ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- A former obnoxious ghost who attended Juilliard and Harvard Business School made the Dryden Theater his latest haunt on Wednesday.

Beetlejuice himself, Michael Keaton, was at the George Eastman Museum to introduce a screening of the 1988 comedy-horror film. 

The Academy Award-nominated actor talked about how much of the character was improvised by him and director Tim Burton.

He also spoke about how test audiences were not quite sure what to make of the film that would go on to become a classic.

"Crickets is the expression," Keaton said. "Crickets. And not just crickets, but really confused crickets. If you could have run around and see the audience, it would have been a lot of (confused expression)."

Keaton is in town to receive the George Eastman Award for his contribution to the art of film.

A ceremony and gala are planned for Thursday night.