Love it!

Rating: 10/10 (19 July 2015)

Haven't watched this movie for a few years so when I noticed it on the TV listings today I thought I'd refresh my memory. I've remembered why this is in my top ten despite the fact that a) I'm not a Tim Burton fan, and b) I don't normally "do" comedies.
Beetlejuice is just great fun from start to finish. It's a dark, quirky comedy featuring some fine performances and great lines. Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin are perfectly cast as the ever so nice couple who meet an untimely end and find their house taken over by new occupants. Winona Ryder is great as the 1980's version of a teen goth, and Catherine O'Hara is excellent as the neurotic mother with artistic leanings. However, the real show-stealer is Michael Keaton, who delivers a riotously OTT performance as Betelgeuse, the bio- exorcist. He's just brilliant in this role.
On paper it doesn't look like it should be, but it is actually a real feel-good movie. Every time I hear the Banana Boat Song or Jump in the Line (Shake Senora), I think of it and smile.