Beetlejuice (1988) - Burton and team serve the ultimate horror comedy

♥♥♥♥♥♥

Genna Davis, Michael Keaton and a beheaded Alec Baldwin in festive, otherworldly spirits on the poster for Tim Burton's Beetlejuice

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A young couple move into their dream-home in Connecticut, - but soon die tragically. As ghosts who haunt the house, they then try desperately to rid it of the New York-modern, atrocious Deetz family who replace them as residents.

Beetlejuice exhilarates with creativity in highest gear and wildly impressive effects, even though master director Tim Burton (Batman Returns (1992)) has said about overcoming the obstacle of the small 1 mil. $ effect budget (considering all the effects in the film): "I wanted to make them look cheap and purposely fake-looking."

"Purposely fake-looking" effects in Tim Burton's Beetle Juice

Danny Elfman's (Milk (2008)) score is eminent, and the performances are out-of-this-world loony, especially Michael Keaton's as the title character is vulgar, funny and creepy:

Yes, this is actually Michael Keaton. He's unlike himself in any other picture in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice, which was Oscar-nominated for its make-up effects

The cast also includes memorable turns from Winona Ryder, Glenn Shadix, Jeffrey Jones, Catherine O'Hara (Home Alone (1990)), - besides Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin as the deceased couple.
Beetlejuice is fun on fun horror comedy at its best; with eerie effects, fresh handling of heavy material (death, namely), slapstick and gags aplenty, this one is recommended for anyone over age 12. It is the type of horror comedy that accepts the absurdity of life and death and chooses to embrace it and celebrate it, culminating in the phenomenal ending. - A masterpiece.
Talks of a sequel has raged since not long after Beetlejuice became a big, beloved hit, and finally it looks like it might be happening, as Burton-Keaton has talked together about it, possibly based on a Hawaii-set script that has been around for a long time. 

Related review:

Tim Burton: Batman Returns (1992) - Burton gives us the ultimate, Gothic spin on Gotham City and its sinister characters

 Watch the fun trailer here

Budget: 15 mil. $
Box office: 73.7 mil. $
= Big hit

What do you think of Beetlejuice?
I miss raucous horror comedies, - where have they gone today?