The Horns Of Nimon

daveyboy7472daveyboy7472 Posts: 16,354
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Considering The Horns Of Nimon was transmitted over Xmas, it probably isn't a surprise that the whole production has a pantomine feel to it. This is especially summed up in the character of Soldeed, one of the most OTT Villains there ever has been in the show! Surely all that was missing was an audience to hiss and boo him every time he appeared! :D

I agree with what a poster said yesterday who mentioned that whereas the two previous stories had the humour grafted on, this one does seem as if it was all out played for laughs in a similar vein to The Romans and the Xmas Episode of The Dalek Masterplan. This is where the humour of Season 17 hit it's absolute peak and where Tom Baker really went for it, giving his most comic performance and perhaps backing up criticism's at the time that the show had become The Tom Baker Comedy Show.

Everything about the story is comical. Even the Nimon themselves are absurd, not as bad as the Mandrels in the previous story but coming exceedingly close. The voices do lend them some menace but their appearance was just plain silly! I've mentioned about Soldeed and his overdrawn death scene was exceeding theatrical as well as daft! Also, I don't why but I find the pilot of the ship rather amusing about the way he keeps calling his cargo scum! In some ways I didn't blame him as the Anethans are a hopeless bunch who seem to suffer as characters as the main stars of the story are so madcap!

This story also featured one of my favourite Blue Peter presenters, Janet Ellis. Perhaps not the most convincing acting in the world but enough to challenge my other favourite, Sarah Greene, in Attack Of The Cybermen! :D

There is one character, though, who seemed to go against the humour in the story and that is John 'Edward Waterfield' Bailey as Sezom, who puts on an acting masterclass and seems almost out of place in the story.

There is no dramatic tension in this story whatsoever and I always feel I could watch it over any Xmas Season with a glass of wine and a mince pie and treat it as I was watching an old Morecambe and Wise Special from the 70's!

:)

Comments

  • adams66adams66 Posts: 3,945
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    Lorrdddd Niiiiiiiiimonnnnnn!!!!

    Intentionally amusing and silly, or proof that Doctor Who had utterly lost the plot and had no idea what it was doing by broadcasting this pile of poo? I can't quite make up my mind - I'd like to think it was the former and that Williams and Adams had decided to milk the daftness for all it was worth, but I have a nasty feeling that the reality was the latter option and everyone in the production office had simply given up.

    At least Tom and Lalla seem to be having fun, and I'd love to have some of whatever Graham Crowden was on, because he seems to be quite literally on another planet!

    Incidentally there is a reason that the Nimons looked like they did (though nothing can adequately explain the bizarre decision to make them totter around in high heels). Anyway, their heads were intended to be masks, with the actual Nimons having withered faces beneath, so their heads were designed as huge (supposedly impressive) masks. But, with money being so tight, this quite clever idea had to be dropped, so we were left with men in body stockings wearing obviously false big heads...
  • chuffnobblerchuffnobbler Posts: 10,771
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    I love Soldeed calling Romana a hussy!

    This one's a hoot. Deeply silly and full of laughs. The exploding Tardis console, with comedy sound effects!

    Simon Gipps-Kent and Janet Ellis are perfect. Poor Simon died so young.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 82,262
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    if ever a story looked like they had run out of money Horns was it - I've only seen it a few times and have to say I've struggled to get through it every time as I thind it just so slow going.
  • ListentomeListentome Posts: 9,804
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    Its one of the stories I remember vividly from my childhood, and I remember at the time thinking the Nimons were members of the Animal Kwackers band. :D

    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2a/Animal_kwackers.jpg

    I really do have a soft spot for this one, despite all its faults. Graham Crowden, who was a very good actor, clearly misunderstood what Doctor Who is about or just didn't care. :D One can only hope if he had been cast as The Doctor after Pertwee that he would have toned it down a bit.
  • Chickens hitChickens hit Posts: 26,490
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    Painful to watch when it was first shown, although now I can sit and howl with laughter at it if I'm in the right frame of mind, but at that time it was as though they were taking the total piss out of what the show was about. The only thing I do enjoy about this is Lalla Ward's performance, her anger directed at Soldeed when the Nimon invade is fab to watch. Crowden's performance comes straight from the 1930's Flash Gordon serials in its Ming the Merciless campness.

    Bloody Mary Whitehouse.:mad::mad:
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 58
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    Even the Nimon themselves are absurd, not as bad as the Mandrels in the previous story but coming exceedingly close.QUOTE]

    I take issue with this. The Mandrels are among my favourite Who monsters, design-wise. They were simply let down by poor direction. In the hands of a good director they could have looked awesome. For comparison see Full Circle. Both monsters are about equal in design terms, imo, but the Marshmen come over brilliantly in comparison. It's all in the direction.
  • daveyboy7472daveyboy7472 Posts: 16,354
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    Even the Nimon themselves are absurd, not as bad as the Mandrels in the previous story but coming exceedingly close.QUOTE]

    I take issue with this. The Mandrels are among my favourite Who monsters, design-wise. They were simply let down by poor direction. In the hands of a good director they could have looked awesome. For comparison see Full Circle. Both monsters are about equal in design terms, imo, but the Marshmen come over brilliantly in comparison. It's all in the direction.

    With due respect, you can't really compare the Marshmen and the Mandrels. The Mandrels, I agree with you about the poor direction, but design wise they were just ridiculous. They really were made to look far too cuddly so I think the issue is with both direction and design. That's why I think the Nimon just shade it though their design isn't that much better.

    The Marshmen were imo better designed and certainly a lot more effective, but more about that in the appropriate thread.

    :)
  • meglosmurmursmeglosmurmurs Posts: 35,105
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    Probably my fave story from the rather p*ss-poor (what I like to call) 'Creature From the Nightmare of Nimon' trilogy.

    Horns of Nimon has an extra spark about it that the previous two stories lack.
    I think Romana's performance is possibly the best out of everyone, especially since she has the unenviable task of dealing with those brain-dead cargo/prisoners.

    Maybe it's just me but I thought the Nimon were quite scary and intimidating. I think the black-colouring works particularly well.
    Plus I liked the little twist....
    that Soldeed thought the Nimon was just a single being acting as some sort of God, but finds out that it's just one of an entire race of aliens who are looking out for their own interests.
  • JCRJCR Posts: 24,029
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    The first time I saw this- admittedly I was drunk but- I fell off the chair I was laughing so hard at it.

    Still one of my favourites. The Nimon be praised!
  • CELT1987CELT1987 Posts: 12,347
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    The problem with Douglas Adams being script editor was that although he had great ideas, it was always poorly realised on screen due to the limitations of the budget. The Nimon could have been a fantastic monster,but because of the budget, we are left with just a man in body stockings wearing a mask.

    The story itself is pure pantomime, Tom revelling in the comedy elements to a tee. Graham Crowden is entertaining as Soldeed but the whole things is a bit of a mess. No wonder it was transmitted at Xmas!
  • Face Of JackFace Of Jack Posts: 7,181
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    LOVELY Christmas entertainment! It was (as said) pure pantomime all the way through! From the Tardis blowing up to that comedy sound-effect right until Soldeeds final death scene :cool:! I loved that guy calling the young prisoners "Scum" every scene! It was just fun all the way.:)
  • CoalHillJanitorCoalHillJanitor Posts: 15,634
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    Don't anybody blaspheme the Nimon. :mad: :D
  • allen_whoallen_who Posts: 2,819
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    it's only redeeming quality for me is that I was going thru 'that phase' of my childhood / adulthood and I really really really fancied Janet Ellis
  • DavetheScotDavetheScot Posts: 16,623
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    Everything those who dislike this story say about it is true. The script is cheesy. Everything looks cheesy, too. Graham Crowden's performance as Soldeed has more ham than a thousand butchers shops. It's awful.

    And yet I love it. You have to approach it in the right spirit to get anything out of it, but if you can go along with it and just enjoy the nonsense, it's great fun.
  • ocoxocox Posts: 2,581
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    "SCUM"

    Nuff said.
  • VerenceVerence Posts: 104,578
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    ocox wrote: »
    "SCUM"

    Nuff said.

    Wasn't it

    WEAKLING SCUM!!!!!
  • ocoxocox Posts: 2,581
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    Verence wrote: »
    Wasn't it

    WEAKLING SCUM!!!!!

    I stand correct, thank you WEAKLING SCUM.
  • Lady of TrakenLady of Traken Posts: 1,314
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    So just watched the Horns of Nimon which I haven't seen before and it's an odd tale indeed.

    The good stuff was Tom and Lalla. Normally I'm not a fan of Lalla's Romana because she's a bit cold but I liked her here because she was tough with the ship's officer and her righteous anger with Soldeed. Tom's performance was very quippy but not as comedic as I anticipated or feared although the Tardis going ‘boyinnnng’ which a circuit explodes makes it clear the tone this story is being given. Knowing what they had was obviously a limited budget I liked it when they tried using the lighting in an effective way , you know in the larder and on Crinoth. I really liked the the idea of a swarm and how they were using the technology.

    The supporting cast were probably the weakest except for John Bailey, who gave a suitably dramatic performance as the broken Sezom. Graham Crowden gave a really theatrical performance at times ‘Lord Niiiiiimonnnn’ which grated. Seth was the typical teenager but Teka got on my nerves she was so wimpy. K9 not voiced by John Leeson is also strange to listen to throughout.

    I think there are some half a decent ideas here but there's too much faffing around corridors and the lack of a budget shows with a man in a black body stocking, walking awkwardly in a head mask. I was looking at my watch with 10 minutes to go thinking how are they going to wrap it up and it’s a big explosion and off back to the Tardis which is a little unsatisfying. Thinking about it there’s too much exposition at the end about what happens to everyone.

    Not a story I would automatically turn to again but better than I expected
  • broadshoulderbroadshoulder Posts: 18,758
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    I love the horns of Nimon

    The show was to hit rock bottom with the leisure hive
  • Lady of TrakenLady of Traken Posts: 1,314
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    I love the horns of Nimon

    The show was to hit rock bottom with the leisure hive

    I watched that a few years ago, remember thinking it was a bit patchy in parts
  • mrprossermrprosser Posts: 2,260
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    I can't remember the details of the episode at all, but I do remember watching it.

    It is one of the earliest episodes I remember, and it only sticks in my mind because of the parallels with the Greek myth which I had recently learnt about in school.
  • gareth1408gareth1408 Posts: 408
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    I was very young when I watched it, but what I remember very clearly being so terrified of the Nimon I had to turn away from the screen when they were on!

    Years later when I watched as an adult I couldn't believe i had been so terrified by what was clearly paper mache heads, but hadn't been that bothered by the Daleks in 'Destiny of the Daleks'
  • CLL DodgeCLL Dodge Posts: 115,630
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    Pile of poo.
  • CELT1987CELT1987 Posts: 12,347
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    CLL Dodge wrote: »
    Pile of poo.
    Season 17 is quite poor, apart from City of Death.

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