‘Twas a long time ago (longer now than it seems) that home releases were all the rage and now with THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS Ultimate Collector’s Edition 4K Ultra HD release, Disney is hoping to recapture that old holiday feeling. We received a complimentary review copy and the contents were fairly surprising.
I hope you’re curious to see what’s inside, never has it been clearer to see what happens when two holidays collide. Here’s what we encountered…
After years of the Haunted Mansion Holiday (and several visits to the El Capitan Theater for 4D screenings) we’ve certainly seen this film more than a few times but seeing it 4k Ultra HD really felt like a first. The picture is absolutely unlike anything we’ve seen for this film.
One of the marketing points for this release is that the film boasts a wider color spectrum than ever before. The clarity of the picture really is worth noting and the real tangible details of the sets, the puppets, and everything on screen feels like you can reach out and grab it. The hand-crafted nature of this film really becomes the star when you watch the movie in this resolution.
The grit in Halloween Town is fully defined, every little scratch, spiderweb, and carved detail just pops. And then in Christmas Town, the vibrant world comes to life with pristine detail — each individual piece of glitter on the snow, the cotton puffs of train smoke, it all looks so pleasant. It really comes to mind that this 4K release makes a fine Christmas present.
There’s no new bonus features included on this roundup, the point really is the feature film presentation. All the extras included are from previous releases but it’s still fun to watch them again after so many years. In particular, the Haunted Mansion Holiday Tour clocks in at just under 40 minutes and is an absolute feast for the eyes for fans of the parks. It was great to rewatch behind-the-scenes footage and interviews from notables including Steve Davison in this special that was put together in 2007 — a mere 6 years after the holiday overlay first debuted!
The full slate of bonus materials included are not actually on the 4K Ultra HD disc; instead you’ll have to rely either on the accompanying Blu-ray disc or the online access via the included Digital Code. Goodies you can expect include Deleted Scenes, The Making of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, Tim Burton’s Early Film (uncut version of Frankenweenie with introduction by Tim Burton), Tim Burton’s Original Poem (narrated by Christopher Lee), What’s This? Jack’s Haunted Mansion Holiday Tour, Song Selection, and a meaty Audio Commentary (featuring Tim Burton, Henry Selick, and Danny Elfman).
See it for Yourself
THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS 4k Ultra HD Bly-ray release is available now.
MORE INFO: Purchase the film on Amazon
