Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, be forewarned — this October, Fashion in Film brings forth no ordinary style story. Tim Burton’s 1988 comedy horror flick is full of dreadfully delightful visuals and lots of last-minute Halloween costume ideas.
Starring Hollywood heavyweights Geena Davis, Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin, and Michael Keaton, Beetlejuice combines the grotesque with the gorgeous with a mixture of stunning scenery, morbid makeup, and retro attire. Set against a storybook suburban setting, newlywed couple Adam and Barbara (Baldwin and Davis) are trapped in their dream home after an unfortunate accident leaves them as newly minted ghosts. That might not be so bad, except their precious home is soon invaded by its new owners, the Deetz family. Charles is looking for a stress-free setting to kick up his feet, but his wife, Delia, is hell-bent on updating the house to reflect her particularly gaudy taste. Stuck in the middle is their daughter Lydia, who has a peculiar obsession with death and an uncanny ability to see ghosts. Throw in the off-kilter ‘bio-exocist’ Beetlejuice to the story, and you’ve got one ridiculous, but entertaining cinematic experience.
Though the movie completely freaked me out as a child, revisiting it as an adult brought forth a new appreciation for the flick’s unique play on style, scene — not to mention a reminder of how much I love the music of Harry Belfonte.