One debate that has been highly contested in the horror community for more than 30 years centers around the stop-motion animated movie The Nightmare Before Christmas. The question isn’t about who directed the movie, since Henry Sellick definitively helmed the picture despite Tim Burton‘s name regularly being in front of the title, the question is more about the narrative itself: is it a Halloween movie or is it a Christmas movie?
While everyone has their own thoughts on the matter, the easiest answer to defer to is that it’s both. The Freeform network, for example, screens the movie throughout October and in the weeks leading up to Christmas, proving there’s an appetite for the title over an extended period of time. Cinemark, however, might be taking a side in the battle.
The theater chain will be screening The Nightmare Before Christmas in October, and they have also confirmed they will be releasing a popcorn bucket that pays tribute to Jack Skellington. As announced on Twitter, “Kicking off spooky season with our The Nightmare Before Christmas Santa Jack popcorn bucket COMING SOON to theaters!”
The theater chain won’t only be showing The Nightmare Before Christmas in October, as they are also screening the below titles in honor of the spookiest time of year:
- October 9: Pan’s Labyrinth 20th anniversary, Other Mommy
- October 14: Night of the Living Dead (1968)
- October 16 – 22: The Nightmare Before Christmas
- October 23: Clayface
- October 26, 28 & 30: Scream 30th anniversary
- October 27, 29 & 31: Halloween (1978)
- October 31: Hotel Transylvania
The Halloween fun extends beyond the theater walls. Through nationwide partnerships with Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub, and 7NOW, Cinemark is delivering its iconic movie theater concessions to fans across the country. Available from more than 300 participating theaters in 42 states, movie lovers can order everything from freshly popped popcorn and candy to hot foods and refreshing beverages, making it easier than ever to bring the magic of the movies to Halloween parties, horror movie marathons, and more.
While the original movie had a modest opening in theaters back in the early ’90s, it has become a veritable cult classic. At the time, the blending of the macabre components of Halloween and the more whimsical magic of Christmas made for a bizarre juxtaposition that didn’t have wide appeal. Over the decades, the movie has solidified itself as a title that viewers of all ages revisit every year, with Disneyland even giving their Haunted Mansion attraction a makeover each year in honor of the movie.
We shouldn’t, though, ever anticipate getting a sequel, with both Burton and Sellick reiterating over the years how they don’t want to undermine the effectiveness of the original.
Will you be picking up a Santa Jack popcorn bucket? Let us know in the comments below!