Beetlejuice (1988) Review

Title: Beetlejuice
Year: 1988
Director: Tim Burton
Country: US
Language: English

Three years after his feature length directional debut, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Tim Burton's Beetlejuice hit theatres and became a box office success. It earned $80 million worldwide, with an initial $15 million budget. Burton's visual presentation was unique for the time and had mainstream audiences flocking to see his auteur style. 

The spirits of a deceased couple (Geena Davis & Alec Baldwin) are harassed by an unbearable family that has moved into their home, and hire a malicious spirit (Michael Keaton) to drive them out.

Beetlejuice's gothic cinematography and nightmare-infused sets are a sight to behold. Danny Elfman's score is memorable, adding to an already surreal atmosphere. The practical effects used, which include claymation, puppetry and DIY props, are refreshing to look at given the CGI heavy mainstrean films of today. 

Beetlejuice straddles a fine line between being fun comedic camp -  and being absolutely terrifying. As a child I smiled at the Banana Boat (Day-O) dinner scene, then winced when our two protagonists slowly decayed during the creepy exorcism scene. 

Michael Keaton's performance as the titular character is memorable, perhaps his best role. This movie is certainly a worthwhile viewing, albeit I do think Tim Burton's style has become a bit dated and his status as a "great" director has fallen out of favour.