HoopTober 8: Mosquito Takes Mandragon

Movie 9
1st of 4 haunted house films

I don't think I've seen this movie since its first run in the cinema - which is kind of astounding given how omnipresent it has been in the years since. And yet, I remembered almost every single beat of this story, even down to the special effects and set pieces. I guess that's a consequence of its extreme originality and just how fun this thing looks. It's so imaginative and, yeah, pretty weird when you think about it.

Have you ever seen a concept of ghosts anything like this? It's pretty unique. I mean, the house is surrounded by an Arrakis-like desert, complete with deadly sandworms? Bizarre.

The cast is incredible, but nothing conveys the age of this film more than how svelte and young Alec Baldwin looks. And this was my first introduction to Winona Ryder when I was a kid - I guess I was as taken with her as everyone else was at the time.

Michael Keaton is brilliant as Beetlejuice. It's such a manic performance. Say what you will about Keaton, but the guy has a hell of a range when it comes to roles. He's almost the consummate character actor.

This film introduced the world to Tim Burton's unique concept of whimsical cartoon gothic horror and for that alone it's worthy of remembrance. There's nothing too heavy here - very much an 80's mainstream comedy, something I guess we're unlikely to ever see replicated now we're all so cool and jaded. But the special effects and art design are a masterclass of fantasy illusionism. It was fun to revisit this!