A married couple are enjoying a happy life in the country... until they die. The next thing they know, a family moves into their former home. Being unable to leave their home, they enlist the help of a sleazy "bio-exorcist" ghost named Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton) to help them scare away the unwelcome new residents.
This is a classic Tim Burton film! Most people of my generation remember the kid's cartoon TV series that soon followed, which had Beetlejuice and Lydia (the daughter of the new living residents) as spooky partners-in-crime. But in this original film, "Betelgeuse" is actually the bad guy, while the protagonists are two newly-dead ghosts (Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin), along with Lydia (Winona Ryder) who is able to see them.
Unlike the fun, energetic cartoon version, this Betelgeuse is crass, slimy, perverted, and totally selfish. He has been banished for hundreds of years and offers to help the new ghost couple in exchange for them freeing him. He is a despicable character and Michael Keaton really went nuts with the role. And yes, his actual name in the film is spelled Betelgeuse, like the red star in the Orion constellation. The "Beetlejuice" title was spelled that way partly as a joke, and partly because it would be more marketable for the film (who can spell Betelgeuse anyway?)
Apparently, this movie was originally supposed to be a very dark horror flick but eventually was re-written to be more of a dark comedy. It's a good thing too, as this comedy has stood the test of time. I still can't believe it's 30 years old this year! But be on the lookout - a sequel has been planned and may be coming one day soon...
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