BEETLEJUICE (1988) STARRING MICHAEL KEATON, GEENA DAVIS AND ALEC BALDWIN DIRECTED BY TIM BURTON RATED (15) IN THE UK, (PG) IN USA A WARNER BROTHERS (THE GEFFEN COMPANY) RELEASE
A DAVID WILCOCK REVIEW (C)1997 DAVID WILCOCK
Tim Burtons comedy-horror classic. A happy couple (Davis and Baldwin) while shopping in a country town, happen to die, from their car falling off a bridge. They comes back to haunt their house, yet no one can see them, Now that there house is empty, there estate agent (who's been trying to get them to sell) uses this oppurtunity to sell the house off. However, the new family have different ideas. While the husband (Jeffery Jones) and the daughter (Winona Ryder, who was 15!) like it as it is, the wife (Catherine O'Hara) and her designer want it changed. Davis and Baldwin aren't pleased about this, so they try to scare them out. They're not good enough, however, so they hire a 'Beetlegeuse', (Michael Keaton,) to scare them out. What follows is a mad rollarcoaster ride.
The secret to this film enjoyment is it's outrageous speacial effects. It's more like watching some whacked out cartoon than an movie. Although blandly directed by Burton, some of his scenes are near classic (the Harry Belafonte round the table, for example) But the effects really do add something. Watch Davis rip off her face! Gasp as Baldwin runs around with no head! They really are quite special.
But of course, the best thing about this film is Keaton. He is brilliant. Not in this film for nearly long enough, when he IS onscreen, the film sky rockets. He has this beautifully perverted voice which he uses so well. Davis and Baldwin also do a good job as the dead couple, and they case worker is also very funny. Jones and O'Hara do an excellent job as the living couple, and Ryder is suitably weird enough as the cooky daughter.
Another element that adds to this film is Danny Elfmans fantastic score. Very gothic, and very effective. Of course, Harry Belafonte also helps to make the score an sucess.
Overall, this film mainly depends on the performances and effects, and thankfully these are both good. The film runs at a resonable length aswell, 90 mins, so you won't get bored. Recommended.
OVERALL RATING=***1/2 out of ***** REVIEW BY DAVID WILCOCK
(This review will be on the WMP archive on Monday, 25th August, at http://www.btinternet.com/~wilcock) ============================= DAVID WILCOCK david.wilcock@btinternet.com http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/9061
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