So DEATH huh, George? He and Lu Tze are my favorite characters except for Esme....and the Librarian...and Nobby...and Sam....and Carrot...and Ridcully...and Havelock. ...I miss Pterry. 😢
"I will go insane! And I will take you with me!" is a quote I have used way too much after seeing Beetlejuice as a kid. Catherine O'Hara is just delightful as Delia and I hope she is returning for the sequel. She'd be a great crazy granny 😁
Every time I watch this, I'm more amazed by Catherine O'Hare's performance. The way she danced in perfect rhythm to Harry Bellefonte while holding a confused panicked look on her face was brilliant.
Having grown up with this, it's amazing to me that people have heard of Wynona Rider and it's not from this movie. Because this is like her whole identity.
@@cnnhdlvth9557 I have a big sister who watched the movies Mermaids (with Ryder, Cher, and Bob Hoskins) and Great Balls of Fire (about Jerry Lee Lewis) on a regular basis. So those are my touchstones. They came out 1 and 2 years after this movie, respectively.
@cnnhdlvth9557 there's a whole generation that only knows her from her great performance in Stranger Things. For me, it's her role in this and Edward Scissorhands that cemented a life long crush lol
"It's Showtime!" Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) owned this role and the thing I always forget is how little he's in the movie. What scenes he does have he dominates. Also, the main thing is that the movie makes you smile, laugh and no matter how crazy everything gets, you always feel sympathy for Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara Maitland (Geena Davis), the married couple and Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder).
Michael Keaton only had 14 minutes of screen time, which I think is part of what made his character so memorable. He didn't overstay his welcome. It made sense to make him a supporting character. It really allowed the film to focus on the family dynamic that was central to the plot. I just hope they do the same with the sequel.
Exactly, as much as I wanted to see more of him, it could have ended up being too much of a good thing. If you leave the audience wanting more, then you know you've done a good job.
The show Community had a great Beetlejuice reference. Over the course of the first two seasons, it's said three times. The final time is a Halloween episode and someone dressed as Beetlejuice walks by in the background. It's a tiny moment that's easy to miss, but that sort of attention to detail for a throwaway joke is what made the show great.
There was actually another earlier episode that the script had someone saying Beetlejuice, and one of the staff told Dan Harmon "Just so you know, this will be the third time we mention "Beetlejuice", so he cut it from the script to use it in the Halloween episode for that reason.
Community is great for subtle background elements. There's a video you can find that compiles Abed guiding an entire couple through getting together and eventually assisting in delivering their baby for them all in the background.
This video really sums up why reaction-content is so very valuable to me. Sharing this movie, that means so much to me, with two people who appreciate it! It warms the heart!
Love the Pratchett references! Funnily enough, 'Mort' was released in November of 1987, 'Beetlejuice' was released in March of 1988, meaning that they were both being developed at more or less the exact same time. It's funny that two very similar, classic works of media independently arrived at the same general idea at the same time, but the whole "afterlife bureaucracy" thing wasn't necessarily invented by either of them, and has had a couple of treatments both before and since. On a somewhat related note, the late-'80s and early-'90s were a real renaissance period for funny goth films - Beetlejuice, The Addams Family (and sequel), The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands and the like were all released within a period of around five years. You also had the Batman films and their very intentional, stylized "dark deco" aesthetics, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Interview With The Vampire, etc. while in printed media you had Anne Rice, Clive Barker, Neil Gaiman's 'Sandman' run, etc. and it all added up to a very unique moment in pop culture that I don't think gets talked about or acknowledged too much now and hasn't really been seen since.
In a way it makes sense about the timing since you have the flower children from the 60s souring through the 70s until you get the Gothic outlook for the 80s and 90s.
Eventhough I do not know which, I suspect that there is an earlier work which inspired the idea for both. When was the story of Caspar the ghost published?
Also, The Crow. I don't know when the comic came out, but I remember that being big in middle and high school. Kids dressed like Eric Draven during Halloween the same way people dressed as Heath Ledger's Joker after Dark Knight.
People who watch this now, don't realize that Tim Burton and his insane way of making movies you never forget was still relatively new. Yes, he had made Pee Wee's Big Adventure but with this one he really pulled out all the stops. This became such a massive hit allowed him to eventually make the first Batman movie.
Fun Fact: Betelgeuse is the name of the alpha (or brightest) star in the Orion constellation rather than a galaxy; it is categorized as a red super giant and is believed to be nearing its' final stages of "life" meaning it could go supernova at any time (though in reality Betelgeuse has almost certainly already exploded, but the light from that hasn't had enough time to reach us here on Earth yet).
Second-brightest, the brightest is Rigel, Betelgeuse is designated Alpha Orionis and Rigel as Beta Orions based on their positions in the constellation north to south, not on their respective brightness. Though in most cases, the alpha is usually the brightest.
Fun fact: at 15:46 when he kicks the tree down, on set while filming that wasn't supposed to happen. So Keaton improvised on the spot with "NICE FUCKING MODEL" and they kept it in for the film
Not to mention this clip made a great conversation piece by Tim Burton at a convention a while back. He revealed the existence of the one F-word rule in a PG rated film... the rule still exists today, even with the addition of PG-13 and content descriptors.
It's very likely that partially inspired the part of the musical where they team up and scare anyone who comes to the door. Lydia meets and summons Beetlejuice far earlier (her suicide attempt takes place before The Banana Boat Song) and she is the one who gets tricked into almost exorcising Barbara, which is totally just Beetlejuice blackmailing her into agreeing to marry him (luckily the musical keeps stressing "it's a green card thing"). There is much more of a parallel between them in the musical as what they want most is to be part of the world and noticed as part of the world, but they are largely pushed aside and unseen. For Beetlejuice, this is actually literal, but for Lydia, it's metaphorical.
RIP Glenn Shadix, Patrice Martinez, Robert Goulet, and Sylvia Sidney. In 1988, I was four years old. At my local drive-in theatre, I was able to watch this movie.
The reason it's spelled 'Beetlejuice' on the poster rather than Beetlegeuse is because the studio was worried the average moviegoer wouldn't know how to pronounce it. There was also a Beetlejuice animated series that served as a sort of spin-off/soft reboot of the movie. In the show the character was always referred to as Beetlejuice, even in writing, and he and Lydia were best friends.
This movie is a childhood favorite of mine. Movies were weirder in the 80s, but this one stands out. Now, imagine someone told you that Beetlejuice was going to be Batman. Minds were blown.
14:16 the reason for the name mismatch is that they originally had the Ghost “Betelgeuse”, as per the movie, but test audiences were confused about the name so they changed it to the phonetic spelling.
The execs wanted to call the movie _House Ghosts_ but Tim Burton stuck to his guns. Jokingly, he suggested _Scared Sheetless_ & was appalled that the powers that be in charged considered the idea. He threatened to basically unalive himself if the movie was named _Scared Sheetless_ instead of _Beetlejuice_ (phonetic spelling of Betelgeuse for easier marketing & merchandising opportunities).
Betelgeuse is a star (in the constellation of Orion) very interesting in astronomy as it is plausible that it could go supernova this century, which will be great with our modern observatories as the last (known) supernova in our galaxy was before the telescope was invented
Thanks to you both for enjoying this iconic 80s movie. And extra points to George for recognizing the name Betelgeuse -- I imagine most viewers don't! I just wanted to explain the ending a little, since they don't spell it out well in the film: Otto thought that he was summoning the Maitlands by conducting a seance. But he was wrong -- the ritual that he performed was for an exorcism, and that's why they were suffering and about to 'die'. As for why Otto made that such a horrible mistake, I think it's because he was right after all: He really DOES know as much about the supernatural and he does about interior design.
5:39 Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction to Winona Ryder when I watched this as an impressionable 13 year old back in the late 80s. It was a defining moment for young me!
MASSIVE props to George for the Pratchett fandom. And this movie was...worryingly formative for me as a kid, it and Pratchett are the two reasons death stopped being scary. Although now that I think of it, I wonder if Windle Poons was partly inspired by the sheets scene with "OooooOOOOoooooobuggeroffoooOOOOooo-"
“THERE IS NO JUSTICE" said Death "JUST ME” ― Terry Pratchett also "I meant," said Iplsore bitterly, "what is there in this world that makes living worthwhile?" Death thought about it. "CATS," he said eventually, "CATS ARE NICE." ― Terry Pratchett
At the time, there were plans for a sequel that never panned out. It was going to be Beetlejuice in Hawaii. But look out, here it comes at last: Beetlejuice 2 is due next year. Catherine O'Hara and Winona Ryder are coming back, and along with Jenny Ortega make three generations of Deetzes. Monica Belluci will play the wife of Beetlejuice, and there's only one actor who can play him. Of course, there was also Beetlejuice the Saturday morning cartoon, in which Beetlejuice and Lydia were actually pals, and more recently Beetlejuice the stage musical.
Love this film, and I’m glad you both enjoyed it so much. I’m a year younger than Winona, and after seeing this film, I was smitten (especially after the scene where she’s wearing the veil). And so generation of sad teenagers found their crush.
This is BY FAR my favorite Tim Burton film! The absurdist humor, the set design, the practical effects, the costumes, the lighting, the music by Danny Elfman (my favorite score from Danny Elfman by a long shot). Such a GREAT film!!! Simone's comment at 19:25 is so funny, yet so sad. Glad to see you got out of the funk, SImone.
Danny Elfman is also doing the music for Beetlejuice 2! Also returning are; Tim Burton Michael Keaton Winona Ryder Catherine O’Hare Writers Larry Wilson & Tom Michael McDowell As well as long time Burton collaborator Colleen Atwood.
This movie was released in 1988. Beetlejuice 2 is due to hit theaters next year, with Michael Keaton back as Beetlejuice and Winona Ryder as a grown up Lydia Deetz (her character in this one).
Great reaction! I love this movie so much! Everyone is great in this movie, but Catherine O’Hara steals the show, IMO. Such a fun movie. They are supposed to be doing a sequel with Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, and Catherine O’ Hara returning. Also, Jenna Ortega is supposedly playing Lydia’s daughter.
"Betelguese" is the 'correct' spelling of the star - not a galaxy, sorry George - that is the right shoulder of the constellation Orion (and tattooed on my right shoulder).
Ive probably seen this movie over 100 times. My brother has Downs and watches it on repeat since it came out. He literally wore out the tapes to the point I was buying 3 at a time. Thankfully we have it on streaming now.
This is an absolute staple from my childhood. I loved the animated series more, probably. Because the title character is barely in the movie, but is in nearly every scene of the cartoon.
Beetlejuice is such a good fun and iconic movie. So different and interesting, and the aesthetics are great. Awesome job from the art department and make-up team on this. Lydia is a very good character and the whole dynamic of the cast is so good in it.
The sequel, which has been in development Hades for years, is being made. Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder are returning. Lidia is now a parent to a teenage daughter and Beetlejuice getting back into the game.
There were action figures for this with a figure for each of Beetlejuice's gimmicks. Then there was a Saturday morning cartoon with just Beetlejuice and Lydia, supported by the parents. I think there were toys for that as well. Very bright colors and accurate designs.
Beetlejuice is easily a top 3 Tim Burton film along with Ed Wood and Batman Returns. The entire cast was hilarious, but my top 2 performances of this movie are Michael Keaton and Catherine O'Hara. I legit think they both deserved Oscar nods.
@@jlilley73 uh no! The first one was the best, nothing beats it. The Dark Knight trilogy gave it a run for it’s money, but Batman 1989 still is and will always be the best Batman movie
Awesome reaction guys Micheal Keaton is awesome as is everyone in this movie and (may have started my chilhood crush and adult crush on Winona haha🤣)and the dinner party is one of the greatest scenes in a movie ever!😊My favourite Tim Burton movie i actually have a martian sandworm neck pillow 😂
@@katedc Winona-as-Lydia was basically the girl of my dreams for teenage me, lol. Ally Sheedy in The Breakfast Club was also up there. Yet somehow I never dated a goth girl, I don't know where I went wrong. 😋
21:27 "He's the genius that gave us the talking Marcel Marceau statue." That's one of the jokes that you'd never get when watching this movie for the 23rd time as a kid.
A little weird, I know, but this was a family favorite of ours back in the VHS days. We watched it probably 20 times together, kids included. I do not know what it did to them. But I loved the Barbara and Adam couple, how kind and sweet they were. And the movie was really funny and creative with its ideas and characters.
Winona Ryder is one of my favorite actresses. She filled a niche desperately needed in media back in the 80s & 90s. Geena Davis is great in everything she does. This is a classic and I’ll continue to revisit this film for the rest of my life. Just love it! Thanks for such a fun time, guys
So there's a 90s kid's cartoon based on this movie, and I grew up watching it before I saw the movie. It's interesting because it's so different. In the kid's show Beetlejuice and Lydia are basically besties and they have adventures together, so watching the movie and seeing him as the bad guy was a bit jarring the first time I watched it. I hope you get to check out an episode or two one day.
I guess they worked things out after he finally got out of the waiting room. “Hey, sorry about almost killing your dad, and trying to force you to marry me, so that I could escape. So… are we cool?”
@@0okamino Except Lydia was aged down for the cartoon. She went from being a 15-to-17 minor in the 1988 film to an "almost 13" 7th grader. She returned to being Winona Ryder's age in the 2024 sequel, where she's 53-years-old with a daughter of her own (Astrid).
AFAIK, the movie did use the correct spelling of "Betelguese" (which is a star, not a galaxy), but they were afraid people would see the poster and think it was pronounced "beetle-guise". So it was changed for the poster, in order to prevent confusion.
between Simone wearing a Critical Role shirt and George talking about Pratchett, you've really picked up my fandoms. now picture the fandom reaction when Betelgeuse was cast next to play Batman.
What George's father said during their Fury react, "A kindness to my enemy is a cruelty to myself" has really stuck in my head for some reason. Seems like it's the cause of a lot of today's social and political issues, even what's going on in Israel right now. Also, the intro song to Beetlejuice always reminded me of the intro song to Men In Black where we're following the dragonfly roaming around the desert night sky until it splats on a windshield and we meet some characters.
20:57 There’s three endings. The theatrical one which is in this; the filmed, but unused alternative edit where Lydia lives at the house while she goes to school with her parents moving away; and the one they didn’t film with… Y’know… That.
…To be more specific: Lydia burns to death in a fire and the Maitland’s become her ghost parents for eternity while her living parents keep the deed so her spirit can be safe and undisturbed. The producers of the film weren’t onboard with an ending that puts a positive spin on teenage death (s*icide?) so instead you got ‘Jump In The Line’ by Harry Belafonte. So win-win.
I actually thought the remodelled house was really cool. The height of late 80s decorating. I also kinda liked some of Lydia's sculptures. It's often overlooked that Otho comments that people who commit suicide become civil servants in the afterlife. So when the receptionist shows her slit wrist, it verifies that Otho was right. So everybody who works at the office killed themselves, including Juno.
Except BJ who was poisoned by his succubus ex-wife Delores (back in the days of the Bubonic Plague/Black Plague) & Lydia's ex-husband Richard (eaten by pirahnas).
The original script was much more of a horror film than a comedy, and was titled “The Maitlands.” Betelgeuse in that script was a small man in a suit who was much more of a straight up villain. At this stage, Burton was considering Paul Reubens for the part. After Michael Keaton auditioned and characterized Betelgeuse as more of an unhinged used-car salesman, Burton got the idea to build the movie around that performance as a dark comedy. The studio hated the title and wanted Burton to suggest an alternative. Since he loved “Beetlejuice” as a title, he suggested the stupidest title he could think of, “Scared Sheetless,” and was horrified when the studio almost used it.
So, welcome to my blog. Today's entry is about my understanding of the pronunciation of Betelgeuse. I seriously thought after seeing this movie (I was 7 when it came out) that he misspelled his own name on the flyer, possibly due to the rules of saying it. As I got a little older, I started reading the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, and I pronounced it "bay-tul-gees." It wasn't until I got the audiobooks read by the author (sadly out of print, but I have them still) that he pronounced it and I was like "HOLYSHITHOLYSHITHOLYSHIT." Conclusion of blog. Also, Mort came out before Beetlejuice by a year. It's likely the screenwriters were fans of Pratchett. Double also, shame on you for reading Discworld by series, George. Do it in chronological order.
I think Beetlejuice is spelled as it is on the poster b/c they thought ppl wouldn't be able to pronounce it correctly. Also pointing out (21:30) that talking statue is of a famous mime.
Some fun facts: This was the second feature film Tim Burton directed, the first being 'Pee-wee's Big Adventure' (1985). The budget for 'Beetlejuice' was US$15 million with only US$1 million for visual effects. (approx. US$39 million and US$2.5 million today) The success of 'Beetlejuice' caused Warner Brothers to green light 'Batman" (1989), as Tim had been working on the script for a few years at that point. Tim hadn't worked with Michael Keaton before, but this project led to Michael being hired to star in 'Batman".
This movie is very unique. People either love it and think it's genius or they don't get it and think it's just weird or dumb. It's kind of a litmus test for what kind of sense of humor you have. It's one of the movies i ask people if they saw and if they liked it or not because it lets you know what kind of humor you like.
Despite being the title character, Beetlejuice is only on screen for approximately 17-18 minutes. He doesn't even show up until after the 25-minute mark in the movie. I always thought that was interesting.
Jaws is named after the shark and it's not in the movie near as much as the main human characters... so it makes sense this would be called BeetleJuice.
I used to watch this and ghost busters a lot in the 80s. A lot of people don't know this, but Michael Keaton started his career as a stand-up comedian.
"He's the one who gave us the talking Marcel Marceau statue, it was a sensation!" Marcel Maceau was a very famous mime. He very specifically didn't talk. There's a running gag throughout the movie that those who off themselves become civil servants in the afterlife. We first see this when the Maitlands visit their case worker and the receptionist has cut wrists. It's then specifically mentioned during dinner by Otho.
I lkied this movie when it came out. Over the years it has lost its appeal to me. Then I watch your reaction and it takes me back and I remember how great it is. So thanks for that. This isn’t the first time you guys have done that for me. You guys are the best at what you do.
people tend to forget what an amazing comedy actor Michael Keaton was, as a matter of fact he started doing stand-up comedy. He has a long roster of comedy classics ("Mr. Mom" being one of my favorites). He completely stole the show in this movie.
Fun fact, the top of Betelgeuse's head when he comes to "save the Maitlins", is the first on screen appearance of Jack Skellington. Closer to his original sketch design, the skeleton head would later be refined into the the Pumpkin King we all know and love.
There was a "sequel" Beetlejuice cartoon series that aired back in the 90s that focused on the adventure of Winona Ryder's character and Beetljuice, from my memory it was really fun.
"Beetlejuice" is a catchy and memorable name, so I'm not surprised it was used despite the character's little time on the screen. (Similar to Dr. Strangelove in "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb".)
A bit about the ghost football team; a bit before this movie started production, an entire college football team died in a plane crash. So the ghost football team is a oh so thinly veiled reference to that. It raised some eyebrows at the time.
Star*
*BEST MOVIE EVER!
React to Hocus Pocus movie
..Ok, George..
So DEATH huh, George? He and Lu Tze are my favorite characters except for Esme....and the Librarian...and Nobby...and Sam....and Carrot...and Ridcully...and Havelock.
...I miss Pterry. 😢
Please give Long Kiss Goodnight a watch.
"I will go insane! And I will take you with me!" is a quote I have used way too much after seeing Beetlejuice as a kid. Catherine O'Hara is just delightful as Delia and I hope she is returning for the sequel. She'd be a great crazy granny 😁
She's on the cast list for the movie.
Yeah, she's awesome in this. Probably my 2nd favorite character behind Beetlejuice.
@@aerthreepwood8021 agreed!
"One of us is crazy and it's not you" -Larry Fine
Sad not not to see Geena Davis or Alec Baldwin though. OK time has not treated Alec well but Geena still looks great.
Every time I watch this, I'm more amazed by Catherine O'Hare's performance.
The way she danced in perfect rhythm to Harry Bellefonte while holding a confused panicked look on her face was brilliant.
Her performance sold that scene! It stays ingrained in my memories, I can't hear that music without thinking of this movie!
She’s so beautiful.
Jeffrey Jones is the catalyst of this movie or rather Charles Deetz death
@@williamgause4029 You're referring to the 2024 sequel. This is the 1988 film being reviewed here.
"She looks so young!"
"Yes, that's how time works."
Never change, George.
I agree. Thank goodness we have George to clarify this temporal existence for us.
Simone learns so much from him.🙂
Having grown up with this, it's amazing to me that people have heard of Wynona Rider and it's not from this movie. Because this is like her whole identity.
@@cnnhdlvth9557 I have a big sister who watched the movies Mermaids (with Ryder, Cher, and Bob Hoskins) and Great Balls of Fire (about Jerry Lee Lewis) on a regular basis. So those are my touchstones. They came out 1 and 2 years after this movie, respectively.
@cnnhdlvth9557 there's a whole generation that only knows her from her great performance in Stranger Things. For me, it's her role in this and Edward Scissorhands that cemented a life long crush lol
"It's Showtime!"
Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) owned this role and the thing I always forget is how little he's in the movie. What scenes he does have he dominates.
Also, the main thing is that the movie makes you smile, laugh and no matter how crazy everything gets, you always feel sympathy for Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara Maitland (Geena Davis), the married couple and Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder).
Love this movie, saw it with my mom and dad at the movies when i was a kid
This role is why a lot of people thought Michael Keaton should've been The Joker instead of Batman
👎 you know why
Michael Keaton only had 14 minutes of screen time, which I think is part of what made his character so memorable. He didn't overstay his welcome. It made sense to make him a supporting character. It really allowed the film to focus on the family dynamic that was central to the plot. I just hope they do the same with the sequel.
Exactly, as much as I wanted to see more of him, it could have ended up being too much of a good thing. If you leave the audience wanting more, then you know you've done a good job.
In *The Exorcist* the actual exorcist wasn't in the movie very long. Same with *JAWS*
No aspect should overstay their welcome.
A supporting character in a movie named after him? Makes sense
@@sugarbomb1346 Worked for The Exorcist 🤷♀
But like several other classic movies, this 'supporting' character gave the movie its name.
The show Community had a great Beetlejuice reference. Over the course of the first two seasons, it's said three times. The final time is a Halloween episode and someone dressed as Beetlejuice walks by in the background. It's a tiny moment that's easy to miss, but that sort of attention to detail for a throwaway joke is what made the show great.
There was actually another earlier episode that the script had someone saying Beetlejuice, and one of the staff told Dan Harmon "Just so you know, this will be the third time we mention "Beetlejuice", so he cut it from the script to use it in the Halloween episode for that reason.
Community is great for subtle background elements. There's a video you can find that compiles Abed guiding an entire couple through getting together and eventually assisting in delivering their baby for them all in the background.
@@Vulcanerd I see what you did there.
The writing on Community was crazy good. You might even say it was streets ahead.
This video really sums up why reaction-content is so very valuable to me. Sharing this movie, that means so much to me, with two people who appreciate it! It warms the heart!
Its the closest thing to seeing the movie first time again.
Love the Pratchett references!
Funnily enough, 'Mort' was released in November of 1987, 'Beetlejuice' was released in March of 1988, meaning that they were both being developed at more or less the exact same time.
It's funny that two very similar, classic works of media independently arrived at the same general idea at the same time, but the whole "afterlife bureaucracy" thing wasn't necessarily invented by either of them, and has had a couple of treatments both before and since.
On a somewhat related note, the late-'80s and early-'90s were a real renaissance period for funny goth films - Beetlejuice, The Addams Family (and sequel), The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands and the like were all released within a period of around five years. You also had the Batman films and their very intentional, stylized "dark deco" aesthetics, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Interview With The Vampire, etc. while in printed media you had Anne Rice, Clive Barker, Neil Gaiman's 'Sandman' run, etc. and it all added up to a very unique moment in pop culture that I don't think gets talked about or acknowledged too much now and hasn't really been seen since.
GNU Sir Terry Pratchett ❤
In a way it makes sense about the timing since you have the flower children from the 60s souring through the 70s until you get the Gothic outlook for the 80s and 90s.
Eventhough I do not know which, I suspect that there is an earlier work which inspired the idea for both.
When was the story of Caspar the ghost published?
Also, The Crow. I don't know when the comic came out, but I remember that being big in middle and high school. Kids dressed like Eric Draven during Halloween the same way people dressed as Heath Ledger's Joker after Dark Knight.
@@bodan1196 Casper came out as a cartoon in 1945 and the movie was 1995.
People who watch this now, don't realize that Tim Burton and his insane way of making movies you never forget was still relatively new. Yes, he had made Pee Wee's Big Adventure but with this one he really pulled out all the stops. This became such a massive hit allowed him to eventually make the first Batman movie.
Where he and Danny Elfman teamed up again.
@@vampdan and of course Michael Keaton.
@@vampdan For Halloween theme, play Danny's song "Dead Man's Party" ( with his old band Oingo Boingo ).
Fun Fact:
Betelgeuse is the name of the alpha (or brightest) star in the Orion constellation rather than a galaxy; it is categorized as a red super giant and is believed to be nearing its' final stages of "life" meaning it could go supernova at any time (though in reality Betelgeuse has almost certainly already exploded, but the light from that hasn't had enough time to reach us here on Earth yet).
🤔A heavenly ghost, or an astronomical apparition, if you will. 😶🌫
Additional fun fact!
One suggestion for a sequel title Producers received was *Sanduleak -69 202* after the supernova, _former_ star of SN 1987A.
Good to know.
Also "at any time" on a cosmic scale is still 100,000 years
Second-brightest, the brightest is Rigel, Betelgeuse is designated Alpha Orionis and Rigel as Beta Orions based on their positions in the constellation north to south, not on their respective brightness. Though in most cases, the alpha is usually the brightest.
Fun fact: at 15:46 when he kicks the tree down, on set while filming that wasn't supposed to happen. So Keaton improvised on the spot with "NICE FUCKING MODEL" and they kept it in for the film
That’s hilarious. Thanks for the great insight & timestamp.
Not to mention this clip made a great conversation piece by Tim Burton at a convention a while back. He revealed the existence of the one F-word rule in a PG rated film... the rule still exists today, even with the addition of PG-13 and content descriptors.
Because he was having a bad day on set and frustrated about something. It wasn't so much an improv, as a minor tantrum.
I love the bit when he lifts Barbara's dress up with the stick, and he has a look up her dress.
"Oh yeah" LOL 15:18 to 15:22
He improv'd a lot 😅💯👏🏽
I've seen The Exorcist about 167 times and it keeps getting funnier every single time I see it my favourite quote ever lol
Loved the cartoon, where Beetlejuice instead of being a weirdo creep became Lydia's friend and played mischief on his neighbors
Yes! My favorite joke from the cartoon was when the French skeleton was trying to be a famous body-builder, but complained about being "a no-body"
My mom and I still quote, "shop till you freak at the spooky boutique" regularly.
I am glad someone else remembers the cartoon too
It's very likely that partially inspired the part of the musical where they team up and scare anyone who comes to the door. Lydia meets and summons Beetlejuice far earlier (her suicide attempt takes place before The Banana Boat Song) and she is the one who gets tricked into almost exorcising Barbara, which is totally just Beetlejuice blackmailing her into agreeing to marry him (luckily the musical keeps stressing "it's a green card thing"). There is much more of a parallel between them in the musical as what they want most is to be part of the world and noticed as part of the world, but they are largely pushed aside and unseen. For Beetlejuice, this is actually literal, but for Lydia, it's metaphorical.
RIP Glenn Shadix, Patrice Martinez, Robert Goulet, and Sylvia Sidney. In 1988, I was four years old. At my local drive-in theatre, I was able to watch this movie.
When she was younger, Silvia Sidney was smoking hot.
The reason it's spelled 'Beetlejuice' on the poster rather than Beetlegeuse is because the studio was worried the average moviegoer wouldn't know how to pronounce it.
There was also a Beetlejuice animated series that served as a sort of spin-off/soft reboot of the movie. In the show the character was always referred to as Beetlejuice, even in writing, and he and Lydia were best friends.
This movie is a childhood favorite of mine. Movies were weirder in the 80s, but this one stands out. Now, imagine someone told you that Beetlejuice was going to be Batman. Minds were blown.
14:16 the reason for the name mismatch is that they originally had the Ghost “Betelgeuse”, as per the movie, but test audiences were confused about the name so they changed it to the phonetic spelling.
And here I thought it was related to him not being able to tell people his name. Like when he made Lydia guess his name.
The execs wanted to call the movie _House Ghosts_ but Tim Burton stuck to his guns. Jokingly, he suggested _Scared Sheetless_ & was appalled that the powers that be in charged considered the idea. He threatened to basically unalive himself if the movie was named _Scared Sheetless_ instead of _Beetlejuice_ (phonetic spelling of Betelgeuse for easier marketing & merchandising opportunities).
Betelgeuse is a star (in the constellation of Orion) very interesting in astronomy as it is plausible that it could go supernova this century, which will be great with our modern observatories as the last (known) supernova in our galaxy was before the telescope was invented
And the moment it goes nova, the star will say "it's showtime"
And once it's supernova it'll be as bright as the moon
Glad to hear that you're into Terry Pratchett :)
The Discworld series started in 1983, and Mort, the first Death novel was published in 1987.
Thanks to you both for enjoying this iconic 80s movie. And extra points to George for recognizing the name Betelgeuse -- I imagine most viewers don't!
I just wanted to explain the ending a little, since they don't spell it out well in the film: Otto thought that he was summoning the Maitlands by conducting a seance. But he was wrong -- the ritual that he performed was for an exorcism, and that's why they were suffering and about to 'die'. As for why Otto made that such a horrible mistake, I think it's because he was right after all: He really DOES know as much about the supernatural and he does about interior design.
5:39 Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction to Winona Ryder when I watched this as an impressionable 13 year old back in the late 80s. It was a defining moment for young me!
MASSIVE props to George for the Pratchett fandom. And this movie was...worryingly formative for me as a kid, it and Pratchett are the two reasons death stopped being scary. Although now that I think of it, I wonder if Windle Poons was partly inspired by the sheets scene with "OooooOOOOoooooobuggeroffoooOOOOooo-"
You can't have DEATH without Binky.
One of the crazy movies that traumatized us as children. 😂 Catherine O'Hara, the stepmother, is also the mom in Home Alone.
"I've seen the Exorcist about a 167 times and it keeps getting funnier everytime i see it!" 🤣🤣🤣
6:45 Simone and George’s contrasting reactions to Catherine O’Hara’s mini rant is just precious!
Perfect timestamp. Both great and authentic reactions, I didn’t notice their antithetical receptions!
“THERE IS NO JUSTICE" said Death "JUST ME” ― Terry Pratchett
also
"I meant," said Iplsore bitterly, "what is there in this world that makes living worthwhile?" Death thought about it. "CATS," he said eventually, "CATS ARE NICE." ― Terry Pratchett
At the time, there were plans for a sequel that never panned out. It was going to be Beetlejuice in Hawaii.
But look out, here it comes at last: Beetlejuice 2 is due next year. Catherine O'Hara and Winona Ryder are coming back, and along with Jenny Ortega make three generations of Deetzes.
Monica Belluci will play the wife of Beetlejuice, and there's only one actor who can play him.
Of course, there was also Beetlejuice the Saturday morning cartoon, in which Beetlejuice and Lydia were actually pals, and more recently Beetlejuice the stage musical.
Love this film, and I’m glad you both enjoyed it so much. I’m a year younger than Winona, and after seeing this film, I was smitten (especially after the scene where she’s wearing the veil). And so generation of sad teenagers found their crush.
She was the goth princess we all wanted back then.
This is BY FAR my favorite Tim Burton film! The absurdist humor, the set design, the practical effects, the costumes, the lighting, the music by Danny Elfman (my favorite score from Danny Elfman by a long shot). Such a GREAT film!!! Simone's comment at 19:25 is so funny, yet so sad. Glad to see you got out of the funk, SImone.
Danny Elfman is also doing the music for Beetlejuice 2!
Also returning are;
Tim Burton
Michael Keaton
Winona Ryder
Catherine O’Hare
Writers Larry Wilson & Tom Michael McDowell
As well as long time Burton collaborator Colleen Atwood.
Happy Thanksgiving George and Simone! Also Happy Thanksgiving to any fellow Canadians reading this.
George mentioning Terry Pratchet and the Disc World series, especially the Death series, just made my day.
This movie was released in 1988. Beetlejuice 2 is due to hit theaters next year, with Michael Keaton back as Beetlejuice and Winona Ryder as a grown up Lydia Deetz (her character in this one).
Great reaction! I love this movie so much! Everyone is great in this movie, but Catherine O’Hara steals the show, IMO. Such a fun movie. They are supposed to be doing a sequel with Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, and Catherine O’ Hara returning. Also, Jenna Ortega is supposedly playing Lydia’s daughter.
"Betelguese" is the 'correct' spelling of the star - not a galaxy, sorry George - that is the right shoulder of the constellation Orion (and tattooed on my right shoulder).
Ive probably seen this movie over 100 times. My brother has Downs and watches it on repeat since it came out. He literally wore out the tapes to the point I was buying 3 at a time. Thankfully we have it on streaming now.
This is an absolute staple from my childhood. I loved the animated series more, probably. Because the title character is barely in the movie, but is in nearly every scene of the cartoon.
Donut dunk.
Beetlejuice is such a good fun and iconic movie. So different and interesting, and the aesthetics are great. Awesome job from the art department and make-up team on this. Lydia is a very good character and the whole dynamic of the cast is so good in it.
Catherine O’Hara is truly a gem
I remember seeing this in the theaters when I was a kid. Definitely left an impression on me, loved Tim burton ever since
The sequel, which has been in development Hades for years, is being made. Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder are returning. Lidia is now a parent to a teenage daughter and Beetlejuice getting back into the game.
There were action figures for this with a figure for each of Beetlejuice's gimmicks. Then there was a Saturday morning cartoon with just Beetlejuice and Lydia, supported by the parents. I think there were toys for that as well. Very bright colors and accurate designs.
Beetlejuice is easily a top 3 Tim Burton film along with Ed Wood and Batman Returns. The entire cast was hilarious, but my top 2 performances of this movie are Michael Keaton and Catherine O'Hara. I legit think they both deserved Oscar nods.
I didn’t care for Batman Returns… it makes sense if you liked it as a Tim Burton movie, because that’s solely what it was! It wasn’t a Batman movie
Easily the best of the 4 movies!
@@jlilley73 uh no! The first one was the best, nothing beats it. The Dark Knight trilogy gave it a run for it’s money, but Batman 1989 still is and will always be the best Batman movie
Awesome reaction guys Micheal Keaton is awesome as is everyone in this movie and (may have started my chilhood crush and adult crush on Winona haha🤣)and the dinner party is one of the greatest scenes in a movie ever!😊My favourite Tim Burton movie i actually have a martian sandworm neck pillow 😂
How could Winona Ryder not be everyone’s crush then, between this and Heathers?
For her I saw this 7 times..and "Heathers" 12 times🎩
@@katedc Winona-as-Lydia was basically the girl of my dreams for teenage me, lol. Ally Sheedy in The Breakfast Club was also up there. Yet somehow I never dated a goth girl, I don't know where I went wrong. 😋
21:27
"He's the genius that gave us the talking Marcel Marceau statue."
That's one of the jokes that you'd never get when watching this movie for the 23rd time as a kid.
A little weird, I know, but this was a family favorite of ours back in the VHS days. We watched it probably 20 times together, kids included. I do not know what it did to them. But I loved the Barbara and Adam couple, how kind and sweet they were. And the movie was really funny and creative with its ideas and characters.
This score is the entire reason I became a Bb and Bass Clarinetist! Thanks for the inspiration over the past 35 years Elfman! 💜🖤💜
Winona Ryder is one of my favorite actresses. She filled a niche desperately needed in media back in the 80s & 90s. Geena Davis is great in everything she does. This is a classic and I’ll continue to revisit this film for the rest of my life. Just love it! Thanks for such a fun time, guys
Every single time I watch this movie and I hear the introduction it unlocks a memory because the cartoon has the exact same music to start.
Gosh darn hysterical! Michael Keaton is just the absolute best!
So there's a 90s kid's cartoon based on this movie, and I grew up watching it before I saw the movie. It's interesting because it's so different. In the kid's show Beetlejuice and Lydia are basically besties and they have adventures together, so watching the movie and seeing him as the bad guy was a bit jarring the first time I watched it.
I hope you get to check out an episode or two one day.
I guess they worked things out after he finally got out of the waiting room. “Hey, sorry about almost killing your dad, and trying to force you to marry me, so that I could escape. So… are we cool?”
@@0okamino I could see that. I mean Lydia herself was... strange and unusual.
@@0okamino Except Lydia was aged down for the cartoon. She went from being a 15-to-17 minor in the 1988 film to an "almost 13" 7th grader. She returned to being Winona Ryder's age in the 2024 sequel, where she's 53-years-old with a daughter of her own (Astrid).
Delia walked so Moira Schitt could strut.
The movie was so popular they made a cartoon a few years after. I remembe watching the Beetlejuice cartoon every morning before school. 💚
I was 25 when this came out, seen it at least 25 times, classic 80s movie.
AFAIK, the movie did use the correct spelling of "Betelguese" (which is a star, not a galaxy), but they were afraid people would see the poster and think it was pronounced "beetle-guise". So it was changed for the poster, in order to prevent confusion.
I’m glad you guys like this movie. I am in my 40s and I watched this movie at least 100 times in the 80s alone.
Catherine O'Hara is so amazing in this.
Yeah, next to Beetlejuice, Delia is my favorite character in this film.
14:10 The character Michael Keaton plays is named Betelgeuse, but the movie is called Beetlejuice. Both are pronounced the same way.
I can't see Robert Goulet and not think of the Will Ferrell SNL skits where he did commercials as Robert Goulet. So funny.
Anybody here remember the Beetlejuice cartoon? I loved that show.
between Simone wearing a Critical Role shirt and George talking about Pratchett, you've really picked up my fandoms.
now picture the fandom reaction when Betelgeuse was cast next to play Batman.
Michael Keaton’s performance was great in this movie!
What George's father said during their Fury react, "A kindness to my enemy is a cruelty to myself" has really stuck in my head for some reason. Seems like it's the cause of a lot of today's social and political issues, even what's going on in Israel right now. Also, the intro song to Beetlejuice always reminded me of the intro song to Men In Black where we're following the dragonfly roaming around the desert night sky until it splats on a windshield and we meet some characters.
That's because both themes are by Danny Elfman. He has a very distinct style :D
20:57
There’s three endings. The theatrical one which is in this; the filmed, but unused alternative edit where Lydia lives at the house while she goes to school with her parents moving away; and the one they didn’t film with… Y’know…
That.
…To be more specific: Lydia burns to death in a fire and the Maitland’s become her ghost parents for eternity while her living parents keep the deed so her spirit can be safe and undisturbed. The producers of the film weren’t onboard with an ending that puts a positive spin on teenage death (s*icide?) so instead you got ‘Jump In The Line’ by Harry Belafonte.
So win-win.
6:44 Finally someone who laughed as hard as I did at her delivery
I actually thought the remodelled house was really cool. The height of late 80s decorating. I also kinda liked some of Lydia's sculptures.
It's often overlooked that Otho comments that people who commit suicide become civil servants in the afterlife. So when the receptionist shows her slit wrist, it verifies that Otho was right. So everybody who works at the office killed themselves, including Juno.
Except BJ who was poisoned by his succubus ex-wife Delores (back in the days of the Bubonic Plague/Black Plague) & Lydia's ex-husband Richard (eaten by pirahnas).
@@TherealRNOwwfpooh I can see what you mean about Beetlejuice himself. But where does that canon - and the part about Lydia's ex-husband - come from?
The original script was much more of a horror film than a comedy, and was titled “The Maitlands.” Betelgeuse in that script was a small man in a suit who was much more of a straight up villain. At this stage, Burton was considering Paul Reubens for the part. After Michael Keaton auditioned and characterized Betelgeuse as more of an unhinged used-car salesman, Burton got the idea to build the movie around that performance as a dark comedy.
The studio hated the title and wanted Burton to suggest an alternative. Since he loved “Beetlejuice” as a title, he suggested the stupidest title he could think of, “Scared Sheetless,” and was horrified when the studio almost used it.
Great reaction you two - very entertaining. I love this movie, so happy you enjoyed it!
I'm surprised George liked this one so much. This was one of my favorite movies growing up
He likes creativity and he likes knowing the rules - the movie does both lol
So, welcome to my blog. Today's entry is about my understanding of the pronunciation of Betelgeuse.
I seriously thought after seeing this movie (I was 7 when it came out) that he misspelled his own name on the flyer, possibly due to the rules of saying it.
As I got a little older, I started reading the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, and I pronounced it "bay-tul-gees."
It wasn't until I got the audiobooks read by the author (sadly out of print, but I have them still) that he pronounced it and I was like "HOLYSHITHOLYSHITHOLYSHIT."
Conclusion of blog.
Also, Mort came out before Beetlejuice by a year. It's likely the screenwriters were fans of Pratchett.
Double also, shame on you for reading Discworld by series, George. Do it in chronological order.
I think Beetlejuice is spelled as it is on the poster b/c they thought ppl wouldn't be able to pronounce it correctly. Also pointing out (21:30) that talking statue is of a famous mime.
Some fun facts: This was the second feature film Tim Burton directed, the first being 'Pee-wee's Big Adventure' (1985).
The budget for 'Beetlejuice' was US$15 million with only US$1 million for visual effects. (approx. US$39 million and US$2.5 million today)
The success of 'Beetlejuice' caused Warner Brothers to green light 'Batman" (1989), as Tim had been working on the script for a few years at that point.
Tim hadn't worked with Michael Keaton before, but this project led to Michael being hired to star in 'Batman".
This movie is very unique. People either love it and think it's genius or they don't get it and think it's just weird or dumb. It's kind of a litmus test for what kind of sense of humor you have. It's one of the movies i ask people if they saw and if they liked it or not because it lets you know what kind of humor you like.
I had forgotten that was where the "Hey look, there goes Elvis!" line come from. It's one I use frequently to pseudo-sneak away.
Another legendary performance by Keaton ❤
Despite being the title character, Beetlejuice is only on screen for approximately 17-18 minutes. He doesn't even show up until after the 25-minute mark in the movie. I always thought that was interesting.
Jaws is named after the shark and it's not in the movie near as much as the main human characters... so it makes sense this would be called BeetleJuice.
The actress in this who plays Juno worked with Tim Burton in the movie Mars Attacks she plays Grandma
I used to watch this and ghost busters a lot in the 80s. A lot of people don't know this, but Michael Keaton started his career as a stand-up comedian.
"He's the one who gave us the talking Marcel Marceau statue, it was a sensation!" Marcel Maceau was a very famous mime. He very specifically didn't talk.
There's a running gag throughout the movie that those who off themselves become civil servants in the afterlife. We first see this when the Maitlands visit their case worker and the receptionist has cut wrists. It's then specifically mentioned during dinner by Otho.
Betelgeuse is a star, not a Galaxy.. and this is one of our most watched movies in the 80s and 90s... enjoy:)
I lkied this movie when it came out. Over the years it has lost its appeal to me. Then I watch your reaction and it takes me back and I remember how great it is. So thanks for that. This isn’t the first time you guys have done that for me. You guys are the best at what you do.
Omg I was waiting for that Cantonese-food jab reaction. That line even as a kid had a sting to it
Childhood favorite i rewatch at least once a year and i quote several lines from this. Also the musical I've seen twice its fantastic!
people tend to forget what an amazing comedy actor Michael Keaton was, as a matter of fact he started doing stand-up comedy. He has a long roster of comedy classics ("Mr. Mom" being one of my favorites). He completely stole the show in this movie.
Fun fact, the top of Betelgeuse's head when he comes to "save the Maitlins", is the first on screen appearance of Jack Skellington.
Closer to his original sketch design, the skeleton head would later be refined into the the Pumpkin King we all know and love.
Sylvia Sidney was also the grandmother in Mars Attacks! It was her final film role.
Outstanding reaction. I remember saying as a kid in 1991: "No. Betelgeuse cannot be Batman!" Of course, bothe were played by Michael Keaton.
I can't believe Simone was ever so Emo. She is so full of life and laughter. Just beautiful. Was George ever like this?
The talking Marcel Marceau statue.... Marcel was the world's premiere mime at the time.
Christina Ricci took inspiration from Winona Ryder for her role as Wednesday in The Addams Family
11:53
Beetlejuice
Blood Mary
Candyman
Biggie Smalls
There was a "sequel" Beetlejuice cartoon series that aired back in the 90s that focused on the adventure of Winona Ryder's character and Beetljuice, from my memory it was really fun.
"Beetlejuice" is a catchy and memorable name, so I'm not surprised it was used despite the character's little time on the screen. (Similar to Dr. Strangelove in "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb".)
A bit about the ghost football team; a bit before this movie started production, an entire college football team died in a plane crash. So the ghost football team is a oh so thinly veiled reference to that. It raised some eyebrows at the time.
One of my favourite films.ITS A STAR,NOT A GALAXY,GEORGE.Saw 7 times on its original release,many times on tv and TH-cam reaction 🎩
Tim Burton has a warped mind. I love it!
Epic Danny Elfman score. One of his best!
I'm glad you guys finally watched this one. It's one of my favorite movies. 80's movies are the best.