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by Dave Scrimgeour and Kevin McCluskey   Golden Harvest presents A Limelight Production in association with Gary Propper A Steve Barron film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Starring Judith Hoag Elias Koteas Based on characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird Music by John Du Prez Production Designer Roy Forgre Smith Executive In Charge Of Production Thomas K. Gray Executive Producer Raymond Chow Co Producer Graham Cottle Story by Bobby Herbeck Screen Play by Todd W. Langlen and Bobby Herbeck Produced by Kim Dawson, Simon Fields, David Chan Directed by Steve Barron  Apparently Donny did not give his consent to having his photograph taken. Dave Yeah, they’re all, physically, different sizes, aren’t they? Kev Yep, different body types on them all. Dave Whereas in the new ones, I think they were all about the same size, weren’t they? Kev I didn’t pay close enough attention to how they looked, to be honest. Dave And they used some weird kind of CGI on their faces, or something. I don't know what they did with it. Kev Yeh, I thought the CG was a bit, meh. I like the delivery on that line there. “It’s time to go back.” Dave Yeah. Again, back to New York and that environment. Kev You’re right, we had that great kind-of rural, Hamptons feel to April’s family home, and now we're back to urban New York. Dave I suppose that’s just what happens when you hang around with Ninja Turtles. Kev Ha, ha! I suppose so. “You’re a claustrophobic.” “Do you want a fist in the mouth? I never even looked at another guy.” That’s quite amusing, the way they play on Casey’s machismo and bravado as a way of covering his insecurities. Dave Domino’s again. Another big plug for Dominos. The thing is, they don’t force the humour in these scenes, the acting just lets it happen naturally.  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, brought to you by Dominos Pizza. Kev It’s quite well written like that, eh? The humour is born out of the situation. For the main part. Dave The second film was trying to force itself to be funny, whereas this one just had the humour in it, because it was part of the story. Kev You’re right, the characters reacting to their situation is where the humour comes from. Danny’s a bit of a scumbag in it really, isn’t he? Dave He is actually, yeah. Kev He’s kind-of betrayed them a few times, at this point. Dave Yeah, he has. Koteas definitely looks like a younger Robert DeNiro, doesn’t he? Kev Definitely. Dave I love the music here. Kev And the little bit there, with Danny pulling the bandana out of his back pocket and putting it on, that’s lit really well. To be able to see him tying it as he’s going through that bit of shadow and…..  Spot..... Dave …..also see that Casey’s on the other side, yeah.  .....the difference. Kev He’s obviously got to put the bandana on to show that he’s part of the gang again. Dave Yeah. This bit here, with Casey taking the Foot guy's suit, is like in 'Raiders Of The Lost Ark,' where Indy takes the Nazi uniform off the soldier in order to blend in. Kev Ha, ha! Right enough. Dave Is Danny just going back to see Splinter? Kev Yeh, but it’s the fact that he doesn’t tell them that he knows where Splinter is, or anything. Dave True. I always liked that they went straight to the black backdrop again.  I heard a rumour that Oroku Saki was patient zero for the plague. Kev Yeh, that fade to the black background is really good. Dave It’s quite effective, the telling of the backstory. Even though it’s done in a very low budget way. Kev You’re right, man. It’s a simple enough technique, but it’s well executed, isn’t it? Dave Yeah. Kev I always thought it was interesting that Splinter’s master, Hamato Yoshi worked in construction. That’s an honest, blue collar, working-with-his-hands profession. Dave True. This is quite dark here. Kev Yeah. And they’ve not made an effort to focus Splinter’s ear up until this point, really. It’s not until now that you realise that he is missing most of that ear. And this is another great piece of late ‘80’s music here, with Ya Kid K. Dave Yeah. This is that, 'Raiders Of The Lost Ark' thing here, with Casey again. That was a quick costume change. Kev Yep. And they never focused on the symbol of The Foot's bandana up until this point either. It's a nice little reveal. Good storytelling.  Gotta get that brand synergy happening. Dave No, they didn't. Kev This is what I'm talking about with Danny. He messes-up here as well, getting caught with the drawing in his pocket. Dave Yeah. There’s that kind-of edgy camera work there as well. Kev I suppose it’s like a lot of those direct-to-VHS martial arts films of the time as well, eh? Dave Yeah. Kev That sounded like that guy’s just done himself a mischief trying to get under that storm drain there. Dave That didn’t quite work, did it? Kev Ha, ha! No.  "Just like Winnie the Pooh." Dave The thing is, this is straight into the action, isn’t it? Kev Yep. Dave There’s no time wasting. Kev No. And Koteas’s reactions are great, aren’t they? Dave Yeah. Kev That one’s basically saying, “ Ah, a big, talking rat. Nothing surprises me anymore.” Koteas isn’t in the second one either, is he?  Elias Koteas's reaction to not being in 'Secrets of the Ooze.' Dave No, he isn't. This is a good bit of choreography here. Kev Yeh. And here’s the thing of the four of them being back together. With Raph being back, they’re back to being a quartet, they’re back at full strength, and they’re back on their home turf as well. They're kicking ass. Dave It’s interesting the way they’ve filmed this, between Tatsu and Kasey, ‘cause you don’t get to see the full shot. Kev No, it’s just the reaction shots really, isn’t it? And with them, they’re kind-of establishing that, as good as Kasey is, when he’s up against somebody as skilled as Tatsu, he needs the equaliser of his tools. Dave Yeah. Kev But, for as much as we’ve been saying that the choreography is kind-of gritty in places, it’s really slapstick in others, isn't it? Dave It’s a mixture, that’s what it is. Kev Yeh, it’s just strange that it caused the outrage and the uproar that it did at the time. Dave Yeah, for all it was, really. It was just a few scenes. Sam Rockwell again here. I thought that was Corey Feldman in the background for a second there, but no. It looks like him, but it’s not him.  This kid will go far. To the Moon and back, even. Kev It does. It looks like him when he’s doing his Frog Brothers bit from 'The Lost Boys.' Dave Yeah, it’s just a guy that looks like him though. Kev I like the way that Casey Jones doesn’t monologue here, he just does that dismissive hand gesture, not entirely dissimilar to Tatsu earlier, as if to say, “Ah, to hell with you all then.” Dave Yeah, it’s like he’s saying, “I’m not here to lecture you. Screw it!” Kev Yeh. “Just let us go. If you’re too stupid to realise that this isn’t a real family, then I’m not about to explain it to you.” And this is the fight spilling out onto the streets at this point isn’t it? Before we get to the finale. Dave Yeah. Kev I like these little bits of Donatello being quite cultured here, with his level of humour, “Too cliche.” I like that he judges the rest of them on the quality of their jokes. Dave This is a good bit with the stuntman here, where Donatello throws The Foot guy, who hurts his hand. Kev Ha, ha! Right enough. That's WWE head-into-the ringpost, right there. That “Wait for me” line was in all the trailers and the TV adverts for this film. Dave Yeah. Kev And this next line too, “God, I love being a Turtle!” Which, again, is just perfect for kids to chant on the playground.  Apparently this guy loves being a Turtle. So he says anyway. Dave There’s some good choreography here. Kev Yeh man, it’s great. And it’s not just one-on-one. There’s other stuff going on in the background as well, so there’s multiple pieces all happening at once. It’s really well done, and really well staged too. It reminds me a little bit of the way John Carpenter shoots the action scenes in 'Big Trouble In Little China,' in that there's always stuff happening in the background as well, and not just the foreground. Dave That was a good move. A little Daredevil-esque, with the push-off-the-wall punch. Kev Yep. The old Superman punch.  The hell with Roman Reigns! Raphael is head of the table. Dave I’m actually quite surprised that so many people complained about the violence in this. It’s not exactly a brutal film. Kev No, I know what you’re saying, there’s no blood or anything in it. Dave Shredder’s voice has changed, hasn’t it? Kev Yeh, it has a bit. Dave It must be the actor, actually getting to say the lines. Yeah, you can see his mouth moving. Kev The choreography in this clash between the Turtles and Shredder is great as well. It’s quick, and there’s not really a lot that happens, but the way he takes them out one at a time is really good. And, of course, it ties back to Splinter’s teachings, of them being better when they’re working together as a team. Splinter pulling the old ninja vanishing on Casey there. Dave Ha, ha! Yeah. Kev And of course, the soundtrack kicking back in here, as all four of them rush him, is great as well. Dave Yeah. This is some proper good choreography this. Kev Yeh, it’s great, man. There’s this point here, where Shredder does that leg sweep with the staff, and changes position at the same time, that’s somebody that knows a martial art. You never stay still after an attack, you constantly move. Y’know what I mean? Dave Oh yeah. Who’s that running there? Haha! Somebody just running in front of the camera. Kev Some kid thinking, "I’m just trying to get into this shot." Dave Some random member of staff. "God damn, I never got into that last scene, so I’m going to have to ruin this one." Kev Ha, ha! Luckily they’re not working with Christian Bale here. He’d tear them a new one. Dave Oh Jesus, yeah. They’d need to redo that whole scene again. Kev There’s a bit of first blood for them there though, with that injury to Shredder’s arm. Leo’s emotions get the better of him here, with him charging in after screaming “You lie!” Actually, looking at them there, it’s probably Donatello who’s the biggest of them, in terms of the musculature of the suit.  Shredder get a boo-boo. Dave He probably is, yeah. Kev Nice plot point there, with the nunchuku on the ladder.  See this, right here? This, right here, is important. So remember it. Okay? Dave Yep. Kev And here we get the reveal of the scarred face of Oroku Saki. Now it’s Shredder's emotions that get the better of him, as he charges at Splinter.  I read on the internet that Roland Rat messed this guy up on TV AM in the '80s. Dave Yeah. Kev Good fall. The fall looks good.  "Falling. Falling. Falling. You played yourself." Dave And it’s not like he had a big space to land in. He landed it pretty well. Kev Yeah. Although, I was never sure about Casey Jones becoming a remorseless killer here. Dave Haha! I know. Kev He’s shown no indication that he’s a murderer up until this point, but here, he’s like, “I’m just going to crush this guy to death in the compactor of this garbage truck.” Dave Yeah, I know, eh? Kev I suppose, you don't really get to see it. You just see a little bit of Shredder’s helmet being crushed. And here come the Hill Street Blues.  The council is cutting your bins being collected to only once every three weeks now. Dave Yeah. The ‘80’s fashion stuff is quite funny as well. It’s following that urban, street, hip hop style. Or whatever you want to call it. Kev It's almost Warriors-esque, eh? Dave Yeah. Kev I like this exchange between Danny and his dad. And of course we get Danny’s redemption, giving April the money back that he stole from her earlier. Jay Patterson’s acting here is great. Dave Yeah. He’s playing a genuinely concerned dad. Kev And there’s the thing here, the growth of the boy into a man, with the “It’s just Dan now, okay?” NIce underpinning of the emotion of the scene with the music by John Du Prez again. It’s all good stuff. Dave Yeah. Kev It’s a bit different from his ‘One Foot In The Grave’ theme. Dave Yeah. I like the way Charles does that little lean-in there, as he’s being a “tough negotiator.”  The O'Neil poker face. Kev But with April O’Neil just strong-arming him. “Lairdman Island.” “East warehouse.” Eastman and Laird. Nice little way of referencing the creators. Dave Yeah. Kev And we go right into '9.95' for the credits.  Some kind of weird, voyeuristic peep show for six foot tall reptiles. Dave Did that not hit the charts, that one? Kev I think it might have actually, yeh. I think you’re right. And then we’re right back into their “bit,” from the start of the movie, where they’re doing their adjectives. The “Cowabunga” thing was massive, yet this is the only time it’s in the film, isn’t it?  High.....three? Dave Yeah, and now Partners In Kryme. And this was when credits were actually a decent size, and you could read them. There’s the names of the four guys who played the Turtles on screen, right there. I suppose there was less of a need for computer-based work in the credits, which is probably why the credits were so big on the screen. There were just fewer names to squeeze on there. Kev Yeh, you’re right, I suppose. There was a lot less computerised post-production back in those days. The Jim Henson Creature Workshop credit, right there. Dave Yeah, and Jay Patterson. Kev I see what you mean now, the four guys that played the Turtles have all got other small roles in there too. Did the guy who played Shredder do anything else? Dave James Saito? He’s done a sh(r)ed-load of TV work. Corey Feldman gets his own mention. Kev Yeh, he gets the “and.” He gets the big credit. He must’ve been a big get for them at the time, ‘cause he had just come off the back of ‘The Lost Boys’ and stuff, as well as all those other films that he did with….. Dave .....Corey Haim, yeah. Kev Yeh, those guys were an ‘80’s, teenage, two man power trip. Dave They were, yeah. Kev What’s the name of that one that they did together, 'Driving Instructor,' or something? Dave ‘License To Drive.’ I’ve never watched it. Kev I don't know if I've ever watched it either. Of course, 'T.U.R.T.L.E. Power' was number one over here in the UK for like, four weeks or something, wasn’t it? It was massive. Dave Yeah, back in the days when you bought a record. Kev Yeh. Dave Record sales were what did it. No downloads or anything. Kev Nope, no downloads, no streaming, you had to actually go into a record shop. Dave Who was the fight choreographer? I missed that. Pat Johnson? And there's Ernie Reyes Jnr. He was in the second one as well. Kev Was he? Dave Yeah, he was the main kid in the second one. Kev Ah, right. Was that him? 'T.U.R.T.L.E. Power' has got some fantastically shoe-horned references in it. Dave That was just hip-hop back then, wasn’t it? It was more lyric and rap based. Kev Oh yeh, man. Dave Nowadays most hip-hop has a female vocalist singing the chorus, some guy raps a verse, then the woman sings the chorus again. Kev Or mumble rap. Dave Yeah, and that’s often why they have the female vocalist singing the chorus, to try to get it to connect on a more emotional level. Kev Yeh. There’s a lot of reverb on the vocals of MC Golden Voice here. He’s going for that Chuck D/Public Enemy vibe that was big at the time. Dave Yeah. You actually found your copy of the soundtrack for this? Kev Yeh man. I found my cassette tape copy of it. Dave Jesus. Kev It was in a cupboard up at my Mum’s. Yeh, just thinking back to 'T.U.R.T.L.E. Power' has made me remember just how massive, not only this film, but the Turtles, in general, were. The whole thing. Cartoons, toys, t-shirts, etc. etc. Dave This film exploded with Turtle Mania. I think it’s still the best one that they’ve done. Kev Yeh, I think so as well. Dave And that’s not just because it’s from our childhood era, I genuinely think it is the best one. The whole grittiness of the look, and the atmosphere of New York is brilliant. Kev Yeh, I watched the two newest ones again quite recently, and they left me pretty cold, to be honest. Dave They kind-of got boring after a while. ‘9.95.’ Spunkadelic. Ha, ha! Kev Yeh, that’s an interesting name for a band. I reckon they didn’t realise how that would translate over on this side of the pond. SBK Records! Ah, right! SBK Records was the label that Vanilla Ice was signed to back then. That’ll be part of the reason why he ended-up in the second one. Dave Right. Kev He’s had that connection. And there’s all the corporate sponsorship there. Pepsi. Dominos. JVC. Dave Well, that’s the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles then. Kev Yep. That’s a wrap. The end. (D) & (K)  "Click your heels and make it happen."
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by Dave Scrimgeour and Kevin McCluskey  Golden Harvest presents A Limelight Production in association with Gary Propper A Steve Barron film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Starring Judith Hoag Elias Koteas Based on characters created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird Music by John Du Prez Production Designer Roy Forgre Smith Executive In Charge Of Production Thomas K. Gray Executive Producer Raymond Chow Co Producer Graham Cottle Story by Bobby Herbeck Screen Play by Todd W. Langlen and Bobby Herbeck Produced by Kim Dawson, Simon Fields, David Chan Directed by Steve Barron Dave Nice establishing shot here.  "I can't walk through the park, 'cause it's crazy after dark. Keep my hand on my gun, 'cause they got me on the run." Kev Yeh. Is that over Central Park? It looks like it. I like the little details, like Michaelangelo sleeping with the panda toy, they really help sell the idea that the four of them are essentially still just kids themselves. Dave Ha, ha! Yeah, I forgot about that. What’s that in the background there? Kev An Elvis Presley bust, or something. I suppose, she lives above an antiques store, so she’s probably taken certain things upstairs to decorate her flat, sorry, her apartment with, which give it that eclectic look. Dave Yeah. She’s a good lead, Judith Hoag. ‘Cause she is essentially the lead in the movie. Kev Oh, yeh. She's definitely the lead in this. That’s a good way of having Danny see the Turtles in her apartment, when he sees Michaelangelo hiding under the table in the mirror. It plants that plot point for later on as well.  "Ready or not. Here I come. You can't hide. Gonna find you....." Dave Yeah. Y’know what’s been good? The way they’ve been building up to the reveal of the villain’s lair. I mean, it’s obviously coming up now, but they’ve let it be part of the story. Kev They’ve not rushed it. It only comes into play when necessary, doesn't it? Dave It’s just another part of the story. They’ve not forced it. You’ve got all the father and son themes playing out now. Kev Right enough. With Danny and his dad, April and her father, and those four and Splinter as well. Dave Yeah, because they’re going for a younger audience. Kev Yeh, your late 80s/early 90s youth market. Hence the MC Hammer. Dave Did you not have MC Hammer albums back then? Kev You know what, man, I just found his second one, on cassette tape, up at my mum’s, along with the cassette tape of this soundtrack and the novelisation of this film and the Batman movie. They were all sitting in a cupboard up there. Dave Did you have the novelisation, yeah? Kev Yeh. The thing with the novelisations back then was, often they were the only way you could get certain still pictures from the film before it came onto the cinema. There’s Sam Rockwell again. Dave Yep. That’s a good thing, they’ve got a great cast. They’ve got supporting actors like Sam Rockwell, Elias Koteas, Judith Hoag. Kev Yep. All people, quite early in their careers that….. Dave …..are good, good actors. Kev And well cast too. Dave Yeah. People that you instantly take to. Toshishiro Obata for example. Kev Exactly. People that are convincing in their roles, that are good character actors. Even that bit, with Tatsu's dismissive little hand gesture there, with the fingers, “Go. Play.” That’s great. Dave The lair looks quite smart. It’s like a runaway home, isn’t it?  The Foot Clan community centre was clearly not subject to the same local council budgetary cuts as many of its ilk. Kev Yep. It’s basically a ninja version of an Isis recruitment camp. These kids are being completely indoctrinated into this life of crime, and are being radicalised. Dave Haha. That’s a good point actually, yeah. Kev “Never lower your eyes to an enemy.” That’s the Bruce Lee thing, isn’t it? “Never take your eyes off your opponent.” Dave Yeah. Tatsu’s even got the knife to this kid's throat too. Kev Yeah, you’re right, to a kid who looks all of what, fifteen, sixteen? Barely an adult, if that. Dave Yeah. I remember they kind-of stole this look for The Flash TV pilot, that kind of underground lair. Kev Did they? Dave Yeah. This is a great introduction for Shredder here. Kev Yeh man, with the light coming through the doorway like that. Dave It’s kind-of just the Darth Vader sort of thing, but it’s really well done. Kev Oh yeh, I mean look at that. That’s a great shot, with the shadow coming off the cape like that.  The Shredder casts a long shadow. Dave It’s a proper intro to your villain, with the menacing music as well. Kev Yeh, the soundtrack’s great again here, isn’t it? You’re right, this is the first proper reveal of Shredder, isn’t it? Dave Yeah, we had a little hint of him earlier on, and now here he comes. Kev And they’ve kept that traditional Japanese look to the headgear. Dave It’s a proper samurai look, yeah. I always remembered that he had trouble taking the cape off, you’ll see it here. Kev Oh yeh, ‘cause he’s got the blades on the shoulders as well. Dave Yeah, it gets caught. Ha,ha. Kev Ha, ha! Yeh, it’s the bladed shoulder pads that let you know he’s Shredder, I suppose. Just in case you weren't one hundred percent sure.  I know shoulder pads were big in the '80s, but Oroku Saki is taking them to ridiculous extremes here. Dave Oh, he's even getting the red carpet treatment. Kev Ha, ha! Now, in the cartoon, was Shredder purple, is that right? Did they have him in more of a purple? Dave I think he was, yeah. This is more of a cherry red. Kev Yeah. Dave That’s the thing, you wouldn’t really have noticed Sam Rockwell, hanging back, in the background there. Unless you were looking for him, that is. Kev Yeah. Dave What age would he have been here? About 20, or something? Kev Yeh, he couldn’t have been much older than that. “This is your family. I am your father.“ The fathers and sons theme at play again here. The fact that he’s giving these kids, that are probably in and out of group homes and stuff, a “family” of sorts, is how he manipulates them. And here he comes, here’s Danny, just messing it up for everyone, with his Sid & Nancy t-shirt on. He must be a Sex Pistols fan, ‘cause he had his Sid Vicious one on earlier as well.  Never mind the bollocks, here's Danny Pennington. Dave Yeah. Kev To get those facial expressions on those masks is great. The animatronics are amazing. Dave Oh yeah. That’s another mistake there. I’m pretty sure there’s a crew member that you can see here, at the table. Kev Oh yeh. Ha, ha! Just hiding behind that chair. Dave He was obviously like, “Oh fuck!” 'Cause that’s what I thought. “Pork rind.” That must’ve been the actors in the suits saying that line. Kev Could've been, yeh. See, I love these rooftop shots. They look great with the vents and everything. Dave The rooftops, yeah. Again, proper, real locations. None of your studio set nonsense. They were just getting out there and making it in the streets. Kev Totally. All those water towers and everything look great. They add so much production value.  Rooftop kata. Dave It reminds me of ‘Spider-Man: The Deadly Dust,’ when he fights Benson on the rooftop. Kev Yeh, that's true. Dave And this is a great bit where The Foot clan all just appear out of the background. This is building up to another big fight scene. Kev Yeh. Dave Haha! ”Ninja kick!” Kev Ha, ha! Yeh. It’s interesting just how lost they are without Splinter. They’re all just sitting around her apartment, waiting. They’re really passive. Dave Yeah. Well, there’s the sais gone. Kev Yep. I love the way that Foot guy just dumps them over the side of the roof. Just dead nonchalantly.  "Ooops!" Dave Interesting, Raphael has had all the fight scenes so far, hasn’t he? You never really see the rest of them in the fight scene at the start, because it's in complete darkness, whereas he’s had the three, so far, that you’ve actually seen. Great choreography though. Kev Yeh, man. The choreography is superb. This bit, where he does the front kick, into the back thrust kick is great. And the cuts between these two scenes are good as well.  Superturtle punch. Dave Yeah, rather than just having one, long fight scene. And it ties in to what else is happening in the rest of the film, thematically, as well. Kev Yeh, and it’s building tension too. Dave Yeah. This is the sort of scene where you’d be looking out for complaints here. Kev About the violence, yeh. It's Raph essentially just getting beaten-up by a gang of thugs now. This is a great as well, when he gets thrown through the skylight here.  April should've ponied-up for double glazing on that skylight. Dave Oh yeah. I’m sure this is the bit where you see the rubber shell. You see his hand on it? Donatello. Kev Oh yeh, right enough. Ha, ha! Dave This is great too, the way The Foot all burst through into the room here. Kev “And I thought insurance salesmen were pushy.” Ha, ha! That’s a good line. Dave This bit with the nunchakus was cut.  James Ferman's favourite scene, allegedly. Kev Yeh, you’re right, these were all the bits that were cut from the original cinematic and VHS releases over here, weren't they? Dave Look, this guy’s lens has come off.  "This is gonna be the new look for the '90s. You're gonna be the first pirate." "But I don't wanna be a pirate." Kev Yeh, this dude’s missing a lens. I suppose, this is some of that same style of humour that’s in a lot of kung-fu movies as well. Dave Yeah, that’s it, isn’t it? Kev And I love this piece of the score here. Dave Yeah, ‘cause it takes more of a comedic tone. Kev Yeh, it’s comedic here, but then it turns very dramatic in a minute. Dave Yeah, the humour is kind-of slapstick, but not overly stupid slapstick. Kev No, but it's slapstick enough to appeal to kids. Dave Yeah. That was a good move. With the front kick into the back thrust kick. Kev Yeh, and a bit of Turtle breakdancing here, with the ol’ backspins.  Mikey breaks out the Street Sounds Electro cassette tapes and the lino. Dave “California roll.” Ha, ha! That's funny, but then the use of, “Spaz?” Hmmm. Not so much. Kev Yeh. That’s not aged well, at all. Although, in saying that, I never liked the use of that word back then either. I always wondered what Donatello’s rub of the head here was all about. Other than it just being a bit of “business.”  Turtle Wax the dome. Dave This is where it gets a bit more gritty. Kev Yeh. Good use of the cymbals, and I like the way they are establishing that it’s the sheer weight of numbers that’s overwhelming them here, ‘cause they’re essentially a man down. Which, of course, brings in…..the equaliser.  Zildjian, the cymbal of excellence. Dave Haha. Casey Jones.  Ice hockey is for wimps, shinty is a real man's game. Kev Judith Hoag’s reaction to the “Oooh! Who is the babe?” line is brilliant. Dave Yeah, I know. Haha. Kev I love the soundtrack here. The score is fantastic as it gets into this fight scene. Dave Yeah, that piece of the score is great. Kev Casey Jones has got a bit of a Bane voice with the mask on. It’s a bit muffled. Dave Yeah. Kev I like this bit, with the cord of the phone burning out, just as Charles has finished recording that message. And that’s another little nod to the cartoon with the van as well, isn’t it?  The Mystery Machine. Dave Yeah. Kev This is a really good character beat for April, I think. After all, she’s just watched her apartment, and her dad’s store going up in flames. And it’s all Danny fault.  "Burn, burn. Yes, ya gonna burn. Burn, burn. Yes, ya gonna burn. Burn, burn. Yes, ya gonna burn." Dave Yeah. Kev Big reverb on the Shredder drums. Dave Yeah. This is the shame issue here. The Japanese are big on shame, and not losing face. Kev Yeah. This is quite brutal this bit actually, isn’t it? ‘Cause Tatsu really takes his shame out on this kid, doesn’t he? Dave Yeah. He really takes this poor kid out here. He gives him a hiding. Kev It's heavily implied that he's actually killed this kid here, isn't it? Dave Yeah. Kev And, this is where the kids start to realise that The Foot isn’t going to all be fun and games, and that there are going to consequences if they fail. Dave Yeah. Well, they all come from broken homes, and this is just another example of a broken home that they’ve fallen into. Kev That's a good point, man, true. I suppose, with this being released in the cinemas in the UK in November, you’re getting into that Christmas release schedule period, which is always a good time to release a kids film. Dave Yeah. Well, it kind-of is a family film, ‘cause it’s all about family values. Kev Yeah, this line here. “All fathers care for their sons.” That's such a well delivered line. I love the tears in Splinter’s eyes as well. They’re really good. It looks like he’s in pain. Not only the emotional kind, as he’s talking about missing his sons here, but also the physical pain from the torture that’s been inflicted upon him by The Foot.  Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon 5. Dave And we’ve got the start of the sexual tension between April and Casey here. Kev Yeh. Elias Koteas is pretty lean in this. He looks like he’s in good shape.  And people say Casey Jones has no superpowers, well, what about his magical finger guns? Dave Yeah. This is quite funny, the way this scene plays out, how he breaks the news to her that she’s lost her job. Kev Is this Han and Leia style of sexual tension that they’re going for here, do you think? Dave I suppose it is, yeah. Ha, ha! “Moonlighting.” Kev Again though, how many kids would’ve got that 'Moonlighting' reference? There couldn’t have been that many, I wouldn’t have thought. Dave No, I certainly didn’t watch 'Moonlighting' as a kid. Kev That’s interesting that she’s talking about the Turtles having suffered their first defeat as well. Dave Yeah, it’s like the narrative for them. Kev Yeh, and their growth as "people," and as a team. That artwork’s great. I wonder if it was Eastman or Laird that did that? I think I remember reading somewhere that it was one of the two, now that I think about it. I love the sketch of Leonardo, and of his leg, in a slightly different position, before she decided on the final version. And the transitions into the actual shots are great as well.  Eastman?  Laird? Dave Oh yeah, the scene is basic and simple, there’s not a lot in it. It’s almost just an empty room. Kev Yeh, you’re right, it’s essentially just an empty room with a couple of characters in it. I always found the fact that they’re keeping Raphael in the bathtub, as a way of taking care of him, quite amusing. Dave Yeah, that’s their way of looking after him.  He's not an amphibian, April. I think you may be over-subscribing to the healing properties of water for him here. Kev I wonder why they chose to do the journal entries here. Dave To provide a bit of narrative, I reckon. Kev Yeh, you’re right, I suppose. A little bit of exposition, eh? Dave Yeah. Do you think that this was meant, this bit with the chain on the swinging chair breaking? Kev I dunno. Dave His reaction is really comedic there. Kev Yeh, that reaction looks pretty genuine. Good bit of business from Koteas, if it wasn't. Dave Raphael’s sounds like a proper Brooklynite. Kev Yeh, he’s got that Brooklyn accent, alright. I like the fact that, on the costumes, each of their musculature is different as well. Dave Oh yeah. Kev They’re all unique, like you were saying. Raph’s the biggest, he’s got that bruiser look, Leo’s a bit leaner, Michelangelo almost looks a bit younger, and that’s why he’s not as muscular, and Donatello kind-of somewhere in between. Dave Right enough. Ha, ha! This is where you can see the guy’s face in the mouth of the costume here.  "The horror. The horror." Kev Ha, ha! Oh yeh. Dave You can even see the guy’s mouth. Kev Yeh, he’s opening his mouth as well. That’s actually quite terrifying. It’s like something out of Alien, with the second, smaller, mouth inside the bigger mouth. It’s like you’re just waiting on it to attack you. Dave Is that the guy’s eyes? Kev I’m not sure. They don’t look like they’re in line with his face, with his mouth, or anything else, if those are his eyes? Dave No, it can’t be his eyes. It looks like it, but…. Kev Nah. Is it maybe part of the structure of the mask? Maybe they're metal pins, or something? Dave Yeah, ‘cause you can see the rest of the inside of the turtle mask. That’s what it is. If they didn’t have those pins or whatever they are, it probably wouldn’t look so bad, but because of them, it looks like a person’s eyes. Kev Yeh, you’re right, it does look like a person’s eyes. Dave It’s actually quite disturbing. Kev Ha, ha! Yeh, it really is. Dave This is a bit like a Rocky-style montage here, isn’t it? Kev Yeh, Mikey’s even on the heavy bag.  1. 1-2. 1-1-2. 1-2. 1. 1-2-3. 1-1-3. 1-1-2. 1-1-4. 1-5. 1-6. 1. 1. 1-1-7. 1-1-8. Dave I suppose, there’s a little bit of Stallone in there with Raph yelling, “Splinter!” Kev Yep, that’s like Rocky shouting for Ardian. Dave Oddly enough, they dubbed Tatsu’s voice. Kev Did they? Dave Yeah, they dubbed it. I love the darkness in these scenes. The lighting and the colours and the tones and all that. Kev Yeh, it looks really good. I like the soundtrack here as well. Very fight montage-esque sort of stuff. Again, a bit like a Rocky flick. Dave Has this been edited? This is the full version, isn’t it? Kev I don’t know. I’ve seen that many different versions of this film over the years, between cinema, home video and all the TV cuts, that I can never tell which one’s which. Dave I’m pretty sure that, nowadays, you get the full, unedited version, because the censors are past caring about it. Kev And there’s nobody kicking off about it these days now either, I suppose. Dave Yeah. I like the fact that he’s using a sword to prepare dinner.  Casey is preparing a rustic vegetable stew, with bell peppers, eggplant and katana sliced carrots. Kev Ha, Ha, yeh. Using the big katana sword, just to cut up some carrots. Michaelangelo’s little giggle is great. Dave You’re right, the muscle definition is different on each of them. Kev Yeh, and even the shades of green on their skin are all slightly different as well. They’ve definitely put a lot of thought and work into how each of them look. It's some achievement, for as little as they were working with. Dave Yeah, the costumes are fantastic, for what they were able to do at the time. Kev Is Donatello maybe the most underwritten of the four Turtles in this? Because they don’t show much, if any, of the intellectual and engineering side of his personality, that he has in a lot of the other versions. Dave Yeah, he’s definitely made more of an intellectual later on. And they changed the voice as well, didn’t they? ‘Cause it was Corey Feldman here, but they got someone else in for the later movies. Kev I keep forgetting that it was Corey Feldman who did Donatello’s voice in this one. Dave Yeah, it’s Corey Feldman. Kev A bit of astral projection stuff going on here, with the channelling of Splinter.  Force ghost Splinter. Whoops. Wrong franchise, again. Dave Yeah. More traditional martial arts movie stuff. Kev Yeh. Good score again for this bit. It underpins the emotion of the scene. Dave Yeah, definitely. I keep looking at those masks now, looking for the actor’s face. Kev Ha, ha! Dave This is the second act being wrapped-up, and we're moving into act three. Kev Yeh. How far into the film are we here? Dave One hour, two minutes. Kev Yeh, you’re right then. We’re pretty bang on for your standard three act structure. (D) & (K) Next: Act 3. Where a man gets crushed (seemingly to death) in a trash compactor. In a film aimed primarily at kids.  |
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