science fiction

The Nightmare Before Christmas Movie Review

Starring: Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey, Glenn Shadix, Paul Reubens, Ken Page
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Review Summary
Jack Skellington, the skeletal king of Halloween Town, is bored with his holiday's usual festivities. One day he stumbles into Christmas Town, and is enchanted by their routine. He decides to take Santa's place (even if it means kidnapping the red-suited one) and have his community's ghosts, ghouls, bats, and monsters do the Christmas duties. But they have a hard time getting it right, what with a coffin sleigh drawn by robot deer, and gifts that disgust and terrify kids rather than please them. This 1993 stop-motion animated feature, based on a poem by Tim Burton, took $20 million and 3 years to make, with a crew of 100 averaging about 60 seconds of footage a week. It's also a musical, with score and songs by Danny Elfman, which makes it a bit of an acquired taste: great on sets and visuals, not so strong on plot and characterization.
David Loftus, Resident Scholar

Jack the pumpkin king lives in Halloweentown, where every day they prepare for next Halloween and every Halloween is a terrifying celebration, and Jack has always been the best at scaring people. However he wonders if there's anything besides scaring people. He wanders into Christmastown where he's amazed and delighted by everything and rushes back to Halloweentown to tell everyone about it. Unfortunately, he can't make them understand that Christmas isn't for scaring people so he decides to do what they want and and "make" Christmas. He tells the boogie man's three henchmen/trick-o-treaters to kidnap "Sandy Claws", but not to involve the boogie man in it. They don't listen and take Santa straight to the boogie. As Jack delivers terrifying presents, the government of Christmastown must shoot him down. He realizes his mistake and goes back to save Santa and Christmas. A girl created by a mad scientist loves Jack and she's been trying to free Santa from the boogie man so that Jack doesn't get killed, but the boogie man catches her. Jack must save both her and Santa and return to being Jack Skellington, the pumpkin king of Halloween.
kate, Resident Scholar


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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Movie
Actual chase scenes or violence - 35%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzle - 35%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%




**Fantasy or Science Fiction?** - fantasy story on another world/distant past - fantasy story on present day Earth
If a cartoon... - stop motion animation
Parody movie? Yes
Horror film? Yes
Kind of Horror Story - the monster chased me!

Main Character
Identity: - Male - magical being, male
Profession/status: - Prince/Nobleman/King - actor
Age: - long lived adults
Has special powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character: - super strength - is very quick - healing
Eccentric: Yes - eccentric - deluded - emotionally unstable - wild
Hair color? - bald
Hair type - (man) bald
Body type - very skinny (man)
Events of movie makes character more... - caring
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor? - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - Very athletic

Secondary Main Character
Identity: - Female - magical being, female
Hair color - brunette (Black)
Hair style - (woman) medium/shoulderlgn, straight
Body type - ample chest & buttocks (female)
How much in movie? - 80%
Ethnicity/Nationality - White (American)

Main Adversary
Identity: - magical being
Age: - long-lived adults
Profession/status: - killer
Has special powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist: - super strength - can fly - can cast all sorts of spells
Eccentric: Yes - wild - eccentric
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - 20% - 40%
Hair color - bald
Hair style - (man) bald
Body type - fat (man)
Sense of humor? - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Average Intelligence
Physical condition - bulging muscles
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant

Setting
Earth setting: - 20th century (1970's to Present)
A substantial portion of this movie takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - humans in a contemporary society
Takes place on Earth? Yes
Planet outside our solar system? Yes
Forests? Yes
Misc settings - mansion
Small town? Yes

Style
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Tone of movie - upbeat - funny
Comedy or somewhat funny movie? Yes
Any profanity? - None
If Soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE... - Broadway musical
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