The original: 

Beetlejuice (1988)

​

Directed by: 

Tim Burton (Big Fish, Sleepy Hollow, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure) 

​

Starring: 

Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Jeffery Jones and Michael Keaton

​

What’s it about? 

When full-of-life couple Adam and Barbara (Baldwin and Davis) become full-of-death, they return as ghosts and are horrified to find their dream home is now owned and being mutilated by the family from hell- two New York wasps and a failed stockbroker, with only their deeply morbid, quietly bleak teenage daughter (Ryder) showing signs of humanity and intelligence. 

 

Desperate to get the new tenants out, the newly-deads must resort to hiring disgraced ghoul and dangerous-to-know Betelgeuse (Keaton) to get the family out. 

Things don’t go to plan. 

 

A darkly funny, wildly inventive film, with a young Burton showing confidence and zeal, while absolutely going for it. 

Anarchy reigns, with an afterlife populated by civil servants and flying sandworms, shrunken-headed weirdos and bi-sected women with nice legs. 

 

Beetlejuice is a film of genius characters brought “to life” by a fantastic troupe of actors, all apparently having the time of their lives. Keaton is a fizzing live-wire, Baldwin and Davis excel as the wide-eyed newly deceased, and the rest of the cast shine as the freakiest freaks of them all. 

 

All this, plus a stunning and cheeky song and dance number that puts the imp in shrimp. 

Death was never so lively. 

 

​

Betelgeuse-  “Ah. Well... I attended Juilliard...  I'm a graduate of the Harvard business school.   I travel quite extensively.  

 I lived through the Black Plague and had a pretty good time during that.  I've seen the Exorcist about a HUNDRED AND SIXTY-SEVEN TIMES, AND IT KEEPS GETTING FUNNIER EVERY… SINGLE… TIME… I SEE IT... 

Not to mention the fact that you’re talking to a dead guy…  

Now what do you think? You think I'm qualified?” 

 

Juno: “What's wrong?” 

Barbara: “We’re very unhappy.” 

Juno: “What did you expect? You’re dead!” 

 

Betelgeuse- “It’s showtime.” 

​