HallowScream - The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY

      Boys and girls of every age, if you would like to see something strange, then come with me and you will see a loving dedication to my favorite movie. You'll hear the story, it's origins, too, and I'll wrap it all up with my personal review. It's time now to journey to Halloween Town. My name is Chuck, and this is the one year anniversary of Chuck's Movie Breakdown.

       The Nightmare Before Christmas is a stop motion animated movie released in 1993. The movie establishes that holidays don't just appear from nothing, and there are entire world's that create them for us. We then are introduced to the world of Halloween Town, and all of the bizarre creatures that live there. And as everyone is returning to celebrate another successful celebration of Halloween, we meet Jack Skellington the Pumpkin King, who is the figurehead of the entire Halloween operation.

      We learn that Jack is something of a tormented spirit, and after he sings a song of his lament, Jack goes for a walk in the hinterlands, where he comes across an unfamiliar sight of a circle of trees with strangely shaped doors. Jack's gaze becomes transfixed on one door in particular, and he opens it to a white flurry that transports him to a wintery wonderland. Jack has landed in Christmas Town, and all of the sudden, his woes and nightmares are gone, as Jack has found the feeling he'd been searching for. So, what happens when Halloween and Christmas collide? Well, you're just going to have to watch the movie yourself to find out.

      The Nightmare Before Christmas was originally a poem written by Tim Burton, who took inspiration for the story when he saw a store front window replacing it's Halloween decorations for Christmas decorations. The story was then set to be adapted into a film by Disney, with Tim Burton set to direct, Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts with Tim directing Batman Returns over at Warner Bros, directing duties for The Nightmare Before Christmas were passed on to Henry Selick. It took a couple of years to fully produce the film, as stop motion animation is a very slow, very long process. However, the production team brilliantly framed the film  using a camera system that allowed for tracking shots and full motion camera movements, this making this a much more cinematic experience. 

      Now what is most baffling is how Disney, for years, didn't want their name attached to the movie. During the time of the film's release, Disney was in the middle of the Disney Renaissance, where movies like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin were all financial mega hits. So, something that was much darker ran the risk of driving away families with younger children. So, the film was released under the Touchstone Pictures banner, and it wouldn't be until about fifteen years later that Disney would attach their own logo to the film. 

       The music in The Nightmare Before Christmas is most definitely a highlight. Every song, from "This is Halloween," "Jack's Lament," "Sally's Song," and so much more, was brilliantly written and composed by Danny Elfman, who also provided the singing voice for Jack Skellington. I also admire the creature and set designs, from the iconic Spiral Hill to Oogie Boogie's roulette wheel of death, and from the Mayor of Halloween Town to Lock, Shock, and Barrel. Every part of the set, and all of the characters are uniquely designed and instantly recognizable. The voice cast of the movie, including Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, Paul Reubens, Ken Page, Glenn Shaddix, and so on, were all absolutely fantastic, and did an excellent job giving these colorful characters a memorable voice.

       Now, unlike what some might claim, The Nightmare Before Christmas wasn't an instant hit at the box office, but it did turn in a decent profit. However, around five years after it's release, a lot of merchandise went out into shopping mall department stores like Spencer's and Hot Topic, and the movie found a new life on home video. Heck, it became so popular, that several years back, sometime during the mid-2000's, Disney parks started to re-theme the classic ride The Haunted Mansion to The Nightmare Before Christmas. Disney went from being afraid to attach their name to the movie to fully embracing the film due to its popularity growing over the years. 

       I love this move, and it is my all-time favorite movie ever made. So, no surprises here, The Nightmare Before Christmas gets a rating of 5/5. This is Chuck signing off. Thanks for following my reviews for an entire year, and be sure to stick around for more tricks and treats as HallowScream continues. 

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