Since
The Nightmare Before Christmas first debuted all the way back in 1993, it has been debated whether the stop-motion animated film is meant for viewing at Christmas or Halloween. It being Halloween now, the film's composer recently provided his take.
The film follows Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloweentown, as he grows bored of the spooky time of year and infatuated with Christmastime. Jack then plots to kidnap Santa Claus and take his place as the Christmas saint.
Chris Saradon, the actor who played Jack Skellington, revealed that he considers
The Nightmare Before Christmas both a Halloween film and a Christmas film —
more on that here.
However, Danny Elfman believes that it's strictly one or the other. Elfman is a renowned composer best known for
Batman (1989),
Spider-Man (2002),
Beetlejuice (1988), and many more classics — including
The Nightmare Before Christmas. Here's what Elfman told
USA Today about the iconic animated film:
It’s obviously about Christmas, but for me, it’s a Halloween movie. Growing up, Halloween was my favorite night of the year and Christmas was a troublesome time. Into my adult years, it was a time where a bit of a dark cloud would follow me around -- probably carrying over from my childhood until I had my own kids -- and then I developed a new, brighter view of Christmas.
“I also felt very close to Jack Skellington’s plight because I knew what it was like to be the king of my own little world and to want out of that world and want something else. So I felt very close to the holiday of Halloween, but also very close to Jack and what he was going through," Elfman explained.
Do you think The Nightmare Before Christmas is meant for Christmastime or Halloween? How about both or even possible neither?