Beetle Juice (1988)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Tim Burton

Writers:

Michael McDowell (screenplay)
Michael McDowell (story)

Release Date:

30 March 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy

Tagline:

Say it once... Say it twice... But we dare you to say it THREE TIMES

Plot:

A couple of recently deceased ghosts contract the services of a "bio-exorcist" in order to remove the obnoxious new owners of their house.

Plot Keywords:

Ghost | Yuppie | Car Crash | Attic | Spiritual Show

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 6 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Alec Baldwin	...	Adam Maitland
Geena Davis	...	Barbara Maitland
Annie McEnroe	...	Jane Butterfield
Maurice Page	...	Ernie
Hugo Stanger	...	Old Bill
Michael Keaton	...	Beetlejuice
Rachel Mittelman	...	Little Jane Butterfield
Catherine O'Hara	...	Delia Deetz
J. Jay Saunders	...	Moving Man #1
Mark Ettlinger	...	Moving Man #2
Jeffrey Jones	...	Charles Deetz
Winona Ryder	...	Lydia Deetz
Glenn Shadix	...	Otho
Patrice Martinez	...	Receptionist
Cindy Daly	...	3-Fingered Typist (as Cynthia Daly)

Also Known As:

Beetlejuice (USA) (alternative spelling)
The Maitlands (USA) (working title)
Beetlejuice el super fantasma (Argentina) (Mexico) [es]
Beetlegeuse (Norway) [no]
Beetlejuice (West Germany) [de]
Beetlejuice (France) [fr]
Beetlejuice (Sweden) [sv]
Beetlejuice (Finland) [fi]
Beetlejuice - spiritello porcello (Italy) [it]
Bitelchus (Spain) [es]
Bubimir (Croatia) [hr]
Lottergeist Beetlejuice (West Germany) [de]
O skatharozoumis (Greece) [el]
Os Fantasmas se Divertem (Brazil) [pt]
Os fantasmas Divertem-se (Portugal) [pt]
Sok z zuka (Poland) [pl]

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Spain:T | Ireland:15 | South Korea:All | France:Unrated | West Germany:12 (f) | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:TE | Finland:K-12 | Israel:PG | New Zealand:PG | Norway:15 | Peru:PT | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG | Canada:PG | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Culver Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Geffen Company, The

Trivia:

Adam and Barbara are the only spirits that look "normal", compared to the other deceased in the Netherworld.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Beetlejuice switches his number with the voodoo guy he drops his number on his lap and it falls between his legs. Then when he picks it up it's to the left of his legs.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Adam: [about a spider on his hand] Now that's a big fella! Whoa!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "I Love the '80s Strikes Back" (2003)

Soundtrack:

Sweethart from Venezuela

"...not to mention the fact that you're talking to a dead guy!"

Twisted and wild, typical Tim Burton comedy in which recently deceased young couple Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara (Geena Davis) seek help from crazed spirit Betelgeuse - a.k.a. Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) - when they are unable to put up with the family that's newly moved into their house.

Pretty entertaining movie that stays true to its twisted sensibilities, with irreverent sense of humor and an obvious reverence for the songs of Harry Belafonte. The cast is very game; each actor inhabits his or her role very well, with Keaton in the most outrageous - and hilarious - comedic performance he had given since his scene-stealing debut in 1982's "Night Shift". The film has a great design in all of its scenes, and good visual effects. Bonus for lovers of really old movies is the presence of 1930's actress Sylvia Sidney as Adam and Barbara's afterlife case worker. Also amusing to see Robert Goulet and Dick Cavett in supporting roles. Definitely a good 1980's comedy.

I heard rumors for a long time of a possible sequel and don't know what the situation currently is on that matter. In any event, this movie was followed by a Saturday morning animated series the following year.

Burton's first film with Jeffrey Jones, who also appeared in Burton's films "Ed Wood" and "Sleepy Hollow".

7/10 for the movie, 10/10 for Keaton's performance.