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The Nightmare Before Christmas
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English |
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Budget |
$18 million |
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas is a 1993 stop motion fantasy film released by Touchstone Pictures (re-released under Walt Disney Pictures in 2006 and 2007) directed by Henry Selick and written by Tim Burton, with music by Danny Elfman. It was created with stop-motion animation, also known as "claymation."
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Plot
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The film begins in Halloween Town, a magical world inhabited by various creatures who make elaborate plans for a dark ceremony every year on October 31, hoping for each Halloween to be superior to the last. Though the residents of Halloween Town are always up for a trick or a good scare, they never truly mean to hurt anyone with their holiday. The town's hero is Jack Skellington, a slender undead creature who is thought to be the scariest being in the entire world. As the townspeople celebrate their annual ceremony, Jack feels depressed, wishes for variety, and wonders whether there is more to life than scaring people. Meanwhile, Jack's secret admirer, Sally the Rag Doll, watches him from afar, although she is constantly abused by her control-seeking creator, Doctor Finklestein.
While wandering in the woods, Jack and his ghostly pet dog, Zero, encounter portals leading to other holiday-themed worlds. Jack is fascinated by the door representing Christmas, shaped like a Christmas tree, and accidentally steps inside. Jack is immediately enchanted by Christmas Town, a land of eternal joy and winter, where everything from the joyous townspeople to the tiniest snowflake is brand new to him. Jack quickly returns to Halloween Town and shares with the townspeople his slightly inaccurate impressions of Christmas. Despite this, Jack is frustrated as the citizens keep comparing Christmas to their ideals of Halloween and don't quite understand the rush of joy he felt there. Determined to understand what Christmas is, he conducts some scientific experiments on various souveneirs brought back from his journey. After spending days locked up in his tower, he comes to the conclusion that he doesn't have to understand it and wonders why the people of Christmas Town should have the fun of bringing Christmas to the world every year. He announces to the townsfolk that this year they will take on the holiday of Christmas, with him playing the role of "Sandy Claws".
Every resident is assigned a task, from making presents to bringing skeletal reindeer to life. The entire town is enthusiastic except for Sally; before Jack's announcement she had a vision that his plans will lead to certain doom. She tries to warn him that this is a mistake though Jack perceives her as being modest and commissions her to sew his Santa costume. Jack then assigns Lock, Shock, and Barrel, a trio of mischievous trick-or-treaters, to bring Santa to Halloween Town. After mistakenly capturing (and on Jack's orders, returning) the Easter Bunny, they successfully kidnap Santa Claus. Santa is shocked by what he sees; since the people of Halloween Town have spent their lives scaring people and believing what's creepy is fun, the gifts and decorations are more frightening than pleasing. Against Jack's wishes and largely for their own amusement, the trio deliver Santa to the lair of Oogie Boogie, a sadistic, gambling monster who plots to play a game with Santa's life.
On Christmas Eve Sally attempts to stop Jack by creating a thick fog throughout the town, though is foiled when Jack discovers Zero's glowing nose can help light the way. He embarks into the sky on a coffin-like sled pulled by skeletal reindeer (all three created by Finklestein), hoping to deliver presents to children around the world; while the townspeople are overjoyed, Sally wanders off alone to be miserable. As Jack begins delivering gifts, children are horrified by their monstrous, animated presents, while their parents believe Jack to be a monster attempting to imitate Santa Claus. The military shoot him out of the sky, destroying his sleigh. The people of Halloween Town belive him to be dead and mourn. Jack survives and is initially depressed that his endeavors did not turn out as planned, but he realizes what a great experience it was and is inspired to bring new thrills to next Halloween. He then realizes that he must find Santa to set everything right.
Sally attempts to free Santa, only to be captured by Oogie Boogie. Just as they are about to be killed by immersion in a foul stew, Jack arrives and challenges their captor. Oogie Boogie flees, placing his complex, sophisticated, deadly gaming machines in Jack's path as obstacles. However, Oogie Boogie becomes tangled in one of his own machines and is (with Jack's intervention) split open, revealing himself to be merely an animated sack full of insects. Most of Oogie's bugs fall into the stew and are boiled alive, and Santa steps on the remaining bug that is Oogie himself.
Now freed, Santa reprimands Jack, and then sets off to correct Christmas by exchanging Jack's frightening toys for more pleasant playthings. Jack and Sally return to Halloween Town, aided by a reformed Lock, Shock, and Barrel. Santa flies over Halloween Town and brings them their first snowfall, which the townsfolk enjoy frolicking in. Even Doctor Finklestein enjoys himself, as he escorted by a new female servant closer to his likeness. Sally wanders to the spiral-shaped hill in the graveyard and is joined by Jack, where they declare their love for each other and kiss. Zero looks on from afar then soars into the night sky, turning into a star.
CastEdit
- Chris Sarandon - Jack Skellington (voice)
- Catherine O'Hara - Sally, Shock (voice)
- William Hickey - Dr. Finkelstein (voice)
- Glenn Shadix - Mayor of Halloweentown (voice)
- Ken Page - Oogie Boogie (voice)
- Ed Ivory - Santa Claus (voice)
- Paul Reubens - Lock (voice)
- Danny Elfman - Jack Skellington (singing voice), Barrel, Clown with the Tearaway Face (voice)
- Susan McBride - Big Witch (voice)
SongsEdit
All songs written and composed by Danny Elfman.
- This is Halloween
- Jack's Lament
- What's This?
- Town Meeting Song
- Jack's Obsession
- Kidnap the Sandy Claws
- Making Christmas
- Oogie Boogie's Song
- Sally's Song
- Poor Jack
- Finale/Reprise
Other appearancesEdit
This movie is a playable world in the Kingdom Hearts series under the name "Halloween Town". In the first game and Chain of Memories, its plot differs from the movie. In Kingdom Hearts II, it follows the movie plot and therefore gives access to the Christmas Town area in the world.
This movie has a spin-off game released for the PS2, Gamecube, Xbox, and Game Boy Advance consoles. The game Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King acts as a prequel to the movie while Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge acts as a sequel.
At Disneyland, Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland, an annual layover from September through January features the characters at The Haunted Mansion in what is called Haunted Mansion Holiday.
