Proving that everyone can have the Christmas spirit, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas is No. 2 in Disc Dish‘s countdown of the 25 best Christmas movies.
Released in theaters in 1993, The Nightmare Before Christmas quickly became a holiday must-see, with Disney releasing the stop-animation film in theaters every Christmas season since (Disney’s theme parks even change the Haunted House ride to a special Nightmare Before Christmas version).
In the film, the best scarer in Halloween Town, a skeleton called Jack Skellington, discovers the entrance to Christmas Town and is immediately taken by it. Bored by being spooky, Jack decides he needs a new challenge and taking over Christmas for a year will fit the bill. And besides, Santa Claus could surely use rest. So, with Santa kidnapped, Jack transforms Halloween Town into a Christmas-toy-making machine, only the toys are scary. On Christmas Eve, Jack heads off in a sleigh pulled by ghosts to take their toys to the children of the world, but when kids start screaming as their presents try to eat them, Jack doesn’t get the reception he wants, and he finally starts to understand the true nature of Christmas.
Featuring the voices of Chris Sarandon (The Princess Bride), Catherine O’Hara (Home Alone) and Paul Reubens (Blow), the PG-rated movie was nominated for a best visual effects Academy Award and a Golden Globe award for best score. It didn’t win either, but it was awarded with other honors, including a large fanbase who fell in love with the movie and its brilliant songs by Danny Elfman (composer of the themes for TV shows The Simpsons and Desperate Housewives).
The Nightmare Before Christmas is available on DVD
Check out the rest of the Disc Dish Christmas Movie Advent Calendar.
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