Beetlejuice (1988)

Why no uncut version

Come on now. how can you make a 20th anniversary deluxe edition without having the original version. Not to say it is not a great movie but hey there is no need to edit the movie just so you can show it on disney channel. I mean no offense but did the producers of this movie say hey why not edit it like a CD so we can sell it at walmart. Come on where is the love of a good movie. November 29, 2008

Cool Movie

A cool movie with some very funny and amusing moments, a young alec baldwin & gena davis & winona? ryder...micheal keaton is a great ghoulish pervert!! worth seeing for micheal keaton.. BluRay is nothing stunning but good textures and clarity, better than dvd but not the greatest looking bluray disc, outside shots are great, indoors nothing stunning. grew up watching this as a child in the 80's, stills holds up alright if just a little too short.... last joke of the movie with beetlejuice in the waiting room sitting next to the african tribesman is a big laugh!!!! see it if you never before, guaranteed to make you smile.. November 25, 2008

Really gets those juices flowing...

Maybe the definitive Burton film (or maybe more like a tie with `Edward Scissorhands'), `Beetlejuice' is a perfect representation of what Tim Burton is all about. It is loud and boisterous and at the same time dark and edgy. The film very much looks and feels like almost everything that comes out of the Burton factory, yet it is surprisingly fresh in a way. Maybe this has to do with the fact that it is one of his earlier works and so the colors and graphics are not as crisp, which adds an almost gothic layer to the films feel.

Then again, maybe it is the mere fact that Michael Keaton gives the best performance in any Burton film; ever.

The film follows Adam and Barbara as they learn to cope with life after death. Yes, a horrific car accident leaves Adam and Barbara dead yet confined to their home. The problem is that their impatient neighbor takes no time in selling their home to an eccentric family that does not meet with their approval. Determined to remove these people from their home they enlist the help of a `bio-exorcist' to do the trick, but they get far more than they bargained for when Beetlejuice comes on the scene.

The film has been labeled as `pointless fun' by most of my friends, and to an extent I have to agree. Many would claim the film is not pointless, for it teaches lessons of acceptance and friendship, and I guess loyalty and respect, but really, are we concerned with any of that?

The acting is really good here, and it elevates the film from `pointless' to `pointless fun'. Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis (complete with those alien eyes she had popping in `The Fly') are absolutely amazing as the dead couple, Adam and Barbara. Catherine O'Hara is marvelous, award worthy even, as the insanely annoying Delia, and Jeffery Jones knows just how to compliment her as Charles. Winona Ryder is effectively weird as their daughter Lydia.

This film belongs to Keaton though, in what may very well be his finest performance, ever. There is a fine line to be ridden between hilariously on-point and drastically over-the-top; especially when you are dealing with a typically campy performance. As Beetlejuice, Keaton finds that line and rides it well, delivering an all over the place comedic performance that never feels `too much', even though it probably is. He understands how to make his characters insanity justifiably funny and makes him an iconic character. Everyone knows who Beetlejuice is, even if you haven't seen the movie.

In the end I can recommend this movie because it does the trick. It's sweet and charming in that Tim Burton style, complete with edge and creeps and hilarious thrills. It looks better than his new stuff because it still has a level of grit, and while it is not as good as `Edward Scissorhands' (his best movie, ever) it is definitely a film that every fan needs to see. November 10, 2008

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!

Young married couple Adam and Barbara Maitland (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) are staying home for their vacation. In an effort to avoid driving over a cute mutt, they, car and all plunge over a bridge. The next thing they know is that they are home. However something is a tad strange. Yep soon they find they are the recently deceased. How will they cope with the situation and where can they find help whim strange people purchase and intend to occupy the house?

The story takes some intriguing turns. And the musing instead of being a background mood helper is actually as important as the other characters in the story. "Day-o, he say day-ay-ay-o."

This film is an excellent candidate for Blu-ray. The Blu-ray version also has the standard extras. I am not sure but I could swear there are more scenes than I saw in earlier versions.

The Uninvited November 8, 2008

Awesome movie, not very "deluxe" dvd

I must agree with the few people who complained that this dvd was lacking in special features and whatnot. However, if you have never seen the movie at all, or enjoyed the movie but do not already have a copy, it's still a good buy. It's a great movie, no matter how it's presented on the dvd, and you do get a few episodes of the cartoon as well. I watched Beetlejuice as a kid, both the movie and the cartoons, so I probably would've bought it even if it was a poorly recorded VHS :) In short, don't expect it to be "deluxe", but I definitely recommend buying it (unless you already have a standard version of it).

As for the movie itself, if you've never seen it, it's basically a ghost story that is purposely presented in a cheesy manner to be funny. If you're familiar with Tim Burton at all, you'll know he tends to stray from the norm. Don't expect to be scared; that's not what this movie is about. It's basically about a nice couple of ghosts who try to scare away the family who lives in their house, but the family isn't scared; in fact, they invite other people over and try to show off the ghosts - so the ghost couple hires a... rather disgusting guy to help them out, and things pretty much go downhill from there. Definitely and old 80s classic. October 24, 2008

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