Films are something that we all look towards for escapism – the action, the humour, the romance, the animation. Sometimes these can hold so much more meaning then just an image on a screen and create narratives and memories in our own lives. Welcome to the sister article to Music Memories where we take a look at some of these personal stories attached to films.

Film: The Nightmare Before Christmas
Original Release Date: 1993

I have very strong opinions about The Nightmare Before Christmas – they are weird and I guess a lot of people are going to disagree with me but this is how I have felt since I first saw it as a teenager in the early noughties.

I am a huge fan of the characters of the film, I love Jack, Sally, Zero and Oogie Boogie, I ADORE the music and some of the songs I absolutely love and can listen to over and over again (even the rock covers by bands like Fall Out Boy and Fiona Apple), I really enjoyed the computer game adaptions but the one thing i really cannot stand is the actual film.

Is that weird? That’s Weird, or maybe it is not but that is my opinion and I stand by it. The concept of the film is great and there are parts i like but there are parts of it i find sooooo boring. The part just before the ending, the lament where Jack sings to himself, just some of it goes on too long and I think there has only been one time I have not dosed off through it.

I absolutely adore the cult of this film and I used to have so much memorabilia from it but when I spoke to people I faked i liked the film – but I really do not. The cult I think of the film has actually overtaken what the film actually is and I think most people are the same as me but are too shy to say it.

Facts about The Nightmare Before Christmas

• Tim Burton has said the original poem was inspired after seeing Halloween merchandise display in a store being taken down and replaced by a Christmas display. The juxtaposition of ghouls and goblins with Santa and his reindeer sparked his imagination.
• While Danny Elfman was chosen to voice Jack Skellington, it was felt that his singing was great, but his speaking voice was too wooden and stiff. Chris Sarandon was then cast as Jack’s speaking voice because he closely matched Elfman’s singing voice.
• It took a group of around 100 people three years to complete this movie. For one second of film, up to 12 stop-motion moves had to be made.