Pesadilla antes de Navidad y Reto Octubre (Actualización con fecha de publicación)

The nightmare before Christmas es una película de animación basada en los dibujos y el poema de Tim Burton que recibe el mismo nombre. 

El conocido director de cine en esta ocasión no dirigió el film pero si fue su coproductor y se involucró mucho en el desarrollo de la misma.

La película nos traslada a la ciudad de Halloween y nos relata la historia del terrorífico Jack Skellington, el Rey calabaza. Jack, a pesar de ser querido y admirado por los habitantes de la ciudad, se siente deprimido pues está cansado de celebrar año tras año la fiesta de Halloween.

Paseando con su perro fantasma, Zero, se encuentra con un círculo de árboles con unas puertas pintadas con la forma de la festividad a la que llevan. Jack se siente especialmente atraído por la puerta pintada con un árbol de navidad. Así que sin pensarlo entra y descubre la ciudad de la Navidad, una ciudad llena de colores, luces y alegría. Abrumado por todo esto, vuelve a Halloween town para contar a sus amigos todo lo que ha visto, pero estos no pueden entenderlo.

Frustrado por la situación, Jack se encierra y empieza a intentar descubrir el motivo de la Navidad. Finalmente concluye que creer en ella es lo único que importa y comunica a la aldea su intención de asumir el papel de Santa Clavos o Santa Atroz (como le llama Jack). De este modo secuestra al verdadero Santa Claus y todos los aldeanos se preparan para ayudar a Jack en su nuevo papel. Pero en Halloween town no se entienden las cosas como en la Navidad y se hace una mezcla de tradiciones que llevará a que la gente acabe aterrorizada con el nuevo Santa Claus y sus horribles regalos.

Jack finalmente se da cuenta de que su papel en la vida es dirigir Halloween y decide devolver a Santa y ponerse manos la obra para hacer el Halloween más espeluznante nunca vivido.

La película se lanzó en EEUU en 1993 y fue realizada con la técnica del stop motion. Técnica que nunca antes había sido utilizada por Tim Burton y que más tarde repetiría en la película La novia cadáver.

Fue nominada al Óscar para mejor efectos visuales y al Globo de Oro por la mejor banda sonora, pero no obtuvo ninguno de los dos premios.

Para el reto de este mes:

Halloween no es una fiesta tradicional en este lado del charco pero poco a poco ha ido entrando de alguna manera en nuestras casas y para los que nos gustan las celebraciones, la hemos querido adoptar como si fuera nuestra. Y como las chicas de Film & Food somos de celebrarlo todo, os animamos a que este mes la red bloguera adopte el aire característico de esta festividad.

Y como nos gusta jugar un poco con vosotros, os proponemos el reto de este mes a través de la frase más característica de Halloween:

Trick or Treat? O lo que viene a ser ¿Susto o Trato?

Dicen que el origen de la frase viene de una leyenda que asegura que la noche de Halloween los espíritus tienen la puerta abierta para deambular por el mundo terrenal. Entre ellos, destaca por su maldad, Jack O'Latern (el protagonista versionado de la película de hoy) con el que se aconsejaba hacer un trato si llamaba a tu puerta fuera cual fuera la condición, pues el Susto o Truco sería mucho peor. 

Como protección, salió la idea de poner calabazas con formas horrendas, creyendo que esto aullentaria a Jack. Con el tiempo y la asociación entre el espectro y las calabazas, estas han adquirido el nombre de aquél.

Este mes el reto consiste en escoger entre susto o trato (o truco o trato). El trato consistirá en que el día de publicación publicaréis algún o algunos dulces cocinados por vosotros que ofrendar a otro blog participante. Es una ofrenda virtual. Sólo hace falta que nombréis el blog al que hacéis la ofrenda y si queréis pongáis el link al mismo. 

Si por el contrario sois más atrevidos y no teméis a Jack y sus sustos, podéis pedir susto y nosotras os diremos la receta tradicional de Halloween que os tocará preparar.

¿Cómo?

Si escogéis Trato, debéis enviarnos un mail diciendo Trato y el nombre de vuestro blog y link o nombre si no tenéis blog, tenéis de tiempo hasta el lunes. El martes os diremos a qué blog debéis dar el o los dulces.

Si escogéis Susto, debéis enviarnos un mail diciendo Susto y nosotras os diremos qué debéis cocinar. No hay límite de tiempo. Podéis mandar el email el día de antes de la publicación si queréis.

Si escogéis Trato, intentad no fallar en la participación. Si no podéis no pasa nada, pero como hay otro blog  o persona sin blog involucrado, hace más ilusión. En el caso del susto, si finalmente no podéis hacerlo por el motivo que sea, no pasa nada. Que nadie se agobie, sólo queremos hacer retos distintos y pasarlo bien. No habrá maldiciones de halloween :P!!

El día de publicación será en este caso  el viernes 28 de Octubre. Ese día haremos una entrada especial anunciando como el día de publicación de todas las recetas y es donde tenéis que dejar vuestro comentario con el link a la receta para que podamosa hacer el recopilatorio y el sorteo. No en otras entradas ni  en esta tampoco.

Y este mes el ganador del sorteo se llevará un lote de productos de Halloween

Y para que el ganador del sorteo pueda disfrutar de su premio antes de que pasen las fiestas, el mismo día 28 por la noche anunciaremos el nombre de la persona afortunada. Así que es muy importante nos envieís la receta antes de finalizar el día!!

Os dejamos con el poema original de Tim Burton:
¡Buen fin de semana!

 Film & Food

It was late one fall in Halloweenland,

and the air had quite a chill.

Against the moon a skeleton sat,

alone upon a hill.

He was tall and thin with a bat bow tie;

Jack Skellington was his name.

He was tired and bored in Halloweenland

"I'm sick of the scaring, the terror, the fright.

I'm tired of being something that goes bump in the night.

I'm bored with leering my horrible glances,

And my feet hurt from dancing those skeleton dances.

I don't like graveyards, and I need something new.

There must be more to life than just yelling,

'Boo!'"

Then out from a grave, with a curl and a twist,

Came a whimpering, whining, spectral mist.

It was a little ghost dog, with a faint little bark,

And a jack-o'-lantern nose that glowed in the dark.

It was Jack's dog, Zero, the best friend he had,

But Jack hardly noticed, which made Zero sad.

All that night and through the next day,

Jack wandered and walked.

He was filled with dismay.

Then deep in the forest, just before night,

Jack came upon an amazing sight.

Not twenty feet from the spot where he stood

Were three massive doorways carved in wood.

He stood before them, completely in awe,

His gaze transfixed by one special door.

Entranced and excited, with a slight sense of worry,

Jack opened the door to a white, windy flurry.

Jack didn't know it, but he'd fallen down

In the middle of a place called Christmas Town!

Immersed in the light, Jack was no longer haunted.

He had finally found the feeling he wanted.

And so that his friends wouldn't think him a liar,

He took the present filled stockings that hung by the fire.

He took candy and toys that were stacked on the shelves

And a picture of Santa with all of his elves.

He took lights and ornaments and the star from the tree,

And from the Christmas Town sign, he took the big letter C.

He picked up everything that sparkled or glowed.

He even picked up a handful of snow.

He grabbed it all, and without being seen,

He took it all back to Halloween.

Back in Halloween a group of Jack's peers

Stared in amazement at his Christmas souvenires.

For this wondrous vision none were prepared.

Most were excited, though a few were quite scared!

For the next few days, while it lightninged and thundered,

Jack sat alone and obsessively wondered.

"Why is it they get to spread laughter and cheer

While we stalk the graveyards, spreading panic and fear?

Well, I could be Santa, and I could spread cheer!

Why does he get to do it year after year?"

Outraged by injustice, Jack thought and he thought.

Then he got an idea. "Yes. . .yes. . .why not!"

In Christmas Town, Santa was making some toys

When through the din he heard a soft noise.

He answered the door, and to his surprise,

He saw weird little creatures in strange disguise.

They were altogether ugly and rather petite.

As they opened their sacks, they yelled, "Trick or treat!"

Then a confused Santa was shoved into a sack

And taken to Halloween to see mastermind Jack.

In Halloween everyone gathered once more,

For they'd never seen a Santa before

And as they cautiously gazed at this strange old man,

Jack related to Santa his masterful plan:

"My dear Mr. Claus, I think it's a crime

That you've got to be Santa all of the time!

But now I will give presents, and I will spread cheer.

We're changing places I'm Santa this year.

It is I who will say Merry Christmas to you!

So you may lie in my coffin, creak doors, and yell, 'Boo!'

And please, Mr. Claus, don't think ill of my plan.

For I'll do the best Santa job that I can."

And though Jack and his friends thought they'd do a good job,

Their idea of Christmas was still quite macabre.

They were packed up and ready on Christmas Eve day

When Jack hitched his reindeer to his sleek coffin sleigh,

But on Christmas Eve as they were about to begin,

A Halloween fog slowly rolled in.

Jack said, "We can't leave; this fog's just too thick.

There will be no Christmas, and I can't be St. Nick."

Then a small glowing light pierced through the fog.

What could it be?. . .It was Zero, Jack's dog!

Jack said, "Zero, with your nose so bright,

Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"

And to be so needed was Zero's great dream,

So he joyously flew to the head of the team.

And as the skeletal sleigh started its ghostly flight,

Jack cackled, "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

'Twas the nightmare before Christmas, and all though the house,

Not a creature was peaceful, not even a mouse.

The stockings all hung by the chimney with care,

When opened that morning would cause quite a scare!

The children, all nestled so snug in their beds,

Would have nightmares of monsters and skeleton heads.

The moon that hung over the new-fallen snow

Cast an eerie pall over the city below,

And Santa Claus's laughter now sounded like groans,

And the jingling bells like chattering bones.

And what to their wondering eyes should appear,

But a coffin sleigh with skeleton deer.

And a skeletal driver so ugly and sick

They knew in a moment, this can't be St. Nick!

From house to house, with a true sense of joy,

Jack happily issued each present and toy.

From rooftop to rooftop he jumped and he skipped,

Leaving presents that seemed to be straight from a crypt!

Unaware that the world was in panic and fear,

Jack merrily spread his own brand of cheer.

He visited the house of Susie and Dave;

They got a Gumby and Pokey from the grave.

Then on to the home of little Jane Neeman;

She got a baby doll possessed by a demon.

A monstrous train with tentacle tracks,

A ghoulish puppet wielding an ax,

A man eating plant disguised as a wreath,

And a vampire teddy bear with very sharp teeth.

There were screams of terror, but Jack didn't hear it,

He was much too involved with his own Christmas spirit!

Jack finally looked down from his dark, starry frights

And saw the commotion, the noise, and the light.

"Why, they're celebrating, it looks like such fun!

They're thanking me for the good job that I've done."

But what he thought were fireworks meant as goodwill

Were bullets and missiles intended to kill.

Then amidst the barrage of artillery fire,

Jack urged Zero to go higher and higher.

And away they all flew like the storm of a thistle,

Until they were hit by a well guided missile.

And as they fell on the cemetery, way out of sight,

Was heard, "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good

night."

Jack pulled himself up on a large stone cross,

And from there he reviewed his incredible loss.

"I thought I could be Santa, I had such belief"

Jack was confused and filled with great grief.

Not knowing where to turn, he looked toward the sky,

Then he slumped on the grave and he started to cry.

And as Zero and Jack lay crumpled on the ground,

They suddenly heard a familiar sound.

"My dear Jack," said Santa, "I applaud your intent.

I know wreaking such havoc was not what you meant.

And so you are sad and feeling quite blue,

But taking over Christmas was the wrong thing to do.

I hope you realize Halloween's the right place for you.

There's a lot more, Jack, that I'd like to say,

But now I must hurry, for it's almost Christmas day."

Then he jumped in his sleigh, and with a wink of an eye,

He said, "Merry Christmas," and he bid them good bye.

Back home, Jack was sad, but then, like a dream,

Santa brought Christmas to the land of Halloween.

the end

Poem copyright Tim Burton