The Nightmare Before Christmas

What's this? What's this? Yet another incarnation of the 1993 stop-motion animated cult fave, decked out with more bonus features, including spirited new audio commentary (recorded separately) by story creator Tim Burton, director Henry Selick, and composer Danny Elfman, who also provides the singing voice of misguided Jack Skellington—the Pumpkin King of Halloweentown—who has grown 'weary of the sound of screams' and becomes obsessed with Christmastown, where they throw snowballs instead of heads. Except for the show tune 'What's This?', the songs are rather uninspired, although one cannot help but admire the exquisite artistry that brings this Nightmare to life, a film that remains true to Burton's macabre sensibilities (don't look for much comfort and joy here, particularly during the climax in which Santa himself is imprisoned by the monstrous Oogie Boogie). Other new bonus features include an in-depth look at the annual Nightmare-makeover of Disneyland's Haunted Mansion attraction, as well as Burton's original poem—read by Christopher Lee—that inspired the film. More goodies on both the DVD and Blu-ray versions include the previously released 'Frankenweenie' and 'Vincent,' two eerie short subjects Burton made when he was a sorcerer's apprentice at Disney, as well as several behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, storyboards, and a bonus digital copy of the film. The Blu-ray release—which looks stunning—also includes an intro by Burton. A holiday perennial, this collector's edition offers a big bowl of treats for fans. Recommended. (D. Liebenson) [Blu-ray Review—Sept. 4, 2018—Disney, 77 min., PG, Blu-ray: $19.99—Making its latest appearance on Blu-ray, 1993’s The Nightmare Before Christmas features a fine transfer with DTS-HD 7.1 audio. Featuring both the theatrical release and a sing-along edition, extras include audio commentary by producer Tim Burton, director Henry Selick, and composer Danny Elfman, a song selection mode, 'What’s This? Jack’s Haunted Mansion Holiday Tour' (38 min.), Burton’s 1984 short 'Frankenweenie' with an intro (30 min.) and his 1982 short 'Vincent' (6 min.), a 'making-of' featurette (25 min.), Burton’s original poem narrated by Christopher Lee (12 min.), a storyboard-to-film comparison (4 min.), deleted storyboards (3 min.), deleted animated sequences (3 min.), a poster gallery, and a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a fun edition of this beloved Burton animated film.]