Full disclosure: This is a column about death.
Specifically, it is about the afterlife of a man who lived through the Black Plague, attempted to marry a teenager, was eaten by a sandworm, and ended up in a waiting room with a shrunken head.
That’s right. This column is about the ghost with the most. It’s about Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice.
And our favorite bio-exorcist is coming back from the Netherworld as “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” premieres today.
He debuted on the big screen in 1988 when Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice” hit theaters. Played by the incredible Michael Keaton, the title character only appears in the film for 14.5 minutes of the 92-minute runtime.
Despite this, the film was a critical and commercial success. It had a budget of $15 million, but it brought in $74.7 million and won an Academy Award for Best Makeup.
Keaton is reprising his role in the sequel along with original cast members Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz and Catherine O’Hara as Delia Deetz. Joining them on screen is Jenna Ortega as Lydia’s daughter, Astrid Deetz.
To say I’m excited would be an understatement, and according to early reviews, it is even better than the original, filled with fun and humor wrapped up in callbacks to and nostalgia for the original.
I loved the first movie, and I watch it frequently. It always makes me laugh. So does the animated series that aired from September 1989 until December 1991. I own both the movie and the series on DVD and digitally.
Oh, and there is the Broadway musical “Beetlejuice.” The soundtrack is amazing. It takes a different approach to the story than the original source material of the movie, but it is so good.
What’s more, it is coming to Wichita’s Century II Performing Arts and Convention Center in April as part of the 2024-25 Broadway in Wichita season. It’s going to be an incredible experience.
Seriously, I love this whole being dead thing the franchise focuses on.
My wife and children love it all too. They sing along to the musical soundtrack and watch the movie and animated series with me. My daughter and I even dressed as characters from the movie one year for Halloween. She was Lydia, and I was the dead guy himself.
Perhaps that makes us odd. Well, to quote Lydia, “I myself am strange and unusual.”
Besides, the visual aesthetic of the franchise is appealing. It’s bold and wacky. Take the Deetz’s house after Delia renovates it. It’s strange, angular, and I want it.
According to Alissa Walker writing for Gizmodo, it is called Memphis Design, which is “a collective of Italian designers who applied the postmodernist movement to furniture and graphics.”
This design style had its heyday in the 1980s, and in another piece for Gizmodo, Walker explained the look like this: “The signature Memphis piece combined overtly geometric shapes from a variety of materials in bright, contrasting colors. Graphic patterns—usually black and white—were not unusual. It was a striking departure from the understated modern design that had ruled for decades.”
Outside of the visuals of the franchise, though, I also think the humor and approach to storytelling are wonderful. Burton is a genius.
Part of his brilliance was how he depicted death. In the Beetlejuice world, there isn’t a heaven or a hell. There is just an afterlife. I’ve always found that comforting.
In an interview with Ortega, New York Times reporter Lulu Garcia-Navarro articulated my feelings on this better than I have been able to: “It’s a film that is full of joy. It’s not like the scary view of the afterlife. It is sort of this kind of funky, not terribly dark view of death.”
Ortega agreed.
“You see people reconnecting with loved ones. You see people finding love,” she said. “You see people making discoveries about themselves. It’s actually beautifully put.”
I’m glad the sequel is being made. It reportedly allowed Burton to return to his roots and reignite his passion for movie-making, even if it was risky.
The juice is loose, and I can’t wait to get to the theater because it’s showtime.
Todd R. Vogts, Ph.D., is a native of Canton, a resident of McPherson County, and an assistant professor of media at Sterling College. He can be contacted with questions or comments via his website at www.toddvogts.com.
