When ‘Jack Skellington’ Shot a Film in New Bedford

Lights, camera, action!

Massachusetts has become widely recognized in the movie-making business as a great place to make films, and New Bedford has been a part of that.

Since the late 19th century, hundreds of films, TV shows, commercials and music videos have been shot in Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Film Office says Rip Van Winkle, a compilation of eight films, was filmed on location on Cape Cod and Buzzards Bay between 1896 and 1903.

That is the earliest record of filmmaking in Massachusetts.

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Cultural Daily says, "Massachusetts has become a darling of the film industry, attracting blockbuster productions, Oscar-winning dramas, and indie gems."

The site says Massachusetts offers a "mix of urban appeal, natural beauty, and historic charm," not to mention the tax incentives and the "sports culture" that make the state attractive to filmmakers.

The New Bedford area has seen an increasing share of the action in recent years. Here is just a sampling of some of the films shot here:

In 2019, Jungleland filmed scenes in New Bedford, Fall River and Taunton. Star Charlie Hunnam was spotted quite often across the SouthCoast, often interacting with fans.

The 2022 film Finestkind included location shoots in New Bedford and Fairhaven. Also, in 2022, the television series Invitation to a Bonfire would have featured New Bedford and Rochester locations, had it not been canceled before production really got going.

READ MORE: New Bedford-Based Finestkind Could Get a Sequel

Westport, Somerset and Fairhaven were backdrops in the 2021 film Over/Under, and New Bedford and Fairhaven got cameos in The Holdovers the same year.

In 2011, Fairhaven was filmed in – where else – Fairhaven, with location shots in New Bedford and Dartmouth. A year earlier, there was Whaling City, with location shooting in New Bedford, Fairhaven, Fall River, and Westport.

Perhaps the best-known film to celebrate New Bedford was 2003's Passionata, filmed in New Bedford and Fairhaven.

READ MORE: It's Been 20 Years Since Passionata Whipped New Bedford into a Frenzy

In researching this piece, I discovered a 2011 film described by Variety as a "slow-paced thriller" filmed in New Bedford, South Dartmouth and Westport.

Brad Coley's Frank the Bastard, set in a small town in Maine, drew little attention and made little money at the box office. It features scenes at Buttonwood Park and Horseneck Beach, among other recognizable local locations.

The film starred Rachel Miner, the ex-wife of Macauley Culkin, and Chris Sarandon, nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar for his role in 1975's Dog Day Afternoon, one of my favorites.

Sarandon may be best known in some circles for providing the speaking voice for Jack Skellington in the Tim Burton classic The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Just think, Jack Skellington once roamed through Buttonwood Park and along Horseneck Beach.