Movie Meltdown: The All You Can Eat Buffet of Beetlejuice
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Movie Meltdown – The All You Can Eat Buffet of Beetlejuice
This episode Sam Drog returns and we discuss Tim Burton’s return to his early feature with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. We remember our response to the original and dig into the characters and plotlines of the new entry.
We also address… legacy sequel, It’s a Wonderful Life: Abridged Edition, Wednesday, Willem Dafoe, Heathers, latchkey kids versus helicopter parents, practical effects, math and it’s cruel cruel hand on reality, people need restrictions, the animated series, I don’t think kids care about movies either, Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, Jimmy Durante, Furiosa, a victim of it’s own problem, old man Leatherface, Jenna Ortega, the most fan service, editing important elements out of movies, creepy old guys, weird 80s kids fandom, The Incredibles, ghost hunter shows, working with your partner, Catherine O’Hara, ghost musical numbers, the return of Batman, Monica Bellucci, Beetlejuice The Musical, Joe Dante’s house and Mars Attacks!
Spoiler Alert: Full spoilers for “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”, so watch it before you listen.
“It’s kind of like we got… all the antagonists from all the unmade Beetlejuice sequels.”
We are a movie-themed podcast! Each week we host a new episode filled with an array of interviews with interesting actors, filmmakers and other guests as well as lengthy discussions of specific movies. Plus our own brand of ridiculous humor with conversations about trends in Hollywood and changes in the film industry.
Battleship Pretension is a movie discussion podcast started in 2007 by Tyler Smith and David Bax. Since then, we’ve done live comedy shows, written reviews, commentaries and more.
Battleship Pretension is a film discussion show and a film review website founded by Tyler Smith and David Bax. Beginning in March 2007, Battleship Pretension the show (known to fans simply as “BP”) embodies the type of laidback, free-flowing conversations had by lovers of film around the world. Battleship Pretension the website is dedicated to being a destination for those seeking worthwhile opinions on current releases, be they foreign, independent, studio pictures, theatrical, home video releases, etc. From its meager beginnings in Los Angeles, Battleship Pretension has amassed a worldwide audience and readership. From Germany to Korea to Australia, people have tuned in to share in Tyler and David’s love of film. As Battleship Pretension’s following continues to grow, the purpose remains the same: Reach out to the international cinephile community, invite them to join in the discussion and perhaps even start one of their own.
I agree the film is overstuffed, as if every draft over the decades resulted in more elements being added without old ones being removed. Tim Burton isn’t a credited screenwriter on this (just as he wasn’t on the original), but he really should have asked the Wednesday showrunners who wrote this last draft to do a streamlined rewrite.
I 100% disagree with your criticism of the subplot involving Jeffrey Jones’ character. It worked much better than most of the film. Not only was the animation a fun divergence, (like the Italian backstory for Beetlejuice), but it was a perfect way to avoid re-using the actor while also giving great material to Delia, who is perhaps the best character in this movie. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the subplot involving Lydia’s daughter, whose character name I can’t remember. It’s important to the plot, but comparably boring and unfunny. Monica Belluci’s part, while smaller and seemingly tacked on, works better whenever she shows up to give some undead person an additional death.
Speaking of which, you’re wrong to say “Bob” is the only legacy character to be killed off here. Both Charles & Delia are much bigger examples!
I also 100% disagree on Lydia being “the same old Lydia”. As Delia points out, she’s a more disappointing version who makes you miss the teenaged misanthropist! Perhaps Tim Burton projecting himself on the character (just as he did in the original) would view it as a realistic take on the disappointments of growing old, but I don’t want to watch that.
On the number of antagonists, I think it’s worth keeping mind that in a film as overstuffed as this characters can be antagonists to characters other than the protagonists. So Beetlejuice retains his role as antagonist to Lydia, but if Willem Defoe’s detective is after him for breaking out of the afterlife, that doesn’t make him in turn an antagonist to Lydia. Monica Belluci is also an antagonist to Beetlejuice, but since she’s evil she’s sort of that to everybody, though focused on him.
I agree the film is overstuffed, as if every draft over the decades resulted in more elements being added without old ones being removed. Tim Burton isn’t a credited screenwriter on this (just as he wasn’t on the original), but he really should have asked the Wednesday showrunners who wrote this last draft to do a streamlined rewrite.
I 100% disagree with your criticism of the subplot involving Jeffrey Jones’ character. It worked much better than most of the film. Not only was the animation a fun divergence, (like the Italian backstory for Beetlejuice), but it was a perfect way to avoid re-using the actor while also giving great material to Delia, who is perhaps the best character in this movie. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the subplot involving Lydia’s daughter, whose character name I can’t remember. It’s important to the plot, but comparably boring and unfunny. Monica Belluci’s part, while smaller and seemingly tacked on, works better whenever she shows up to give some undead person an additional death.
Speaking of which, you’re wrong to say “Bob” is the only legacy character to be killed off here. Both Charles & Delia are much bigger examples!
I also 100% disagree on Lydia being “the same old Lydia”. As Delia points out, she’s a more disappointing version who makes you miss the teenaged misanthropist! Perhaps Tim Burton projecting himself on the character (just as he did in the original) would view it as a realistic take on the disappointments of growing old, but I don’t want to watch that.
On the number of antagonists, I think it’s worth keeping mind that in a film as overstuffed as this characters can be antagonists to characters other than the protagonists. So Beetlejuice retains his role as antagonist to Lydia, but if Willem Defoe’s detective is after him for breaking out of the afterlife, that doesn’t make him in turn an antagonist to Lydia. Monica Belluci is also an antagonist to Beetlejuice, but since she’s evil she’s sort of that to everybody, though focused on him.