Editor's Note: Holiday Film Reviews commences our most festive season with a guest post from Thalia Heinrich, a young writer and family friend based in Iowa. You can follow her as @thalia.doris on Instagram. She has written a review of the 1993 stop motion classic "The Nightmare Before Christmas." Many thanks for your contribution to Holiday Film Reviews, Thalia!
Premiered October 29, 1993
The Nightmare Before Christmas is a movie many people enjoy. Originally a poem written by Tim Burton, it was released the 29th of October, 1993. This movie, good for any time of year, is still enjoyed to this day, 23 years after it was first released. I’d like to discuss why.
 |
| Jack tries his hand at making paper snowflakes. |
The beginning of the movie introduces us to outrageous and unique characters in “This Is Halloween," a well-known song that is fun to sing along to.
We are introduced to Jack Skellington, voiced by Chris Sarandon (speaking) and Danny Elfman (singing).
The animation in this movie is brilliant. It uses dazzling stop-motion animation. The animators put a lot of work into getting every detail to bring the characters to life, and they do a really good job. Their hard work is clear in the movie, where you can see all the emotion displayed through each character. Another amazing thing they do with this movie is the contrast between Halloween Town and Christmas Town. Halloween Town is very dull, almost black and white, and Christmas Town is very bright, colorful, and sparkly.
 |
| Jack Skellington explores Christmas Town in disguise. |
The animation in this movie is brilliant. It uses dazzling stop-motion animation. The animators put a lot of work into getting every detail to bring the characters to life, and they do a really good job. Their hard work is clear in the movie, where you can see all the emotion displayed through each character. Another amazing thing they do with this movie is the contrast between Halloween Town and Christmas Town. Halloween Town is very dull, almost black and white, and Christmas Town is very bright, colorful, and sparkly.
The music in this movie is outstanding. It’s all written by Danny Elfman, who also sings for Jack. The songs are amazing, recognizable, and fun to sing along to. The writing is great and the singing is brilliant. The music is just simply unforgettable and one of the things that makes this movie one of my and many others' favorite. I also love the characters so much. They are wonderfully written and beautifully voiced. Even the most minor of characters are filled with emotion and personality.
Overall, this is a wonderful movie for any time of the year. Wonderful music by Danny Elfman, outstanding acting by people such as Cathrine O’ Hara and Ken Page, and gorgeous stop-motion animation all help bring this movie together, making it a simply amazing experience loved by many even 23 years after it first hit theaters.
 |
| A little boy gets an unexpected holiday surprise from Santa-Jack! |
If you’re looking for a fun thing to do with your friends, family, or even by yourself, a Nightmare Before Christmas singalong is certainly something fun everyone can enjoy.
Well done, Thalia.
ReplyDelete