Beetlejuice is a 1988 American comedy horror fantasy film directed by Tim Burton, produced by The Geffen Film Company and distributed by Warner Bros. The plot revolves around a recently dead young couple who become ghosts haunting their former home, a quaint and quiet house on a hill overlooking the fictional town of Winter Rivers located in Connecticut. When a family of metropolitan yuppies from New York City move into the house, the ghosts seek the help of an obnoxious, devious and mischievous “bio-exorcist” named Betelgeuse from the underworld in order to scare the new living inhabitants away permanently. Beetlejuice stars Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Jeffrey Jones, Sylvia Sidney and Michael Keaton as the titular Betelgeuse (the film’s title being a phonetic spelling of the character’s name).

After the success of Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Burton was sent several scripts and became disheartened by their lack of imagination and originality. When he was sent Michael McDowell’s original script for Beetlejuice, Burton agreed to direct, although Larry Wilson and Warren Skaaren were hired to rewrite it. Beetlejuice was both a financial and critical success, grossing $73.33 million from a budget of $13 million. The film spawned an animated television series that Burton produced, and the unproduced Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian sequel.

Trivia:

• The receptionist in the waiting room is Miss Argentina.
• Tim Burton originally wanted Sammy Davis Jr., a favorite star of his since childhood, to play the role of Betelgeuse but studio executives didn’t like that idea at all.
• Director Trademark: [Tim Burton] [music] music by Danny Elfman
• In the wedding scene, Lydia’s dress is a bright red. According to the old rhyme about wedding dress colors, it’s “Married in red, better off dead.”
• During the sequence where Adam and Barbara enter Juno’s office and see her speaking to a recently deceased football team, a movie theater full of ghosts can be seen through Juno’s office window. When the film was first released in theaters, the scene created the illusion that the audience were themselves being watched by the ghosts. Among the ghosts in the audience are a red skeleton and a green skeleton (identical to the ones seen in Tim Burton’s later movie, Mars Attacks! (1996)), a woman with red hair, and two men in suits and Ray-Ban style sunglasses.
• Director Trademark: [Tim Burton] [dogs] The Maitland’s deaths are caused by a stray dog wandering around the bridge their car topples over.
• Michael Keaton spent only two weeks filming his part in the film, which lasts 17.5 minutes out of the 92-minute running time. It is Keaton’s favorite film of his own.
• Director Trademark: [Tim Burton] [TV commercials] Betelgeuse’s TV commercial.
• Director Trademark: [Tim Burton] [stop-motion animation] The sculptures, sandworms, and various effects.
• The original script was a horror film, and featured Beetlejuice as a winged, reptilian demon who transformed into a small Middle Eastern man to interact with the Maitlands and the Deetzes. Lydia was a minor character, with her six year old sister Cathy being the Deetz child able to see the Maitlands. Beetlejuice’s goal was to kill the Maitlands, rather than frighten them away, and included sequences where he mauled Cathy in the form of a rabid squirrel and tried to rape Lydia. Subsequent script rewrites turned the film into a comedy and toned down Beetlejuice’s character into the ghost of an Ebonics-speaking con-artist rather than a demon.
• As the Geffen logo rolls during the intro, soundtrack composer Danny Elfman is heard singing “Day-o, he say day-ay-ay-o.” This was added during post-production and is heard on the released soundtrack.
• The title character of Beetle Juice (1988) is named for a bright red star in the constellation of Orion, Betelgeuse. The studio disliked the title and wanted to call the film “House Ghosts”. As a joke, Tim Burton suggested the name “Scared Sheetless” and was horrified when the studio actually considered using it.
• The only cast member who would initially commit to the project was Geena Davis. Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, and Sylvia Sidney all said no at least once. Producer David Geffen convinced Michael Keaton’s manager to convince Michael to meet with director Tim Burton. Once Michael said yes, Tim Burton personally called Sylvia Sidney and begged her to do the movie, and he flew out to meet with Catherine O’Hara to convince her as well.
• Catherine O’Hara was a replacement for an ill Anjelica Huston as Delia. On the set she met her future husband, production designer Bo Welch.
• The original plan for the dinner party was to have the guests dance to “a song by The Ink Spots,” but Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O’Hara suggested the music be calypso.
• When Adam and Barbra are in the office, a voice on the PA systems announces the arrival of Flight 409 (“Flight 409 is arriving at Gate 3″). On October 6, 1955 United Airlines Flight 409 crashed into a mountain over Wyoming killing all passengers and crew aboard. It was the worst crash in history to that point. To this day, no one knows why it crashed.
• Director Trademark: [Tim Burton] [Claymation] The Priest, Fireplace and decomposing versions of Adam and Barbra are all Claymation.
• A toy line was released in conjunction with the film, featuring action figures of most of Beetlejuice’s incarnations, Otho, Adam (whose figure featured him wearing a red baseball cap), and the Shrunken Head Man from the waiting room, whose figure was named “Harry the Haunted Hunter” and came with a detachable head showing what he looked like before death.
• Adam and Barbara are the only spirits that look “normal”, compared to the other deceased in the Netherworld.
• Juliette Lewis auditioned for the role of Lydia. Lori Loughlin, Diane Lane, Sarah Jessica Parker, Brooke Shields, Justine Bateman, Molly Ringwald and Jennifer Connelly all turned down the same role.
• The snake scene had been filmed before Michael Keaton was cast as Betelgeuse, and the animatronic snake used bore no resemblance to the actor. After Keaton had been cast, some additional film was shot for the scene, using a stop-motion snake that looked more like Betelgeuse. This was suggested by the studio to make sure the audience knows the the snake is actually Betelgeuse and not some random monster from the afterlife.
• The number 3 is used ’3′ times: The number of times to say commands (“Betelgeuse”, “home”), the number of times to knock on the door to get to the other side, and the number of first class intersessions allotted.
• Producer Jon Peters thought of casting controversial comedian Sam Kinison as Beetlegeuse, but Kinison’s agent never told him about it.

 

 

Timothy William “Tim” Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American film director, producer, writer and artist. He is famed for his dark and quirky films, such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas, which he co-wrote and produced. He is also famous for being the director of several blockbusters including Batman, Batman Returns, Sleepy Hollow, Planet of the Apes, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Since directing his first feature (Pee-wee’s Big Adventure) in 1985, he has gone on to direct and produce numerous films, many of which have won Academy Awards. He frequently works with close friend Johnny Depp, musician Danny Elfman and partner Helena Bonham Carter.

 

 

Burton’s most recent film was 2007′s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, which won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. His upcoming projects include the animated sci-fi fantasy 9, due for release September 9, 2009 and Alice in Wonderland, due for release March 10, 2010.

Trade Mark:

Often does the beginning credits sequence with the camera going through something (Batman (1989),Beetle Juice (1988),Edward Scissorhands (1990), or following something (Batman Returns (1992),Mars Attacks! (1996),Sleepy Hollow (1999) , Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (2005) _,_and SweeneyTodd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)).

His films often have a Gothic feel to them, often including Christmas and/or Halloween scenes.

Plot often focuses around a misunderstood outcast.

Frequently uses composer Danny Elfman.

Frequently casts Jeffrey Jones, Paul Reubens, Glenn Shadix, Michael Keaton, Lisa Marie, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Gough, Deep Roy and Christopher Lee.

Frequently features dead or dismembered dogs.

He often likes to open his films with a quiet night time snowfall.

Many of his films feature townspeople who misunderstand and/ordistrust the lead character.

Obsession with horror actors: he makes movies about them (Vincent (1982), Ed Wood (1994)), or he actually casts them in his films (e.g. Vincent Price, Michael Gough, Christopher Lee, Christopher Walken).

Often shows scarecrows in his movies.

His movies always opens with a personal version of the studio’s logo.

Usually includes fantasy elements in his films.

Often looks into the main character’s past through a series offlashbacks (i.e.Edward Scissorhands (1990), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)).

Fathers are portrayed in a negative light in his films. Whether they be dead (Batman (1989)), purposely ditched their children (Batman Returns (1992)), the main characters have remorse against them because of bad childhood memories (Sleepy Hollow (1999), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) or weren’t there while their child was growing up (Sweeney Todd (2007))

Trivia:

At the end of Beetle Juice (1988), Beetlejuice metamorphoses into a bizarre creature with a merry-go-round on his head. On the top of this merry-go-round is a smiling skull which became Jack Skellington in The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). The latter movie had been a pet project of Burton’s since his days as an animator at Disney.

He has an interest in clowns, and his films will often include them or make reference to them.

Credits his former fiancée, Lisa Marie, as his muse. She is often in his projects (Ed Wood (1994), Mars Attacks! (1996), Sleepy Hollow (1999), The World of Stainboy (2000), Planet of the Apes (2001)) or is paid homage in them (she was the inspiration for The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)’s Sally).

Engaged to Lisa Marie from 1992-2001.

Used the song “It’s Not Unusual”, performed by Tom Jones, in Edward Scissorhands (1990) and then in Mars Attacks! (1996).

Lives in Ojai (California) and New York.

Is a “Bollywood” fan.

Nearly everywhere he goes, he carries a pocket-size sketchbook and a small watercolor kit.

Usually dresses in black, because he doesn’t like spending too much time matching colors.

Younger brother Daniel Burton is also an artist.

Was voted the 49th Greatest Director of all time by Entertainment Weekly, being the youngest director on this list of 50.

He was hired as the director of the failed Superman (1997) movie.

Among his cinematic influences are Mario Bava, Vincent Price, Roger Corman and Barbara Steele whom he homaged in Sleepy Hollow (1999).

Is a big fan of “nudie” director Russ Meyer.

He once said he never remembers his dreams, apart from five recurring dreams, one of them involving the girl he was in love with when he was a teenager and another involving his parents’ bedroom.

Played water polo and swam for Burbank High School in California.

Has made seven films with Johnny Depp: Edward Scissorhands (1990), Ed Wood (1994), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Corpse Bride (2005), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), and Alice in Wonderland (2010).

Ranked #6 on Tropopkin’s Top 25 Most Intriguing People [Issue #100].

Is a big fan of Italian director Mario Bava. He once said he would like to remake Bava’s classic La maschera del demonio (1960) with his former partner Lisa Marie. He also appeared in two documentaries about Bava.

Member of jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997.

Grew up in Burbank on Evergreen Street, and his family lived in the 2000 block, near Valhalla Cemetary. Attended Providencia Elementary School in Burbank, California.

Was working on a documentary about Vincent Price, called “Conversations with Vincent”. After Price’s death in 1993 he shelved the project and it has never been completed.

Was slated to direct The Fly (1986) with Michael Keaton in the lead role, but he backed out and David Cronenberg took over.

Was originally set to do a re-make of Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari. (1920) in the early 1980s.

Is scheduled to direct the Broadway musical version of his film Batman (1989).

Bought the rights to a Topps trading card series with the intention of turning it into a film, but couldn’t decide between calling it “Dinosaurs Attack!” and “Mars Attacks!”. Jurassic Park (1993) then came out, and to avoid comparison, he made it as Mars Attacks! (1996) instead, but then it faced comparison to Independence Day (1996).

While at WDFA, he shared an office with Andreas Deja.

In October 2001, he began his current relationship with actress Helena Bonham Carter, whom he met while filming Planet of the Apes (2001), and she has appeared in all of his subsequent films. They live in adjoining houses with a hallway that connects the two homes, they have a son, Billy-Ray Burton, born on October 4, 2003, and a girl, Nell Burton, born on December 15, 2007.

Johnny Depp is a godfather of his son Billy Ray Burton.

After seeing his performance as ‘Big Boy’ Caprice in Dick Tracy (1990), he always kept Al Pacino in mind to cast as a villain in a future “Batman” installment. However, after Batman Returns (1992), Burton moved on from the franchise.

Engaged to Helena Bonham Carter [2001-present] 2 children.

As of 2009, every feature film he has directed has been nominated for some sort of Academy Award, with the exceptions of Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985), Mars Attacks! (1996) and Planet of the Apes (2001).