Betelgeuse, the bio-exorcist made famous by Michael Keaton in the 1988 film of (almost) the same name, thinks of himself as “nightmare material.”
But for fans of the much-loved original movie, his reunion with director Tim Burton is a dream.
This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Jenna Ortega, left, and Winona Ryder in a scene from 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.' (Parisa Taghizadeh/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)
The new film, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” returns to Winter River, along with three generations of the Deetz family. They are: wacky artist Delia (Catherine O’Hara), mother of goth TV personality Lydia (Winona Ryder)—"The Living. The Dead. Can they coexist? That's what we're here to find out,” she says— and grandmother of the rebellious Astrid (Jenna Ortega), who thinks her mother’s clairvoyance is a sham.
Brought together by the passing of Deetz family patriarch Charles (originally played by Jeffrey Jones), the trio becomes a quartet when Astrid opens a portal to the afterlife, releasing the ghostly presence of Betelgeuse (Keaton). “The juice is loose!”
Lydia, now engaged to greasy television producer Rory (Justin Theroux), must reckon with her past betrothal to Betelgeuse.
“When I was a teenager, a trickster demon terrorized our entire family and tried to force me to marry him,” says Lydia, while the rambunctious spirit has marital troubles of his own. His ex-wife, the soul-sucking Delores (Monica Belucci), has pulled herself together—when we first see her, she’s reassembling her dismembered body—and is looking for revenge.
This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Monica Bellucci in a scene from 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.' (Parisa Taghizadeh/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)
Flip flopping between past and present, our world and the otherworld, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” explores Astrid’s crush on emo local boy Jeremy (Arthur Conti), the adventures of B-movie-action-star-turned-ghost-detective Wolf Jackson (Willem Dafoe), and the power of the “Handbook for the Recently Deceased.”
A sequel to a movie released when Ronald Reagan was the president of the United States, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is in some ways a back-to-basics Tim Burton movie.
A return to the pop pastiche style that made his name, it’s an eye-popping collection of influences. From the German Expressionism of “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” and classic 50s kitsch to exaggerated dreamscapes and the gothic “Gashlycrumb Tinies," his energized visuals will make your eyeballs dance. It’s a welcome return to the marvellously macabre window dressing that defined the original and made it so much fun.
But sequel culture, being what it is, means that the follow-up to a beloved hit must be bigger than what came before. So, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is longer, louder and unrulier than the original. In its attempt to recreate the magic of the first film, it tries too hard, stuffing the story with side-stories, new characters and callbacks to 1988. It’s a new “Day-O” for Betelgeuse, and the effort is evident, but the extra stuff doesn’t do much in terms of freshening up Mr. Juice’s mouldy corpse.
Still, although bigger is not better, it brims with humour and heart, courtesy of a handpicked cast of Burton regulars. Keaton has an expanded role—he only appears for 17.5 minutes in the original—and goes for it. The character isn’t exactly subtle, but both Burton and Keaton use restraint, so the wild-and-wacky "ghost with the most" doesn’t overstay his welcome.
Catherine O'Hara, left, a cast member in 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,' discusses the film alongside fellow actors Justin Theroux and Monica Belluci during the Warner Bros. Pictures presentation at CinemaCon 2024, April 9, 2024, in Las Vegas (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
The Deetz family dynamic, the film’s beating heart, is well represented in the relationship between Ryder, O’Hara and Ortega. Canadian national treasure O’Hara is reliably hilarious, stealing every scene she’s in, while Ryder and Ortega do the dramatic heavy lifting.
You may not have the time of your afterlife at “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” but it’s far from a dead end for Burton and company. It doesn’t have the charm of the first film, but does deliver enough laughs, fan service and new ideas to cast its spell.
If no political party is willing to say uncle, the drawn-out stalemate in the House of Commons is heading for an unprecedented situation that could amount to a tacit lack of confidence in the government, without anyone in Parliament casting a vote.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pledged to tackle high rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity as President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the US Department of Health and Human Services. They’re goals that many in the public health world find themselves agreeing with — despite fearing what else the infamous anti-vaccine activist may do in the post.
The yellow banana fixed to the white wall with silver duct tape is a work entitled 'Comedian,' by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. It first debuted in 2019 as an edition of three fruits at the Art Basel Miami Beach fair, where it became a much-discussed sensation.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she agrees it could be time to cut Mexico out of the trilateral free trade agreement with Canada and the United States.
Moviegoers were not exactly feeling the Christmas spirit this weekend, or at least what 'Red One' was offering. The big budget, star-driven action comedy with Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans sold US$34.1 million in tickets in its first weekend in theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. It easily topped a box office populated mostly by holdovers.
Working on a military truck, within the logistics squadron of CFB Kingston, Private Charlotte Schnubb is elbows deep into an engine with a huge smile on her face.
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Some travellers who checked baggage on certain WestJet flights between 2014 and 2019 may now claim their share of a class-action settlement approved by the British Columbia Supreme Court last month and valued at $12.5 million.
A gold pocket watch given to the ship captain who rescued 700 survivors from the Titanic sold at auction for nearly US$2 million, setting a record for memorabilia from the ship wreck.
Working on a military truck, within the logistics squadron of CFB Kingston, Private Charlotte Schnubb is elbows deep into an engine with a huge smile on her face.
A former couple who bought a boat together took their post-breakup fight over its expenses to B.C.'s small claims tribunal.
Windsor-Essex Scout groups spent their Saturday afternoon making a long-distance call to the International Space Station (ISS).
A new project mapping Halifax's architectural heritage shows the city has lost most of its historical structures.
Ontario's police watchdog is investigating after a man was shot and injured by police after he allegedly injured multiple people with a weapon in Ottawa's east end Friday night.
An iconic home famous for its polka-dotted exterior will soon be torn down, marking the end of an era for East Vancouver residents.
The 2024 presidential election featured sky-high turnout, approaching the historic levels of the 2020 contest and contradicting long-held conventional political wisdom that Republicans struggle to win races in which many people vote.
Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the U.S. intelligence services, in 2022 endorsed one of Russia's main justifications for invading Ukraine: the existence of dozens of U.S.-funded biolabs working on some of the world's nastiest pathogens.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has selected Chris Wright, a campaign donor and fossil fuel executive, to serve as energy secretary in his upcoming, second administration.
A gold pocket watch given to the ship captain who rescued 700 survivors from the Titanic sold at auction for nearly US$2 million, setting a record for memorabilia from the ship wreck.
NGOs in Venezuela announced the release from prison of some of the thousands of people who were detained following the July presidential election.
The yellow banana fixed to the white wall with silver duct tape is a work entitled 'Comedian,' by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. It first debuted in 2019 as an edition of three fruits at the Art Basel Miami Beach fair, where it became a much-discussed sensation.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she agrees it could be time to cut Mexico out of the trilateral free trade agreement with Canada and the United States.
If no political party is willing to say uncle, the drawn-out stalemate in the House of Commons is heading for an unprecedented situation that could amount to a tacit lack of confidence in the government, without anyone in Parliament casting a vote.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to leave Peru this morning for the G20 summit in Brazil as Ottawa seeks its place in a rift between the United States and booming economies in the developing world.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has pledged to tackle high rates of chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity as President-elect Donald Trump's pick to lead the US Department of Health and Human Services. They’re goals that many in the public health world find themselves agreeing with — despite fearing what else the infamous anti-vaccine activist may do in the post.
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Health Canada announced a consumer product recall this week for a plush children’s toy, due to a potential choking hazard from the eyes of the toy detaching.
While it remains small compared to established online spaces such as X, Bluesky has emerged as an alternative for those looking for a different mood, lighter and friendlier and less influenced by Musk.
A species of marine worm that scientists lost sight of for almost 70 years has finally resurfaced, thanks to some eagle-eyed sleuthing and a seahorse less than an inch long. When researchers analyzed images of tiny seahorses taken by scuba divers, they found evidence of photobombing worms in the hundreds, living alongside the seahorses in coral colonies from Japan to Australia.
The moon has some new stories to tell. Scientists have published the first detailed analyses of the historic cache of lunar soil and rock that China retrieved from the far side of the moon this year.
The shine on CanLit's glitziest night has dulled, at least according to some, amid sustained backlash against the Giller Foundation for maintaining ties with lead sponsor Scotiabank and other funders linked to Israel.
More than 50 contestants turned out Saturday in a Chicago park to compete in a lookalike contest vying to portray actor Jeremy Allen White, star of the Chicago-based television series 'The Bear.'
New York City politicians are calling on Whoopi Goldberg to apologize for suggesting that a local bakery declined a birthday order because of politics.
In June of this year, a new company called Nations Royalty Corp. began trading on the TSX Venture Exchange.
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Boeing has delivered layoff notices to more than 400 members of its professional aerospace labor union, part of thousands of cuts planned.
A piece of national park history surfaced at Point Pelee National Park this week – a pair of parks badges from 1939 and 1940.
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Bela Karolyi, the charismatic if polarizing gymnastics coach who turned young women into champions and the United States into an international power, has died. He was 82.
The boos from a crowd wanting more action were growing again when Jake Paul dropped his gloves before the final bell, and bowed toward 58-year-old Mike Tyson.
Like Wonka’s famous golden ticket, the Pittsburgh Pirates are offering a scrumdiddlyumptious prize in exchange for a rare, one-of-a-kind baseball card of their star pitcher Paul Skenes.
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An iconic home famous for its polka-dotted exterior will soon be torn down, marking the end of an era for East Vancouver residents.
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Jayson Tatum hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer in overtime and the Boston Celtics rallied to beat the Toronto Raptors 126-123 on Saturday night.
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A former elementary school principal in Waterloo, Ont. has pleaded guilty to charges that include luring and transmitting sexually explicit material to someone believed to be under the age of 16.
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Newly released documents show the Royal Canadian Mounted Police collected wreckage after an unidentified object was shot down over Lake Huron in February of last year.
A 72-year-old teacher from Blind River has been charged with multiple counts of sexual assault involving two victims under the age of 16.
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Lambton OPP is investigating a fatal boating accident in Pocket Bay near Walpole Island First Nation this morning.
Windsor-Essex Scout groups spent their Saturday afternoon making a long-distance call to the International Space Station (ISS).
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Swathed in a black, sequined catsuit, with a luxe cowboy hat tipped to the crowd, you could be forgiven, in a certain light, for mistaking Michelle Reid for the real deal.
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A back-and-forth question between Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi when it comes to calling a Lethbridge-West byelection has no distinct answer nearly five months later.
Two hundred students from across southern Alberta set sail at the University of Lethbridge Thursday, in cardboard boats.
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About 700 Canada Post workers are walking the picket lines in communities across northeastern Ontario.
After receiving reports of a dangerous and erratic driver, police in Sault Ste. Marie charged the driver of a vehicle on Highway 17 this week.
The four women sipping tea around an antique wooden table in rural Newfoundland said they weren't looking for much in a mate: kindness, humour, a good sense of fun and, ideally, a full set of teeth.
Newfoundland and Labrador's return on investment for sponsoring a professional English soccer team was not quite as rosy as previously claimed.
Police in Newfoundland say a man was electrocuted Saturday by a downed power wire about 10 kilometres north of St. John's, N.L.
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