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Nostalgia Doesn’t Suck: Five Movies You Loved As A Kid (That Are Actually Pretty Good)

Let's face it, before our cinematic tastes were fully developed, we had some rather questionable movie choices as children. Go ahead, look back at your movie collection. Aside from the staple Disney classics that every child should grow up knowing, you've probably got a stack of cartoons and live-action ridiculousness your parents dreaded popping into your VCR. Wait, sorry, I forgot some of you reading this won't know such an archaic method of playing movies, being born directly into the DVD generation of now. Don't worry, VHS tapes were just another way of playing movies at home, except they required actual rewinding, were big and clunky, and ruined your night if the film went off its track. A DVD scratch is nothing compared to a twisted VHS tape.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

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Hey – remember when Tim Burton wasn’t all predictably psychotic and didn’t remake movies with lackluster results? Yes, I realize I’m showing my age here, but Jack Skellington was essentially my first foray into horror. The Nightmare Before Christmas might be a kid’s movie and might not be scary at all, but still, there’s so much classic horror inspiration found in Burton’s story.

We almost had an animated sequel in 2001 as well, but thankfully Tim was able to convince Disney to leave his story (which was directed by Henry Selick) as one, pure experience. Can’t say I’ve been agreeing with any of Burton’s choices lately, but he definitely deserves a thumbs up for preserving Skellington.

Mixing the holidays of Christmas and Halloween in a stop-motion children’s tale, we had an absolute blast watching excited boys and girls opening evil presents Christmas morning, and were scared to death by Santa Skellington being shot down by the military. There’s no way this can get better, right? Wrong – Danny Elfman’s original score. It’s impossible to hear the beginning of “This Is Halloween” and not get goosebumps, as it’s since become an unofficial anthem for the actual holiday.

There’s a reason The Nightmare Before Christmas is respected and worshiped in a cult-like fashion by people of all ages. Seriously, there are some ridiculous Skelington tattoos and whatnot out there, and while I’m not one of those die-hard fans (saving my tattoo for when I get ballsy enough to imitate Bill Paxton’s character in Aliens), I completely understand the absolute love for this twisted Christmas tale.