A Macabre Musical Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (31 October 2018)

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a perennially delightfully film, and one I watch yearly before both pertinent holidays. Jack Skellington, master-in-chief of Halloween Town, has grown bored with his life (or rather death) and ventured into the unknown: a portal that leads to Christmas Town. He attempts to bring the jolly spirit and key pieces into Halloween Town, and assumes the position of Sandy Claws (Santa Clause) in his search for fulfillment and novelty. This film always instills a sense of wonder and excitement, as the audience is carried along on Jacks shelter-skelter ride, and one shares his infectious thirst for adventure. As a musical, the story is supplemented with various songs and musical themes, repeating at key moments to emphasize characters, events, or themes and moods that are important to the audiences perception of the storyline. The dark, yet upbeat songs provide a pleasing ambiance of mundane horror, as life in Halloween Town supposedly is. I find the romance between Sally and Jack to be rushed and a bit trite, but fits with the classic structure and nature of the film.