Nightmare Before Christmas: December or October fare?

[H-O-W-L]

Anyone else rewatching this in their October lineup? Real cracking classic, but I've heard a relentless debate about it being a Christmas movie more than a Halloween one. To me it's solidly and squarely an October movie, since the grim Henry Sellick visuals and Burton atmos lock it in that orange-and-purple square on the yearly gauge, but chums of mine decree it must be in the white-and-red of Christmas because of its focus on Santa.

What's your take? Do you have one? Am I just a cunt?

[chveik]

I dunno but I watch it every year with my sister on christmas day.

[Glebe]

I haz a NBC T-shirt wot I does wear.

[olliebean]

Let's look at the evidence:

It's set mostly in Halloweentown, but takes place mostly at Christmas.

It has both "Nightmare" and "Christmas" in its title.

It was released on November 25th, roughly halfway between Halloween and Christmas.

My conclusion: Watch it whenever the hell you feel like watching it.

[AsparagusTrevor]

Split the difference and watch it in November.

[idunnosomename]

It's genuinely good film and a technical marvel in its craftsmanship. Remember it was the only full-length American stop motion movie until Wererabbit and Corpse Bride a decade later.

(I think. There's stuff like the Le Roman de Renard from the 1930s but otherwise it's just in shorts or a supporting special effect)

[Replies From View]

I always watch it on Mother's Day.

[olliebean]

It's genuinely good film and a technical marvel in its craftsmanship. Remember it was the only full-length American stop motion movie until Wererabbit and Corpse Bride a decade later.

(I think. There's stuff like the Le Roman de Renard from the 1930s but otherwise it's just in shorts or a supporting special effect)

Chicken Run was before Were-Rabbit and Corpse Bride, but still six and a half years after Nightmare. Gumby: The Movie, only 2 years after, may qualify, although I haven't seen it so I can't say for sure. Probably the first, though, was way before - Hansel and Gretel in 1954.

I remember at the time arguing the technical merits of Nightmare compared to earlier stop-motion animation with a fellow I'd recently met called Stephen Postgate. It wasn't until later I realised who his father was...

[bgmnts]

I would say Christmas but there are a glut of good Christmas films so may as well go for Halloween.

[bomb_dog]

The haunted mansion was my favourite ride at Disneyland (in LA) until I visited in early November last year. They went mad with the ride by theming it with NBC stuff to the point where there was so many piles of presents and pumpkins that you could barely see the point of the supposed show. The piles of presents in the peppers-ghost main hall even had ghosts dancing through them, such was the excess of clutter they'd chucked in there.

So for me it's neither Oct nor Dec. Too many songs in it anyway.

[BlodwynPig]

I would say Christmas but there are a glut of good Christmas films so may as well go for Halloween.

??? a glut? the burbs is as close I'll come to a good Christmas film

[H-O-W-L]

It's genuinely good film and a technical marvel in its craftsmanship. Remember it was the only full-length American stop motion movie until Wererabbit and Corpse Bride a decade later.

(I think. There's stuff like the Le Roman de Renard from the 1930s but otherwise it's just in shorts or a supporting special effect)

Wererabbit wasn't even strictly American anyway. Yeah the Yanks had some hands in it but wasn't a majority of it done over here?

[bgmnts]

??? a glut? the burbs is as close I'll come to a good Christmas film

Trolling or......?

[BlodwynPig]

Trolling or......?

Name a christmas film that i would now like?

I formerly like muppets carol

[bgmnts]

Muppets Carol
Die Hard
Its A Wonderful Life
Lethal Weapon kind of
Home Alone
Etc

[idunnosomename]

God why do I always forget Chicken Run. Probably because I never liked it that much.

Never heard of Hansel and Gretel. Disney has a lot to answer for in how it monopolised theatrical animation huh

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

I would say Christmas but there are a glut of good Christmas films so may as well go for Halloween.

But Halloween has pretty much the entire horror genre to chose from (except for any Christmas themed ones).