The Nightmare Before Christmas

Every handcrafted frame of this wonderful 1993 stop-motion animation film—with its coffin sled, death’s-head tree ornaments, skeleton reindeer, and spindly patchwork look—bears the touch of Tim Burton’s misfit imagination. He also came up with its kid-friendly, ho-ho-horror story of a Halloween king who decides to restage Christmas according to his ghoulish sensibility. (First step: Kidnap Santa.) Jack Skellington really isn’t a bad sort of fellow; and his impulse to bring yuletide festivity to Halloweentown is charitable—the misfit’s touching desire to finally fit in. Movie screens at midnight. (PG) BRIAN MILLER

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Sat., Oct. 9; Sun., Oct. 10, 2010