Beetlejuice

Rating:
Summary: A Creepy Comedy to Die For
Review: Director Tim Burton really made a name for himself with this, his second full length feature after PEE WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE. He also fortified a look and style that will forever be recognized as his. Overall, the piece is a simple comedy following a young, deceased couple as they make their first experiences in the after-life. But, there rest in peace is shattered by chic city folk played by the hilarious Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O'Hara. They try many things to get them out of their home until finally, and somewhat reluctantly, they turn to the 'bio-exorcist' Betelgeuse. Michael Keaton pulls out all the stops as the human exterminator who works his anti-magic on the family and even tries to get hitched to the human daughter, a young Winona Ryder. The storyline is always clever and the visuals are pure Burton, a pleasure to watch. The Calypso Dinner Party is the funniest scene from any movie made in the 1980s. So, check this out on DVD where you can hear Danny Elfman's wonderful score isolated on its own track, and watch the film in a nice widescreen format. All you have to do is say his name three times... Betelgeuse... Betelgeuse... Betel

Rating:
Summary: "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetleju..."
Review: When a young couple Adam and Barbara Maitland (Alec Bladwin and Geena Davis) die, they return to their house as ghosts without any possibility of leaving their own home. Innocently they think that the dead have no problems but they couldn't be more wrong. A New York family, Charles and Delia Deitz (Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O'Hara) and their daughter, Lydia (Winona Ryder) move into the Maitlands home. The situation would have been all right but unfortunately, the family decides to re-decorate the whole house with 'modern art'. Adam and Barbara do all they can to get rid of them to no avail. They believe that only one person can help them and his name is Betelgeuse (pronounced Beetlejuice, played by Michael Keaton), a bio-exorcist. But Adam and Barabara just might be getting even MORE trouble than they bargained for!

A very... how would I put it... 'interesting' and 'strange' movie. The director Tim Burton has an incredible imagination, using the movie as a advantage to put his clever ideas and dark humor into the plot. "Beetlejuice" most definitely falls into the category of a dark comedy, the boundaries of the strange and remarkable broken through.

The acting is done very well with a star-studded cast. Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis are strangely play their part as 'the cute but dumb couple'. Alec Baldwin has always been a favorite of mine playing Jack Ryan in "The Hunt for Red October" and Lamont Cranston/The Shadow in "The Shadow" so seeing him in this movie was a treat. Winona Ryder was also delightful as the 'strange and unusual' girl who is the only one who can see the Maitlands. But by the end she just makes an total about-face in her character. Jeffrey Jones who I liked a lot as Matthew Broderick's principal in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" also has a good role as does Catherine O'Hara. But Michael Keaton takes the prize for being absolutely perfect for his part as Beetlejuice. He gives such a remarkable performance, making the character of Beetlejuice give you scares, chills, and laughter.

The special effects are just fun to see as it's being put to good use. From the creepy light effects, the strange creatures in the 'recently deceased waiting room', Beetlejuice's incredible scary forms, and much, much more!

The movie is very hilarious in a dark sense. The movie is rated PG since for kids I must admit it might be scary, some jokes aren't for kids, and for some language (on of the reasons I give the movie 4 stars). But my favorite part of the movie has to be the scene where the Deitzs have invited some guests for dinner. And for dinner something very strange goes on, they get haunted by ghosts in a very HILARIOUS way! I laughed soooooo hard in the scene!

So, if you're looking for an escape from a dull and boring evening, put "Beetlejuice" on and I'm sure you'll have an enjoyable time!

Rating:
Summary: Burton's true debut!
Review: At the time of its release in 1988, 'Beetlejuice' was a huge hit. Although it does seem a little dated now, it still has some wonderful visual jokes (especially the characters in the waiting room). The laughs begin with the main characters' deaths after only 10 minutes. They look expectantly at a little dog who is balancing their car on a plank of wood over the edge of a bridge. He tip-toes off and they fall to their deaths. The film is full of satirical vignettes e.g. the after-life is managed by a number of desk clerks who have condemned themselves to an eternity as civil servants because they committed suicide. The Deetz's interior designer Otho is unafraid of all the ghoulish horrors that surround him, but yet finds himself in his most frighteneing moment when Betelguise removes his designer suit to reveal a 70's pastel leisure suit and he runs in terror.

Apparently director Tim Burton loved making the film as Warners stayed off his back for most of it, so he had greater freedom to improvise with the actors and the story. Half-way through its making, he didn't know how it was going to end. The stop-motion techniques might look a little dated but Burton was a big fan of Godzilla as a child.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best movies ever!
Review: This movie rocks! seriously! if you are board, sick, ect. this is the movie to get you threw it! buy this movie! i have it on vhs and dvd and just to let everyone know, there is a few different things between them! but both of them are awesome! GET THEM BOTH! YOU WON'T BE DISSAPOINTED! if you like edward sissorhands, the nightmare before christmas, or any of the addams family get this!

Rating:
Summary: Say it once, say it twice, third time's the charm!
Review: When this movie first came out about fifteen years ago, my father owned a video store and every Wednesday night was "Beetlejuice" night. I'm older now, obviously, but I still cannot get enough of this movie.

Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis play Adam and Barbara Maitland, two Connecticut yuppies who die prematurely in a car wreck. Within a couple weeks, their home is overrun by an ultra-trendy New York City family, Charles and Delia Deetz, and their Goth daughter, Lydia (played respectively by Jeffrey Jones, Catherine O'Hara, and Winona Ryder). Adam and Barbara want their house back, and attempt to scare the Deetz's out of the house by wearing sheets and even by possessing them over dinner, making them sing and dance to Harry Belafonte's "Day O." Those attempts fail and enter Michael Keaton as Betelguese, "the afterlife's leading freelance bio-exorcist." The movie is dark without being scary and funny without being ridiculous.

In my opinion, one of the real gems in this film is the late Sylvia Sidney as Juno, Your Case Worker. Sidney was pushing eighty when this film was made, but turns in a great performance as the embittered equivalent of an afterlife social worker. Love how the smoke from her ever-present cigarette comes out of the slit in her throat.

If you've never seen this movie, see it. If you have seen it but don't own it on DVD, get it. The picture quality is better than ever.

Rating:
Summary: Tim Burton Goes All Out in His Second Feature Film!
Review: Tim Burton had come off the blockbuster success of his first feature film PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE (1985) when he was greenlighted by Warner Bros. to direct the project he REALLY wanted to make. It was the picture that would define the rest of his career to this day: the supernaturally weird black comedy (and weirdly-titled) BEETLEJUICE (1988). It was so unique, so strange to me that I didn't know what to make of it when I first saw it on video in 1989. I remember from that first time liking parts of it, but not liking the picture as a whole. The movie was so frenetic, so odd in its mixture of Goth Horror, Comedy, gruesome visual effects (I'm still kind of amazed that it got a PG rating instead of PG-13) and cartoonish slapstick that I really didn't know what to make if it. Well, now that I've seen it at least a half-dozen times since (three of them in the past year alone), I can say that it has held up better than many of the most popular 80's films (TOP GUN, etc) and has become a classic all unto itself.

With BEETLEJUICE, Tim Burton showed not only that he could direct effective comedy and illicit inspired performances from his actors, but also bring a true artist's touch to the big screen. Of course, the film won the Oscar for Best Makeup (as if there was any real question about it), but I also think that it should have also been at least nominated for Visual Effects and Art Direction, as those truly mesmerizing aspects all come together to create a product that is so unique. Not only that, but this film helped make the careers of several actors who would go on to major success soon after.

Two of those actors are Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis, as the ill-fated newlyweds Adam and Barbara Maitland who, after buying a big Victorian dream house at the film's outset, die in a bizarre car accident soon after. Slowly realizing that they've passed on to the next world, they don't want to give up their house to the pathetically bourgeois Charles & Delia Deetz (Jeffrey Jones & Catherine O'Hara), who along with their chubby, effete chauffeur Otho (Glenn Shadix) have already moved in, and inspire true disgust in the newly-dead couple. However, they seem to have an ally in the older couple's death-obsessed Goth daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder) see an afterlife advertisement for a "Bio-Exorcist" named Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton) and decide that their only hope in driving out the destestable Charles, Delia, and Otho is in using the wild, unpredictable Betelgeuse. Of course, good ol' Betelgeuse will gladly provide his unique brand of service, but at a very high price.

Alec Baldwin & Geena Davis fill their roles very well. The ironic thing is that this was the first film I'd ever seen Alec Baldwin in, so my first impression of him as the nerdy, good-natured Adam ended up being turned around by 180 degrees by the psychotic, tough-guy roles that would define the rest of his career. That turnabout came pretty quickly, actually, as the very next film I would see him in was MARRIED TO THE MOB (1988), in which he was a mobster unbeknownst to his wife who gets offed early on, but it was his psychotic turn in the extremely quirky and violent MIAMI BLUES (1989) that really shocked me and made me realize that Alec really had some range to him (unfortunately, he would be end up being typecast as psychos for the rest of his career). However, Geena Davis, herself at the cusp of stardom (and Oscar acclaim) is playing pretty much the quirky kind of character that would eventually define her career. In fact, it was just the following year that she would win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for playing the truly quirky and inspired Muriel Pritchett in the otherwise uninspired THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST (1989). This film, of course, also boosted the career of the now-infamous Winona Ryder, who quickly became the hot new "it" girl in the late 80's with this movie and with others soon to follow: 1969 (1988), HEATHERS (1989), GREAT BALLS OF FIRE! (also 1989), EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (1990, and another Tim Burton film) and MERMAIDS (also 1990). Of course, former AMADEUS (1984) emperor and FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF (1986) principal Jeffrey Jones, now infamous for his own reasons, is also terrific here, as is former "SC-TV" alumnus Catherine O'Hara. We also get a welcome supporting performance from the great old character actress, Sylvia Sidney, as the chain-smoking receptionist Juno!

But it was Michael Keaton, who was already an up-and-coming comedic actor known for quirky hit comedies such as the Ron Howard-directed NIGHT SHIFT (1982), MR. MOM (1983), JOHNNY DANGEROUSLY (1984) and GUNG HO (1986), who really stole the show and hit paydirt in the process. He would immediately be elevated to "A" list status with his truly brilliant, maniacal and hilarious performance as the titular Betelgeuse, going immediately on to bigger & better things with Tim Burton himself, starring soon after as BATMAN (1989)! It's funny; I think that in 1988, Keaton was robbed of Oscar nominations not only for this truly unique comedic role, but for also his surprising dramatic turn as a recovering alcoholic in CLEAN AND SOBER. It just shows that, for whatever reason, comedians just don't get recognized enough for their acting ability.

BEETLEJUICE is a lot of fun. It looks like it must have been a lot of fun to make. Despite the liberal PG rating, I would recommend it only for ages 9 & up, as the humor is quite adult and the rather gruesome visuals are likely to give any young child nightmares. It is still a truly unique movie with incredible special effects, and it still makes me laugh to this day. Oddly enough, whenever I see it, it makes me that much less afraid to die!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Rating:
Summary: 5 stars for the movie 2 stars for the dvd
Review: not much i can say about this movie that fans of the movie dont already know!what i can say is this movie needs better dvd treatment and almost every one can agree with me on that,2disk special edition anyone?!

Rating:
Summary: I wanna DVD upgrade like now!!
Review: If I was told to name one movie that needs a DVD upgrade, it would have to be BEETLJUICE. It's such a classic it's hard to believe it's been so overlooked all these years. You know it came out before DVD's came out with a whole 2nd and sometimes 3rd dics devoted to special features. Also this DVD requires you to press menu in order to veiw it's very limited features, most DVD's start out on the menu and there is a "play movie" option. Not here, which isn't the worst that could happen I suppose. Even though this film has great sound mainly due to Danny Elfman's superb soundtrack, I would like a DTS soundtrack to enhance it. A director commentary is a must for a film like this. I hope I've made a point here, and I hope to see an upgrade sooner than soon. Don't you?

Rating:
Summary: Tim Burton's Best
Review: This is Tim Burton's best work, well this and Edward Scissorhands are his best work closely followed by Ed Wood and Big Fish. This movie is witty, imaginiative and a little gory at times but not too gory. This movie seems to get funnier the more you watch it. Michael Keaton proves himself in this that he can be one of the funniest comedians if he tries. He portray's Betelguise really good. Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis are great in this too. The dvd is good. The picture and sound is clear and crisp, but my only thing is that the menu in this dvd is HORRIBLE. It doesn't even have a play button for it. Come on Warner, you can do better then this. Special Features are average considering this was one of the first dvd's to come out. Warning: Keep kids under the age of 4 years old or younger away from this movie. It's to bad and violent. It even has the f word in it. But that's why it isn't rated G like other kids movies you can watch with them instead. This is the movie that really started Tim Burton's career. I mean, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure was good but this was way better ny far. I recommend this to any Tim Burton fan, or evwn if your not a big fan of his work, you'll still love this movie.

Rating:
Summary: I can't believe this is Michael Keaton!!!
Review: Beetlejuice is truly a work of art!
A bit funny, a bit creepy...simply a masterpiece with a great soundtrack to go with.
Tim Burton truly knows how to take you to another world.
Great casting as well...nothing could be better about this DVD movie!