American musician Danny Elfman performs during "The Night Before Christmas Show with Live Orchestra" at Macroplaza, as a part of Festival Santa Lucía 2024 on Oct. 29, 2024, in Monterrey, Mexico.
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Topline:
"The Nightmare Before Christmas" is now a Halloween staple, taking over the month of October — from Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion ride to the shelves of Hot Topic to the annual live-in-concert performance at the Hollywood Bowl.
The context: When the film first came out in 1993, audiences and studio executives didn’t know what to make of it. “Every journalist would ask me the same question … ‘Too scary for kids, right?'” said the film’s composer, Danny Elfman. “And I remember, that just broke my heart.”
Read on … as Danny Elfman reflects on how the film got its second chance at life.
The Nightmare Before Christmas is a widely beloved Halloween staple, taking over the month of October — from Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion ride to the shelves of Hot Topic to the annual live-in-concert performance at the Hollywood Bowl.
But when the film came out in 1993, audiences and studio executives didn’t know what to make of it.
Danny Elfman — the L.A.-born and -raised composer of the film and the singing voice of its main character, Jack Skellington — reflects on how the film got its second chance at life.
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Danny Elfman on how 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' got a second life
‘Too scary for kids, right?’
Composer Danny Elfman still remembers the initial press junkets for The Nightmare Before Christmas.
“Every journalist would ask me the same question … ’Too scary for kids, right?'” Elfman said. “And I remember, that just broke my heart.”
Directed by Henry Selick and produced by Tim Burton, the animated stop-motion musical follows the king of Halloween Town as he discovers Christmas and decides to take over the holiday. At one point, three of the film’s characters gleefully sing, “Kidnap the Sandy Claws / beat him with a stick / Lock him up for 90 years / see what makes him tick!”
“And [the media would] say, 'Well, Santa Claus gets tortured.' … He's not tortured. He's inconvenienced!” Elfman said. “But it makes sense in hindsight [that] Disney would look at this and go, ‘How do we market this? What is it?’ There was nothing like it.”
Disney released the film under the studio’s more adult-oriented Touchstone Pictures label. It earned a modest $50 million in its initial theatrical run.
Not Disney, not Broadway, not too scary: the making of the film’s sound
With most films, Elfman says he receives a full cut before composing the score. But for The Nightmare Before Christmas, Elfman composed music as the script was being developed — a process that took two years.
Initially, all Elfman knew was what he didn’t want the score to sound like.
“We don't want it to sound like a traditional Disney musical,” he said. “We don't want it to sound like Broadway.”
Elfman said he pulled on more archaic influences: Kurt Weill’s “The Threepenny Opera,” Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado” and jazz greats like Cole Porter. To make sure the songs were child appropriate, he relied on his daughter.
“ Every song I wrote, I played for my 10-year-old daughter. [...] She had to approve everything!” Elfman said. “ I've always known there's a total disconnect between what adults think might be scary for kids and what is scary for kids.”
Composer Danny Elfman is set to perform as Jack Skellington in the 2025 "The Nightmare Before Christmas" concert at the Hollywood Bowl.
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Amber Navarro
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How a Jewish kid from a secular family wrote a Halloween-Christmas classic
In the turning point of The Nightmare Before Christmas, Jack Skellington becomes enamored by the discovery of a new holiday: Christmas.
“The monsters are all missing and the nightmares can't be found / And in their place there seems to be good feeling all around [...] This empty place inside of me is filling up / I simply cannot get enough […] I want it for my own!” sings Skellington in “What’s This?”
For Elfman, who grew up in the Baldwin Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, these themes were relatable.
“All of my childhood, I was depressed at Christmas time,” Elfman said. “I grew up in a Jewish family, in a neighborhood where none of my friends were Jewish. … You know, we're outta school, but my friends can't play. They're all with their families. I would just be alone.”
Halloween was a different story.
“ I'd wait for it for months. It was our town. It was our night,” Elfman said. “And that's what Halloween meant for me, growing up in the '60s as a kid, was that kind of wild freedom.”
(Spoiler: At the end of The Nightmare Before Christmas, Jack Skellington accepts that his true place is in Halloween Town.)
‘The great vindication’ of the film’s revival
In the decade after its release, The Nightmare Before Christmas developed a cult following, as audiences discovered it on home video — a cult following that arguably has gone mainstream.
Since 2001, Disneyland has converted its Haunted Mansion ride to Nightmare theming in the fall and winter months. You can now find dolls of Jack and Sally alongside Disney’s princesses, attend theatrical re-releases and attend the now annual live concert at the Hollywood Bowl, currently in its 10th year.
A poster for the 2025 "The Nightmare Before Christmas" concert at the Hollywood Bowl.
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Courtesy 2B Entertainment
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This year’s line-up includes Janelle Monae as Sally, Keith David as Oogie Boogie, Riki Lindhome as Shock, John Stamos singing as Lock and Danny Elfman reviving his role as Jack Skellington.
“ Films getting revived that are already dead are one in a million. And that this one got a second life meant so much to me. [...] Getting up on stage at a place the size of the Hollywood Bowl and performing this crazy little musical live, you know?” said Elfman.
“And the thing that I love most is that kids keep coming! Generation after generation of little kids. And that to me is the great vindication.”
You can watch "The Nightmare Before Christmas" in concert at the Hollywood Bowl on Saturday and Sunday.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 14: Max Muncy #13, Tommy Edman #25, Mookie Betts #50, Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers look on during a pitching change during the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in game three of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium on October 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
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Sean M. Haffey
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Topline:
Milwaukee’s brilliant bullpen slammed the door late and the Brewers rallied past the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 on Thursday in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series to earn their first trip to the World Series since 1982.
What happened: Shohei Ohtani’s first home run this postseason helped put the Dodgers ahead 4-0 in the second inning before the Brewers came back to complete a four-game sweep of the two-time defending World Series champions a year after getting swept by Los Angeles in the NLCS.
Garrett Mitchell hit a go-ahead homer in the sixth inning, Milwaukee’s brilliant bullpen slammed the door late and the Brewers rallied past the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-4 on Thursday in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series to earn their first trip to the World Series since 1982.
No. 9 hitter David Hamilton’s two-out solo shot off Edwin Díaz gave the Brewers a two-run cushion in the ninth. Hamilton had just four homers in the regular season.
“We got down early tonight and we were like, it’s going to be a great story,” Brewers captain Christian Yelich said. “We’re going to come back and win this. Like, stay together, start chipping away. And that’s exactly what they did.”
Shohei Ohtani’s first home run this postseason helped put the Dodgers ahead 4-0 in the second inning before the Brewers came back to complete a four-game sweep of the two-time defending World Series champions a year after getting swept by Los Angeles in the NLCS.
Milwaukee became the first major league club to complete a postseason sweep after getting swept by that same opponent in the previous postseason.
“Playing with that chip on our shoulder,” Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby said. “You don’t ever know what to expect going into a series like that last year. You don’t know how bad it can be, and then it was as bad as it was. And we came out and we survived, and we came back this year, and those guys played their tails off.”
The Brewers lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games in their only other World Series appearance, when Milwaukee played in the American League.
With the score tied 4-all, Mitchell fell behind 0-2 before reliever Tanner Scott threw three straight balls for a full count. Mitchell’s 409-foot leadoff drive to center field — the first homer of his career on an 0-2 count — put the Brewers ahead for the first time. Mitchell also homered in their 6-2 victory Wednesday.null
“I’ve always dreamt of moments like these as a kid,” Mitchell said.
The Brewers’ bullpen coolly turned away multiple threats when the Dodgers had the potential tying run on base.
Winning pitcher JoJo Romero struck out Max Muncy with Kyle Tucker at third to end the sixth.
Ashby, who worked three scoreless innings for a save, struck out Ohtani swinging before Mookie Betts grounded out with Andy Pages at third to end the seventh. Will Smith doubled to right with one out in the eighth and was safe at third when the ball got away from Sal Frelick for an error before Ashby got Tucker to fly out and Teoscar Hernández to strike out.
The Brewers tied it in the fifth, when the Dodgers bullpen issued four walks and Milwaukee stole two bases. Hamilton’s single chased starter Tyler Glasnow and scored Frelick, who walked and stole second, to pull Milwaukee to 4-3.
Alex Vesia came in and promptly walked Brice Turang and William Contreras to load the bases. Vesia then walked NLCS MVP Jake Bauers with two outs to force in Hamilton with the tying run.
Glasnow retired his first 10 batters — six on strikeouts — before the Brewers got to him in the fourth. Turang walked, Contreras hit a ground-rule double and Bauers followed with another ground-rule double that closed Milwaukee to 4-2.
Ohtani broke out of his postseason slump with a three-run homer after Pages’ RBI single in the second. The four-time MVP released weeks of pent-up frustration by raising his arms and yelling and the crowd of 49,104 joined him in celebration.
Matthew Ballinger
is the senior editor for climate and environment coverage at LAist.
Published October 15, 2026 5:52 PM
The Henderson Fire sparked Thursday afternoon at Camp Pendleton.
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Alert California
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Topline:
Parts of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton have been ordered to evacuate, and the 5 Freeway has been closed in both directions as a wildfire burns in the area. The Henderson Fire had charred more than 1,100 acres as of 4:40 p.m.
What we know so far: The 5 Freeway was closed between Harbor Drive, near Oceanside, and Basilone Road, near the Orange County line. The Camp Pendleton Fire Department was fighting the fire, according to Cal Fire.
Read on ... for more on evacuations and weather conditions.
This is a developing story. For the most up-to-date information about the fire you can check:
Parts of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton have been ordered to evacuate, and the 5 Freeway was briefly closed in both directions due to a wildfire in the area. The Henderson Fire had charred more than 1,118 acres as of 7 p.m.
CHP closed the 5 Freeway between Harbor Drive, near Oceanside, and Basilone Road, near the Orange County line, but began reopening the interstate just before 6 p.m.
The Camp Pendleton Fire Department was fighting the fire, according to Cal Fire.
The basics
Acreage: 1,118 acres as of Thursday afternoon
Containment: 0%
Structures destroyed: None reported
Deaths: None reported
Injuries: None reported
Evacuation orders
According to Cal Fire: "An evacuation order has been published for the Las Flores (41 Area). All affected personnel, please evacuate to Paige Field House, located in the 11 Area." A secondary evacuation point was set up at 21 Area gym, according to the Camp Pendleton Facebook page.
Road closures
5 Freeway between Basilone Road and Harbor Drive, but it was being reopened.
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Destiny Torres
covers all things SoCal, from breaking news to local government, with a focus on Orange County.
Published October 15, 2026 4:19 PM
A Costa Mesa woman who pleaded guilty earlier this year for registering her dog to vote and casting ballots in two elections has had her case dismissed
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Topline:
A Costa Mesa woman who pleaded guilty earlier this year for registering her dog to vote and casting ballots in two elections has had her case dismissed, according to the district attorney’s office Thursday. She won’t serve time but will have to pay for four anti-voter fraud billboards that feature her dog’s image.
Background: Laura Lee Yourex, 64, was charged with five felonies in 2025 for illegally registering her dog and casting ballots on its behalf. Yourex was facing up to six years in prison. In April, Yourex pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor charge of knowingly registering a “non-existent person to vote,” and the DA’s office dismissed the remaining four felony charges against her. LAist did not immediately hear from Yourex’s lawyer.
More on the billboards:As part of the plea deal, Yourex was required to pay $1,500 for four anti-voter fraud billboards along the 55 and 22 freeways in Orange County for the Nov. 3 General Election. The billboards read, “Don’t be a dog. Voter Fraud is a Crime. If you can’t legally vote, don’t vote. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office will prosecute.”
Laura Lee Yourex was required to pay $1,500 for four anti-voter fraud billboards along the 55 and 22 freeways in Orange County.
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Courtesy of the OC District Attorney's Office.
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Why this matters: The dog incident comes at a time of heightened debate over voter ID. In the General Election, Californians will be asked whether to require voters to show proof of ID at polling places and provide identification numbers on mail-in ballots. Currently, voters only need to provide an ID and Social Security number when they register to vote.
Wine sales have decreased by more than 20% over a five-year period.
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Topline:
California’s wine industry is still trying to figure out how to adapt to a world with fewer alcohol drinkers, where even the most high-end wineries are fighting a losing battle. Because the state has more wine than people want to drink, some wineries are quietly selling their premium bottles under generic retail home brands like Costco’s Kirkland Signature or Kroger and Aldi labels.
Sales: Wine sales have decreased by more than 20% over a five-year period, causing grape prices to drop and prompting California growers to take roughly a quarter of the state’s vineyards out of production.
“They have way too much of it, and they haven’t been able to sell it the last few years,” said Jess Lander, wine reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, during a conversation on AirTalk, LAist 89.3’s daily news show.
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15:51
How California wineries are dealing with a high-end bottle surplus
Bargain bottles: Lander has reported that bottles that typically cost around $150 are now, in some cases, going for less than $30 under a different brand label.
How to take advantage: Lander says if you’re looking to take advantage of the surplus bargain, look at the region on the bottle and then do a little experimenting with your palate.
Listen to the full conversation above: To learn more about the wine industry’s outlook and the effects on consumers.
Topline:
California’s wine industry is still trying to figure out how to adapt to a world with fewer alcohol drinkers, where even the most high-end wineries are fighting a losing battle. Because the state has more wine than people want to drink, some wineries are quietly selling their premium bottles under generic retail home brands like Costco’s Kirkland Signature or Kroger and Aldi labels.
Sales: Wine sales have decreased by more than 20% over a five-year period, causing grape prices to drop and prompting California growers to take roughly a quarter of the state’s vineyards out of production.
“They have way too much of it, and they haven’t been able to sell it the last few years,” said Jess Lander, wine reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, during a conversation on AirTalk, LAist 89.3’s daily news show.
Bargain bottles: Lander has reported that bottles that typically cost around $150 are now, in some cases, going for less than $30 under a different label.
How to take advantage: Lander says if you’re looking to take advantage of the surplus bargain, look at the region on the bottle and then do a little experimenting with your palate.
Listen to the full conversation above: To learn more about the wine industry’s outlook and the effects on consumers.
