The Secret of NIMH

Features, Shorts, Live-Action and Direct-To-Video
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Post by YCougar » January 10th, 2007, 4:09 pm

Groaning wrote:I very disliked that movie.
I was so disapointed, when the secret about NIMH thing was just this laboratory....
The book was much better in that aspect... there really wasn't a "secret" in the story at all (which is why the word doesn't appear in the original book title), just a "hey, these rats are smart, and here's why!" It was cooler than just injections, too.

What I didn't like about the movie was the strange decision to add magic and mystical shinies. But if I push the awesomeness of the book out of my mind a little, it makes it easier to forgive. :)

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Post by droosan » January 10th, 2007, 11:56 pm

The movie was originally to be titled Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, but in 1981 (a year before its release) Don Bluth was approached by lawyers representing the Wham-O toy company, who threatened a lawsuit to protect their "Frisbee" trademark. :o

Thus, in short-order, the film was re-titled The Secret of NIMH, and the main character's name was changed from "Frisby" to "Brisby".

This meant that all the dialogue referring to Mrs. Brisby by name had to be re-recorded .. but in the case of John Carradine (the voice of the Great Owl), he had become too ill at that point to come in to the studio .. so his lines were 'fixed' with some clever audio editing: splicing in a hard "B" from elsewhere in his dialogue! 8)

Actually, a single instance of the "Frisby" name went overlooked: in the scene where Mrs. Brisby is trying to find an entrance to the rosebush, and Jeremy wants to be of help, she says (out of desperation), "If you really wanted to help me -- you'd go away!" To which Jeremy replies, "Well, that's very brave of you, Mrs. Friz, but I can't let you do that."

--------------------

I read the book Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH in 1978 (when I was 8 years old), and absolutely loved it; even at the time, I thought it would make a great animated film. So I was overjoyed, a mere five years later, to see The Secret of NIMH. And I loved it, too! :D

While there are major differences between the book and the film, the 'heart-and-soul' of the story -- Mrs. Frisby's desperate plight, and her steadfast determination to save her family -- remains essentially unchanged.

The magic and mysticism Bluth 'injected' into the Rats' world gives the film a 'personality' apart from the book .. it definitely gives the Rats a more 'cinematic' presence. The fact that the 'magic' is never fully explained is actually what made me love the film -- it made the Rats that much more mysterious; as much an enigma to the viewer, as they were to the simple field mouse whose eyes we see them through.

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Post by Ben » January 12th, 2007, 12:06 pm

Nice comments. I read the book when I was young too, and loved the film. The "magic" seemed to me to be an extension of their command of electricity and I never questioned it (plus Nicodemus seems to be the only one who has mastery of the "magic").

Bluth's best work, easily.

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Post by Daniel » January 26th, 2007, 8:00 pm

Toon Zone has revealed some news about this release.
"Secret of NIMH" Special Edition and High-Definition DVDs on the Way

A posting on Don Bluth's website states that The Secret of NIMH has just been remastered for HD DVD (see note dated Jan 17, 2007), and that they are hoping that it will be available by June or July 2007. The comment also states, "We're told that the new color master will be made available at full screen 1:1.33 (as it was shot), 1:1.85 letterbox (as it was projected in theaters in 1982)and 16X9 HD," and that producer/director commentary and an on-camera interview DVD extras are finished and should be on the final product.

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Post by Daniel » April 14th, 2007, 4:40 am


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Post by Jeroen » April 14th, 2007, 7:16 am

Thanks for the news Daniel!!

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Post by Meg » April 14th, 2007, 9:18 am

Bleh.

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Post by droosan » April 14th, 2007, 9:24 am

That's odd; this is almost exactly the same cover art as the 'M-G-M Kids' re-release from a couple years ago. :o

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Post by Jeroen » April 14th, 2007, 9:40 am

Meg wrote:Bleh.
Indeed :)
Way to colourful for one.

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Post by rednowgreen » April 14th, 2007, 9:41 am

That artwork is from the current dvd release, aka the mgm kids dvd. But when fox took over mgm the changed the layout of several mgm dvd covers, Secret Of NIMH being one that was changed. The dvd was the same but the cover was a little different. So the artwork being showed at dvdempire is from the current release, not the upcoming family fun edition.

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Post by Jeroen » April 14th, 2007, 9:47 am

Yes, just did some research and you're right.
It's just the slightly altered cover from the MGM kids edition.

Whoops!!

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Post by Ben » April 14th, 2007, 10:32 am

Um...is it me or does the FAIRLY OBVIOUS MGM BANNER ACROSS THE TOP give the game away that this is not the FOX re-issue!? ;)

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Post by Jeroen » April 14th, 2007, 11:05 am

Yeah, I know.....my mistake! :D
+ it doesn't even have "family fun edition" on the cover :roll: :)

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Post by Ben » April 14th, 2007, 11:19 am

;)

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Post by Daniel » April 14th, 2007, 3:18 pm

Eh, in my defense, I don't know nothing about this movie, so ha!

Sorry for the mistake, though.

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