Say his name three times and he will appear. With his unruly green hair, pinstripe suit and unusual mannerisms, the malicious spirit became a film icon. But before the dark comedy premiered the studio and half of the cast weren't exactly convinced that audiences would be willing to take the wild ride about a bio-exorcist. The original script was vastly different, offering a darker and more deadly take before humor was eventually (and successfully) sprinkled in during production. The unique blend of absurdity and alarm proved to be the perfect mix, with this 80s Flick becoming a surprise hit at the box office, spawning a hit animated series, winning an Oscar, and becoming a Broadway musical. So take a trip with us back to Winter River Connecticut, grab your copy of the “Handbook for the Recently Deceased”, and watch out for the Sandworms as Tim Williams and guest co-hosts Laramy Wells & Bethany Wells discuss “Beetlejuice” from 1988 on this episode of the 80s Flick Flashback Podcast.
Here are some additional behind-the-scenes trivia we were unable to cover in this episode:
• Tom Duffield said "The scene with Alec Baldwin, where Geena’s standing with his head in her hand, he was just kneeling behind a black show card that was cut around his chin. Look closely, it’s all done on camera. It was real quick cut, but that’s all it was."
• The epilogue featuring Beetlejuice and the witch doctor was added during post-production. Another version of the ending showed Beetlejuice in the waiting room with the barber who welcomed Adam at the beginning of the movie (supposedly after he had died), and the barber's rambling drove Beetlejuice crazy.
Sources:
Wikipedia, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, Box Office Mojo
https://www.ranker.com/list/beetlejuice-behind-the-scenes/jacob-shelton
https://www.eonline.com/news/1369754/20-strange-and-unusual-secrets-about-beetlejuice-revealed
Some sections were composed by ChatGPT
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