I think we can all agree that 1993’s The Before Christmas is an absolute classic. Though it isn’t directed by Tim Burton, as many incorrectly report, it reeks of the dark visionary’s style.
From the German Expressionism inspired shadows to the stop motion , to the charming sense of humor, it’s a in all but the name (sorry, d).
However, is it a ? OR is it a ? I’ve met people who watch it during both holidays, but in terms of visuals and plot, if we had to classify it as one; which would it be?
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The Before Christmas as a
I mean, it’s right there in the name. The ‘s title is a play on the ‘The Night Before Christmas’ poem, flipping it upside down to give it a spooky, yet undeniably festive feeling.
Notably, the also features , , and a whole village of elves known as .
In terms of the , while the definitely doesn’t have what we might call a traditional , it’s still undeniably a happy ending with a good moral; be yourself. is all about bringing joy to the citizens of , but he ultimately realizes that being the was all he ever needed to be happy, which is a pretty cool arc if you ask me.
The leaves you with a good feeling and it definitely contains a lot of iconographies traditionally associated with Christmas, including himself in a starring role. With all of this in mind, you can absolutely make a case for this to be called a , and many people rightly love watching it every season.
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The Before Christmas as a
In terms of themed flicks that are suitable for kids, is an excellent choice.
It contains some frightening imagery, but it all enhances the and there’s nothing that’s too scary. However, the certainly get a lot more time to shine (with the exception of ) and most of the songs are focused, with the only real Christmas-y being ‘What’s This’. ‘This is ‘, ‘‘,’ ‘, and ‘Oogie Boogie’s ‘ are all pretty dark, and even ‘Making Christmas’ turns the idea of a traditional on its head.
definitely had some fun writing these tunes (as well as providing !)
Overall, is a perfect to get you in the spooky mood, as well as a great choice for families.
So which is it? Halloween or Christmas?
It’s a total cop-out, but it’s totally both. If you feel you absolutely have to define it as one, it probably shares more in common with other -friendly Halloween movies like , but it can definitely be enjoyed during both seasons.
Hopefully, we can see more of Jack and the residents of if the long-rumored second ever sees the light of day.
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Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Inside the Magic overall.
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