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BEETLEJUICE (1988)  I saw it new in a theater.  I hated it.  Just special effects are quickly boring.  They do not a movie make. I was reminded of this movie in another thread.  My opinion is not personal, but, personally, it's my opinion. GEENA DAVIS was the reason I went to see it...

I've never once been tempted to watch it. the poster alone put me off.

...but considering how much I love PEE WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE and EDWARD SCISSORHANDS maybe I should check it out?

BEETLEJUICE was one of those movies that I totally enjoyed when I saw it, but never felt compelled to watch again.

I found it quite amusing back in the day, and I still enjoy it from time to time now.

Still...

Adam and Barbara figured out immediately that even as ghosts, they could move objects in the house. That alone would be sufficient for me to communicate to undesired residents that they need to change their ways or get out. From there, the rest of the plot is unnecessary.

If you liked those, Beetlejuice is well worth a watch 😊

I like it a lot. Michael Keaton is over-the-top which may put some people off. But there's some great gags. It's Tim Burton at his Tim Burtoniest.

I don't care for Tim Burton's films. ED WOOD I liked. the rest- bah humbug.

I gotta take the exact opposite of everyone else's opinion so far.  I absolutely love this movie.  It's weird, spooky, and even hilarious at points.  It's got some great visuals, cool set designs, and wonderful music. 

Plus a funky dance number.

I'm so old I still have the soundtrack on vinyl 😳😉😉

It is a favourite in my house. One of the few films we've found so far that all three of us like.

Don't agree; going into a PEE WEE movie, one gets what one expects (to be amused by PEE WEE).  EDWARD SCISSORHANDS is not reliant on special effects to tell its story, one of two TIM BURTON films I like. 


ED WOOD is the other TIM BURTON film I like.  Though I think MARTIN LANDAU is quite amusing as BELA LUGOSI, I will assert a point you made long ago: BELA LUGOSI was NO foul-mouth! 

I like Beetlejuice.....but don't love it. Definitely not my favorite Tim Burton;s films.

If I had to put them in order:
1. Ed Wood (1994)
2. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
3. Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)
4. Batman (1989)
5. Sleepy Hollow (1999)

If I had to be honest I associate Beetlejuice with the cartoon more then the movie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWHVvXUw-RU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWHVvXUw-RU)

But it's okay not to like something (in comparison to what the internet likes to think).

WAIT! I liked FRANKENWEENIE (2012)!

Kind of rare to read people actually disliking Beetlejuice. This is more like an unpopular opinion. Tim Burton movies I own rated and ranked:

A+

 1. Big Fish (2003)
 2. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
 3. Ed Wood (1994)
 4. Batman (1989)
 5. Beetlejuice (1988)
 6. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)
 7. Sleepy Hollow (1999)
 8. Corpse Bride (2005)

A

 9. Batman Returns (1992)
 10. Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)

A-

 11. Frankenweenie (2012)

B+

 12. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
 13. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016)

B

 14. Alice in Wonderland (2010)
 15. Mars Attacks! (1996)

B-

 16. Dark Shadows (2012)

C-

 17. Planet of the Apes (2001)

this is a consistent in my top 10, which changes day to day. :cheers:

Oh sheet! I like MARS ATTACKS too!  :buggedout:

I'd rate the Tim Burton features I've seen

1. Ed Wood
2. Edward Scissorhands
3. Beetlejuice
4. Batman Returns
5. Pee Wee's Big Adventure
6. Frankenweenie
7. Batman
8. Mars Attacks!
9. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
10. Alice in Wonderland (the only one I actually consider bad)

I consider the top 5 all exceptional films. I've managed to avoid most of his late-career misfires.

BTW, "Beetlejuice 2" is currently in pre-production and will almost certainly suck.

I loved Beetlejuice as a kid.

As for Tim Burton, his movies are really hit or miss for me.

BEETLEJUICE is Burton's best, most imaginative, and most entertaining film. EDWARD S, ED W, and PEE-WEE  are in the conversation. I don't think anything else he's made comes close to those four. I was pleasantly surprised while watching WEDNESDAY, however... the closest to old school Tim Burton in many years.

I'll add that BEETLEJUICE is a (not The, but a) high-water mark in the careers of Michael Keaton and Catherine O'Hara as well. And of course after this, HEATHERS, and SCISSORHANDS, there was nowhere for Winona Ryder to go but southernly...

I do like more of his movies than I'd thought of, like CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY which is much more faithful to the source material (krazy kidz dark klasick) than WONKA.  The 2 BATMAN movies are very good.  I think that ALICE movie REV mentions is bad but fun! 

I have a friend who won't forgive me for suggesting an afternoon matinee of that when it was new...  I did laugh, but it has long boring parts. 

Yeah... I wouldn't suggest that most of Burton's films are bad (I really only aggressively dislike PLANET OF THE APES), just that most are uneven and (as you mention) most have long, slow stretches. That feels like an odd accusation to level at a director whose earliest films sort of typified late 20th century manic momentum, but even colorful wackiness can get tedious when it becomes mechanical instead of inspired.

I liked BETTLEJUICE, but only because the amazing role of Keaton. The movie would fall apart instantly without him. While I enjoyed most of the movie, the table scene was an unwatchable disaster. After reading a bit from the original script, I prefer its darker tone, although the new looks of the title character are better.


Such a great movie, it definitely pays a lot of homage to alien stuff.

Beetlejuice is one of my all-time personal favorites, like The Princess Bride, or Labyrinth. Love them every time I see them.

I think you are nostalgic for all three of those.  Obviously, each have their fans.  I like LABYRINTH, but like "everybody" I love THE PRINCESS BRIDE. 

^ I don't like them.  :thumbdown: Don't get into that fairy tale junk.
Like that LORD OF THE RINGS tripe. Ugh.

THE PRINCESS BRIDE is a spoof of any "fairy tale junk" and it's wonderful.  I wouldn't compare any of those films with any LOTR movie.  However, I also don't like LOTR much.  LOTR takes itself too seriously. 

The last 10-15 minutes of RETURN OF THE KING are, I'd argue, as bad as any stretch of any other undeserving Oscar winner for Best Picture. I think I'd sooner watch the entirety of Haggis' CRASH again rather than watch the end of ROTK again.

strong words! I just managed to pick it up on DVD cheap (don't do netflix/streaming etc) so I'll find out soon if I agree

again I don't really.know why I've avoided it all these years except for something about the poster not appealing to me  :question:

ok, watched it last night.... gotta be honest, I'm kind of with AllHallows here. I just didn't warm to it. despite all the twists and turns it felt very 'surface' and gimmicky. It was visually entertaining enough to stick with but I didn't laugh once (even internally).  ah well

best point: Catherine O'Hara is amazingly hot here

worst point: this kind of film SO didn't need that Beetlejuice F-bomb from out of nowhere.

5/10

 :buggedout:

I don't remember the f-bomb

I didn't remember it either but here it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SM4E3VTTiU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SM4E3VTTiU)

I'm guessing that part would've been censored for tv broadcasts - a la CROCODILE DUNDEE "well you can eat it... but it tastes like dung"

I've just racked my brain to remember what BEETLEJUICE really reminded me of... the HOUSE movies. very similar atmosphere, I thought

Might need a rewatch because its been years since I really saw the movie.  I remember really liking it when I first saw it.  I loved the visual design of the afterlife and its ihabitants