Hocus Pocus isn’t the only spooky Disney release celebrating a big anniversary this year. Tim Burton’s stop-motion masterpiece The Nightmare Before Christmas is also observing its triumphant 25th with a brand new Blu-ray and digital release.
The first film to simultaneously scratch the thematic itch of both Halloween geeks and Christmas geeks, The Nightmare Before Christmas is a twisted take on two holiday seasons featuring unforgettable characters, unparalleled visual artistry, and a fan-favorite soundtrack. Those with a penchant for the songs of the great Danny Elfman will find this version of the film particularly satisfying.
The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along Edition (as the name implies) boasts a special pop-up lyrics mode perfect for helping you and your family belt its way through this creepy classic. Of course, that’s not all that’s packed into this tidy combo release.
Once you and the Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington, have atoned for your flagrant holiday mismanagement, you can check out Tim Burton’s early films, Vincent and Frankenweenie, hear his original Nightmare poem/story treatment narrated by Christopher Lee, and dive into audio commentary tracks from Burton, Elfman, and director Henry Selick.
There’s also the behind-the-scenes featurette “The Making of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas,” deleted scenes and storyboards, trailers, and more. Then, of course, there’s my family’s favorite, “What’s This? Jack’s Haunted Mansion Holiday Tour.” We were fortunate enough to spend Halloween at Walt Disney World a few years back, and the miraculous overnight transformation of the Haunted Mansion from its regular state to its holiday incarnation is a wonder to behold.
While much of this supplementary material was available on the 2008 DVD/Blu-ray release, the 11 sing-along tracks (and especially the novel way in which the lyrics are presented, perfectly stylized with each vocalist visually represented) certainly add something to the overall offering. In short, if you don’t yet own The Nightmare Before Christmas on Blu-ray or electronically via Movies Anywhere—or if your family has a particular fondness for the film’s music—this edition is not to be missed!
Review materials provided by: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
