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Review #9: The Nightmare Before Christmas

*Quick note: I haven't posted lately due to being busy, work etc and then having appendicitis over the festive period. However I'm also aware that nobody follows my blog (which I like, I do this for something to do, not to be heard) so I don't really know why I'm bothering to explain myself.

I personally resent "The Nightmare Before Christmas" because of the deviant art hipster emo's it inspired in my secondary school - the sort that would draw Jack Skellington all over their hands and books to show how individual they are even though I once asked one of them what the character was from and she said she didn't know. (Please note this isn't me saying deviant art is rubbish and those that use it are tossers - I go on there regularly because people do make some fine art on there.) But despite a slight hostility it won me over as it is an enjoyable film which Henry Selick and Tim Burton should be proud of.

On another note as a child, I like many had Disney's masterpiece "The Lion King" on VHS; inside the case for the video was an advert for several disney releases, one of these was TNBC and as a 5 year old it scared the hell out of me and after watching it for the first time this christmas I dont think this film is for children. Pre-teens probably, teenagers onwards definitely but I wont be showing it to my kids.

Anyway "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is a gorgeously gothic, lavish and visually stimulating in a its slightly horrific but captivating feature; benefitting from its choice of stop motion, making it unique in this Pixar ruled CG animation. "Christmas Town" and "Oogie Boogie's" neon dripped lair in particular stand out due to contrasting the drained main setting "Halloween Town".

Lead character Jack Skellington is a key factor to the films success; scenes without him are lacking and the musical numbers are nowhere near as enjoyable or memorable when he is not around. So kudos must be given to Danny Elfman and Chris Sarandon for their vocal contributions. At the same time creating such a good leading man means other characters suffer, main villain "Oogie Boogie" is quickly dispatched - only memorable because of his number in neon.
 
 As previously mentioned the musical numbers are only decent being quite varied in quality, Skellington's "What's this" is the best of the bunch and others such as "Making Christmas" which involves the townspeople being rather lacklustre.

Its displays of wit and intelligence are enjoyable: such as Jack's ghostly dog Zero coming in handy and the use of the Angel of Death in the graveyard but you can see the plot coming from a mile away and it ends just a bit too quickly.

Still a must watch during the festive period.

3.75

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