Midnight Film House

  As it is nearing the end of October, I feel it appropriate to discuss a Halloween classic.   The Nightmare Before Christmas is a stop motion animated movie from 1993. Directed by Henry Selick and produced by Tim Burton. Their wonderfully eerie style emanates from the screen. The film follows Jack Skellington the ‘Pumpkin King’ of Halloween Town. We find that Jack has become jaded with Halloween, sick of doing the same thing every year. While wandering through the woods Jack finds a tree with a door on it. After entering, he finds himself enamoured within a world of Christmas Joy. Jack gleefully tells the townsfolk all about Christmas. Eventually Jack and the Halloween Town residents decide to take Santa’s place and deliver their own spooky version of Christmas which ends up failing hilariously.   I love this movie, it’s such a pleasure to put on every year between October and December. The film is full of iconic character designs such as Oogie Boogie and Jack ...

  Created by Studio Ghibli and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, Princess Mononoke is a historical fantasy epic set in a mythical interpretation of 14th century Japan. The story follows Ashitaka, prince of the Emishi tribe. After being forced to kill a demon boar Ashitaka is left with a cursed wound. The curse grants Ashitaka strength when angry; but using this strength exacerbates the curse. Ashitaka is informed that he is fated to die from the curse unless he travels west to investigate the wrongs that led to the demon’s creation. Out west, Ashitaka discovers a violent struggle between the gods of the forest and the humans of Irontown who are destroying the forest to mine iron. Fighting alongside the gods is San, a human girl raised by the wolf god Moro. She personifies the god’s hatred of humanity’s greed. Ashitaka hates this war and wishes to end it peacefully. He must resist his anger, or the curse will spread. Similarly, San must learn to overcome her hatred of humanity to work...