The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Director:

Henry Selick

Writers:

Tim Burton (based on a story and characters by)
Michael McDowell (adaptation)

Release Date:

29 October 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Family | Fantasy | Musical

Tagline:

Tim Burton's classic returns in 3-D so real, it's scary.

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Christmas | Halloween | Pumpkin | Woods | Christmas Tree

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 4 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Danny Elfman	...	Jack Skellington Sung By / Barrel / Clown with the Tear Away Face (voice)
Chris Sarandon	...	Jack - Speaking (voice)
Catherine O'Hara	...	Sally / Shock (voice)
William Hickey	...	Evil Scientist (voice)
Glenn Shadix	...	Mayor (voice)
Paul Reubens	...	Lock (voice)
Ken Page	...	Oogie Boogie (voice)
Edward Ivory	...	Santa (voice) (as Ed Ivory)
Susan McBride	...	Big Witch / WWD. (voice)
Debi Durst	...	Corpse Kid / Corpse Mom / Small Witch (voice)
Greg Proops	...	Harlequin Demon / Devil / Sax Player (voice) (as Gregory Proops)
Kerry Katz	...	Man Under Stairs / Vampire / Corpse Dad (voice)
Randy Crenshaw	...	Mr. Hyde / Behemoth / Vampire (voice)
Sherwood Ball	...	Mummy / Vampire (voice)
Carmen Twillie	...	Undersea Gal / Man Under the Stairs (voice)

Also Known As:

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas (USA) (complete title)
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas in Disney Digital 3-D (USA) (promotional title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for some scary images.

Runtime:

76 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Portugal:M/6 | Brazil:Livre | Netherlands:AL | Iceland:L | Spain:7 | Ireland:PG | South Korea:All (re-rating) (2006) | Hong Kong:IIA | South Korea:12 (original rating) | South Africa:10M | New Zealand:G | Peru:PT | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:TE | Finland:K-10/7 | Germany:6 | Iceland:LH (video rating) | Iceland:L (original rating) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG (PCA #32583)

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

Burton wrote a three-page poem titled The Nightmare Before Christmas when he was a Disney animator in the early-1980s. Burton took inspiration from television specials of Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) (TV), How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) (TV) and the poem A Visit from St. Nicholas.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the song "Making Christmas", some of the characters are building a ramp on which the Mayor rides the snow-mobile that Jack brought. After the small hairy Cyclops puts his piece of the ramp into its place, the 'Clown with the Tear-away Face' does the same with another piece, and the Cyclops suddenly disappears at this point. He pops up again on the other side of the screen at the end of the shot.

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.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in MediEvil (1998) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Here Comes Santa Claus

Textbook example proving the old adage, "The grass is always greener in someone else's yard."

This film, while far from Burton's masterpiece, is a delightful musical that in the end shows that, sometimes, we have things far better than we think we do and the other side of the fence sometimes looks better just because it's different, but that doesn't make necessarily wise to pursue someone else's dream because we mistakenly think we may like it more. Tim Burton's fingerprints are all over this film. Excellent casting of vocal talent, the score is great and the animation is marvelous. A very good film and worth watching more than once. Recommended.