The Nightmare Before Christmas

Henry Selick, USA 1993, 75 minutes

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas clearly displays the results of a disturbed childhood, combined with an amazing, if warped, imagination. Breathtaking stop-motion animation brings to life the dark and frightening place that is Halloweentown. Each year its varied inhabitants set out to scare little children with newer and scarier ideas. However top bloke Jack Skellington has gotten tired of the old routine and yearns for a life beyond October 31st. He has girl problems as well as ugly mutant sluglike creature problems. One day he stumbles upon the door to neighbouring Christmastown, and hits upon the bright idea to kidnap Santa and take over his job. Needless to say this doesn't go entirely to plan and Jack's attempts to bring his own touch to this Christmas might not be to everyone's liking...

The dark Gothic setting of Halloweentown recalls previous Burton such as Batman, Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice. Yet again Burton manages to provide an antidote to the other saccharine-sweet Christmas films. The music, by previous Burton collaborator Danny Elfman (who also sings the part of Jack), is suitably dark and brooding yet also light and lively to complement the film's brighter moments.

This is clearly animation which children (and adults) want to see, with creepy-crawlies and bodily parts. Perhaps the new Burton/Selick version of Roald Dahl's brilliant James and the Giant Peach will continue this.

"Roald Dahl couldn't have conjured better *****" - Empire

Review by Neil Chue Hong
Taken from EUFS Programme 1996-97