Warning: Spoilers ahead for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice!Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Writer Alfred Gough explained why the sequel’s possession dance scene does not use “banana boat (day-o)” as the original film does. One of the most memorable scenes from the first movie involves the Maitlands owning the Deetz family and their guests, making them dance to “Banana Boat (Day-O)” by Harry Belafonte. The end of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Contains a similar scene when Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton) tries to marry Lydia (Winona Ryder) again, this time with her family and other characters to lip sync to “Macarthur Park” by Richard Harris.
Talk to Entertainment WeeklyGough explains how The decision to use “MacArthur Park” instead of “Banana Boat (Day-O)” in Beetlejuice Beetlejuices possession scene came from director Tim Burton. The writer explained how the director’s suggestion helped them write an ever-evolving property sequence. He also explained how Betelgeuse was never the one to use Belafonte’s tune in the original, meaning it made sense for him to use a different song for his own dance scene. Check out what Gough had to say below:
Once we had the script down and everything was working, that’s when you can go through and really iterate ideas and try to find the zag when you think it’s going to be zig.
We all wanted a musical number. We just didn’t know what it was. It all felt like the movie was wrapping up too neatly. And then Tim called us…. We went and listened [MacArthur Park]And then we just wrote out a musical number based on that. And then we kept evolving it. We’re like, ‘Yeah! This is the crazy, funny, crazy thing you need at the end of the movie.’
What’s interesting is that Beetlejuice doesn’t actually do ‘day-o’. It is actually the Maitlands who do this to the Deets. So for this one, we were like, ‘How do we make it where it can be Beetlejuice being the crazy ringleader of the whole situation?’
What “MacArthur Park” in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice means for the movie
This scene gives the sequel its own identity
Beetlejuice BeetlejuiceThe “MacArthur Park” dance scene is a vibrant conclusion to the movie, as Betelgeuse forces Lydia, Delia (Catherine O’Hara), Astrid (Jena Ortega), Rory (Justin Theroux) and father Damien (Bren Gorman) to participate. As a wedding cake rolls out and festive lights flash. The sequence is rooted in the same zaniness as the previous filmStrengthened by Keaton’s character is the one to possess multiple people instead of the Maitlands like the first movie. It makes for a new but memorable reminder of the chaotic power and willingness of the titular characters to use it for ridiculous sequences.
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The moment also helps differentiate the sequel from the original movie, with “Banana Boat (Day-O)” only used when a chorus of children sing it during Charles Dates’ funeral. Instead of relying on it to directly reference the original with a repeated possession sequence, It seems that Burton wanted to ensure comparisons could be made without being directly lifted from the first film. This way, the cast of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Can participate in a nostalgic scene that does not feel too repetitive when compared to the original.
Our take on Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’s “Macarthur Park” scene
It is the perfect parallel to the original
While the property dance scene in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Doesn’t use “Banana Boat (Day-O),” using “MacArthur Park” instead helps it stand out in contrast to the original. Giving the sequel its own identity with a new song helps it feel like its own movie instead of just a nostalgia trip for the franchise. The possession scene helped make its mark on the film, giving it an original identity with a memorable finale.
Source: EW