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It’s been 36 years since “Beetlejuice” first introduced the world to the twisted afterlife brought to life by director Tim Burton. The comedy was a bit crude even for 1988, with the villainous exorcist of the living, Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), trying desperately to scare some humans and wed their teenage daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder). Setting aside the whole “clearly grown man trying to marry a teen” thing, the ghost with the most is a crude, rude dude with a bad attitude who visits a miniature peep show, touches women without their consent, and more. There’s also a few culturally insensitive things, too, like the portrayal of an indigenous man who shrinks heads. So what’s a director to do when there’s no way that his cartoonish character would have changed, but the times clearly have?
At a press event attended by /Film’s Jacob Hall, Burton explained how he managed to modernize “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” without losing the core of its most famous character. It turns out that by centering the film’s newest character, Lydia’s daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega), he was able to help bring the movie to a slightly more progressive place while still being ferociously funny.
A creative cast updated the crass comedy
Burton explained that the first “Beetlejuice” was filmed with a script, but that there was a great deal of improv as well. He wanted to film the sequel “in the spirit of that,” with a rapid-fire shooting schedule and a lot of performer involvement. By shooting with practical effects and sets and really living in the scene and letting the actors improvise, Burton felt like he was able to stay true to the energy of the original. When it came to updating the humor, Ortega was integral to helping everyone get in tune with the younger generation, as Burton detailed:
“Jenna is a sort of voice of reason, like, ‘What the f*** is all this s***?’ Like kids do, they call their parents into question, which is great.”
There’s definitely still some crude comedy in the sequel, as evidenced by glimpses in the trailer of Beetlejuice going googly-eyed over an undead Monica Bellucci (then again, fair) and acting pretty much like his old self. That makes sense, though, because even as the world of the living continues moving, the world of the dead stays very much the same.
Staying true to the past while moving forward
It’s kind of genius to keep the afterlife as nasty as it was in the first film while updating the living world to our own reality, giving the living characters reason to react to Beetlejuice’s bad behavior in whole new ways. It’s a fun juxtaposition that reminds us of the goofy grossness of the original film while also updating it for modern audiences. Older folks looking for nostalgia will have plenty to find, of course, but younger audiences will also have someone who represents them and points out just how problematic Beetlejuice’s behavior can be. Whether you’re Astrid’s age, Lydia’s age, or even Delia’s (Catherine O’Hara) age, there’s someone to relate to and laugh with. They have matured with age, while Mr. Juice has, well, not.
People always love to say “you can’t make movies like that anymore” when it comes to various crude comedies, but “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” proves that you can still have your crass comedy cake, and eat it too. “Beetlejuce Beetlejuice” hits theaters on September 6, 2024.
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