By Fred Topel | Image property of respective holders
The Nightmare Before Christmas
I remember marveling at how clear The Nightmare Before Christmas looked on DVD. Suddenly the miniature sets looked like real locations inhabited by three dimensional characters. Now, on Blu-Ray, it's all that and more detail.
Blu-Ray Review: The Nightmare Before Christmas
The lines and crevices of Halloweentown are extraordinary in the Blu Ray version. Since the sets were probably hand carved, you can see it all, maybe even more than were originally there. Characters like Oogie Boogie show every single dent of the burlap sack.
Contrast that with places like Christmastown. That snow is so sharp that when Jack falls into it, it cuts his figure drastically into the ground. Colorful fluorescent lights abound, but a different sort of bright lighting scheme exists in Halloweentown. These were seemingly added to Blu Ray also, and it works to add to the surreal Tim Burton vision.
If anything, Blu Ray is so clear, it might actually make the animation look a tad less smooth. It could also be that I'm older now, but I remember the characters moving incredibly smooth for being adjusted frame by frame by human hands. So now the picture is so clear, you could notice every little uneven skip. The animators may hate that but I love revealing little details. It's still awesome. Also, when Sally pours fog juice, you actually notice the lighting change when the smoke comes up!
This may be my new Blu Ray demo disc. At least for animation. Dark Knight Imax footage for real people, Nightmare for cartoons.
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