by Alice-Ginevra Micheli, Contributing Writer
We all have that feeling. You know the one: You finish watching a movie and something about it hits you in just the right spot.
Whether it was the theme, the story, or even the characters, there was a quality about it that almost makes you want to turn around and go back a second, third, or even fourth time!
Bar the reality of living in the movie theater for the rest of your days, you turn to the rest of pop culture and start to look for other avenues where you can find that same feeling.
Well I’m here to make this plight easier for all. Each month, I take a piece of pop culture that was prevalent in the social consciousness — whether it is a movie, TV show, or something else — and then recommend other forms of media for those who want to stay in that world a little bit longer.
Welcome to your One Stop Pop, internet!
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We are officially in spooky season, folks, also known as fall for those in the United States. With the falling of the leaves comes the entrance of spice, scares, and the things that go bump in the night. So it makes sense that for our October column, we focus on a movie that helped develop the look and feel of this time of year: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Taking place decades after the first one, Tim Burton is back with most of his collaborators to continue its wack and wonderful story, as well as see how it can be updated for a modern audience. With Winona Ryder herself, Jenna Ortega, and playing again with Michael Keaton (née Douglas), this film seems to have captured the minds, hearts, and nostalgia of many a once-upon-a-time fan. So let’s dive in and see what else these audiences can enjoy now that their anticipation has been sated…
Book: Wax by Gina Damico
Something that I know I forgot about the Beetlejuice aesthetic is its mixing of gothic, comedic, and gory sensibilities into a lightened darkness result. So with that in mind, this month’s book also combines quite dark, and almost stomach-turning elements, with a solid stroke of funny present throughout.
Wax by Gina Damico follows Poppy Palladino, a 17-year-old girl who works at the local candle factory. However, one day, when in the back room, she discovers dozens of startlingly lifelike wax sculptures, crafted by a strange old lady. Poppy hightails it home, only to be shocked when one of the figures — a teenage boy who doesn’t seem to know what he is — jumps out of the trunk of her car, naked and screaming. Her attempt to reset this strange series of events results in her and this boy of wax discovering conspiracies, dark secrets, and a mystery she has now to unravel or risk her town being taken over by darkness.
You’d be right in thinking that this plot sounds ridiculous, because it is — but that’s kind of the point! Odd, kooky, and a little disturbing, this book is a perfect pairing to the odd, kooky, and somewhat disturbing legacy sequel that’s in theaters right now.
TV Show: Truth Seekers
What else comes to mind when one thinks of the perennial Tim Burton title? Ghosts, of course. Whether it’s Ryder’s ghost-witnessing Lydia, or the title character himself, there are lots, and lots, and lots of ghosts throughout all of Beetlejuice.
So it makes sense for us to also recommend a show that uses hauntings as a focal point, no? Now, some may consider either the British original, or the American remake of Ghosts for the choice here; however, we’re going to dig a little deeper for this one.
Starring Nick Frost, Emma D’Arcy, Samson Kayo, and Simon Pegg, Truth Seekers was one of the first Amazon Originals. The show follows our main group of paranormal investigators who set out to film ghost hauntings and happenings. However, as their supernatural experiences grow more frequent, they begin to uncover a conspiracy that could bring about the end of the world.
Of course we all know Frost and Pegg, and their fantastic antics across a few films. But since the show’s release, D’Arcy and Kayo have also gone on to make names for themselves in The House of the Dragon and Our Flag Means Death, respectively.
This show’s energy has a lot in common with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Refreshingly original, this is a classic British comedy with a twist — a supernatural twist. With a monster-of-the-week style, while also keeping track of an overarching plot, it’s 30 minutes of fun with each burst. It also pays homage to many of the paranormally inclined movies and television shows that fans love, so it really does have something for everyone.
Unfortunately it was cancelled before its time, and so we only have the one season — but oh, what a season it is.
Music: Heart of the Congos — The Congos
Another iconic part of the Beetlejuice franchise — which has been almost overused at this point — is the iconic song by Harry Belafonte, “Day-O.”
Now, I’m not going to recommend it or another album by Belafonte, as that would be too obvious. Instead, we’ll look closer at the genre in general, and specifically listen to an album from 1977 that Steve Barrow and Peter Dalton considered “one of the prime examples of Jamaican vocal technique.”
A roots reggae album, Heart of the Congos was originally an extremely limited release, with only a few hundred copies published. However, through the magic of today’s technology, you can give it a listen on any major music streaming service.
Recorded at the infamous Black Ark Studios, this is considered to be one of the preeminent examples of this style of music, at a time when melodic Jamaican storytelling was blowing up the airwaves.
A trio of musicians that bring their talent and culture together to tell a genre tale for their listeners, it’s definitely the perfect place to start if the whimsical soundtrack is part of why you love the ghost with the most.
Video Game: The Medium
For our final recommendation, we must look to the protagonist of the new and old, who is a verified medium. Someone who can speak to the dead, see ghosts, and interact with the world of the wibbly and wobbly.
So it makes sense to recommend a video game where you play as a literal medium… can you believe it’s the video game Medium?
A third-person psychological horror game that features patented dual-reality gameplay, you must use your psychic abilities to solve puzzles, uncover disturbing mysteries, and survive encounters with The Maw — a monster born from an unspeakable tragedy. Experience what it’s like to live an out-of-body experience in-game, while also trying to keep the world from ending in darkness and devastation.
This game is not only designed to frighten, but also delves the audience deep into their own psychological bounds, making it horrifying on a paranormal and mental level. However, as mentioned, it also greatly deals with ghosts — all sorts, really.
At times, you will find yourself in a literal split-screen as you traverse both realities, and have to stay alive on each side. Visually stunning, this game is meant to help you experience what it really feels like to be a medium — to constantly be caught in the centre of an eternal battle. So less whimsical, but still on theme for the month.
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Ah, yet another month has passed, and the year quickly draws to an ominous close. But before that occurs, we have managed to look at a film that loves to talk about the end of things — and now there are some further elements that could allow you to hold on just a little longer.
Dear readers, you too will have to grapple with the reality of grief while I am away next month, but I will be back to close out the year in December with a likely festive choice. Until then, thank you for visiting SiftPop’s One Stop Pop — we hope to see you again soon!
You can read more from Alice-Ginevra Micheli, and follow her on Instagram and Letterboxd