I’ve always liked Beetlejuice ever since I was a kid and decided to review it now that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is now in theaters. The film was directed by Tim Burton who is known for quirky films including Sleepy Hollow [1999], Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street [2007], Dark Shadows [2012], as well as the many children’s (including mine) favorites The Nightmare Before Christmas [1994] in which he produced. Warner Bros. released the film to theaters in March 1988 and was written by Michal McDowell (Cold Moon [2016]) and Warren Skaaren.

Michael Keaton

Sylvia Sidney

Winona Ryder, Jeffrey Jones, Catherine O’Hara, and Glenn Shadix

Beetlejuice starts with a married couple Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara (Geena Davis (The Fly [1986])) realizing they are ghosts after their car rode off a bridge. They find a book in the attic called “Handbook for the Recently Deceased” and try to understand what’s in it. They start to get cabin fever and try to leave the house but realize they can’t as they fall into the cemetery they’re buried in. Soon an odd family dad Charles (Jeffrey Jones (Sleepy Hollow [1999]), mom Delia (Catherine O’Hara (Frankenweenie [2012])) and daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder (Bram Stoker’s Dracula [1992]) moves into “their” house and they want to try to get rid of them however only Lydia can see them as she’s a bit different than everyone else and takes pictures of everything she sees. Since they’re unsuccessful in scaring them away they use the book and find a piece a paper that says to contact Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton (White Noise [2005])) but decide to instead seek the help of their also dead caseworker Juno (Sylvia Sidney (Snowbeast [1977])) who warns them not to get help from Betelgeuse as he will cause chaos so they go back and try again. In the meantime, Delia wants to have a dinner party and that’s when the fun begins. Adam and Barbara have everyone singing and dancing:

However, no one believes it happens so Lydia says the ghosts are real and goes to the attic, but they aren’t there but Delia’s agent Otho (Glenn Shadix (Sleepwalkers [1992])) finds the Handbook of the Recently Deceased. In the effort, to prove there really are ghosts in the house Charles, Delia, and Otho decide to bring them back and Otho uses the book which makes Adam and Barbara appear but soon they start to decay. Lydia panics and goes to Betelgeuse for help; though she has to make a deal to marry him she agrees and says his name three times and he appears. They start the ceremony and as they do Adam and Barabra try to say his name three times, but he stops them. In the end he’s stopped by the sandworm, and all is well. Everyone lives happily ever after in the house including the ghosts.

Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder – Wedding Photos to Die for

Beetlejuice is a fun movie and great for families to see together. It’s nice that there’s a sequel and I’m looking forward to seeing it this week. I wonder if there will be a third movie down the road with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin showing when plastic surgery goes wrong

I do have a question, but this is for Baron. Why in the movie is Michael Keaton’s character Betelgeuse but in the movie it’s Beetlejuice?

“There are a couple of reasons first, it is pure marketing the original name is nearly impossible for anyone not using Google translator to say correctly therefore it was changed. This backed up further, when Adam mispronounces it, and Beetlejuice sounds it out for him with charades. In addition, Betelgeuse is not an original name it is the second brightest star (though has begun to dim) in the Constellation of Orion. Lastly, one of the early designs was to have him resemble a winged demon that originated from Middle East.“

TAGLINES:

• Say it once… Say it twice… But we dare you to say it THREE TIMES
• He’s guaranteed to put some life, in your afterlife
• spinning head
• He’s the ghost with the most
• In This House… If You’ve Seen One Ghost… You Haven’t Seen Them All.
• The Name In Laughter From The Hereafter.

IMDb Rating: 7.5/10

3C Rating: 7.5/10

Followed By:

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice [2024]