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The Purpose of Film: How Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas Portrays the Two

Sides of Film Viewing

Joseph Pinto

Florida State University

ENC 2135: Research, Genre, and Context

Sophia Shealy

March 27, 2023

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On the 13th of October in 1993, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare before Christmas was a

major theatrical release in North America. The film met a critical reception and was praised by

critics and casual viewers alike for its avant-garde visuals, unique and diverse story, and

otherworldly music. What was most shocking to many viewers was the style of its animation, as

it was entirely shot in stop-motion. It was the first of its kind to ever be produced, and it seemed

that the general public was transfixed by the outlandish world of NBC (Nightmare before

Christmas). So much so that the Walt Disney Company would continue to re-release it in 2006

and leave a legacy beyond the movie’s original impact. Yet, not all believed that the movie

would ever be a major success, as the producers of NBC had spent too much money on the film

and were worried that it would never make a major profit at the box office. Profits are not what

every moviegoer notices when going to watch a film in the theatres, instead most would rather

focus on the artistic aspects of the movie and how its writing, design, and production create an

experience. This discourse creates two views of what movies and films are seen as: are they

methods of producing profit and entertainment for the masses or are they an expression of artistic

creativity for the purpose of genuine enjoyment of said artistry? The theatrical trailer released for

The Nightmare before Christmas appeals to the general audience of moviegoers using an ethos of

excitement for an upcoming release and adventure for the purpose of selling more tickets in

order to turn a major profit off the movie, while Roger Ebert’s review of the film urges a more

select audience to see the movie as a unique artist creation by appealing to their ethos on critique

and viewing films as pieces of art rather than mere entertainment.

It is standard practice to create a trailer for an upcoming film in order to advertise to

moviegoers the new movies that will be released in a few weeks, as we can still see this

happening now. The standard genre of movie trailers usually incorporates an audio and visual
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mode, and occasionally a written element. The same process was done for NBC as well, and

followed the same conventions of trailers using audio, visual, and writing. However, trailers are

not always developed by the filmmakers themselves. Instead, a different team of marketing

directors and producers are the ones who create them, like what happened with NBC’s trailer that

was released to the theaters. The choices and appeals made in this trailer directly portray their

purpose behind its release, which should be plainly obvious: to sell tickets to the general

moviegoing audience and make a profit off the film. The message “Coming in October to a

theatre near you” at the end reinforces their attempt to sell the movie to the viewers as way to

create anticipation after being excited by the prospects in the trailer (Rotten Tomatoes, 1993).

Speaking of excitement, the trailer uses a voiceover to entice the audience’s enjoyment with

dialogue like “welcome to an extraordinary world filled with magic” and “let yourself go”

(Rotten Tomatoes, 1993). These quotes, along with the visuals of action and movement, attempt

to appeal to the audience’s sense of adventure and wonder and add to the genre convention, as

the author reels them in with the idea of a grand quest. All put together, the concept of a trailer is

meant to draw in the viewers to purchase tickets and see the movie when it releases, but this is

not the only way moviegoers are convinced to watch film.

On the other side of the screen, the audience has another approach to film viewing and, to

get their points across, they may write a movie review. These reviews may vary on the genre

conventions they follow, as some may use a combination of audio and visual or just audio. Roger

Ebert, a rather famous movie reviewer back in the day, wrote one such review for NBC. He

decided to write all his reviews in newspapers and, eventually, onto his site, using only a writing

mode, not including any visuals or audio. In his reviews, his view of film, while a little more

“snobbish” than the average moviegoer, focuses on the angle that movies are art; they are a
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medium in which “new worlds” are created for the audience to enjoy (Ebert, 1993, para. 1).

Ebert begins his review by explaining the fantastical world in which Tim Burton has built in, not

a traditional style but, in “stop-action animation” (Ebert, 1993, para. 2). He continues by laying

out a general plot summary of the movie, as well as some of the major characters involved.

Concluding the review, Ebert returns to the idea of “visual richness” and unique stylizations that

bring the world of Halloweentown to life in a way that is being seen “for the first time” (Ebert,

1993, para. 9). He alludes to this sense of vision in previous films like “Metropolis” and “The

Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,” as they too rendered audiences speechless for their visual style (Ebert,

1993, para. 9) Ebert urges the reader to watch NBC, not once, but twice: the first focusing on the

story and the second focusing on all the visuals (Ebert, 1993, para. 9). Ebert, along with many

other movie reviewers, believes that film is more than just a simple form of entertainment to be

consumed by the masses, but instead a medium of artistic expression used to convey complex

ideas or outlandish images and stories. He directly appeals to those types of moviegoers who

believe similarly, and even attempts to appeal to the general public to see the film as well. Ebert

even includes a “parental advisory” in order to convince parents that the film is wonderful for all

ages, even if it is “a tad scary for smaller children” (Ebert, 1993, para. 11). This review wants to

convince the reader that this movie should be seen for more than a time killer or passive

entertainment, but as something to enjoy for what the filmmaker’s created through their world

and story.

While the two artifacts may have the same general exigence, urging the reader to watch

The Nightmare before Christmas, each has a different ulterior motive for doing so. One, the

movie trailer, wants to make a profit from the movie, and needs to sell tickets to do so. The

other, the film review, wants the audience to understand the art and experience that the film has
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to offer in its unique style and charm. These two artifacts show the major duality of filmmaking

and movies: are they a method to make a profit and entertainment or an artistic expression and

storytelling? Each artifact also focuses on a separate audience, as the trailer attempts to reel in

the general moviegoing populace, the review instead chases more the “movie snobs” and critics

rather than the large net of every moviegoer. The mediums in which they have chosen to produce

these artifacts were selected in order to reach their targeted audiences, as the trailer would be

seen by moviegoers and the review would be mostly seen by the “snobs.” Yet both use appeals in

ethos to their audiences, as both have a major credibility: the producers of movies and a famous

film reviewer. Overall, while the minutiae of the arguments vary, they want the exact same thing

from the audience: to go watch the film. While the trailer may have had the larger impact on the

general populace at the time. Though it was a sleeper hit, The Nightmare before Christmas has

left a legacy that has lasted due to its critical response to its artistic vision and wonderful world

that moviegoers have had the chance to experience many times in theaters.
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References

Ebert, R. (1993, October 22). Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. RogerEbert.com

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/tim-burtons-the-nightmare-before-christmas-1993

Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers. (2013, September 30). The Nightmare Before Christmas

(1993) Official Trailer #1 – Animated Movie. [Video]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr6N_hZyBCk