On B List of Movie Reviews
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Beetlejuice (1988)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
9/25
9/25:
Beetlejuice is a very creative movie.
That's the genius of Tim Burton. What works so well is the confluence of many elements: the story, the script,
the performances, the special effects, and the concept of afterlife. I'm just impressed with the overall
quality. The only negative is that it can be circular for a while in regard to scaring the new residents
into moving away.
Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis may be marquee names at this point, but many others stand out: Catherine O'Hara,
Winona Ryder, Jeffrey Jones, Glenn Shadix, and Sylvia Sidney. All have created distinct characters to lend
support to the wackiness of the tale that actually makes sense on the whole. This is where Ken Russell
never got it, most especially in Gothic and
The Lair of the White Worm.
Of course, the greatest work comes from Michael Keaton. He's unforgettable as Betelgeuse which should've scored
him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. I wonder why the difference between his character's name
and the film title. Another is the lack of a sequel, moving Michael Keaton to the forefront (it, unbeknownst
to me, happened in 2024, but that's too late).
All in all, Michael Keaton called Beetlejuice his favorite movie, and it's not hard to see why.