Released by Tim Burton in 1993. The structure and music form a light opera. Each distinct sequence includes easily spotted references to classic production design in movies and stage, here amusingly twisted. For example, Ken Page, as the Oogie Boogie (black jazzman crooner style) torturing Santy Claws, in a truly psychedelic art direction. It's frankly horrifying and dark. Catharine O'Hara as Sally. Roger Ebert compared its visual effects to The Cabinet of Caligari and Metropolis. The theme is relevant to today, indeed, timeless.
The director, Henry Selick, also made James and the Giant Peach and Coraline.
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | December 14, 2019 7:01 PM |
It's a great movie. Danny Elfman was robbed of Oscar nominations for Best Song and Best Score that year.
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | December 14, 2019 8:54 PM |
NICE TRY, ASPIE IRRELEVANT POP NAMEDROPPER
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | December 14, 2019 10:26 PM |
I don't think its a great movie but it's extremely unique. The score is a LOT better than the movie. It's visually stunning. It's hard to suss out the characters. It's a great pot-head movie.
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | December 14, 2019 10:46 PM |
I've tried to love this movie many times. I love animated films, I love musicals, I love weirdness, and I really love "Coraline", from the same director.
But I don't really like "Nightmare", and I don't know why. Too cutesy? Not fun? Humorless? I can't put my finger on what's missing.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | December 14, 2019 11:11 PM |
It's the best stop-motion Christmas movie of all time. Haters gonna hate.
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | December 14, 2019 11:26 PM |
Jack Skellington is a very ambiguous character. He blithely steals Christmas and allows his subjects to kidnap and torture Santy Claws. He is not deep, nor intelligent, and he has delusional self confidence and an unquestioned privilege by birthright. He has abrupt changes of heart and moral conscience throughout the movie, easily justifying whatever good or bad activity with which he distracts himself. His subjects all worship him. It's creepy, even when finally he does "good" things he is only slightly cleaning up his recklessness.
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | December 14, 2019 11:38 PM |
Jack is very child like - he is reckless with his decisions but insanely curious. Sally is sort of his conscious and Oooige is the bad things people do. It is a great story and original, not a reboot remake of something else something we lack these days.
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | December 14, 2019 11:46 PM |
Indeed OP, while at the same time merging many elements of the classic Greek hero....it has it all: hamartia, hubris, anagnorisis, nemesis and catharsis....but he survives. A great movie.
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | December 15, 2019 12:04 AM |