While 3D and digital effects are becoming more and more popular I figured we should look back at amazing stop-motion work in Nightmare. This movie proves that even though things can be done quickly through other medium’s, sometimes the tedious and time consuming work animators do by hand can produce an even more beautiful piece of art.
Brought by OBS staff member Rose
Name: A Nightmare Before Christmas
Rated: PG
Running time: 76 minutes
Directors: Henry Selick
Synopsis
In the town of Halloween, Jack Skellington (voice by Chris Sarandon) the Pumpkin King, prides himself on being the scariest creature, yet he has grown tired of doing the same thing year after year. After the end of another frightful Halloween night, he takes a long walk through the woods and comes across a portal to Christmas Town. Amazed with somethings new and longing for the same in Halloween town, Jack returns to Halloween Town to make his own Christmas, but Halloween and Christmas just can’t seem to mesh together.
Review
Tim Burton’s characters come alive in this delightful twist on a combined Halloween/Christmas story that came to life from a poem that Tim Burton wrote while working at Disney in the early 80’s. Tim Burton did not direct this film due to his commitment to the film Batman Returns; he left it up to Henry Selnick to give the film the Tim Burton feel it needed. There were over 200 puppets made to represent all the characters in the movie, with Jack having over 400 heads in order to express every possible emotion.
The stop-motion animation in this film is simply incredible, pushing this type of story to new heights. The story itself is original and funny and advances along by playful musical numbers that definitely get stuck in your head, such as “What’s This”, which is sung when Jack Skellington finds himself in Christmas town, in wonderment at all he sees.
Disney released Nightmare Before Christmas under Touchstone Pictures banner because they felt it was too dark and twisted in nature to be released under Disney Pictures. I don’t particularly agree with this, but having it released as such didn’t hurt the film at all. Released in 1993, Nightmare does not have any elements that outdates it which makes the film timeless as well as a classic. Children and adults alike will enjoy this movie for it has something for everyone.
Rating: 9/10 stars
