REVIEW: Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: Beyond Halloween Town: The Story, the Characters, and the Legacy by Emily Zemler
After 30 years, discover the inspirations behind Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas and its legacy as a certified pop-culture experience.
What is it about Jack Skellington that is so compelling? Why does the love between Sally and Jack resonate with so many? The feature-length, stop-motion movie about the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town who becomes obsessed with celebrating Christmas is a fascinating musical and love story that has transcended the original film and captivated the world. From the improbable tale to the lovable characters, Tim Burton’s creation has turned into a lifestyle, branching into fashion, video games, card and board games, live-action concerts, themed celebrations at Disneyland, and even cameos in other movies.
Featuring an original foreword by Tim Burton himself, Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: Beyond Halloween Town celebrates the film and the culture that has grown around it with exclusive and original interviews from:
Author and creator, Tim Burton
Animators, sculptors, and other artists of the film
Jack Skellington himself, Danny Elfman
The iconic voice of Sally, Catherine O’Hara
Musicians on the Nightmare Revisited albumDelve into the magic of Halloween and Christmas in a story told through unlikely heroes that started 30 years ago. This beautifully designed coffee-table book is sure to captivate die-hard and casual fans alike.
Review
When I first watched this movie, I liked it but I didn’t love it. For me, there are some things missing (Why does Sally love Jack? It’s not that he ignores her as he’s aware of her talent as a seamstress but beyond that he doesn’t pay much attention to her until she saves Sandy Claws.) Then I watched the episode from Netflix’s “The Movies that Made Us” that features this film and thought, I really need to watch this again. Shortly after that, I saw this book, then bit the bullet and bought a copy of the film. I still think the Sally-Jack relationship needs fleshing out (and I say that knowing full well that Sally is a rag-doll and Jack a skeleton) but the creativity of it and the mad skills that made it wowed me.
The book delves into the inspiration and sources that influenced the look of the movie, the voice talents behind the characters, the massive amount of work that went into set construction and building the models, and problem solving. Lots of problem solving. The World of “Nightmare” has expanded but not via the usual “Nightmare 2” or “Return to Nightmare” films that other franchises have done. Instead there have been books and manga that have delved into aspects of the world. Disney theme parks have added (or changed existing rides to) TNBC attractions. The crew has also stayed in touch as well as worked on other films.
Emily Zemler obviously loves the film and was given lots of access to tell how the film progressed from Burton’s ideas (that Disney initially dismissed) through all the problem solving (those involved used that term a lot) to the finished film that … didn’t set the box office on fire. But it stuck around, and thanks to VHS and then DVD copies it kept going, and has now become a firm favorite that has inspired all kinds of merch (including a crock pot), homemade costumes, and devotion (weddings, cosplay, and full sleeve tattoos). During my recent rewatch, I decided that Lock, Shock, and Barrel are my favorite characters. Who is/are yours? B
~Jayne
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