THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (1993)

As we enter the week of Halloween, it's altogether appropriate that we celebrate with a first for our Animation Backgrounds blog: miniature background sets from a stop-action masterpiece... Disney's (and Tim Burton's) THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (1993).

Here's the first THIRTEEN! If you are superstitious, we can just call it a baker's dozen...

The Lucky 13 Returns! Week Seven: Christmas

Deck the halls and all that jazz, Vault dwellers! We are but a few days away from the single most commercialized holiday of the year, and that can only mean one thing for The Lucky 13... That's right, we're taking a look at our favorite Yuletide-themed horror flicks. Here's hoping all my gentile friends have a beautiful Jesus B-Day this year, but in the meantime, check out what we've put together below--and be sure to also head over to Brutal as Hell for their Santalicious choices...

B-Sol on The Nightmare Before Christmas

I had debated whether or not to include this as my Halloween pick, since it could arguably work for both holidays. But I've always felt, first and foremost, that Tim Burton and Henry Selick's 1993 masterpiece is a Christmas movie. A very twisted and deliciously deviant Christmas movie, but a Christmas movie nonetheless. And it truly is such a unique motion picture--what is there not to love?

I mean, really... Have you ever come across someone who didn't like this flick? I know I haven't. It's a brilliant work of art, a triumph of stop-motion animation, and a refreshing change from the usual stale holiday fare. I can't recommend it enough for your family's festivities. It really is a beautiful motion picture, with superb art direction, the usual terrific music by Danny Elfman, and of course...that irreplaceable, completely wacked-out Burton sensibility.

I happen to be a big-time Christmas person (although Halloween has been gaining in recent years, natch), and so a movie like this one really does warm my heart. It's got pathos without being treacly, it gets to the very core of the holiday spirit without getting preachy, and best of all, it never fails to be entertaining. Plus, it's one hell of a marvel to look at. I never get tired of it, and really, it's the type of film whose greatness precedes it.



The Mike of From Midnight with Love on P2

If there's one thing we know about Christmas, it's that nobody - no matter their religion, beliefs, or status - wants to be alone for the holiday. That's the case for both Thomas and Angela in P2, a Christmas Eve chiller from the folks behind High Tension and Piranha 3D. Angela is a business woman who is driven to succeed, and is thus working late on Christmas Eve, while Thomas is the Elvis loving security guard who haunts her building's parking structure professionally. Both have their own ideas as to what their holiday will consist of.

But there's a disconnect between their plans for this holly jolly holiday. Angela wants to get home to her family, who are already disappointed that she's running behind again; Thomas just wants Angela's company and will go to any lengths to keep her around. His action plan starts with car sabotage, moves ahead to kidnapping and re-clothing (the film is certainly in contention for any awards for "Best Low Cut Dress in a Supporting Role"), and he soon escalates to trying to win Angela's heart by brutalizing the coworker who groped her at the work Christmas party. Angela has her sanity intact, and is not as receptive to Thomas' advances as he hoped she'd be. (To be fair, she should at least be thankful for that dress.)

Wes Bentley has been a fish-out-of-water type of actor for most of the years since his breakout performance in American Beauty, but here he seems to capitalize on the quiet unease we felt with his voyeuristic character in that film. As Thomas, Bentley manages to become a Jekyll-and-Hyde of sorts, balancing between portraying a socially awkward everyman and a totally homicidal maniac without going too far over the top. Offset by Rachel Nichols' Angela, who seems to be a prototypical survivor girl, the film really succeeds in presenting a Christmas nightmare for her as Thomas tries to live out his Christmas fantasy.

Though this disparity in their Christmas plans might have been more interesting at a shorter length - I'm reminded of Tales from the Crypt's wonderful "And All Through the House..." tale - the filmmakers do a fine job of filling the rest of the film with some well-executed games of cat-and-mouse and a couple of vicious scenes that establish danger while providing ample splatter. The film could have worked focusing on its setting alone (Has anything good ever happened in a parking garage?), but its Christmas conundrum makes it a fun treat for anyone who wants something more horrifying than a holiday with the in-laws.



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Join us next week for the Christmas edition of The Lucky 13 Returns!

Week 1: Halloween
Week 2: Man vs. Nature
Week 3: Veteran's Day
Week 4: Thanksgiving
Week 5: Hanukkah
Week 6: Horror Musicals

The Tuesday Top 10: Favorite Horror-Themed Songs

Day of the Woman's thought-provoking post yesterday on the intersection between music and horror has put me in a musical state of mind. And so, for today's Tuesday Top 10, I've compiled my all-time favorite horror-themed songs. Now, some of these tunes are scary, and others are just steeped in the horror milieu. So scariness was not a requirement. Rather, these are the top songs that come to my mind in connection with the genre I adore so much...

10. The Time Warp
What would the list be without a number from the greatest horror musical of them all. Just a fun, anthemic song that epitomizes what The Rocky Horror Picture Show is all about, and why it has gained such an infectious fan following. Plus, I just love Magenta's Marlene Dietrich impression.

9. Black Sabbath
The title song of Black Sabbath's self-titled first album is a genuinely terrifying song. Just listening to Ozzy wail, "Oh no, no, please, God help me!" gives me goosebumps. A sinister song that was probably partly to blame for legions of parents freaking out over their kids listening to this band.

8. Thriller
How could I not include Michael Jackson's pop ode to zombie culture? Plus, the video was even directed by John Landis. Big-time extra points for the rockin' appearance of the one and only Vincent Price, delivering perhaps the greatest rap of all time. "The funk of 40,000 years," indeed. V-Price could spit mad lyrics, yo.

7. Werewolves of London
God bless Warren Zevon. This staple of 1980s classic rock radio is the kind of song you just can't get out of your head. Plus, you've got major references to Lon Chaney Jr. and Sr., and the title itself is Universal-inspired. I'll never give up hope of one day seeing a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vick's. Hopefully, his hair will be perfect.

6. The Thing That Should Not Be
Metallica be some horror freaks, with a particular obsession with the work of H.P. Lovecraft. And this song is their magnum opus to the Cthulhu mythos, creepy as hell and grim in the extreme. In fact, I recommend you check out this excellent fan video created for the song--pointed out to me by the Vault's resident Lovecraft expert, RayRay.

5. Ghostbusters
Rumor has it that Ivan Reitman wanted Huey Lewis & The News to record the title song for his movie, but when they turned him down, he brought in smooth jazz crooner Ray Parker Jr. and got him to basically record a Huey Lewis-style song. Whatever the case may be, there is probably no one born between 1970 and 1980 who doesn't know all the lyrics by heart...

4. Surfin' Dead
God damn, but this is a great song by The Cramps, featured prominently in the soundtrack to The Return of the Living Dead. In fact, that flick is filled to the brim with rockin' horror tunes, so I figured I'd limit it to just one. In reality, I could probably fill this entire list with them if I wanted to.

3. Don't Fear the Reaper
Such bleak subject matter for such a mellow-sounding song! Blue Oyster Cult's biggest hit pops up in the original Halloween, and of course was also the opening theme to the miniseries of Stephen King's The Stand. Forty-thousand men and women every day...

2. The Monster Mash
So corny, but so much damn fun. Who doesn't love Bobby "Boris" Pickett's iconic novelty smash of the 1960s. A surf-tinged tune that conjures up all the innocent fun of the "monster kid" era. I can play this one for my kids 20 times in a row, and they'll still keep asking for it. In fact, it would've been very easy to slap this one up at number one. But I had to be brutally honest with myself and pick my true favorite...

1. This Is Halloween
It figures that Danny Elfman, formerly of Oingo Boingo, would come up with this deliciously eery theme song for Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. The song is a perfect homage to childhood terrors, and sets the scene excellently for Burton's unique vision. This one always reminds me of what it's like to be a kid hiding under the covers from vampires... Plus, Marilyn Manson also did an awesome cover of it!

Some inevitable runners-up:

• "I Put a Spell on You" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
• "Bela Lugosi's Dead" by Bauhaus
• "Love Song for a Vampire" by Annie Lennox
• "Dead Man's Party" by Oingo Boingo
• "The Downward Spiral" by Nine Inch Nails
• "Nature Trail to Hell" by Weird Al Yankovic
• "Sweet Dreams" by Marilyn Manson
• "Summer Breeze" by Type O-Negative
• "Mad Monster Party" by Ethel Ennis

Seasons Greetings from The VoH....