Beetlejuice (1988)

A couple of recently deceased ghosts contract the services of a "bio-exorcist" in order to remove the obnoxious new owners of their house.

Director:

Tim Burton

Writers:

Michael McDowell (story), Larry Wilson (story)

Stars:

Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Michael Keaton

Won 1 Oscar. Another 7 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alec Baldwin	...	Adam Maitland
Geena Davis	...	Barbara Maitland
Annie McEnroe	...	Jane Butterfield
Maurice Page	...	Ernie
Hugo Stanger	...	Old Bill
Michael Keaton	...	Betelgeuse
Rachel Mittelman	...	Little Jane Butterfield
Catherine O'Hara	...	Delia Deetz
J. Jay Saunders	...	Moving Man #1
Mark Ettlinger	...	Moving Man #2
Jeffrey Jones	...	Charles Deetz
Winona Ryder	...	Lydia Deetz
Glenn Shadix	...	Otho
Patrice Martinez	...	Receptionist
Cindy Daly	...	3-Fingered Typist (as Cynthia Daly)

Storyline

Adam and Barbara are a normal couple...who happen to be dead. They have given their precious time to decorate their house and make it their own, but unfortunately a family is moving in, and not quietly. Adam and Barbara try to scare them out, but end up becoming the main attraction to the money making family. They call upon Beetlejuice to help, but Beetlejuice has more in mind than just helping.

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Plot Keywords:

surrealism | teenage girl | ghost | attic | yuppie | 

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Taglines:

spinning head

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 March 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Beetlejuice

Filming Locations:

Culver Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$73,326,666 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Geffen Company, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A toy line was released in conjunction with the film, featuring action figures of most of Beetlejuice's incarnations, Otho, Adam (whose figure featured him wearing a red baseball cap), and the Shrunken Head Man from the waiting room, whose figure was named "Harry the Haunted Hunter" and came with a detachable head showing what he looked like before death.

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Goofs

When Otho summons the Maitlands into their wedding clothes, they start to age rapidly. Their age isn't always consistent in the following scenes.

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Quotes

Preacher: And you, do you Lydia, take this man...?
Lydia: [Interrupting] No! Beetle...
Beetlejuice: [Covers Lydia's mouth] She's a little bit nervous. Uh, maybe I should answer for her, okay?
[speaks in Lydia's voice]
Beetlejuice: I'm Lydia Deetz and I'm of sound mind. The man next to me is the one I want. You asked me, I'm answering. Yes, I love that man of mine.

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Connections

References Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)

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Soundtracks

The Light Cavalry
Written by Franz von Suppé

User Reviews

AND IT KEEPS GETTING FUNNIER, EVERY SINGLE TIME I SEE IT! (that's not just a quote)

This is one of Tim Burton's best films. His sophomore effort shows the story of a married couple (the Maitlands played with good degree by Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) who die accidentally off a bridge and wind up the target for a upper-class family (including a young yet well played Winona Ryder) and a weird yet scary ghost (with the most) named Beetleguise (or Beetlejuice in a scene of laughs) played to immense complexity by Michael Keaton. Sure this plot may sound a little anti-climactic being mainly gags and not really a focused story, but so what? In a film where you see sandworms from saturn, shrimps that attach after calypso and a nut who has seen the exorcist 167 time (insert quote here), why bother with a plot. Great fun every time I watch. Reccomendable to anyone.