THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
Tim Burton, Danny Elfman, i'm not certain of the voices.
"Highly imaginative, stop-motion animation feature about Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, who tires of the old routine in Halloween Town and becomes enamored of Christmas instead--unaware that his brand of Grand Guignol and the wintry holiday don't really go together. Constantly surprising visuals and character delineation mesh with Danny Elfman's lively score (he also provides Jack's beautiful singing voice). Produced by Tim Burton, who concocted the story and many of the designs years earlier." -amazon.com
This was really odd. Nightmare before christmas, stoned, yielded many more secrets of itself. Mostly I couldn't help but notice the textures in everything. Textures in the background, exacting standards in the animation, the deliberation in the sequencing of the songs, and the kind of creature each being was.
I've had some grand experience in the geeky fantasy worlds of TSR and such... so here, again (as in my big trouble in little china review), a classification of the creatures in fantasy terms.
Jack Skellington was a greater skeleton warrior. Sally was a patchwork golem who specialized in alchemy. Oogie Boogie was a mad Necromantic Bard. Santa Claus was a high elf priest. Lock Shock and Barrel were enchanted ghouls.
Tom at one point pointed out that the vampires were speaking with intense Italian accents as a charicature of Bela Lugosi, who must have spoken his dracula lines in his Italian accent, branding the monster for long after. Idon't know if I agree with it, but it's interesting.
A very wonderful experience. Try to watch it if you have time.
GRADE: A
There's a world of wonder to be seen.