With its sophisticated yet accessible blend of comedy and the macabre, I knew Beetlejuice was likely to be one of those films I would never tire of. But a classic? It's been 20 years. I'm willing to throw that blue ribbon on it.
Beetlejuice (1988)
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Reviews Counted:42
Fresh:34
Rotten:8

Average Rating:7/10
Synopsis: In the surreal, wonderfully cartoon-like comedy BEETLEJUICE, a childless couple, Barbara and Adam (Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin), move to the country only to be killed in a car accident while... In the surreal, wonderfully cartoon-like comedy BEETLEJUICE, a childless couple, Barbara and Adam (Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin), move to the country only to be killed in a car accident while passing over a quaint covered bridge. Their ghosts return to their beloved Victorian home, and find the HANDBOOK FOR THE RECENTLY DECEASED, which not only lets them know they're dead, but comes in handy when they learn that they can continue to live in their house, even though a new family--from the land of the living--is moving in. The new owners, fresh from the city, are quite a strange group themselves, and include the overpowering hipster mom Delia (Catherine O'Hara), her pompous SoHo interior designer Otho (Glenn Shadix), her meek husband Charles (Jeffrey Jones), and their morose teenage daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder), who befriends the ghostly couple. Though the threesome attempt to scare Delia from ruining the house with redecoration and her unpleasant personality, their attempts fail. As a last resort, they call upon the services of the demented, terrifying, but hilarious "bioexorcist," "Beetlejuice" (Michael Keaton). Director Tim Burton scores big with witty site gags, incredible special effects and sets, and a unique ensemble of characters. BEETLEJUICE is a visually inventive and imaginative comedy taken to a uniquely grotesque and funny level by the manic performance of Michael Keaton in the title role. [More]
Starring: Michael Keaton, Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin, Jeffrey Jones
Starring: Michael Keaton, Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin, Jeffrey Jones, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Susan Kellerman, Sylvia Sidney, Glenn Shadix, Robert Goulet, Dick Cavett, Annie McEnroe, Maurice Page, Hugo Stanger, Rachel Mittelman, J.J. Saunders, Mark Ettlinger, Douglas Turner, Simmy Bow, Adele Lutz, Gary Jochimsen, Bob Pettersen, Duane Davis, Maree Cheatham, Tony Cox
Director: Tim Burton
Director: Tim Burton
Producer: Michael Bender, Richard Hashimoto
Story: Larry Wilson, Michael McDowell
Screenwriter: Warren Skaaren
Composer: Danny Elfman
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Reviews for Beetlejuice
Quite possibly the most bizarre and flat-out surreal effort of Tim Burton's career...
Tim Burton's imagination jumped into the saddle and held onto the bridle with Beetlejuice.
...weird and unorthadox and innovative and clever, but the main thing is that it's funny.
The character of Beetlejuice is hazy because the writers can never decide if he's a villain or an anti-hero...
One of [Burton's] flat-out funniest films, with Michael Keaton giving a performance for the ages.
Beetlejuice means something good: that imaginative artists can bring a fading genre back from the dead.
Darkly humorous and visually inventive, Burton's second film, which deservedly won the Makeup Oscar, fulfilled the promise he showed in his debut, launching a brilliant career with Batman and other original movies, many of which starring Johnny Depp.
Luckily, Keaton pops up from his grave to liven things up when the antics pitting the good ghosts against the intruders become a trite cat & mouse game.
Latest News for Beetlejuice
October 31, 2007:
Robert Goulet: 1933-2007
Robert Goulet, the entertainer whose portrayal of Lancelot in the 1960 Broadway production of Camelot helped launch a Tony- and Grammy-winning career, has passed away at the age... More...
July 01, 2005:
National Lampoon Has Another "Treat" On the Way...
A gaggle of actors have signed on for "National Lampoon Clubhouse Trick or Treat," says The Hollywood Reporter. And it's a pretty crazy cast of characters indeed. More...
Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
---|---|
78% 78% | The Hangover |
82% 82% | Paranormal Activity |
90% 90% | District 9 |
88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
06% 06% | All About Steve |
Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
---|---|
85% 85% | Cloudy With a Chance o… |
28% 28% | The Final Destination |
86% 86% | Lorna's Silence |
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