The Nightmare Before Christmas

Dir: Henry Selick

1993

*****

1993's The Nightmare Before Christmas is nothing short of masterful. The last of the great fairy-tales in some respects, a combination of Tim Burton's wonderful imagination and Henry Selick's talent and artistry (not to mention patience). It's clear to see that it is a dark(er) version of Dr' Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Jack Skellington being a Grinch like character and his dog Zero being a bare-bones version of the Grinch's dog Max. However, it’s also full of its own originality. I loved the idea of a 'holiday' portal place, where each season can be entered from another. Artists and film makers have often explored the darker sides of Christmas but few have made such an exciting and vibrant story of it. Halloween and Christmas are as far apart as they can be, even though we celebrate both just months apart from each other. To see the two, arguably most popular seasons combined is quite an ingenious and creative wonder. It's amazing that it all came together from a short poem Burton wrote as a young animator. The question is, is The Nightmare Before Christmas a Halloween or a Christmas movie? Either way, it's a glorious fantasy, a wonderful animation and already a modern classic. The humour and mood and beautifully balanced and Danny Elfman's music is superb. Not just for miserable goth girls neither.