DISCLAIMER: This review will not discuss how THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS is a cinematic classic with deep critical analysis. If you want that, you can head over to Rotten Tomatoes. Instead, I’m taking a trip down memory lane this Halloween with the hundreds of times I’ve seen this movie.
In 1993, Touchstone’s animated classic THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS was released, and it touched my heart. The darkness, serious themes, and characters were that of an adult film, yet the songs were a devilishly delicious mix of Danny Elfman and what you would hear in a Disney musical.
1990s – Teenager
I remember seeing it in a dingy Arizona theatre with a friend. We were baffled by the number of songs in it and how different it was from any animated film that had come before it. I then went to my Bubbe’s (grandma in Yiddish), and some of her Jewish friends sang the songs and talked about how great it was. At age thirteen, I couldn’t understand why I thought this outstanding film was fantastic for the older generation. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized it’s that universal longing for something different mixed with a soundtrack where every song is a hit.
2000 – 2022 No Kid Life
I saw it annually at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood while living in Los Angeles for eighteen years. I’ve also seen the songs from it performed at an event where I saw Catherine O’Hara (pre-SCHITT’S CREEK) sing on stage.
Most importantly, I’ve been on the Haunted Mansion ride more times than I can count when Jack Skellington visits.
2022 – Present Day – Dad Life
However, none of this compares to sharing the music and parts of the movie with my now 2 1/2-year-old son, Aiden.
Aiden and I have danced, sung, dressed up, built the LEGO set, and bonded over the music from THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. I want to be clear that I didn’t pick the movie for him. He picked it. I have too many toys in my office, and he saw my Jack and Sally mini-figs from the original release on my window shelf. Once he grabbed them back in mid-August, he has been obsessing over it ever since. It doesn’t help that we’ve indulged him by buying costumes and oversized stuffed animals and playing the music repeatedly everywhere we go. At this point, his Jack and Sally toys are family members who converse with him throughout the day.
Our favorite songs to sing (not in order) are:
- THIS IS HALLOWEEN – Aiden sings this in a low, deep voice, pretending to be each character.
- JACK’S LAMENT – Aiden now sings this to his stuffed animals daily. He’s especially fond of the line, “Since I am dead, I can take off my head,” which he says while pretending to take his own head off.
- WHAT’S THIS – Aiden’s introduction to THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. It was the only kid-friendly song he could watch.
- JACK’S OBSESSION – the clock ticking sound effects are done by him repeatedly.
- SALLY’S SONG – he listens to it while holding his Sally doll.
Pic collage from August 24th – Oct 30th, 2024
Final Thoughts
Jack Skellington had already given me a lifetime of memories before I became a father. Now, as a dad, I’m so thankful that Danny Elfman, Tim Burton, and Henry Selick were allowed to make a film that’s a part of who I am. I’ve officially passed along my enthusiasm for this classic to my son. I hope one day he might do the same to his kids, friends, and musical theatre loved ones.
It’s available on Disney+.
