Nightmare Before Christmas, The (Blu-ray)

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Audio:
The featured audio is an English 7.1 Dolby Tru HD (48kHz/24-bit) soundtrack that really brings the rear speakers into the mix. If you have all seven channels you'll get an integrated sound system that feels perfectly balanced, with the front speakers stronger and the effects speakers dialed down a notch or two. But the effects speakers are so active that on a number of occasions I found myself wondering whether there was a storm brewing outside or people on the staircase behind the TV room, because the effects were projected so far from the source of the sounds. There's a nice wide spread across the front speakers, too. Additional sound options are English, French, and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, with subtitles in French and Spanish as well.

Extras:
Tons, but apart from that five-second intro, no Blu-ray exclusives. The feature film and all bonus features are contained on a single BD-50, with a second disc included so that fans can upload a standard def copy to their PCs or personal media.

As for the extras, there are lots of goodies. My favorites were two short films: the uncut version of "Frankenweenie" by Tim Burton, with a new introduction by Burton, and "Vincent," which brings another of Burton's poems to film and is narrated by none other than the late, great Vincent Price.

Included is an all-new audio commentary from Burton, Selick, and Elfman. They weren't in the same room when they offered their remarks, which is too bad; rather, their comments are cobbled together, and there are a number of dead spaces throughout. What each man has to say is quite good, though, and you get the feeling that they're all pleased with how well the film holds up 15 years after it was made. Selick's remarks are perhaps the most revealing, because you get a sense of how Burton influenced the film despite the fact that he didn't direct. As Selick puts it, Burton "had certain rules, like there's no magic in Halloween Town." Burton talks about getting "kicked out" of Disney animation, and Elfman gives some real insight not only into the process of musical composition but also into his own musical growth.

Also included is "What's This? Jack's Haunted Mansion Holiday Tour," a roughly seven-minute ride through Disneyland's Haunted Mansion that had been redesigned to spotlight "The Nightmare Before Christmas." People who have taken that ride will enjoy this one.

"Frankenweenie" is a wonderful attempt to recreate the Fifties and all of the influences that have had an effect on Burton as a filmmaker. Call it "Frankenstein" meets "Leave It to Beaver," and it's highly entertaining. Some of the shots are wonderful, too, as when Burton undercuts the Gothic mood he constructs by tossing in subtle humor. Example? When young Victor's dog is struck by a car and the funeral is over and the brooding music continues, with young Frankenstein staring out the window into the rainy sky, the camera pulls back and we see it's a sunny day and his mother is actually sprinkling the window as she waters her flowerbeds. Great stuff here!

"Vincent" is also a lot of fun. This six-minute film by Burton and Rick Heinrichs concerns a boy named Vincent Malloy who wants to be Vincent Price. Narrated completely in rhyme, it's a clever and funny children's story that's made more clever and substantial by the fact that Burton got Price himself to do the voiceover narration. It's a somewhat funny but somewhat sad little film that leaves you with a number of complex feelings. Then there's the original poem that inspired "The Nightmare Before Christmas" that's narrated by Christopher Lee, so Burton has got all the horror bases covered.

The longest feature is a just under 30-minute behind-the-scenes "Making of 'Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas,' which delves into the usual areas. Rounding out the bonus features are three deleted storyboards (with commentary), four deleted scenes (of around five minutes, again with commentary), original trailers and posters, a top/bottom split-screen storyboard-to-film comparison, and a well designed artwork and animation gallery that's divided into three "worlds": Halloween Town, Christmas Town, and The Real World. Predictably, Halloween Town has the most to offer, including animation tests with commentary by Selick, in addition to the character designs and concept are that also appear in the other sections.

Bottom Line:
Tim Burton has a strange view of the world, but when his sense of the macabre meshes (rather than clashes) with the "real" world, the result is often as magical as it is fantastic. "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is a classic--Halloween or Christmas, that's up to you. But if you can swing it, get the Blu-ray version. The soundtrack is more rollicking, and it's more faithful to the artistic vision of the film.

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