Throwback Thursday: Beetlejuice

Back when I was about 9, I was staying with my grandparents in Sombra and I probably was being a pain in the ass, so my Grandma sent me off to the Pic n' Pay to rent a video. I checked out the small collection of videos and my eyes settled upon this VHS cover.

This totally looks like a feel good movie

I was intrigued. I brought it back, and carefully covered the PG13 label with my marsupial-sized thumb. I popped it into the VCR and for 90 minutes, I was entranced. This was everything I ever wanted from a film; it was dark, it was funny, it was a little scary. It was everything. And so, on this throwback Thursday, I present the reasons why Beetlejuice, in my humble and sometimes wrong opinion, rocks so hard.

Two words: Lydia Deetz. Oh Winona, I will always have a place in my heart for you. You have starred in some of my favourite films you lovable little klepto you. Lydia Deetz was what I wanted to be so badly. She was dark and unhappy, morbid and full of spite. Oh, she was awesome. Her outfits were incredible and her hair, oh her hair. Two years after watching this film, I was able to dress up like her for a Halloween party. I believe I used my spit to recreate her fangy bangs. We were living in Ottawa at the time and a public school near where we lived was hosting an all out Halloween bash. It was being held the Saturday before Halloween and I knew I had to be there. I arranged to meet a friend inside so my dad dropped me off at the entrance. I stood in line in my finest Lydia Deetz all black ensemble with spit in my hair and clutched my 5 dollar bill to get in. As I approached the desk to pay, the woman behind the desk asked me if I was here alone. I was about to say "Yes." but a father standing behind me with his two kids piped up "No, she's with us." He winked and gestured to the sign on the table that said that no kids were allowed entry without a guardian. Oh you! I wish I knew who that man was because once I paid, he pulled me to the side and said "Go have a blast!". I will never ever forget that. Thank you kind man. Nowadays I most likely would have screamed "STRANGER DANGER!". Sigh.

So practical for ugly Tova days.

Anyway, Lydia was the BOMB!

Catherine O'Hara: I also think she is incredible. She's Kevin's mom for goodness sake. Her character in Beetlejuice is incredible. Her artwork is incredible. Her glove hat is incredible.

Some leather gloves and a glue gun. Perfect craft.

And she has the best quote of all time:

I will live with you in this hellhole, but I must express myself. If you don't let me gut out this house and make it my own, I will go insane and I will take you with me!

I may or may not use this quote whenever the Husband questions my next big decorating project. He doesn't know it is a quote. He also sleeps with one eye open.

Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis'dress: Look at how hot he is (that's a terrible picture, actually, but believe me when I say hot). My word. And look at her Laura Ashley dress. I'm lost for words.

This dress has pockets.

Otho: This guy was great. He was an interior decorator and leech. His biggest fear? Blue polyester.

Armpit stink does not wash out of that fabric

And now look at this. Does your interior designer try to recreate that terrible Erasure video? I thought not.

I'm not wearing panties

Michael Keaton: You give an Oscar to Gywneth Paltrow and you can't give one to him? Fo' shame! Michael Keaton was Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice was Michael Keaton. Chicken egg. He was the perfect combination of insane and funny. A lovable sociopath if you will on speed. If we are going to label, I am going with some serious attention deficit disorder here. Love you MICHAEL!

All you can eat dumplings? I'm in!

The Dance Scenes: Quite possibly one of the best scenes of this film was the dinner where all the guests start dancing, Otho uses a champagne bucket as a drum, and the shrimp cocktails attack. This was brilliant. Day-O!

She too used spit to style her hair.

This is why I don't eat seafood.

And then of course, the final scene with Lydia dancing in midair. When the song Jump in Line started playing, my Grandma started singing along. Her cool factor exploded through the roof. I still think of her whenever I hear that song. And every time I see that scene, I dance the dance of a white girl, badly.

That outfit alone was why I begged to go to Catholic school. Didn't happen

There are so many reasons I love this film. I have to watch it every October and I cannot wait until I watch it with the Kid. Most likely he will roll his eyes and say "Lame-o" because I imagine my child, when he will be older and speaking fluently, as an extra from Encino Man.

Happy Thursday!