What was so great about The Nightmare Before Christmas?

[KilLAtomiK]

Ok first things first, i loved the movie and thought it was great however I never got what all the hoopla was about with people still being obsessed with it years later. It wasnt till about a year or so that i started to notice alot of merchandice from the movie, even more so than what i saw when the movie actualy came out way back in 1993. Even tho i loved it, it was still prety much an average animated film. Even tho it had some spiffy visuals, I quickly forgot about it and didint realy pay much attention to it up untill recently. I know alot of people here are into the movie so i would like to know what it is that you liked about it.

[Spaceman Spiff]

I think its one of those conceptually awesome movies where it had never been done before, and hasn't since really. It also has memorable and loveable characters that stick with you... and I suppose if you love one Tim Burton film you love them all, except for that pile of crap Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

[KilLAtomiK]

i thought the main selling point for the film was that it was all done in stop motion animation, to tell the truth i thought the story was rather bland but it did have its moments and the music was great as well, my fav song is Oogie Boogies song it had a nice beat to it, (i still catch myself humming alon to it ). Also i think Tim Burton is a good director (beetlejuice is one of my all time fav films), and his work on batman was the shit, im not the bigest burton fan hes good but id say a bit over rated.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Whats interesting to me is that the more I thought about it the less I could pinpoint the exact reasons I still like the movie after all these years. So aparently, for reasons unknown, its one of my favs.

[KilLAtomiK]

that was the main reason for this thread , i wanted to know why exactly people love it, but i do agree that some things just have no explanation.

[keiko]

It was silly, spooky, and original. The main selling point is the originality. Same goes for Corpse Bride (which will ROCK!). Burton + Stop Motion = Good.
K

[KilLAtomiK]

i liked the stop motion stuff in James And The Giant PEach, i thought it was awesome, i had the strangest craving for peaches after i saw that movie

[Amelia G]

I really liked the innovative and beautifully dark visuals on Nightmare, but I loathed the story.

The whole message was, if you are a freak, it doesn't matter how much you try, the rewards of the larger society are not for you. Your best attempts at Xmas cheer will just piss people off. Give up.

Pretty much the antithesis of everything I've tried to do over the years with Blue Blood.

Except for the aesthetics. It was a spiffy-looking movie when it came out and the look has stood the test of time, in my opinion.

[cheinara wraithwalker]

The whole message was, if you are a freak, it doesn't matter how much you try, the rewards of the larger society are not for you. Your best attempts at Xmas cheer will just piss people off. Give up.

I never saw it as that, I always saw it as "Stick to what you do best, trying new things is good, but remember who you really are." and "Don't take over other people's stuff because that's fucking rude." Other than that, there were a few symbols, like the double-faced mayor that I always cracked up over.

[Morning Glory]

yeah you have a point there, it was a very caste oriented movie. all the denizens of halloween town only exist to perpetually engage in halloween rituals and they can't be anything else. jack tries something new, fails, and ultimatley embraces his role as the halloween king- but in reality was there actually any lesson to be learned? since the circumstances that made him question his existance haven't changed at all. and as for sally, well she kind of has a freudian thing going on since she wants to constantly rebel against her father figure, that's not really a bad guy, he's just a decrepit old man that needs to be nursed, and she doesn't seem to care if someone else does it, just as long as it's not her. throughout the film jack all but ignores her in pursuit of his own intrests, and just like jack as well she goes against her nature only to accept it in adoration of jack for the same reason that both her and himself opposed in the first place, and while everyone else always loved him- because he's the halloween king.

the point does pessimistly seem to be to settle for whatever you can find an not try to change your lot in life, and get through life by substituting it for what you really want.

[Amelia G]

yeah you have a point there, it was a very caste oriented movie. all the denizens of halloween town only exist to perpetually engage in halloween rituals and they can't be anything else. jack tries something new, fails, and ultimatley embraces his role as the halloween king- but in reality was there actually any lesson to be learned? since the circumstances that made him question his existance haven't changed at all. and as for sally, well she kind of has a freudian thing going on since she wants to constantly rebel against her father figure, that's not really a bad guy, he's just a decrepit old man that needs to be nursed, and she doesn't seem to care if someone else does it, just as long as it's not her. throughout the film jack all but ignores her in pursuit of his own intrests, and just like jack as well she goes against her nature only to accept it in adoration of jack for the same reason that both her and himself opposed in the first place, and while everyone else always loved him- because he's the halloween king.

the point does pessimistly seem to be to settle for whatever you can find an not try to change your lot in life, and get through life by substituting it for what you really want.

Totally. I just don't accept that, if my hair is unusual or my clothing is offbeat, then I am obliged to be a second class citizen, even if I put on a different outfit appropriate to the occasion.

And that whole know-your-place thing just seems to verge on racist philosophy to be. At a minimum, it is, like you said, caste-oriented.

I think social mobility is a good thing and not something that should be discouraged.

[Morning Glory]

I'm sure that i'm reading a little bit too much into this, but it's kind of a disturbing forshadow for the political climate: the radical conservatives (mr. oogie boogie and his gang) want to destroy all change and opposition, whereas the rest of the citzens accept it, but only as a double-standard, where it's the same as what they are used to.

[Hypnotic Vampire]

In the UK it's kind of an overlooked cult film that not too many folk in the mainstream have heard about...there were all the rave reviews and hype coming out of America, and I was psyched to go and see it, but unfortunately, folks in Hollywood still haven't really got their heads around the idea of simultaneous releases, so it ended up coming out at Christmas the year after it debuted in the States.

I saw a poster advertising it on the Underground, and it dawned on me that in the course of that year, I, like many others, had completely forgotten about it, and the 'urge' to go and see it was long gone. I eventually ended up watching it on video, and thought it was a rather enjoyable little film, truth be told...

But yes, the merchandise is baffling, especially some of the earlier, hyper-rare stuff that came out of Japan...you should have seen how much Forbidden Planet were asking for these three foot tall plush dolls...we're talking four figures here !!

[Evilbink]

Well, were as I didn't read into it as much as some here, I enjoyed it throughly. The characters were interesting and the animation was slick. But to pinpoint what makes it an outstanding movie for me, is quite simply the songs. Their isn't a day in the week that something or someone dosen't make me start humming or singing one or those catchy tunes. Overall, a very good movie that is as enjoyable for me to watch today, as it was when I first saw it.

[RobLongshot]

you know, i always kinda found the message to be Stick to doing what you do best... dont try to be something your not. It's not implying your a second class citizen, its saying to not go against your nature. If you Embrace who you are instead of trying to be somebody else. Jack didn't need to be Sandy Claws to be loved, cause he was Jack, and people loved him because he was Jack.

[Belladonna]

i love the music and dark cheerful feel to the movie. my little goth\punks in training love it to.
i would love to live in halloweentown. i want a little ghost dog.

[Zombie_Fatale]

I like everything about the "Nightmare" - songs, characters, animation, everything. I can watch it several times without getting enough.

and I agree with Belladonna.

[KilLAtomiK]

I wonder if the film would have the same cult following if the main characters had been from Eastertown,Thanksgivingtown, or any other of the holiday town.

[Pull~My~Hair]

i just think it is great to see a different medium...I mean cgi can only be new for so long. so much work goes into this type of thing..i look at it more of art than a movie.

[Spaceman Spiff]

I think that having it set in halloweentown plays an important part in what makes it so memorable. By creating loveable "monsters" that have normal personal issues, the learned social bionaries... at least those taught in american cultures... are challanged, and any film that challenges your perseptions of what is imposed as normal is one that will stick with you wether you realize it or not.

[KilLAtomiK]

well James And The Giant Peach was done with stop motion animation and they did it much better i think, also the mixture of stopo motion animation and live action was cool even if it came out a few years after The Nightmare Before Christmas

[Sean_Deigh]

Well, it's a Haunted Fairy-Tale for Kids, and it's done by Burton.
An unique case, isn't it?
I really love the opera written by Danny Elfman, too.
This movie is perfect, genious and eternal, no matter how many times you watch it.

[UglyGargoyle379]

ZERO.... he was the coolest dog ever; and besides that............. everything....

[skintwisterman]

Well, it's dark, and spooky, isn't it?

That means it's goth, and therefore you've got to like it.
Obviously.

Duh.

(Note: Actual reasons individuals like said film may vary.)

[KilLAtomiK]

Well, it's dark, and spooky, isn't it?

That means it's goth, and therefore you've got to like it.
Obviously.

Duh.

(Note: Actual reasons individuals like said film may vary.)

well im not goth at all, I think i listen to to much country music to be goth , but it is still a good kids movie. I just wanted to know if people liked it because it was a trendy type of thing or if they genuinely dug the story. I mentioned before that i thought the story was kinda bland and i agree with what Amelia said about the film's plot.

[Morning Glory]

I think it's just because it's been so absorbed into pop culture. It's pretty much a staple of the goth community to love this movie, but how would they feel about one amongst them that likes disney movies (which NBC actually is, as the studeo later got bought by disney.) they would probibly be shunned.
it also baffles me how it's the cool thing to like johnny cash amongst people that hate everything about country music.

[RobLongshot]

i love disney movies, i love all that is disney... i spend every sunday at disneyland. Shun away.

[KilLAtomiK]

OFF TOPIC:i wish i could go to disney land evry day , id park myself on the pirates of the caribean ride all day evry day

[Morning Glory]

I don't really like what disney has become at all, but walt disney was a pretty cool guy and disney land is a fun place. it's a fucking rip off, it used to be free and you just had to buy tickets for the rides that cost like 50 cents. if you didn't want to ride the rides, you could just go hang out there.

[Zombie_Fatale]

...and the monsters - the harlequin monster making hats from rats, and fat dead kid walked by his Mom on the leash...

[Vitorro]

I think it's just because it's been so absorbed into pop culture. It's pretty much a staple of the goth community to love this movie, but how would they feel about one amongst them that likes disney movies (which NBC actually is, as the studeo later got bought by disney.) they would probibly be shunned.
it also baffles me how it's the cool thing to like johnny cash amongst people that hate everything about country music.

Actually, I thought it was ABC which Disney owns now, but as for Johnny Cash, if it wasnt for June Carter, He was originally a Rock N Roller at the same time as Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis, and His last couple of albums went back to the roots He helped get goin back in the 50s

[Morning Glory]

don't even get me started on that.

[evilassmaster]

eh, first feature-length, hollywood produced goth-type claymation.

plus children-orientated, righteous that... inevitable part of any media production to appeal to a larger audience.

[Tequila Zaire]

Actually, I thought it was ABC which Disney owns now, but as for Johnny Cash, if it wasnt for June Carter, He was originally a Rock N Roller at the same time as Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis, and His last couple of albums went back to the roots He helped get goin back in the 50s

How can you listen to his Sun recordings and say that?

He was a country singer...always was. Not a damn thing wrong with that.

As far as on topic goes: The film looked and felt like nothing of its time. It used a technique that only the man behind Wallace and Grommit had kept alive in modern filmmaking. Many saw it as kids so they have a very deep attachment to it...as far as the goth scene goes...well it was not so much catered to them as much as it was an inclusion of many things they always enjoyed.

It's very much a film in the tradition of pre-SKG Disney (you know, when it didn't suck and Pixar wasn't saving their asses alone.)

Disney Animation is no longer the king it once was...too much has changed internally for that to EVER happen again. Until the straight to video market they use for quick cash stops...everything they ever did will continue to be pissed on. They lost too many key managers, animators, and creators over the last 10 years...and as it stands now are doing little to rebuild their structure of success...they need to pace themselves again. Not stick to this forgettable film a year nonsense.

[RobLongshot]

actually, as much as i dislike eisner i still ove the heart of the disney company. also if you adjust for inflation... and Disneyland used to cost a dollar to get in, never free... so if you adjust it to todays dollar and paying for every ride you go on at adjusted rates.. then todays flat rates are a better deal. i myself am an annual passholder and go every weekend. so i pay about 3 dollars a visit or so when its all broken down.
Walt would still enjoy the parks today... but he would kick Eisner's ass... rather soundly for his and Paul Presslers Marketeering. Not to mention the damage they have done to WDanimaition, lets hope Faries will help save that division.