Beetlejuice (1988)

(This review is a little longer, as it's being cross-posted over at my not-just-reviews blog. Some spoilers ahead.)

This was one of the movies on my Blind Spot list for 2012 - a list of 12 movies I knew I needed to see but had never actually gotten around to it. I added this one to the list for a few reasons: 1) I wanted to have a few popular favorites on the list, not just super-artsy ones, 2) I love Tim Burton, and 3) my boyfriend is a huge fan of this movie and kept telling me I should see it. So now we're in mid-March and this is the first Blind Spot 2012 movie I've gotten around to actually watching.

He was right. I loved it.

I went into this movie knowing very little about its plot. I knew it had something to do with ghosts, but I had no idea that it was a reverse haunted house movie about a pair of ghosts trying to chase humans out of their house. The moment where Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis find out they're dead took me completely by surprise. I don't get surprised by movies all that often, so that was great fun.

As the story unfolded, I loved the mix of silly and dark humor throughout the whole movie. I was somewhat expecting that - Tim Burton's movies always have this offbeat, morbid sense of humor - but I had forgotten how much I love good dark humor. Sometimes, depending on the movie, it's something that takes me a little while to get into, but not here. I loved that tone throughout.

Sometimes you sit down to watch a movie and just end up thoroughly enjoying yourself the whole way through. It doesn't impact you emotionally or connect you with the characters, but it's just solidly good fun. That's what Beetlejuice was for me. I'm definitely glad I saw it, and I'm sure I'll enjoy watching it again someday. 4 stars.

Best Part: I absolutely love the morbid sense of humor running throughout this movie. I don't know if I can pick a specific favorite moment.

Worst Part: I think in the wrong mood, I'd have been annoyed by Michael Keaton in this movie rather than amused by him... but that didn't apply this time around.

Flickchart: #366, below Enchanted and above Juno.