31 Days of Monster Mania: Day 21: BEETLEJUICE

Written by Stu Cooper

We are breaking into the final 10 entries in Monster mania, and before we know it Halloween will be over. Let's all give one collective sigh right now. Have no fear tho, you are in good hands. Today I am talking about one of the most iconic horror films of all-time. This film came out of the mind of Tim Burton and into the hearts of pretty much every human being who has seen it. This film launched Michael Keaton into mainstream success and led to him playing Batman. Today's entry is all about the ghost with the most, "BEETLEJUICE"!

"Beetlejuice" came out in March 1988. The film was a critical and financial success across the board. The film had a 15 million dollar budget and made over 70 million in the box office. The film was Directed by Tim Burton and it absolutely shows. The music is also provided by Danny Elfman. With those two teaming up, you can't fail. "Beetlejuice" stars Michael Keaton as a bio-exorcist dead guy who tricks newly dead souls into requesting his help. He is somewhat like an evil genie. Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara (Gina Davis) are two townspeople who recently died in an accident, and are still inhabiting their home. New residents move into the house and the couple decides to seek out the help of Beetlejuice (Keaton).

The couple of Adam and Barbara are what you would consider the modern middle class happy couple. They seem to live in a very small town where everyone knows your name, and they own some type of local store. They live in a absolutely beautiful home on top of this hill. The home is shaped very bizarrely, almost warped. Part of that Tim Burton style charm you will see throughout the film. The couple die when their car goes off a bridge. Not realizing they are dead the couple head back to their home and after a series of tests, they come to realize they are no longer alive. Upon realizing this Adam actually finds a book called "Guide to the Recently Deceased" which supposedly tells them all they need to know. The book is overly complicated and the couple gets very confused about where to go from there. They then meet their undead counselor, and she tells them NOT to contact Beetlejuice, and to scare the residents out of the house.

Adam and Barbara attempt to scare the new residents out of the house, but they quickly realize the people cannot actually see them. With one exception, the daughter. The incredibly dark depressed daughter is played by the classic Winona Ryder. She plays Lydia Deetz. She for whatever reason can actually see the ghosts, and later on she can see Beetlejuice. Her depressive dark side must be so powerful that it actually attracts the dead. That's quite bizarre, but you will have no issues rolling with it. Lydia immediately finds Adam and Barbara endearing and cooler than her actual parents. Lydia agrees to help the two ghosts find a way to scare off the new residents. After some failed attempts the couple gives in and calls upon Beetlejuice. What ensues after this point in the film is pure madness. Michael Keaton's opening monologues as Beetlejuice are some of the most unforgettable lines in movie history. I can't tell you how many times I've quoted some of the things Beetlejuice says. Beetlejuice immediately seems creepy and perverted, but hilarious. The couple seem to immediately regret calling him for help. They see him do some pretty gross stuff but they have no choice. They inform him of the current situation and he offers his help.

The new couple inhabiting the house is played by Catherine O'Hara and Jeffrey Jones, two memorable 80's comedy actors. They would be accompanied throughout the film by their fashion and poltergeist guru friend Otho played by Glenn Shadix. The three of them together absolutely personify greed and 80's yuppie lifestyle. You find them very easy to hate, and it's easy to root for Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice wrecks a dinner party via dance routine, chases them in the form of a snake, and even puts on a little horror show for them. While mostly petrified, the couple actually find a way to spin this into a chance to make money, and they propose building the town on the fact that there are ghosts everywhere.

After Lydia sees what happens and the couple fails at their attempts to scare off the new residents, all hope seems to be lost. At this point the yuppie couple begins shopping out the town to various potential investors, and at one point they have over several guests to perform a summoning of sorts. Otho reads the book for the recently deceased and decides to give this undead thing a shot. He performs a spell that causes Adam and Barbara to resurrect in physical form. Unfortunately for them it's zombie physical form and their bodies are decaying. The couple and Otho show they actually have a heart and immediately regret doing this, but it's too late, the spell can't be stopped. Lydia is forced to call upon Beetlejuice for help, on one condition. She must marry him. She quickly agrees to save her friends lives, and Beetlejuice returns to action. Beetlejuice quickly disposes of the guests, two of which I'm pretty sure he kills. He makes the awful art work of the mother come alive and take the couple hostage. At this point a wedding is being performed. Adam and Barbara appear to be going back to their normal selves but aren't able to stop Beetlejuice. It seems that Beetlejuice has won until Barbara storms into the room on a sandworm and essentially knocks Beetlejuice back into the dead world.

After the insane events that take place, the yuppie couple agrees to live in harmony with Adam and Barbara. Lydia adopts them as a second set of parents, and celebrates by communicating with the dead some more. It's a really bizarre film, but somehow it works. The film has an incredibly unique look and the acting is so spot on, you don't question it for a second. Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice is one of the best film performances in history. You don't think about it being him at all, and the lines are so good you believe in him. The little nods or dances that Keaton does while in character are even good. The dance Beetlejuice does into the zombie brothel is one of my favorite parts. It's truly a classic film full of great one liners, insane dream like sets, and a unique concept. The film also had great make-up effects, so much so that it actually won the film an Academy Award for Best Make-up! Also a side note to indicate how lovable this film is, the actor who played Otho sadly passed away in 2010, but at his funeral he actually requested that they play "Day-O" from his famous Beetlejuice scene. Talk about one last tribute! That had to be a moving experience.

The film would see so much success that it would even spawn a cartoon and several toy lines. There was also a video game for the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) but it was horrible, so I wouldn't recommend it. The cartoon was a bit different than the film and the character's perverted side was obviously toned down. Beetlejuice actually uses curse words at one point in the film, so i'm surprised the reception for the cartoon was so positive. Different times, different rules I guess!

Overall the film itself is an absolute gem in every way possible. You have one of those mysterious winning combinations that really stands the test of time. I've watched this movie countless times and I always laugh. The attention to detail in the film is great, especially in the waiting room scenes. You get to see all sorts of people who died of different things, stuck in their form of death. You have a guy smoking cigarettes who is all burnt up, you have a guy who works in the file room because he is flat as paper, and you have the couples legal council who has a slit throat where smoke comes out when she inhales. It's all so brilliant and fun. It really makes you think of this whole universe of the undead where everything is goofy. I can't recommend this film enough, it's a Halloween home run!

Film Enimga: 31 Days of Monster Mania: Day 16: Ultimate Spider-man: Web Warriors Halloween Special

Written by Stu Cooper

Last year I covered the Ultimate Spider-man Halloween special which ended up being incredibly entertaining. Last year Spider-man had a run-in with a werewolf,Frankenstein, and Dracula! It will be hard to top that. This year's special is called "Halloween at the Museum" and apparently features an animated version of a Disney show called "Jessie". I don't keep up with modern children's shows other than a few cartoons, so I have no idea who these people are. It really feels like those old Scooby Doo specials where they have a random celebrity appearance like the classic Batman or Harlem Globetrotters. These kids are not quite as cool. Although immediately I notice one of the kids in the group is in a Doctor Octopus costume, which gave me a brief smile.

The special starts with Jessie and her group touring a local museum late at night. The group accidentally messes with an archaic sword and it activates some kind of ghostly spirit. The spirit collides with Spider-man, and the opening credits hit! Definitely feeling like a scooby doo episode. Messing with the sword ends up waking up a witch who thanks the group for their help, then immediately threatens to destroy and conquer them all. Spider-man quickly subdues the witch and doesn't take her seriously. She gets free of her webbed restraints and proceeds to go psychotic. She casts a spell that causes parts of the museum to come alive!

For some reason this museum is full of the most nightmarish exhibits imaginable starting with a giant worm that attacks Spider-man and Jessie. Also There's one kid in Jessie's group who seems to be a gigantic Indian stereotype. He makes mention that in his homeland, they have cobras instead of worms. Cause he's Indian...get it? Pretty low-brow stuff. The next monster they encounter is a gigantic Jack'O Lantern demon who I'm assuming is the Ghost of Sleepy Hollow. Also a bit unusual that any museum would have a Sleep Hollow exhibit, but I went with it. Later Spider-man beats up some cave men who kidnap Jessie, then he immediately has to fight living dinosaur bones. It seems to be a "Best of" random Scooby Doo-esque villains.

After running the museum gauntlet Spider-man, Jessie, and friends are confronted by the evil witch again. The witch remains confident she'll conquer the world despite the fact that Spider-man just whooped all of her monsters. The witch demonstrates her power by summoning a gigantic dragon to attack the group. While Spider-man fights off the dragon, Jessie uses the special sword to battle the witch. Jessie throws down a bunch of one liners and whips out some Sailor Moon fighting moves, tho she is not a super hero. Despite Jessie's fighting skills the witch shrugs Jessie off and vows to black out the sky, and turn the world into a modern Camelot. After befriending the indian boy, the dragon decides to turn against the witch and distracts her while Jessie puts the sword back into the magical spot. This imprisons the witch once again. Basically teaching the lesson that you should never...ever touch the museum exhibits.

The special goes by rather quickly and is only 30 minutes compared to last year's one hour special. This special felt pretty generic and definitely aimed at a younger audience. Not much to take from this special, and no legendary villains or monsters to be impressed by. I would say this is a sad excuse for a Halloween special and you'd be better off seeking out the "Spider-man and Friends" Dracula episode or last year's special. If you're a fan of the Disney show Jessie, you may feel differently. The special mainly focused on her and since I've only seen that show in passing, I had little frame of reference for it. It seemed pretty lowbrow and dumb, but then again this is a children's show. Give it a shot if you see it on a Saturday afternoon.

31 Days of Monster Mania: Day 10: Night of the Creeps

Written by Stuart Cooper

This is a day I've really been looking forward to. Day 10 is all about one of my favorite horror films. Hell, I'd say one of my favorite films of all-time. It is the perfect storm of cheesy horror and I love every bit of it. Today we are discussing the cult classic 1986 horror comedy...NIGHT OF THE CREEPS! And there is good news and bad news for ya, the good news is, your review is here, the bad news is, I only get one day to talk about it!

Night of the Creeps was released in August of 1986. For some reason 1986 was a magnet for the horror genre. The film did poorly in the box office, but thanks to television viewings, the film seemed to develop a cult following. The film was directed by Fred Dekker who famously did "House" before this, and later Monster Squad, Robocop 3, and is working with Shane Black to create a Predator sequel. Needless to say, this film was in good hands. The film starred Tom Atkins, Jason Lively, Steve Marshall, and the stunning Jill Whitlow.

The plot revolves around an alien worm that crash lands to earth and creates a zombie-like viral problem. The crash landing happens in a town full of college kids, and a bad-ass self loathing detective who can't seem to get a break. The plot jumps from the 1950's to the 1980's, which thanks to the slugs, leads to a subplot where the Detective kills the same guy twice. It's all remarkably cheesy, but it is fully self aware. The film has a lot of homages to early zombie films and tropes that have developed in the science fiction and horror genres. It takes that premise and runs with it!

Jason Lively plays your lead college kid Chris, as he like most college kids, is on a quest to get laid. With the aid of his handicap comedian friend J.C., he attempts to woo a seemingly random sorority girl named Cynthia. This leads to a love story that blooms at the worst possible time. In an attempt to be more manly, Chris and J.C. rush a fraternity. As a form of hazing the two friends are asked to do something extreme. This leads to the guys discovering a cadaver in a college science facility. The cadaver happened to be a body from the 1950's with a space worm inside of it. The boys, like total morons, take the body out and accidentally trigger a worm-fest on their campus.

The worms begin to inhabit local residents, starting with painfully douchey frat guys who happen to be on their way to a formal. The bus full of frat guys get's taken over by the slugs, and leads to a full on invasion. The invasion starts at the sorority house. But thanks to one liners and quick gunshot camera pans, Tom Atkins saves the day as Detective Ray Cameron! This poor Detective has been through hell and he takes out every bit of frustration on these worm zombie bastards. It's truly a sight to behold.

The remainder of the film is an all out war between the college friends, the detective, and the worms! We get to see Chris (Lively) and Cynthia (Whitlow) dawn shotguns, flame throwers, and lawn mowers! It's extreme zombie killing action before it was the horror norm. You also have Tom Atkins bringing his true acting chops to this role. His character is pretty similar to cop roles he has played in other films, except for the fact that he is incredibly depressed and willing to do just about anything. There is actually a pretty depressing subplot where Detective Cameron is about to kill himself, before Chris runs to him with this zombie problem. It provides a nice layer of seriousness in a pretty silly film. There is also a sad monologue from J.C. which I can't elaborate on. I don't want to spoil some of the movies biggest hit points.

Night of the Creeps is just plain fun. If you want a horror movie where you don't have to think, you get a good laugh, and you get gore thrown in, it's the perfect balance. Tom Atkins is by far the highlight of the film, but there are several charming things that leave me smiling. The goofy dialogue is delivered with straight faces, and it makes for some really memorable laughs. The characters are also lovable and heroic, so you root for them the whole time. It was a fun take on the zombie genre and left a memorable impression on me as a child. I sought out the film throughout the years, and like most horror fans, I MAY have found a way to obtain it. Thankfully the film got a full release on DVD after massive demand. The bluray conversion looks quite nice, but there was always something charming to having the old TV recording. It's worth noting there is also two endings to the film. Depending on the way you obtain the film, you may get different ones. I don't want to spoil either one, but I'm sure youtube has them. I know the Netflix one ends with the alternate ending (to the theatrical cut).

The film is mainly a giant tribute to the horror genre. Almost every character's last name is the name of a famous horror figure. The students go to Corman Univesity (Roger Corman) and some of the scenes are clearly knock-offs of classic 50's sci-fi "makeout point" kind of scenes. The film starts off with a lot of dated 80's comedy tropes, but if you stick with it, the film turns it up to 11. Atkins killing zombies and Jill Whitlow using a flame thrower makes the movie for me. There is also some really clever camera angles and shots in this film. You can tell Fred Dekker had a true vision, and he sticks to that vision. It pays off, and provides a memorable spooky experience. The film heavily inspired the 2006 film "Slither". It actually lifts most of the main plot points from this film. Overall, this film is a lost gem and deserves some spotlight. I suggest anyone who loves horror find this movie immediately, and watch it. I believe it's currently available on Netflix! It's the best zombie related thing you can watch right now. That's right Darryl fans...I said it.