History Trivia / RatmansNotebooks

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: The book is out of print (though it can be found on amazon, the copies are often in horrible condition) and the 1971 movie is only on VHS.
** The book was ''finally'' reprinted by Valacount Books in 2013.
** Creator/ShoutFactory is ''FINALLY'' releasing the film on Blu-ray/DVD in 2017.

* TooSoon: Arguably an inversion. Creator/RobertBloch wrote ''Literature/{{Psycho}}'' when the Ed Gein case was still fresh in the public's mind. For whatever reason, Gilbert waited 8 years. Each book was adapted to film, and each film had a remake, but Bloch's yarn is definitely more well-known. If there was ever a case against tactfulness, this would be it.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: In the 2003 remake; there's an alternate ending which is true to the source material. In the alternate ending, Willard is instead overwhelmed and consumed by the mischief of rats while Ben looks on.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: In the 2003 remake; there's an alternate ending which is true to the source material. In the alternate ending, Willard is instead overwhelmed and consumed by the mischief of rats while Ben looks on as the authorities see Ben through the window.

* UnderageCasting: In the original film, 27 year old Willard was portrayed by then-24 year old Bruce Davison.

* [[AvoidTheDreadedGRating Avoid The Dreaded R Rating]]: The movie was shot for an R rating. However, after the studio saw that recent PG-13 horror films were making big buck (such as ''TheRing''), they asked for language and some violence to be edited down to compete.

* TooSoon: Arguably an inversion. Robert Bloch wrote ''Literature/{{Psycho}}'' when the Ed Gein case was still fresh in the public's mind. For whatever reason, Gilbert waited 8 years. Each book was adapted to film, and each film had a remake, but Bloch's yarn is definitely more well-known. If there was ever a case against tactfulness, this would be it.

** This got [[DawsonCasting inverted]] in the 2003 film; Crispin Glover was almost a decade older than his character at the time of filming.

** YouTube [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3Fndi62nGI to the rescue]].

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** [[Film/BackToTheFuture George McFly]] (or [[Film/CharliesAngels Creepy Thin Man]]) is Willard Stiles
** R Lee Ermey as Mister Martin (2003 version)
** Ernest Borgnine as Mister Martin (1971 version)
** Meredith Baxter played Eve in ''Ben''
* HeyItsThatVoice: An odd case of this trope occurring in a live-action movie. In the 2003 film, one of Willard's co-workers is played by Laara Sadiq (Chi-Chi from the Ocean dub of ''Anime/DragonBallZ''), and it's ''very'' obvious whenever the character opens her mouth. For what it's worth, the character is named Janice Mantis in the credits, but is [[NoNameGiven never referred to by name at all in the movie proper]].

* HeyItsThatVoice: An odd case of this trope occurring in a live-action movie. In the 2003 film, one of Willard's co-workers is played by Laara Sadiq (Chi-Chi from the Ocean dub of ''DragonBallZ''), and it's ''very'' obvious whenever the character opens her mouth. For what it's worth, the character is named Janice Mantis in the credits, but is [[NoNameGiven never referred to by name at all in the movie proper]].

* BreakawayPopHit: MichaelJackson's performance of "Ben" (which was written for the original movie's 1973 sequel) is probably more popular than either the book or the two movies.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: The book is out of print (though it can be found on amazon the copies are often in horrible condtion) and the 1971 movie is only on VHS.

** [[Film/BackToTheFuture George McFly]] (or [[Film/XMen1 Senator Kelly]]) is Willard Stiles

** [[Film/BackToTheFuture George McFly]] (or [[Film.XMen Senator Kelly]]) is Willard Stiles

** [[Film/BackToTheFuture George McFly]] is Willard Stiles

** [[BackToTheFuture George McFly]] is Willard Stiles

* HeyItsThatVoice: An odd case of this trope occurring in a live-action movie. In the 2003 film, one of Willard's co-workers is played by Laara Sadiq (Chi-Chi from the Ocean dub of ''DragonBallZ''). Very apparent whenever the character opens her mouth. For what it's worth, the character is named Janice Mantis in the credits, but is [[NoNameGiven never referred to by name at all in the movie proper]].