TomBenton
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The special edition DVD of the 1993 stop-motion animated film.
< read all 2 reviewsBoys and girls of every age, would you like to see something strange?
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May 27, 2011
- by vampire_eyez
- posted in Movie Hype
Rating:
Not only is the my all time favorite movie that was ever, and probably will ever be made, but it is the only film i have ever gone to see in theaters more than twice it is also the only movie ive seen in 3d or imax. I saw it on its opening day when i was like 9yrs old, and then again later on that week. I also saw it in imax for a speical halloween showing 5yrs ago, and then again last year in an imax 3d showing also on halloween. My mom and i have a holiday movie showdown every single yr, shes a huge christmas fan (blah) so she tries to make everyone watch terrible xmas movies all December long, so for the last few years ive maintained that the Nightmare Before Christmas is both a Halloween and a Christmas movie so therefore i get to play it from Halloween to December much to her annoyance. This is the stop motion animated film that tells the story of the King of Halloweentown, Jack Skellington. Jack is depressed and bored in Halloweentown where nothing ever changes. One night he is wandering aimlessly with his faithful dog, Zero, and stumbles upon doors that lead to the other holiday worlds. Jack is sucked into the Christmas tree shaped hole, where after an impressive falling sequence, he finds himself in the bright and overly jolly Christmastown. Jack is extatic about this new world that is so different from everything in his own, and here he finds what he believes is missing from his life. Jack heads back to Halloween full of Christmas cheer and ready to share it with his townfolk. After a failed attempt at explaining what he had experianced, Jack shuts himself up in his house to discover the meaning behind Christmas. Jack concludes that by taking over the role of santa claus, or sandy klaus, as they refer to him, he will be able to understand the Christmas concept. Jack has sandy klaus kidnapped and held hostage in Halloweentown while he sets off for the human world to play santa. Jacks friend Sally attempts to save Jack from himself after seeing a vision of Jack's Christmas going awfully. Jack ignores her warnings and sets off with his team of dead reindeer for the human world, only to be shot out of the sky by the military. After his near death (im not sure that skellitons can die) jack realises that taking over someone elses holiday isnt necessary for him to understand Christmas. Jack returns to Halloweentown to discover that his night isnt over yet, he still has to save the sandy klaus from the evil Oogie Boogie, who is holding him captive. One of the things i like about this movie is underneath the animated fun there is a love story being told. The attraction between Jack and Sally is subtle at first since Sally is technically the property of her creator. Then after Jack saves her from the grasp of Oogie Boogie he sees that the scientist has replaced Sally with a woman much more suitable for his tastes, so Sally is free to be with Jack. I think the it is a mix between the love story and the music of this movie that has turned it into the goth cult classic it has become. The music is my other favorite part of this movie, the songs are addictive and kind of dark. If you actually listen to the lyrics the Danny Elfman came up with they are the perfect blend of humor and darkness to match the movie perfectly. I also love the animation, Halloweentown is host to several memorable characters, including one mad scientist, a trio of wicked trick-or-treaters, and what town is compleate without a mayor? I love how the animation and color schemes change to clarify the differances between the three worlds. Halloweentown is done in lots of blacks and greys, with the buildings and backgrounds designed to look spikey and leaning where as Christmastown is increadiably bright with tons of whites and reds, everything is fluffy and shiny looking. The human world is seperated from the other two by looking more "realistic" but also more drab and everything has a grey shading with all of the houses and buildings done in a very cookie cutter style. If you have never seen this movie be sure to give it a try, its atleast 10 out of 5 stars-worthy.
+5
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woopak_the_thrill
May 27, 2011
Hi, Meghan! any plans for Memorial Day?
vampire_eyez
May 27, 2011
Yes i think i may actually go see a movie...probably pirates 4, the theater in stockton gives us free admission on military holidays..i just hate going to the theaters on 3day weekends it so crowded
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Count_Orlok_22
May 27, 2011
It's ironic to me that Tim Burton's signature film wasn't in fact directed by Tim Burton. LOL! But who cares?! This is a great film and I totally agree with you here. : )
vampire_eyez
May 27, 2011
Isnt it like "ghost directed" by him...or was it just his idea? I know it was his connection with disney that got it produced under their name in the first place.
Count_Orlok_22
May 27, 2011
Nope, he came up with the story and produced the film, but it was directed solely by Henry Selick ("James and the Giant Peach" and "Coraline"). At the time Burton was busy finishing "Batman Returns" and doing "Ed Wood". Still, I consider it his film because it's just so full of Burtonesque humor and characters. He's the creative genius behind it even if he wasn't the one behind the camera.
woopak_the_thrill
May 27, 2011
I did not know before. But hey, who cares? This was awesome!
vampire_eyez
May 27, 2011
You can see his handiwork even if he wasnt behind the camera as u said...just look at the similarities between it and the corpse bride
Count_Orlok_22
May 27, 2011
Exactly. But there are also some moments that are signature Selick too as you will notice some similarities between this and "Coraline", "James and the Giant Peach", and even "Monkeybone".
vampire_eyez
May 27, 2011
I see them both in james and the giant peach...and coraline...im not gonna say that i didnt like it because i did but there where some parts that where a little harsh for the audience it was aimed towards. And the only thing i remember about monkeybone was that i hated it lol
Count_Orlok_22
May 27, 2011
I've yet to meet anyone who liked "Monkeybone". LOL!
vampire_eyez
May 27, 2011
Hey now i know a ton of people who think the nightmare before christmas is overrated and creepy, i catch alot of crap from people cuz id rather watch it than Pearl Harbor, or any other military movie any day of the week
Count_Orlok_22
May 27, 2011
"Pearl Harbor" was dreadful. That was one of the worst so-called "war films" I've ever seen.
Scotman
May 27, 2011
I have yet to watch 'Nightmare', so far behind on this stuff. If you mean the Ben Affleck version of Pearl Harbor, it really was not that bad. I have actually visited Pearl in Hawaii and seen several films and even knew a vet from that time. The effects were great.
Count_Orlok_22
May 27, 2011
Eh, the story and acting were horrible. The film wanted to be a combination of "Saving Private Ryan" and "Titanic" in the most pathetically obvious way and rather than focus on the real history of the attack and the people involved, the filmmakers turned the whole thing into a silly romantic epic. As Roger Ebert said the film fails as a historical drama and as a war movie because it focuses not on the actual events but rather "on the Japanese bombing of an unconvincing American love triangle".
Scotman
May 27, 2011
Yeah, I hear you. A more definitive movie without the drama was Tora Tora Tora. Oldie but a goodie!
Count_Orlok_22
May 27, 2011
Exactly, that was a properly done historical war film.
vampire_eyez
May 27, 2011
As god awful as pearl harbor is you would be amazed how often it is featured as movie of the week at military bases along with the likes of Saving Private Ryan
Count_Orlok_22
May 27, 2011
I prefer "Grand Illusion".
vampire_eyez
May 28, 2011
Really im not big on military movies in general...i dont play the video games eaither, its just not fun when you do the real thing for a living. How many ballerinas do you think when and saw Black Swan? It kinda kills the fun in it.
Count_Orlok_22
July 07, 2011
You must be psyched about the new Blu-ray/DVD coming out next month with the 3D option.
vampire_eyez
July 07, 2011
I did hear about that but i doubt ill buy it since i havnt bothered to make the switch over to bluray yet...but i am going to disneyland on halloween this yr and i love the haunted mansion when its done in the nigjtmare before christmas theme!
Count_Orlok_22
July 07, 2011
Ooh, that'll be fun. I've never really wanted to go to Disney World or Disneyland, but I have always wanted to see The Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion. I love old-school animatronics and anything macabre like that.
vampire_eyez
July 08, 2011
Im pretty much a spoiled brat cuz i go to disneyland just about every yr, usually in october. Pirates of the caribbean is my alltime favorite ride, ive never gone to disneyworld tho
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More The Nightmare Before Christmas... reviews
Long had I dreaded the day when I would be forced to sit down and watch "The Nightmare Before Christmas". Not because I thought it would be horrible - in fact, I expected it to be quite good. I've always loved Tim Burton, and the premise sounded great. So this Christmas, when my brother received it for a Christmas present, I finally sat myself down and watched it. The storyline is great: Jack Skellington, Halloweentown's spookiest spook, is getting sick of Halloween. One day, … more
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meghan (vampire_eyez)
Member Since:
Jun 29, 2010
Last Login: Jun 3, 2012 09:34 PM UTC
Last Login: Jun 3, 2012 09:34 PM UTC
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About this movie
For those who never thought Disney would release a film in which Santa Claus is kidnapped and tortured, well, here it is! The full title is Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, which should give you an idea of the tone of this stop-action animated musical/fantasy/horror/comedy. It is based on characters created by Burton, the former Disney animator best known as the director ofPee-wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and the first two Batman movies. His benignly scary-funny sensibility dominates the story of Halloweentown resident Jack Skellington (voice by Danny Elfman, who also wrote the songs), who stumbles on a bizarre and fascinating alternative universe called ... Christmastown! Directed by Henry Selick (who later made the delightful James and the Giant Peach), this PG-rated picture has a reassuringly light touch. As Roger Ebert noted in his review, "some of the Halloween creatures might be a tad scary for smaller children, but this is the kind of movie older kids will eat up; it has the kind of offbeat, subversive energy that tells them wonderful things are likely to happen."--Jim Emerson
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Cast:
Paul Reubens,
Greg Proops,
Ken Page,
Catherine O'Hara,
William Hickey,
Chris Sarandon,
Danny Elfman
Director:
Henry Selick
Genre:
Animation,
Classics,
Comedy,
Family,
Fantasy
Release Date:
October 15, 1993
MPAA Rating:
PG
Screen Writer:
Caroline Thompson,
Michael McDowell
DVD Release Date:
October 3, 2000
Runtime:
76 minutes
Studio:
Touchstone Pictures,
Walt Disney Pictures
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