Beetlejuce...Beetlejuice...BEETLEJUICE!!
Havin' trouble with the living?? Yeah, it feels like one of those nights for me too. But when I have one of THOSE nights, you know who I pop on my DVR or Video thingmahicky too? Beetlejuice...
Beetlejuice...
Beetlejuice
Info:
Director-
Tim Burton
Writer-
Michael McDowell
Larry Wilson
Starring--
Michael Keaton
Alec Baldwin
Geena Davis
Winona Ryder
Year: 1988
Company: The Geffen Company
The Basic Scoop, The Poop, The Lowdown:
Adam and Barbara Maitland are just your uber average, uber All-American, uber-adorable, Uber-white, WHITE couple living in a small country town in one of the whitest, of white states in America (Connecticut) when they have a really bad day and unexpectedly, uhh...DIE. But that is only the beginning of the story, things don't get any better AFTER you're dead. Now they're ghosts, trapped for 150 years in their 'dream house" which has also just happened to have been bought by the Deetzs, AKA the most annoying 80's yuppie couple alive. Now the Maitlands want to scare the Deetz family out of their home, but they're much too nice...and you guessed it, WHITE, to do anything about it.
Who do they call?? Duuh, Beetlejuice!! The afterlife's (allegedly) leading bio-exorcist!! Not to mention the most disgustingly awesome slob of a ghost...ever.
What's Pretty Good:
It may have different names on the "story concept" and "screenplay" credits, but make no mistake, this is in every way a Tim Burton baby. It has all his signature trademarks, bizarre architecture, bizarre stop-motion animation, dark maca-BRE humor (shut yo mouth, I'll pronounce the word maca-BRE in your head however I want to! :P lol ) freakish visuals, and Danny Elfman's weird cartoony carney style gothic musical score...umm...idiom.
Hell, even Alec Baldwin comes off nice and folksy in this film!
All that said though, the REAL star of this film, the real make-or-break performance for all of it is...of course, Michael Keaton, aka BeetleGeuse/Juice. He may only appear for a grand total of around 17 minutes of screen time, but you remember every single minute of those 17 minutes! Keaton simply steals the show. He is totally committed to his boorishly loveable spook character, and his "sugar hyper" style never lets up with the laughs. The whole time you're watching this, you just can't help but think, "And THIS guy played Batman??"
In fact, what Nicholson did for Burton's Batman as The Joker, Keaton does here for Beetlejuice, he's the "villian" you can't help but love. Beetlegeuse grosses you out, makes you laugh your ass off, and makes you in the end, sympathize with him, all at the same time. You almost feel sorry that the movie has to end...the way it does anyway. But if nothing else, it's not out of character with the rest of the film, and as always, quite funny.
What Kinda Sorta Really, Really Sucks:
Not much as I'm sure by now you've probably guessed. This is one of those times when the first time viewer should look at the labeling on the coverbox carefully...if you don't dig Tim Burton's gothic-weird style, then you probably won't be so into this. If you see Beetlejuice/geuse for the first time on screen and he just annoys the crap out of you and you can't crack a smile, then this is not the movie for you...not to mention I question your humanity faaawwwwoool!! What the hell is wrong with you?? Yo momma should wash your foreskin out with soap!! lol :P
Oh yeah and seriously, there are some minor technical issues and some small, SMALL plotholes that MAY leave you scratching your fangs for a few minutes...err head... until the next laugh kicks in...but nothing too big to be concerned about.
Overall Grade: A+
An 80's cult comedy classic that has grown into a comedy classic in general over the years. Michael Keaton's favorite performance and probably the one that should be put on his tombstone...only question is whether it'll actually be in neon lights or not? ;)
A delightfully dark-humored little movie that is worth seeing anytime and is full of surprises...even AFTER you've seen it before.
*Nice F^%kin' Move!! HONK HONK!!* :P :)
--Chet
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Beetlejuice...
Beetlejuice
Info:
Director-
Tim Burton
Writer-
Michael McDowell
Larry Wilson
Starring--
Michael Keaton
Alec Baldwin
Geena Davis
Winona Ryder
Year: 1988
Company: The Geffen Company
The Basic Scoop, The Poop, The Lowdown:
Adam and Barbara Maitland are just your uber average, uber All-American, uber-adorable, Uber-white, WHITE couple living in a small country town in one of the whitest, of white states in America (Connecticut) when they have a really bad day and unexpectedly, uhh...DIE. But that is only the beginning of the story, things don't get any better AFTER you're dead. Now they're ghosts, trapped for 150 years in their 'dream house" which has also just happened to have been bought by the Deetzs, AKA the most annoying 80's yuppie couple alive. Now the Maitlands want to scare the Deetz family out of their home, but they're much too nice...and you guessed it, WHITE, to do anything about it.
Who do they call?? Duuh, Beetlejuice!! The afterlife's (allegedly) leading bio-exorcist!! Not to mention the most disgustingly awesome slob of a ghost...ever.
What's Pretty Good:
It may have different names on the "story concept" and "screenplay" credits, but make no mistake, this is in every way a Tim Burton baby. It has all his signature trademarks, bizarre architecture, bizarre stop-motion animation, dark maca-BRE humor (shut yo mouth, I'll pronounce the word maca-BRE in your head however I want to! :P lol ) freakish visuals, and Danny Elfman's weird cartoony carney style gothic musical score...umm...idiom.
Hell, even Alec Baldwin comes off nice and folksy in this film!
All that said though, the REAL star of this film, the real make-or-break performance for all of it is...of course, Michael Keaton, aka BeetleGeuse/Juice. He may only appear for a grand total of around 17 minutes of screen time, but you remember every single minute of those 17 minutes! Keaton simply steals the show. He is totally committed to his boorishly loveable spook character, and his "sugar hyper" style never lets up with the laughs. The whole time you're watching this, you just can't help but think, "And THIS guy played Batman??"
In fact, what Nicholson did for Burton's Batman as The Joker, Keaton does here for Beetlejuice, he's the "villian" you can't help but love. Beetlegeuse grosses you out, makes you laugh your ass off, and makes you in the end, sympathize with him, all at the same time. You almost feel sorry that the movie has to end...the way it does anyway. But if nothing else, it's not out of character with the rest of the film, and as always, quite funny.
What Kinda Sorta Really, Really Sucks:
Not much as I'm sure by now you've probably guessed. This is one of those times when the first time viewer should look at the labeling on the coverbox carefully...if you don't dig Tim Burton's gothic-weird style, then you probably won't be so into this. If you see Beetlejuice/geuse for the first time on screen and he just annoys the crap out of you and you can't crack a smile, then this is not the movie for you...not to mention I question your humanity faaawwwwoool!! What the hell is wrong with you?? Yo momma should wash your foreskin out with soap!! lol :P
Oh yeah and seriously, there are some minor technical issues and some small, SMALL plotholes that MAY leave you scratching your fangs for a few minutes...err head... until the next laugh kicks in...but nothing too big to be concerned about.
Overall Grade: A+
An 80's cult comedy classic that has grown into a comedy classic in general over the years. Michael Keaton's favorite performance and probably the one that should be put on his tombstone...only question is whether it'll actually be in neon lights or not? ;)
A delightfully dark-humored little movie that is worth seeing anytime and is full of surprises...even AFTER you've seen it before.
*Nice F^%kin' Move!! HONK HONK!!* :P :)
--Chet
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