HALLOWEENTOWN, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Every day this month, resident horror movie enthusiast and 828newsNOW staff reporter Pruett Norris is recommending a Halloween film for your macabre amusement.
Whether they be monster movies or fearsome family films, demonic possessions or slasher sensations, this exercise hopes to encourage spooky seasonal “scream”ings at home or in cinemas.
As the old saying goes, “trick or treat, trick or treat, give me something good to…watch.”
Day 30: THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (1993, 76 min., directed by Henry Selick)
Is it a Christmas movie or a Halloween movie? The spooky, snowy tale of Halloween champ Jack Skellington bringing Christmas back to his scary cohorts manages to be both.
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” is the perfect on-ramp for kids getting into Halloween: it’s lovingly animated in impressive stop-motion and has a solid roster of catchy songs, but it’s also got some genuinely horrifying character designs and freaky moments. The film was released over three decades ago and still plays in theaters, at parties and in homes all October – and December – long.
For many, Halloween is incomplete without “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” It had to be close to the finish line in a list counting down a month of Halloween movies, but its Christmas spirit, no matter how mischievously eerie, keeps it from the 31st spot.
“The Nightmare Before Christmas” is available to stream on Disney+.
Looking for more October movie recommendations? Read the rest of the 828boosNOW archive:
DAY 1: BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
DAY 3: A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS
DAY 5: SCOOBY-DOO! AND THE WITCH’S GHOST
DAY 7: THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT
DAY 8: THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
DAY 14: KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE
DAY 15: CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON
DAY 22: I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE
DAY 23: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968)