The Nightmare Before Christmas is ODDLY Unique!

The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of the most iconic films to enjoy during the holiday season. With so much love and care baked into the production, the film builds a style completely unique to itself that has built a dedicated fanbase for the past 30 years. Let's take a look at The Nightmare Before Christmas!
Written By: Jordan Fringe
Edited By: Jordan Fringe & David Strickland
Channel Art By: Jerry Meehan

[@JordanFringe94]

Thanks so much for watching! Is The Nightmare Before Christmas a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie... or both?

[@theshenpartei]

Both

[@theshenpartei]

And it’s like die hard 1 & 2

[@PaisliePanda]

Yes. 😜

[@TheBandit025Nova]

It’s an F*cking Damn Christmas movie I don’t even watch it until Christmas

[@catholicactionbibleonlyist1813]

both

[@Rembreiker_lychec9257]

Boom's right. Tim Burton just wrote the original poem. Henry Selick directed, but they used Burton's name to sell more tickets. Either way, this is such a masterpiece! The stop motion, especially for the time is phenomenal, Jack's such a compelling complex protagonist, the culture clash of these different holiday is fun to see, and the songs are amazing, especially "This Is Halloween" and "Oogie Boogie's song."

[@EvilCrash3000]

I would like to see the other holliday towns

[@kelsmister]

There's a sequel book series that explores them! @@EvilCrash3000

[@crusaderdalek3527]

Idc, Tim burton still my goat

[@AnimaMandala]

Jack and Sally's love story isn't perfect, but it isn't exactly that random either. You just need to know how to look at. Sally is first attracted to Jack because just like her, he feels trapped in his expected role and wants something more. When she sneaks out to bring him a surprise gift at night, you can see on his face how intrigued he is by it. The butterfly flying out of what we assume is her home brew is an unexpected and creative touch, and her running off adds an air of mystery to her. She made such an impression that he trusted her with what he thought was the most important task; sewing his Santa outfit, which she must be good at in order to stitch herself together when needed. Throughout that time she never gives up trying to talk him out of his Christmas idea, to no avail. Yet she still makes the suit for him because it means so much to him. But in the process they become good friends, able to talk more openly than with anyone else. And after he saves her from Oogie, and seeing how much she tried to help him and even fix his mistake, Jack stars seeing Sally as more than just a friend. Her feelings finally become clear to him, and he's grown to admire her more than he realized. So yeah, the fact that a lot of their bonding happens offscreen during a time skip doesn't help, but the buildup is there.

[@MedalionDS9]

The Nightmare Before Christmas imo is the reason why retail puts out Christmas decorations/airs even before Halloween is done

[@Nodeathnolife]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who theorized that

[@ericgaskins571]

They've been doing that way b4 this movie was even conceived. Trust me, back in the 1980s when I was a kid they did that. Not as bad but yeah they did that annoying shat

[@donovanfaust3227]

Literally have it backwards. Tim Burton noticed one day how this happens every year and was inspired to write a poem about it in '82 which later was adapted into this movie.

[@MedalionDS9]

So it is true, but I had it the other way around... it was a total guess lol@@donovanfaust3227

[@Solo3511]

As someone who works retail and loathes the calendar seemingly meaning nothing, I accept this theory

[@eeveefennecfox]

I've always considered it both a halloween and a christmas movie,so to me it doesn't matter,I will watch it no matter what month it comes on tv,I've watched it every year since the 90's,so I must've seen it a million times XD

[@lulufan100]

The movie just gets more impressive every time I watch. It's a comfort watch for me and I love the soundtrack. Yeah the story is very basic, Jack is pretty selfish, and the romance seemed pretty shoehorned in there, but it's just so nice to look at. Henry Selick did an amazing job, and Tim Burton's designs are iconic. I love both of them as filmmakers. Stop motion really is a labor of love and I've adored the style ever since I saw this movie. I think Wallace and Gromit was my first exposure to it, and ironically, it scared me and almost made me dislike the style. I hope you cover more of their films and I'm curious to know if you have a favorite!

[@claymathewselevator8121]

I think the basic story gives it a timeless quality like Charlie Brown

[@princesszelda2072]

I think it's a great transitional movie to watch after Halloween when you're still in the spooky spirit but also wanting to celebrate some Christmas cheer. It's the perfect movie to watch during the beginning of November wearing a warm Christmas sweater and/or pjs while you eat your leftover Halloween candy with friends and family.

[@thestraydog]

I remember seeing the previews of this movie on my old Disney VHS tapes when I was little and it's hard to describe the excitement and wonder that Nightmare held over us all back then

[@ztsquid3000]

After 30 years, it still holds up. 🎄😁🎃

[@claymathewselevator8121]

Timeless like Charlie Brown

[@ayanaryan7982]

Not LIKe Charlie brown 😊

[@Bulbasaur617]

What a coincidence. I watched the 30th Anniversary of this movie in theaters last week. Nice of you to cover this movie in your own way.

[@vampiremoth71]

My theater did the same thing, was luck enough to see it on my birthday

[@meganshaw1949]

Personally I’ve always viewed Nightmare as just a really good mixture of both.

[@dracone4370]

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a bit of both. Another feature from the 1990s that I like to catch whenever possible is The Halloween Tree, an animated film that was adapted from the Ray Bradbury book of the same name; something I think was actually pretty clever about the film was having Bradbury himself actually appear in the movie in the the form of the voice of the narrator. And another fun thing to see is the late and great Leonard Nimoy playing the voice of Mr. Mumshroud. The whole thing is a fun spin on what you would expect from Halloween; the film does have those creepy and spooky moments you would expect from something centered around Halloween, but they're applied in ways that give them more significance than just being there to scare the audience or characters. Something else that I think is interesting about the film, especially considering the era it hails from, is that there is no real villain; yes, there is a character that plays the part of an antagonist, but he also acts a sort of shadow of an ally and even seems to fall into playing a mentor role for each of the main characters of the film at times. You get the feeling there is more to Mumshroud by his manner of speech, mannerisms, and how he chooses to interact with the protagonists and the world around him, it's even hinted at throughout the film that he is something not quite what he seems in his own right, and the hints we are given are left just open-ended enough for the viewers to piece things together in different ways to form their own conclusions about just what he really is.

[@DarkcIoud1111.]

Nightmare Before Christmas is an interesting case if you really break it down between it being a Halloween or Christmas movie. The movie opens in Halloween-town at what appears to be the tail end of the holiday; the Mayor is handing out awards, they seem to celebrate another successful Halloween shortly after "This is Halloween" ends, the clock is close to midnight, and Jack heads for home not long after. Then the next day Jack returns to town showing them all the interesting things he found in Christmas-town the night before, so it's November 1st. While the movie clearly has a tone closely related to Halloween, most of the movie is about Jack trying to prepare the perfect Christmas leaving his own holiday at the wayside. It is kind of like how Rise of the Guardians is seen as a Christmas movie because of Santa and Jack Frost being so prominent, but the movie takes place around Easter.

[@rochestas]

The Nightmare Before Christmas has SUCH personality to it! It’s weirdly poetic and beautifully simplistic that we can’t help but fall in love with the characters!!

[@kobyspear7928]

The movie is even so popular, Blink-182 referenced Jack and Sally in their song "Miss you" released in "insert year here".

[@erinthedemonhog2090]

Frankly, I don't care if it's a Halloween or Christmas movie. I love it so much. In fact I'm wearing a Jack Skellington onesie Edit: This film is my all time favorite Disney movie. I have so much merchandise from this movie.

[@crcoghill]

This is my favorite movie of all time. It got me into stop motion and made me love Halloween. Everyone who knows me gets me things connected to this film.

[@statesminds]

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a November 1st kinda film. Still in Halloween spirit but Christmas time is coming

[@TheKolemisie]

I like watching it on/near Thanksgiving to perfectly bridge the gap between Halloween and Christmas

[@robinkholmes7127]

I remember when Coraline was being advertised as "From the same Director as A Nightmare Before Christmas" and for years everyone thought, Tim Burtin even though he was more like a minor supervisor on A Nightmare Before Christmas rather than a director.

[@Gaiaschosen]

I literally JUST finished watching this a half hour ago lol. Before I watch, I wanna say I've always thought it was cool to 'switch holidays up' (wear a Santa costume for Halloween & have an all black Christmas in "Addams Family" fashion). 😊🖤

[@gothyoutubeviewer]

Danny Elfman put his whole Boingussy into this one and I'll forever be grateful for it!

[@manic8213]

as soon as i was able to comprehend it, my sister made me watch it and ever since I have been in love it. I love the music and the creeps it brought. From then on i was not only hooked on this one movie but Tim Burton and creepy as a whole. im 26 now and i still love it, it holds a huge part in my heart

[@TwiliSleepy]

I’ve always went back and forth on if it’s more of a Halloween or Christmas movie, but really it’s both. I like to watch the movie in the beginning of November, with Halloween still fresh in my mind, and Christmas just around the corner.

[@VioletElite4]

Happy Halloween to Jordan and the Fringe community! The scariest thing would be never having any of your nostalgic filled videos ever again!

[@aaronwoodman4310]

"I'm the perfect little pay pig they need me to be," got me. Lol

[@nasakenai__]

There was also a PS2 game called: The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge. A year after the film, Jack once again feels Halloween became dull. It feels like a sequel to the movie.

[@Aron-ny9yz]

One of my absolute favorite films of all times

[@keleidoscope3564]

It is both a Halloween and Christmas film and I watch it twice a year in their corresponding months

[@slystone4892]

Love this classic is just beautiful to look at and the music is just mesmerizing.

[@thedigodragon]

"30 years later" Well that realization caused my back and knees to hurt. XD

[@gracekim25]

You can watch it any time of year because it’s that cool❤

[@bensakschek615]

It's one of my all-time favorites!

[@spyrojones3444]

The first time I was introduced was through the first kingdom hearts. And in hindsight I’m glad I was. Weird but good

[@KimFareseed]

Always looking forward to the "This is Halloween" covers.

[@djkevey]

Ive loved this movie since I was 2.

[@LowellLucasJr.]

Nightmare Before christmas! Still a classic movie that I still watch from Halloween Thanksgiving and Christmas fire all three seasons! It's that Perfect movie that fits all three together for some odd reason!❤ 🎃

[@Lee0018]

I just watched it with my 3yr old last night and she was loving it. Definitely a classic and it’s wild how Disney almost missed out on this gold mine.

[@Nunofyabizzzzz]

I just recently watched it in its entirety for the first time! What a coincidence!

[@the_clumsy_wizard8910]

It's a Halloween film since that's the holiday that is NEEDED for the plot to happen

[@tiablue9106]

This is one of my favorite movies. I'm surprised to hear henry selick would be interested in making a prequel; I never considered that idea (p much everyone's ideas of a follow-up I've seen would just be exploring the other holiday doors), but I love jack as a character so much I'd love to see how he became the pumpkin king if it had that same charm as this movie

[@roonkolos]

It's obviously an Easter movie, Mr Fringe lol

[@Crow_Smith]

This is one of my favorite movies - ever since I was a kid, and my partner and I share this in common. He even has Zero as a tattoo!

[@msn64man1]

Two videos in one day awesome happy Halloween Jorge fringe

[@garrosh9215]

man, i watched this movie the first time i did acid. it was was super intense 😟 i noticed all the little details in the characters and settings. the guy with the axe in his head legit spooked me

[@roberttreacy8271]

I watch this movie around every Halloween and Christmas.

[@doginhat13]

I don't know why but I clearly remember a TV special with Chucky in Halloweentown

[@Cuestrupaster]

This movie has a very different name here in Brasil, it's called "O Estranho Mundo de Jack" wich can be translated to "The Strange World of Jack" I think it fits very well...

[@the_darkborne5440]

It is both a Halloween and Christmas movie.

[@HolyClownFuckarus]

Exactly.

[@ericgaskins571]

I remember seeing it when i was 13. Loved it. Was fun in the theater back then. The real mirch really didnt take off until the late 90s when they threw it all in hot topic. Cool stuff i could never wear. Im too dam big for that store

[@YounMo187]

I love how you did this October video line up and having this one as the last to end the year was 🤌🏾🤌🏾🤌🏾

[@JordanFringe94]

its not the last, there's one video left

[@Cozy-000]

Nightmare before Christmas is one of my favorite films of all time. Not halloween movie not Christmas movie, but movie period. I watch it every year for both holidays. I love the atmosphere the vibes the songs the set pieces everything. Its all just so charming

[@chasebacon8785]

I got to watch this in 3D last weekend!

[@kmon9911]

I love this movie sooooooo much, it's my favorite Halloween and Christmas movie

[@luuc4sflp]

This is a Kingdom Hearts moment

[@strikerwott1222]

YESSSSSS ONE OF MY FAV MOVIES OF ALL TIME!!!! I consider it to be both a Halloween and Christmas movie!!! I love watching it repeatedly every year for Halloween and Christmas, it's pretty much become a yearly tradition of mine!

[@colt45604]

I feel it is a Christmas movie, with Halloween characters, but, that being said, i always start watching it on Halloween

[@ZEK-ROM]

I will never forget! One of my all time favorites?

[@OG-TheDingo8MyBaby]

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a Halloween Movie. Considering it released in theaters on 10/29/1993 (29OCT1993)

[@LucosPlays]

Nightmare Before Christmas is i think both a Halloween and Christmas movie. And man what a classic movie i really love the style, the soundtrack specially "This is Halloween" although a certain videogame made by Capcom made me get tired of it for a while. The story was really basic but it doesn't make it bad but yeah now that i think about it there are things that they just...don't explore about it although there where things that were subtle but they where there. Soooo where do we put the videogames in the canon? (Obviously the GBA one is a prequel but the PS2 one?) Great video Jordan

[@taer7097]

I remember being a kid seeing this for the first time on Cartoon Network and a bunch of girls being obsessed with Jack even wearing the socks I’m 25 I had no idea this movie came out in the 90s

[@solomonazul3343]

Me and my older brother and younger sister would play this every night to fall asleep to for awhile, we didn't know this till we talked about it one day lmao, we got it memorized like are fingers are snakes and spiders in are hair lol

[@madvillainelle4009]

I was 7 or something when I called my mum to bring me home from a sleepover because the film scared the piss out of me. I've never see the full film to this day lol.

[@sayedthoz7950]

Its both, sometimes I watch half of it at Halloween and the other half at Christmas, sometimes I watch it 2-3 times at Halloween and 2-3 times at Christmas, just depends on what kind of mood I'm in.

[@terrysyvertson9205]

it's both, also Halloween town is my favorite world in kingdom hearts, the movie also got a prequel in the form of a gameboy advance game and a sequel in the form of a playstation/Xbox game

[@djmexicanodetx2195]

This is Halloween!! 🎶🎃

[@aaronskuse2207]

Nightmare before Christmas is just as much of a Christmas movie as Die Hard 1. 👏 That’s 👏 a 👏 fact 👏

[@brianc9036]

I feel like nobody really cared about this movie for like 25 years and now somehow it has become a merchandising phenom as of late. I sure don't remember any Jack Skellington decorations in everybodys yards when I was a kid in the 90s after this came out.

[@Bludgeoned2DEATH2]

As a Minnesotan who woke up this morning to a couple inches of snow I concur, I want the cold without the snow 😅

[@sasukuto]

So I would be completely down for a prequel/sequel to The Nightmare Before Christmas, but only if its done in stop motion. Its a good enough story with some fun characters, but I really don't love it as much as allot of people I know do, so for me it would have to be more than just slapping them on a new product to get me into it. I want to see another fully stop motion animation movie made in the modern day with the new technology we have available to us. I don't want it CGed in, I don't want it animated in flash, I wanna see a fully stop motion production in the modern day! I think it would look beautiful!

[@Cuestrupaster]

2 Videos in one day? AND A MORE THAN 1 HOUR LONG SCOOBY-DOO VIDEO FOR TOMORROW?

[@packnetadaija]

This is one of my favorite movies and I watch it during both seasons ❤

[@jessehcreative]

TNBC is a Thanksgiving movie. It’s about being thankful for what you already have and not overreaching.

[@RabidNemo]

I've always enjoyed it but I like to watch it closer to Christmas and throughout November because it's kind of a middle between the two. This year I had a lot going on around Halloween realized there were a bunch of movies I hadn't watched. I for sure watched my usual Disney Halloween shorts that I've watched since I was a kid and fit in Hocus pocus and a few others. Didn't have enough time before midnight on Halloween to get through both the Addams family movies though but I think throughout November you can still watch them at least up through Thanksgiving lol

[@VBrancoPT]

Still an amazing movie to this day.

[@DenshaOtoko2]

A classic holiday movie.

[@nicklane6084]

One of my favorite films. I consider it both, but make it a tradition to try to watch it on or the day before Halloween.

[@NightmareSkellington1993]

This is my favorite movie of all time

[@Craze961]

I really wish I was into this movie the way everybody else is. The first time I saw it many years ago, I didn't care for it. Last night I decided to try again and clocked out after the first 7 minutes. I really want to love it cause I love the design of Jack and Sally and want to be obsessed with their relationship that I always hear about, but it just doesn't do it for me (same with Hocus Pocus). I appreciate the pop culture impact it has though because it's impressive!

[@Real_darkwolf7]

My room is nothing but nightmare before Christmas

[@Whatsdogpee]

I think there’s a NBC PS2 game called like, the return/revenge of Oogie Boogie or something like that, that was considered the sequel.

[@ericgaskins571]

It's both. Just like die hard is a Christmas movie and an all year around action movie

[@katsuki427]

So I'm weird thinking it's a thanksgiving movie? After all, it starts on Halloween but it's over after less than 10 minutes. It's a movie that Jack learns to be thankful for Halloween Town, it's people, and Sally. It ends on Christmas but Santa takes care of that.

[@SoulReaper246]

i wish we had more adventures with jack and his friends

[@MariAnimates]

I think it's a Christmas AND Halloween movie, I watch it twice a year

[@Sgt_Viper000]

Woah! Two videos in one day! Cowabunga!

[@talonnokone5429]

So something I realized awhile ago. The Nightmare Before Christmas is actually a Christmas movie. Not Halloween. It takes place between November 1st to December 25th. So it's not actually a Halloween movie so much. It's idle time to watch it is around Thanksgiving.

[@chasformer3091]

Jack Skellington should be the official mascot of Halloween. Christmas has Santa, Easter has Peter Cottontail, Valentines has cupid.

[@ectior]

This is what we call a ‘November’ movie

[@BloodRose1800]

It can be watched in October, November, and December!

[@epache315]

Happy 30th Anniversary To Disney's Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas 🧡🖤🧡🖤🧡🎃🎃

[@obi_dean]

Its smack dab in the middle as a Thanksgiving movie 😂 Yo JF have you seen Eli Roth is making his horror thanksgiving movie he made a joke trailer for it in the grindhouse movies 15 years ago. Keep up the great work bud!

[@DollopussD]

Is start watching it on Halloween and then don't stop until Christmas 👍

[@rabbiter1089]

seen this movie so many times if have to see it again it will be to soon X_X

[@skysetblue9578]

I love this movie had the Burger King Watches. Used to scare me in 93 though at same time I loved it lol

[@mechajay3358]

This movie is perfect to watch on both Halloween and Christmas.

[@msn64man1]

My niece loves the nightmare before Christmas

[@blakethebeast3174]

Christmas or Halloween, it's really just a holiday movie in that everybody is a little crazy and trying to make it through the madness of commercialized events, or that's my interpretation at least.. I remember how insanely unexpected it was for TNBC to show up in the original Kingdom Hearts game and again in the sequel, it's one I hope they revisit in a future game and new movie would certainly help with that if not being great in its own right.

[@johncall7617]

Oh dear lord. This movie is thirty years old.

[@MissVanessaJune]

Jack skelington is supposedly inspired by Jack the pumpkinhead character from the wizard of oz books universe