The Nightmare Before Christmas

Holiday Season Special:

 Now that the holiday season is upon us and in but two days it is Christmas, let me recommend a movie to watch one of these days (that is if you haven’t watched it already).

The Nightmare before Christmas is a Tim Burton project which dates back to 1982 when he wrote the poem while working as a Disney animator. Since then Disney had been meaning to put this poem into work either as a short movie or a 30-minute tv special.  When it finally came out as a stop motion musical fantasy movie in 1998 it was released under Touchstone Pictures because Disney considered it to be too dark and not really meant for too young an audience.

To me it is one of those perfect productions meant for adults who are still in touch with the child within them. It is the perfect combination of the gloomy and the merry. But marrying these two contradictory notions within the same production is Tim Burton’s specialty anyway.

So what is the story of The Nightmare Before Christmas?

‘Twas a long time ago,
Longer now than it seems
in a place that perhaps
you've seen in your dreams
For the story that you are about to be told
began with the holiday worlds of old

Now, you've probably wondered
where holidays come from.
If you haven't I'd say
it's time you begun.
For the holidays are the result of much fuss
and hard work from the worlds that create them us

Well you see now, quite simply
that's all that they do,
making one unique holiday
especially for you
But once, a calamity ever so great
occured when two holidays met

 by mistake

This introductory poem sums it up for us but let me give you a more detailed description of the story. Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town is fed up with his work and renown. One successful Halloween after the other…he feels hollow and he yearns for something new. That is when he stumbles upon the Christmas Town. Bewitched and overcome by the spirit of Christmas he will soon find himself doing something he never means to do.

The music was composed by Danny Elfman who also takes part in the movie as the singing voice of Jack Skellington. I have to say: The music makes this movie what it is!! I have always been a great fan of Danny Elfman and Tim Burton so the movie is my personal heaven for Christmas. As a matter of fact we have got a family tradition of decorating our tree to the soundtrack of The Nightmare Before Christmas.

It is the perfect film to watch during the holiday season. However its gloomy and dark atmosphere might be a little too hard for children under 8 years of age so if you are planning to watch it with your kids be on your guard. As for your inner kid…he/she will be most satisfied and will thank me for recommending it to you.

 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYBODY

AND

MEEEEEEERRY CHRISTMAS!!