The real Goulet has a supporting role in today's movie as a big shot Manhattan real estate developer. And like all things Goulet, he totally nails it. Goulet!
#21: Beetlejuice
Riding high on the success of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure and with Batman in development, Tim Burton had the pick of the litter as far as next projects go in 1988. So what did he choose? A fantasy horror comedy about suburban ghosts trying to scare away some artsy fartsy yuppies, which features stop-motion animation sandworms, Harry Belafonte tunes, and Robert Goulet. Because of course.
A young, thin, and oddly costumed (seriously - who wears a black and white flannel shirt with a red undershirt and khakis?) Alec Baldwin plays Adam, the doting husband to Geena Davis' Barbara. Adam and Barbara are living the dream in a big country house in small town Connecticut. That is, until they die one day. They find themselves trapped at home, which would be fine, except for the new owners - the Deetzes, a relocated couple of Manhattan social climbers. Delia Deetz, played by the always-terrific Catherine O'Hara, quickly sets about remodeling the house in the most gauche manner possible, while her step-daughter, Lydia (a winningly morose Winona Ryder), makes friends with the ghosts upstairs. Adam and Barbara, neophytes to the haunting game, seek the assistance of a self-proclaimed "bio-exorcist" named Betelgeuse:
 |
| It's pronounced Beetlejuice. Go ahead, say it 3 times. |
Things get a little out of hand.
According to Wikipedia, which is second only to graffiti on men's bathroom stalls in terms of accuracy, Burton initially wanted Sammy Davis, Jr. for the titular role. While that admittedly would be kind of awesome (in a grotesque, flaming car kind of way), it would have deprived the world of one the greatest comedic performances of all time. What else can I say but MICHAEL F'IN KEATON! Consider this scene:
I mean, come on. As Kenny Benya would say: "That's gold, Jerry. Gold."
Keaton is an absolute force to be reckoned with in this movie. Hilarious, wild, disturbing, manic, and frightening. He owns every single minute he's on screen. Really, my only complaint is he isn't in the damn thing enough. If only Beetlejuice was featured in this as heavily as he is in the cartoon show that followed it! Bring on the long-rumored sequel: Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian! (Which is, I kid you not, supposedly still in development).
I'd go see a sequel. But there's gotta be KEATON in it. Or, I'm out.
Aside from KEATON's iconic performance, the film has a lot going for it. Burton hadn't yet let his art direction be the entire point of his movies, and his idiosyncratic eye just adds to the mood here. There are plenty of great touches, like the idea of the afterlife as a bureaucratic nightmare filled with suicide victims forced to work as civil servants for all eternity.
Burton also elicits lively, game performances from the whole cast and gets the whole thing wrapped up in an hour and a half. It's tight, goofy, slightly scary but fun. Perfect palate cleanser for Halloweentime viewing.
Amelia's a bit more ambivalent about this one. She laughed uproariously at the scene embedded above but was otherwise more interested in her iPhone for much of the short running time. I think she's still getting over seeing this at a too-young age in theaters and getting scared and leaving.
(Side note: Our 3 and a half year old daughter, who has a thing for the macabre (she loves Nightmare Before Christmas and Paranorman), uttered several "oh goshes" while covering her mouth (her sign that she is scared) during this, but giggled a lot as well. I almost turned it off several times, feeling pangs of guilt for exposing her to such scares at a tender age, but she insisted on seeing what happened to Beetlejuice. I fear she's going to turn into Lydia Deetz).
Final Verdict: KEEPER
Next up: BEST IN SHOW
No comments:
Post a Comment