BEETLEJUICE (1988)

[RCMerchant]

Oh sheet! I like MARS ATTACKS too! 

[Rev. Powell]

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.

[bob]

I loved Beetlejuice as a kid.

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

[M.10rda]

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...

[Allhallowsday]

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! 

[Allhallowsday]

Oh sheet! I like MARS ATTACKS too! 

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. 

[M.10rda]

Oh sheet! I like MARS ATTACKS too! 

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.

[Gabriel Knight]

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.

Oh sheet! I like MARS ATTACKS too! 

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

[ER]

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

[Allhallowsday]

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. 

[RCMerchant]

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

[Allhallowsday]

^ I don't like them.   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. 

[M.10rda]

Don't get into that fairy tale junk.
Like that LORD OF THE RINGS tripe. Ugh.

 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.

[zombie no.one]

BEETLEJUICE is Burton's best, most imaginative, and most entertaining film.

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 

[zombie no.one]

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