Nicholson Still On His Game
I always though this was a Tim Burton film. Indeed, the score is littered with Danny Elfman-esque idiosyncrasies and the stop-motion Nicholson-demon recalls the trucker-demon in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. I always thought this film was inspired by Beetlejuice, rather, this came out in 1987 and Beetlejuice in 1988, so I guess it's the other way around. However, since it does ring of Burton-isms, it's always had a place in my heart and the story is kooky enough to remember long after the DVD is back on the shelf. By the way, the "new" DVD case artwork is a crime - it's badly airbrushed, grainy and cheap-looking as opposed to the original artwork, which was crisp, clear and well thought-out. Tsk tsk, Warner Bros.!