I attended the Austin premiere of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Here's what it was like)

Before it opened nationally, I was invited to attend the Austin premiere of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas. I’m a huge horror fan and love Halloween and all things spooky, so I’ve always been a massive Beetlejuice fan. But I’ll admit that I had no idea what to expect going into the movie since it’s been 35 years since the original film’s premiere. 

But I loved that the original cast was returning, and…who could possibly say no to an invite to a movie premiere? It ended up being an absolutely epic night and the film was excellent. Here’s what it was like to attend the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice premiere.

Attendees got posters and masks

When we entered the theater, we all had to sign in since it was an invite-only event. After checking in everyone got a complimentary Beetlejuice Beetlejuice poster and a shrunken head mask (which I am absolutely going to hang on my door for Halloween).

I love collecting movie posters, so it was awesome to get a little souvenir for the evening.

There was a special film-themed menu

For anyone who hasn’t visited an Alamo Drafthouse before, they’re amazing. They have massive reclining seats and each theater has a dedicated waitstaff that delivers drinks (including cocktails), snacks, and full-blown meals to your seat while you watch the movie. 

For the premiere, Alamo set up a special Beetlejuice-inspired menu. Two of my favorites were the Sandworm popcorn, which had its own exclusive bucket (Alamo Drafthouse is known for their truffle herb parmesan popcorn, and every first-time visitor needs to order themself a big bowl), and the Tally Me Banana Pudding, which is a nod to the iconic scene from the first movie. I won’t give any spoilers, but for anyone wondering, the sequel gives the Banana Boat song a great nod as well.

You could dress up in costume to win prizes

Everyone was encouraged to dress up in full costume or arrive in some type of striped outfit. I arrived at the theater wearing shorts, some purple Nike socks, and a striped Beetlejuice blazer. My idea was to go as a fun beachy take on the character. 

But some people went all out and put my look to shame. One girl came fully dressed in Lydia’s red wedding dress from the first film, another dressed up as Monica Bellucci’s new Delores character, and another came as one of the shrunken heads. The winner was the Shrunken Head, which she totally deserved for her excellent makeup skills.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was fantastic 

Then it was time for the big event: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. I agree with many of the reviews that the story is a bit meandering and not as solid as the original. But the movie is fantastic, so it doesn’t matter. All the actors are great, the scenes are a lot of fun, and the movie takes some unexpected twists and turns that keep you guessing the whole time. 

In my opinion, as long as the movie is fun and entertaining and I’m enjoying myself, I don’t really care if the plot is a little weak. I also really loved the movie because it wasn't just a typical legacy sequel where you go “Ah…this is good for something that came out 35 years later.” The movie truly feels like you’re right back in the Beetlejuice universe, which is not an easy task for any sequel.