Beetlejuice (PG)

“Beetlejuice” is one of those movies I watched ad nauseam as a kid and literally hadn’t seen in over 25 years.

A family friendly Halloween treat, “Beetlejuice” was weirdo Tim Burton’s first foray into the eccentric horror style he would create, and it has all of the renowned Burton trademarks; fun special effects that tip the bounds of acceptable, a cool soundtrack (created by the maestro himself, Danny Elfman), and of course, the trademarked Tim Burton weirdness.

Like his blockbuster “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” it holds the perfect amount of creepiness to make for an enjoyable Halloween movie for all ages, and the effects are surprisingly good considering it was released in 1988. “Beetlejuice” has managed to hold up well over time.

We have a simple haunted house concept; young couple Adam and Barbara (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) die in a freak accident as the story opens, and would seemingly be at peace residing within the walls of their dream house for all eternity, if not for the arrival of the obnoxious Deetz family. To drive the living Deetz’s from their home, Adam and Barbara embark on a a hunting campaign in order to scare the prospective homeowners away. When simple parlor tricks fail, they turn to their last resort; a wildcard bio-exorcist referred to as the Beetlejuice.

“Beetlejuice” is a funny movie, and many scenes are quite memorable and well ahead of their time. Stars Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis were relatively new faces in 1988, and each does a perfect job as the young loving couple. That they’re ghosts isn’t the most troubling aspect of their lives (or un-lives) its that they have to share the house with an annoying band of people.

The Deetz clan is made up by parents (Catherine O’Hara and Jeffrey Jones), weird family friend Otho (Glenn Shadix) and spooky daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder). “Live people ignore the strange and unusual.” Lydia states at one point. “I myself am … strange and unusual.”

The titular character was made famous by the great Michael Keaton, and there was no bigger star in cinema in 1988 than the man who would go on to make “Batman” famous the following year. Keaton gives a personal touch to the exotic character, conjured forth by saying his name three times. The movie is really great because the Beetlejuice character takes a back seat for the most part, playing as an almost ancillary character to Adam, Barbara, and Lydia.

“Beetlejuice” is a fun movie that works as a perfect family film for October.

by – Matt DeCristo