Cinema Hype

Who invented the Halloween movie? I’m not talking about horror; all-purpose terror is multi-seasonal (or non-seasonal, if you’re me). Instead, somebody somewhere decided that we need movies that are only truly appropriate once a year, that celebrate our love of scary things without ever actually being scary, that revel in simply being silly or quirky or just generally a little macabre. I’m talking It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Ernest Scared Stupid, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit–movies that celebrate costumes and candy and cut-up pumpkins, and call it good. In the spirit of those movies and the people behind them, I’m holding a short film festival for myself: the Totally Un-Scary Halloween Film Festival, in which I’ll be watching and writing about classic and contemporary Halloween-centric movies. Feel free to make up the costume of your choice (I’m going as “girl wrapped in warm quilt on sofa, with laptop”), fill up on the good candy, and watch or read along.

The primary question about our first TUSHFF entry is this: Does The Nightmare Before Christmas actually count as a Halloween movie? I’ve heard not. It does feature the word “Christmas” fairly prominently in the title. And there is some ho-ho-ho-ing that goes on, by someone in a red suit, no less. The Easter Bunny even makes a (brief but somewhat hilarious) appearance. However, I’d like to bring up an important point: Jack Skellington may be obsessed with Christmas, but he’s still the Pumpkin King. He’s played in the snow, he’s brought winter and lights and a little bit of “terrible” cheer to Halloween Town, he’s flown in his coffin-sleigh behind his eight bony reindeer, but he’s ready to pick up his Halloween responsibilities again. He’s not giving up on Halloween; he’s just expanding his own horizons a little. It’s all about Halloween roots! Yeah.

Also: TIM BURTON. ‘Nuff said.

Whatever its holiday affiliation, The Nightmare Before Christmas is a quick, fun movie, like Edward Gorey in motion. The story is actually kind of sweet–Jack trying to bust out of his Halloween funk, and finding himself obsessed with Christmas; Sally trying to save him from his own disaster–but the humor is unabashedly dark, in the tradition of Gorey and Roald Dahl, with whose work Burton is clearly well acquainted, having now put several of his books on film. It’s refreshing, quirky, and probably unlike anything you’ve seen that wasn’t made by Burton himself. Also excellent are the songs, written and performed by Danny Elfman.

To steal someone else’s rating system: Two thumbs up. And if you’re really worried about the multiple-holiday thing, just relax and watch it at Thanksgiving.