2012-01-16-beetlejuice

Director: Tim Burton

Starring: Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara

Running Time: 92 mins

Rating: 15

Release Date: Originally in 1988 and available now on DVD and Blu-ray

Halloween is finally here and no Halloween celebration or conversation would be complete without mentioning the awesome 1988 Tim Burton film BEETLEJUICE.

Recently deceased married couple Barbara and Adam Maitland, played by Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin, try their best to get rid of the new family living in their home. No matter how hard they try they just cannot scare them aware; they start receiving information about a bio-exorcist named Beetlejuice, although they know he is not to be trusted they are at their wits end and choose to summon him.

Played by Michael Keaton, Beetlejuice is a vile and perverted ghoul who likes to wreak havoc and mayhem. Although The Maitlands have come to like the little girl living in their home Lydia Deetz, played by Winona Ryder, they still try to scare her family away. As the Deetzes’ summons the Maitlands for their entertainment Lydia summons Beetlejuice and soon he causes destruction, fear and chaos within the household.

beetlejuicce

Tim Burton has created a horror film that is both disgusting and marvellous. His contrast between light as The Maitlands and their home at the beginning of the film, The Deetz family who have aspects of light and darkness and then Beetlejuice who is completely contrast is seamlessly shown throughout.

This film is true Tim Burton style, some dark humour, something to make you cringe and to just to make you laugh out loud, in my opinion one of the best scenes is the dinner party and it is one scene I could never forget. As always Danny Elfman provides an upbeat, catchy and dark score to complete the movie and compliment Burton’s dark cinematography.

Michael Keaton is an amazing Beetlejuice; creepy, disgusting, hilarious and just horrible. This character has a ‘Joker’ feel to him that he is obviously crazy and everything he does is with flair and for the audience. It’s hard to believe sometimes that this actor is also known for playing Bruce Wayne in BATMAN (1989) and the Academy Award Nominee for his portrayal of Riggan in BIRDMAN. Although he only actually appears in the film for 17.5 minutes Keaton has said that this film is his favourite of his own.

day-o

 It is no wonder that this film won the Academy Award for Best Make Up, considering all the ghouls, ghosts and dead that appear in the film there is a wide variety of looks and shapes from the Maitlands who look normal to Juno who has a massive slit across her throat. Winona Ryder makes a wonderful dark and misunderstood teenager from disliking her stepmother to being overly concerned about her ghostly friends.

beetlejuice

Of course this horror flick is nothing like PARANORMAL or THE EXEROCIST but I believe Tim Burton chose to not make this film like that. In every one of his films you can see his dark humour and this film shows exactly that.

In addition, BEETLEJUICE became such a loved and well received film that is also an animated television series produced by Tim Burton and in 2012 it was confirmed that there would be a BEETLEJUICE 2 and when it gets realised it will indeed be a happy ‘Day-O’.

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