Stars: Chris Sarandon, Danny ElfmanBudget: 18 Million
Directed By: Henry Selick
Nightmare before Christmas THN, are you sure?
Yes this film can be spooky at time especially for younger kids.
Oogie Boogie is scary in his scenes, some of the things packed away into presents are genuinely freaky or horrific.
So whats this film about then?
Jack Skellington is the main resident in the town of Halloween, he's the scariest, he's their unchosen leader of sorts.
Jack every year does the Halloween town celebrations, every year he tries to top the last in spectacle and scariness.
Unfortunately Jack is getting bored with his job the other citizens of Halloween town are oblivious to this and just expect Jack to continue as is.
Only his dog Zero and a creation of the of the zany doctor Finklestien, Sally see his pain and boredom. Sally is unhappy living and serving Finklestien and constantly escapes him, she also has romantic feelings for Jack. Wandering around the forest dejected, Jack stumbles upon a bunch of trees with doors to other holiday themed places. He takes one to Christmas town and is amazed by all he see's a new fire alighted inside his dusty bones.
Tasking the citizens with making presents, Dr Finklestien with making a sled and Lock, Shock and Barrel to kidnap Santa Claus. Jack has dubbed him Sandy Claws, He asks Sally to make him a costume. She quickly has a vision of Jacks idea bursting into flames and tries to warn him, Jack of course arrogantly believes he will succeed just like his Halloween ideas.
The Kids deliver Santa to Oogie Boogie who is of course a very nasty boogie man who see's himself as Jack's equal. He is quite scary too, probably one of the scariest things about the film.
Jack doesn't know this as he's busy preparing for his Christmas take over. Sally after trying to warn Jack to no avail tries other things to sabotage his flight. Using a fog potion she thinks she's succeeded in grounding his flight.
Unfortunately Jack notices Zero's nose can be seen through the fog, much like a parallel to Rudolph the reindeer. So, much to Sally's chagrin he sets off on his fools errand to deliver his frightful presents to kids all around the world.
This of course starts to freak out the poor kids and parents who have been awoken by giant lizard snake things eating the Christmas tree, or being chased by a demonic toy around the house. The army gets wind of this and sets to shoot down the impostor Santa. Jack thinks they are applauding him with fireworks until he gets shot out of the air with a rocket.
Halloween towns citizens believe Jack to be dead, he fortunately is not but he has realised the folly of his ideas. He is after all Jack Skellington THE PUMPKIN KING, returning to Halloween town with his renewed sense of terror everyone is happy to see him still alive.
None more so than Sally, he looks for Santa so he can save the real Christmas and finds out the silly kids have left him with Oogie. I won't spoil the ending though there isn't that much of the movie left but it really isn't worth me spoiling this it needs to be seen.
Spectacular music from Danny Elfman makes this one of my top 5 musical films ever, i'll do a list one day as 3 out of those 5 films are considered 'horror films'. This film for me holds no downsides, a love story and a Halloween story and a Christmas movie all rolled into one makes this film watchable on almost any holiday.
THN awards Nightmare Before Christmas 5 out of 5 stars.
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