Media and Music: Reconsider the Placement of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” in Your Christmas Movie Arsenal
Move over “Santa Buddies,” it’s time to settle this debate once and for all.
In Media and Music, our writers take a deep dive into how movies use scores and songs to engage viewers, give new meaning and tone to some of our favorite scenes, and establish themes. It almost goes without saying, but there are spoilers abound.
Written by Samantha Paradiso
Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures
Oh, October. The month of goblins and ghouls. As the weather approaches 72 degrees (a record low for Texas), Halloween and fall fanatics light their cinnamon spice candles and pop open a bag of candy corn. Perusing their DVD collections Disney Plus catalog, lovers of this spooky season are confronted with the age-old question: is “The Nightmare Before Christmas” a Halloween or Christmas film?
Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” was a box office hit, raking in $89.1 million. Ever since its 1993 release, the film has become a Halloween classic, making its rounds in theaters all across the nation as the holiday approaches. Yet, the contrarians argue otherwise: this spooktacular, fantastically-frightening Halloween horror belongs in the receptacle of Christmas films. Living in the realm of classic tunes like “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” and the 2003 “Love Actually,” the film’s tone and score feel misplaced in a genre that’s supposed to spread Christmas cheer.
The movie details the woes of Halloweentown’s Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon, Danny Elfman), the pumpkin king whose ploy is to overthrow ‘Sandy Claws’ (Santa Claus) so that he may take over the Pagan holiday. Halloween naysayers use the film’s plot as a testament to their argument, given that the majority of the film takes place during the December holiday. However, here’s where the synchronicities come to an end. Though Christmas is central to the film’s plot, the Disney musical should be defined as a Christmas movie in title only. Fluffy white snow, multicolored string lights, and elaborate Christmas trees permeate the scenes, as do grey color schemes, devilish pranksters, and a set design fit for nightmares (Need we remind you of the Oogie Boogie scene?) Visuals aside, the film’s score contrasts the traditional sleigh bells and hearty, jolly vocals of traditional Christmas music, opting for eerie instrumentation alongside discordant bass and soprano vocals.
Main theme “This is Halloween” begins with succinct violin strokes that are then layered with long, whining runs. As the song progresses, rhythmic tambourine trills are sprinkled throughout as the chorus hisses, “Boys and girls of every age / Wouldn’t you like to see something strange?” Initially in a lower register, the chorus slowly ascends into a sinister head voice, crescendoing at the overlapping “La la la la’s” and repetitive “Halloween” chanting, concluded by maniacal laughter. This is the film’s introduction — far from the typical, feel-good Christmas cheer. Tracks “Town Meeting Song,” “Making Christmas,” and “Kidnap the Sandy Claws” divergently use witchy, wide-range vocals backed by whimsical keys, creating a fantastical atmosphere for the film’s spooky plot.
The sole tune that recalls Christmastime comes later in the film, when a bored Jack Skellington finds Christmastown as he wanders in the woods one morning. “What’s This?” begins with an angelic harp and sleigh-bell chimes, complemented by rapid violin stringing and baritone horn arrangements. Jack’s deep bravado soars as he repeatedly sings “What’s this?,” completely in awe of his surroundings. The track’s breezily blithe nature ends the score’s cheery streak here, with the rest of the score taking on a more sinister tone.
Next in line for spookiest montage is “Oogie Boogie’s Song,” which, frankly, should be shielded from children’s eyes for the disaster of an acid trip that it is. The scene’s visuals are reminiscent of a nightmarish rave with its fluorescent hues and black light usage, lest we forget the horrific iteration of Flubber that is the film’s villain, Oogie Boogie. After stuffing Sandy Claws in a large bag, the Lock, Shock, and Barrel trio take him to Oogie Boogie’s lair, where he’ll be ‘taken care of.’ Attempted homicide would be putting it lightly (Would a Christmas film really try to kill Santa Clause? You tell me.)
Sonically, the song is one of the most relishable on the soundtrack, featuring lengthy saxophone runs, rich vocals, and devilish piano ensembles. The song’s menacing, jazzy nature has a similar tone to “Remains of the Day” in Tim Burton’s 2005 “Corpse Bride.” However, the track’s lively tune does compensate for its nightmare-inducing visuals, and at this point in the plot, the film’s PG rating should truly be questioned.
Christmas film or not, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” does embody a fervent spirit that viewers reminisce in during any holiday season. Whether for a Christmas viewing, Halloween viewing, and as some would argue, a Thanksgiving viewing (highly sacrilegious), the Tim Burton film gives fall lovers the same warm nostalgic feeling you’d get from the leaves turning or a first snow (Did we mention we’re in Texas?) Regardless of a reigning holiday affiliation, we’ll still be popping this one into the VCR on All Hallows Eve.