Classic Movie Review The Nightmare Before Christmas

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) 

Directed by Henry Selick 

Written by Caroline Thompson

Starring Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, Paul Reubens, Glenn Shaddix, Danny Elfman 

Release Date October 29th, 1993 

Published October 31st, 2023 

Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas was a slightly troubled project. It carried a $25 million dollar price tag. It was made by Henry Selick who, at the time, was not a big name. It had no star power behind it, in terms of the main voice cast. So concerned was Disney about how the film's horror aesthetic frightening the core demographic of Disney Animated films that they removed the Disney label from the film. Instead, the film was released by Disney subsidiary Touchstone Pictures. But Disney wasn't done fretting about The Nightmare Before Christmas. 

Despite a gorgeous look, an absolutely stunning production design and an incredible music from Danny Elfman, Disney didn't think the film would make money without a big star involved. The only big star on hand was Producer Tim Burton. Burton had helped oversee production but was not involved in the creative, this was Henry Selick's baby. But, Burton was coming off of a pair of hit Batman movies and having his name on the marquee in front of The Nightmare Before Christmas might provide a hook that was needed for the film to make money. 

They need not have fretted so much. 30 years later, The Nightmare Before Christmas isn't merely a successful cult classic, it's a smash hit. The $25 million dollar, 2 year production, has now returned a massive profit and even returned to near the top of the box office after 30 years. Since the film was released on October 29th, 1993, it has gone on to gross nearly $100 million dollars. Moreover, the film is a Halloween staple and still moves a mountain of merchandise including costumes, plush toys, decorations, and digital downloads for Danny Elfman's beloved music. 

The Nightmare Before Christmas became a meme before such things existed, before the internet. The Henry Selick horror aesthetic launched a million Hot Topic fashions and gave Gen-X goth kids an inspiration for years worth of style choices. That's a remarkable legacy for something that barely clocks in at feature length and has a story as desperately threadbare as this one. From a story perspective, there is hardly anything to describe. I will do my best, but the truth about The Nightmare Before Christmas is that it was never much of a movie, it was always more of a lifestyle. 

Find my full length reviiew at Geeks.Media 

Movie Review The Chosen One

The Chosen One (2008) 

Directed by Chris Lackey 

Written by Chad Fifer, Chris Lackey 

Starring Laura Prepon, Chris Fifer, Chris Sarandon, Tim Curry, Danielle Fishel Lance Hendrickson

Release Date Unknown 

Published December 8th, 2008 

A WOC listener friend of mine gave me a DVD a while back. It's an animated movie directed by his son. I promised I would give it look. Now several months later I have finally watched the slacker meets religion flick The Chosen One and I wish I hadn't waited so long.

This irreverent little animated flick doesn't reinvent the wheel but it's a solid 80 minute distraction with humor along the irreverent line of the good folks at Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network. Snarky, talky, low budget satire with just a hint of blasphemy.

Our hero is Lou (Voice of Chris Fifer) a loser who just got dumped by his gal pal Rachel (Voice of Laura Prepon) and was fired from his job, cleaning test tubes for some science factory where his best pal Donna (Danielle Fishel) had moved earth to get him a gig that he promptly fumbled.

After losing his girl and his job Lou's luck goes from bad to worse when a Chinese satellite falls on his car and he's attacked by a bear. All of this bad luck leads Lou to join his buddy Zeb (Chris Sarandon), a senior citizen who share's Lou's apartment, at some scam religious gathering.

There Lou finds out that he is The Chosen One and he must travel to Kansas to stand on a mountain, more of a hill really, and hear the voice of god. So, with the help of Zeb and Donna, who's the only person he knows with a car, Lou sets out for Kansas

Trailing him are a team of super religious assassins and helping out is Satan voiced with liquid loquaciousness by Tim Curry. The Chosen One has wild, irreverent sense of humor that combines outlandishness, geek culture and blasphemy for a terrifically good time.

The animation is amateur at best but the low budget aesthete is not really all that important. The Chosen One flies on its rolling sense of humor. The college crowd will eat up the robot ninjas, the hot sci fi chick ex-girlfriend, and especially Tim Curry's devilish Devil.

General audiences will have to get past the religious stuff and if you can stand the impiety you will laugh frequently at the genial, good natured slacker humor of The Chosen One.

Now, where can you find this hidden gem? Try www.TheChosenOneMovie.com