Film: BeetleJuice (1988) Rated: PG Directed by: Tim Burton Written by: Michael McDowell Starring: Michael Keaton as Beetlegeuse Alec Baldwin as Adam Maitland Geena Davis as Barbara Maitland Catherine O'Hara as Delia Deetz Jeffrey Jones as Charles Deetz Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz Glenn Shadix as Otho Fenlock
By Scott Knopf of He Shot Cyrus
Pre-screening memories: No R-rated movies. PG-13 movies only with parental consent. That was my childhood. Being raised in a strict religious family is just as fun as you’d imagine, and if you were one of those kids who got to watch whatever you wanted, consider yourself lucky. I was the movie ratings expert. I knew the rating for EVERY movie Blockbuster had to offer. Before even reading what the movie was about, I’d flip over the box, scroll down to the bottom, and search out that powerful box that would determine my movie-watching fate. PG-13 YES! I can watch this one! R Dang! That one looked good. The MPAA directly contributed to my unhappiness in the 90s. Looking back on those years, it’s either a miracle that I enjoy film at all or it was those restrictions that made movies the forbidden fruit that I had to obtain by any means possible.
PG-13 Movies I Wasn’t Allowed to Watch:
- Jurassic Park – Heartbreaking. We couldn’t even watch the VHS tape my brother got for his birthday! I don’t know how old I was before I finally got to watch Jurassic Park. Luckily, the hype didn’t ruin the movie and when I did see the movie it was still incredible. Forgiveness is difficult to find when it comes to Jurassic Park.
- Beavis and Butt-Head Do America – I still can’t believe that this was PG-13, maybe it’s because they knew that no one over 17 would watch this garbage. In retrospect, I have to thank my parents for not allowing me to waste my time with Beavis and Butt-Head.
- Gremlins – When I asked my Grandma to take me to Gremlins, she said that my parents wouldn’t approve (she was probably right) and we watched White Fang. Needless to say, White Fang was absolutely terrible and still holds a spot on my Top 5 Least Favorite Movies of All-Time list.
And then there’s Beetlejuice. It didn’t make that list for one reason, because it’s rated PG! I can’t describe the frustration of not being allowed to watch a PG movie. Hell, I wasn’t allowed to watch the Beetlejuice cartoon on Nickelodeon. Maybe it had something to do with subject matter but I have no clue why such a strict ban of Beetlejuice was held in my house. It was like Beetlejuice drove his car through my mom’s flower bed or borrowed my dad’s lawnmower and never brought it back. We’re talking about a vendetta situation, a Romeo and Juliet scenario.
But rather than poisoning myself, I just set up a secret screening at my friend’s house to watch The Forbidden Film.
And to quote the Lord: it was good.
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Our featured guest: Glenn Shadix
- (courtesy of Glenn’s personal collection)
In a film filled with countless arresting visuals, dialogue and performances, Glenn’s Otho, the interior decorator/paranormal expert still manages to steal every scene he is in.
Glenn went on to star in a host of other popular titles (many of which we hope to grab him back here at Natsukashi to recall). He then relocated to his hometown in Alabama, working on both sides of the camera as well as the stage. Of course, you can follow all of Glenn’s adventures on GlennShadix.com, as well as staying tuned to Natsukashi, as we are planning to share memories with him on several of his iconic roles.
Pre-screening memories: I think Gung Ho might be one of the most poorly chosen titles for a movie ever. Whenever I ask one of my friends about it, no one knows what the hell I’m talking about. Yet, when I start describing the plot and listing off the stars, you can see the light slowly go on as they remember it piece by piece no thanks to the title.
New memories: I’d like to say I was compelled to revisit Gung Ho because the scope of the current collapse of the United States auto industry weighs heavily on the collective consciousness of Americans everywhere and this movie provides a prescient yet humorous look into our current situation nearly 25 years previous chronicling the plight of America’s eroding manufacturing base and de-unionization. I’d sure like to say that.
I enjoyed Gung Ho a great deal when I re-watched it recently. The movie hits all the right notes in capturing small-town, American working class psychology. The movie is loaded with familiar faces from the 80s in George Wendt, John Turturro, Mimi Rogers, and Michael Keaton who was a very hot property at the time. Wendt and Keaton in particular give excellent performances. Wendt is your typical overweight, obnoxious, bloviating meathead whom you hated in high school, and were you to see him again now, would hate even more. Keaton plays the guy who was popular in high school and tries to coast on that type of easy charm the rest of his life.
Rodney started his career on stage in San Francisco as a founder of the Asian American Theater Company, the first of its kind in the area. While in theater, he earned multiple awards as an actor, designer and director of his many performances.
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