Ghosts and ghouls and goblins, oh my!
Where did Tim Burton get the idea for "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and why is Jack Skellington one of the most popular men's Halloween costumes.
In 1993, audiences were introduced to the strange, garish dreamworld of Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas." It was a land filled with the freakish and the odd - everything from talking rag dolls to faithful zombie dogs. Most strangely, they were all ready with a song.
We know it as a cult classic, of course, and the genesis of Tim Burton's career seen on Video's, posters and a whole new line of Halloween outfits. But did you know there was a time when "The Nightmare Before Christmas" was nothing but a gleam in his eye?
A lowly animator in the early 1980s, Burton wasn't yet the filmmaking powerhouse he is today. In fact, all he did was write a poem - a weird little thing about a singing skeleton. It wasn't until Disney execs expressed interest in adapting it for the screen that Burton realized he was sitting on potential gold.
"Nightmare" went through several incarnations before it became a feature film. It was considered for a short movie, then a holiday special on TV. Burton re-created the concept art a dozen times. Despite writing the poem as a young man, it would be a decade until the movie really began to take shape.
Of course, the rest is history. Burton attracted big names for the project, like Chris Sarandon and Catherine O'Hara. He snagged Danny Elfman - an award-winning composer - for the musical numbers. They would toil together until 1993, when the movie finally hit theatres and became an instant success.
So what's special about it? Well it inspired a multi-million dollar brand and a strong franchise of Halloween outfits?
The story is simple. Jack Skellington, a talking bag of bones from Halloween Town, finds himself bored with the holiday and the town's constant fright nights. He wants something more - something different. Wandering the woods with nothing but his trusted sidekick, the ghost dog Zero, he stumbles on a portal that takes him to Christmas Town, and his life is never the same again.
The irony of a skeleton wanting to celebrate Christmas was not lost on audiences, especially when Jack donned a Santa hat and tried to distribute gifts among the world's children. (For some strange reason, they didn't like shrunken heads and cannibalistic Christmas lights.) But it was that dichotomy that made "Nightmare" famous, especially paired with Burton's smart dialogue and memorable dance numbers.
It was also, simply, an idea that sold. Who wouldn't want the soundtrack? Who wouldn't want to dress up as any of the characters? The options were endless. Jack, the grinning, spinning skeleton. Sally, the talking rag doll with red hair and a patchwork dress.
Despite the stigma of men dressing up for Halloween, "Nightmare" offered the self-respecting man a way to get in the holiday spirit without looking silly. Burton was hip; the movie was smart. A man could wear a "Nightmare" costume without losing any dignity, Which resulted in the sale of men's Halloween costumes increasing year on year after the movie was released.
These days the movie is such a cult classic that the idea of a stigma is laughable. "The Nightmare Before Christmas" has an award-winning film and soundtrack, and it's been immortalized in everything from video games to theme parks and of course Halloween outfits.
If you're looking for a new way to dress up (especially if you're looking for men's Halloween costumes ) then "Nightmare" is the remnant of a genius' career and a beloved 90's classic.
Not bad for a poem originally inspired by "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer."
Where did Tim Burton get the idea for "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and why is Jack Skellington one of the most popular men's Halloween costumes.
In 1993, audiences were introduced to the strange, garish dreamworld of Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas." It was a land filled with the freakish and the odd - everything from talking rag dolls to faithful zombie dogs. Most strangely, they were all ready with a song.
We know it as a cult classic, of course, and the genesis of Tim Burton's career seen on Video's, posters and a whole new line of Halloween outfits. But did you know there was a time when "The Nightmare Before Christmas" was nothing but a gleam in his eye?
A lowly animator in the early 1980s, Burton wasn't yet the filmmaking powerhouse he is today. In fact, all he did was write a poem - a weird little thing about a singing skeleton. It wasn't until Disney execs expressed interest in adapting it for the screen that Burton realized he was sitting on potential gold.
"Nightmare" went through several incarnations before it became a feature film. It was considered for a short movie, then a holiday special on TV. Burton re-created the concept art a dozen times. Despite writing the poem as a young man, it would be a decade until the movie really began to take shape.
Of course, the rest is history. Burton attracted big names for the project, like Chris Sarandon and Catherine O'Hara. He snagged Danny Elfman - an award-winning composer - for the musical numbers. They would toil together until 1993, when the movie finally hit theatres and became an instant success.
So what's special about it? Well it inspired a multi-million dollar brand and a strong franchise of Halloween outfits?
The story is simple. Jack Skellington, a talking bag of bones from Halloween Town, finds himself bored with the holiday and the town's constant fright nights. He wants something more - something different. Wandering the woods with nothing but his trusted sidekick, the ghost dog Zero, he stumbles on a portal that takes him to Christmas Town, and his life is never the same again.
The irony of a skeleton wanting to celebrate Christmas was not lost on audiences, especially when Jack donned a Santa hat and tried to distribute gifts among the world's children. (For some strange reason, they didn't like shrunken heads and cannibalistic Christmas lights.) But it was that dichotomy that made "Nightmare" famous, especially paired with Burton's smart dialogue and memorable dance numbers.
It was also, simply, an idea that sold. Who wouldn't want the soundtrack? Who wouldn't want to dress up as any of the characters? The options were endless. Jack, the grinning, spinning skeleton. Sally, the talking rag doll with red hair and a patchwork dress.
Despite the stigma of men dressing up for Halloween, "Nightmare" offered the self-respecting man a way to get in the holiday spirit without looking silly. Burton was hip; the movie was smart. A man could wear a "Nightmare" costume without losing any dignity, Which resulted in the sale of men's Halloween costumes increasing year on year after the movie was released.
These days the movie is such a cult classic that the idea of a stigma is laughable. "The Nightmare Before Christmas" has an award-winning film and soundtrack, and it's been immortalized in everything from video games to theme parks and of course Halloween outfits.
If you're looking for a new way to dress up (especially if you're looking for men's Halloween costumes ) then "Nightmare" is the remnant of a genius' career and a beloved 90's classic.
Not bad for a poem originally inspired by "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer."
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