Beetlejuice

Where do you even begin to review a movie that has a freelance bio-exorcist in it? “Let’s turn on the juice and see what shakes loose.” To me this is one of Tim Burton’s (Edward Scissorhands, Batman) best film. This is a film about a young couple Adam and Barbara, living in a small New England town, spending their vacation in their house. While running an errand they are killed in a car accident and have to stay in their house…dealing with the living…as ghosts. Being new at hunting a house, they call upon Betelgeuse, the freelance bio-exorcist to help them run off the living from their house. And the zaniness takes off from there!

Back before the days of CGI and big budget special effects, it actually took some creativity to get special effects done. Tim Burton does a wonderful job of directing this film and seeing his vision come to fruition. Alec Baldwin (The Cooler) and Geena Davis (Thelma and Louise) both give very understated but true to life performances. Winona Ryder (Girl, Interrupted) is perfect as the goth teenager that is the only one who can actually see Adam and Barbara when they are ghosts. The best performance of course comes from Michael Keaton (Batman) who plays Betelgeuse. Keaton is an absolute riot and spouts off memorable one liners one after another! It is almost hard to believe it is Michael Keaton!

I am sure most out there have seen this as it has turned into a cult classic, but if you haven’t, do yourself a favor and watch it. Although I know everyone’s taste in humor is a bit different and Tim Burton seems to have a niche of humor all to himself, give it a chance. It is a ingeniously creative and very funny movie.

Star Trek (2009)

To me this is the first of the Summer Blockbusters considering Terminator fell flat on it’s face, and seeing the previews of the new Transformers I am not expecting much from it.. Star Trek is just good summer movie fun. I never was a die hard Trek fan as a kid. I remember seeing a few episodes of the TV series in the early years in grade school, probably because it fell right before Uncle Zeb’s cartoon camp. (OK, maybe that is an Okie thing.) This film is worth seeing. 

It was refreshing to see them go back to the solid colored uniforms like the old TV series, and to use some of the lines as a throw back to the series. “Damn it Jim!” Even the sound design reflected the old series with the sounds of the Enterprise and the teleporters, if that is what trekkies call them. Also, not knowing much about this before it came out, I was surprised at some of the cast that kept popping up, Winona Ryder (Dracula, Girl Interrupted), Eric Bana (Troy, Munich) and even Leonard Nimoy! After seeing Mr. Nimoy, maybe me look for a cameo from William Shatner that unfortunately never came. Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead) was a nice surprise and made a great Scotty, and I was impressed with Zachary Quinto (Heros) who played Spock.

This movie is what it is. It is loud, it is action packed and is chalked full of great special effects! Get a bucket of corn…and my personal recommendation of gummy cola bottles….you will have a blast.