Hi there everyone! For this this weeks entry I've decided to take a look at the 1990 film "TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: THE ORIGINAL MOVIE".
Did you that nobody even wanted to make the movie?
That's right!, None of the major Hollywood movie studios were interested in the "TMNT" series!
Screenwriter BOBBY HERBECK and Producer KIM DAWSON spent months trying to sell the film but comic book based movies were considered to be box-office poison at the time [This was before TIM BURTON'S 1989 "BATMAN" movie changed everything].
[The "TURTLES" with legendary Puppeteer/Filmmaker JIM HENSON and Director STEVE BARRON]
HERDECK was already writing a movie at the time for the Hong Kong based movie studio GOLDEN HARVEST [Which was known producing films starring martial arts super-star BRUCE LEE.]. HERDECK felt that the movie would be perfect for them because the film could make great use of the studio's martial arts team.
Convincing the studio took months of hard work but during one lunch-meeting when TOM GRAY [GOLDEN HARVEST Executive/Head Of Production1984-98]stood up and said "Wait a minute. This is nothing more than four of our Chinese stuntmen in rubber suits. We can make this movie for peanuts in Hong Kong."
Did you know that there was originally going to be an extended/alternate ending that pokes fun at Hollywood's reluctance to make the movie, as well as the original "TMNT" comic books that inspired it!
The ending can be seen right here:
For some reason this bit made it into the book adaptation as well as the sticker book (with pictures), but was left out of the movie.The reason for why this ending was removed from the film is currently unknown.
Did you know that the foreign versions went through some major re-editting and that there are other deleted scenes from the U.S. release?
The depiction of nunchucks on screen was rarely allowed in the UK, so the movie was heavily cut or reframed to remove every last trace of them for its original theatrical exhibition. In 2003 all these cuts were waived by the BBFC due to changed guidelines.
In the UK theatrical, television and VHS versions, the ban on nunchucks caused two notable scene trims. The face-off in April's apartment in which Michaelangelo and a member of The Foot clan perform nunchuck moves in succession was removed completely, with the fight starting instead with Donatello diving through the air directly after this sequence. Another sequence trimmed heavily was the apparent death of Shredder. In the full length version, Shredder charges at Splinter, who produces a pair of nunchucks, wraps them around Shredder's staff and hurls him over the edge of the building. Shredder holds onto his staff which Splinter maintains his grip on, and Splinter begins a speech, but is interrupted by Shredder, throwing a scythe at him. Splinter moves to one side, and Shredder looses his grip on the staff, falling into the garbage truck where he is crushed. This was heavily trimmed so that it appears Shredder runs at Splinter, who seemingly trips him up, and Shredder just falls over the edge as Splinter watches on. The original versions of both scenes were reinstated for the 2004 DVD.
The German theatrical version was based on the cut British version. In addition it was heavily dimmed and cartoon-like sound effects were added to the fight scenes. This version was also used for TV airings and VHS home video releases. The uncut version was not available on DVD until 2010.
A scene during the meeting with Shredder and the Foot Clan, with Shredder fighting five of his students, was cut. For years, the only evidence of this scene was a still image, but the scene has resurfaced in the documentary, Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
[This scene was meant to show how strong and powerful "SHREDDER" really is - but like the alternate ending, the scene was deleted for unknown reasons.]
When aired on the USA Network channel, the scene of Shredder in the back of a garbage truck was edited somewhat. Like in the original version when Casey pulls the lever, the back door closes and the smashing mechanism begins, next shows Shredder's helmet being flattened, in the USA version, now when Casey pulls the lever it shows a scene of the turtles and Splinter watching then a scene of the punks that Casey and Splinter met back at the hideout then cuts to Shredder's helmet being flattened.
Some parts of the movie were re-shot/re-edited for censorship reasons:
Like the main title for example:
Original U.S. version:
Alternate international version [Germany/Hungary etc.]:
A shot of Michelangelo ordering a pizza is shot differently in both versions. While he tosses his nunchakus in the uncensored version, he doesn't do that in the censored version at all.
[Censored ver.:]
[Uncensored ver.:]
a shot of Mike is different in the uncensored version. Furthermore, one sees how Splinter takes a book and throws it at him.
[CENSORED]
[UNCENSORED]
[CENSORED]
[UNCENSORED]
For a better understanding between the differences here is the German version of the fight scene in "APRIL'S" apartment. Complete with additional sound effects, altered footage and German dialogue [but no English subtitles]!
Did you know that the region 2 Germany DVD also includes a feature-length "AUDIO COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR STEVE BARRON" that for some reason is not included in the U.S. release?
A "TURTLE-FAN" based website called "TMNTFILM.COM" has the complete audio track which can be found in the link right here:
Did you know that each of the turtle-suits had two different versions for each character?
That's right! KIM DAWSON, one of the films Producers, said: "There were two sets of turtle costumes. The "action turtles" had no electronics in them. The ones that had all the facial expressions and whatnot had all of the little radio controlled motors in them that controlled the eye movements and the mouth and the eyebrows. Henson had created them and stuck them in the back of the turtle shell, along with all of the cooling devices."
[The "ACTION-TURTLES" Stunt Team.]
Let's talk about the comic book for a moment, shall we?
The turtles are the creation of creators KEVIN EASTMAN AND PETER LAIRD
PETER ALAN LAIRD was born on January 27, 1954 in North Adams, Massachusetts. Toward the end of 1983, Laird was earning just ten dollars an illustration from a local newspaper in Northampton, Massachusetts. He was also doing illustrations for fanzines like The Oracle.
KEVIN BROOKS EASTMAN born [May 30, 1962] in Portland, Maine. He attended Westbrook High School in Westbrook, Maine with comic book illustrator Steve Lavigne.
In 1983 EASTMAN worked in a restaurant while he searched for publishers for his comics. He met a waitress who was attending the University Of Massachusetts Amherst and followed her to Northampton, Massachusetts. While searching for a local underground newspaper to publish his work, he began a professional relationship with PETER LAIRD and the two collaborated for a short time on various comics projects.
[From left to right: PETER LARID, "LEONARDO" AND KEVIN EASTMAN]
In May 1984, Eastman and Laird self-published the first black & white issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The forty-page oversized comic had an initial print run of 3275 copies and was largely funded by a US$1000 loan from Eastman's uncle Quentin (the experience of which had a profound impact on Laird, and led indirectly to his later work with the XERIC FOUNDATION). It was published by the duo's MIRAGE STUDIOS, a name chosen because, as Eastman says, "there wasn't an actual studio, only kitchen tables and couches with lap boards." By September 1985, their first issue had received three additional printings.
Laird's newspaper experience led to the duo creating "a four-page press kit," that, according to FLAMING CARROT creator BOB BURDEN's own "MYSTERY MEN PRESS-KIT" included "a story outline and artwork that they sent to 180 TV and radio stations," as well as both the ASSOCIATED PRESS and UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL. This led to widespread press coverage of both the TMNT property and Mirage Studios itself, creating "a demand for the interestingly-titled comic that caught everyone by surprise." With the solicitation of their second issue, Eastman and Laird's Turtles comic began a meteoric rise to success, bringing in advance orders of 15,000 copies - five times the initial print run of the first issue. This, Eastman has been quoted as saying: "basically ended up with us clearing a profit of two thousand dollars apiece. Which allowed us to write and draw stories full-time: it was enough to pay the rent, pay the bills, and buy enough macaroni and cheese and pencils to live on."
The Turtles phenomenon saw the duo invited to their first comics convention at the tenth annual Atlanta Fantasy Fair in 1984, where they mingled with the likes of LARRY NIVEN, FORREST J. ACKERMAN and FRED HEMBECK (among others). With their (November 1985) fifth issue, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles downsized to the more common American comics-format and size, and the previous four issues were also reprinted in this size and format with new, color, covers. Also in 1985, SOLSON PUBLICATIONS released How To Draw Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Solson would follow this up with the six issue Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Authorized Martial Arts Training Manual as well as one issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Teach Karate volume in 1987.
[For those who don't know what SOLSON even is [Which is probably all of you - or maybe it's just me!]: SOLSON PUBLICATIONS was a New York-based black-and-white comic book publisher active in the 1980s. The company was founded by GARY BRODSKY, son of long-time MARVEL COMICS executive SOL BRODSKY; the name of the company was derived from Brodsky's name: "Sol's son" = Solson. Solson Christmas Special: Samurai Santa featured DC COMICS co-publisher and WILDSTORM founder JIM LEE'S professional debut as an inker.]
The concept originated from a comical drawing sketched out by Kevin Eastman during a casual evening of brainstorming with his friend Peter Laird. The drawing of a short, squat turtle wearing a mask with nunchackus strapped to its arms was incredibly funny to the young artists, as it played upon the inherent contradiction of a slow, cold-blooded reptile with the speed and agility of the Japanese martial arts. At Laird's suggestion, they created a team of four such turtles, each specializing in a different weapon. Eastman and Laird often cite the work of Frank Miller and Jack Kirby as their major artistic influences.
["THE FIRST TURTLE" EASTMAN AND LAIRDS' ORIGINAL DRAWING!]
