Beetlejuice, Review

BeetleJuice

1988, * * * *, Fantasy

Not new, but well-worth a trip to the video rental store. Beetlejuice is a "freelance bio-exorcist" from the grave that helps other specters scare away humans who disturb the afterlife.

Beetlejuice, played by Michael Keaton ("White Noise," "Batman"), is hysterical and is the kind of hilarious freak-on-a-leash character that you can't forget.

Adam and Barbara, played by Alec Baldwin ("Elizabethtown," "Pearl Harbor") and Geena Davis ("A League of Their Own," "Thelma & Louise"), are living in their attic. The only problem is, they're dead and don't know it yet! Immediately, their new white farmhouse is sold to a disturbingly odd couple with a young teenage girl, who is rather strange and dark. As soon as Adam and Barbara realize they are in the "afterlife," they want the new owners out of their home and so enlist the help of Beetlejuice, who lives in a tiny model plantation in the attic. His job is to scare Lydia, Charles, and Delia, played by Catherine O'Hara ("Home Alone," "Orange County"), Winona Ryder ("Lost Souls," "Reality Bites"), and Jeffrey Jones ("The Crucible," "The Devil's Advocate") out of the house.

This film is fantasy at its ultimate best and even freakier than any bizarre dream you could have. Since this film came out when many of us were youngsters, I'm sure some remember the Beetle Juice cartoon show from the early 90s that was fun to watch. It's an extraordinary journey into the world of the unknown, far beyond our wildest imaginations.

"BeetleJuice" is a zany, fun ride into the afterlife that you shouldn't miss.