Tim Burton’s sequel to his 1988 cult classic Beetlejuice kicked off the 81st Venice Film Festival on Wednesday night with a bang.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a hallucinatory film featuring ghosts, goblins, and micro-monsters on bicycles. Michael Keaton reprises his role, with Monica Bellucci, Jenny Ortega, and Willem Defoe also starring.
The film, which screened out of competition, received wild applause but mixed reviews. The BBC called it “better than the original,” while the Guardian said it is “full of gaudy set pieces but fails to live up to the original.”
Also on Wednesday, Sigourney Weaver received a career Golden Lion. The Alien, Ghostbusters, and Avatar star, honoured in an evening dedicated to women, said, “I adore Italian cinema, I would like a part in an Italian film.”
Eight-Minute Ovation for Angelina Jolie
The Venice Film Festival loves its movie stars, and Angelina Jolie became the focus of attention on Thursday night. She wept during an eight-minute standing ovation at the Sala Grande Theatre for the world premiere of Maria. Directed by Pablo Larraín, the biographical drama focuses on the life of Greek opera singer Maria Callas.
Excitement over Jolie’s appearance began 24 hours before the screening, with fans camping overnight in scorching heat to see their idol. Jolie arrived at the theatre, signing autographs and taking selfies with fans. She also met a fan with brittle bone disease who was waiting on a bed, kneeling beside him amid flashing paparazzi lights.
Earlier, at a press conference, Jolie spoke about playing Callas, her first singing role.
“Everybody here knows, I was terribly nervous,” she said about learning opera. “I spent almost seven months training because when you work with Pablo you can’t do anything by half. He demands, in the most wonderful way, that you really do the work and you really learn and train.”
