Beetlejuice

9.2

This may be the last great Tim Burton original. Highlights of his later work including Big Fish and Sleepy Hollow don't come close to the gothic delight spawned by Beetlejuice. The established Halloween classic injects fun into morose concepts such as death and the afterlife. Alec Baldwin and Gena Davis do well to carry the film until the titular Michael Keaton shows up. In retrospect, the title character has very little screen time and makes expert use of it to turn in a timeless, mesmerizing performance. The art direction and cinematography is the peak example of Burton's "look" and a joy to watch. The creature effects and make-up gags (especially the main characters' voluntary dismemberments) stand alone as cinematic achievements. The picture bleeds creativity and has rightfully become a modern classic.