What Beetlejuice Bring Us?

A dark fairy tale, Beetlejuice stands out for its eerie atmosphere, supernatural elements, and morally complex characters like Lydia. In its deathly atmosphere and adolescent self-worth explorations, among other things, blending horror and humor to create a captivating and unique tale. The power of a character like Beetlejuice has villainous personality and unattractive appearance made even me, who was watching the movie at the time, feel enthralled. Lydia reminds me of my own adolescence when I was lost and couldn't find my future. I think of those times now and I find my own "maverick" ideas very funny. As a reader, what kind of speculation and imagination do you have about the world after death?

Supernatural Power Leading Film and Character

Surreal elements are important in dark fairy tales because they allow the story to transcend the boundaries of reality and give it more possibilities to explore the characters. In Beetlejuice, the surreal elements are not only reflected in the afterworld setting but also in the magical spell that says name three times and builds the foundations of characters.

God’s watching the evilness

In the movie Beetlejuice, there is a classic scene where someone has to say the name "Beetlejuice" three times in a row to release dangerous Beetlejucie（please look at this video above). This element is obviously supernatural, but its meaning is still somewhat confusing. The spell appears at the beginning of the story and is repeated over and over again. Its biggest limitation is that Beetlejuice himself cannot say his name, and must do so three times in a row. Some viewers have commented on the movie, suggesting that Beetlejuice may be a principled evil person. However, the truth is that Beetlejuice turns out to be a completely unprincipled villain by the end of the story. This situation of not being able to control one's destiny is obviously not unusual for powerful wizard like Beetlejuice; is there a new concept outside of the Office of the Dead?

The honesty displayed by Beetlejuice may stem from the Japanese belief in speech spirits, where specific words or incantations hold magical power. This concept, rooted in ancient Japanese myths, suggests a supernatural force governing the natural world, capable of dispelling evil or bringing fortune. In fact, Japanese journalists have systematized speech spirits, stating that "in ancient times, incantations and spells for kami (deities in Shinto) were considered to have some sort of divine power, especially when they were spelled in a certain way." This observation underscores the profound belief in the potency of language. Similar to the Chinese proverb stating that spoken promises are unchangeable, language holds an immutable power. This specific supernatural power seals characters like Beetlejuice, compelling honesty, even momentarily.

Is exorcist An Abrupt Mentioning?

Furthermore, supernatural elements can enhance a character's impact. Beetlejuice's remark, "I've seen The Exorcist one hundred and sixty-seven times and it's funnier every time I see it," serves as both a foreshadowing and a nod to the movie's inspirations. In "The Exorcist," a young priest battles demonic possession, a theme echoed in Beetlejuice's storyline. At the end of the story, Lydia's family finally learns that their house is being haunted. They don't feel scared and are even ready to transform the place into a haunted house. They even hire an exorcist to see the ghost. Because of these rash human decisions, the two main characters, Barabra and Adam, suffer. To end this suffering, miserable Lydia called Beetlejuice three times and finally released him. Many viewers get confused about this additional world setting.

Beetlejuice's screenwriter has already mentioned that a large part of his inspiration came from movies like exorcists. After recording three screen writer’s writing pathways, Mason Kupiainen, a movie reporter concludes that, "Before going through countless rewrites, the original idea for Beetlejuice was to make it straight horror with the movie being more graphic and disturbing. The movie would have been more along the lines of something like The Exorcist instead of being the goofy comedy it became. (Mason). "Indeed, two-thirds of the viewers who see the movie will think that it is a black humor comedy film that is mainly funny. This is because Beetlejuice haven’t reveal himself Until this point of the story. The audience needs an opportunity to discover the horrors of beetlejuice. The addition of this exorcist setting allow viewers familiar with horror movies a better understanding of the power of beetleiuice —stronger than the priest in The Exorcist.

The fact that ghosts can also die puts Barabra and Adam in a crisis. After searching for many possibilities of salvation, Mr. and Mrs. Adam are still on the verge of death of their souls. This is when one more person is needed to save the people from their current situation, pushing the supernatural elements of this movie over the top. Beetlejuice's affinity for The Exorcist underscores his power and contributes to his enigmatic allure. These supernatural elements add depth to his character—not only a clown—balancing humor with horror and maintaining his formidable status.

Rebelling gothic teenager search for her identity: character Personality

An important element of the dark fairy tale is Characters with depth and complex human nature. Lydia's journey through adolescence and her interactions with the supernatural in Beetlejuice underscore the complexities of growing up and navigating familial changes.

Maturing Lydia

The maturation of women has always been a delightful point of discussion in dark fairy tales, often accompanied by a reexamination of their identity, goals, and values. For example, the princess in Sleeping Beauty falls into eternal sleep at the age of sixteen, and the protagonist of The Little Mermaid is a rebellious teenager who is victimized by a witch; the heroine of Beelejuice is also a woman in transition to adulthood. Her maturity shows in various ways. Firstly, Lydia's makeup is pale and lifeless, with dark circles under her eyes and purple lips, showing no teenage vigor. The striking black dress and hat further emphasize her gothic persona.

Her outfit belongs to Victorian Goth, an outfit full of death and decadence.

The exclusion of the Gothic style from the mainstream represents its idiosyncratic and unique aesthetic. Bikerings, a professional gothic dress shop, states that "the Gothic community is curious about death and its philosophical and socio-cultural aspects (Bikerings)."By adopting this unique style, Lydia sets herself apart from societal norms and expresses her distinctive identity. This careful choice of clothing is a visual representation of her mature understanding of herself and the world.

Besides the rebellious attitude related to Lydia’s maturation, Gothic style itself often draws on medieval elements such as ancient castles, crosses, and shackles, as well as supernatural themes such as vampirism, witchcraft, and ghosts. These themes emphasize the classic horror atmosphere and supernatural energy of dark fairy tales.

Women in Puberty

Supernatural Power

Even though mentally Lydia is very mature, she is still a child. The supernatural elements in the story explain this. Dark fairy tales always contain many supernatural elements. There are times when these elements are meant to break through the boundaries of reality to simply reveal the essence of human nature. For example, it is used to reveal Lydia's immaturity. First of all, she is the only living person who possesses the ability to see ghosts. In her explanation, it's because she is the spirit of the strange. The story subtly suggests an explanation in the Handbook of Recently Decrease: adults tend to ignore the strange and unusual. This phrase provokes Lydia's immaturity. As the story progresses, Lydia seems to discover the supernatural powers of the house. Not only does she venture into the neglected attic, but she also delves into the handbook for the newly deceased, despite its apparent lack of coherence. Her desire to explore the unknown and her innate curiosity reveals her childlike innocence.

Concerns about Family

However, Lydia's struggles with familial changes, such as her father's new partner, underscore the conflicts and confusion inherent in the maturation process. In the middle of the story, Barbara and Adam try to terrorize the Lydia family with scary noises. Lydia doesn't realize it is a ghost but suspects that her parents are doing something adult. She struggles to knock on the door saying, " I'm still a child. "By saying this, she tries to pretend not disappointed in her father having a new partner. This makes her create a joke joking about it. However, her attention toward this reveals she is distracted and feeling miserable about this family issue. As a dark fairy tale, the seemingly joyful movie Beetlejuice must contain characters with a lot of depth, and Lydia represents the conflicts and confusion of girls growing up.

Despite Lydia's desire to be a mature adult, her distress in dealing with the changes in her family suggests that she is not yet fully mature in her thinking. Her curiosity about the supernatural and her constant search for answers emphasize that she is a complex character that cannot be explained by innocent child.

Beetlejuice’s creepy atmosphere and Designing of afterlife

Warning: This blog might contain gory contents and pictures

"Beetlejuice" feels like a dark fairy tale because it's filled with spooky vibes and supernatural abilities. The creepy atmosphere of afterlife and the characters' strange designs, not only give the story a mysterious scary feel but also provide viewer deeper thinking of the meaning of life and death.

The afterlife portrayed in "Beetlejuice" stands in stark contrast to the Mexican-themed afterlife depicted in "Coco," which draws inspiration from the traditional festival of Day of the Dead in Guanajuato, Mexico. The world after death in the film adopts a bright and rich color scheme, giving people a warm and cheerful feeling. The whole environment is full of vitality and vigor, making people feel the beauty and joy of life. While the afterlife in "Coco" is characterized by remembering and family lineages, the afterlife in "Beetlejuice" is definitely a disaster.

Dream Core

At the beginning of the story, Barbara and Adam, a couple who have not yet realized their death, attempted to escape their living area, leading them into the desert where souls are devoured by monstrous earthworms. The outcome of encountering these creatures and the purpose behind their existence remain shrouded in mystery. The sky in this realm is an artificial blue hue that seems out of place, akin to a fabricated backdrop in a studio setting. Despite the three-dimensional nature of the props within the movie, the surrealism of this scene is difficult to grasp. The blue is supposed to let costumers ignore the running of time. The oversaturation of colors, the disorienting scenes, and the unsettling sound effects all contribute to a dreamlike atmosphere.

People Died

Of course, the creepy setting doesn't exist in just one place. In Beetlejuice’s world, dead people’s appearance are based on the way they died. Souls living forever seem to look more like a curse. In the afterlife office where Adam and Barbara are trying to to seek help, the director revives the dead who have horrific appearances due to various causes of death. For example, there's a woman whose back was severed in imitation of a black dahlia.

There's also an explorer whose head has been shrunk by a mysterious civilization, and an office worker crushed by a truck. All of these are designed to give the living a sense of reverence for life. One officer said, “if I know what happened to me I won’t have my little accident.” Death is not relief but a whole new set of troubles. When people think of death as a relief, for example Lydia tries to suicide in the middle of movie, they often ignore the permanent punishment that may lie behind it. Death is not the end, but another form of existence that brings endless challenges and difficulties. In some cultures and religions, death may be followed by judgment and eternal torment rather than true liberation. Death should therefore not be seen as a means of escapism or liberation, but rather as a permanent state of being that needs to be taken seriously and understood.

Beetlejuice 2 is COMING!!!!

I cannot believe this happens after more than 30 years

I can't believe this is happening now, over thirty years after this movie has been released. The movie will be produced by Warner Bros. The director will still be Tim Burton ,the main actress is Jenna Keaton, who played the lead in Netflix's hit series Wednesday and the original main character actress still has a role.Enjoy looking forward to it in the ongoing year of 2024!

Why is Beetlejuice a Dark Fairytale?

Spoiler’s alert!: This account contain spoilers of Beetlejuice

The audio used in this short video has been very popular on tiktok for the last three years. The hottest video in the Chinese version of tiktok alone has already exceeded one million likes. What few people know is that the audio is a clip from the musical adaptation of the movie Beetlejuice, released in 1988.

Beetlejuice is a dark fairy tale movie released in 1988 and directed by Tim Burton——the director of “Corpse Bride” and “Wednesday.”

“I am a big fan of him so i can almost identify all characters on this picture. Edward Scissorhands, the uncle from Adams family, the red queen, corpse bride, Wonka, Beetlejuice……”——From Writer herself

The story follows Adam and Barbara Maitland, a couple who become ghosts after a car accident and need to live in their own home. But their relatives have long since sold the house due to their death. In case of this is a house that contains their warm memories, they try to evict the new homeowner's family to protect their house. However, this apparently doesn't go very well. They have to resort to a rude, eccentric ghost named Beetlejuice who promise can solve this problem. The other main character, Lydia, is the new homeowner's daughter, an independent, rebellious teenager who has an interest in the supernatural and the dark and develops a connection to the world of ghosts. She becomes a bridge between live’s world and Barbara’s world. Lastly, Barbara and Adam get rid of their annoying house owners and “adopted” Lydia as their daughter. People probably see a TikTok video of Beetlejuice which bring this old movie back to memory.

I was sixteen when I first watched this movie. At the time I was fascinated by gothic culture. My favorite part of the movie was the red dress that the main character, Lydia, wore when she was forced to get married. I was even more attracted to the movie's unique world of the afterlife - where death is not a relief but a new trouble. During the same time period I also watched The Adams Family and Edward Scissorhands. But after repeated viewings, I found Beeltjuice to be more than just a darkly humorous irreverent and funny movie, but a dark fairy tale that convinces with reason.

Beetlejuice" is a dark fairy tale characterized by its deathly, creepy atmosphere that highlights the world of dead and meaning of living . The director created ambiguous characters such as Lydia who explores her own identity as a teenager in puberty. The supernatural power portrays powerful character Beetlejuice and symbolized the power of spirit.