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The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

PG  76 min  -  Animation | Family | Fantasy   -  29 October 1993 (USA)
8.0
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Ratings: 8.0/10 from 106,336 users  
Reviews: 365 user | 158 critic

Jack Skellington, king of Halloweentown, discovers Christmas Town, but doesn't quite understand the concept.

Director:

Henry Selick

Writers:

Tim Burton (story), Michael McDowell (adaptation), and 1 more credit »
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Nominated for Oscar. Another 4 wins & 6 nominations See more awards »

Related Videos

The Nightmare Before Christmas -- Home video trailer for this classic from Tim Burton The Nightmare Before Christmas -- Clip: Voices The Nightmare Before Christmas -- Jack Skellington, king of Halloweentown, discovers Christmas Town, but doesn't quite understand the concept.
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Danny Elfman ...
Chris Sarandon ...
Catherine O'Hara ...
Sally / Shock (voice)
William Hickey ...
Dr. Finklestein (voice)
Glenn Shadix Glenn Shadix ...
Mayor (voice)
Paul Reubens ...
Lock (voice)
Ken Page Ken Page ...
Oogie Boogie (voice)
Edward Ivory Edward Ivory ...
Santa (voice) (as Ed Ivory)
Susan McBride Susan McBride ...
Big Witch / WWD. (voice)
Debi Durst Debi Durst ...
Corpse Kid / Corpse Mom / Small Witch (voice)
Greg Proops ...
Harlequin Demon / Devil / Sax Player (voice) (as Gregory Proops)
Kerry Katz Kerry Katz ...
Randy Crenshaw Randy Crenshaw ...
Mr. Hyde / Behemoth / Vampire (voice)
Sherwood Ball Sherwood Ball ...
Mummy / Vampire (voice)
Carmen Twillie ...
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Storyline

Jack Skellington, the pumpkin king of Halloween Town, is bored with doing the same thing every year for Halloween. One day he stumbles into Christmas Town, and is so taken with the idea of Christmas that he tries to get the resident bats, ghouls, and goblins of Halloween town to help him put on Christmas instead of Halloween -- but alas, they can't get it quite right. Written by Jon Reeves <jreeves@imdb.com>  

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Christmas | Halloween | Pumpkin | Woods | Christmas Tree  | See more »

Taglines:

We're changing the face of 3-D See more »

Genres:

Animation | Family | Fantasy | Musical

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some scary images See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Official Sites:

MySpace | Official site [Japan] | See more »

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas See more »

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$191,232 (USA) (17 October 1993) (2 Screens)

Gross:

$50,379,629 (USA) (1 January 2001)
See more »

Company Credits

Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Tim Burton has said the original poem was inspired after seeing Halloween merchandise display in a store being taken down and replaced by a Christmas display. The juxtaposition of ghouls and goblins with Santa and his reindeer sparked his imagination. See more »

Goofs

Revealing mistakes: As Jack is kneeling in the snow upon his entry into Christmas Town, small black debris is noticeable at 14:31 for about a second next to his knee. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Santa: 'Twas a long time ago, longer now than it seems in a place perhaps you've seen in your dreams. For the story you're about to be told began with the holiday worlds of auld. Now you've probably wondered where holidays come from. If you haven't I'd say it's time you begun.
See more »

Crazy Credits

No credits are shown, except the company and the film's name. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Wedding Crashers (2005) See more »

Soundtracks

"What's This?"
(1993) (uncredited)
Music and Lyrics by Danny Elfman
Performed by Danny Elfman See more »