Others say...

"Cool Movie"
A cool movie with some very funny and amusing moments, a young alec baldwin & gena davis & winona? ryder...micheal keaton is a great ghoulish pervert!! worth seeing for micheal keaton.. BluRay is nothing stunning but good textures and clarity, better than dvd but not the greatest looking bluray disc, outside shots are great, indoors nothing stunning. grew up watching this as a child in the 80's, stills holds up alright if just a little too short.... last joke of the movie with beetlejuice in the waiting room sitting next to the african tribesman is a big laugh!!!! see it if you never before, guaranteed to make you smile..

"Really gets those juices flowing..."
Maybe the definitive Burton film (or maybe more like a tie with `Edward Scissorhands'), `Beetlejuice' is a perfect representation of what Tim Burton is all about. It is loud and boisterous and at the same time dark and edgy. The film very much looks and feels like almost everything that comes out of the Burton factory, yet it is surprisingly fresh in a way. Maybe this has to do with the fact that it is one of his earlier works and so the colors and graphics are not as crisp, which adds an almost gothic layer to the films feel.

Then again, maybe it is the mere fact that Michael Keaton gives the best performance in any Burton film; ever.

The film follows Adam and Barbara as they learn to cope with life after death. Yes, a horrific car accident leaves Adam and Barbara dead yet confined to their home. The problem is that their impatient neighbor takes no time in selling their home to an eccentric family that does not meet with their approval. Determined to remove these people from their home they enlist the help of a `bio-exorcist' to do the trick, but they get far more than they bargained for when Beetlejuice comes on the scene.

The film has been labeled as `pointless fun' by most of my friends, and to an extent I have to agree. Many would claim the film is not pointless, for it teaches lessons of acceptance and friendship, and I guess loyalty and respect, but really, are we concerned with any of that?

The acting is really good here, and it elevates the film from `pointless' to `pointless fun'. Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis (complete with those alien eyes she had popping in `The Fly') are absolutely amazing as the dead couple, Adam and Barbara. Catherine O'Hara is marvelous, award worthy even, as the insanely annoying Delia, and Jeffery Jones knows just how to compliment her as Charles. Winona Ryder is effectively weird as their daughter Lydia.

This film belongs to Keaton though, in what may very well be his finest performance, ever. There is a fine line to be ridden between hilariously on-point and drastically over-the-top; especially when you are dealing with a typically campy performance. As Beetlejuice, Keaton finds that line and rides it well, delivering an all over the place comedic performance that never feels `too much', even though it probably is. He understands how to make his characters insanity justifiably funny and makes him an iconic character. Everyone knows who Beetlejuice is, even if you haven't seen the movie.

In the end I can recommend this movie because it does the trick. It's sweet and charming in that Tim Burton style, complete with edge and creeps and hilarious thrills. It looks better than his new stuff because it still has a level of grit, and while it is not as good as `Edward Scissorhands' (his best movie, ever) it is definitely a film that every fan needs to see.

"Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!"
Young married couple Adam and Barbara Maitland (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) are staying home for their vacation. In an effort to avoid driving over a cute mutt, they, car and all plunge over a bridge. The next thing they know is that they are home. However something is a tad strange. Yep soon they find they are the recently deceased. How will they cope with the situation and where can they find help whim strange people purchase and intend to occupy the house?

The story takes some intriguing turns. And the musing instead of being a background mood helper is actually as important as the other characters in the story. "Day-o, he say day-ay-ay-o."

This film is an excellent candidate for Blu-ray. The Blu-ray version also has the standard extras. I am not sure but I could swear there are more scenes than I saw in earlier versions.

The Uninvited

"Awesome movie, not very "deluxe" dvd"
I must agree with the few people who complained that this dvd was lacking in special features and whatnot. However, if you have never seen the movie at all, or enjoyed the movie but do not already have a copy, it's still a good buy. It's a great movie, no matter how it's presented on the dvd, and you do get a few episodes of the cartoon as well. I watched Beetlejuice as a kid, both the movie and the cartoons, so I probably would've bought it even if it was a poorly recorded VHS :) In short, don't expect it to be "deluxe", but I definitely recommend buying it (unless you already have a standard version of it).

As for the movie itself, if you've never seen it, it's basically a ghost story that is purposely presented in a cheesy manner to be funny. If you're familiar with Tim Burton at all, you'll know he tends to stray from the norm. Don't expect to be scared; that's not what this movie is about. It's basically about a nice couple of ghosts who try to scare away the family who lives in their house, but the family isn't scared; in fact, they invite other people over and try to show off the ghosts - so the ghost couple hires a... rather disgusting guy to help them out, and things pretty much go downhill from there. Definitely and old 80s classic.

"ONE OF THE BEST GHOST STORIES I KNOW....."
Here is a movie that is top notch in a lot of ways. It's a great family movie. Some may not agree, but I say it is. Adults will understand it more but kids will love the colorful creatures, even though several aspects of the film will fly right over their heads. Tim Burton really hit the button here on his unique style of filmaking, and really never did it better, even with the number of great films he's waxed his style all over through the years.

The story starts with Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis as "The Recently Deceased." They have to learn how to be ghosts, and it's not easy. That is why there is a department dedicated to helping their cause, however, it is as backed up as an inner city welfare office. This is why sleazy swindlers such as the title character come around, dedicated to taking advantage of their delicate situation.

When our ghosts discover that they have to share their small town dream home, with some living artsy-fart aristocrats, it's more then they can bare. SO, as most ghosts would do in this situation, they decide to scare the new tennants away. However, their obvious inexperience proves as a pitfall. Especially since these a*holes get a kick out of it, and start using them as party favors. Enter Michael Keaton as Beedle Geuss (He needs somebody to pronounce his name right). The couple, desperate, go against the wishes of the department and hire him, to give the new tennants a proper scare. Although they soon realize that they may have gotten in too far over their heads with this ghoul.

Lydia, played by Winonna Ryder, is the disillusioned daughter of the artsys and she somehow naturally communicates with the dead, and becomes a friend to the couple. Naturally she becomes the prime target for Beetlejuice also (If I was a sleazy ghoul, I would be all over her too!) and thats when things get ugly. But don't worry too much, because in the end everyone figures out how to compromise, and dance around the house to the tune of Shake Senora. The comedic icing of the whole demented cake.

This movie works just as well as a comedy, as it does a terrific ghost story. The effects are great, and a symbol to what made Tim Burton so cool early in his career (who can forget those claymation sand serpents?) The score is perfectly creepy, and this thing is just an all around great movie. Good stuff for the Halloween film fest peeps. I pull it out all the time!