ensuring they have at the very least a solid mil to do whatever they want for the rest of their stay. Nor for that matter is it going to Hawaii, relaxing on the beach, and getting their tan on during the day before enjoying the all you can eat buffet at the luau that night. Rather, it’s no more or less than staying in their beautiful home in the country and decorating the place. Or at least that was the plan. I say that dear reader because it isn’t long before we witness as, on their way back from a short excursion into town, Barbara tries to get out of the way of a dog walking in the road and, in the ensuing chaos, their car decides to take a bit of a swim in the river with them still in it. Upon returning home from this escapade seemingly unharmed, we see that the couple notices a few distinct changes. Namely they no longer have reflections in the mirror and there is a weird book on the coffee table entitled “The Handbook for the Recently Deceased”. Indeed, and in case you hadn’t already figured out, our happy couple here have actually become part of that distinct community known as ghosts and they are unable to leave their home. Sometime later however and we see that their afterlife claim to the home is about to be seriously challenged by the arrival of a family unit known as the Deetz family consisting of patriarch Charles, 2nd wife Delia, and daughter Lydia respectively. A family who, Lydia aside, really doesn’t seem to like the house the way it is and would rather transform it into something of their liking….much to the eternal dismay of our ghostly couple. Yet when their attempts to scare them off don’t exactly go as planned (in large part to not exactly being the knowledgeable in how to be scary ghosts in the world) we see that the couple decide on an alternative course of action. That being to, against the stern warnings of their afterlife caseworker, enlist the aid of an uncivilized, manic, and downright loopy spirit operating as a freelance living person exorcist known as Beetlejuice. Yet when Beetlejuice’s “assistance” puts both families in peril can our couple, with the aid of Lydia, put him back where he belongs and save all of their necks in the process? That I will let you discover…..
Now right off, it should be said that the work done by the assorted departments operating behind the camera on this slice of cinema is incredibly well-done in virtually every sense of the word. Without a doubt in my mind, this starts with the efforts of Tim Burton in the director’s chair and honestly he is definitely in top form here. Indeed there are at least two things that Burton does here that not only help make this an absolute blast from start to finish, but also which undoubtedly helped him become known as the director that he is today. The first is the fact that Burton does a brilliant job at really merging together dark comedy and horror really well. The second is that Burton is able to present deep concepts, such as death and life after death here, in a manner that makes them both engaging for an audience, but also understandable as well. Alongside the phenomenal work done by Burton in the director’s chair, this slice of cinema also contains a terrifically penned screenplay from the dynamic writing duo of Michael McDowell and Warren Skaaren respectively. Indeed not only does this duo give us a terrific (and original) story, a cast of characters that are all fairly three-dimensional and worth investing time in to say nothing of dialogue that is delightfully witty and intelligent, but they also manage to brilliantly capture the dark comedic tone of the rest of the film as well. Besides the immensely skilled work done by the aforementioned pair of departments, this film is also one that finds itself blessed with top-notch work from Thomas E. Ackerman (Rat Race from 2001 and the first Jumanji film from 1995) in the cinematography department. Indeed through the utilization of such ingredients as delightfully off-kilter camera work, a lovingly gothic style, and some truly spirited (no pun intended) color palates we see that Ackerman is able to conjure up for us a delightfully madcap and imaginative sandbox for this film and the characters within to play in. Last, but certainly not least, I most assuredly believe that this section of the review would definitely be incomplete if I didn’t take some time to praise the work done by iconic composer (and now-frequent Burton collaborator) Danny Elfman on this slice of cinema’s musical accompaniment. Indeed right from the word go, we see that Elfman’s gloriously zany and loony score, complete with some iconic tunes from legendary singer Harry Belafonte that come to play in at least 2 of the movie’s more noteworthy moments, does a fantastic job of not only immersing you head-first into the oddball world the film is set in, but also in showcasing the delightfully chaotic and strange vibe that the film is operating with as well. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in highly skilled work from Jane Kurson (The Karate Kid Part II from 1986 and Hot Shots from 1991 among others) at the head of the editing department, the jaw-droppingly incredible job done by the visual effects team (even more so when you realize their budget was only a solid 1 million of the film’s 15 million dollar budget) at making this slice of cinema successfully look and feel like a loving tribute to such B movies from the past including (among other examples) the delightfully campy horror films made by Hammer back in the day, and astonishing work done by the production design team as headed by Oscar-nominated Bo Welch (the first 3 Men in Black movies, Batman Returns from 1992, and the underrated Wolf from 1994 to name a few) among others it’s clear that there may be some minuscule issues here and there, but overall the work done behind the camera on this particular cinematic outing is a treat for the eyes, the ears, and the imagination in equal measure.
Alongside the truly stellar work done by the various departments behind the camera, this distinct cinematic outing is also able to benefit quite immensely from the equally as top-tier work done in front of the camera by the undeniably gifted cast of performers bringing this story’s collection of characters vividly to life. Without a doubt in my mind, this starts with the work done by Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis as Adam and Barbara Maitland respectively. Indeed in regards to the former, we see that Baldwin does a wonderful job of giving us a guy who is very much a genuinely kind soul that is more than willing to do the right thing even whilst trying to get his home out of the hands of the Deetz family despite forming a paternal attachment with their daughter Lydia. As for the latter, we see that Davis is equally as good here in her role of a woman who, much like her husband, is a warm and kindhearted person who, through her experiences in the afterlife and through bonding with Lydia, gets the opportunity to become a bit more resourceful to say nothing of maternal especially when trying to keep Lydia safe from the titular ghost. Alongside the work done here by Baldwin and Davis, this film also gives us a terrific performance from Winona Ryder in the role of Lydia Deetz. Indeed Ryder does a fantastic job here at giving us a solemn yet kind girl who very often feels like she is invisible to her living parents only to find, through her meaningful interactions with the Maitlands who’re invisible to everyone else, a chance to connect and be seen/heard/loved for the first time in quite some time. Last, but certainly not least, I guess this section would not be complete if I didn’t even once talk about the work done here by Michael Keaton as the titular ghost with the most himself. I say this because he might only be in about 20-25 minutes tops of the movie which bears his name, but honestly Keaton makes every single minute count and then some here by being a ghost that is the most delightful brand of over the top you can imagine. I mean from his way of sounding more like the sleaziest used-car salesman you can think of, a collection of habits that are a bit on the disgusting side, a collection of otherworldly abilities that are sure to make you laugh and shriek in equal measure plus a personality that is most assuredly what the dictionary had in mind when the word “uncivilized” was thought up, there is no denying that Keaton not only gives us a character that is a perverse joy to behold, but who has also managed to become one of the most iconic cinematic creations of the 80s and I can’t wait to see where the sequel takes him. Suffice it to say that when you also factor into this seemingly otherworldly mix efforts from such performers as Jeffrey Jones who is delightfully buffoonish as Lydia’s dad Charles, Catherine O’Hara who is a wonderful blend of over the top selfish and more than slightly snobby as Lydia’s stepmom Delia, Robert Goulet (the 2nd Naked Gun movie), former talk show host Dick Cavett, Annie McEnroe, a perfectly cast Sylvia Sidney (who I love as the grandma in Burton’s later film Mars Attacks from 1996) as the Maitlands’ tough as nails afterlife caseworker Juno, and Glenn Shadix (Halloween Town’s Mayor in Nightmare Before Christmas) among others it’s clear that this slice of cinema might not be perfect, but this undeniably eclectic group of performers most assuredly does what it can to keep things as entertaining as they turn out to be.
All in all and at the end of the day is the original Beetlejuice the best of the best when it comes to ghoulishly delightful ghosts causing all kinds of spooky mischief? Honestly no, but darn it all if it isn’t at least one of the top 7 let alone 5. At the same time however, is this the worst slice of cinema that anyone involved in the making of this film be they in front of or behind the camera has ever been a part of during their respective careers? Oh no. Definitely not. Trust me when I say that there are most assuredly some cinematic specters that will always haunt these undeniably talented people where ever they go (1997’s Jack Frost anyone?). All joking aside, I feel I can safely say that I really do love this movie dear reader. To be sure, it is not going to be everyone’s distinct cup of cinematic tea and I definitely get why that is the case especially with the quirky style and the merger of dark comedy/horror very much on display right from the very first minute of the film. With that said though, if you are among the group of people who are able to synch up to the wavelength that this cinematic FM station is broadcasting from then I promise you are going to find a lot to enjoy and appreciate here. Indeed the work done in the director’s chair by Burton is solid and engaging all whilst making the most of the film’s delightfully dark and quirky atmosphere, the story is wonderfully original, the work done by the various effects teams be they visual or production design is absolutely jaw-dropping in what they are able to conjure up for us as movie goers, the cinematography is top-notch, the score is one that I can promise you will definitely find madcap and loony in the best ways possible, and the performances by the film’s impeccably chosen cast (with particular regard to the ones given by Baldwin, Davis, Ryder, O’Hara, and *big surprise coming up here* especially Keaton) are all fanfreakingtastic in every sense of the word and regardless of how much or how little screentime they have during the course of this film’s 92-minute (including credits) runtime. Suffice it to say then that Beetlejuice is both a bonafide gem of the latter half of the 1980s to say nothing of one ghoulishly delightful cinematic odyssey I can promise you will wish to embark on time and time again. As for this sequel that I hear that they’re making however, well I guess, to utilize an often utilized phrase, that’s another story altogether dear reader….Make of that what thou will. On a scale of 1-5 I give Beetlejuice “88” a solid 4 out of 5.
