The Nightmare Before Christmas 1993

As the Pumpkin King of Halloweentown, Jack Skellington (speaking voice Chris Sarandon, singing Danny Elfman), a skeletal figure with an air of elegance, has grown tired of repeating the same Halloween rituals year after year. His usual flair for frightful festivities seems to have lost its luster, and he finds himself craving something more substantial in his life. His gaze falls upon Sally (Catherine O’Hara), an endearing rag doll animated by a hint of melancholy, who harbors a secret longing for Jack’s affections; however, her tender feelings go unnoticed by the Pumpkin King.

As Jack’s ennui deepens, he embarks on a introspective journey through Halloweentown’s cemetery, inadvertently disturbing Sally as she replenishes her supply of deadly nightshade. This momentary distraction leads him to take his ghostly canine companion, Zero, for a meandering stroll through the woods. Their wandering path crosses paths with an enigmatic circle of trees, each adorned with a door symbolizing a distinct holiday. Jack’s curiosity is piqued by the Christmas door, and he steps through it, finding himself transported to Christmastown.

Entranced by the whimsical charm of this new world, Jack becomes enamored with the idea of incorporating elements of Christmas into his own Halloween celebrations. Upon returning to Halloweentown, he calls upon his fellow townspeople to gather and share tales of his discovery. However, his attempts to rally their enthusiasm fall flat, prompting him to rebrand the very essence of Christmas as something darkly sinister. He assigns tasks to his minions, tasking the evil scientist to craft reindeer, the top trick-or-treaters to abduct “Sandy Claws” (Edward Ivory), and Sally to create a bespoke red Santa suit for Jack himself.

Despite Sally’s fervent warnings about the perils of co-opting Christmas, Jack remains oblivious to the potential consequences of his actions. As the trick-or-treaters return triumphantly with the Easter Bunny in tow, Jack sends them on another mission, this time to capture Sandy Claws. To his surprise, however, they instead deliver Sandy Claws into the clutches of Oogie Boogie (Ken Page), setting the stage for a series of events that will forever alter the fabric of Halloweentown’s Halloween traditions.

As Sally’s ingenious plan unfolds, she conjures up a striking red suit for herself (though sans hat, Jack swoops in to pilfer Sandy’s), while the diabolical scientist’s undead reindeer are harnessed to a conveyance piled high with unsettling playthings. In an effort to foil his Yuletide delivery, Sally secretly laces the town well with fog-inducing liquid, coming perilously close to succeeding. However, Zero, the ghostly canine with an ethereal nose aglow, intervenes at the eleventh hour to thwart her scheme. Sally deduces that only Sandy Claws can now aid Jack and steals into Oogie Boogie’s lair in a daring bid to liberate him.

Meanwhile, Jack embarks on his sleigh, but his understanding of Christmas is woefully askew; his notion of an exceptional gift for a young child being a shrunken cranium or a toy duck sporting razor-sharp dentures that relentlessly pursues its owner. As he spreads terror and chaos throughout the town, his nocturnal exploits culminate in a spectacular implosion, blown from the sky by the panic-stricken populace. With a newfound appreciation for the true meaning of Christmas, Jack returns to Halloweentown, determined to find Sandy Claws and restore festive balance.

His surprise attack on Oogie Boogie’s lair yields a triumphant outcome: Sally is freed, Sandy Claws is liberated, and Oogie Boogie meets his match in a thrilling final confrontation. Santa Claus chastises Jack for attempting to usurp a holiday that doesn’t belong to him, before exercising his magical prowess to salvage Christmas. As the clock strikes midnight, Jack and Sally return to town just as Santa Claus soars overhead, bestowing upon Halloweentown its first snowfall. In the moonlit cemetery, amidst the quiet reverence of the season, Jack and Sally share a tender moment, their hearts finally entwined in a love that transcends the boundaries between Halloween and Christmas.