Product Description

Now digitally restored and remastered with state-of-the-art technology, THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS is deeper, darker and more brilliant than ever -- just as Tim Burton originally envisioned it. Can Christmas be saved? Bored with the same old scare-and-scream routine, Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, longs to spread the joy of Christmas. But his merry mission puts Santa in jeopardy and creates a nightmare for good little boys and girls everywhere!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11057 in DVD
• Brand: Buena Vista Home Video
• Model: 05741200
• Released on: 2008-08-26
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: AC-3, Anamorphic, Animated, Collector's Edition, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, HiFi Sound, NTSC, PAL, Original recording remastered, Surround Sound, THX, Widescreen
• Original language: English, French, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .28 pounds
• Running time: 76 minutes

Features

• Now digitally restored and remastered with state-of-the-art technology, THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS is deeper, darker and more brilliant than ever -- just as Tim Burton originally envisioned it. Can Christmas be saved? Bored with the same old scare-and-scream routine, Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, longs to spread the joy of Christmas. But his merry mission puts Santa in

Amazon.com
For those who never thought Disney would release a film in which Santa Claus is kidnapped and tortured, well, here it is! The full title is Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, which should give you an idea of the tone of this stop-action animated musical/fantasy/horror/comedy. It is based on characters created by Burton, the former Disney animator best known as the director of Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and the first two Batman movies. His benignly scary-funny sensibility dominates the story of Halloweentown resident Jack Skellington (voice by Danny Elfman, who also wrote the songs), who stumbles on a bizarre and fascinating alternative universe called ... Christmastown! Directed by Henry Selick (who later made the delightful James and the Giant Peach), this PG-rated picture has a reassuringly light touch. As Roger Ebert noted in his review, "some of the Halloween creatures might be a tad scary for smaller children, but this is the kind of movie older kids will eat up; it has the kind of offbeat, subversive energy that tells them wonderful things are likely to happen." --Jim Emerson

On the DVD
The enhanced clarity of the Blu-ray format showcases the imaginative visuals in Tim Burton's ground-breaking The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). The cinematography in previous stop-motion films tended to be dull; the filmmakers locked down the camera and concentrated on animating the characters. In Nightmare, the camera swoops through the opening parade in Halloween Town and slowly circles Jack Skellington as he lies in the arms of a graveyard statue: it's genuinely new and exciting. Blu-ray also enables the viewer to see details more clearly than earlier releases, from the subtle animation of Jack's long, skeletal hands to the multi-colored reflections on his ghostly face from the lights in Christmas Town. The HD version looks okay on portable devices, but it lacks the detail and crystal clarity of the Blu-ray. Like a Christmas stocking, the disc is stuffed with extras: a new commentary by Burton, director Henry Selick and composer Danny Elfman, short animated sequences that were deleted from the film due to time constraints, and a tour of the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland, redecorated with a Nightmare theme. But two early shorts by Burton rank as the most entertaining extras. Vincent, the delightfully macabre story of an eight-year-old boy who dreams of becoming Vincent Price, deftly blends 2D and 3D animation. The live action Frankenweenie, in which a boy brings his dog back from the dead, is a hilarious but affectionate send-up of the horror films of the '30s. (It's currently being remade as stop-motion feature in London.) Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas was not a blockbuster when it was first released, but it has retained a devoted following, and merchandise of the characters remains popular. This new edition makes it easy to understand why. (Rated PG: violence, scary imagery) --Charles Solomon

From The New Yorker
This full-length animated movie was shot in stop motion, with all the febrile, twittery fascination that the medium exerts; it has a magic-toy shop feeling, with unexpected objects stuttering into life. Directed by Henry Selick, it was devised and co-produced by Tim Burton, who leaves a trail of his familiar obsessions: graveyard humor, whirling snow, a velvety darkness. But the atmosphere is too rich for the pallid plot: Jack Skellington, the bony master of ceremonies in Halloweentown, discovers the spirit of Christmas and tries to import it into his ghoulish world. The clash of styles-demonic vs. cute-pays off only toward the end; for all the witty, festering details (look out for the cat that howls like a siren when you crank its tail), the film is strangely static. Danny Elfman's score is lush and shocking but much too good for his lyrics (or for what you can hear of them). Children may find it too black and baffling; adults with nervous dispositions should be nicely freaked out. -Anthony Lane
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker