The Nightmare Before Christmas - Definition and Overview

Film poster for The Nightmare Before Christmas

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) is a Tim Burton stop-action animated musical film about the inhabitants of Halloween Town who take over Christmas one year.

The film was released by Touchstone Pictures, a film studio owned by the Walt Disney Company.

Synopsis

This motion picture follows the story of Jack Skellington, the "Pumpkin King" of Halloween Town, where the residents annually prepare Halloween for the mortal world. Jack suffers from depression as a result of having to prepare the same holiday year after year, and longs for something else. This "something else" takes the form of Christmas, which he discovers in Christmas Town while wandering in the woods. Upon entering Christmas Town he is immediately enlivened, and longs to "have" Christmas for himself.

Jack convinces the other residents of Halloween Town to "make Christmas," but they create a Christmas modeled on Halloween. Sally, Jack's admirer, feels a sense of forboding and attempts to dissuade Jack from his plan. Jack, however, ignores her, and has Santa Claus kidnapped so that he might take his place. Jack's Christmas does indeed turn tragic, but he manages to return to Halloween Town in time to free Santa Claus and set things right.

The film has enjoyed cult status among Goths and other subcultures.

Technical data

• Title: The Nightmare Before Christmas
• Directed by: Henry Selick
• Written by: Tim Burton
• Music by: Danny Elfman
• Released on: October 13 1993
• American picture
• Specifications: Technicolor, 35 mm 1.66:1 (colours, Dolby digital sound)
• Genre: animation, fantasy, satire, musical
• Runtime: 76 minutes
• MPAA rating: PG

Cast (voices)

• Chris Sarandon: Jack Skellington (speaking)
• Danny Elfman: Jack Skellington (singing), Barrel, The Clown
• Catherine O'Hara: Sally, Shock
• William Hickey: Dr. Finklestein
• Glenn Shadix: Mayor
• Paul Reubens: Lock

On the soundtrack album, Patrick Stewart voices the opening narrative poem. A second poem, also read by Stewart, is included before the "End Credits" music; in this passage, Santa Claus describes a visit he made to Halloween Town many years after the events of the film.

Video game

A video game based on the original movie has been announced and is scheduled to be released in 2005. will be an action/adventure game and is currently being developed by Capcom from Japan for the PlayStation 2 system. Intended to be a sequel to the movie, the game will feature the return of all the well-known characters (such as Sally, Jack and Oogie Boogie) in a new story.

Halloween Town also appears as one of the worlds in the Square Enix/Disney Kingdom Hearts video game series. In this game, Jack tries to use the Heartless on his "Heartless Halloween", but the plans go awry and he must help Sora fight Oogie Boogie. Jack can also join Sora's party whenever they are in Halloween Town. Kingdom Hearts 2 follows the movie plot, where Jack tries to take over Santa Claus's place on Christmas.

External links

• The Nightmare Before Christmas (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107688/) at the Internet Movie Database
• Official website for the game (http://www.capcom.co.jp/halloween/) (Japanese)
• HalloweenTown.org (http://halloweentown.org/) - Nightmare Before Christmas Fansite