I think that the worth of a smart title can't be overstated; "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is a playful, memorable title that lets you know you're in good hands.
I love this movie in part because it's the story of an artist; it's really a cartoon version of the Second Act of "Sunday in the Park with George." Also, it finds new variations on a fish-out-of-water theme (a theme that is at least as old as "Curious George" and Tomi Ungerer's "Rufus the Bat"). If a ghoul traveled to the North Pole, he would of course confuse Santa Claus with "the Sandy Claws." And he might think that a shriveled body-less head is an appropriate gift to leave under a tree.
A third thing I love in this film is Sally, who dreams of independence. Trapped in the lair of a mad scientist, Sally tries to poison her captor with deadly Worm's Wort. She conceals the scent with Frog's Breath. When the scientist becomes suspicious, Sally does some fancy work with a slotted spoon to create yet another illusion. Because she is a rag doll, Sally will literally rip apart her own flesh in the pursuit of freedom; a detached hand can later grab a spool of thread and a needle. The hand can join itself to an arm; another hand can reattach two legs to a shredded torso, and so on.
Thirty years after its opening, Henry Selick's big-screen debut is still amazing to me. (Yes, this was Selick's debut!) I was happy to view this at an AMC--with proper speakers--on a childless day right after Halloween.
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