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The Arts Intel Report

A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler
A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Michael Keaton in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

Streaming on Theaters

It’s been 36 years since Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice hit theaters, and to this day many won’t say the title character’s name three times out loud, for if they do, Michael Keaton might materialize and wreak havoc. Since its release, Beetlejuice has become a cultural phenomenon—Pauline Kael referred to it as a “comedy classic.” Now comes the long-awaited sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. The film follows the Deetz clan—the family terrorized in the original—as they return to Winter River, Connecticut, after the death of Charles, their patriarch. Lo and behold, early in the movie the young daughter Astrid Deetz (Jenna Ortega) discovers the model town that serves as a conduit for Betelgeuse’s arrival. And sure enough, the nearly four-decades-older Betelgeuse (Keaton) is summoned, ready to cause trouble. Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara reprise their roles as Lydia and Delia Deetz, and Willem Dafoe joins the fun. —Jack Sullivan

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.