Saturday, December 24, 2011

Day 248 - The Nightmare Before Christmas

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) directed by Henry Selick




Being the holiday season and all I decided to revisit an old classic that I haven't seen in a while. Quick question: is this a Halloween or Christmas movie? It is undoubtedly very dark and creepy whose protagonist is the King of Halloween, but it also does feature the earnest Christmas cheer and festivities, however misguided they may be. However you may view it, there hasn't been a movie quite like The Nightmare Before Christmas before or since its release in 1993.

The film makes perfect use of stop animation that gives the picture a sense of depth and visual texture that is so different from traditional animation. It kind of reminds me of those old shoebox dioramas we used to do in school. Each scene is carefully crafted and seemingly constructed from scratch. The world in which the movie inhabits is completely original and different from anything outside of a Tim Burton project. His greatest appeal as an artist, storyteller, and director is in his unique artistic vision. His worlds are dark and quirky, creepy and delightful. There is a playful mischievousness in his films that is both scary and wonderful. Just watching this art in motion is a treat in itself.

The story itself is fantastic. The idea that every holiday has its own special town isn't entirely original. After all, isn't that what the concept of the North Pole is? But the idea that another holiday would want to hijack another one is fresh, funny and because it's Halloween, a little scary. Who would have ever thought of mixing Halloween and Christmas together? Certainly not the kids who receive special presents this particular Christmas in the movie.

I seem to make this comment all the time now, but Blu-ray was meant for animated movies. In fact, I'd say you really haven't experienced The Nightmare Before Christmas until you've seen it in Blu-ray because the level of detail and picture quality are just amazing. I'm far from an expert in the matter, but it is hard to imagine this movie looking any better.

Grade: A

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