The Little Mermaid Discussion

[Disney Duster]

In the one work print, they use Ursula's laugh from the time she turns into Vanessa, but earlier, when she first spies on Ariel. Either that, or Pat Carroll could make the same laugh perfectly over and over lol. But anyway, in the laugh she snorts, ending my wonderings about if she snorts when she turns into Vanessa, or it's just her body stretching when she turns into Vanessa. It's a snort!

Anyway, anyone seen this amazing video?!:
"The Ocean Will Be Mine"

Garrett Clayton just got cuter as he grew up! An what a voice! But the song...so well written!

And the song reminds me, Ursula says "Triton and all his flimsy fish-folk" in the movie, so maybe Ursula really isn't a Mermaid but a Cecaelia like Farerb said long ago? I used to think Mermaids just meant half human and half any sea creature.

[MoonMarc21]

I used to think Mermaids just meant half human and half any sea creature.

Same man! I thought of it that way until you mentioned the Cecaelia thing which is my first time hearing it! The mythology buff in me is squealing!

Anyhow, gonna put that in my list of mythological creatures Atlus needs to put in their next MegaTen game...

[Disney Duster]

Haha, so funny we thought the same thing! Glad you like the Cecaelia mythology.

[Disney's Divinity]

I was watching some of the various workprints for some scenes in TLM earlier today. There was a couple of things in several versions of Ursula's defeat I hadn't seen before. One was the line Ursula makes to Triton at one point (that he used to be so handsome, he's gained weight--lol!). And some of the unused animation that almost-was for the cut middle section of PUS. There was one shot in particular where the face looked so much like Cruella.

And then there was one of the fight with Ursula that was a little different from the one featured as a bonus feature on the home media releases in the past (where she tries to strangle Eric), where she's sort of standing (in a way) above the water facing Eric and Ariel, but not gigantic. In that one, the way she dies is Eric brings the harpoon against the trident as its about to fire and causes the bolt to rebound. It just stuck out to me because I remembered when we were talking in the remake thread about how they could do the ending, and saying how I would've liked it best if Ariel was still in the whirlpool and she managed to reflect the blast or get the trident somehow. Interesting that the idea of a blast being reflected was an idea they had thought about at one time. I know that scene was probably the one they worked on the most because Katzenberg wanted more action.

[Disney Duster]

Something deflecting a shot or spell seems to be such a common trope. I am glad they didn't do that. I literally have seen that trope so many times. Your idea of Ursula throwing the trident and Ariel jumping away and it becoming smaller for Ariel to throw back at her was good, though.

[Vlad]

Hey guys, sorry for my absence, I've been super busy with work these days. One of my friends on Facebook shared this on a group. It's publicity material from the 1997 re-release in theaters. They market the movie as the beginning of the Renaissance period, with emphasis on Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King. I've never seen it before, but I thought it was really cool.

[UmbrellaFish]

How neat! Thank you for sharing. Any material from the 1997 rerelease is instantly nostalgic to me. I’ve never seen the poster with the other Renaissance characters surrounding Ariel… it reminds me of the iconic Lilo and Stitch ad campaign.

[carolinakid]

I was able to see The Little Mermaid in its Initial release in 1989. Because I already owned the film on VHS, I skipped the 1997 rerelease. I was in the first decade of my career and it just wasn’t in my boyfriend’s and my budget.
The rerelease materials are beautiful!

We DID see Hercules that year in the theater.

[DisneyFan09]

Thanks for posting those pictures, Vlad It`s remarkable how those standees were never put in my country when Mermaid was re-released. And how they`ve been hard to find on the web afterwards, as I`ve never found any picture of them. But hey, it makes sense to have the successors of the Renaissance included, as the trailer were promoting them. But it`s remarkable how they`re using the artwork from the VHS releases of those movies.

[Sotiris]

I've never seen that before either! So cool! Thanks for sharing. This campaign was used for The Little Mermaid 1998 VHS trailer too.

It's interesting that Disney would reuse the same concept years later to promote the Platinum Edition DVD of Snow White. I'm sure you all remember the iconic trailers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhh9Jj3vfjY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3fyq9-wPEQ

[DisneyFan09]

I've never seen that before either! So cool! Thanks for sharing. This campaign was used for The Little Mermaid 1998 VHS trailer too.

It's interesting that Disney would reuse the same concept years later to promote the Platinum Edition DVD of Snow White. I'm sure you all remember the iconic trailers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhh9Jj3vfjY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3fyq9-wPEQ

Yeah, I remember At first I thought it was somewhat cheap and derivative to use that catchphrase to the Platinum Edition of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. But at the same time, it makes total sense, since Snow White started it all (pardon my intended pun). Mermaid started the Renaissance that was declining at the time, while Snow White had various successors to it`s merits. So it makes more sense.

[Disney's Divinity]

That picture of Ariel in the bubble (probably a WIP version for the real lithograph) is what I'd referred to in the past having seen in a Disney Adventure magazine. I think the real poster looked a great deal better, Ariel's face looked a bit dopey and Triton and the trident needed some work, although I didn't mind Flounder and Sebastian too much.

Very cool the way it combines the new poster with the original poster. The VHS trailer with that whole "Before Aladdin..., before a beauty..., etc." is probably my favorite trailer for TLM. My second favorite is one that was around the 2010-13 area (so it must've been for the Diamond, I suppose?); I like the way it combines Ursula's laugh (the one where she's turning into Vanessa) with Ariel singing "POYW (reprise)" and Triton's "He's a human, you're a mermaid!" Just perfectly encapsulates Ariel's unstoppable passion with Triton's hatred, the father-daughter relationship being central, and Ursula's amusement at how their conflict weakens their family and plays to her advantage.

I always noticed the SW Platinum's campaign was similar--my favorite of those is the one that focuses on the villains --and I suppose it makes sense. TLM "started it all" as far as the Renaissance goes, SW started it all as far as Disney's animated films in general go.

[Disney Duster]

The Snow White "magic objects" trailer music is some of my favorite music I have ever heard.

The VHS trailer with that whole "Before Aladdin..., before a beauty..., etc." is probably my favorite trailer for TLM. My second favorite is one that was around the 2010-13 area (so it must've been for the Diamond, I suppose?); I like the way it combines Ursula's laugh (the one where she's turning into Vanessa) with Ariel singing "POYW (reprise)" and Triton's "He's a human, you're a mermaid!" Just perfectly encapsulates Ariel's unstoppable passion with Triton's hatred, the father-daughter relationship being central, and Ursula's amusement at how their conflict weakens their family and plays to her advantage.

I always noticed the SW Platinum's campaign was similar--my favorite of those is the one that focuses on the villains --and I suppose it makes sense. TLM "started it all" as far as the Renaissance goes, SW started it all as far as Disney's animated films in general go.

The Diamond Edition trailer has the "Ursula to Vanessa laugh" combined with "POYW (Reprise)", and the 1998 VHS trailer is the one with the "He's a human! You're a mermaid!"

[Vlad]

What I liked the most in the 1997 trailer is how they combine Part of your world with the reprise. "Wanderin' free, wish I could be", and then the triumphant "Part of your world!" from the reprise.

[Kyle]

I never knew about the rerelease, I was born the same year the og released, so I didn't get to see that one in theaters, but I dunno how I missed the 97 release. Would've been the perfect opportunity to see it in theaters for me. Though I also missed the star wars re release, so I dunno what was going on with me around that time. lol

[Disney Duster]

I was born in '88, but otherwise, same thing with me. I guess as a kid I didn't understand how great it would be to see a favorite movie on the big screen. Now as an adult, I do!

[Farerb]

I remember that I did go to see The Little Mermaid when it was rereleased but I think in my country it was released in 1998. I also went to Beauty and the Beast in 2002. Both films also had a special screening back in 2018.
I would have gone to The Lion King 10 years ago if it hadn't been in 3D.

[Disney Duster]

I did manage to see Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, in 3D! I liked the 3D on them, even though it's still best to view them in their original forms.

[Vlad]

I saw both The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast in 3D during their re-releases. During that time, a 3D conversion was the main reason a major motion picture could be re-released in theaters. Both were awesome experiences.

[carolinakid]

I saw a 3D version of The Wizard of Oz 1939. Great film as always but very little was different in an 85 year old film. My favorite 3D films are Kiss Me Kate 1953 and Friday the 13th Part 3 1982.