Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice

I often ask myself what Johnny Depp would have been like as Beetlejuice, and whether he could have pulled it off at such a young age. Keaton, coming from a comedy background however is perfect for the role, and I find difficulty in seeing who could have done a better job. While some of the effects look dated (The sand snake), others still look pretty good.

The story involves a recently deceased couple coming to terms with the afterlife, and dealing with a group of yuppies moving into the house from which they cannot leave. To rid the house of the newcomers, they enlist the powers of the mysterious, and malevolent Beetlejuice. Chaos ensues. It is very surreal, with some excellent dark comedy, and winning performances from Keaton and Ryder with special mention going to Glenn Shadix as Otho. Davies is good as always, and Baldwin is ok, but watching Keaton skip about is the high point. Every line he has is gold, and delivered to perfection, and the most memorable scenes usually revolve around him, my favourite is probably the head-shrinking scene at the end. The score, by Danny Elfman is also worthy of mentioning, and the make up team won an Oscar. Another rare treat.

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