Day 28, the Pumpkin King

Werewolves, ghosts, witches, vampires, the Boogie Man and musical numbers, it must be a horror movie. Only Tim Burton could imagine a story like The Nightmare Before Christmaswhere Halloween is prepared and exported to our world by fantastical creatures of our darkest nightmares. Disney was reluctant to release this movie, as they thought its content would scare children, so they released it under their Touchstone Pictures. Little could they suspect the pop cultural impact this movie would have on audiences.

This stop motion animation film is a tribute to some of Burton’s favorite movies and cultural icons. Jack Skellington’s dance moves are reminiscent of Fred Astaire; Halloween Town itself is a tribute to the German Expressionist film era, while Christmas Town could have been drawn by Dr. Seuss himself. With a basic story, extremely detailed animation, catchy tunes, and an on screen torture scene with Santa Claus this movie should fit nicely into your Halloween viewing schedule.