Ghost with the Most

Rating: 10/10 (21 May 2012)

I'm a kid from the 80's, this is once again another timeless relics from my favorite decade of movies. This film was Tim Burton's first film on the silver screen and it was a great start from him most of the time first movies from first timers tend to disappoint me; and I personally think it's still one of his best. It stands out because it was something different that you haven't seen before and you have to just see to believe; from it's style but most importantly the content and manic energy which is the reason this film just like the ghosts are timeless to me.
The music score by one of my favorite composers Danny Elfman is great, it's a strange lighthearted Gothic tune. The production value is great was obviously inspired by artist "Salvador Dali" with that desert as well as the hallways and doorways of the spirit realm. This also helps create that really odd surrealistic fantasy world tone from the real world that looks like a typical boring "Norman Rockwell" like enviorment it feels too strange to be true, some of the interior and exterior of the Dieetz's home, down to the spirit realm itself. Along with the special effects which I think still look great today, there is no CGI which make it all the better, from stop motion effects like the Sand Worms which are comical and nasty looking down to the make up effects. This is another reason as to how special this film is film I feel is one of the best prime examples of the use of special effects in a comedy that works because their used for the right reasons and not mere gimmicks.
But most important is the humor, the humor is great mixing in horror with comedy which I always think is a beautiful mix, but also just the mixture of verbal and visual humor that make it memorable, which is just done to perfection here I can't say that about many others out there. From the antics of Bettlejuice which I already mentioned down to others without him, from the infamous Day-O dinner scene, but my favorite no doubt is with the dead Football players one of them says something and the case worker Juno (played with brilliant dry charisma by Sylvia Sidney)replies back, I don't want to give it away but trust me one you hear it you'll crack up. But also just the logic or illogic of the spirit realm that is created, it's funny because of how strange it is but also fills you with wonder I can't help but wonder if there really is a lot more to that spirit realm I still don't know about.
The characters are great through the two that really stick out for me the most are Beetlejuice and Lydia Deetz, no surprise there.
Beetlejuice is played by one of my favorite actor's Michael Keaton to me this actually is my favorite role from him. Beetlejuice is one of my favorite fictional villains that I don't hate, he's pretty much a dirty insane amoral butt head that just wants to create/cause havoc for no reason, I like some of the tricks he pulls which are fun but many just his charisma some of the things he says and the way he delivers them are just hilarious; like the commercial he did which was obviously a parody on those car commercial which always had that country western vibe for some weird reason.
And of course one of the protagonists Lydia Deetz played by one of my favorite actresses Wynoma Rider is great and this was the role that put her on the map. I remember as a kid having a crush on this actress she's just fraking hot, made me wonder why the hell couldn't I find any goth girls in my high school not just looked that hot but had the persona to boot. Anyway, Lydia is just great because she's a character I can emphasize with a bit, I wasn't a goth but like her I was an outsider. Like the fact that she is always wearing funerary or goth , she just looks so good no matter what she wears. But I just love her persona she has dry charisma and I like the fact she's fascinated with the supernatural, I also am fascinated with unexplained phenomena of ghosts, UFOs, and other things. I also find her kinda a character of sympathy because she is lonely and feels sort of out of place, clearly her character really don't fit the superficial reality she's been forced to live with, another thing I can emphasize with because even I've had those feelings; and we pretty much see her struggling to find her place in the world but it really is closer than she thinks.
Well, that's all I have to say, this film has the juice.
Rating: 4 stars