Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 
U.S.A.
2024
Opening 12 Sep 2024
Directed by:
Tim Burton
Writing credits:
Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, Seth Grahame-Smith, Michael McDowell, Larry Wilson
Principal actors:
Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux
Here in the town of Winter River (known for having a ghost house), Delia Deetz (Catherine O’Hara) is still lamenting the death of her husband Charles and planning his funeral. She has a daughter Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder), and a granddaughter Astrid Deetz (Jenna Ortega). Rory (Justin Theroux) would like to marry Lydia. Astrid runs her bicycle through a fence and lands against a tree house, where she meets Jeremy (Arthur Conti), who becomes her boyfriend. These are the, more or less “normal,” residents. Then we have Delores (Monica Bellucci), who is broken up into different pieces of head, legs, arms, etc., She stamps herself back together. “The Juice is loose” refers to Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), who appears whenever anyone calls his name three times.
These characters sometimes live a human life and are sometimes in an afterlife. “Come back to be human, give me my life back.” There is a soul train which picks up passengers and takes them to the Great Beyond. To solve problems, some breathe into the mouth of the other person, which shrinks that person eventually into a dead dwarf.
The original Beetlejuice, also directed by Tim Burton, came out in 1988. Now 36 years later Burton entertains us with a second story, with several of the original actors, e.g., Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara, still playing their original characters. There are parallel worlds, one real and one a fantasy full of strange creatures, including one named Bob, who, like his “brothers,” is quite large with a tiny head. Astrid finds a model world in their attic, where she can “open the gateway to the world of the dead.” The music begins ominously scary and remains forceful throughout. Winter River, a marvelous village with interesting houses, was filmed partly in East Corinth, Vermont, USA. All viewers will find something to enjoy in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, regardless of whether they are acquainted with the 1988 version. The film premiered as the opening film for the 2024 Venice Film Festival. (Becky Tan)
