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Summary: A stop motion animated classic, the DVD's great too.
Review:
Our story is in Halloweentown, a town of scary things where Jack Skelengton ( voiced by Chris Sarandon) is the pumpkin king and is tired of the same thing year after year of being crowed by pleasing fans. He wonders through the woods to discover a place full of doors to other holiday worlds, he stumbles onto Christmas town where it gives him inspiration in new ideas. He gets the entire town to do his bidding except for Sally ( voiced by Catherine O'Hara) whom has a feeling about Jack's plan for Christmas and Jack is to kidnap Santa so he can take his hat, unfortunately for Jack being Santa Claus he doesn't know that the toys he created are deadly for the children as he must find the real Santa to fix Christmas.
A dark and dazzling animated fairy tale classic that has became a beloved cult icon movie for years since it's release, Tim Burton ( who'd produced) with Henry Sellick delivers a good and original story, imaginative characters, and memorable images that will stick to your head.
The DVD special edition is definitely worth the investment, it's got great picture & sound, great extras such as Still galleries, Trailers, Deleted Scenes, Storyboard-and-film comparision, two Tim Burton early shorts and cool audio commentary by the director.
Highly recommended DVD to animation collectors!
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Summary: Spooky Halloween meets Jolly Christmas
Review: "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is a different kind of Christmas movie. It's about the pumpkin king, Jack Skellington who gets tired of the same old routine of celebrating Halloween every year and being the king of where he lives at. He finds a place called Christmas Town that he thoroughly enjoys and wants the rest of the town to experience. Unlike the spooky town that he lives in, Christmas Town is a jolly place where everybody is happy and doesn't argue all the time. I think Tim Burton did a great job with "The Nightmare Before Christmas." I seen it when it first came out on video and I still like watching it. Cartoon wise the effects and visuals couldn't have been done any better, and you'll notice that when you see the 3D effects along with some things that even look real such as the sky at night. The movie will give you a great feel of what it would be like if Halloween and Christmas were mixed together to come as one. The songs couldn't have been done any better for the movie. "This Is Halloween" and "What's This" are two of the best songs. If you like Christmas or Halloween cartoons, I would recommend getting "The Nightmare Before Christmas." It's a movie that kids and adults can both like.
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Summary: Must-have for any serious collector.
Review: "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is, of course, a fine film (though in my opinion, some of the Elfman songs get a bit overly operatic) but this presentation is just amazing. It's essentially everything that was included in the Laserdisc Deluxe Boxed set from a few years back, plus a "James and the Giant Peach" trailer. The biggest bonus on the disc is the addition of Burton's two short films, "Vincent" and "Frankenweenie." "Vincent" is even closer than "Nightmare" at being the ideal film materialization of an Edward Gorey poem, and it's rarely been seen anywhere else. Not to mention the storyboards, commentary track, behind-the-scenes footage, trailers, deleted scenes (which are few in number, as animation is kept to a necesary minimum)... And this from Disney, a company usually known for gouging DVD buyers with barebones "features." Keep it up, Dis.
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Summary: THE GREATEST CINEMATIC EXPERIENCE OF ALL TIME
Review: "What's This? What's This? There's powder everywhere! What's this? What's this? There's white things in the air! What's this? Oh I can't believe my eyes I must be dreaming, wake up Jack, this isn't fair! What's this!?" Yes, I know the lyrics. Off by heart. This is the greatest movie technically, musically, and in every other aspect. Twisted gothic children's fantasy! I love all of the unique characters (Sally is great! And the Clown with the Tear-away face! "I am the one hiding under your stairs! Teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red!" Sorry, I started again). Known the dialogue since I was 7 or 8. BEST MOVIE EVER!
A must see for anyone.
Rating: 
Summary: Amazing DVD!
Review: ... Tim Burton is now a favorite of mine. There is also a great making of and the deleted footages are so fun. Many more extra's also such as an art gallery with over 400 stills, and of course the commentary which I never bother to listen to on any DVD. Now the movie itself is brillaint. The animation is superb and the plot is just amazing. My only complaint being that at many points the film is lacking and just moves so slow, hence the missing star. Dont get me wrong, it is an enjoyable film and definitely one I watch over and over, but many scenes have some drab and boring music, that Im not sure of kids will enjoy. But the film is amazing and that is just one flaw. Its a must. This DVD is a MUST...
Rating:
Summary: great animation, but a little creepy
Review: A film by Henry Selick Jack Skellington is the Pumpkin King of Halloweentown. Jack is tired of the same old Halloween with the same old scares and the same old countdown to the next Halloween. Depressed by the routine, Jack walks away from Halloweentown and discovers a door in the forest. This door has the image of a tree engraved on it and through the door Jack discovers Christmastown! Singing "What is this?" (a great song), Jack discovers the wonder of Christmas and decides that he wants to bring Christmas to Halloweentown. When he returns, he gets the whole town to prepare for Christmas. He explains that it doesn't matter what is in the present, but only that it is wrapped and looks pretty. To make sure that Jack can be the new Christmas King, he has Santa Claus kidnapped. I don't think "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is appropriate for the youngest viewers because it will probably be too scary for them. It was a little creepy for me, and I'm 25. It was also a very good movie. I'm always apprehensive about musical numbers, but there are some very good songs (a highlight that I've mentioned is Jack's song "What is this" as he discovers Christmastown), and fanstastic animation. Tim Burton is one of the screenwriters and it has some of the darker hallmarks that are a part of his work. This is a great movie for Halloweentime, Christmastime, or any time of the year.
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Summary: Christmas is better than Halloween, but Halloween is best
Review: A film of great interest, artistically. It is a Christmas pantomime that reveals a very high level of technical perfection in animation. It is a very good musical where music and singing are literally merged into the pictures. It is also a very profound film about children : their expectation of fear with Halloween and of joy with Christmas. Children are just like adults, dark on one side and colorful on the other side, and they don't want the two to be mixed or just to mix. This gives a great attractive power to the film for these children who will be panickstricken by the kidnapping and possible killing of Santa Claus, and who will be thrilled by the frightening characters that haunt our vision of Halloween and this strange night when ghosts come back to roam our streets begging for candy. A classic for children and a piece of artistic pleasure for adults. Dr Jacques COULARDEAU
Rating:
Summary: A good film
Review: A good, original film. Great disc, finally a Disney release with extras on it. Good picture quality.
Rating:
Summary: A New Favorite
Review: A while back, when I was younger and "The Nightmare Before Christmas" was still a fairly new movie (can you believe it's been 10+ years already?) I saw it for the first time on TV. I'd seen the commercials for it when it was in theaters and was excited to see it. The monsters alone made me like it; plus I was a fan of stop-motion, and the idea of an entire movie utilizing it was interesting. I'd also watched one or two documentaries on TV. However, keep in mind, I was probably only 8 or 9, and I had a hatred for songs in movies. Well, that's what it was; a musical. This was probably only one reason I didn't like it back then. The other might be that I didn't realize just how layered the characters were, so stretches of character development seemed pointless... but I'll get to that later. Today, "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is one of my favorite movies and I need to get to owning it as soon as I have the resources. It's smart, fun, funny, and lovable. I had told my fiance how I had been disappointed when I'd see the movie, but I admitted it had been many, many years and I'd only seen it once. I was willing to give it another try, and when I did, I loved it. I can't get the songs out of my head. "The Nightmare Before Christmas" takes place in the land of holidays, where each holiday has its own land. In Halloweentown, the citizens of odd assortment have just finished wrapping up another successful year. The song "This is Halloween" is there anthem, and when the denizens say "In our town of Halloween" it really sounds homely, as to them, its their own bustling little community, complete with a mayor, people of all occupations... and the local celebrity, Jack Skellington. Jack pretty much runs the show for each Halloween. He's the highlight of the event and is adored by all. However, Jack isn't satisfied with his life in Halloween. While he's proud of his accomplishments, he longs for something more than what he's been doing over and over for who knows how many years. Well, Jack stumbles upon a strange forest filled with trees that lead to the other holiday towns. The one he happens to stumble into is Christmastown. This leads on a journey of discovery and change for Jack, and eventually the other inhabitants of Halloweentown. This is where I didn't understand things as a child, either from not paying attention or who knows what. Jack's initial attempt was to show the others what Christmas meant, as in warmness and giving, as opposed to the usual elements of Halloweentown. As Jack tries and tries to discover how to explain the feeling to the others, he soon loses the meaning himself and decides that Christmas must become part of Halloween. This was no secret to anyone because of the commercials (and title,) but this is what mixed me up as a kid, because it seemed like his intent from the start to make Christmas his own. Instead, there is a wonderfully deep set of sequences revealing that Jack is a warm individual trying to spread what he's discovered onto others. Along the way, many characters come up, such as the mayor of Halloweentown, the mad scientist, his creation Sally with a longing for Jack, the Boogieman, who's a twisted creation in a world of twisted creations, and even the Easter Bunny! This movie is a technological achievement due to how much work was put into it, as are the songs. Danny Elfman has created an incredible musical, different from most other Disney songs in that it actually advances the plot and character rather than stopping the show. It's really amazing, and all of the songs are enjoyable and work well. If there was one complaint I have about the movie, it's the position of Oogie Boogie. While the concept and creation of him is very creative, he isn't built enough. He's glimpsed at in the beginning of the movie, but isn't even mentioned until halfway through, where he's immediately slated as the antagonist (and with still no build.) But this is nitpicking considering how he fits with the story (plus, he has his own catchy song and a cool voice.) As for whether or not this movie is good for younger kids, it depends on the parents. My fiance's nephew watched this many times when he was two and it never bothered him once, yet his friend's mother pulled his friend out because she said he was sensitive sometimes. To me, kids get sensitive to these things because they aren't exposed to them at a young age, but it's up to the parents. It's rated PG for a reason. But if you're old enough to read this and decide whether or not to see the movie without parental disgretion, choose to see it. If you don't like it once, try again. I did and I don't regret it one bit.
Rating:
Summary: What is is about this movie?
Review: A young skeleton, named Jack, finds himself wanting something more than the same thing over and over again. When he goes on an adventure to find that extra spark he stumbles into something that he has never even imagined...Christmas! Watch Jack as he tries to recreate the holiday that we all love with his Halloween buddies while getting into some trouble and love along the way.
What is it about this movie that brings in goths and children alike? Tim Burton is well known for his darker sense of understanding when it somes to his work that makes him brilliant. Other works, such as "Edward Scissorhands", "Batman", and "Big Fish" bring audiences rolling in to see what he has come up with this time.
This movie has all the sense of a harmless movie, but brings it all into a darker perspective that just grips the soul. Whether it be bright colors, a happy family, or an everyday outting, Tim Burton draws the more odd and darkened shade out of it. With wonderful songs and a cast you can't forget, this is one movie that sucks you in.
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