Honestly, how in the hell are we in September already? For freaks like me, it’s always Halloween but now the calendar kind of at least somewhat reflects that. I mean we’re two months away, but who’s counting? Life’s been super crazy lately. Adulting is at an all time high and by proxy—at all time worst. What used to be glorious nicotine coursing through my veins now replaced by resentment and stress in regard to my role as a card-carrying member of the real world. You ever see the Demi Moore vehicle, “Ghost?” You know when that creepy ass dude in the subway busts open the cigarette machine and goes on about what he’d give for just one drag… same bro. At least there are vape pens, I guess.Â
I can continue pontificating about my current lack of satiation, but instead, let’s talk about “Beetlejuice.” Yes, the ghost with the most. The sarcastic and creepy freelance bio-exorcist we’ve all come to love nearly 40 years after he first graced the silver screen. This absolute banger of a film sits somewhere in my top 12-15 favorite movies of all time. And while maybe not my favorite scary movie, there’s just so much to love about it. See kids, we are about to go straight into Spooky Season. And while I may personally recommend going full warp-speed ahead, you might want to soft-launch this season and what better film to use as your gateway drug into the most glorious two months of the year. With that said, here are five reasons you absolutely must kick off your Halloween season with a “Beetlejuice” rewatch!
The Amazing Catherine O’Hara
It’s never easy when a beloved celebrity passes away. It’s even harder when is someone late Catherine O’Hara. An absolute comic genius and all around fantastic person, she spent her amazing career bringing countless laughs and smiles to everyone who watched her work. Lots of people are ride or die “Home Alone” fans, even if that plot somehow requires the suspension of more disbelief than “Beetlejuice.” Others love her absolute ridiculous role in “Schitt’s Creek.” For me, it’s her scene stealing performances in a trio of Christopher Guest films: “Best In Show,” “A Mighty Wind,” and “Waiting For Guffman.” Anyway you go here though, you cannot go wrong. A true powerhouse of a performer and a real one-of-one comedic talent that will be sorely missed. “Beetlejuice” is a great way to remember this titan of comedy.
Winona Ryder… Love at First Sight
I feel like in an alternate universe I’d be married to Winona Rider. I could just picture us laying on the living room floor, wearing flannel shirts, listening to Nirvana, cheifing Marlboro Lights, and having a real storybook kinda romance. Anyway, she’s got no shortage of amazing, career-defining roles but as Lydia Deetz, she announced herself as the proto-typical Tim Burton leading lady—and man did she ever ride that wave to amazing heights. Her performance gets better with every rewatch. You pick up on body language, slight faces she makes, and excellently written and executed dialogue. She’s sarcastic and bursting with style. Be still my heart!
The Tim Burton Template
For anyone who’s read anything I’ve written here throughout the years, you know I absolutely love Batman and all things Batman. And while I absolutely love Tim Burton’s pair of classic “Batman” films, there’s no doubt that “Beetlejuice” sets the pace for all of what followed in his prolific career. “Edward Scissorhands,” “Dark Shadows,” “Ed Wood,” “Sweeney Todd”—they all kind of follow this mold. The gothic aesthetic, the dark sense of humor, the strange, quirky characters and Danny Elfman scores. It’s all there. “Beetlejuice” serves as the architype for every Burton film to follow.
Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton is a real hero to me. Top notch, top class, and consistently delivering amazing performances. He’ll always be Batman and Beetlejuice to me, but Captain Gene in “The Other Guys” will always occupy a special place in my heart. But yeah, I feel like Michael Keaton should’ve stuck with Batman through “Batman Forever.” I don’t want to speak ill about the dead and all and Val Kilmer definitely is great. But yeah Keaton is my Batman. Back to “Beetlejuice” though. This is the best Keaton performance ever. The quips, the grunts, the physical comedy of the performance. If I could take every line out of Michael Keaton’s mouth in this film and put them onto a loop on a mixtape for me to listen to while I sleep, I’d never need the melatonin again. Once I wrap here, I think I’m actually going to try and make that a reality.
’80s Nostalgia
Having been born in 1986, I didn’t fully get to bask in the ’80s, but I got a pretty good run nonetheless. “Ghostbusters,” “Batman,” Jason, Freddy, Chucky, “Back To The Future,” Pee Wee Herman. I mean I live for all of it. Still. Literally up to this very minute as I look over at my circa 1898 talking Pee Wee Herman doll. The ’80s absolutely ruled. Plus… Metallica and Slayer for Christ’s Sake. Anyway, you know how we all loved “Stranger Things” before the kids all joined AARP? For me it was definitely because of my dream girl Winona but a close second, it was the god damn nostalgia. The creepy vibes, spooky sounds, the abundance of cigarettes and ultimately the feels. Nothing but old school ’80s feels. That’s what “Beetlejuice” does. It takes that good old nostalgia and legit hits you like a Tyson right hook square to the face. It’s like a time portal to a simpler, happier time. Kick off your Halloween season with this banger!
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