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 Beetlejuice DVD Review by Paul Trombley, M.D |
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"Ittttttttt'sssssss SHOWTIME!" And so begins this review of Tim Burton's "Beetlejuice", the movie about "the ghost with the most". Burton's strange and gothic artistry is in character form in this otherworldly comedy outing. Burton is well known for his use of slightly twisted views of the ordinary in spinning his fairly simple tales, and "Beetlejuice" is no exception. The film's story is simple: a young couple are tragically killed in a car accident and then struggle to make sense of their familiar yet changed surroundings and circumstance, all the while a horrendous family of the living have come into the couple's lives (or deaths, as it were), creating all kinds of havoc. Enter Beetlejuice, the "bio-exorcist", who wishes nothing more than to strike out against the living and simultaneously re-entering the world of the living via a marriage to a living female (the family's daughter, played in full teen-angst by a Burton favorite, Winona Rider). Beetlejuice comically satires the nuclear family in both life AND death in this flick. Given Burton's extensive past in graphic arts and design and his equally artistic and gifted eye in moviemaking, the results on DVD are magnificent. The film's transfer is beautiful. Colors and textures are rich and vibrant; again proving the infinite superiority of DVD (or LD) vs. VHS or TV/ cable. This title, like Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles", is especially well-received for the enthusiast, or really any one who cares about film integrity, as it marks the first ever release of the film in widescreen aspect ratio. The result is spectacular. Burton is known for taking full advantage of his film's "playing field", and the pan & scan version suffers for it, as does the discerning viewer (stay tuned for a near-future review of Burton's "Mars Attacks!" for further discussion on this very topic). The audio quality is phenomenal as well. As with most DVD titles, the main audio track is Dolby digital 5.1, and with this film, the results are fantastic. There are not overwhelming uses of the surround tracks in regard to sound effects; but instead the surround channels are cleverly reserved for Danny Elfman's (another Burton favorite artist/collaborator) underlining musical score. The result is almost a subliminal one, carefully tracking and underscoring the screen's center action, until the music surfaces to front channels in crescendo. Warner Brothers went one step further in this marketing this film by utilizing one of the alternate audio tracks for the Elfman score alone. Just for kicks, try this channel, and one can REALLY understand just how ubiquitous the score is throughout the movie, and just how much it actually adds to the atmosphere of the film! Lastly, there are the expected extras of subtitles and languages; as well as a few production notes about the cast and such. There are no extra scenes or anything else, but the inclusion of the musical soundtrack alone is a plus, and a fairly unique idea that Warner put to good use. This one goes very recommended, especially for the sole fact that it is the ONLY way to see the WHOLE picture via the widescreen side transfer. Also, it's just plain fun to watch a fairly un-inhibited Micheal Keaton let loose on this imaginative canvas as the title character himself, Beetlejuice (Betelguese). Day-O!
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It's just plain fun to watch a fairly un-inhibited Micheal Keaton let loose on this imaginative canvas as the title character himself, Beetlejuice (Betelguese). Day-O
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