Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: Beyond Halloween Town: The Story, the Characters, and the Legacy

by Emily Zemler, Tim Burton (Foreword)

After 30 years, discover the inspirations behind Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas  and its legacy as a certified pop-culture experience. 

What is it about Jack Skellington that is so compelling? Why does the love between Sally and Jack resonate with so many? The feature-length, stop-motion movie about the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town who becomes obsessed with celebrating Christmas is a fascinating musical and love story that has transcended the original film and captivated the world . From the improbable tale to the lovable characters, Tim Burton’s creation has turned into a lifestyle, branching into fashion, video games, card and board games, live-action concerts, themed celebrations at Disneyland, and even cameos in other movies.

Featuring an original foreword by Tim Burton himself , Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Beyond Halloween Town celebrates the film and the culture that has grown around it with exclusive and original interviews
 
Delve into the magic of Halloween and Christmas in a story told through unlikely heroes that started 30 years ago. This beautifully designed coffee-table book is sure to captivate die-hard and casual fans alike.

Genres: Nonfiction, Art, Adult

168 pages, Hardcover

Published August 22, 2023

Reviews

[Phil Villarreal]

Thirty years after it first hit screens, "The Nightmare Before Christmas" still stands as required viewing when holidays roll around. The fantastical melding of horror, whimsy and

Emily Zenker's gorgeous coffee table book delves into the mythos, hype and legacy surrounding the 1993 stop-motion masterpiece, finding nuggets of trivia that have likely eluded even the film's most obsessive followers.

Its 168 pages are crammed with anecdotes, photos, interviews and oral histories that surround the film's historical footprint.

There are also nods to the film's spiritual successors, such as "Coraline" and "Frankenweenie." There are also glimpses of the sundry merchandise that the film has sired, with its characters as firmly integrated into the fabric of holiday decorations as skeletons and Jack-o-lanterns.

While an outsider's perspective may have been more complete -- this book is clearly a Disney-sanctioned product -- the book served its passionate audience well.

[Kelsey Mese]

Honestly not my favorite however I didn’t know exactly what I was expecting from this. The first bit about how they made the movie was actually really interesting to me and all the photos throughout were really interesting but there were a lot of topics that were mentioned that I feel we’re just put in there to take up space and the author didn’t know how to write about those topics in an interesting way.

[Christina Frøkjær]

Although I didn't grow up with the movie, I grew to love it as an adult. This book is an impressive look behind the scenes and makes an excellent overview and timeline of the movie, from its earliest conception to the cult like status is has now 30 years later.
My only negative thought is that the font is small and makes reading it difficult.

[Chy]

As a kid I was obsessed with this movie and it was a family tradition to watch during Halloween AND Christmas so I thought it was a really fun read getting a behind the scenes look at such an iconic movie.

[Kimberly]

*4.5

[Ross]

Great book, top to bottom. The multi-faceted coverage is a fantastic look at the property. Beautiful presentation of the book overall that's very engaging.