 Collector's Edition Now digitally restored and remastered with state-of-the-art technology, The Nightmare Before Christmas is deeper, darker and more brilliant than ever - just as Tim Burton originally envisioned it. Can Christmas be saved? Bored with the same old scare-and-scream routine, Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, longs to spread the joy of Christmas. But his merry mission puts Santa in jeopardy and creates a nightmare for good little boys and girls everywhere! Hear the genius of Danny Elfman's sensational music in 7.1 Surround Sound as the fantastic talents and imaginations of Tim Burton and Henry Selick come to life in stunning Hi-Def. The Nightmare Before Christmas - now even more eerie and extraordinary on Blu-ray High Definition! Storyline: Jack Skellington, the pumpkin king of Halloween Town, is bored with doing the same thing every year for Halloween. One day he stumbles into Christmas Town, and is so taken with the idea of Christmas that he tries to get the resident bats, ghouls, and goblins of Halloween town to help him put on Christmas instead of Halloween -- but alas, they can't get it quite right. Written by Jon Reeves Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Lindsay Mayer on August 29, 2008 -- It is easy to see why a film like The Nightmare Before Christmas has become as exceedingly popular as it has. Combining a classic musical formula with a signature Tim Burton style, the film only gets better upon repeat viewings. So much love and intricate detail composes every shot of the stop-motion feature. Intense emotion oozes from the musical performances. And throughout it all, a macabre but lighthearted tone permeates the picture. This solid film has transcended the usual audiences and expectations, given its darkness and its "seasonal" themes within the story. It is a film that quite literally can be enjoyed by anyone, at any time of the year, regardless of whether it falls around Hallowe'en or Christmas; I always thought it was a good Thanksgiving movie, myself! Well-produced and unusual, especially for mainstream animation in the U.S., The Nightmare Before Christmas is truly a diamond in the rough. Producer Tim Burton was first inspired to write a poem when he happened to see Hallowe'en decorations being taken down from a store display window to make room for Christmas trappings. Writing in a limerick style and illustrating the characters himself, Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas was a personal favorite of the filmmaker. Desiring to take it to the next step, Burton pitched the story for a film adaptation. He was quite adamant about making the film with a stop-motion technique, recalling the old Rankin-Bass Christmas television specials like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The project languished for several years, however. Only when Burton achieved widespread recognition with the Batman films did Disney all of a sudden think a film adaptation was a good idea. Being too busy at that time to helm the film himself, Burton as a producer instead, finding a group of then small-timers like Henry Selick and Danny Elfman, inspiring them with his visions of the film's premise and story arc. Henry Selick, a friend of Burton's who had mostly worked on television station IDs and other small commercial projects, signed on as the director of the project. Danny Elfman of offbeat band Oingo Boingo fame, is especially due a bit of credit for the overall success of the film, in my opinion. With neither a solid story nor a script to work from, Elfman wrote and performed the majority of the film's songs based on major plot beats and Burton's vague inputs alone. Not much changed on the way from scratch track to final recording. Elfman, not considering himself the best singer, nonetheless became so close to the material that he himself became the main character's singing voice. His masterful intonations and emotive performance made it a wise choice. Eventually, Nightmare was wound into a cohesive whole. The story centers around one Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King and undisputed leader of a motley group of creatures who reside in the holiday world of Hallowe'en Town. They are Hallowe'en incarnate - the contemporary concept of it, anyway - in all of its ghoulish, morbid delight. And while every vampire, witch, and undead beast may love their purpose with a fiery passion, Jack himself has a horrible case of ennui. He no longer finds any enjoyment in terrorizing hapless victims every year. Accompanied by his faithful canine apparition, Zero, Jack stumbles into the colorful holiday realm of Christmas, embodied by the imaginateively named Christmas Town. A frozen, candy-colored wonderland, Jack has never seen anything like it, as his own world is a wasteland with a stark palette of black, white, and orange. Finally finding something that brings him happiness, the skeleton lord brings many a token from the bright happy world back to Hallowe'en Town. Upon presenting them to the bewildered residents, Jack gets them excited on the idea of wrapped gifts and ornate trees, but no one understands the warmth and joy which is the holiday's purpose. No one, perhaps, except Sally, a beautiful rag doll of a woman, stuffed with leaves and stitched together by the mad scientist Dr. Finklestein. Though she was created to be a companion to the doctor, Sally pines over Jack instead; though Jack is oblivious, the two share the same heartache and emptiness. It because of her intuitive understanding of Jack that Sally begins to worry about him when he begins to obsess over the concept of Christmas, finally concluding that he will play the part of Santa Claus himself. Although Jack has the best and most sincerest of intentions, he is nonetheless far more adept at frightening people than bringing them happiness. Despite several attempts by Sally to sabotage his plans, Jack usurps Christmas and creates a slew of chaos, "mocking and mangling [the] joyous holiday" with the possessed and frightening toys he leaves in his wake. When his delusions come to an abrupt and painful stop, Jack must work to pull himself out of his stupor and salvage the holiday before it's too late. The Nightmare Before Christmas only continues a meticulous ascent in popularity and renown. It is little why - the film's fantastic elements consist of a fascinating, lighthearted macabre world full populated by distinctly Burtonesque characters. They are at once horrid and lovable, and the film's stop motion technique lends a unique, surreal feel to the entire affair. Elfman's heartfelt score and emotive songs are quite memorable, as all good music should be. The Blu-ray Disc presents the film in a beautiful light, helping it to shine like never before. The disc is only boosted all the more by a great amount of bonus material than any fan will be happy to sink their teeth into. A lovely, dark little gem sure to stand the test of time, Nightmare is a must-own title on Blu-ray Disc! Cast Notes: Danny Elfman (Jack Skellington [singing] / Barrel / Clown with the Tear away Face [voice]), Chris Sarandon (Jack Skellington [voice]), Catherine O'Hara (Sally / Shock [voice]), William Hickey (Dr. Finkelstein [voice]), Glenn Shadix (Mayor [voice]), Paul Reubens (Lock [voice]), Ken Page (Oogie Boogie [voice]), Edward Ivory (Santa [voice]), Susan McBride (Big Witch / W.W.D. [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 the Stairs / Vampire / Corpse Dad [voice]), Randy Crenshaw (Mr. Hyde / Behemoth / Vampire [voice]), Sherwood Ball (Mummy / Vampire [voice]), Carmen Twillie (Undersea Gal / Creature Under the Bed [voice]). IMDb Rating (05/13/15): 5.5/10 from 17,437 users
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