DVDs: Burton's 'Nightmare' drawing a new generation of fans
Burton draws a new generation of ‘Nightmare’ fans
It’s a children’s story set in a town whose macabre residents have skeletal faces, razor-sharp teeth and limbs sewn together.
But don’t be scared — the kids who watch “Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas” aren’t. There’s a certain charm to the many likable (and some not very nice) inhabitants of Halloween Town, a land created by Burton’s ripe, if eccentric, imagination.
Today, 15 years after the initial release of “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” you can still go into a mall and buy book bags, clothing and home accessories bearing the likeness of Jack the Pumpkin King, Sally, Zero the ghost dog and even Mr. Oogie Boogie.
Yes, the animated musical that was initially considered “too scary” for the little ones, continues to attract a new generation of young fans while it keeps a strong legion of dedicated followers with a story that has it all: an evil scientist, suspense and romance.
Directed by Henry Selick, the film was written and produced by Burton and based on his original story about Jack Skellington, the beanpolelike Pumpkin King of Halloween Town who one day stumbles on Christmas Town and all the holiday joy it offers. Jack is so delighted with what he finds, that he plots to kidnap “Sandy Claws.” However well-intentioned Jack may be, the two towns/holidays don’t mesh as the Yuletide spirit turns dark and twisted in the hands of the creepy inhabitants of Halloween Town.
“Tim Burton’s the Nightmare Before Christmas: Collector’s Edition” is being released this week in three ways. The standard DVD set ($32.99, Disney) has the movie, along with new commentaries by Burton, Selick and composer Danny Elfman (who is also the singing voice of Jack); a second disc of all bonus features; and a third disc that allows you to download the movie. The Blu-ray edition ($39.99) has the bonus features as well as the downloadable disc.
The “Ultimate Collector’s DVD Gift Set” ($179.99) is a limited-release set with an individually numbered handpainted bust of Jack Skellington wearing his “Sandy Claws” hat and beard and a sound chip that plays lines from the movie.
Bonus features, many that have been previously available, include deleted scenes (one shows a very interesting idea of an alter-ego for Oogie Boogie); a storyboard-to-film comparison; a reading of Burton’s original poem by Christopher Lee; posters and trailers; and Jack’s Haunted Mansion Holiday Tour.
“The World of Tim Burton’s the Nightmare Before Christmas” is broken into three parts: Halloween Town, Christmas Town and the Real World. Each segment is then further broken down. Halloween Town is the most inclusive, with segments on Jack; Sally; Oogie Boogie; the Evil Scientist and Igor; Lock, Shock and Barrel; and the Citizens. Also included: character designs (22 for Jack alone), concept art and animation tests.
Two of the best bonus features aren’t actually “Nightmare” related — they are the complete versions of two of Burton’s early animated short films, “Vincent” and “Frankenweenie.” They both exhibit the quirky stylings that Burton would continue to develop and master for his later films, including “Nightmare.” They’re also highly creative and enjoyable.
“Vincent” is a five-minute black-and-white “poem” about a boy named Vincent Malloy (who looks an awful lot like Burton). The 7-year-old has a wildly overactive imagination that aids his belief that he’s Vincent Price. (The actor, who later appeared in Burton’s “Edward Scissorhands,” narrates the poem.) It’s an amusing and, dare I say, cute film.
The 30-minute “Frankenweenie,” starring young Barrett Oliver, Shelley Duvall and Daniel Stern, displays Burton’s admiration of classic horror movies. (In a new introduction to this film, Burton says he’s finally working on a full-length feature of this short.)
The story centers on another young boy, an amateur filmmaker named Victor Frankenstein, who brings his dog Sparky back to life with electricity (recalling another character named Frankenstein) after he’s hit by a car. If you’ve seen the 1931 “Frankenstein” movie, you’ll appreciate Burton’s attention to detail in recalling scenes from that Universal Studios classic.
• As a fan of “Heroes,” even I can admit the hit sci-fi series had a rough second season. Did we really need so many new faces and plots when there was much more to learn about the already hefty list of “heroes” that we met during the first season? When the writers’ strike cut the season short, many of us thought it was a merciful end. Or was it?
The new “Heroes: Season 2” DVD ($39.98 DVD, $69.98 Blu-ray; Universal) gives us insight into what the second season was really meant to be.
Show creator and writer Tim Kring, co-executive producer and writer Jesse Alexander and executive producer Jeph Loeb discuss their original vision for the season and how it changed once they knew the season would be cut in half. The alternate “ending” on the DVD shows what would have happened if Peter Petrelli hadn’t been able to keep the deadly vial from breaking and infecting the entire town of Odessa, Texas — and ultimately the world. It’s pretty cool, actually.
Also included: deleted scenes; audio commentaries with cast and crew; a gallery of the art created by Tim Sale that was seen throughout the series; and featurettes from NBC.com. A Season 2 featurette called “A New Beginning” is actually a “preview” of that season, so it will seem like old hat to those who watched the season. There is also a preview of Season 3 that contains an inadvertent spoiler by having a cast member chat away about what their supposedly dead character will be doing when the series resumes Sept. 22 on NBC.
Coming Tuesday
“Bait Shop” (Lionsgate), “Ballet Shoes” (Koch), “How to Rob a Bank” (Ge - nius), “Married Life” (Sony), “The Promotion” (Weinstein/Genius), “Reprise” (Disney/Miramax), “Lagerfield Confidential” (Koch Films) and “Soul Mate ” (Image Entertainment).•
