Beetlejuice (20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) (Blu-ray Disc)

Tim Burton's Beetlejuice is one of those movies that lives on in my memory far more fantastically than it does in my living room. What I mean to say is when I first saw this film 20 years ago I thought it was one of the most imaginative, creative, original and absolutely hysterical motion pictures I'd ever encountered. It knocked my socks off, and over the years anytime anyone asked me about it I'd tell them straight-up it was one of my favorite comedies and most beloved comedies of all time.

Thing is, I hadn't exactly watched the film very much in all that time, and while I still like it quite a bit I think it almost goes without saying I need to take a bit of a chill pill and dial back the hyperbole. While there is plenty to love, I can't exactly say the humor of the piece or the story it is telling works as well today as it did when I was 11, and with the passage of time and the viewing of (a LOT) more films I can see all the bits and pieces that unfortunately don't work a lot more clearly.

Still, this tale of a couple of loving New Englanders (Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin) dealing with an afterlife in their own home assaulted by two New York nincompoops (Jeffrey Jones, Catherine O'Hara) and their morbid teenage daughter (Winona Ryder), as well as the ghoulish "bio-exorcist" (Michael Keaton) threatening to help them out, can be one heck of a lot fun. While Burton was still getting his feet wet as a director here, he has an unusually original eye and a knack for ghoulish detail that's truly one-of-a-kind, while Keaton knocks this so cleanly out of the park as the titular undead ringmaster his performance should probably land him in the comedy Hall of Fame.

What I can complain about in regards to Warner Bros' twentieth anniversary Blu-ray release of the film is just how completely mediocre a presentation it is. The studio has not done anything to give this one any sort of attention to detail that would warrant purchase. While picture and sound quality are obvious improvements over previous releases, neither is anywhere near as great as we've come to expect from both the format and from the studio. There are obvious imperfections in the transfer while the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio track is nothing to write home to mom about. They are both serviceable, nothing more, and for a film the studio purportedly wants to celebrate and treasure I this kind of haphazardly lazy presentation doesn't feel like the way to do it.

Yet it is the special features where the main problem lies. Even if Burton didn't want to record an audio commentary (which, considering Warner's rumored tinkering with the film during production really isn't a surprise), the lack of any sort of featurettes on any part of the movie's incredible design work or creation is truly a shock. Production designer Bo Welch (he's been nominated for four Oscars) and art director Tom Duffield do some of the best work of their entire laudatory careers here, and it seems like even a short five minute or less behind-the-scenes featurette on the pair would have been something of a no-brainer.

What is included are three episodes of the cult animated "Beetlejuice" Saturday morning cartoon, a CD sampler of Danny Elfman's (admittedly phenomenal) score (a Blu-ray bonus) and an isolated music-only audio track showcasing it on the film itself. The latter is a wonderful addition, the middle an okay one (although fans of the composer probably already own it) and the first kind of bizarre. Bizarre, not because it is included (each episode is actually kind of whacked-out fun), but because it is the only extra of note on the release.

Listen, I still like the movie, it's funny (if disjointed), Keaton and O'Hara are simply wonderful and it has plenty of nostalgic value making me smile, but if I had bought this Blu-ray disc I'd have been severely disappointed. Not only are the special features something of a peculiar bad joke, the technical specs just aren't up to par.

Rental? Definitely, especially for Burton fans eager to see how the unusual gothic wunderkind got his start, just don't expect to be blown away. Purchase? Hell no, and if you need me to scream it three times out loud for added emphasis just let me know and I'd be more than happy to oblige.