The Nightmare Before Christmas is a HALLOWEEN Movie.

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a ghoulish claymation film, filled with frightening songs and a grim– yet colorful, palette of colors. The movie famously mixes Halloween and Christmas together in an interesting way and (unknowingly) starts generations of debate over if it is a Christmas movie or a Halloween movie.   “This is Halloween” can be heard during the opening and, I gotta say, I COMPLETELY agree with the movie’s own sentiments. The Nightmare Before Christmas is in fact a Halloween movie!

Speaking on the overall tone, subject matter, and color palette of the movie, it is… dark, to say the least. When you look at traditional claymation Christmas films, such as Rudolf the Rednosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman, they are filled with Christmas joy and cheer. But The Nightmare Before Christmas on the other hand features mainly ghosts and ghouls and boogeymen. Not to mention that the release date of the film was in October, the designated time for the spooky season. And if all of the evidence I’ve given you thus far still hasn’t convinced you that The Nightmare Before Christmas is a Halloween movie, maybe the director of the film HIMSELF could. Entertainment Weekly quotes Henry Selick, the film director, at Colorado’s Telluride Horror Show film festival during a Q&A. He says, “It’s a Halloween movie,” Selick responded, finally putting the debate to rest.”

After the climax of the film, the Pumpkin King sings rather softly “Poor Jack” as he takes a step back to reflect on all of his choices thus far. As he questions why he wanted to attempt to take over Christmas in the first place, he realizes one thing: trying to force something into being what it is naturally not will always end in disaster. And whenever someone suggests that The Nightmare Before Christmas is something that it is not (like *ahem* being a Christmas movie), it could lead to tragedy and disappointment.