Halloween Team 2017: Beetlejuice

For movie #2 we went to Sally's place. She chose Beetlejuice!  Oddly enough I've never this movie despite the fact that I loved the cartoon as a kid and am a life long Michael Keaton fan.  It did not disappoint. Though, as with Batman Returns, when the credits rolled it I couldn't help but notice that Michael Keaton wasn't in it that much.  I suppose that's a smart move.  That's a tough character to build a movie around, but as a supporting antagonist (?) in small, but potent doses, he's pretty great.  That first shot of him doing a commercial for his services in the style of a used car salesmen was  priceless.  He's just all energy and charisma.  Keaton does a great job of taking an unlikable character and making you kinda root for him.  The rest of the cast is strong too. Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin are fun to watch and Catherine O'Hara nails the Day-o number.  Little goth Winona Rider was just right. All in all this was a clever, pleasant movie.  I give this 3 out of 3 Beetlejuices.

Halloween Team 2017: Eight-Legged Freaks

Without meaning to, we are mimicking the same order we did last year.  Eric began, then Sally with me slated for the third spot. 
Eric's streak of picking oddball, humor/horror hybrids continues.  I've liked the ones from previous years, but I couldn't muster interest in this years pick, Eight-Legged Freaks.  David Arquette always strikes me like an awkward cousin who was the funniest guy in middle school. It's not charming in an adult.  It's weird and confusing, like this movie.  I couldn't settle in to it.  I didn't find it funny or scary.  I still don't get what it was going for. It comes close to so-bad-it's-good territory, but falls short. The Halloween Team is fun, so I had fun, but I hated that movie.