I thought I’d kick off Halloween season with an 80’s horror comedy classic: Beetlejuice!
The Tim Burton film follows a young married couple, Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam (Alec Baldwin), who struggle to adjust to their newfound ghostly status after dying in a car crash. They find themselves haunting their marital home, which is now inhabited by Delia (Catherine O’Hara), Charles (Jeffery Jones) and Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder), and fail in multiple attempts to scare the family out of their house. They enlist the help of the ghastly Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton) and get a whole lot more then they bargained for.
This is Tim Burton at his best. He is able to create a specific and complex atmosphere in this film, with his zany set design and costumes functioning to compliment the narrative rather than overpower it. Though the beginning of the story runs quite slowly, this builds up anticipation for Betelgeuse’s appearance and provides some hilarious scenes – namely when the family are compelled to dance at the dinner table by the ghosts. Burton’s direction is inspired yet clean, with most of the scenes able to enrich the story in some form. Sometimes the shoddy special effects can be uncomfortable to watch in 80’s movies, but they add to the hilarity of this film and reflect the novice nature of Barbara and Adam’s terror. I think that the lack of CGI available during that era is better for Burton’s style, as it prevents him from overwhelming the viewer and helps him rein in his imagination to just the right amount.
The narrative itself is compelling, an inherently original story that is immensely fun to witness. There is some clever dialogue littered throughout the piece, with witty humour aplenty. The performances in this film are also phenomenal. Keaton’s interpretation of Betelgeuse is absolutely perfect, with every movement completely in character. He encapsulated the anti-hero nature of Betelgeuse spectacularly, revealing glimpses of his sinister side but always keeping the character likeable. Ryder fulfils the role of a gloomy teenager perfectly, and has enough warmth to carry Lydia’s transformation throughout the film. O’Hara is another standout, taking the fairly tired stereotype of a wicked stepmother and portraying it in an unorthodox manner. Baldwin and Davis, however, seem more like spectators than protagonists of the film, with their mild-mannered nature overpowered by the more interesting characters.
This film leaves you with a smile on your face, and the relatively short running time prevents the audience from becoming exhausted by the vibrant set and rich characterisation. It is a comedy classic that everybody should watch during the Halloween season, especially if you shy away from the wealth of actual horror films out there (like me). I give it four and a half out of five popcorns.
(Photo courtesy of IMDb)
Girl with the Popcorn 