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Today, to continue my horror- comedy theme. I will be examining 'Beetlejuice.' Premiering in March of 1988, it was directed by Tim Burton, and stars Alec Baldwin (A few years before he'd go into full- on liberal douche mode), Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jones, Catherine O'Hara, a young Winona Ryder, and Michael Keaton in the title role. The funny thing is, as a boy, I knew much more about the animated TV show that was based on the movie, which I was a fan of, than I did about the movie itself, which I never saw in its entirety until I was a teenager.
It takes place in a big house in a small Connecticut town. The house's owners, Adam and Barbara Maitland (Baldwin and Davis), die when their car goes off a bridge in town. They find that their ghosts now inhabit the house, and must continue to do so for 125 years before passing into eternity. Worse, they learn that their house has been sold to the Deetzes, an obnoxious yuppie couple (Jones and O'Hara) and their goth daughter Lydia (Ryder). To further enrage the Maitlands, Mrs. Deetz is an aspiring postmodern artist, and she and her interior decorator Otho (The late Glenn Shadix) plan on redecorating their house in a hideous postmodern style. Initial attempts to scare them away are unsuccessful, though they manage to gain Lydia's friendship, so they decide against the advice of their "Case worker" Juno to seek out the aid of Beetlejuice (Keaton), a ghoul who bills himself as a "Freelance bio- exorcist" (In other words, a pro at scaring people). They quickly change their minds, though, and Beetlejuice causes all kinds of havoc to the Deetzes and the Maitlands.
There are just a couple problems I have with 'Beetlejuice.' One is a bit of a logical error in one scene: Early on, when the Maitlands are trying to scare away the Deetzes, they put sheets over themselves (Apparently, it's very rare for the living to be able to see the dead, so they put sheets on themselves to be seen), and Adam attempts to scare Mr. Deetz that way, but he apparently thinks it's just Lydia. Problem is, how could he possibly think that, considering that a grown man like Adam is obviously much taller than a 14- year- old girl like Lydia? Also, they could have done a bit more with the "Land of the dead" where the Maitlands go for Juno's help. It seemed interesting from what they showed, but I'd have liked to see a bit more of it.
There's so much to like about 'Beetlejuice.' It is a very funny movie, with a combination of witty dialogue and bouts of dark humor. The visual and makeup effects for Beetlejuice and the various dead people are absolutely amazing, both disturbing and funny. It does have a couple genuinely scary moments, most notably when Beetlejuice turns into an enormous snake and attacks everyone. The various sets all look perfect, especially for scenes when the Maitlands are shrunk down and stuck on a miniature model of the town that Adam had built. For acting, all are good. Baldwin and Davis are charming and likable as the Maitlands. As for the Deetzes, Jeffrey Jones as Mr. Charles Deetz is the same sort of irritable, short- fused, "Stick up his @$$" character he usually plays, which works well. He moved up there for peace and quiet, and becomes more and more stressed out when it becomes clear that he isn't going to get it. Catherine O'Hara is delightfully obnoxious as Mrs. Delia Deetz, a character you love to hate, deliberately shrill and pretentious, and hilarious all the way through. Winona Ryder's Lydia is cool and sympathetic. She's obviously a dark character (She was a goth before it became a big fad), yet you can see why, considering what her parents are like, and the friendship she develops with the Maitlands is quite touching, you can tell they start to view her as being like the daughter they never had. Lastly, Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice is an absolute master stroke. He is so wild and insane, he completely dominates each of his scens, with viewers eager to see what he'll do next.
One of the movie's highlights is definitely the scene in which the Maitlands attempt to scare away the Deetzes by possessing them (Except for Lydia, who simply watches the fun) and their guests at a dinner party, and making them sing and dance to Harry Belafonte's 'Banana Boat Song.' This scene is great for a number of reasons. First, it is obviously a hilarious segment, between it starting with Mrs. Deetz abruptly pausing from the dinner conversation she was having and suddenly belting out (In Belafonte's voice, of course) "DAAAAAAAY- OH!," and going through all the funny dance moves she and the other possessed party guests do. Second, all the actors perform this scene brilliantly, especially O'Hara. Even as she's apparently singing this festive song and dancing to it, you can see from her face and eyes how terrified she is and how she knows what's happening and can't stop it. Lastly, the ending of this scene is surprisingly scary, as things go from funny to serious in a heartbeat.
And so, that's 'Beetlejuice.' Easily one of Burton's best films, and one well worth a watch. See you all tomorrow!
