I Saw Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and I Have Questions

I finally got to see “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” and if you haven’t seen it, stop reading now because this post is filled with major spoilers!

I thought the movie was good, not great, and there seemed to be too many little things that left me with questions. I do plan to watch it again when it is available to stream, because it’s easy to miss things the first time through.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

I saw the original in the theaters when I was 13, and absolutely LOVED it. Like Lydia, I also considered myself “strange and usual,” and loved all the spooky things. (still do) I’ve watched the movie countless times and was very excited about the sequel.

I really enjoyed the previews and went in with high expectations. I loved that the original characters were returning and the choice of Jenna Ortega to be Lydia’s daughter was great casting. Beyond that, I had a few questions about the movie’s plot.

What happened to Lydia Deetz’s mom?

I had forgotten (or maybe never knew?) that Delia Deetz was Lydia’s stepmom. At one point in the movie, Lydia is discussing how hard it is raising her daughter. Delia mentions how Lydia treated her at that age, and they mention how Lydia’s mother was partly the reason of their strained relationship. Delia infers that she dies, but Lydia corrects her, and then no more explanation is given about her mom or what happened to her.

Where is the calypso?

The first movie featured not just one, but two upbeat calypso songs by Harry Belafonte. That fun music was part of what made the scenes so engaging. And what did we get in the sequel? Someone Left the Cake Out in the Rain by MacArthur Park, and the Soul Train them song.

While the Soul Train was at least upbeat, it just seemed odd. And the whole possessed dancing scene to the sad cake song was just…kind of lame. Bring back the banana boat!

What’s with the whole ’70s angle?

There are several nods to the ’70s with the Soul Train dance scene, the Bee Gees “Tragedy” when Delores puts herself back together, and the previously mentioned “Cake in the Rain” song. And the even William Defoe’s cop character Wolf Jackson, seems out of a 70s action movie. It just seemed odd since the first movie and Beetlejuice himself don’t have anything to do with the ’70s.

Why was Astrid’s dad working in the afterlife?

This is probably one of my biggest questions. Anyone who knows the first movie well, knows one of the major rules of the afterlife is that you become a civil servant if you commit suicide. Ms. Argentina is the one who tells us this and shows her slit wrists as she mentions her “little accident.”

So why was Astrid’s dad working in the immigration office of the Neitherworld? Apparently, he was supposed to have died while on some eco mission in Brazil, from a boating accident. When we see him, he still has little fish attached to his body.

Does this mean he actually threw himself from the boat? Why else would he be working there??

Why did Delores come back to life?

Delores is Beetlejuice’s soul-sucking ex-wife, who comes back to life in the beginning of the movie, and I seem to have missed the reason why. There was the Danny Devito ghoul waxing the floor and I think maybe a bolt of lightning from nowhere and then she started to pop out of boxes and staple herself together.

She seemed to be a subplot that wasn’t really well developed and if you removed her from the movie, it would still be the same movie. Also, if he hacked her to pieces, why is her dress still in one piece?

Do You Have Answers?

If you have answers or even guesses to my questions, feel free to leave a comment! I do want to watch the movie again and maybe fill in some of the other questions I had. I’m sure I missed plenty on the first round.

And if you haven’t seen it, and just read this, you’ll be prepared to notice some of these things. I do still recommend seeing it. I mean, it’s Beetlejuice after all!

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