What’s this, what’s this? Some trifles for your brain? What’s this? We promise they aren’t lame. What’s this? These are the thirteen things, you are not dreaming, wake up Jack, they’re here not there. What’s this?
13. In 2001, Walt Disney Pictures began to consider producing a sequel, but rather than using stop motion, they wanted to use computer animation. Tim Burton convinced Disney to drop the idea, as he was very protective of keeping the film’s purity intact.
12. 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.
11. Composer Danny Elfman found writing Nightmare’s 10 songs as “one of the easiest jobs I’ve ever had. I had a lot in common with Jack Skellington.”
10. 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.
9. It is stated in “The Making of…” book that the most difficult shot to film in the entire movie is the shot in which Jack is reaching for the doorknob to Christmasland. Viewers can see the perfect surround reflection of the forest around Jack in the background.
8. Patrick Stewart did the original introduction for the movie, which can be heard on the film’s soundtrack.
7. According to Director Henry Selick, Vincent Price was originally cast as Santa Claus. However, after the death of Price’s wife, his own health began to fail and his voice performance was very frail and weak. The tracks were deemed unusable, which led to the role being recast.
6. There is something of a controversy over exactly who has the rights to call the story and film their own. Henry Selick is the director and spent more time on the set and production than Tim Burton. However Burton has often claimed he is the owner of the story as it was all his idea. He wrote the original poem and most of the script, created the characters, served as a producer, and even wanted to direct but was simply too busy at the time to do so. Burton found production somewhat difficult because he was directing “Batman Returns” and in pre-production of “Ed Wood.”
5. In the extended ending to the film, many years later, Santa Claus returns to Halloween Town to visit Jack, and finds that he has about four or five skeleton children.
4. In the song, “This is Halloween,” the lyrics “… tender lumplings everywhere…” refers to “Tender Lumplings,” a song done by composer Danny Elfman when he was with Oingo Boingo.
3. Danny Elfman signed on to provide Jack Skellington’s singing voice because Chris Sarandon readily stated he was a poor singer.
2. There are three shots in the entire film that were filmed at normal speed (24fps), one is the opening overhead shot of the trees in the forest, the fog coming out of the fountain and the other is the bugs falling into the molten pit in Oogie Boogie’s lair.
1. Tim Burton and Danny Elfman experienced “creative differences” during filming. For this reason, Burton chose Howard Shore to write the film score of Ed Wood.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
PG | 1h 16min | Animation, Family, Fantasy | 29 October 1993 (USA)
Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, discovers Christmas Town, but his attempts to bring Christmas to his home causes confusion.
Director: Henry Selick
Writers: Tim Burton (story and characters), Michael McDowell (adaptation)
Stars: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara
