Synopsis
Jack Skellington, a being from Halloween Town, finds Christmas Town and is instantly enchanted. The situation becomes riveting when his obsession with Christmas leads him to abduct Santa Claus.
Cast
Danny Elfman…Jack Skellington (singing), Barrel
Catherine O’Hara…Shock, Sally
Chris Sarandon…Jack Skellington
Paul Reubens…Lock
Ken Page…Oogie Boogie
Glenn Shadix…Mayor
Edward Ivory…Santa Claus
William Hickey…Dr. Finkelstein
Best Character
The mayor, but most specifically his worried side. He’s so overdramatic but also hilarious.
I do also love Jack and Sally but they are the obvious options.
Best Supporting/Obscure Character
I love the vampires. Their high-pitched voices really go against their aesthetic but I love it.
Zero is the best boy and I won’t be convinced otherwise. He’s technically my favourite character but as he’s a dog and doesn’t actually speak I think he can only be a supporting character.
Favourite Scenes
The opening sequence has to be the most iconic. Everyone knows the song, even if they haven’t seen the film.
What’s This is the first glimpse of Christmas in this film and it makes me so happy. It’s definitely my favourite scene in the entire film. I would love to see a film set in Christmastown.
I love the entire section of Jack delivering the toys. It’s the funniest part of the whole film, well as funny as killer Christmas presents can be. I especially love the snake eating the Christmas tree while a small child just stands there screaming. Makes me laugh every time.
Best Quotes/Lines
SAX PLAYER: Nice work, Bone Daddy.
There’s something so very funny about Jack being called Bone Daddy.
MAYOR: Jack? I’ve got the plans for next Halloween. I need to go over them
with you so we can get started.
MAYOR (with worried face): Jack, please, I’m only an elected official here, I can’t make
decisions by myself. Jack, answer me!! [falls down steps]
This moment alone is what makes me love the mayor. ‘I’m only an elected official here, I can’t make decisions by myself’ is so funny. He is a true politician.
His two personalities are funny, but his worried side is hilarious. Is that a bit mean to say?
JACK: Forgive me Mr. claws, I’m afraid I’ve made a terrible mess
of your holiday.
SANTA CLAUS: Bumpy sleigh ride, Jack? The next time you get the urge to take over
someone else’s holiday, I’d listen to her! She’s the only one who makes any sense around this insane asylum!
Santa is actually a savage. I mean he speaks the truth though so you can’t disagree with him.
Most Iconic Outfit
Jack’s Father Christmas outfit has to be the most iconic right? It’s one of the first things that comes to mind when I think about The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Best Musical Moments
I think everyone can agree that ‘This is Halloween’ is absolutely iconic. It’s the one song from this film that everyone definitely knows. This is quite funny when you think about it because this is technically a Christmas film.
As I mentioned in the best scences section, What’s This is the first glimpse of Christmas in this film and it’s actually one of my favourite songs, if not my favourite. I pretty much hum or sing this all the time in December, it’s always stuck in my head.
I have a weird love for Kidnap the Sandy Claws. It’s a weird Halloween-Christmas mishmash of a song, but the tune is so catchy.
Thoughts/Opinions That Don’t Fit Into A Specific Category
I love the aesthetic of The Nightmare Before Christmas, especially as it is a stop motion. I have a real love for stop motion, they are so impressive.
This might be an unconventional opinion but I actually don’t like the scene with the Oogie Boogie song. Personally, I don’t think it fits in with the rest of the film, both stylistically and musically.
I watch this film pretty much every year at Christmas and with each passing year I realise that The Nightmare Before Christmas isn’t actually very Christmassy. I suppose it comes with the aesthetic, which I do really like, but it doesn’t make me feel festive.
Please don’t hate me for that statement, I know a lot of people are very, very into this film. I do love it, but not as a ‘I want to feel festive so I’m going to watch this film’ type of film.
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