THE SECRET OF NIMH (1982) | FIRST TIME WATCHING | MOVIE REACTION

[@miriam8376]

I love when they make the good guys occasionally creepy or ugly in movies. It teaches kids that being ugly or old or just different isn’t the same as being bad. Too often, pretty = good can be really untrue.

[@Thane36425]

That is a human failing, the belief that beauty equals good and ugly equals bad. I've known many good looking, outgoing types who were rotten to the core.

[@Soupie62]

Like Gaston, in Beauty and the Beast. Good looking, but a dark heart.

[@Osprey850]

@@Soupie62 And, on the other end, the beast is frightening on the outside, but good on the inside. I think that one of lessons of the story is to not judge a person by appearance.

[@ct6852]

Makes me think of Hunchback of Notre Dame.

[@ariochiv]

I agree, though I could have done without the warty hands.

[@crpgdungeonsdragonsnight]

"It's rated 'G' it can't be that bad." A generation's maniacal laughter suddenly can be heard.

[@SJHFoto]

It was PG in Canada I think

[@Trifler500]

I think Watership Down was sadder though.

[@Y2KNW]

NIMH, Watership Down, Transformers, Neverending Story... There are reasons we Gen Xrs come off as heartless.

[@TheYakusoku]

This movie also was released before the PG-13 rating was used.

[@SupaFlyJedi]

This is early 80's G, modern day PG-13.

[@brucemaximus3797]

Don Bluth had the right idea of children's stories: they need the darkness and the hard edges, else the lessons are without weight. Pretty much every Bluth project is a home run. Troll in Central Park, Thumbelina, Swan Princess*, Rock a Doodle. They'll scare kids, but in the _best_ way. *Turns out, Swan Princess is not a Don Bluth film, but boy howdy does the animation remind me of it.

[@KBTibbs]

All Dogs Go to Heaven. That's the one that got me hardest.

[@RabbitShirak]

Land Before Time

[@princepeterwolf]

Swan Princess is not a Don Bluth film, it was directed by Richard Rich who had also worked at Disney in fox and the hound and black cauldron. I think he was let go and ended up making animated biblical shorts and then created Nest just to make Swan Princess. I do believe he had proposed many times to Disney to do an animated version of swan lake but it was never approved. Don Bluth was on a whole other level in my opinion, he was incredibly talented, could do pretty much anything, and left Disney with a bunch of stellar animators and background artists to create his own studio. This was his first film and to this date his best imo.

[@brucemaximus3797]

@@princepeterwolf Ah, you're correct. For some reason Swan Princess' animation style, particularly the "flashes," make me think it's Bluth. Nest Entertainment also did a lot of American History animations. They were a pretty big hit in my old elementary school.

[@k1productions87]

ehhhhm... I wouldn't exactly call Rock a Doodle a home run. Barely even a Single. And then you have Pebble and the Penguin...

[@Ambaryerno]

"Obscure" and "Secret of NIMH" are not words that belong in a sentence together. This is widely lauded as an animated classic. NO ONE made 80s kids cry like Don Bluth. Secret of NIMH, An American Tail, The Land Before Time, All Dogs Go To Heaven. AMAZING movies, but often heartbreaking. The Secret of NIMH is loosely based on the 1971 novel Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien. Although the basic plot outline is the same, the original book was considerably more grounded (as grounded as a book with chemically modified super-intelligent talking rats can be) and lacked the mystical elements of the film. Two sequels were written by O'Brien's daughter after his death, though they're not as well-known. The movie also received a sequel of its own, one of MANY straight-to-video sequels to Don Bluth's films, all of considerably poorer quality than the original films (Land Before Time had THIRTEEN such sequels). The cast is fantastic. Dom DeLuise voiced Jeremy the Crow, Derek Jacobi as Nicodemus, Wil Wheaton (yes, from Star Trek) as Martin Brisby, Shannen Doherty as Teresa Brisby, Edie McClurg as "Mrs. Right," and John Carradine played the Great Owl. Mrs. Brisby was voiced by stage and screen actress Elizabeth Hartman in her final role, as she retired after completing this film. Sadly, five years later she committed suicide at the age of 43. The Frisby family name was changed for the movie to Brisby out of fears of lawsuits from the Frisbee company. While Mrs. Brisby's actual first name was never spoken in the film, (or book, for that matter) Don Bluth himself has suggested it's Elizabeth, in honor of her late voice actress. Dragon's design is exaggerated because we're seeing him from the perspective of a mouse, so of COURSE he looks horrifying and monstrous. Don Bluth didn't just know how to make kids cry, he knew how to scare the hell out of us. Disney entertained. Bluth gave us heartbreak and trauma. Jenner's role in the film is another deviation from the book. In the novel, Jenner is only mentioned in passing, as he and a number of other rats had already left the Rose Bush on their own sometime before the story begins. It's implied that he was killed along with the rest of his group, though the sequel book reveals he actually survived to start a colony of his own. Jenner is voiced by Paul Shenar, who appeared in the original 1987 version of Man on Fire and Scarface. He died of AIDS in 1989. It's funny how one of the best sword fights to come out of 80s cinema was two cartoon rats. Don Bluth actually came up with Disney, and was the animation director for The Rescuers. Creative differences that came up while work on The Fox and the Hound led Bluth to resign and start his own company. He did one short film and also did some animation work on Xanadu, before breaking out BIG TIME with Secret of NIMH, becoming Disney's biggest competitor. Titan A.E., which you mentioned in your intro, was another of Bluth's films. He also produced the animated arcade games Dragon's Lair, Dragon's Lair 2, and Space Ace, which were basically the forerunners of the Quick Time Events of modern gaming.

[@crosana01]

This was one of my favorites films as a child and in the late 90s I decided to look up who the VAs were that brought life to these characters that I loved. When I read about Elizabeth Hartman I was emotionally crushed for quite some time. Since learning about her suicide it's given the ending theme to this film an extra layer of melancholy.

[@adriancastillo1957]

Walt Disney: “I’m going to traumatize kids by killing Bambi’s mom.” Don Bluth: “Hold my beer.”

[@dannykent6190]

Not Bluth, but I also always liked Once Upon a Forest.

[@kaboulscabal4816]

The Plague Dogs ... Oh, my sweet Summer child, beer ... no ... hold this vat of acid that will erode ANY and ALL lingering semblances of your childhood innocence. You're *welcome*.

[@zapan101313]

Dear, sweet Littlefoot...do you remember the way to the Great Valley?

[@Dreamfox-df6bg]

Don Bluth once said that you could show a kid almost anything, as long as the story has a happy end.

[@charlesmaurer6214]

Bambi and his mom taste really good with a side of mash potatoes, the juices makes a good gravy too.

[@williamglass2223]

I don’t think this or Land Before Time, or American Tail are bad to show a child. It’s not as simple as “too messed up to show kids”, I think as we grew up we realized that these movies show scary things like death and losing our family. It’s that they showed them in such a way that’s associated with children’s entertainment, ie. cartoons. These weren’t afraid to show that yes, bad things happen, but that there is good as well. Bad times have to happen to make the good times mean something. Kids are resilient, and I think if you sat down and explained the movies with them it can be an incredibly important lesson.

[@Novastar.SaberCombat]

Even ADULTS cannot handle most of the lessons in my own series ("Diamond Dragons"). It's sad, but for whatever reasons, over the last 30+ years, everyone seemed to gradually lean toward "I don't want the heroes to suffer in any way" in lieu of expecting serious sacrifices. THIS IS ACTUALLY DANGEROUS. It prevents people from trying anything where the possibility of loss or failure exists. 🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨

[@gfox9295]

I'm pretty sure this movie introduced the concept of widows/widowers to my young child brain in the 80s.

[@allisterfiend_2112]

Should we let her know about "Watership Down"?!

[@reconsoldier135]

I don’t know if she can handle that one

[@Realmreaver1]

She's too 😇 to watch such. She'd have nightmares for a longgggg time. Hell I was single digits and it was nightmare fuel for YEARS after.

[@theevilascotcompany9255]

For true trauma, I'd suggest Plague Dogs.

[@corryjamieson3909]

​@@Realmreaver1It's a cartoon, she can handle it. (I'm being sarcastic, an image alone would scar her).

[@vermithax]

YES. It's so good. It'll freak her out a little, but it's so good.

[@davidmcleod5133]

This movie WAS my childhood! I’m 46-years-old, and I still quote, “Miss Priss, you have a sparkly!!!” when somebody has something cool or pretty.

[@lukemacdougall9372]

This movie was based on the book "Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" by Robert OBrien. NIHM is National Institute of Mental Health, who did perform behavioral experiments on mice most notably the Utopia experiments in the 1960s. The findings of these experiments were released to the public and served as the inspiration for Mr OBrien's book. He wanted a happier ending for the mice and rats from the experiments.

[@joelwillems4081]

I forget how it exactly goes, but eventually all the Utopian experiments end with the mice getting wiped out after a certain number of generations. Some stop reproducing, sometimes violence, etc. Quite interesting stuff if psychology is your thing.

[@voracious.Reader]

I loved this book growing up. Honestly, the movie didn't live up to it (but I still enjoyed it).

[@pthaloblue100]

@@voracious.Reader I loved this book too!! As an 11 year old, I didn't find the story to be that scary, just suspenseful and exciting.

[@metimoteo]

@@voracious.Reader The book and the movie are definitely two different animals, but I still like the film for what it is.

[@resonantstorm771]

I still have my paperback copy I bought with my allowance money when the bookmobile came to our school in 4th grade. The pages are brown with age and the paperback cover remains connected to the book only where it says Mrs. Frisby along the spine. I don't know why I can't toss it or replace it with a new copy, I don't have any kids of my own to hand it off to. But it was the first "real" book I read, completed and loved. So I guess, as someone who's not a particularly huge recreational reader, that was really meaningful.

[@couchpotato2908]

This movie came out when I was a kid. I had just lost my mother to breast cancer. I was so affected by the mother Mrs. Brisby risking it all for her children, and this movie helped me through my loss. This is my favorite movie to this day. Mrs. Brisby was voiced by the late very great Mary Elizabeth Hartman. She was nominated for an Oscar for the very first movie roll she had. The movie is called "A Patch of Blue" and her co-star was the also late and very great Sidney Poitier. Thank you for reviewing this movie, I am happy that it is still getting love from people!

[@jdude9314]

Nice. Finally getting into the world of Don Bluth, the first filmmaker to truly challenge Disney in the world of American feature animation. And this is by far his best work. An animated film that actually treated the audience with respect and challenged them. Fantastic story, great characters, strong themes and morals that are still resonant today, a beautiful musical score by the legendary Jerry Goldsmith, and some of the best animation ever put on film! This, An American Tail and The Land Before Time scared Disney animation so much that it forced them to start upping their game again, leading to their animation renaissance in the late 80’s and early 90’s.

[@TheImaginator972]

Don't forget about Anastasia as well.

[@AddSerious]

I think I would had preferred the ending that was in the book rather than MAGIC saving the day... but love everything else

[@joelwillems4081]

Is that because Rankin/Bass surpassed Disney? "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", "Frosty the Snowman", "The Hobbit", "Lord of the Rings", "The Last Unicorn", "Twas the Night Before Christmas", "Wind in the Willows", etc.

[@Beardo2517]

Love this movie but idk if it's my favorite movie of his. The ending was kinda meh

[@Ryotsu2112]

Nothing he made was remotely as good as this film. The Land Before Time was pretty good, but then it turned into a sequel mill. His later stuff started leaning heavily on rotoscoping and shortcuts, which oddly enough is one of the reasons he left Disney in the first place.

[@enchilad6799]

Don Bluth has a very amusing philosophy for his movies "Kids can handle just about anything as long as you stick a happy ending on it" which explains why so many of his movies have a lot of dark themes and imagery

[@signedbookcollector3408]

Cassie is like “oh it’s G rated. That’s good”. My mind. “Uhhh… that’s 80s G . That could be PG today “

[@PaulMartin-qu5up]

My thoughts too. "Umm... That would be 80's 'G' Cassie."

[@Dj.D25]

Do G rated movies even get made anymore? It used to be the standard for animated movies, but now they are usually PG.

[@jsharp3165]

@@Dj.D25 It's nearly impossible to get a G nowadays and have any kind of plot. There can't be any kind of peril or tension, no risk of violence or harm, no threats, no insults, no nothing.

[@SanitariumLXIX]

@@Dj.D25 Studios don't really go for G anymore for reasons @jsharp3165 already mentioned. But also, they want to broaden their film's appeal, as a G rating is considered too sterile for older audiences. Ironically, Bluth and co. were going for a PG rating here, but the MPAA obviously didn't oblige.

[@f.g.5967]

Probably G rating today is Paw Patro the movie and little else.

[@olliehays3206]

The cat and the owl are portrayed so scary and devil-like because its from the pov of the mice, who would of course see them as monsters who hunt them.

[@ignisraendl3721]

after the traumatising nightmare of Watership Down, the Rats of Nimh was a little bit easier😳😬

[@Realmreaver1]

God's Watership Down. Saw as a kid on HBO. Had nightmares after and made me terrified about dying my whole life.

[@The13Boogyman]

The Plague Dogs came out the same year as Nimh too...I think they were trying to traumatize us.

[@RabbitShirak]

Felidae

[@rttoonist4275]

The funny thing is, if you look at the level of violence, horror, gore, and scariness of Watership Down objectively (which kid's don't do of course), it's actually a near perfect match to that of Star Wars which came out at roughly the same time, yet while a generation of kids were traumatized by the former, nearly everybody fondly remembers the latter as one of the happy cornerstones of their youth. Part of it is people didn't expect a cute cartoon about bunnies to go so hard, but also the whole film from it's tone, artistic style, music, to it's magnificently muted voice acting all amplify it's creepiness and dreariness. The book also has its' dark parts, but feels a lot more like Star Wars or Lord of the Rings. Would definitely like to see Cassie (and more reactors in general) watch it.

[@RabbitShirak]

@@rttoonist4275 the general expectation concerning cartoons also plays in. We LEARN through childhood (falsely) that all cartoons are for children, therefore we don't expect anything shocking.

[@sheldondyck8631]

“Come inside, or go away” I say that every time a friend keeps knocking on my door after I tell them to come inside 😂

[@chrischampagne9469]

In your best Great Owl voice?

[@TedBrogan]

Dude, I ROUTINELY say, "It is night. I must GO."

[@richardbaranowski]

Secret of Nihm was directed by Don Bluth: 1. Land before time 2. All dogs go to Heaven 3. Anastasia 4. An American Tail 5. Thumbelina

[@codyclaeys2008]

Rock a doodle which gets hate but I find to be a guilty pleasure

[@grendeltech]

He also made a couple of video games. Dragon's Lair and Space Ace.

[@kristinrathbun1408]

Of the (exclusively) 80's Don Bluth material, I'd personally rank: 1. Secret of NIMH 2. An American Tail 3. All Dogs Go to Heaven 4. Land Before Time (too many 'sequels' and spinoffs and it's the most over saturated out of any Bluth property) Anything after that, I only recall Anastasia and Titan A.E. I also saw Fievel Goes West years ago, but Bluth had little involvement with it (like with any sequel/spinoff of his work). Edit: I've also seen portions (miniscule) of NIMH's own 'sequel;' Timmy to The Rescue, but only to see how "bad" Mrs. Brisby's new voice actress was claimed to be. My opinion: yes, she was different, but not so drastically (same with Timothy's new V.A.) when compared to say, William H. Macy (Justin) or Doris Roberts (Auntie Shrew).

[@tru3sk1ll]

Let's no Forget Dragon's Lair!!!! sitting in my office right now, lead on adventurer your quest awaits!!!!!!! "There's Borg's ship!!!" "Kimmy!!!!!!!"

[@MST3KNJ]

It was the 80's, Cass. Kids movies usually had a happy ending but the journey was often very dark. It had been that way since the earliest of animated children's fare. This film was so important. Don Bluth had been at Disney for years and watched as they languished in mediocrity so he struck out and formed his own company to challenge the Disney Juggernaut. It was so fresh, so darkly imaginative, that it couldn't be ignored. I have adored this film for over 40 years. My mother took me to see it in the movie theater and she didn't like it much (although she didn't dislike it anywhere near as much as she did The Dark Crystal later that same year) but it just opened so many doors in my mind.

[@pamelapasechnick6899]

Yes, as a parent of young kids in the 80's, I too drew the line at "Dark Crystal" as well. But there were a lot of other children's animated movies (as well as TV cartoons) in the 80's that had pretty dark aspects, and parents couldn't just assume that a "G" rating meant it was wholesome!

[@Rosef1re]

This film is so important. I agree. Of course we don't have to traumatize children but they're stronger than we think, they're not delicate little flowers. Films allow children to explore the darker themes of life in a safe way without real risks. It's important for kids to be exposed to ideas like sickness, death, loss. I think kids movies nowadays are way too sanitized and don't try to educate about difficult topics. I feel like Cass really lacks imagination and was so focused on how 'dark and ugly' things were and didn't try to understand why, or what it was trying to say. So many people are quick to dismiss these movies because they aren't sparkly and happy.

[@dereklopez9060]

"No taste for blood, huh? They've taken the animal out of you." Damn, that's sadistic. Jenner is quite an underrated villain. He's voice by the late Paul Shenar, who is known for the role of Alejandro Sosa from Scarface.

[@Ambaryerno]

I love how one of the best sword fights to come out of 80s cinema was two cartoon rats.

[@jayeisenhardt1337]

@@Ambaryerno People say they copied mostly The Vikings (1958) and watching scene for scene a lot of it is. Old Robin Hood movie too, kick the table stab in the gut. They added a touch at the start and the redemption of the dying henchmen at the end. I guess that's how ya keep old things alive, reuse it and steal the best parts. Now I want to see that entire Vikings movie. Seen similar in Lethal Weapon "There are no more heroes" and at that moment Mel Gibson bust in carrying a dude just like the deer in Robin Hood, tossed him like Robin tossed the deer on the table. Ye ole callback. I wouldn't know that either but people brought it up in comments on many reactions I've seen of it.

[@quickdudley]

In the book he was already dead at the beginning but the manner of his death was the cause of several problems.

[@fireeaglefitnessmartialart935]

I didn't know that, but when I picture it, I can hear it.

[@Ambaryerno]

@@quickdudley Jenner was only implied dead. The only thing any one knew for certain was he struck out on his own, and most of the rats who went with him were killed. The second book, by O'Brien's daughter, (Racso and the Rats of NIMH) revealed he survived.

[@robscoggins6524]

I meet the Director Don Bluth, Awesome guy The secret of NIHM is his favorite movie out of all the projects that he has done. It was an honor to have talked to him. Hope you enjoy this one.

[@Novastar.SaberCombat]

One of the reasons I fell in love with a particular partner of mine was because she actually knew about Don Bluth's work, and truly appreciated it.

[@sterling557]

He did an animation sequence in the movie XANADU with Olivia Newton John. I love that movie. ... Cassie!..

[@Jon_from_LI]

They don't make animated films like this anymore; especially in the States. Don Bluth, please come back to us!

[@Deined]

Bluth has to pace himself a bit more these days. The man's in his 80's!

[@MLJ7956]

Last I read Don Bluth was working on Dragon's Lair: The Movie (based on the video game that he designed back in the 80s)

[@Eidlones]

"[If] you don’t show the darkness, you don’t appreciate the light. If it weren’t for December no one would appreciate May. It’s just important that you see both sides of that. As far as a happy ending…when you walk out of the theatre there’s [got to be] something that you have that you get to take home. What did it teach me? Am I a better person for having watched it?" - Don Bluth

[@JohnSmith-po2eh]

I forgot how good the voice cast is in this. John Carradine as The Owl. Derek Jacobi as Nicodemus. Dom DeLuise…. Classic.

[@headedsomewhere]

don't forget Peter Strauss as Justin ;0

[@Madbandit77]

The late Paul Shenar as Jared and Elizabeth Hartman as Mrs. Brisby.

[@Ambaryerno]

A very young Shannen Doherty, too. And Edie McClurg voiced Jeremy's girlfriend.

[@ryanthompson8127]

@Ambaryemo, Wil Wheaton who's most famous role is probably Stand By Me played Martin and Jodi Hicks from Full House played Cynthia.

[@Ambaryerno]

@@ryanthompson8127 Jodi Hicks has three acting credits to her name, none of them Full House. You're probably mixing her up with Jodie Sweetin.

[@gluuuuue]

Shrews are actual furry burrowing mammals, frequently mistaken for rodents but closer to moles. The use as a term to describe mean-spirited, vicious, impossible to deal with women is old, as in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, and very probably much older.

[@lukasbauer8783]

Also related to hedgehogs.

[@nicholascross3557]

Shrews have, among their many vocalisations, a high-pitched squeal that is _incredibly_ loud for their size with a particularly grating quality (probably the sheer decibels) that some have likened to a nagging or haranguing woman.

[@jvgreendarmok]

For the record, Don Bluth didn't make Feivel Goes West. He only made the original An American Tail.

[@ronfehr7899]

I'm just wondering if he made the sequel to this movie.

[@BrandonBlume]

At least it was far better than American Tail 3. 🤢

[@hellbillyjr]

Really? I didnt know that

[@DanJackson1977]

For the record, Don Bluth had nothing to do with Feival Goes West. He only did An American Tail 1, Land Before Time 1, and Secret of Nihm 1. Everything else was not him.

[@swaswj414]

@@DanJackson1977 Not big on sequels, but he did a lot of other movies (most of them commercial failures, unfortunately). Some of the better ones you didn't already mention: All Dogs Go to Heaven, Anastasia, and Titan A.E.

[@cullencase3114]

"The Last Unicorn" would be a great follow-up to this.

[@BobDole-y9m]

I second this. I think this is the best animated film of all time and the last unicorn is 2nd. Titan A.E. 3rd.

[@julesb1970]

I just commented that film, one of my favorites! ❤

[@LordNelsonkm]

@@BobDole-y9m You can't call a planet 'Bob'. Titan AE has a ridiculously good soundtrack.

[@ericlewisauthor]

One of my favorite books

[@dabbadoo2226]

Thank you for recommending a forgotten classic

[@stevencass8849]

Oh my gosh. I love this movie. It’s one of those movies that us late seventies/early eighties kids were traumatized by. It’s right up there with Artax’s and Optimus Prime’s death.

[@arnaudgerard1971]

Artax :)

[@troystrauss3415]

I was just about to post... I remember watching this as a young kid in the mid-80's and it scaring the hell out of me.... it was like a horror movie for 5/6 year olds.

[@Ambaryerno]

Don Bluth made us cry AND scared the hell out of us 80s kids.

[@wanderingseth]

If you think Artax's death was heartbreaking, try reading the book. Artax can talk, so he has a full on conversation, detailing his rationale for choosing to give up. Hits even harder when you learn that the author eventually ended his own life when his wife left him

[@stevencass8849]

@@wanderingseth I’ve heard that before. I haven’t read the book, but part of me wants to just to read that part.

[@ML-ql2gu]

This was one of my favorites as a little kid. You’d be surprised that kids can handle this one better than you think. The message of courage and never giving up is powerful.

[@jpate1103]

Absolute masterpiece of animated filmmaking. They would never make something like this today with the dark undertones it carries which is sad because it stays with you forever.

[@d-d-i]

Bluth is still active and formed some kind of classic animation studio in recent years, so he might do one last movie before retiring. He should leave his legacy into good hands, he's done probably the most touching classic animations ever.

[@jacob4920]

@@d-d-i Bluth is so old at this point, that he's almost like NICODEMUS old, by now!! lol He be passing the mantle, much like Nicodemus did to Mrs Brisby.

[@d-d-i]

@@jacob4920 He's like Clint Eastwood of animation, almost 90 already and still active

[@tru3sk1ll]

I watched this when I was 7 years old, and played dragon's lair and space ace, I envy that childhood for my kids who get Coco, Lightyear, and Moana

[@WisteriaDrake]

No, they're still making animated shows like this, at least. For my childhood personally, there were seemingly silly shows like Adventure Time and Steven Universe, which delved deep into unpleasant and even scary topics at times. Hell, I remember a first season SU episode about having an existential crisis over aging, which nearly killed the titular character. Don't let nostalgia take you, keep an eye on what comes out in the now. 90% of stuff is going to be forgettable garbage, it's true, but don't miss out on the gems in the making.

[@SlayersAnimefangirl]

I watched this movie a lot when I was a kid. The Great Owl scared the hell out of me

[@dirac_dydx1830]

The Owl gave me nightmares when I was a kid. And I still watched this movie a dozen more times afterward, because it's so good.

[@emilyeshelman5216]

Fun fact if no one has mentioned it yet: while of course this story is fictional, NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) is a real research facility and still in operation.

[@helpdeskjnp]

And I think these days at that place the patients/inmates have taken over the hospital/facility.

[@brandonwilliams957]

I read the book "Chaos" about the Manson family. It mentioned NIHM and how they were using them to test LSD. They were basically human lab rats. It made me think of this movie. It was a woah moment for a movie I watched as a kid.

[@isaacanimalogo-4548]

But do they still abuse animals there too?

[@helpdeskjnp]

@isaacanimalogo-4548 only the bad ones who break the rules… ;-)

[@VinMar-m6w]

*NIMH* was formed in *1949* and is headquartered in *Bethesda, Maryland.*

[@meganlutz7150]

I know you were hesitant but I’m glad you gave this one a chance. This was actually a favorite of mine as a kid. Yes, it is a bit dark but I loved it for the humor and interesting characters. This movie has a lot of heart.

[@jpxenovore]

Kids like being a little scared, so movies like this are perfect for them to explore that

[@ct6852]

I think that's true. Kind of a bummer they totally took the villainy out of the new Splash Mountain replacement.

[@Eidlones]

I think all kids should watch a scary movie (appropriate for them, of course. Not showing them Terrifier at age 7 or something) at least once in their life. It teaches them how to deal with fear in a safe environment

[@Rosef1re]

Back when we took children seriously and didn't treat them like delicate flowers. This movie had such an effect on me as a child, inspired me to start drawing which I now do as a career. I love that Mrs. Brisby is such a strong female character even though she doesn't fight, she has courage of the heart and will do anything for her babies :)

[@redviper6805]

Fun fact about owls. They have extra bones in their neck that allow them to swivel their heads far to each side in an arc much wider than any other living creature. An owl can flip its head back so that its crown touches the shoulders, or turns its face almost upside down. The great owl scene is my favorite.

[@wvman2374]

because their eyes are fixed in their socket, they need that flexibility in their necks to see properly.

[@alandoran3364]

Elizabeth Hartman voices Mrs. Brisby in the 1982 film The Secret of NIMH. Like her character, Hartman was also shy. On June 10, 1987, Hartman died after jumping from the window of her fifth floor apartment. Earlier that morning, she had reportedly called her psychiatrist saying that she felt despondent. Hartman was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the suburb of her hometown. So sad 😞

[@auerstadt06]

I remember that well.

[@Mr.Glidehook]

Back when the VCR was a babysitter, my kids loved this. I should have watched it with them. Thanks for the memories you sweet lady. I miss them because they're in Heaven. But my, I have good memories ❤

[@llars892]

Ah the nostalgia. I still watch this from time to time.

[@michaelyork4554]

I watched this with my two daughters 30 years ago, they loved it. "The Last Unicorn" is another animated movie from that time, a bit darker but my daughters were smart enough to separate fantasy from reality. We watched the animated "Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings" as well. When they grew up they bought me the Peter Jackson Trilogy DVD's. They are your age now.

[@LordNelsonkm]

Haggard! Haggard! UUUuuunniiiiiicornnn! Great supporting cast in that one too. Christopher Lee, Jeff Bridges, Angela Lansbury. Grew up on animated Hobbit/LoTR.

[@chuckshingledecker2216]

I really hope Cassie and Carly react to the Last Unicorn! It is still my favorite animated film of all time.

[@midwestgimp76]

I wore out the VHS tape of this movie when I was little. Watched it over and over again. Been decades since I last watched it. Thank you for the memories.

[@MyraJean1951]

The great owl was voiced by the great character actor, John Carradine. Wonderful use of that awesome voice. Loved the crow too, voiced by funny man Dom DeLuise. I just loved Mrs. Brisby's courage that enabled her to help her children in spite of her being afraid and somewhat timid.

[@SanitariumLXIX]

Can't leave out Derek Jacobi as Nicodemus

[@fiddiehacked]

I'm surprised she didn't recognize Dom as the cat in An American Tail.

[@Emilysbrother1]

@@SanitariumLXIX That was driving me crazy the whole time, it was familiar but not terribly familiar.

[@fortcastellan1730]

John Carradine....Yeah, now that you mention it, I can definitely recognize it!

[@williammoomaw8871]

Im so glad you watched this one. This movie, The Laat Unicorn, Legend, Labyrinth and the like totally were a big part of my introduction into fantasy.

[@janehollander3843]

The Last Unicorn. So surreal. Never forgot that one.

[@williammoomaw8871]

@janehollander3843 totally. I really hope they watch it on the channel some time.

[@GeorgeEugeneBarrett]

One of the mouse girls is voiced by Shannen Doherty and one of the mouse boys is Will Wheaton (Wesley Crusher - Star Trek Next Generation).

[@BrennaUrbangirl]

I was 10 when this came out, but I never made the connection until now they were even in this. Which means this was my first exposure to them, long before the roles I would know them as. Will Wheaton in TNG and Shannon Doherty in Charmed

[@gfox9295]

The only voice I recognized during the reaction was Dom DeLuise as Jeremy the crow, but I noticed both of them in the credits, that's awesome. ;) The voice actress for Mrs. Brisby died in the late 80s in her 40s, sad to read that just now.

[@MoviesTubeYou0675]

The voice actor of Mr. Ages is Arthur Malet who played the graveyard keeper in John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN 🎃

[@brianalambert1192]

Don Bluth, the maker of this movie, believed that you could show kids as much dark stuff you wanted as long as it had a happy ending. On a side note, Secret of NIMH 2 does not live up to the original and is practically it's own separate story. People can prove me wrong, but I'd be shocked if the majority would demand a reaction to it

[@crymsonvega4854]

There are people that can prove you wrong? .... In what world?

[@NoelMcGinnis]

Loved this movie. Read the book in elementary school (Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh) and loved it. Many years later they made it into this movie. They take a lot of liberties with magic, but it’s still a very good movie. Don Bluth went from this movie in ‘82 to video games in ‘83 with the massive hit game Dragon’s Lair. Legend of animation.

[@MLJ7956]

Last I read Don Bluth is working on Dragon's Lair: The Movie based on the video game...

[@richardadams4928]

Dragon's Lair is still my all-time favorite arcade game (well, tied with Space Ace). I reached the dragon the first time on my last man, so NO room for error, and WON. A genuinely proud and exciting moment to get through unscathed on pure reaction, never having even seen it. DOWN goes Singe!

[@Johnny_Socko]

@@richardadams4928 Completing Dragon's Lair is one of the proudest achievements of my childhood, lol. I never could conquer Space Ace, they made the patterns more difficult in that game, and I just could not spare the quarters.

[@DamonNomad82]

Don Bluth's philosophy when making movies was "Kids can handle a lot of darkness and peril in movies, as long as you reward them with a happy ending." His movies all reflect this philosophy, from the "Secret of NIMH" (his first movie after leaving Disney) to "An American Tail", "The Land Before Time" and "All Dogs go to Heaven". He actually had no involvement with "Fievel Goes West", even though it was a sequel to "An American Tail".

[@R3v0kt]

Holy fucking shit this is my childhood!!! Dom Del slays in this. So damn underrated.

[@London-vm5iw]

The Last Unicorn, A Flight of Dragons, etc. I grew up with those and this. So grateful to have been born and raised in the last generation just before the internet.

[@lancechischilly6089]

I would love to see her watch "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm" I miss Conroy as Batman man. R.i.p

[@MeowfaceMusic]

Watched _Secret of NIMH_ like 97 times as a kid. Could probably recite every line. Watched again as adult, and cried my eyes out.

[@EdiCemalovic]

You need to see " The Land Before Time," "The Last Unicorn," and "We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story," "The Pagemaster," "The Hobbit" (Animation movie), "The Lord of the Rings" (Animation movie), "Kiki's Delivery Service"

[@Warlocke000]

What Secret of NIMH 2? They never made a sequel. They. Never. Made. A. Sequel. Don Bluth animation, with a star-studded cast, a Jerry Goldsmith score, and a Paul Williams song. What more could you ask for?

[@Sukuun]

"IF YOU JUST SAY YEEEEEEEEES"

[@lauriivey7801]

My oldest boy (born 1981) loved this movie when he was 5 or so ... luckily, he wasn't easily frightened. Great story. 'Strong female lead' done right.

[@darrinholscher4897]

Don Bluth The world's last true animator.

[@jowbloe3673]

Disappointed I didn't hear mention of *Watership Down* in your list of movies on your polls. One of my favorite books of all time, about rabbits, and there was a 1978 cartoon movie. There has been a lot of debate over it's rating and whether it is a children's movie or not. It is rather dark but worth a watch it you are feeling brave. How dark can rabbits be?

[@mkyasha]

"how dark can rabbits be"- this is mean lol.

[@michaelkost6060]

NIMH: National Institute of Mental Health. For years in the 60’s, NIMH conducted experiments known as “Mouse Utopia”. It’s conclusion was very dark, akin to the 70’s Stanford Prison Experiment.

[@TheInfo45]

Oh I've always loved secret of NIMH. It's one of my favorite childhood films. Yeah one movie you would probably not handle well is watership down the book was even more dark than the movie. This movie has always been so beautiful in expressing what a mother will do for their children.

[@thinkbolt]

This is a BRILLIANT film! I love how invested you were in Mrs. Brisby's family. It was great fun to watch it with you. (Don Bluth was the animation director on The Rescuers. I predict you'll love Penny.)

[@Vogelkinder]

This and "The Black Cauldron" were my first movies I remember seeing the theaters. =) Lovely.

[@Cherokeelion]

Oh i had forgotten about the black cauldron 👀

[@kaboulscabal4816]

Watership Down ... Watership Down ... Watership Down ... DOGS AREN'T DANGEROUS, YOU FOOLS!!!!!

[@EcvNacho]

The Dark Crystal. early Jim Hanson (Muppets) Worth Watching

[@Rick2577]

This is a great movie from my childhood. I was very young when I first watched it and instantly fell in love. I have it on my laptop and backed up on external drives as well. The animation is just stellar. Nothing was done with computers back then it was all hand drawn and layered. I still watch it to this day.

[@lazerithlazerith4012]

By far this was my childhood best cartoon., Disney didnt stand a chance vs this.

[@ErikStone1]

The voice of one of the kids, Teresa, is voiced by Shannen Doherty.

[@daverowe03]

You definitely meant Batman: Mask of the Phantasm.

[@SFAPowerhouse]

Don Bluth has said that if you don't embrace the dark, you will never fully appreciate the light. This was his masterpiece of that very philosophy.

[@ct6852]

Never actually saw this. But this took me right back to my best friend's book report when we were ten years old. Surreal. This channel is such a trip sometimes. But thank you! It's a lot of fun unlocking old memories.

[@Steevee5k]

Well, the Grimm's fairytales in their original form weren't all that "happily ever after", either. In fact, they were full of violence, torture, death and bloodshed, and yet the kids of that era did survive it, too.

[@Mcvthree3]

My 2nd grade teacher read us the novel "Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH." Our class was RAPT by the story and Nicodemus became my personal hero. I loved his name. And yes, Wil Wheaton was Wesley Crusher in Next Generation and the kid ghat pulled the gun on Keifer Sutherland in Stand By Me.

[@1805movie]

*Very Sad Fact:* This was the last movie Elizabeth Hartman (Mrs. Brisby) was in before she died.

[@TheImaginator972]

HECK YEAH! 🤩 I have always loved "The Secret Of NIMH" as the greatest animated movie of all time and one of Don Bluth's best animated featured film along with his animated film "Anastasia".

[@threadfall100]

In the Dark of the Night... the best Disney villain song not in a Disney film

[@sarahstardust]

I loved this when I was a little kid and watched it every time I got sick. I didn't figure it out until recently, but I think the reason why I found it comforting then was because it's all about how far a mother will go to help her sick child. ❤

[@SanitariumLXIX]

Saw this when I was 3, and it remains my favorite animated movie. Yeah, 80's kids films were pretty dark, and this one probably gave me a few issues 😂. The score by Jerry Goldsmith is top tier, and Paul Williams (writer and singer of Flying Dreams) is a legend all his own.

[@virtuallyveronicka]

This was a family favorite during my childhood, and I still love the story today. Most 80’s children films were dark fantasy and very creative. My favorite character will always be Jeremy the crow…he is so clumsy and Dom DeLuise’s voice lends so much to every character he plays. 🐭

[@johnrubino8403]

wow. I remember this when i was a kid. Great Nostalgia

[@kevacho42]

Water Ship Down should be on your list. The movie is so beautifully animated with a lot of watercolor backgrounds, and adapted from a book of the same name, which, for my part, is one of the greatest novels I've ever read.

[@charlesxavier5681]

The Land Before Time 🦕

[@fuzzlet3045]

The memory of me and my sister crying is so vivid

[@ice_fox]

My favorite movie as a child. I didn't understand everything back then, but the characters and their emotions were so vivid, and the art style so unique and foreboding, that I didn't really have to.

[@daverowe03]

Mr. Ages voice actor was Tootles in Hook.

[@rodprime79]

Wil Wheaton who played Wesley Crusher from Star Trek TNG is the voice of Martin Brisby and Shannon Doherty is Teresa Brisby the older sister.

[@adarael]

Oh god, I'm gonna cry about this film. Cuz I remember crying as a kid. Well. Here we go.

[@pen7857]

Oh, this was one of my favorite books as a kid and then secret favorite movie as a young teen.

[@lupercal1984]

This was pinnacle 80's/90's dark fantasy alongside The Last Unicorn and The Neverending Story. Watched all three almost on repeat

[@Realmreaver1]

The Last Unicorn! I forgot that! Anyone remember Timothy the church mouse as a kid on Sunday mornings?

[@ct6852]

Is Legend on your list?

[@julesb1970]

Also The Dark Crystal.

[@LordNelsonkm]

In The Neverending Story, when you're first introduced to Gmork, and it's just his eyes... 7yo me was not prepared. Haunted me for twenty years. And The Dark Crystal is no picnic either. Jim Henson had a way with movements.

[@Deorman]

This Movie is one of my dearest childhood memory and I still think it's one of the best animated movie ever done today. I especially loved the fact that characters that are off puting at first glance are actually good and kind, even as a kid you can apreciate that.

[@calyburns5165]

This was the greatest when I was a kid .my old mum took me to see amazing

[@Chuck-PK]

Rock a' Doodle is another wild one from my childhood. Those that are familiar might recognize the look of the Great Owl here in NIMH btw.

[@Popsbuick]

I've always wanted a sparkly of my very own...A line I still use all the time except i change out the sparkly word for others.

[@eudite1762]

I love this movie! I grew up with this as one of my favorites during my childhood and I still enjoy revisiting it.

[@arlibrarian]

The book “Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH” was one of my favorite books as a kid and this movie was my first “They ruined the book!” angry fan moment. As an adult I can appreciate it more as its own thing.

[@Johnny_Socko]

Funnily enough, although I thought the plot of the book was very good, I could not get past the fact that the character was named "Mrs. Frisby". I always wondered how the author did not get sued out of existence by the notoriously litigious Wham-O company. (Yes, this was when I was in fifth grade -- I was a peculiar kid.) So the fact that the movie changed her name to "Mrs. Brisby" automatically made it better to me. 😄

[@StephenLuke]

Final theatrical movie of Elizabeth Hartman (Mrs. Brisby) and Hermione Baddeley (Auntie Shrew).

[@protoclone138]

The basis of this story is about the MK Ultra tests done in part at the Nation Institute of Mental Health. The stuff they did in MK Ultra make this movie all the darker.

[@Iron-Van]

This movie was practitly on repeat as child. I enjoyed it so much. As i grew and started to see animation for what it was, I absolutely fell in love with Don Bluths art

[@dtester]

80s kids were hardened into steel by 80s G rated movies 😆

[@MoviesandCoffee]

Watership Down (1978) is great too; it clearly inspired The Secret of Nimh

[@Dreamfox-df6bg]

When people speak about strong women in movies they usually bring up Sarah Conner or Ellen Ripley, which is legit. But for me? It's Mrs. Brisby. Considering what she faces? A tractor? An owl? The initial spookiness of the rats? A cat? As a mouse. And everything for her child. Brisby might be animated, but in my eyes that takes nothing away from the character.

[@Nasty-Canasta]

I had to read the book "Mr. Frisby and the Rats of NINM" in school, and this unlocked a lot of memories

[@PatrickKCompton]

My childhood! Don Bluth, what a genius! There were many dark animated films back then. I still love this so much. Another suggestion would be Watership Down, a 1978 adapted animated film from the novel. That one may have left a scar on me, lol.

[@DeathToTheDictators]

lol I watched this on Superchannel in 1985 with my younger brother and sister when i was 10....we all loved it and weren't scared at all (kids loved ANYTHING that was cartoon/animated in the 80s).

[@tomnorton8499]

This is the first book I remember reading as a kid in Elementary School. before the movie came out.

[@chazertronfivethousand4425]

I love Mrs. Frisbee. It really showed how powerful kindness and love can be.