It’s common for many auteur filmmakers to have their names transformed into an adjective later on in their career, which is the case with Tim Burton. If you call a film Tim-Burtonesque, any cinephile will quickly have images in their minds of a movie with quirky but nightmarish scenes – it’s like Wes Anderson but way darker. So, it’s no surprise that he has a huge fandom admiring his films – from Edward Scissorhands to Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. But one of his seminal films is Beetlejuice, which allowed his filmmaking career to take off into the dark and fun side. If you’re a fan, you know how iconic the film’s scenes, makeup, and costumes are – from Lydia Deetz’s wedding dress to the afterlife, exorcism, and séance sequences.
So, every Halloween or any ordinary day for goths and Tim Burton fans, they emulate the most iconic looks of the Beetlejuice, which only proves just how influential the film is. If you want to be part of the Beetlejuice dress-up club, you don’t need to worry; looking like you’re a character from the film would only need you to put on a Beetlejuice and Lydia costume or recreate some of the other afterlife characters. Some of the costumes are available online, and some you can even make on your own. So, if you want to channel the Tim-Burtonesque character in you, please keep scrolling and read some fun facts about the movie and the costumes you can get online.
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Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beeeetle… Are You Sure You Wanna Say It Three Times?
Plot Summary – You Wouldn’t Want To Say “Beetlejuice” Three Times
Beetlejuice is a 1988 horror-comedy film – a genre that not everyone can pull off because making people feel disgusted and scared while laughing isn’t easily achieved. The titular character’s name is actually Betelgeuse, but it’s pronounced as Beetlejuice. He came in the film’s story following the deaths of Geena Davis’ Barbara Maitland and Alec Baldwin’s Adam Maitland in a vehicle accident, causing their spirits to become trapped in their rural home. Then came the Deetz family – Catherine O’Hara’s Delia, Jeffrey Jones’ Charles, and Winona Ryder’s Lydia.
When the Deetz acquires the house, the Maitlands’ ghosts try in different sinister ways to drive them away as they still consider the place theirs. Their unsuccessful efforts of being scary ghosts draw the attention of Michael Keaton’s Beetlejuice, an encounter that quickly turns deadly for the Maitlands’s spirits and the Deetz, especially Lydia.
You see, Beetlejuice is a benevolent spirit who has ulterior motives for helping the Maitlands’ ghosts. According to folklore, if you say his name out loud three times fast enough, he will emerge from whichever part of the dark side he came from and maybe help you make your wishes come true. And this is where the movie becomes funnier and darker at the same time with the most memorable and surreal scenes that seem like a technicolor nightmare – a feat only Tim Burton can accomplish.
The Impact Of Beetlejuice – It’s A Culture Icon
Beetlejuice was a critical and financial triumph, generating $74.2 million against a $15 million budget. It received nominations for three Saturn Awards, including Best Horror Film, Best Makeup, and Best Supporting Actress for Sylvia Sidney. The film’s success has created a massive following until the present day making it a cult classic. It has even spawned an animated television series, video games, and a stage musical in 2018. Warner Bros. has also planned a sequel at one point, but the plans fell through due to some undisclosed reasons.
Beetlejuice has also changed Tim Burton’s career and some of the superhero movies that are popular today – yes, you read that right. You see, there was momentum towards Batman feature films in the 1980s, but it took some time before it became a reality. Following Burton’s success with his first film Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, in 1985, Warner Bros. offered him the chance to develop a Batman story. It may sound strange, but it did happen. However, Warner Bros. didn’t give the green light for the filmmaker to start writing and filming 1989’s Batman until after the Beetlejuice’s success. The rest is history, as you can see with grittier superhero films of today.
Of course, being a cult classic means that people still talk about the Beetlejuice in forums, film groups, and whatnot. The younger generation of cinephiles who are also only discovering Tim Burton’s earlier films, and when they get to Beetlejuice, many become instant fans of the characters and their costumes, especially Lydia Deetz’s wedding dress, attitude, and overall look. Who can blame them? Winona Ryder is a legendary actress from day one of her career. So, let’s look at how you can be part of the Beetlejuice cult classic club by looking the part.
The Weird Wisdom of Beetlejuice, 30 Years Later
Get The Beetlejuice Look – Get Dark, Gritty, Campy, And Scary
If you’re ready to look like you’ve seen the horrors of this dimension and the afterlife, you’ve come to the right place. We will give you some of the best ways to channel the most iconic Beetlejuice looks. If you’re ready, then here we go:
Beetlejuice’s Striped Suit
If you want to give yourself a total horror makeover, putting on a white, disheveled wig and white face paint would do the trick. Of course, you can finish it by purchasing Beetlejuice’s striped suit that he wore most of the film. Anyone into movies will quickly identify your costume if you go to a costume party or a Halloween event. On regular days, you can still wear the suit if you’re going to school or work, so that makes this purchase worth it.
Beetlejuice’s Suit For Girls
Who said that it’s only men who can dress up as Beetlejuice? Here we have his iconic striped suit, but with a twist – it’s made for women who want to be sexy and scary at the same time. It’s perfect if you are going to a costume party with your girlfriends and you don’t want to be just frightening. Spice things up with this costume.
Shrunken Headed Beetlejuice
The movie’s ending is indeed hilarious, with Beetlejuice’s head shrinking. But it’s a costume that wouldn’t be easy to pull off, but you’re in luck because somebody knew it would be a perfect costume and created this set that you can put on and make you look like Beetlejuice with a shrunken head. It’s a genius look that will scare anyone.
Beetlejuice’s Mask
Of course, not everyone can be bothered to put on thick layers of makeup to achieve the Beetlejuice look. The good news is you can get this mask and instantly look mighty frightening like Beetlejuice. You wouldn’t need to take time taking off the makeup too.
Lydia Deetz’ Wedding Dress
Of course, if you vibe with Winona Ryder’s Lydia Deetz and her gothness, you can get her iconic red wedding dress. Pair it up with some goth makeup and go around saying quotes from the films like, “I, myself, am strange and unusual.” Again, this Lydia Deetz’ red dress costume seems like a good purchase as it’s polyester, and you can wear it on regular days if you want to be the center of attention with its blood-red shade.
Lydia Deetz’ Hair
Pulling off a Lydia Deetz look would be impossible without dark hair with spiked bangs, which is difficult to achieve if you don’t have the same hair color. It would also require you to make your hair big and messy. If you want a quick fix, getting this Lydia Deetz wig would be a perfect way.
Get Your Beetlejuice On
Now that you know more about the film and why it’s such a huge cult classic, you probably can’t wait to watch or rewatch the movie. Of course, the next time you get a chance to dress up for an event like a Halloween party, you know where you can get Lydia Deetz’s wedding dress which you can put on along with your friend who is goofy enough to be Beetlejuice. Enjoy being the goths from the other side!
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