The spirits of a deceased couple are harassed by an unbearable family that has moved into their home, and hire a malicious spirit to drive them out.
There was once a time, long ago, when Tim Burton was one of our most extraordinary auteurs. Viewing the world through Burton’s twisted prism guaranteed to be a uniquely macabre experience, all darkly gothic visions, black-and-white elongated stripes, jagged and twisted and hallucinogenic reality — all complemented by a wicked sense of wit. Burton’s cinematic phantasmagoria was an exorcism of his demons and traumas, and it just happened to manifest itself in visually striking results — both childlike in their innocence/naiveté, and as deeply troubling as only an adult casting a retrospective glance at their childhood could concoct. Burton’s psychedelia was truly unfiltered.
“Beetlejuice” — Burton’s second feature-length film after “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” — marks the creative zenith of the director’s career. All of the elements coalesce perfectly: Danny Elfman’s remarkable score (which, along with “Pee-wee” marked the beginning of a long and beautiful relationship), the game ensemble cast led by an unhinged Michael Keaton, the surreal script by Michael McDowell and Warren Skaaren that seemed tailor-made for Burton, legend Bo Welch’s Dali-esque production design, and, of course, the unforgettable visuals. Sure, “Ed Wood” may be Burton’s best film, but “Beetlejuice” is his most infectiously joyous, his purest, his trippiest — there is a reason for why it’s stood the test of time, generation after generation discovering the magic of Young Burton.
For those who somehow haven’t seen it — or watched it so long ago, they forget the details — I’ll recap the plot. Not long after young couple Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara (Geena Davis) move into their new house, they die in a car crash — yet their benevolent spirits continue to haunt the abode. As if that weren’t bad enough, a wealthy family moves in and disrupts their peace: the eccentric, posh Delia (Catherine O’Hara), the megalomaniac Charles (Jeffrey Jones), and their introverted goth daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder). When all else fails, Adam and Barbara decide to summon Betelgeuse (Keaton), a rascal spirit who purportedly specializes in scaring away intruders, to help them get rid of the highly irritating family. Instead of frightening them, however, Betelgeuse’s antics inspire Delia and Charles, leading to wacky seances, exorcisms, and trips through the netherworld.
From the opening sequence, wherein Thomas A. Ackerman’s camera glides over a miniature of a suburban town, as Elfman’s spine-tingling score thunders and swirls, to the final frame of characters dancing in mid-air, “Beetlejuice” never stops assaulting us with unbridled ingenuity; set-pieces so memorable, they remain wedged in your mind forever. Who can forget Adam and Barbara’s first trip to the world of the dead, guided by an elderly spirit emitting smoke from her cancer-ridden throat (she also happens to be surrounded by football players who refer to her as “coach”, therein annoying her and leading to some of the film’s biggest laughs)? Or how about the occasional detours into the Dune-like desert planet, where giant striped sandworms roam? Faces morph into Venetian masks; furniture twists into anthropomorphic creatures; staircase railings become hideous snakes; and folks randomly belt out Harry Belafonte’s “Day-o” — arguably the film’s centerpiece.
And of course, there’s Keaton, firing on all cylinders. Every gesture, every mannerism is both highly calculated and effortless, the actor channeling his inner Burton — a disruptor, a dark poltergeist/clown out to entertain and frighten us — with side-splitting results. Whether it’s hitting on a local hooker, or swatting and then eating a bug, or turning himself into a hellish carousel, Keaton’s Beetlejuice doesn’t just steal scenes — he OWNS this film. This was one of the roles that established Keaton as one of our most versatile actors (his transformation into Batman – the next collaboration with Burton — by itself is jaw-dropping). That’s not to say the rest of the cast doesn’t shine. Baldwin and Davis are a likable, charming couple, serving as perfect vessels/guides for audiences through Burton’s Crazy Town. O’Hara and Jones get huge laughs — one of my favorite moments is a quiet one, involving Charles birdwatching. And Ryder is a delight as the young Lydia, who — like Burton must have — needs to let a little darkness in, in order to see the light.
Burton made several instant classics after “Beetlejuice.” The uber-successful “Batman” established him as Hollywood’s dark wunderkind, “Edward Scissorhands” showcased his lovely tender side, “Batman Returns” dropped jaws with massive sets, “Ed Wood” deservedly provided him with award cred, and “Mars Attacks” proved to be too weird for audiences to digest, only later gaining cult status on video. And thus began the downfall of Burton. It’s as if the failure of “Mars Attacks” ignited some cynicism within him, and he’s devoted himself to the Rules of the System (and a certain actor), allowing his imagination to blanket the formula, as opposed to drive the story. In other words, the visuals remained, but the inspiration was gone. “Sleepy Hollow,” “Planet of the Apes,” “Big Fish,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Dark Shadows,” “Big Eyes,” and “Dumbo” all SOUND like perfect Burton vehicles, but somehow ended up generic, lifeless, bombastic and hollow. Sure, the intermittent spark of genuine inspiration remained — see “Corpse Bride” or “Frankenweenie” — but even they don’t light a match to the works of Young Burton.
I wish saying Burton’s name three times would summon his old spirit of zaniness, his unabashed creativity, and delirium. Yet with each consecutive feature, I feel him drifting further away from the psychedelia of his early days. His next feature in development happens to be… “Beetlejuice 2.” What better occasion to rewatch the original wacky masterpiece on 4K screens.
Now available on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
