The enduring dream of 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'

What started as a poem penned by Tim Burton in 1982 sprouted into a stop-motion art piece released in 1993, and has continued to blossom in the hearts and minds of fans as a cult classic. One can’t deny the enduring qualities that have kept this film consistently popular throughout the decades.  

There are other films similar to The Nightmare Before Christmas, namely the 2009 film adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline, Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, and the beautiful James and the Giant Peach.  These films are each masterpieces and classics in their own right, but they aren’t quite as universally and as timelessly iconic as The Nightmare Before Christmas.

So, for the purposes of this article, let us revisit the Town of Halloween and take a look at the things that make it so special.  A new doc installment of The Holidays Movies that Made Us created by Netflix was recently released on the streaming platform.

The doc features interviews of screenwriter Caroline Thompson, Director Henry Sellick, Author and film historian Ian Nathan, Co-Producer Kathleen Gavin, Visual Consultant Rick Heinrichs, and legendary composer Danny Elfman.  They go into some detail about the incredibly masterful work that they were able to create with a shoestring budget.

The film is a paradox of concepts that create something very special. It’s a Christmas movie and a Halloween movie.  It is simple yet complex, familiar yet fresh, nostalgic but modern. It’s creepy yet cute, childlike yet mature, ghoulish yet comforting.  This film continues to charm audiences as much today as it did on videocassette in the ’90s.

This film was originally pushed to the back burner because it was deemed “too scary” for children. Now, Disneyland and Tokyo Disney both annually decorate their classic Haunted Mansion ride into a Haunted Mansion Holiday. The experience runs for three months and features Jack, Sally, and all the other characters of Halloweentown who take over the mansion.

 Financial success seems to outweigh creepy factors, as the gross box office has slowly increased to $91.5 million.  Nightmare Before Christmas merchandise is sold all year long. Home decor, clothing items, collectibles, cosmetics, board games, and of course Christmas ornaments, all featuring Jack and Sally are readily available.

The original poem by Tim Burton that began it all is even available as an illustrated picture book.  Even the original soundtracks have been covered and re-released on special editions featuring Fall Out Boy, Panic! At the Disco, Fiona Apple, and many others.

One of the things that makes it special is because it is so different from so many average Christmas movies that seem to blend together, in aesthetic, story, and theme. Only instead of a girl and boy dressed in red and green falling in love to the backdrop of a small town. A soft yet strong ragdoll and a charismatic skeleton face their problems of existential crises and find love, friendship, and understanding in one another on a snow-covered, tentacle hillside under a full moon.

It’s a movie that is entertaining for kids and adults alike, and that will continue to live on for years to come.

Here’s the original poem read by Sir Christopher Lee.