The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Starring Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon
& Catherine O'Hara
Directed by Henry Selick
Written by Tim Burton, Michael McDowell
& Caroline Thompson

 

Clay. Yes, clay models for over half a Century where the shit for movies. How this would work is you would have a model in front of a camera and take a picture, then very slightly move it, then take a picture, then slightly move it, and on and on and on. Needless to say, it was a long fucking time to pull off a few minutes worth of scenes, let alone the full film which would usually range from an hour and a half to two full hours.

The first huge breakthrough was with King Kong in 1932 with Kong and several of the dinosaurs being claymation. Over the years, it would be used again and again for some of the most awesome films ever, like the Sinbad Trilogy, The Beast from 20,000 Phantoms, It Came from Beneath the Sea and many more. Tim Burton, who has appeared twice already for my column, has used it for Beetlejuice and Pee Wee's Big Adventure and would produce a whole film using the method, and that movie would be Nightmare Before Christmas, which would combine the two most beloved, and different, holidays.

Cut to a dark landscape and a scarecrow with a "Halloween Town" sign on it. As the camera moves on, shadows and spirits begin to sing about the holiday they're known for, Halloween. The camera cuts through several parts of town and showing several characters, some of them minor and some of them major like Sally and the Mayor.

Towards the end of the song the scarecrow from earlier is seen being carried on a wooden horse. It then comes alive and takes a torch, devouring it and coming ablaze, dives into the local fountain. After a few seconds and some continued singing, Jack Skellington, The Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, rises up and is greeted by the people of town.

With Halloween officially over, the town celebrates how horrifying they were tonight, most of the praise going straight to Jack. While Sally watches, Dr. Finklestein grabs her from behind in his wheelchair, informing her that her poison ran its course and he's taking her back, but before he can she unties her arm (her being a living rag doll) and flees an arm short.

Jack manages to escape all the praise and slowly heads out of town, only being seen and praised by the local band. In the graveyard outside of town, Sally sees him and hides, watching him with glee and affection. While walking, he calls Zero, his ghost dog with a light up nose, from his grave.

As they wander the graveyard, Jack sings of how he's so perfected his art of scaring and terrifying people on Halloween, but now he's grown tired of it as well. He sings as well of how he wishes he could end it, but couldn't for the people of his town. Walking down a hill and into the woods, he leaves to walk with his thoughts.

Sally, seeing this, wishes she could do something about it. Grabbing some Deadly Nightshade, she sucks up her fear and returns to Finklestein's lab (hiding the plants). On his table while fixing her arm, he discusses how he's tired of her poisoning him and running off and that her restlessness and need to explore will pass, much to her displeasure. Meanwhile, Jack and Zero continue to go deeper into the woods.

The next morning, the Mayor arrives at Jack's house and greets the local band. He waits patiently to get an answer from Jack at his door, but he gets nervous after several tries (bringing out his scared face, since his head can turn to reveal a happy and scared one). Begging for help since he has no idea how to run things, he falls and the band informs him that Jacks been missing the whole night.

As morning breaks, Jack relies that he's found an area he's never before seen. As he wanders into a circle of trees, he finds the multiple doors of the holidays. The Christmas tree door catches his eye the most and after opening the door, is sucked in

Landing on a snow bank, he is shocked at the sight of the village below. After falling down the hills, he begins to sing about how everything is what he really wanted, the joy instead of fright, the brightness instead of horror, the love instead of dread. After exploring the whole town with out being seen and finding its name is Christmas Town, he sees the outline of Santa's Shadow.

Back at Halloween Town, the Mayor and its residents are in frenzy as they've never before been with out Jack's leadership.

Meanwhile, Sally is preparing a soup for Finklestein as he works on his experiments, and slips in the Deadly Nightshade. After using several means to cover the obvious stench, she brings him the soup (him opening the lid to his head and scratching his actual brain in thinking). After smelling the ingridiants, he questions and demands Sally drink it, but she escapes by using a trick spoon and gets him to drink it all.

Back in town, the Mayor is in a near depression when they hear Zero's barking. Looking to the gate, they see Jack ridding in on a Snow Mobile and a bag of objects. They question him but he simply demands a town meeting immediately.

That night, most of the town shows up, including Sally who drugged Finklestein again. There, Jack sings and shows a makeshift Christmas set up with tree, presents and stockings, but the town sees it more through a Halloween view then a Christmas view. He then gives them what they want by over hyping Santa Clause as a dark figure.

The next morning, Jack visits Finklstein (who's suffering hangover like symptoms do the poison and locked Sally in her room), and requests some tools. Hearing this, Sally gets curious. Back at his house, Jack tries several experiments but fails to get anything.

Meanwhile, Sally carefully gets some food and wine lowered from her room and jumps to freedom. Using a needle and thread she had, she reattaches herself and leaves. Finklestein arrives shortly after allowing her out, but is enraged by her escaping again.

At Jacks house, Sally uses a lift to bring Jack the food and wine, much to his surprise and joy. When he looks back though, she's hid around the corner. She then takes a flower and does a "Love me, Love me not" plucking. The flower then turns into a Christmas tree and turns, before burning into flames. Sally is left in awestruck and horrified, fearing that doom is coming with Jack's fascination with Christmas.

The next morning, Sally awakens to find several towns' people are worried about Jack. Up in his room, Jack sings of how everything Christmas is tugging away at him but he can't figure it out. After looking through everything, he then suddenly relies that Christmas is exactly what he wanted and that he would have this year. He then announces to the town that Christmas would be there holiday this year, to everyone's excitement except Sally who is more concerned.

As the town lines up for specific tasks, Jack summons Finklestein to make him his Reindeer, which he gladly takes on. The Mayor talks about how horrible they'll make Christmas, but Jack quickly corrects him with Jolly, which gives him some concern about this.

Before he could worry though, he's horrified to find Lock, Shock and Barrel, 3 horrible and mischief Trick-Or-Treating demon children. Jack warns them of a specific task he demands of them and whispers to them what it is (not even the Mayor hearing what it is). Before they leave though, Jack gives a stern warning that there boss, the un-popular Oogie Boogie is to have no place in any of this (which they cross there fingers on).

Back at there hideout outside of town the kids talk about there task, to retrieve Santa Clause for Jack. As they go inside, they sing of all the things they could do to him once and how they catch him. While doing so, they take a bug in a cage and throw it down a shoot which lands in a dark dungeon below. A shadow is seen running in and sucking in the bug. The kids continue to sing of how twisted they could be and leave for the door in a walking bathtub. After leaving, Oogie Boogie below is interested by what he heard.

Back in town, Jack tries to teach the local band how to play Jingle Bells. After a try out, Jack meets Sally who gets his most important job yet, to make him his Santa Clause Suit. She quickly tries to warn him, but in his excitement doesn’t listen.

After continuing to assign jobs, the kids return with what they say is Santa. But when they open the bag, the Easter Bunny jumps out and explore, only to be scared back into the bag holding him by a resident. Jack instantly scolds the kids for not opening the right door, then scares them when they get into a fight with each other. He demands they return the bunny back and get it right.

Back at his lab, Finklestein begins work on a new woman, fed up with Sally. His work is put on hold though when Igor arrives with the plans for the Reindeer.

Over the next 2 months, Halloween Town is turned into a rather dark version of Christmas Town, as both prepare for Christmas by making presents in there own way. The elves of Christmas Town prepare the usual presents while the monsters and ghosts of Halloween Town do more evil and terrifying toys.

The night before Christmas Eve, Santa is checking his list when he gets a knock on the door. There, he finds Lock, Shock and Barrel Trick-Or-Treating. Before he can respond though, they jump him with a bag.

On Christmas Eve, Jack is dressed up as Santa and is preparing for the night ahead. Sally doing the final touches tries to warn again and get him back to being what he's known for, the Pumpkin King, but he feels better not being that anymore.

Before she can talk any sense into him, the kids arrive with a bagged Santa and let him out. Santa is freed and is shocked at the surroundings he sees, and is more bewildered that Jack is dressed like him and offering him this Christmas off as Vacation and that he'll take over. After taking his hat, he has the kids take him away and be made comfortable (although they evilly plan on giving him to Oogie Boogie).

At her old home, Sally gets an old bottle of Fog Juice in a last ditch effort to stop Jack. As she leaves, she's horrified to find Finklestein remove half his brain and puts it into his new woman as means to make her more expectable to him.

Back at there hideout, the kids try hard to stuff Santa down there shoot. After several tries, they eventually fit him down. After a hard ride down, Santa lands on a turning table and his horrified to find his surroundings in a glowing black light setting, resemble that of a casino and gabbling den.

Its then that Oogie Boogie is finally seen standing over Santa Clause, him being a huge sack full of bugs and anything else. He then starts to sing about Santa not living up to his expectations and is shocked at how Santa doesn’t get that he's in a doomed scenario.

Back in town, Sally quickly puts the Fog Juice in the fountain. As Jack prepares for his flight, the town greets him one last farewell, but are shocked when the fog rolls in. Jack then gets depressed that he can't ride to the Reindeer where blind. He then notices Zero has a bright nose, and has him lead the Reindeer, renascent of Rudolph (much to Sally's pleas).

After Jack leaves and the crowd dies, Sally walks past the playing band and sings of how she's fearful of what Jack could do and wonders how it will affect her and everyone else. She also sings of how she has feelings for him but how he doesn’t see it and it most likely isn't meant to be.

In the human world, Jack prepares for his first visit (with the Halloween Town's people watching from a witch's cauldron). There, he meets a boy while giving presents and gives him a special one. After he leaves and his parents come down, the boy shows that he got a decapitated head, which causes his parents to scream and faint.

As Jack continues through the night, the toys he gives continue to get worse and cause more terror and actual danger. The police continue to get overran with angry calls and houses get locked up for safety. The people of the town hear a radio broadcast of how Jack is ruining the holiday to which they celebrate, all except Sally who listens in and hears how they plan to take Military Action.

Below Jack, ground forces prepare cannons and lights, and fire upon him. Jack in his ignorance, thinks it's simply a celebration of how well he's done and simply goes higher to avoid being hit.

Meanwhile, Oogie Boogie taunts Santa Claus with gambling dice when he gets distracted by a rather gorgeous leg from the other side of the room. While he goes to flirt with it, Sally arrives from above to help Santa escape, but it all fails when Oogie pulls her leg out and sees what's going on, sucking them both away from freedom.

Back in the human world, Jack is spotted again and fired upon, this time being hit twice but still flying. It's then that he relies that he hasn't caused any joy and they want to hit him. But before he can do anything, they lock on and hit him dead on, blowing his slay up and causing him to fall to the earth, him wishing all a final Merry Christmas.

Watching from Halloween Town, the people start to mourn there King's fall, while the Mayor gets in his car to travel and announce the terrible news, him confirming his earlier fears where right. Back in the human world, the police inform the citizens that the Imposter has been shot down but the real Santa Claus hasn't been seen, and that Christmas would have to cancelled.

In a close by graveyard, stretched out on an angel statue reading a book, Jack regains consciousness and begins to sing sorrowfully about what he's done in guilt and shame. He sings about how he wishes to simply leave to the ends of the earth and in a cave just wait until he's dust. But before he gets too depressed, he relies that no one really saw his vision and that he tried his best. He then sees that he was the Pumpkin King and he gladly takes back the title. Before he does anything else though, he and Zero take Santa's Hat and go into a grave to hurry back to there home to set it all straight.

In his dungeon, Oogie Boogie has Sally and Santa tied up on a table to be dropped into a boiling pit of molten rock. Sally warns that Jack will have him killed if he kills them, but they then overheard the Mayor's grim news.

Busting out of a grave, Jack and Zero hurry back to the hideout to find Santa Claus, but hears the cries of help of Sally and Santa. Lowering down, he slowly sees through a window of Oogie mocking them. While Oogie has fun, Jack slips in silently.

Oogie finally pulls the lever to drop them into the vat, but to Oogies surprise, they don't fall. When he pulls the table back, he finds Jack there to greet him. Oogie in horror pushes a button to start some of his traps. After booby traps nearly get Jack (one that caught his string while activating), Oogie jumps on a rising spinning blade and flees to safety. But before he can escape, Jack grabs the string that was pulled loose and gets it tangled in the blades, pulling the bag off of Oogie revealing a giant body of bugs. They all slowly fall into the molten rock, except for the talking leader which is squashed by Santa.

Jack then gives back Santa's hat and admits his faults, to which Santa criticizes him on and points out that he and everyone else should listen to Sally as she's the most sensible of everyone in there world. After he leaves to fix Christmas, Jack asks Sally what she was doing and saw she was helping. Before he can thank her though, the Mayor with Lock, Shock and Barrel find Jack from the window and haul him and Sally out.

Back in the main world, Santa quickly reverses Jacks damage and makes it a more joyful Christmas for everyone. Meanwhile, Jack, the Mayor, Sally and the kids all arrive to the shock and cheer of Halloween Town's residents. They quickly greet him and celebrate.

Up above, showing no hard feelings, Santa gives the town something completely new, snow and wishes them a Happy Halloween. The town, shocked by this, embraces the gift as something fun and new. Jack, amongst the fun, sees Finklestein with his newly crafted woman and notices Sally walking off alone.

Back where she watched Jack before, Sally pulls the flower like she did earlier alone. Suddenly, Jack sings behind her if he could join her. They then sing together that they where meant to be all along and embrace each other (possibly kiss, but the camera is too far back). Our last shot is of Zero flying high into the night's sky.




The Film was originally a poem written by Burton, for years he would continually think of it and long to make it visually, until he finally did that in 1993.

Tim Burton has refused to allow any form of a sequel film to happen, although a prequel for Game Boy Advanced titled "The Pumpkin King" and a sequel for PS2 called "Oogies Revenge" where made.

Jack, Sally and Oogie Boogie would all return as well for the Kingdom Hearts series, a multi-platform game series with a universe crossing the worlds of Disney and Final Fantasy.

Disney would yearly turn there famous Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland to the theme of Nightmare Before Christmas between Halloween and Christmas.

Starting in 2006, Disney would allow the film a re-release in theatres on Halloween in 3D with a special guest cast to perform the songs, featuring Fiona Apple, Marilyn Manson, She Wants Revenge, Fall Out Boy and Panic! At the Disco.

The style of this film would be used again in future films, with James and the Giant Peach, The Corpse Bride, Monkey Bone and the most recent Coraline. Some would feature Live action sequences as well as Stop Motion and all would have Tim Burton and/or Director Henry Selick involved.

The film's style and figures would be icons to the Goth community for years.

My Rating for this film is PG (8/9 years old)

I so wanted to give this a G rating, mainly because these are the holidays and I wanted to do a 3 part holiday themed film recommendations. But after watching this again, I relies that despite the kind heartedness of it and comedy, some of the visuals are very strong. This might give a 6/7 year old some scares, so I'll go with a PG rating.

That's it for this issue. Do you have ghosts that make eggs cook on your counter and have monsters in your ice box? Come back next issue and you can get help to be rid of them damned spirits! Until then, have happy Holidays!