The words “A Tim Burton movie” appear on the big screen and the audience erupts in applause. The screening is reserved for the press, the first ever on the morning of August 28, the one that unofficially marks the beginning of the 81st Venice Film Festival. For about two hours the director of The Corpse Bride brings back to life the legendary and feared Beetlejuice. Among the most anticipated films of the season, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the sequel to Burton’s beloved film – arrived after 36 years – in Italian theaters from September 5 with Warner Bros. Pictures.
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and the homage to Italian horror
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice It is a personal and emotional film. A cinematic story in which genres merge and serve the colors and dark tones, typical of Burton, while maintaining a lively and subtle irony. Finding old and familiar characters is a real pleasure, but it is the new ones that give real life to the film. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice It’s a film that brings with it a lot of expectation, but it’s nothing like what you might have imagined. It’s a divisive film and in its own way attractive. For Burton it’s partly a tribute to Italian horror: “I’ve always wanted to make a horror film in Italian, with this film it’s as if I did: I’m a fan of Mario Bava and Dario Argento. I’m not an Italian horror director, but I’d like to be one”.
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“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”. The story
But what is it about? After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still obsessed with Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both worlds, it’s only a matter of time before someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his own version of chaos.
Jenna Ortega at a press conference in Venice. Photo Giorgio Zucchiatti, La Biennale di Venezia Photo ASACTim Burton after the series “Wednesday”
Based on characters created by Michael McDowell and Larry Wilson and a story by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, Seth Grahame-Smith, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice it’s almost an inevitable consequence: after the series Wednesday the director could not stay away from this story. “In the last few years I have been a bit disappointed by the film industry in general, and I realized that if I wanted to do something it would have to come from the heart: maybe I was a little lost too and this was an energizing film, I have to love doing things to do them well, and now I have found myself again”.
And regarding the choice not to resort to GCI, Burton explains that “It’s part of the project’s DNA: the actors actually saw what was happening, without having to imagine it. The film was shot in the spirit of the firsteven though it seemed like something different, with more emotions in the field, working with a lot of improvisation. Jenna – Ortega, the protagonist of Wednesday – makes it seem like a new film because it is seen through her eyes: she is a point of connection. With the other actors making their debut in the film I had never worked, but I knew their work: they gave their ideas for an artistic energy that is not always easy to obtain”. No spoilers but… Impossible to omit: the entrance on the scene of Monica Belluccias Beetlejuice’s ex-wife, is one of the most beautiful moments of the entire show. A symbolic moment that concerns “reconstruction”, the scars of the past and the idea of revenge.
Tim Burton’s words on “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”
“The original Beetlejuice is a very special movie to me. And the idea of a sequel has come up many times; there were various scripts going around. But I always felt that if we were going to do it, we had to do it well and with Michael, Catherine and Winona’s approval. If they hadn’t all agreed, I wouldn’t have done it. I’ve always identified with Lydia, so I started thinking about what her life would have been like: going from a badass goth kid to an adult. What happened to her in thirty-five years? What happens to all of us? Sometimes as we get older, we lose a part of ourselves, we go down a certain path, we go on a certain journey, we have different relationships, and all of that changes us. I identified with Lydia then and I identify with her now.,” said Tim Burton. “This new film is also very personal to me, partly because it has the same spirit as the first one: a lot of improvisation, a lot of non-digital special effects and just a lot of freedom to do what I wanted to do. It reminded me of the real reason why I love making movies. And the cast, not just Michael, Catherine and Winona, but also Jenna, Justin, Monica, Willem, made it a very special film for me.”.
Margherita Bordino
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