In partnership with Warner Bros. UK
Google “Beetlejuice costumes”. There are some sensationally spooky lewks out there, right? Each Halloween brings black-and-white stripes aplenty, along with deeper cuts such as the ‘Miss Argentina’ sash worn by the undead receptionist in Tim Burton’s comedy-horror masterpiece.
Now, the Juice is loose again as the director returns with his long-awaited sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. 36 years after the original, the Deetzes are headed home to Winter River, Connecticut. Here Delia (Catherine O’Hara), Lydia (Winona Ryder) and the latter’s daughter Astrid (Wednesday’s Jenna Ortega) run into the demonic Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), who’s spent an eternity ruminating on his last encounter with the family. Unexpectedly, he’s also become a manager in an office job.
Anyway, Burton is one of cinema’s great stylists and the screen pops with another visual feast. Happily, some stellar ‘fits from the first film are back too. Let’s go down the (sand) wormhole to remember the unforgettable looks and garments that make the Beetlejuice world so vivid.
The Juice’s iconic striped suit
Well, obviously. It’s now literally impossible for anyone to wear a black-and-white suit without being compared to ‘the ghost with the most’. It’s breathtaking when we first glimpse Keaton rocking that immortal (or should we say undead?) outfit in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. The ghoul has style all round – his natty maroon suit and ruffled shirt combo is also back – but the biggest revelation might be the comfy cardigan he wears in his new job. Now that’s scary.
Lydia’s raven-like black bob
More than three decades have passed but, as Catherine O’Hara exclaimed on the podcast Let’s Talk Off Camera With Kelly Ripa in March, “Winona looks exactly the same!” Aside from enviable genetics (or possibly some kind of witchcraft), this is partly down to the jagged black bob that Ryder’s revisited for the role. Fun fact: the actor loves Lydia so much she starred in Stranger Things on the condition that she could take time out for a Beetlejuice sequel, should it ever be green-lit.
Delia’s black-as-night top hat
It’s no spoiler to say that the film begins with the funeral of patriarch Charles Deetz, to which Delia wears a black top hat with a pitch-black ribbon. If that sounds familiar, please collect 10 points and join the Neitherworld waiting room to receive your prize. Yes, the Deetz matriarch donned the same hat, with a red ribbon, for Beetlejuice and Lydia’s attempted wedding in the original movie. It’s this loving attention to detail that has fans so excited about Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
The shrinkers’ ill-fitting suits
Any suit looks super-weird when your head is a fraction of the size it should be. While the first Beetlejuice featured a shrunken-headed character, the new one boasts a whole host of them, all clad in spiffy threads that accentuate their unfortunate proportions. These ‘shrinkers’ work in the office with Betelgeuse, who owns a “World’s Best Boss!” mug. We’d query that, but Bob the Shrinker, one of the ‘Juice’s colleagues, seems happy enough.
Lydia’s blood-red dress
Another Halloween costume staple, Lydia’s fabulous red dress is back for this sensational sequel. Given that Beetlejuice keeps an old photo of her on his office desk, he’s clearly never stopped longing for a reunion. Just to hammer home the point, he serenades her by strumming a guitar as he lip-syncs to Richard Marx’s schmaltzy ‘80s power ballad ‘Right Here Waiting’, like a grasping hopeful on The X Factor. Next!
Delores’ gory wedding ring
Who? Good question! At one point in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the main man is presented with a photo of this glamorous new character, who’s played by Monica Bellucci, and shrugs: “Never seen that chick before in my life – or afterlife.” The ‘Juice might just be telling fibs here, given that Delores has a finger missing like the one he slipped a wedding ring from in the first movie. Why is he so keen to avoid her? Beetlejuice, you old dog…
Zipped lips for everyone!
Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! These three words famously summon the ghoul from the Afterlife – or banish him back there. He’s not keen on the latter and isn’t above conjuring a zip or zig-zagged stitches to clamp offenders’ lips shut. A key part of the cartoonish Beetlejuice world, they’re as indelible as the movies’ other spooky accessories. What further surprises does Beetlejuice Beetlejuice hold? Our lips are sealed!
‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ is in cinemas September 6