Tim Burton rewatch! No, Burton didn’t direct The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). Yes, it’s nonetheless an important stop on his filmography.

Here’s what happens: Jack Skellington is the Pumpkin King of Halloweentown, overseeing all of Halloween every year. But now he’s questioning if there’s anything more to life than everyone’s favorite holiday. When he discovers a door to Christmastown, he’s inspired to create something new. But is it the right thing for him?

Origin story: The story is based on an original concept and a poem (!) by Tim Burton, yet another of his attempts to make his own holiday TV special. Many of the character designs are based on his original drawings as well. And because Batman made him a household name, his name goes on the movie’s title and all over the marketing.

Burton dreamed it up, but director Henry Selick made it a reality. A lot of the movie’s continued success over the years is because of Selick and his team – both in the groundbreaking, detailed animation, but also all the character work. Every background character is someone distinct with their own story to tell.

Outsider theory: Jack might long for something more, but the true outsider is Sally. Locked up in a tower, the fragile yet artistic Sally longs for escape. While Jack desires change, she sees Jack for he truly is.  

Reality breaks through: Jack’s attempt to be the new Santa doesn’t go well, bringing scares in place of presents. The real world is old-fashioned and cartoony, except for the starkly realistic military base that shoots down his sleigh. Reality does indeed break through, with a missile.

Best bits: Jack (singing): “And since I am dead, I can take off my head, to recite Shakespearian quotations. No animal or man, can scream like I can, with the fury of my recitations.”

Thoughts on this viewing: Just a magnificent film, one whose status as classic is well deserved. The attention to detail, the macabre humor, the toe-tapping songs, and the sweeping score add up to pure movie magic. I’m especially fond of the lengthy sequence in which Sally escapes from her tower to give Jack a Christmas present. The whole thing is told almost wordlessly, only through the characters’ actions and the music, showing just how powerful animation is as an art form.

Next: The Criswell that you cris so well.

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