Adam and Barbara Maitland (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) die! But that's only the beginning of the troubles they are about to have.

Being dead turns out to not be so bad, especially if you are a ghost lucky enough to get a house to haunt. Just don't leave the house or you end up on Saturn being chased by sand worms. No problem, the Maitland's were homebodies anyway. And they still have each other.

But then the house is sold to a rather dysfunctional family.

Charles Deitz (Jeffery Jones) is in Real Estate and has done pretty well. He buys the house because he wants nothing more than a quite place in the country where he can relax and enjoy life's simple pleasures. He has no idea how to actually do that so he's bored in a week.

His wife Delia (Catherine O'Hara) fancies herself an artist. She thinks knowing important people makes you important and resents being dragged to a small town where she can no longer hobnob with the elite. She plans on channeling this frustration into redecorating the house into some sort of op art, half-house, half-artistic statement. To help her in her goals, she brings along Interior Decorator and self proclaimed genius, Otho (Glenn Shadix).

Otho is a pretentious snob who pretends to be expert on all things and advises Delia throughout their upcoming adventure. He leeches onto the needy Delia. By feeding her frustrations, he assures himself a perpetual job as her consultant on all matters.

Then there is Lydia (Winona Ryder in what is STILL one of her best roles). She is a teenager who wears all black and mopes around depressed all the time. She was Goth before there was a Goth. Between this role and her role in "Heathers' she may have INVENTED Goth! Lydia is also more open-minded than most people and can actually see the Maitland's ghosts.

Well the Maitland's aren't happy about this new family changing so much of their home, so they decide to try to scare them away. It doesn't work at all. They are too nice and too inexperienced to be truly scary. It not only doesn't work, but the Deitz's find them funny and want the Maitland's to come back and perform like a circus act

Otho has learned a few tricks from the Maitland's copy of the 'Handbook for the Recently Deceased', which he found and pilfered. He summons them during a 'ghost' party, but things get out of hand and the Maitland's could die. As a last ditch effort, And against the advice of afterworld case-worker, Juno (Sylvia Sidney), Lydia calls in Betelgeuse (pronounced Beetle-juice and played by Michael Keaton). He is a troublemaking ghost who CAN be scary. Lydia is desperate to save them Maitland's from Otho, but who will save them, and Lydia, from Betelgeuse now that he's out of the afterlife and out of control?

So what's it all about? Good vs. Evil? Not really. The triumph of youth? I don't think so. Just plain entertainment? Probably! There are some morals here, like what makes people happy and content. There are also semi-political, semi-tongue-in-cheek comments about everything from the stupidity of professional athletes to the true consequences of suicide.

The casting was excellent and everyone does a good job of making you believe in his or her part. This is especially true of Winona Ryder who I don't think has done better than this in her many roles since. The effects are not the super computer generated eye candy that we are getting used to, but they are more than adequate. Much of the scenery and otherworld characters are supposed to be comically surreal, so the slightly low-tech effects probably work better anyway.

I don't usually comment on music, but there are a couple of numbers here that will make you a Calypso Music fan, even though you won't admit t to your friends.

I was looking through my old videos a few days ago and found this film collecting dust on a low shelf. Re-watching it was a treat. Then when I saw only 20 previous Epinions, compared to over 350 for 'Cast Away', I decided that a few more people need to be introduced to this fun and entertaining classic.


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older