Beetlejuice Recap: A Look Back at the 5 Best Moments From 1988 Classic Amid Release of Sequel
Nearly 36 years after its release, Beetlejuice is still a delight as well as a nightmare to watch.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the highly anticipated sequel to 1988’s classic horror comedy, will hit silver screens on September 6, 2024. The star-studded cast of the film, including Jenna Ortega and Michael Keaton, is busy creating buzz, as the film marks 36 years of waiting to materialize. Directed by Tim Burton, the original film was a perfect blend of spookiness, comedy and fantasy.
Considered a cult horror comedy, Beetlejuice is one of those films that continue to entertain audiences of all ages till now. The film revolves around Lydia Deetz, a goth-loving teenager who moves into a new house with her parents only to discover that the house is haunted by a deceased couple, Barbara and Adam Maitland. She seeks help from a bioexorcist named Betelgeuse but follows a series of hilarious encounters. As we await the release of Beetlejuice 2, let’s revisit some of the best scenes from the original movie:
The Waiting Room For The Dead
Adam and Barbara Maitland, our very recently deceased couples, are waiting in a room only to get a handbook of rules for newly deceased. This is a scene that definitely bursts you into laughter. They enter a waiting area in a bureaucracy all confused after dying and the room is filled with fellow deceased—a half-cut woman, a man with a shrunken head, a guy with a charred body and other dead peers. Amidst all the crazy, the Maitlands are coming to terms with everything that is happening with them.
Betelgeuse’s take on the obituary
In an unofficial introductory scene of Betelgeuse’s character, the part-time bio exorcist is sitting in a corner, quietly turning pages of a newspaper to seek some jobs. While flipping the pages, he stumbled upon the obituary page that coincidentally mentioned the Maitlands. He finds the couple nice but stupid, and later went on to chuckle about some new ominous plotting.
Betelgeuse and Maitlands first encounter
The very first meet of Michael Keaton’s Betelgeuse and the Maitlands (Adam and Barbara) is completely bonkers! The characters meet when Adam and Barbara are shrunken into Adam’s model community, where they find Betelgeuse’s grave. Both of them are spooked to the core after Betelgeuse suddenly jumps out of the coffin. Giving away a smirk, the part-time bioexorcist introduces himself to the deceased couple.
Oh-So-Scary-Maitlands
At the bureaucracy, the Maitlands first attempt at haunting is hilarious. After getting a pep talk from their case manager on scaring the Deetzes, and making them leave the house, the couple tries to make scary faces. However, their attempt at haunting took a ghastly turn and left their faces disturbed. So, much so, they aren’t scary any more but a laughing stock for the audience.
An unholy wedding
In an interesting turn of events, Betelgeuse and Lydia are forced in front of an altar for a hilarious matrimony. While Betelgeuse is eager to marry, Lydia is in a nightmare. During the proceedings, as Betelgeuse tries hard to complete the wedding, the Maitlands emerge as heroes and save Lydia from the marriage and stop the potential groom by taking his name three times.