This is Burton's film all the way, and it is sheerly amazing that he did not create this story at all (actually conceived and written by Michael McDowell, Larry Wilson, and co-written by Warren Skaaren). "Beetlejuice" (spelled Betelgeuse) is some sort of freelance bio-exorcist from an otherworldly existence, who advertises himself to spirits as an entity who can scare the bejesus out of the living. He is a foul creature with moldy, green skin and spouts crude jokes that land flat on their face. Some jokes are funnier than others, such as stating that "The Exorcist" gets funnier each time he sees it. Otherwise this demented, perverted spirit is one who consistently grabs his crotch and flirts with female spirits who slap him if he gets out of line. Is this the guy that the Maitlands want? The Maitlands, by the way, are a married Connecticut couple who died when their car crashed through a covered bridge and fell into a lake. They need help driving out a new family that moved into their idyllic country home - the quirky family known as the Deetzes. Before Beetlejuice can be conjured by saying his name three times, the Maitlands partially succeed in a possession that involves the Deetzes and some dinner guests involuntarily dancing to Harry Belafonte songs such as "Day-O."
"Beetlejuice" begins with sweet, good-natured scenes between the excited Maitlands, Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam (Alec Baldwin), and their need to stay home for vacation and decorate their house. After their demise, the movie is flat and antiseptic for a while with the introduction of the Deetzes that includes former real-estate developer Charles (Jeffrey Jones), his shrill wife, the sculptress Delia (Catherine O'Hara - truly marvelous) and their goth/death obsessed daughter, Lydia (Winona Ryder). Even with the introduction of their colorful interior decorator, Otho (Glenn Shadix), the movie still felt devoid of any energy and scenes between them rang unfunny and spiritless. That is until the wild introduction of Beetlejuice and the Belafonte songs, and the movie picks up steam and had me howling with laughter at its sheer inventiveness and wacky humor. The special effects are spooky stop-motion animation moments that I'd love to see more of in today's CGI-infused climate. I also like the otherworldly waiting room for the dead (who are all civil servants), including the shrunken head explorer and the woman with half of her torso sitting separately. Sylvia Sidney's appearance is the cherry on top.
What is most fascinating is that the Deetzes and Otho eventually spring with such liveliness that you wonder why they seem like such unlikable boors at the beginning. And watching Catherine O'Hara dance to "Day-O" is one of the greatest cinematic pleasures I can think, at least for the latter 1980's. "Beetlejuice" also has exuberant Michael Keaton having a wild party time as the bio-exorcist, a spirit who is more content lifting up Barbara's skirt and hanging with women than scaring anyone. And Ryder gives the movie a soul, a girl who can't quite commit to everyday life's expectations yet is more eager to hang with the Maitlands than the Deetzes. I can't blame her.
